The Detroit Cobras were an American garage rock band from Detroit, Michigan, formed in 1994. They signed with Sympathy For The Record Industry and released their first full-length album, Mink, Rat or Rabbit, in 1998. After a three-year gap, they released a second album, Life, Love and Leaving. The two albums consisted entirely of cover versions of popular songs from the 1960s. Their retro-garage rock formula proved popular in the UK and prompted the London-based Rough Trade Records to sign the band. They released an EP, Seven Easy Pieces, in 2003 and their third full-length album, Baby, in 2004. Baby broke with the Cobras' tradition in that it included one original song, "Hot Dog (Watch Me Eat)". Baby was picked up for release in the US by Bloodshot (who added the songs from the Seven Easy Pieces EP to the end of Baby. In April 2007, Bloodshot released the band's fourth full-length, Tied & True.
The band was known for multiple lineup changes. They generally had a touring lineup different from their recording lineup. Greg Cartwright of Reigning Sound (aka Greg Oblivian of The Oblivians) had been a constant creative force along with Nagy and Ramirez, who had been around since the group's genesis....(Read more)
During early airplay of the Cobras' second LP, John commented:
"This is I'm afraid an LP that you do have to have. I don't often say that but it really is the case. If you don't, people will point at you in the street and laugh."
He would visit the album repeatedly: on 13 June 2001 he said of Right Around The Corner:
"That is just fantastic, isn't it? Sometimes you forget that records can be as straightforward as that. In fact I think we deserve to hear that again." After doing so, he added, "Absolutely amazing, I just love that. And there's a better track on there to come, I'm tempted to play it to you now but it will come up next Wednesday the way I'm progressing at the moment... I may yield to temptation before the end of the programme though."
As can be seen below, he did in fact yield to temptation, spinning the very track that would give the band their only Festive Fifty entry. In 2004, he would refer to the album as "the LP that you really should have...one of a very very small handful of records of which I can genuinely say that there isn't a single bad track on there."
21 December 1996: 'Ain't It A Shame (Compilation CD-Their Original Sins)' (Scooch Pooch)
2001
Detroit Cobras - Shout Bama Lama
22 May 2001: Hey Sailor (LP - Life Love & Leaving) Sympathy For The Record Industry
22 May 2001: Shout Bama Lama (LP - Life Love and Leaving) Sympathy For The Record Industry Records
23 May 2001: He Did It (CD - Life Love & Leaving) Sympathy For The Record Industry
24 May 2001: Find Me a Home (CD - Life Love & Leaving) Sympathy for the rec
29 May 2001: Oh! My Lover (LP - Life, Love & Leaving) Sympathy For The Record Industry
30 May 2001: Cry On (LP - Life, Love & Leaving) Sympathy For The Record Industry JP: (JP: 'Well that's one record that's going to be on the car CD player when we drive down to Barcelona in a week or so's time.')
06 February 2003: 99 And A Half Just Won't Do (EP - Seven Easy Pieces) Rough Trade
11 February 2003: Ya Ya Ya (Looking For My Baby) (EP - Seven Easy Pieces) Rough Trade (JP: 'I would love to see them play live. I bet they'd be great.')
