featured in Splendid fanzine – Issue No. 3 – 1987

The Wylde Mammoths: “Four Wolly Mammoths EP” (Mystery Scene 0001) 1986

This was the first single released by The Wylde Mammoths, formed by the Maniette brothers and ex-members of The Crimson Shadows, who also released records on Mystery Scene.

There are four tracks here, all of them display a very raw garage R&B style, obviously inspired by records in their own collections. I’m thinking Downliners Sect mixed with a lot of Pretty Things.

The good thing with these four songs is that they’re group originals and not simply poor cover-version rehashes. “You Gonna Need Me When I’m Gone” is my favourite here, although every track is decent.

Tunes recorded at Nybrostudion in November 1986 and engineered by Bo Engberg.

The Wylde Mammoths – ’I Can’t Go Without You’ (CH 002) 1987

As I continue my excavation of the underground garage scene in the 80s I’ve come across this flexi-disc single by The Wylde Mammoths from Sweden. This was given away free with German fanzine Splendid Issue 3. I very much doubt many would have survived.

I’m not sure if any of the two songs have appeared anywhere else. So they could be exclusive to this one off flexi disc. ’I Can’t Go Without You’ is the best song, sounding like a rough Euro garage beat outfit from twenty years earlier.

The Wylde Mammoths were:
Peter Maniette (guitar/vocals) ex Crimson Shadows
Pelle Wannerberg (rhythm guitar)
Patrick Emt (bass)
Per Wannerberg (drums) ex Highspeed 5

These guys hit the NYC garage scene in ’87 or ’88 just as ”garage” was turning into ”rock n’ roll” (when The Stooges and MC5 were replacing The Chocolate Watchband and The Byrds as influences) and turned everybody on. The chicks screamed and the guys tapped their feet.

The Wylde Mammoths – ’Help That Girl’ EP (Crypt 45-3) 1988

This Swedish four piece were formed by ex Crimson Shadows member Peter Maniette and they offer the listener an updated R&B cocktail with just a hint of folk rock for added coolness. They certainly impressed Tim Warren enough to offer them a record deal on his Crypt label.

’Help That Girl’ EP was The Wylde Mammoths second single. All four songs are good to great and all hint at the sound of 60s bands like The Downliners Sect and The Pretty Things.

’Help That Girl’ sounds like a 1965 R&B punker, ’Nothing I Can Do’ is pure 1966 garage with a good guitar break, ’You’ is another 1965 R&B groover but ’In My Lonely Room’ is a slow tempo bluesy tune with a guitar riff borrowed heavily from Mouse and the Traps ’Public Execution’.

I reckon the R&B tracks would have been elevated to essential if they had used maracas and/or harp.

other info:
The seven inches of pleasure was recorded on the 14th and 15th of November 1987 at Nybro Studio in Stockholm. But not released on Crypt until 1988.

band members:
Peter Maniette (guitar/vocals)
Patrick Emt (bass)
Stellan Wahlstrom (drums/tambourine)
Per Wannerberg (guitar)

Contrary to what they said in the interview the Mammoths gave “Help That Girl” another try and it turned out well. The guitar work is fine, the only problem is that they took the speed of the song down, which made it lose some momentum.

Still the only reason that this is the weakest track on the EP is that the others are perfect. Probably my absolute favourite is “Nothing I Can Do.”

The guitar break in the middle is just pure genius and finally Peter’s vocals are where they belong, up front. Now everybody can hear that there was no reason to hide them in the back before.

The second side opens with “You” which sees the Mammoths absolutely tight. They manage to put out a massive pulsating wall of sound and they don’t need any fuzz for this.

“In My Lonely Room” sees them in blue mood , with truly classic arrangement and crisp clear sound.

The Mammoths have the songs and the sound, support them! (Splendid fanzine, 1987)