Imperial Dogs: 'All The Velvets' Urban Grit Plus Dictators-Style Rock 'N' Roll Bravado!'

The B-side of the Imperial Dogs' 1978 single on Back Door Man Records was a cover of the Velvet Underground's "I'm Waiting For The Man," which, as the Dude Behind The Record Counter writes here, "has all the Velvets’ urban grit plus Dictators-style rock ’n' roll bravado, turning it into a fist-thrustin’ rock anthem!"

While the A-side of the Imperial Dogs' single, "This Ain't The Summer Of Love" was -- thanks to an introduction by Kim Fowley -- was re-worked and re-recorded by the Blue Oyster Cult, as The Dude Behind The Record Counter notes here:

"I posted the Imperial Dogs flipside to "This Ain't The Summer Of Love" a while back, and now I've actually got the song for y'all. Although this ain't by the Imperial Dogs, it's from Sweden's almighty Screaming Dizbusters, who're really the Nomads lettin' their scraggly hair down. They seemed to always like a fleshy bottom-end to their racket and this is no exception. Nice crunching guitar and heavy organ set at a slow swagger that'll have almost any 40-somethin' rocker headbangin' what little hair he's got left. It's not metal per se, it's more like a straight shot o' no-frills (meat)ballsy rock 'n' roll with a bargain-basement garage chaser. This 7-inch was released on French label Amigo in '86."

Earlier recordings of both these songs can be found on the Imperial Dogs' Live! In Long Beach (October 30, 1974) DVD.

Thames Delta World Service Sends Imperial Dogs Back To The Future!

Inspired by the recent (September, 2011) issue of Mojo magazine that featured a detailed history of'70s pre-punk music by "England's Dreaming" author Jon Savage, the Thames Delta World Service blog created a three-hour, streaming audio playlist entitled "Back To The Future - Mojo's 50 Pre-Punk '70s Tracks" that includes every single song cited in the story's accompanying sidebar PLUS the Imperial Dogs' original version of "This Ain't The Summer Of Love," which was taken from the band's Live! In Long Beach (October 30, 1974) DVD, and can be heard here.

Fang Mail, Pt. 25

Thought we'd share some more "fang mail" from people who've actually purchased the Imperial Dogs' Live! At Long Beach (October 30, 1974) DVD ...

"It certainly took me back to the days when heavy metal and Detroit looked like the feeding ground for punk and for reminding me why Back Door Man magazine (and the Imperial Dogs) came along at just the right time to lead my receptivity to the Stooges, the MC5, the Blue Oyster Cult, and the New York Dolls," writes lifelong fan, true "recordman" -- and great humanitarian -- Gary Stewart. "Clearly you guys were among the first to try this. (Certainly the first on the West Coast)."