Flamin’ Groovies – Teenage Head

This band went through two distinct phases: an early rock/blues era followed by a shift to power pop. Their diverse catalog spans power pop gems, gritty blues-rock, and classic rock ‘n’ roll. In this song, we’re focusing on their rock/blues period from the early ’70s, hearing the raw Groovies.

I first heard this band with the song Shake Some Action. That song is probably their best-known, but the blues/rock period should be heard. This song was written by Cyril Jordan and Roy A. Loney.

Released the same year as the Rolling Stones album Sticky Fingers, Mick Jagger reportedly noticed the similarities between the Groovies Teenage Head album … and thought the Flamin’ Groovies did the better take on the theme of classic blues and rock ‘n roll. The band was started in 1965 by  Roy Loney and Cyril Jordan. By the end of the sixties, they clashed over where to go. Loney was more Stones and Jordon leaned toward the Beatles. Loney left in 1971 and they got an 18-year-old lead singer named Chris Wilson.

They moved to London and started to work with Dave Edmunds. With Chris, they did more power pop and that is when Shake Some Action came about with Wilson and Jordon writing it. They would go on to be a great power pop band known as an early proto-punk band…they pretty much covered the gamut. This anti-drug song was written by Jordon and Loney before he left…Chris Wilson is singing it.

I’ve listened to this album and it does sound very Stonesy but not copying them at all. This album was released before the Stones Sticky Fingers.

There is a Canadian band with the same name as this album and song…Teenage Head. They took their name from this song title and album. They quickly gained a loyal following on the Ontario club circuit for their shows, highlighted by Gord Lewis’ guitar work and frontman Venom’s (Frankie Kerr) vocals and on-stage presence.

Their self-titled debut album was released in 1979 and distributed by Epic Records Canada. A year later, the group signed to Attic Records and released the Frantic City album, which put them on the international radar. The hit singles, “Something On My Mind” and “Let’s Shake” helped propel the album to platinum sales (100,000) in Canada.

I added another cool song off of the album called Yesterday’s Numbers.

Teenage Head

I’m a monster
got a revved up teenage head.
Teenage monster
California born and bred.
Half a boy and half a man
I’m half at sea and half on land, oh my
Bye-bye.

Got a woman,
she’s my hopped up high school queen.
She’s my woman,
she’s a teenage love machine.
She knows how to turn me on
and get me high and get it on and on,
yeah she does.

When ya’ see me,
better turn your tail and run,
’cause I’m angry
and I’ll mess you up for fun.
I’m a child of atom bombs
and rotten air and Vietnams; I am you,
you are me.

…

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Author: Badfinger (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball, Beatles, Alternative music, old movies, and tv show fan. Also anything to do with pop culture in the 60s and 70s... I'm also a songwriter, bass and guitar player. Not the slightest bit interested in politics at all.

29 thoughts on “Flamin’ Groovies – Teenage Head”

  1. I never really got into them much. I certainly didn’t know of the love they got from Mick. I only became aware of them because of the association with Edmunds. Typically I like most all of his productions. “Teenage Head” is a great tune and of course the Ontario based band of the same name I know quite well.

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  4. Teenage Head was and is a great Canuck Power Punk band. I have a couple of there albums that being Frantic City and Some Kinda Fun. I was lucky to finally see them about 5 years ago when they came to town. Sad that Good Lewis was murdered a few years ago and Frankie passed on years ago. Awesome you mentioned them dude!

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    1. I like what I’ve heard from them….and I think of them when I see this album now…so two bands come to mind. After listening to this album…and some of the band Teenage Head…I can see they were influenced with more than just a name from The Groovies.

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  6. I knew Teenage Head got their name (probably at least) from a song but til now I didn’t know it. Cool little side story to the Flamin Groovies story… I wonder if they ever ended up meeting the Canadian band?

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    1. Such a cool name for a band.
      Oh yes…I cannot wait. I’ve waited 43 years for this CB. They last played each other in 1981…I was the happiest 14 year old anywhere.

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  9. Yeah, Stonesy feel.

    Seems like Max is ready and waiting to see what plays out. Take a deep breath and it easy Max; don’t throw anything at the umpire when he makes foul call- you might break the screen.

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  11. I like both songs! I first learned about the Flamin’ Groovies in 2017 after I had seen a post on Hotfox63’s blog about the “Teenage Age Head” album. I listened to it, which prompted me to go back to and cover their debut album “Supersnazz.” While I liked what I heard on both albums and their name stuck with me, I had forgotten about their music since.

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