The Loved Ones

The Loved Ones (the 60s band from Australia and NOT the emo punk band from the States) were a band I found out about via INXS. They had done a cover of The Loved One as one of their early singles and it was my one of my favorite INXS songs. I decided to search for the original version. At around the same time, I was getting into a lot of 60s garage rock so when I found an original copy of The Loved Ones e.p., it was like finding two treasures at the same time.

The Loved Ones released a handful of singles in the mid 60s, which were then compiled on their sole album, The Magic Box. The broke up soon afterwards. They reunited for a tour in 1987 before laying the band to rest. Their singer, Gerry Humphreys, died in December 2005.

I've included three songs (in a ZIP file) here. The original The Loved One, its b-side Ever Lovin' Man, and another single, Sad Dark Eyes. The original Loved One is less bluesy than the INXS cover. Ever Lovin' Man (which was, unfortunately, covered recently by that awful AC/DC cover band, Jet) precedes Led Zeppelin by like 8 years (you'll get that when you hear it). And Sad Dark Eyes is sort of I Put a Spell on You meets House of the Rising Sun. Gerry Humphreys' vocal work is nothing short of awesome on these songs.

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=R3O012S3