Sparkles, The
Complete Recordings (lp+cd+7")
While associated with the garage-band and psychedelic rock scene of 1960s Texas, as epitomized by their classic underground hit No Friend of Mine. The line-up changed few times before 1962. They first recording was under the small label Caron the single U.T. . This third incarnation proved a great hit among the clubs of West Texas, notably the Music Box and The Village Swinger. Indeed, in 2000, local legend Joe Ely described them as the "city's best rock n' roll band" in a history of the Lubbock music scene published by Texas Monthly. Interestingly, The Sparkles boasted a pair of drummers, with one, the flamboyant Harold Floyd, also lending his voice to their performances. 1966 would constitute a turning point for The Sparkles. Larry Parks drummer for Roy Orbison, turned producer in Nashville, Tennessee invited them to sign with Hickory Records, the historic music label founded by Roy Acuff and Fred Rose in 1954. The band came up with The Hip, which proved an immediate hit in Austin and extremely popular within the fraternity scene at the University of Texas.