Here Are The Honeycombs produced by Joe Meek (1964)

One of the first 45rpm singles I have ever bought was "Have I The Right" by The Honeycombs.  This strange, wonderful, almost magical recording is something in my life that has never left me.  Not only did I love the melody, the beat, but also the sound of this recording. 

  When I was ten years old I never think of the producer - but many years later in Moji-Ku, Kyushu, Japan at an appliance shop, I bought a  CD that consisted the first and second album by Honeycombs.  Around the same time (but in Tokyo) I purchased a collection of recordings that were produced by Joe Meek on a double-CD set.  So all of sudden I was re-introduced to the magic of Meek.  And magic is a good word to describe this genius. 

Last night on the way to meet some friends at a bar, I went into Rockaway Records on Glendale Blvd just to look around.  And all of sudden in front of me was a vinyl version of "Here Are The Honeycombs."  Interesting record because it is the best of the two albums that were released in the U.K.   But finding any Meek on vinyl is a rarity these days.   And this morning, on top volume (at least a 12) I blasted this album in my living room.  And it instantly brought me back to the record store where as a child, I bought my first single.  It sounded good then and its sounds better now.

There is a documentary being made on Joe Meek.  The filmmakers are trying to raise funds to finish the film.  For information check http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/joemeek/a-life-in-the-death-of-joe-meek