Pebbles series
Encyclopedia
Pebbles is an extensive series of compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...

s in both LP and CD formats that have been issued on several record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...

s, though mostly by AIP
AIP Records
AIP Records is a record label that was started by Greg Shaw's Bomp! Records, being launched in 1983 to continue the Pebbles series. The abbreviation AIP stands for "Archive International Productions". The first 10 volumes in the Pebbles series had been released by BFD Records of Kookaburra,...

. Together with the companion Highs in the Mid-Sixties series
Highs in the Mid-Sixties series
rightThe Highs in the Mid-Sixties series is a group of 23 compilation albums of garage rock and psychedelic rock recordings that were issued by AIP Records in the mid-1980s. This series is a companion to the Pebbles series of similar music; the title is technically preceded by "Pebbles Presents:"...

, the Pebbles series made available over 800 obscure, mostly American "Original Punk Rock" songs recorded in the mid-1960s — primarily known today as the garage rock
Garage rock
Garage rock is a raw form of rock and roll that was first popular in the United States and Canada from about 1963 to 1967. During the 1960s, it was not recognized as a separate music genre and had no specific name...

 and psychedelic rock
Psychedelic rock
Psychedelic rock is a style of rock music that is inspired or influenced by psychedelic culture and attempts to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. It emerged during the mid 1960s among folk rock and blues rock bands in United States and the United Kingdom...

 genres — that were previously known only to a handful of collectors. In 2007, the release of the Pebbles, Volume 11
Pebbles, Volume 11 (CD)
Pebbles, Volume 11 is a compilation album among the CDs in the Pebbles series and is subtitled Northern California. According to the AIP Records website, this will be the last of the many Pebbles albums.-Release data:...

CD marked the final album in the Pebbles series. The following year, Bomp!
Bomp! Records
Bomp! Records is an Los Angeles-based indie label formed in 1974 by fanzine publisher and music historian Greg Shaw.-History:The label has featured punk, pop, powerpop, garage rock, new wave, old school rock, neo-psychedelia among other genres, and its roster has included artists such as The Modern...

 marked the 30th anniversary of the original Pebbles
Pebbles, Volume 1
Pebbles is a compilation of US underground and garage single record releases from the mid- to late-1960s. It had a limited original release in 1978 and a more general release in 1979 ; this album was followed by several subsequent Pebbles compilations and albums...

album with a spartan, limited-edition, clear-vinyl reissue complete with the original pink cover insert.

The Pebbles series played a significant role in the emergence of a "canon" of garage-rock music and artists in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

In his review of the Pebbles series for Allmusic, Richie Unterberger
Richie Unterberger
Richie Unterberger is a US author and journalist whose focus is popular music and travel writing.-Life and writing:Having worked as a DJ at WXPN in Philadelphia, he started reviewing records for Op magazine in 1983...

 comments: "Though 1972's Nuggets
Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, 1965-1968
Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era is a compilation album of American garage rock singles released in the mid- to late 1960s. It was assembled by Jac Holzman, founder of Elektra Records, and Lenny Kaye, later lead guitarist for the Patti Smith Group...

 compilation reawakened listeners to the sounds of mid-'60s garage rock, it only focused on the tip of the iceberg. Behind those forgotten hits and semi-hits lurked hundreds, if not thousands, of regional hits and flops from the same era, most even rawer and cruder. . . . More than any other factor, these compilations [in the Pebbles series] were responsible for the resurgence of interest in garage rock, which remains high among collectors to this day."

Including the Highs in the Mid-Sixties series
Highs in the Mid-Sixties series
rightThe Highs in the Mid-Sixties series is a group of 23 compilation albums of garage rock and psychedelic rock recordings that were issued by AIP Records in the mid-1980s. This series is a companion to the Pebbles series of similar music; the title is technically preceded by "Pebbles Presents:"...

, Best of Pebbles series, Essential Pebbles series
Essential Pebbles series
rightThe Essential Pebbles Collection is a series of compilation albums of obscure garage rock and psychedelic rock recordings that were originally released in the mid-1960s. As the name implies, the series was created by AIP Records as a distillation of the albums in the Pebbles series and the...

, Planetary Pebbles series, and two box sets, more than 60 compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...

s have been released using the Pebbles name. Following on the heels of the success of the Pebbles series, dozens of other series of garage rock
Garage rock
Garage rock is a raw form of rock and roll that was first popular in the United States and Canada from about 1963 to 1967. During the 1960s, it was not recognized as a separate music genre and had no specific name...

 compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...

s have been started, with numerous albums being released each year for several decades.

"Pebbles" compared with "Nuggets"

The name "Pebbles" is a diminutive of the name of the seminal Nuggets
Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, 1965-1968
Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era is a compilation album of American garage rock singles released in the mid- to late 1960s. It was assembled by Jac Holzman, founder of Elektra Records, and Lenny Kaye, later lead guitarist for the Patti Smith Group...

 album of similar music; since in almost all cases, the recordings compiled on these albums were lesser known regional hits or releases with little or no national exposure. By contrast, several of the bands presented on the original Nuggets compilation had one or more national hit songs, such as the Seeds
The Seeds
The Seeds were an American rock band. The group, whose repertoire spread between garage rock and acid rock, are considered one of the pioneers of punk rock.-History:...

, Blues Magoos
Blues Magoos
The Blues Magoos was a rock music group from the The Bronx, New York. They were at the forefront of the psychedelic music trend, beginning as early as 1966.-1964 - 1971:The band was formed in 1964 as "The Trenchcoats"...

, Electric Prunes, the Standells
The Standells
The Standells are a garage rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in the 1960s, who have been referred to as the "Godfathers of Punk Rock", and are best known for their 1966 hit "Dirty Water," now the anthem of several Boston sports teams.-The 1960s:...

