“Open Up Your Door” / “Once Upon Your Smile” (Philips 40381) July 1966

Richard & the Young Lions | Open Up Your Door | Philips | 1966 | The trilogy of Richard and the Young Lions singles began with this pounding garage slab of teen spirit made even more memorable due to the abundance of loud fuzz bass and the distinctive sound of an African hair drum that gives the tune a memorable pulsating drive.

The group hailed from Newark, New Jersey and were led by the tall and skinny Richard Tepp who appears to have been obsessed by Mick Jagger.

He borrows Mick’s vocal delivery to great effect here and I’ve seen the clip of Richard and the Young Lions performing ’Open Up Your Door’ on TV Show Swingin’ Time (aired September 1966) and he’s pinched some of Mick’s stage moves.

The flip ’Once Upon Your Smile’ is slow paced moodiness with some brass and organ. Both songs were written by songwriters Larry Brown and Raymond Bloodworth who were recording artists in their own right and released records as The Distant Cousins.

The record sold well, some copies coming housed in a picture sleeve.

RICHARD AND THE YOUNG LIONS: The haircut is strictly Anglo-Saxon—Sort of late Beowulf, or early Prince Valiant. For an outfit with the name Richard and the Young Lions, it fits. With such shaggy lion’s manes, one pundit recently suggested the group might even be called “the mane-lioners.”

In any event, Richard’s music is equally “hairy”—a raw, gutsy, near-primitive sound he calls “impact music,” for want of a better term.

Leading this entourage of growlers is Richard Tepp, an 18-year-old, lanky, six-footer from Newark, N.J., where all the Young Lions can be found roaming.

Richard is interested in today’s “scene,” not only musically “but whatever’s happening,” wherever it may take him.

He (and the others) take life “as it comes, without any worry.” Doing so, they and their music reflect the restlessness of con-temporary teens, their desire for the offbeat, the different.

For instance, listen closely and you’ll hear an African hair drum in this recording; it was utilized to achieve a distinct sound the boys wanted. Listen again—you’ll hear the sound of today -the pulsating drive of Richard and the Young Lions. (Jere Real)

RICHARD AND THE YOUNG LIONS – ’Nasty’/’Lost And Found’ (Philips 40414) December 1966

The follow-up to ’Open Up Your Door’ proved to be a frustrating flop. I’m surprised ’Nasty’ didn’t fare better because it’s another winner with it’s garage fuzz power bombs and Richard Tepp’s Jaggerisms. This could almost be The Rolling Stones in truth.

Both sides were written by the same song writing team as before, this time around the flip ’Lost And Found’ is a gentle ballad with commercial appeal.

RICHARD AND THE YOUNG LIONS – ’You Can Make It’/’To Have And To Hold’ (Philips 40438) February 1967

The third and final Richard and the Young Lions single was the garage classic ’You Can Make It’ which again kept to their usual sound of pounding drums and fuzz action. Sadly though the record stayed well clear of any decent chart position and the group were dropped by Philips, never to be heard of again.

I first heard ’You Can Make It’ on the all time classic 80s garage compilation ’What A Way To Die’ and when I started collecting original 60s garage and psych singles this killer slab of wax was high on my wants list.

line-up:
Richard Tepp
Fred Randall
Lou Vlahakes
The Twig
Bob Freedman