Vinyl Relics: Things! by Merrell Fankhauser & HMS Bounty, and MU by MU
Vinyl Relics: Things! by Merrell Fankhauser & HMS Bounty, and MU by MU
Vinyl Relics Epysode 60: Things! by Merrell Fankhauser & H.M.S. Bounty, and Epysode 61: MU by MU
Merrell Fankhauser
Merrell Fankhauser. When it comes to rock ‘n’ roll names, well kids, it doesn’t get much cooler than that. Just make sure you’re pronouncing it correctly. It’s like Haggard, not Streep. Merrell’s career began very early when as a teenager he would spend his time in California doing what he loved best: surfing and playing guitar (sadly, not at the same time).
The two worlds soon collided when he and some buddies started a surf rock band called The Impacts. Now, that name may not be familiar to you, but how’s this for a story? The Impacts were gaining in popularity, playing to ever-increasing larger crowds. Naturally, this caught the attention of the suits, and before you knew it they had a recording contract to sign and a date in the studio. They cut the entire Impacts 1963 album Wipe Out in one 12-hour session; Merrell was all of seventeen years old at the time.
You’ve heard of the song “Wipe Out” obviously; you’re probably humming it right now. But here’s the thing: the song is credited to The Surfaris, but Merrell has argued that he wrote it. His version came out a year before The Surfaris more known take. The recording contract they signed was a terrible one (go figure), which turned over all the publishing rights. Merrell’s songs essentially got tossed around to other bands with the producers taking all the money. After years of litigation, he did finally get the rights back.
But The Impacts were just phase one of his long career, which is still going. I had the pleasure of interviewing Merrell for my podcast Vinyl Relics (available on all podcast platforms). In a first for the show, I featured the same guest twice, two weeks in a row. See, the show is all about showcasing those under-the-radar types of albums. And most of the time, it’s easy to pick the album to dive into – in fact, a lot of times the artist only ever recorded the one. But with Merrell, his catalog is so long and so diverse, it was actually very difficult to nail it down to just two. The truth is, I probably could have done a five- or six-epysode series on the guy.
The first one tells his story from The Impacts up until his 1968 offering Things! After The Impacts, Merrell’s family moved away from California. It was there he met a young guitarist named Jeff Cotton. Jeff was a few years younger and was trying to unravel the mysteries of the guitar. Merrell taught him a few tricks, and Jeff was off and running. Together, they formed a new band called Merrell and the Exiles.
The Exiles sound ranges from surf rock to garage rock, all with a distinct British Invasion flavour. Merrell was quick to point out however that a lot of these songs were written before they had even heard of the Beatles. They never did record a full album proper, instead releasing a series of singles between 1964 and 1967. Those tracks did finally get compiled some years back for an album titled “The Early Years” and it’s one I recommend for any fan of that era and genre.
After the Exiles disbanded, Merrell was at it once again with another band called Fapardokly. Psych fans will likely be aware of this one, as it’s achieved cult-like status with original copies commanding huge bucks. It’s mix of folk-rock and sunshine psych is perfectly executed and it really is one worth seeking out (luckily several reissues are available so you don’t have to re-mortgage the house to get one).
Fapardokly soon split, and Merrell was once again teamed up with a new set of bandmates for H.M.S. Bounty. The record label wanted them to sound British and gave them their moniker. Then they decided “Merrell Fankhauser” was just too cool of a name, so they slapped it in front and their 1968 album Things! was billed to Merrell Fankhauser and H.M.S. Bounty.
This album is psych-pop perfection. Sweet harmonies set to catchy, memorable melodies, some fuzz guitar here and there and great musicianship throughout. Once you hear the title track, you’ll be humming it all day long. There’s not a dud on it. It’s the type of album you put on and think “wow, I forgot how good this thing is!”
Alas, it wasn’t meant to last however as yet again it was a one-and-done affair, and Merrell was once again without a band. Cue a reunion with guitarist Jeff Cotton. After Merrell and the Exiles split, Jeff ended up replacing the departed Ry Cooder in Captain Beefheart’s Magic Band. He spent three years with them in what many fans consider to be the peak of their output, including the seminal Trout Mask Replica.
When Jeff left, he teamed up once again with his buddy Merrell to form MU (pronounced like the sound a cow makes). MU took their name from a mythological lost continent said to have once existed in the Pacific Ocean, often compared to Atlantis or Lemuria.
That mythicalness (pretty sure that’s not a real word) shows up in the band’s only album. Stylistically, this couldn’t be more different than anything Merrell had done up until that point. Cotton’s guitar flourishes feature throughout the album highlighted by some really cool acoustic slide. If you had to pin it down to a genre, I guess you’d have to call it a blues album… but if so, it’s unlike any blues album you’ve ever heard. There’s undoubtedly traces of the blues, but the structure has been messed around with in really interesting ways and the result is an album that sounds like nothing else – either then or now.
Sadly MU disbanded; according to Merrell it was because Jeff started dating a girl who thought “this mythological stuff was bad news.” They did record a follow-up, but they broke up before it was released. It did see an archival release a decade later under the title The Last Album (not calling it MU 2 was a missed opportunity, in my opinion). Sometimes these unreleased albums are best left on the shelf, but in this case it picks up right where the first left off and it’s impossible to own one without the other.
When Jeff bolted MU, Merrell finally struck out totally on his own and has been releasing material ever since. His most known solo record is The Maui Album, another absolute standout in his catalog. It’s got a 70’s, breezy singer-songwriter feel, but without the cheesiness. This cat can pen a great tune and he can play guitar.
If you’re just starting your exploration of this artist, here’s where I would start:
Things!, followed by Fapardokly, followed by MU, followed by The Maui Album… and then everything in between. He’s one of those artists that you really can’t go wrong with. If you see one of his records, grab it. Even if you’ve never heard of it, chances are you’ll like it.
For the show, part one (Things!) tells the story of the Impacts, through Merrell and the Exiles and Fapardokly up to and including the H.M.S. Bounty album. Merrell shares some great stories throughout with some fun insights into some of the songs.
Part two (MU), picks up his career after Things!, how he re-connected with Jeff Cotton and through his solo career and his job as a staff songwriter. Again we do a track by track dive into the MU album with Merrell’s commentary helping explain the inspiration behind the songs.
If you want to hear a truly interesting guy talk about his varied and wonderful career, tune in, turn on & drop by Vinyl Relics on Spotify, Apple or wherever you get your podcasts. There’s a new epysode every week with a new under the radar album featured.
I hope you dig Things! and MU as much as I do!
– Farmer John
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