, Count Five
Count Five
The Count Five was a 1960s garage rock band from San Jose, California, best known for their Top 10 single "Psychotic Reaction".The band was founded in 1964 by John "Mouse" Michalski and Roy Chaney took over bass duties, two high school friends who had previously played in several short-lived...

 and others. As additional albums were released under both of these names over the years, Nuggets albums tended to feature more familiar bands, while Pebbles albums usually unearthed virtually unknown recording artists or previously unreleased tracks by better known bands. As the Pebbles albums were compiled from record collections, dubbed
Dubbing (music)
In sound recording, dubbing is the transfer or copying of previously recorded audio material from one medium to another of the same or a different type. It may be done with a machine designed for this purpose, or by connecting two different machines: one to play back and one to record the signal...

 from discs (not from the master tapes like the Nuggets series), often without the knowledge of the musicians or producers involved, BFD and AIP had a much larger range of music to choose from.

In addition, while the original Nuggets album from 1972 bore the subtitle "Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, 1965–1969," the Pebbles series made a different claim through its subtitle: "Original Artyfacts from the First Punk Era." In this way Pebbles explicitly sought to connect the garage style of the 1960s to the then-current (1979) punk movement typified by artists like The Ramones, The Sex Pistols, and others.

Nature of the Music

The Pebbles series describes the recordings on their albums as "Original punk rock from the psychedelic 60s!" These recordings were primarily made by the numerous American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 bands that were formed in the wake of the British Invasion
British Invasion
The British Invasion is a term used to describe the large number of rock and roll, beat, rock, and pop performers from the United Kingdom who became popular in the United States during the time period from 1964 through 1966.- Background :...

. Essentially referring to the young age and lack of sophistication of the musicians, the term "punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...

" was coined (or at least popularized) by Lenny Kaye
Lenny Kaye
Lenny Kaye is an American guitarist, composer and writer who is best known as a member of the Patti Smith Group.- Early life :...

, who was involved in compiling the original Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, 1965-1968
Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, 1965-1968
Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era is a compilation album of American garage rock singles released in the mid- to late 1960s. It was assembled by Jac Holzman, founder of Elektra Records, and Lenny Kaye, later lead guitarist for the Patti Smith Group...

. Some of the recordings of this type were credited to individual musicians, but most were made by young combo
Combo
Combo may refer to:*A small musical ensemble, especially in jazz*Combo Waterhole, a real location in Australia, believed to be the inspiration for Waltzing Matilda...

s and rock bands that were typically composed of teenagers; and they almost invariably come from 45 singles. In many cases, the band would release a routine cover song of a well-known hit as the "A" side of a single and include a more interesting original song as the "B" side that would be more appropriate for inclusion on a compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...

. However, the wild covers by some of the garage rock bands are as renowned as any of the original songs, and numerous cover songs have also been compiled on the Pebbles series.

"Punk rock" is now mainly applied to several waves of bands that formed in the 1970s and later, and many of these bands cite the music on Nuggets and Pebbles albums as major influences. This type of music is now generally identified as the genres of garage rock
Garage rock
Garage rock is a raw form of rock and roll that was first popular in the United States and Canada from about 1963 to 1967. During the 1960s, it was not recognized as a separate music genre and had no specific name...

, named after the practice venue that most young bands utilize, and psychedelic rock
Psychedelic rock
Psychedelic rock is a style of rock music that is inspired or influenced by psychedelic culture and attempts to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. It emerged during the mid 1960s among folk rock and blues rock bands in United States and the United Kingdom...

, since many songs were designed to be enjoyed while under the influence of psychoactive drugs such as marijuana and LSD
LSD
Lysergic acid diethylamide, abbreviated LSD or LSD-25, also known as lysergide and colloquially as acid, is a semisynthetic psychedelic drug of the ergoline family, well known for its psychological effects which can include altered thinking processes, closed and open eye visuals, synaesthesia, an...

.

Mastercharge Records

The original release of the first Pebbles album was on the Mastercharge label in 1978 and was circulated primarily among a small group of collectors in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

, where interest in this obscure music seems to have first germinated. Only 500 albums were pressed, sporting a pink pasted-on cover sheet. "Mastercharge Records" was apparently not a real record company and might have been a reference to the financing of the release by a credit card
Credit card
A credit card is a small plastic card issued to users as a system of payment. It allows its holder to buy goods and services based on the holder's promise to pay for these goods and services...

. ("Master Charge" was the name of the credit card company in the 1970s that is now known as Master Card). One radio playlist posted on the Internet mentioned a "Pebbles, Volume 2" on Mastercharge Records, but this was probably an incorrect reference to the BFD release.

BFD Records

The first 10 LPs in the Pebbles series, including a reissue of the original volume were credited in the name of BFD Records of Kookaburra, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

. These albums were released in a span of just two years (1979 and 1980) and are regarded by some as the best volumes in the series.

The legitimacy of BFD Records (and the apparently associated company BFD Productions) has long been in question, not least because Kookaburra
Kookaburra
Kookaburras are terrestrial kingfishers native to Australia and New Guinea. They are large to very large, with a total length of . The name is a loanword from Wiradjuri guuguubarra, and is onomatopoeic of its call...

 is actually the name of a bird of Australia, not a city or town. As an example, the back cover of the BFD pressing of Pebbles, Volume 3
Pebbles, Volume 3
Pebbles, Volume 3 is a compilation album in the Pebbles series that has been issued on both LP and CD formats. The tracks are rare psychedelic rock songs, and the album is subtitled The Acid Gallery...

includes the following: "Licensed by special arrangement with Mastercharge Records, Dacron Ohio, USA" (Mastercharge being the label under which the first Pebbles
Pebbles, Volume 1
Pebbles is a compilation of US underground and garage single record releases from the mid- to late-1960s. It had a limited original release in 1978 and a more general release in 1979 ; this album was followed by several subsequent Pebbles compilations and albums...

volume was originally issued), followed by "® & © 1979 by BFD Records, Kookaburra, Australia 2157. Unauthorized duplication is a violation of applicable laws. All rights reserved." The first licensing notation is clearly fictitious (possibly inspired by the location of the National Lampoon's High School Yearbook parody) – Dacron is an artificial fiber, while the city in Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...

 is Akron
Akron, Ohio
Akron , is the fifth largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Summit County. It is located in the Great Lakes region approximately south of Lake Erie along the Little Cuyahoga River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 199,110. The Akron Metropolitan...

