Hondells (the) - Go Little Honda

Name: The Hondells
Album: Go Little Honda
Year: 1964
Style: Oldies, Pop
Similar Bands: Beach Boys, Ventures, Jan & Dean, Man or Astro-Man?
"One-Word" Review: Racing Advertisement Surf Pop
Based Out Of: SoCal
Label: Mercury Record Corp.

Go Little Honda (1964)

1. Little Honda 2:03 (Beach Boys cover)
2. Mean Streak 2:00
3. A Guy Without Wheels 2:05
4. The Wild One 2:05
5. Haulin' Honda 2:30 (instrumental)
6. Hot Rod High  2:10 /
7. Death Valley Run 1:55
8. Two Wheel Show Stopper 2:15 
9. Black Boots and Bikes 3:00 (instrumental)
10. Ridin' Trails 2:16
11. Hon-Da Beach Party 2:17 (instrumental)
12. Rip's Bike 2:00 (instrumental)

Album Rating (1-10): 8.0

Members & Other Bands:

• Nick Venet - Director
• Ben-Ven Productions - Producer
• Gary Usher - Arrangement, Song Writer, Guitar (Brian Wilson, Beach Boys, Dick Dale many)
• James R. Silke - Cover Design & Photo
• Rex Updegraph - Recording Engineer
• Roger Christian - Song Writer, Write-up (KFWB Radio)
• Ritchie Burns - Vox, Bass (Competitors, Customs, Four Speeds, Ghouls, Knights, Sunsets, Super Stocks)
• Richie Podolor - Guitar (Bruce & Jerry, La Batterie, Richie Allen & Pacific Surfers, Renegades, Super Stocks, Phil Seymour Iron Butterfly, lots )
• Glenn Campbell - Guitar (you know...)
• Al DeLory - Piano (Donovan, Avalanches, Bob B Soxx & the Blue Jeans, Phil Spector, Wayne Newton, many)
• Tommy Tedesco - (Dave Pell octet, Eddie Cano & Sextet, Emil Richards & Microtonal Blues Band, Avalanches, The In Group, Piltdown Men, 
• Wayne Edwards - Drums (Emeralds, The Mixtures, martin Mul, Maya Angelou, more creds )
• Chuck Girard - Vox (Castells, Chuck & Joe, Love Song, Six the Hard Way, Knights, Voices for the Unborn, Sagittarius, Randall Waller, Tommy Coomes, Debby Boone, Terry Scott Taylor, Super Stocks, Alisa Childers, Tim Moon, Revells, Maranatha Singers, Ambrosia )
• Joe Kelly - Vox (Castells, Chuck & Joe, Six the Hard Way)
• Bill Cooper (Ghouls, Super Stocks, Steppenwolf, Iron Butterfly, John Kay, Stan Kenton Tribute Band, Fountan of Youth more)
• Mike Curb (Rebelaries, Waterfall, Congregation, Productions, Teenage Rebellion, 18th Cenrtury Concepts, Jerry Styner, Michael Lloyd, Billy Strange, Davie Allan & the Arrows others)

Unknown-ness: Never heard of this band, but they are definitely using Hondas in place of the Beach Boys surf boards, so i assume the sound will be the same. Not sure if this was a promotional band put together by Honda to promote it's own product, or if these lads really like Hondas.

Album Review: The album / band was put together by Gary Usher, who was responsible for many other bands at the time, where he'd bring in a rotation of studio folks to record an album under a new band name. This band featured Glenn Campbell, and they have been featured in three films: Beach Blanket Bingo, Ski Party and Beach Ball. Hondells were inspired by the popularity of the Honda motor bike, which were made for everyone, rather than roughnecks and a negative crowd. The Single Little Honda was written by Brian Wilson & Mike Love, but gifted to the Hondells after the Beach Boys released it on All Summer Long

Stand Out Track: Little Honda, Hot Rod High

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