Cover Illustration from the novelization of Return of the Killer Tomatoes by Spacesick Publishing, 1965
There's not much to say about the Edgin Inds - they were a Florida garage band (possibly from Lake Wales) that was part of the local scene in Orlando in the mid-60s. They recorded a couple singles, the first being "Don't Try to Hide It"/"U.F.O." for Tener Records. Mike Spenser (who compiled the Trash Box box set where i found this track) describes "Don't Try to Hide It" as "one of my favorite blends of the Left Banke approach to art-pop and the rawer folk-rock that stamps this a great garage band."
Like a lot of the rare singles found on the Trash Box, the song is not presented in pristine form, but I can hear what Spenser is talking about through the hiss and crackle. The jangly guitar and organ are not the standard garage sound, and the harmonies almost work. The lyric, however, is pretty terrible: "If you have the talent/here's what you do/if you have the talent/keep it in view." Considering that the song is obviously about a girl, I hope the "talents" being referred to are not what I think they are.
"Don't Try to Hide It" by the Edgin Inds
3 comments:
My dad was in this band, and yes, they were from Lake Wales. This song, however, was not about a girl.
Nevin:
Thanks for the comment and the additional insight on the lyric to this song. I must have been in a weird mood when I wrote this - I actually like "Don't Try to Hide It" a lot, so I don't know what the backhanded compliments ("the harmonies almost work") are all about.
If I didn't like the song, I wouldn't have had it in rotation in Winamp.
Thanks again!
I just recently heard this song for the first time. I still cannot believe that it is on YouTube! I know what you mean about the harmonies, and I agree. My dad still has his vinyl record if I'm not mistaken. Thanks again for posting this song! It's nice to know that my dad was apart of something like this, even if it was a small part.
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