 – and the same might easily be true of the second. Also, the Bomp!
Bomp! Records
Bomp! Records is an Los Angeles-based indie label formed in 1974 by fanzine publisher and music historian Greg Shaw.-History:The label has featured punk, pop, powerpop, garage rock, new wave, old school rock, neo-psychedelia among other genres, and its roster has included artists such as The Modern...

 website says of its AIP
AIP Records
AIP Records is a record label that was started by Greg Shaw's Bomp! Records, being launched in 1983 to continue the Pebbles series. The abbreviation AIP stands for "Archive International Productions". The first 10 volumes in the Pebbles series had been released by BFD Records of Kookaburra,...

 label: "Since 1978, this Bomp-affiliated label has been assembling compilations of punk, psych, beat, garage, and related obscurities." Actually, the first AIP
AIP Records
AIP Records is a record label that was started by Greg Shaw's Bomp! Records, being launched in 1983 to continue the Pebbles series. The abbreviation AIP stands for "Archive International Productions". The first 10 volumes in the Pebbles series had been released by BFD Records of Kookaburra,...

 album was the Pebbles, Volume 11
Pebbles, Volume 11 (LP)
Pebbles, Volume 11 is a compilation album among the LP's in the Pebbles series and has no relation to the Pebbles, Volume 11 CD that was released many years later. The cover was adapted and colorized for a later Pebbles double CD, Essential Pebbles, Volume 2.-Release data:This is the first album in...

LP, which was released in 1983. Thus, Bomp! seems to be taking tacit responsibility for the entire series.

In any case, whether or not it is a charade, the BFD label has been perpetuated throughout the releases on the Pebbles series. The reissues of the first 10 volumes have no reference to Bomp! or AIP, and the first 10 CDs in the Pebbles series include the same "BFD" catalogue numbers—which are not all consecutively numbered—as the corresponding LPs. Copyright notices referring to BFD continued to be exhibited on almost all of the albums in the Pebbles series well into the 2000s, including both the ESD CD's and the AIP CDs. Also, there are subtle differences in the packaging and programming of the BFD releases as compared to the later releases on AIP. Although the albums in the Pebbles series were produced in such small numbers that tracking down anyone regarding royalties might have been next to impossible, neither Bomp! nor anyone else has evidently been sued for copyright infringement with regard to these releases. Finally, these same charges have been made about other reissue record companies over the years as well, such as Collectables
Collectables Records
Collectables is a reissue record label founded in 1980 by Jerry Greene. Greene was previously associated with New York City's Times Square Record Shop, Philadelphia's Record Museum retail chain, and the Lost Nite and Crimson record labels....

.

AIP Records

Beginning in 1983, Bomp!
Bomp! Records
Bomp! Records is an Los Angeles-based indie label formed in 1974 by fanzine publisher and music historian Greg Shaw.-History:The label has featured punk, pop, powerpop, garage rock, new wave, old school rock, neo-psychedelia among other genres, and its roster has included artists such as The Modern...

 created the AIP
AIP Records
AIP Records is a record label that was started by Greg Shaw's Bomp! Records, being launched in 1983 to continue the Pebbles series. The abbreviation AIP stands for "Archive International Productions". The first 10 volumes in the Pebbles series had been released by BFD Records of Kookaburra,...

 record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...

 in part to issue further volumes in the Pebbles series. In addition to the 10 volumes on the BFD label that were reissued several times over the years, another 18 LPs and 12 CDs have been issued in the Pebbles series under their auspices. Many of the LPs and CDs have basically the same catalogue numbers, and there is significant overlap in the tracks on the first 6 volumes on LP and CD—with the CD release of Volume 6 being shifted to the English Freakbeat series
English Freakbeat series
The English Freakbeat Series is a group of compilation albums that were issued by AIP Records featuring recordings that were released in the mid-1960s by English rock bands in the early punk, proto-punk, R&B, mod, and beat genres...

—adding to the confusion. However, the overlap is far from complete; Pebbles, Volume 5
Pebbles, Volume 5
Pebbles, Volume 5 is a compilation album in the Pebbles series that has been issued in both LP and CD formats.-Release data:This album was released on BFD Records in 1980. AIP Records kept the LP in print for many years....

is the sole CD that has all of the songs from the corresponding LP, and only about half of the surf rock tracks from the Pebbles, Volume 4
Pebbles, Volume 4
Pebbles, Volume 4 is a compilation album in the Pebbles series that has been issued in both LP and CD formats. Unlike other volumes in the series – which compile obscure garage rock and psychedelic rock music – Volume 4 collects rare examples of surf rock. The LP is subtitled Summer Means Fun,...

LP were released on that CD.

