THE ROBBS – ’Bittersweet’ / ’End Of The Week’ (Mercury 72641) Jan 1967

The Robbs | Bittersweet | (Mercury) 1967 | I was doing a bit of internet surfing the other day and learnt that Dee Robb from The Robbs died in February 2008. It’s always sad for me when I read that 60s songwriters/musicians die. Fortunately their music will survive a lot longer.

Dee Robb was the lead singer and chief songwriter of Milwaukee band The Robbs. It turned out that The Robbs may have been one of the unluckiest bands of the mid to late 60s.

Although their 45s charted locally they never succeeded in achieving national acclaim because almost every one of their releases only reached the ’bubbling’ under section of The Billboard chart.

’Bittersweet’ was The Robbs third Mercury 45. On this disc the services of hot production team P.F. Sloan and Steve Barri were given control to perhaps push the band to the next level. After all, their songs had been big hits for The Grass Roots, The Turtles and The Searchers. Maybe none bigger than ’Eve Of Destruction’ made popular by Barry McGuire.

’Bittersweet’ is a magical folk-rock tune notable for it’s catchy chorus and pleasant Robbs harmonies. Surprisingly this song has only really ever been digitally compiled on my series of comps. Check it out on Cavestones Volume 20.

A recent search on the Searchin’ For Shakes database reveals that The Robbs have no comp action apart from a cassette only release put out by Strange Things magazine back in 1990 . . . On this they introduced ’Bittersweet’ – I doubt if this cassette is around any more.

End of the week

The flip of this 45 is a Dee Robb original titled ’End Of The Week’, this time around they go for a surf pop approach, similar in style to The Beach Boys’ more obscure surf moments. This song is non LP so well worth you getting a copy.

line-up:
David Donaldson (aka Dee Robb) guitar/vocals
Robert Donaldson (aka Bruce Robb) organ
George Donaldson (aka Joe Robb) guitar
Craig Krampf (aka Craig Robb) drums

Reader comments:
Bass duties was usually done by session players from Hollywood notably Larry Knetchel or Joe Osborn. I used to see them perform at an Appleton beer bar, The Quarry, in the 60s. They were amazing. If I remember right they’d come out and do some warm up stuff then come back for a couple sets.

Dee, on a Rickenbacker (sometimes 12 string), Craig on the drums, Bruce on double base drums, and Joe on an amazing wooden organ (might have Bruce and Joe mixed up).

Super musicians and great sound!! Great lighting. Cool clothing. One set they’d wear motorcycle chain belts that they had gotten from the Milwaukee Outlaws. They were incredible in their original persona, before they got homogenized by big-time.
(Original review 31/05/08)