Uploaded September 2020 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
THE APOLLOS - Target Love
ALBUM Target Love / It’s A Monster (7", 45 RPM, Single)(1966)
The Apollos were from McLean, Virginia and formed in 1964. They made a four song demo in 1965 at Edgewood Studios in Washington, D.C. as the prize for winning a Battle of the Bands competition. The group originally planned to release one of the recordings, a cover of The Videls’ doo-wop ‘Mister Lonely’ from 1960, as the a-side of their debut single. In the event they opted to re-record two original compositions from the demo session and the 45 appeared on their own Delta label in December 1965. This turned out to be a very wise move as top side ‘That’s The Breaks’ is a sparkling garage number with prominent Vox organ, and flip ‘Country Boy’ a catchy Shadows style / surf-beat instrumental.
The single was a local hit and there was talk of MGM picking up the record for national distribution, but this didn’t happen. The band were also approached by agents from Paramount who spotted them playing at Mack’s Pipe and Drum in Washington but The Apollos turned down the offer as the label wanted them to replace manager Bill Mosser.
The outfit’s follow-up single was issued on Montgomery Records in November 1966 (a label that was also home to the fine ‘All Psyched Out’, another 1966 release by The Spectrum Five from Newark, Delaware). ‘Target Love’ adds fuzz to the already potent Apollos’ mix from the first single. It is an infectious punker with top notch harmony vocals and a lively guitar break.
THE APOLLOS - Target Love
ALBUM Target Love / It’s A Monster (7", 45 RPM, Single)(1966)
The Apollos were from McLean, Virginia and formed in 1964. They made a four song demo in 1965 at Edgewood Studios in Washington, D.C. as the prize for winning a Battle of the Bands competition. The group originally planned to release one of the recordings, a cover of The Videls’ doo-wop ‘Mister Lonely’ from 1960, as the a-side of their debut single. In the event they opted to re-record two original compositions from the demo session and the 45 appeared on their own Delta label in December 1965. This turned out to be a very wise move as top side ‘That’s The Breaks’ is a sparkling garage number with prominent Vox organ, and flip ‘Country Boy’ a catchy Shadows style / surf-beat instrumental.
The single was a local hit and there was talk of MGM picking up the record for national distribution, but this didn’t happen. The band were also approached by agents from Paramount who spotted them playing at Mack’s Pipe and Drum in Washington but The Apollos turned down the offer as the label wanted them to replace manager Bill Mosser.
The outfit’s follow-up single was issued on Montgomery Records in November 1966 (a label that was also home to the fine ‘All Psyched Out’, another 1966 release by The Spectrum Five from Newark, Delaware). ‘Target Love’ adds fuzz to the already potent Apollos’ mix from the first single. It is an infectious punker with top notch harmony vocals and a lively guitar break.