When AIP
AIP Records
AIP Records is a record label that was started by Greg Shaw's Bomp! Records, being launched in 1983 to continue the Pebbles series. The abbreviation AIP stands for "Archive International Productions". The first 10 volumes in the Pebbles series had been released by BFD Records of Kookaburra,...

 renewed the Pebbles series in 1983, the company was apparently more interested in documenting local music scenes than in scattershot groupings of American garage rock records, so the Highs in the Mid-Sixties series
Highs in the Mid-Sixties series
rightThe Highs in the Mid-Sixties series is a group of 23 compilation albums of garage rock and psychedelic rock recordings that were issued by AIP Records in the mid-1980s. This series is a companion to the Pebbles series of similar music; the title is technically preceded by "Pebbles Presents:"...

 was begun concurrently, with a total of 23 volumes devoted to recordings from specific American cities, states and regions, as compared to the 18 volumes of AIP Pebbles LPs. What's more, 10 of the 18 LPs that AIP issued in the Pebbles series were compilations of recordings from continental Europe in the sub-series the Continent Lashes Back
The Continent Lashes Back series
The Continent Lashes Back series is actually a sub-series of compilation albums of garage rock and psychedelic rock within the Pebbles series that covers 10 of the 28 volumes of LP's. Unlike the Highs in the Mid-Sixties series — which has its own volume numbers — the 10 volumes in this series are...

.

According to the Bomp!
Bomp! Records
Bomp! Records is an Los Angeles-based indie label formed in 1974 by fanzine publisher and music historian Greg Shaw.-History:The label has featured punk, pop, powerpop, garage rock, new wave, old school rock, neo-psychedelia among other genres, and its roster has included artists such as The Modern...

 website, the release of the Pebbles, Volume 11
Pebbles, Volume 11 (CD)
Pebbles, Volume 11 is a compilation album among the CDs in the Pebbles series and is subtitled Northern California. According to the AIP Records website, this will be the last of the many Pebbles albums.-Release data:...

CD in 2007—actually several years after the release of the Pebbles, Volume 12
Pebbles, Volume 12 (CD)
Pebbles, Volume 12 is a compilation album among the CDs in the Pebbles series and is subtitled The World. According to the AIP Records website, this is the last numbered CD in the series, although the Pebbles, Volume 11 CD was not released until several years later.-Release data:This album was...

CD—represents the last album that will ever be issued in the Pebbles series. More recently, AIP has begun the Essential Pebbles series
Essential Pebbles series
rightThe Essential Pebbles Collection is a series of compilation albums of obscure garage rock and psychedelic rock recordings that were originally released in the mid-1960s. As the name implies, the series was created by AIP Records as a distillation of the albums in the Pebbles series and the...

 and Planetary Pebbles series; whether there will be future volumes in these series is uncertain.

To their credit, when AIP began issuing Pebbles albums on CD, the albums included numerous recordings that were not as yet on the LPs. Also, after the release of the first six volumes on CD, all of the tracks on the Pebbles CDs had been previously un-reissued on CD. Even the first two releases in the Essential Pebbles series
Essential Pebbles series
rightThe Essential Pebbles Collection is a series of compilation albums of obscure garage rock and psychedelic rock recordings that were originally released in the mid-1960s. As the name implies, the series was created by AIP Records as a distillation of the albums in the Pebbles series and the...

 include a second CD of previously un-reissued music in addition to the distillation from the previous Pebbles albums.

ESD Records

According to the AIP
AIP Records
AIP Records is a record label that was started by Greg Shaw's Bomp! Records, being launched in 1983 to continue the Pebbles series. The abbreviation AIP stands for "Archive International Productions". The first 10 volumes in the Pebbles series had been released by BFD Records of Kookaburra,...

 website, ESD Records (also known as East Side Digital) issued 4 volumes of CDs in the Pebbles series in 1989–1990. Though compiled by AIP, the tracks are almost completely different from those in the corresponding volumes of the LPs and CDs described previously (although a sizable number of the tracks on ESD's Pebbles, Volume 2
Pebbles, Volume 2 (ESD Records)
Pebbles, Volume 2 is a compilation album among the CDs in the Pebbles series and is a different album from the Pebbles, Volume 2 CD that was released by AIP Records in 1992.-Notes on the tracks:...

appear on both the earlier Pebbles, Volume 3
Pebbles, Volume 3
Pebbles, Volume 3 is a compilation album in the Pebbles series that has been issued on both LP and CD formats. The tracks are rare psychedelic rock songs, and the album is subtitled The Acid Gallery...

LP and the later CD reissue). Particularly on ESD's Pebbles, Volume 1
Pebbles, Volume 1 (ESD Records)
Pebbles, Volume 1 is a compilation album among the CDs in the Pebbles series and is actually the first CD to be released in the series. This is a different album from the Pebbles, Volume 1 CD that was released by AIP Records in 1992.-Liner Notes:...

, many of the tracks are either new to Pebbles or are buried on the higher-numbered volumes in the Pebbles series or Highs in the Mid-Sixties series
Highs in the Mid-Sixties series
rightThe Highs in the Mid-Sixties series is a group of 23 compilation albums of garage rock and psychedelic rock recordings that were issued by AIP Records in the mid-1980s. This series is a companion to the Pebbles series of similar music; the title is technically preceded by "Pebbles Presents:"...

. The albums had a limited run of only 1,000 each and are now difficult to locate; but, not surprisingly, the ESD and AIP CDs are often confused. One added bonus in the ESD CDs is that the excellent liner notes
Liner notes
Liner notes are the writings found in booklets which come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or the equivalent packaging for vinyl records and cassettes.-Origin:...

 are written by Nigel Strange (who wrote liner notes for several of the BFD Records albums also).

Other Record Labels

Besides these albums in the Pebbles series, the Pebbles name has been used in other Bomp!
Bomp! Records
Bomp! Records is an Los Angeles-based indie label formed in 1974 by fanzine publisher and music historian Greg Shaw.-History:The label has featured punk, pop, powerpop, garage rock, new wave, old school rock, neo-psychedelia among other genres, and its roster has included artists such as The Modern...

 releases outside of AIP
AIP Records
AIP Records is a record label that was started by Greg Shaw's Bomp! Records, being launched in 1983 to continue the Pebbles series. The abbreviation AIP stands for "Archive International Productions". The first 10 volumes in the Pebbles series had been released by BFD Records of Kookaburra,...

