We were raking through folders that contain unfinished Locating Rollie songs, and what do you know?  We found a finished effort.  'Search Me, Search You' is a song first played by the Wickermen.  A Reagan era song.  Funny how little things have changed over the years.

Turn it UP!

Search Me, Search You

This song was originally recorded and released as part of a live performance, recorded live at Bunrattys, and sold by the band as a cassette.  The album is titled ‘Harvest’. 

For all of us living in this world, losing and missing those who’ve gone before us is inevitable, something that WILL come to pass, but at this point in our lives the reality of that is here, now, making the song even more meaningful to us today than it was when it was when Bob penned the lyric as a younger man.

Raise a glass of whatever you are drinking these days and we hope you will sing along!

Crazy Parade

Drink the Wine

Drink The Wine

Written during the Wickermen era.  1985-86 or thereabouts.

The Wickermen were a power trio and a much louder, snottier band than Bamboo Gang or the Rings  We think our take on 'Animal Boy (Machine Head Man)' is true to that aesthetic.

When playing THIS version of the song we recommend that you TURN IT UP!”

Animal Boy (Machine Head Man)

Search the Clubs!  Another staple of the Bamboo Gang live set.  Easily one of the loudest guitar driven songs on the 'Crazy Parade' album.  A blast to finally finish and record.

Turn it UP!!!

Search the Clubs

Search The Clubs

The original recording of this song, penned by Bob, became the second to last song on side 2 of the Rings’ 2nd MCA album, ‘The Rhythm Method’.  That version of the song was a pretty hard rockin’ affair, but when Mark looked solely at the lyrics with fresh eyes a ballad presented itself.  Mark formed it out that way, Bob tried it on, and it fit.  Not better than the original, just a different take on it.

Both of the Rings' MCA albums are available on iTunes.

Love's Not Safe

Another song that was a staple of the Rings’ live show.  This song was a blast to play live.  We hear just a little, just a smidge of Elvis Costello influence in the chorus.  We didn’t feel that way when the song was written, but we were big Elvis Costello fans at the time so it is not surprising that his influence would seep in.  We are at a loss trying to remember why this song didn’t make the cut during the MCA recording years but c’est la vie.

But that's OK ,cuz we own it!

Never Gonna Hear It

Written during the Bamboo Gang era.  1983-84.  A beautiful song about life and living.  Anyone who came to see Bamboo Gang perform heard us play this song. 

The song was originally called 'Amazing Parade', but when we rolled our sleeves up and started to record it in earnest it became obvious that singing a 3 syllable word like 'Amazing' before the word 'Parade' forced you to sing the word Parade as Praid.  It felt clumsy and forced.  So  we changed the lyric to 'Amazing' to 'Crazy' and never looked back.

A little background info on Do Not Tear Down. 

In the band’s quest to establish a relationship with a record label Bamboo Gang recorded 2 sets of demos.  The first set saw the songs ‘Shake Yourself Awake’, ‘Stand Up’, and the tongue in cheek ‘Wack-a-Shark’ completed.  Very well recorded tracks that were mixed by the untouchable Walter Turbitt at Blue Jay Studio SO!  No unfinished business there. 

The second set of demos included the songs ‘I’m In My Way’, ‘Do Right (Stay Right by Me’), I’m Not Afraid’, ‘Search the Clubs’, and ‘Do Not Tear Down’.  We believe that Locating Rollie succeeded in giving the song the wallop that was hinted at in the original demo and then some.

Do Not Tear Down

This song was originally recorded by the Rings and can be found on the Rings’ first MCA album.  Both of the Rings' MCA albums are now available via iTunes.

So why re-record it?  The song was always a live set favorite but Mark felt that the album version could have soared to greater heights.  It was an itch that needed scratching, compelling us to re-work the arrangement to achieve that musical goal.  To our way of thinking, mission accomplished.  We're not saying it's a better version than the original, but a different take on the song. 

To those who are familiar with the original recording, weigh in.  Send your feedback to us at locatingrollie@gmail.com.

I Got My Wish

We think ‘Stop the Clock’ was written for Bamboo Gang, but it is hard to be certain because we have been unable to find the original demo.  We also don’t have any recollection of the song ever being played out live.  If anyone out there remembers seeing us play it we’d love to hear from you.  Send your recollections to locatingrollie@gmail.com

Stop the Clock

Stop The Clock

‘Critic Critic’ was a pretty early on Rings song.  We’re thinking 1978/1979.  The only version of it that we remember recording in a studio environment was a live performance captured at Intermedia Studios on Newbury Street in Boston and broadcast live on WBCN.  YOU try singing this song at 9:00am on Sunday morning!  Definitely a reflection of the Punk / New Wave influence we fully embraced at the time.

A little trivia:  Intermedia Studios was eventually bought by the Cars and re-launched as Synchro Sound.

Critic Critic

We believe that Blue on Blue was a Bamboo Gang era creation, although we can't say for sure and we don't remember ever playing it out.  The original song demo, recording on a Fostex 4 track cassette recording machine is posted for your listening pleasure on the Locating Rollie web site, should you like to contrast and compare.  www.locatingrollie.com

Blue on Blue

Blue On Blue

Locating Rollie is a project, a collection of songs that come from the eclectic musical minds of Bob Gifford and Mark Sutton.

Gifford and Sutton were integral parts of 3 bands that achieved various levels of notoriety in the Boston music scene back in the 80's - the Rings, Bamboo Gang, and the Wickermen - writing literally dozens of songs together during that time.

Some of those songs were recorded professionally, some of them were recorded in studio settings as demos, but most of them made their way out of the rehearsal room only as live recordings on audio cassette tapes.

Writing together came to an end in 1986.

In 2010 Mark reached out to Bob, suggesting that the two of them re-record some of the music they had recorded together in the past, but Bob had a better idea.  He proposed recording the songs that were never finished.

They are now doing both, and this renewed musical collaboration is called…

…Locating Rollie.

Closing the circle.

Locating Rollie

Popular tracks