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The Gestures - Download on iTunes

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Amid the current collector fervor for vintage garage 45s, it’s easy to overlook the stories behind the groups that made these recordings. Thousands of combos across the globe struggled to capture the one hit that would propel them from the carport to the top of the charts. A lucky few found that magic song but far more bands made one or two singles and faded away, not for lack of talent but for lack of opportunity. The once-overlooked recordings they left behind have now become precious artifacts, pursued by avid audio archeologists. These garage nuggets find their way to a wider listening audience through a variety of channels, scattering like pebbles across the listening landscape.

Consider the story of The Gestures. Hailing from Mankato, Minnesota, the four teenaged musicians—guitarist/vocalist Dale Menten, Gus Dewey, bassist Tom Klugherz and drummer Bruce Waterston—fell under the sway of the British Invasion sound. The stampeding herd of Brit-beat bands inspired them to take up instruments and try it themselves. Like their Mississippi-based peers The Gants, The Gestures found they had a particular knack for interpreting The Mersey Sound, incorporating elements of surf and straight-ahead rock & roll. Signing with Minneapolis independent label Soma, the group entered the studio in October 1964 to record the Menten-penned songs “Run, Run, Run” backed with “It Seems to Me”. Charting nationally at #44, the a-side was an instant classic, full of terrific vocals, pulsing guitars and urgent drums, all wrapped up in a perfect arrangement. Another Soma single, “Don’t Mess Around” b/w “Candlelight (both Menten compositions), was released in February 1965 but did not fair as well as their debut. Unfortunately, that marked the end of their recording career and with it, their shot at stardom.

Roughly three decades later, the archivists at Sundazed located the original Soma analog master tapes for the Gestures’ two singles along with many unreleased songs. These unreleased songs were recorded for a potential album that was never released, at least until Sundazed assembled “the Gestures album that never was”! Beyond the four single sides, The Gestures features twelve additional tracks never-before available. The song selection includes contemporary covers, such as the Beatles “Things We Said Today” and Gerry and the Pacemakers “Don’t Let the Sun Catch You Crying.” You’ll also find more stellar Dale Menten originals, like the snarling shoulda-been hit “I’m Not Mad” and the introspective “When Does Linda Cry.” With such abundant vocal, instrumental and writing talent on display, it is hard to believe that The Gestures were a two-singles-and-out band. But now, thanks to Sundazed’s intrepid excavation, they now have a full album to their credit, complete with a group history, vintage photos and more. Don’t walk: run, Run, RUN to grab a copy of The Gestures for yourself!

TRACK LISTING:
1. Hi-Heel Sneakers*
2. I'm Not Mad*
3. Don't Mess Around
4. Run Run Run
5. Things We Said Today*
6. Can I Get A Witness*
7. Long Tall Texan*
8. Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying*
9. She Cried*
10. It Seems To Me
11. When Does Linda Cry*
12. Savage World*
13. Candlelight
14. Things We Said Today (alternate backing track)*
15. I'm Not Mad (version 2)*
16. Stand By Me*

*previously unreleased