, and other LPs and CDs have been issued under this name, or similar names. The Best of Pebbles series was targeted at the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

, although some of the LP's were available in the US also. A series was started in 1993 for release in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

 (complete with liner notes
Liner notes
Liner notes are the writings found in booklets which come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or the equivalent packaging for vinyl records and cassettes.-Origin:...

 in Japanese
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...

), called the Great Pebbles (although to date, only one CD has been released under this name).

Box Sets

A 5-LP Pebbles Box
Pebbles Box
The Pebbles Box is a 5-LP box set of mid-1960s garage rock and psychedelic rock recordings, primarily by American bands. Several years later, a similar 5-CD box set was released that was called the Trash Box...

of the first five volumes in the Pebbles series—always the most popular according to the AIP website—was made available in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 several years ago; while a similar CD box set came out more recently, called the Trash Box
Trash Box
The Trash Box is a 5-CD box set of mid-1960s garage rock and psychedelic rock recordings, primarily by American bands. This box set is similar to the earlier Pebbles Box and includes almost all of the same recordings in that box set , along with numerous bonus tracks at the end of each disc...

. However, in each case, the tracks on the box sets differ significantly from those on the individual Pebbles LPs and CDs. While the box sets are out of print, Bomp!
Bomp! Records
Bomp! Records is an Los Angeles-based indie label formed in 1974 by fanzine publisher and music historian Greg Shaw.-History:The label has featured punk, pop, powerpop, garage rock, new wave, old school rock, neo-psychedelia among other genres, and its roster has included artists such as The Modern...

 is now offering the first 5 LPs and also Volumes 6 through 10 among the LPs for sale at a group rate.

Liner Notes

One outstanding feature of the Pebbles series are the detailed liner notes
Liner notes
Liner notes are the writings found in booklets which come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or the equivalent packaging for vinyl records and cassettes.-Origin:...

 that are included on nearly all of the albums, dating back even to the original release on Mastercharge Records. On the AIP
AIP Records
AIP Records is a record label that was started by Greg Shaw's Bomp! Records, being launched in 1983 to continue the Pebbles series. The abbreviation AIP stands for "Archive International Productions". The first 10 volumes in the Pebbles series had been released by BFD Records of Kookaburra,...

 releases and most of the others, they provide what little information is available on the artists on the album (and/or the general music scene that led to the recordings), though the printing on the original 45 disc is often the extent of it.

On the other hand, the tongue-in-cheek liner notes on the Pebbles, Volume 2
Pebbles, Volume 2
Pebbles, Volume 2 is a compilation album in the Pebbles series that has been issued in both LP and CD formats. Another Pebbles, Volume 2 was issued on CD a few years earlier by ESD Records and has almost completely different tracks.-Release data:...

LP that were credited to "A. Seltzer" are a nearly incoherent rant on garage rock
Garage rock
Garage rock is a raw form of rock and roll that was first popular in the United States and Canada from about 1963 to 1967. During the 1960s, it was not recognized as a separate music genre and had no specific name...

 that still provides some info on the bands, along with observations ranging from blunt – "These guys were the losers in a scene where Question Mark & the Mysterians were the winners; they were such bad news that even the likes of the Trashmen
The Trashmen
The Trashmen are a rock and roll band formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1962. The group's original lineup was Tony Andreason on lead guitar and vocals, Dal Winslow on guitar and vocals, Steve Wahrer on drums and vocals, and Bob Reed on bass guitar...

 looked down on 'em" – to simply over-the-top: "My pick for the Grammy this year is 'Green Fuz' by Randy Alvey & Green Fuz, which has to be the rottenest recording ever made but has more honest-to-Howard Cosell
Howard Cosell
Howard William Cosell was an American sports journalist who was widely known for his blustery, cocksure personality. Cosell said of himself, "Arrogant, pompous, obnoxious, vain, cruel, verbose, a showoff. I have been called all of these...

 energy than anything the wimpy Sex Pistols
Sex Pistols
The Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band that formed in London in 1975. They were responsible for initiating the punk movement in the United Kingdom and inspiring many later punk and alternative rock musicians...

 ever dreamed of puking up." The two-part pseudo-scholarly exposition on the Pebbles, Volume 7
Pebbles, Volume 7 (LP)
Pebbles, Volume 7 is a compilation album in the Pebbles series. The music on this album has no relation to Pebbles, Volume 7 that was released on CD many years later.-Release data:...

and Pebbles, Volume 8
Pebbles, Volume 8 (LP)
Pebbles, Volume 8 is a compilation album among the LP's in the Pebbles series. The music on this album has no relation to Pebbles, Volume 8 that was released on CD many years later.-Release data:...

LPs took British Invasion
British Invasion
The British Invasion is a term used to describe the large number of rock and roll, beat, rock, and pop performers from the United Kingdom who became popular in the United States during the time period from 1964 through 1966.- Background :...

 musicians to task, accusing them all of being throwback, "dance hall
Dance hall
Dance hall in its general meaning is a hall for dancing. From the earliest years of the twentieth century until the early 1960s, the dance hall was the popular forerunner of the discothèque or nightclub...

" bands and coming to the bizarre conclusion that Tiny Tim
Tiny Tim (musician)
Tiny Tim , , born in Manhattan, was an American singer and ukulele player. He was most famous for his rendition of "Tiptoe Through the Tulips" sung in a distinctive high falsetto/vibrato voice.-Rise to fame:Born to Lebanese parents in 1932, Khaury displayed musical talent at a very young age...

 represented the peak of popular music.." Volume Two also features a humorous series of fictional LPs available on the BFD label, such as Sid Vicious Live at Folsom Prison.

