Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Everything is Bigger In Texas.



Before reaching lasting fame as "Tres Hombres", there were two Caballeros by the name of Billy Gibbons and Dan Mitchell who hitched their wagon to the Lone Star state in the form of The Moving Sidewalks.



Best known for the infectious, organ-driven stomper '99th Floor', the group originally released two singles on the local 'Tantara' label - 99th Floor/What Are You Going To Do (1967).I Want To Hold Your Hand/Joe Blues (1968)- before laying down a full length by the name of 'Flash'. Eventually their were picked up by 'Kingmen' benefactor 'Wand' records who redistributed the '99th Floor' single in addition to licensing album cuts 'Need Me' and 'Every Night a new Surprise' for release under their own imprint. Read on...



"Gibbons founded the Texas psychedelic group in the mid-1960s and quickly drew a large following, especially in the Houston "Teen Scene". Their single "99th Floor" was a hit and topped the charts at #1 in Houston for six weeks. The success of this record led the Sidewalks to sign with Wand Records which then released "Need Me" which also became a Top 10 Hit. The group was asked to open for many legendary rock tours, including Jimi Hendrix and The Doors. After Tom Moore and Don Summers were drafted into the U.S. Army,Billy Gibbons and Dan Mitchell added Lanier Greig and formed the original ZZ Top. They recorded the first ZZ Top record "Salt Lick" which was released on London Records."

Enjoy!

99th Floor - The Moving Sidewalks