Acid Leaves No Trace: Ten Morbid Melodies from Garbo’s Daughter

5. The Cadets, “Car Crash”
The Cadets, a novel doo-wop quintet who scored with their superior 1956 cover of The Jayhawks’ “Stranded In The Jungle” (later revived by The New York Dolls), simultaneously performed and recorded as R&B balladeers The Jacks. The Cadets’ considerable vocal talent consisted of Ted Taylor (first tenor), Willie Davis (first tenor; later of The Flares), Aaron Collins (second tenor; The Flares), Lloyd McGraw (baritone), and Dub Jones (bass; later of Coasters fame). Led by the hysterical Willie Davis, “Car Crash” was released in 1960.

Eerily, Ted Taylor, who left the group years before “Car Crash” to release five successful solo singles, was killed in an automobile accident in 1988.

4. The Outsiders, “Daddy Died on Saturday”
After years of success in their native Amsterdam, The Outsiders released their last single in 1969. Wally Tax and company finally found the solution to the age-old “Mom and Dad won’t let us get married” dilemma: just poison your girlfriend’s dad!

3. Jimmy Cross, “I Want My Baby Back”
A parody of the popular “splatter platters” of the era, Jimmy Cross’s 1965 death disc “I Want My Baby Back” has all of the ingredients of a perfect teenage tragedy, topped with a heapin’ helping of black humor. While driving home in the rain from a Beatles concert, Jimmy and his girl are hit head-on by a motorcycle. He lives, she dies; he digs up her grave and joins her!

Later revived by the Dr. Demento radio show, “I Want My Baby Back” was voted #1 in popular British DJ Kenny Everett’s 1977 “Bottom 30” poll. It remains a camp classic.

2. Grudge, “I’m Gonna Smash Your Face In”
If you’ve ever wondered what Joey Levine might sound like if he was a jilted psychopath, this may be the answer. “I’m Gonna Smash Your Face In” is the flip side of a rare 1973 single by the elusive Grudge. Preceded by the equally maniacal “When Christine Comes Around” (which could have very well been titled “I’m Gonna Smash Her Face In”), the details of this hilariously creepy slice of bubblegum misogyny remain largely unknown. It is credited to “Laurie Marshall,” a pseudonym of Paul St. John (the man behind junkshop glam staples such as “The Flying Saucers Have Landed” and Spiv’s “Oh You Beautiful Child”).

1. Twinkle, “Terry”
Pre-dating the Shangri-Las’ similarly-fated “Leader of the Pack” by just a couple of months, Twinkle burst onto the scene in 1964 with the classic death disc “Terry.” The BBC promptly banned the song—yet it still reached #4 on the UK charts—and this prompted the US to deny Twinkle’s entry into the country. Twinkle didn’t seem to mind too much, saying, “Oh, well. I shall have to stay at home working on my novel of the ups and downs of adolescence.”

“Terry” also features a young Jimmy Page on guitar—just years before he turned to the dark side.

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Songs ten through six

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