While the liner notes
Liner notes
Liner notes are the writings found in booklets which come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or the equivalent packaging for vinyl records and cassettes.-Origin:...

 on the BFD releases were more conversational and commented as often on the music as on the musicians, AIP
AIP Records
AIP Records is a record label that was started by Greg Shaw's Bomp! Records, being launched in 1983 to continue the Pebbles series. The abbreviation AIP stands for "Archive International Productions". The first 10 volumes in the Pebbles series had been released by BFD Records of Kookaburra,...

 brought a touch more scholarship to theirs—though not without the same often playful spirit—and usually provided more information on band members and future bands. There was also a stock liner notes
Liner notes
Liner notes are the writings found in booklets which come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or the equivalent packaging for vinyl records and cassettes.-Origin:...

 section on many of the AIP albums that closed with: "Truly, this was the pinnacle of rock & roll, and until something comes along that can match it, these obscure artifacts of a vanished golden age stand as a reminder of just how great innocence can be!"

Annotations

As with the liner notes
Liner notes
Liner notes are the writings found in booklets which come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or the equivalent packaging for vinyl records and cassettes.-Origin:...

, the BFD LPs only occasionally provided information on songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...

s and release dates of the recordings that were being compiled. AIP
AIP Records
AIP Records is a record label that was started by Greg Shaw's Bomp! Records, being launched in 1983 to continue the Pebbles series. The abbreviation AIP stands for "Archive International Productions". The first 10 volumes in the Pebbles series had been released by BFD Records of Kookaburra,...

 was more attentive to these details and also provided the record label and catalogue number in many cases, particularly on the CDs. On the other hand, the word "the" was dropped from almost all of the band names on the track listings for the AIP CDs.

Cover Art

In keeping with the lo-fi nature of the recordings, many of the early Pebbles LPs had black-and-white covers, and none were issued with full-color covers. The BFD album covers were noted for the crazed drawings and strange photographs, which were carried forward into the first few releases by AIP
AIP Records
AIP Records is a record label that was started by Greg Shaw's Bomp! Records, being launched in 1983 to continue the Pebbles series. The abbreviation AIP stands for "Archive International Productions". The first 10 volumes in the Pebbles series had been released by BFD Records of Kookaburra,...

, although most of their releases had more conventional covers (such as a colorized photograph of one of the bands represented on the album).

LPs

  • Pebbles, Volume 1
    Pebbles, Volume 1
    Pebbles is a compilation of US underground and garage single record releases from the mid- to late-1960s. It had a limited original release in 1978 and a more general release in 1979 ; this album was followed by several subsequent Pebbles compilations and albums...

    ; #BFD-5016 — No Volume Number Actually on the BFD Records LP Release, and No Catalogue Number on the initial release on Mastercharge
  • Pebbles, Volume 2
    Pebbles, Volume 2
    Pebbles, Volume 2 is a compilation album in the Pebbles series that has been issued in both LP and CD formats. Another Pebbles, Volume 2 was issued on CD a few years earlier by ESD Records and has almost completely different tracks.-Release data:...

    ; #BFD-5019
  • Pebbles, Volume 3
    Pebbles, Volume 3
    Pebbles, Volume 3 is a compilation album in the Pebbles series that has been issued on both LP and CD formats. The tracks are rare psychedelic rock songs, and the album is subtitled The Acid Gallery...

    : The Acid Gallery; #BFD-5020
  • Pebbles, Volume 4
    Pebbles, Volume 4
    Pebbles, Volume 4 is a compilation album in the Pebbles series that has been issued in both LP and CD formats. Unlike other volumes in the series – which compile obscure garage rock and psychedelic rock music – Volume 4 collects rare examples of surf rock. The LP is subtitled Summer Means Fun,...

    : Summer Means Fun; #BFD-5021
  • Pebbles, Volume 5
    Pebbles, Volume 5
    Pebbles, Volume 5 is a compilation album in the Pebbles series that has been issued in both LP and CD formats.-Release data:This album was released on BFD Records in 1980. AIP Records kept the LP in print for many years....

    ; #BFD-5022
  • Pebbles, Volume 6
    Pebbles, Volume 6 (LP)
    Pebbles, Volume 6 is a compilation album among the LP's in the Pebbles series. Subtitled The Roots of Mod, Volume 6 is the only album in the Pebbles series that features primarily British music...

    : The Roots of Mod; #BFD-5023
  • Pebbles, Volume 7
    Pebbles, Volume 7 (LP)
    Pebbles, Volume 7 is a compilation album in the Pebbles series. The music on this album has no relation to Pebbles, Volume 7 that was released on CD many years later.-Release data:...

    ; #BFD-5024
  • Pebbles, Volume 8
    Pebbles, Volume 8 (LP)
    Pebbles, Volume 8 is a compilation album among the LP's in the Pebbles series. The music on this album has no relation to Pebbles, Volume 8 that was released on CD many years later.-Release data:...

    ; #BFD-5025
  • Pebbles, Volume 9
    Pebbles, Volume 9 (LP)
    Pebbles, Volume 9 is a compilation album among the LP's in the Pebbles series. The music on this album has no relation to Pebbles, Volume 9 that was released on CD many years later.-Release data:...

    ; #BFD-5026
  • Pebbles, Volume 10
    Pebbles, Volume 10 (LP)
    Pebbles, Volume 10 is a compilation album among the LP's in the Pebbles series. The music on this album has no relation to Pebbles, Volume 10 that was released on CD many years later.-Release data:...

    ; #BFD-5027
  • Pebbles, Volume 11
    Pebbles, Volume 11 (LP)
    Pebbles, Volume 11 is a compilation album among the LP's in the Pebbles series and has no relation to the Pebbles, Volume 11 CD that was released many years later. The cover was adapted and colorized for a later Pebbles double CD, Essential Pebbles, Volume 2.-Release data:This is the first album in...

