Garage 45-The Century's Hard Times Swan 4265 Nice VG++
$
228
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Description
Very good copy of:
Title: The Century's Hard Times b/w Endless Search
Label: Swan 4265
Record Speed: 45
Made in US, 1966
Condition: Record is in VG++ condition.
Notes: Considering they were one of the greatest of all the garage bands, there's not much information out there on the Centurys.
From Lebanon, Pennsylvania, band members were Billy Beard lead guitar and vocals, Larry McKinney guitar, John Iacovone bass, Bob Koch lead vocals and organ, and Bernie Orner drums.
In April of 1965, they recorded four songs at WSBA radio's studios in York, PA. These four songs were released on two 45s on the Renco label and quickly sold out.
The first is '83' a lo-fi anthem that's absolutely classic. On the flip is the moody So the Prophets Say, another echo-laden number with wild drumming and intense vocals. It's been described as anti-Vietnam war, but actually I think it's pro-war. It's definitely a dig at Dylan and the protest movement in general, and there's a condemnation of communism: "a red slave song you're singing, you'll wish you had a gun in your hand."
The second is Don't Bother, with intense guitar riffing and haunting organ. The flip, Together We'll Stay is not nearly as great as the other three songs, but it has some decent surf-type guitar in the break.
Their live reputation helped them land a 45 on Swan. Hard Times b/w Endless Search did very well in the area and should have been their big break. The Swan label was folding at the time, so it's possible the record wasn't promoted as well as it should have been.
Former Swan label head Bernie Binnick put out one last Centurys 45 on his BB label, And I Cried. The band broke up in 1967 due to a combination of draft notices and a lack of success.
All their releases were original songs. Billy Beard wrote most of their best songs: 83, So the Prophets Say and Don't Bother, while And I Cried, Hard Times and Endless Search were co-written with Larry McKinney.
The two 45s on Renco were reissued on an ep in the '80s as the 'Renco demos'. It's possible the Centurys originally intended these songs to be demos for purposes of securing a record contract. Regardless, the Centurys did release these songs on 45 and sold them at gigs and local shops, which makes them not 'demos' in the usual sense. None of the songs on the ep are different versions of what was released on the 45s.
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