Salem 66

Originally posted February 2, 2009
Calm song by a band that deserved to be influential and to have more recognition than they had. Who knows, maybe it's better this way, so let's keep Salem 66 as a little secret to be discovered. To post any song from their first records would be great (“Across The Sea” or “Pony Song” are true gems), but let's go for “Sleep On Flowers” from the now legendary Boston Bands That Could Be God compilation.

VA Bands That Could Be God LP (Conflict Records / Radiobeat Records, 1984)

Salem 66 – Sleep On Flowers

“Salem 66 is like your grandmother’s favorite china: glazed smooth across the surface yet chipped and jagged around the border. Formed in Boston by Beth Kaplan and Judy Grunwald in 1982, they have evolved from artistic abstraction to accessible avant-garde.” Julia Masi

“The guitarist Judy Grunwald and the bassist Beth Kaplan write songs that use folk-rock guitar riffs and drumbeats that resolutely refuse to rock, topped with eccentric vocal harmonies that overlap and move in unexpected directions, all at steady mid-tempos. The pieces fit together to create songs that drone smoothly, determinedly and enigmatically, as if interior monologues had somehow been set to music.” Jon Pareles (NY Times) 

Salem 66 (Robert Wilson, Susan Merriam, Judy Grunwald, and Beth Kaplan), 1984.
Elizabeth McCullough

“Beth and Judy come from different musical backgrounds. As a child, Beth fell in love with baroque and studied a variety of instruments, including the harpsichord. A flirtation with rock’n’roll began when she was in the eighth grade and she heard Patti Smith’s Horses for the first time. However, she remained loyal to her harpsichord until she was 16 and taught herself to play bass guitar.” Julia Masi

Beth Kaplan @ Chet's Last Stand, Boston, 1985. Robert Barry Francos

“Judy grew up playing the 'Pumpkin Waltz' on the accordion. At seven, she decided she wanted to be in a rock’n’roll band. She came by her peculiar choice of instrument when she saw kids at a Sweet-16 party crank out covers of Rolling Stones songs on a snare, guitar, and accordion. She is also a self-taught musician who plays bass and guitar.” Julia Masi

“Never having played drums before, Susan's beats are made of simple, effective, and interesting patterns; each drum is treated as a separate instrument. Beth lopes her melodious bass lines around the rhythm, sensually flexing her knees to the beat. In contrast, Judy adds a degree of dissonance with her ringing chords and droning strings. Almost an Eastern touch. In relief to the positive aggression of their music, Judy's husky voice and Beth's softer tones float vocal harmonies together, keeping the sound warm and soothing.” Marc English (Boston Rock)

Salem 66 (Judy, Susan, and Beth), 1984? Rocco Cippilone

“People would hear Judy play guitar and say, 'That girl has a lot of balls, but she really sucks,' until we got better. But if you really believe in yourself, if you really believe you have something to say, somehow it gives you the confidence. Nerve is a good word. Balls is another word. It gives you that push to get up there and do it. That is a good half of what makes a good band. A lot of people – probably most people in the world – could write a good song. Or could play an instrument pretty well if they learned how. But what it takes, a good half of it, is the nerve to just push and do it. And to keep doing it, no matter what anybody says; to believe in it.” Beth Kaplan

“We had a long, weird career. I think there was a point early on where the big break should have happened for us. It's not like we thought that if we could get onto a major label it would solve all our problems, but we got to the point where we had to make some sort of level change and, in the end, it just didn't happen.” Beth Kaplan

Salem 66 ‎Across The Sea 7" (Homestead Records, 1984)

Salem 66 – Across The Sea
More info here. 
“Really nice stuff here from Salem 66. 'Across the Sea' features some cool guitar and vocal interplay which is highlighted by a super chorus. The B-side falters in its vocals and length, but it's still strong. Play it for your Mom.” Lyle Hysen (Maximum Rocknroll #21)

Salem 66 Salem 66 12" (Homestead Records, 1984)

Salem 66 – Pony Song

More pics here.