    ; #AIP 10001
  • Pebbles, Volume 12
    Pebbles, Volume 12 (LP)
    Pebbles, Volume 12 is a compilation album among the LP's in the Pebbles series. The music on this album has no relation to Pebbles, Volume 12 that was released on CD many years later.-Release data:...

    ; #AIP 10002
  • Pebbles, Volume 13
    Pebbles, Volume 13
    -Release data:This album was released by AIP Records in 1984 and was kept in print for many years.-Notes on the tracks:The Spirit was forced to change their band by the Los Angeles band Spirit even though they had used the name first...

    ; #AIP 10013
  • Pebbles, Volume 14
    Pebbles, Volume 14
    -Release data:This album was released by AIP Records in 1984 and was kept in print for many years.-Notes on the tracks:The two opening songs are among the many garage rock records that could have been national hits ; the former was pulled from the market because of the supposed drug references in...

    ; #AIP 10016
  • Pebbles, Volume 15
    Pebbles, Volume 15
    Pebbles, Volume 15 is a compilation album among the LP's in the Pebbles series. It is the first of 10 albums in the sub-series The Continent Lashes Back and is sub-titled The Netherlands 1965-1968. Pebbles, Volume 23 and Pebbles, Volume 25 also feature music by Dutch bands...

    : The Continent Lashes Back! The Netherlands 1965–1968; #AIP 10018
  • Pebbles, Volume 16
    Pebbles, Volume 16
    -Release data:This album was released by AIP Records in 1985 and was kept in print for many years.-Notes on the tracks:The Mood is no relation to the early-1980's British band of the same name...

    ; #AIP 10023
  • Pebbles, Volume 17
    Pebbles, Volume 17
    -Release data:This album was released by AIP Records in 1985 and was kept in print for many years.-Notes on the tracks:The Novas were responsible for a novelty record called "The Crusher" that was supposedly sung by a well-known professional wrestler of the period...

    ; #AIP 10032
  • Pebbles, Volume 18
    Pebbles, Volume 18
    Pebbles, Volume 18 is a compilation album among the LP's in the Pebbles series. It is the one of 10 albums in the sub-series The Continent Lashes Back and is sub-titled as European Garage Rock, Part 2 .-Release data:This album was released in 1985 as an LP by AIP Records Pebbles, Volume 18 is a...

    : The Continent Lashes Back! European Garage Rock Part 2; #AIP 10033
  • Pebbles, Volume 19
    Pebbles, Volume 19
    Pebbles, Volume 19 is a compilation album among the LP's in the Pebbles series. It is one of 10 albums in the sub-series The Continent Lashes Back and is sub-titled as European Garage, Beat, & Psych Rarities Pt. 3: Denmark...

    : The Continent Lashes Back! European Garage, Beat, & Psych Rarities Pt 3: Denmark; #AIP 10034
  • Pebbles, Volume 20
    Pebbles, Volume 20
    Pebbles, Volume 20 is a compilation album among the LPs in the Pebbles series. It is one of the 10 albums in the sub-series The Continent Lashes Back and is sub-titled European Garage Rock, Part 4: Sweden...

    : The Continent Lashes Back! European Garage Rock Part 4: Sweden; #AIP 10035
  • Pebbles, Volume 21
    Pebbles, Volume 21
    -Release data:This album was released in 1987 as an LP by AIP Records and was kept in print for many years.-Notes on the tracks:The Electras are not the same early 1960s garage rock band that included John Kerry but may be the same band that also recorded a version of "Action Woman" .-Track...

    ; #AIP 10036
  • Pebbles, Volume 22
    Pebbles, Volume 22
    -Release data:This album was released in 1987 as an LP by AIP Records and was kept in print for many years. This is the last of the conventional Pebbles LPs; the remaining volumes in the series are in the sub-series The Continent Lashes Back....

    ; #AIP 10037
  • Pebbles, Volume 23
    Pebbles, Volume 23
    Pebbles, Volume 23 is a compilation album among the LP's in the Pebbles series. It is one of 10 albums in the sub-series The Continent Lashes Back and is sub-titled Holland, Part 2. Pebbles, Volume 15 and Pebbles, Volume 25 also feature Dutch bands...

    : The Continent Lashes Back! European Garage, Beat, & Psych Rarities: Holland, Pt. 2; #AIP 10040
  • Pebbles, Volume 24
    Pebbles, Volume 24
    Pebbles, Volume 24 is a compilation album among the LP's in the Pebbles series. It is one of the 10 albums in the sub-series The Continent Lashes Back and is sub-titled Germany, featuring music that was originally released by German bands....

    : The Continent Lashes Back! European Garage, Beat, & Psych Rarities: Germany; #AIP 10043
  • Pebbles, Volume 25
    Pebbles, Volume 25
    Pebbles, Volume 25 is a compilation album among the LP's in the Pebbles series. It is one of the 10 albums in the sub-series The Continent Lashes Back and is sub-titled Holland, Part 3. Pebbles, Volume 15 and Pebbles, Volume 23 also feature Dutch bands...

    : The Continent Lashes Back! European Garage, Beat, & Psych Rarities: Holland Pt. 3; #AIP 10042
  • Pebbles, Volume 26
    Pebbles, Volume 26
    Pebbles, Volume 26 is a compilation album in the Pebbles series. It is one of the ten albums in the sub-series The Continent Lashes Back and is sub-titled Sweden, Part 2...

    : The Continent Lashes Back! European Garage, Beat, & Psych Rarities: Sweden Pt 2; #AIP 10044
  • Pebbles, Volume 27
    Pebbles, Volume 27
    Pebbles, Volume 27 is a compilation album among the LP's in the Pebbles series. It is one of the 10 albums in the sub-series The Continent Lashes Back and is sub-titled Switzerland...

    : The Continent Lashes Back! European Garage, Beat, & Psych Rarities: Switzerland; #AIP 10045
  • Pebbles, Volume 28
    Pebbles, Volume 28
    Pebbles, Volume 28 is a compilation album among the LPs in the Pebbles series. It is one of the 10 albums in the sub-series The Continent Lashes Back and is sub-titled Sweden, Part 3...

    : The Continent Lashes Back! European Garage, Beat, & Psych Rarities: Sweden Pt 3; #AIP 10046

CDs — AIP Records

  • Pebbles, Volume 1
    Pebbles, Volume 1
    Pebbles is a compilation of US underground and garage single record releases from the mid- to late-1960s. It had a limited original release in 1978 and a more general release in 1979 ; this album was followed by several subsequent Pebbles compilations and albums...

    ; #AIP-CD-5016
  • Pebbles, Volume 2
    Pebbles, Volume 2
    Pebbles, Volume 2 is a compilation album in the Pebbles series that has been issued in both LP and CD formats. Another Pebbles, Volume 2 was issued on CD a few years earlier by ESD Records and has almost completely different tracks.-Release data:...

    ; #AIP-CD-5019
  • Pebbles, Volume 3
    Pebbles, Volume 3
    Pebbles, Volume 3 is a compilation album in the Pebbles series that has been issued on both LP and CD formats. The tracks are rare psychedelic rock songs, and the album is subtitled The Acid Gallery...

    : The Acid Gallery; #AIP-CD-5020
  • Pebbles, Volume 4
    Pebbles, Volume 4
    Pebbles, Volume 4 is a compilation album in the Pebbles series that has been issued in both LP and CD formats. Unlike other volumes in the series – which compile obscure garage rock and psychedelic rock music – Volume 4 collects rare examples of surf rock. The LP is subtitled Summer Means Fun,...

    : Surf N Tunes; #AIP-CD-5021
  • Pebbles, Volume 5
    Pebbles, Volume 5
    Pebbles, Volume 5 is a compilation album in the Pebbles series that has been issued in both LP and CD formats.-Release data:This album was released on BFD Records in 1980. AIP Records kept the LP in print for many years....

    ; #AIP-CD-5022
  • Pebbles, Volume 6
    Pebbles, Volume 6 (CD)
    Pebbles, Volume 6 is a compilation album among the CDs in the Pebbles series; it is sub-titled Chicago 1. The next CD in the series, Pebbles, Volume 7 also features bands from Chicago, as does the LP Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 4....

    : Chicago 1; #AIP-CD-5023
  • Pebbles, Volume 7
    Pebbles, Volume 7 (CD)
    Pebbles, Volume 7 is a compilation album among the CDs in the Pebbles series; it is subtitled Chicago 2. The previous CD in the series, Pebbles, Volume 6 also features bands from Chicago, as does the LP Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 4....

    : Chicago 2; #AIP-CD-5024
  • Pebbles, Volume 8
    Pebbles, Volume 8 (CD)
    Pebbles, Volume 8 is a compilation album among the CDs in the Pebbles series; it is subtitled Southern California 1. The next CD in the series, Pebbles, Volume 9 also feature bands from Southern California; while Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 1, Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 2, and Highs in...

    : Southern California 1; #AIP-CD-5025
  • Pebbles, Volume 9
    Pebbles, Volume 9 (CD)
    Pebbles, Volume 9 is a compilation album among the CDs in the Pebbles series; it is subtitled Southern California 2. The previous CD in the series, Pebbles, Volume 8 also features bands from Southern California; while Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 1, Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 2, and...

    : Southern California 2; #AIP-CD-5026
  • Pebbles, Volume 10
    Pebbles, Volume 10 (CD)
    -Release data:This album was released on AIP Records in 1996 as #AIP-CD-5027. Despite the similar catalogue number, there is no relation between the tracks on this CD and the tracks on the corresponding LP...

    ; #AIP-CD-5027
  • Pebbles, Volume 11
    Pebbles, Volume 11 (CD)
    Pebbles, Volume 11 is a compilation album among the CDs in the Pebbles series and is subtitled Northern California. According to the AIP Records website, this will be the last of the many Pebbles albums.-Release data:...

    ; Northern California; #AIP-CD-5028
  • Pebbles, Volume 12
    Pebbles, Volume 12 (CD)
    Pebbles, Volume 12 is a compilation album among the CDs in the Pebbles series and is subtitled The World. According to the AIP Records website, this is the last numbered CD in the series, although the Pebbles, Volume 11 CD was not released until several years later.-Release data:This album was...

    : The World; #AIP-CD-5029

CDs — ESD Records

  • Pebbles, Volume 1
    Pebbles, Volume 1 (ESD Records)
    Pebbles, Volume 1 is a compilation album among the CDs in the Pebbles series and is actually the first CD to be released in the series. This is a different album from the Pebbles, Volume 1 CD that was released by AIP Records in 1992.-Liner Notes:...

    ; #ESD 80252
  • Pebbles, Volume 2
    Pebbles, Volume 2 (ESD Records)
    Pebbles, Volume 2 is a compilation album among the CDs in the Pebbles series and is a different album from the Pebbles, Volume 2 CD that was released by AIP Records in 1992.-Notes on the tracks:...

    ; #ESD 80262
  • Pebbles, Volume 3
    Pebbles, Volume 3 (ESD Records)
    Pebbles, Volume 3 is a compilation album among the CDs in the Pebbles series and is a different album from the Pebbles, Volume 3 CD that was released by AIP Records in 1992.-Notes on the tracks:...

    ; #ESD 80362
  • Pebbles, Volume 4
    Pebbles, Volume 4 (ESD Records)
    Pebbles, Volume 4 is a compilation album among the CDs in the Pebbles series and is a completely different album from the Pebbles, Volume 4 CD that was released by AIP Records in 1992.-Notes on the tracks:...

    ; #ESD 80372

See also


External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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