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I've became a professional salesman in 1980, working at the best and coolest record shop from Basel. We used to carry all the best early 50s Rockabilly (Collectors and White Label) and 60s Beat/Garage reissues that you could imagine. This unfortunately now long gone shop was also known for having the biggest selection of rare original 50s - 70s Soundtrack LPs in Europe (including ALL the rare 60s biker, and b-movie flicks). We used to import TONS of rare, out of print 60s original LPs from the U.S., and since I was able to buy them for very cheap, I've decided to get multiply copies of the better stuff to share with some friends.

One day somebody came into the shop to show me an LP by some Swiss 60s Beat band called THE SEVENS, that he had just aquired. I really flipped when he showed me the wild SEVENS LP cover of 5 BLUES MAGOOS look-a-like moptops from Basel, and all the screaming girls on the backcover. Back then the only Swiss 60s band that I was familiar with was LES SAUTERELLES from Zurich. After LES SAUTERELLES were landing their big number one hit record of "Heaveny Club" in 1968, all the other previous Swiss 60s beat bands were forgotten, and for next 25 or so years the Swiss press, radio, and TV were only talking about LES SAUTERELLES. By the moment I first saw the wild SEVENS LP cover, I've suddendly realized that there must have been some local scenes of Swiss beat/garage bands during the 60s.

Up to this point, I've thought that the Swiss simply don't have it in their blood, and that a Swiss band could never play any good 60s Garage Rock 'N' Roll. Any history books will tell you that Rock 'N' Roll was invented by the Americans, and the British Blues Invasion was like a copy of what the American Blues, and Rock 'N' Roll artists were previously doing in the 50s.

We went listening to THE SEVENS LP at the shop, and I've absolutely loved what I've heard. It was by far the best and wildest Swiss LP that I've had ever heard. THE SEVENS wild blend of garage rock 'n' roll didn't sound any British to me at all. Their style and sound was reminding me of the great American 60s garage bands that I was a fan of: THE SHADOWS OF KNIGHT, SEEDS, BLUES MAGOOS, MOVING SIDEWALKS etc.

I've asked the guy if he would sell me the SEVENS LP, but he said no. Seven days later, I've scored a whole box of rare, and absolutely great local Swiss 60s beat/garage 45s by THE SEVENS, THE DYNAMITES, COUNTDOWNS, BLIZZARDS, THE GHOOLS etc. at some long gone 2nd hand record shop in Basel, but since they were already priced at about $20 - $40 each, I've decided to to head back every week to this long gone shop for until the whole contents of the box was mine. This is how I've got into collecting the Swiss 60s bands.

Since because none of the small, local Swiss bands ever were mentioned by the square Swiss medias, I've decided to call up some of the local bandmembers to get some infos about their biographies, and discographies. The first guy that I've called on the phone was Peter Rietmann of THE DYNAMITES from Basel, and he was cool enough to immediately invite me to come over to his place to talk about his old bands. I went there with my Taperecorder, and during the next couple of hours, I was taping my very first of many interviews with ex-members of Swiss 60s bands to follow. Peter Rietmann's history was just awesome. He was the bass player for most of the best Swiss 60s Garage bands that really matters: THE DYNAMITES, THE BLUE SOUNDS, BARRY WINDOW & THE MOVEMENTS, THE SLAVES, THE COUNTDOWNS, LES SAUTERELLES etc.

During the next 25 years I was asking all the ex-bandmembers, and people that I was interviewing, if they could eventually tell me the name of the first and best Swiss 60s band, and it was funny, because everybody would reply with "THE DYNAMITES."

THE DYNAMITES were also the first Swiss rock 'n' roll band that was really liked, and accepted by the critical Swiss audience, and they were the first real Swiss Rock 'N' Roll band to write their own songs. They were inspiring literally all future 60s Beat/Garage musicians from the German speaking part of Switzerland to start their own bands.

THE SEVENS were the rivals of THE DYNAMITES during the years of 1964 - 1966. No other Swiss 60s band has ever written as many great original songs as THE SEVENS have, and they were responsible for the first, and best Swiss 60s beat/garage LP. THE SEVENS were treated by the Swiss audience like stars.

The idea of my record label is old, but it has taken me about 20 years of my life to get it started. My goal is to to get some of those great local bands the attention back that they really deserve. The major labels don't give a shit for those bands, and most of the distributors unfortunately don't seem to care for them either. It's a pitty.

CRYPT, and NORTON records from U.S.A. were the first 2 labels to release some real choice top quality 50s - 60s reissues, and so I've always wanted to come up with a label that was a bit similar to theirs. After picking up Tim Warren's absolutely killer BACK FROM THE GRAVE comps in 1983, I've immediately deceided to support the small Crypt label by ordering a big box of BACK FROM THE GRAVE LP's to share with some friends and to distribute to some Swiss record shops. Back then I was unemployed for about one year, but I've actually liked Tim's BACK FROM THE GRAVE LPs so much that I've simply had to got me a new job so that I could pay for the bill (Hi Tim!). During the next 10 or so years I was importing TONS of killer Garage Punk, and Rockabilly reissue LPs from CRYPT RECORDS in America. I used to sell them to all the best Swiss record shops. It was very easy for me to distribute them to the shops, and collectors back then, because this rare brand of top quality reissues was all new to the people from Switzerland. They've sold great!

I've soon realized that one small fan could easily be as important as any of the big distributors. It was a great time for me. I've made a lot of new friends.

I was starting my small worldwide mailorder service for rare originals, and choice reissues during the early 80s. I was also supporting most of the cool Fanzines too.

Then I got into organizing concerts, and small tours for some cool bands in Switzerland, Austria and Southern Germany. I've lost one heck of a lot of money on some of shows (especially at the WYLDE MAMMOTHS gig in Dornbirn, Austria where I've had to pay big money for the renting of the venue, the PA, soundman, and for the band) but I've never bothered to let any of the bands know, this is especially because MOST of the other shows actually went very well. It's always a bit risky to organize shows on your own, it's better to let the clubs book them for you. I've never made any profit on any of those shows, but most of the time I would get my money back, so I never was really losing.

I was discovering the great Swiss 70s Punk scenes only during the 80s and 90s, this was long after it was over. Basel was maybe the Swiss capitial for Beat/Garage music, and recording studios during the 60s, but during the 1970s it was a death place. There never was a real great Punk band from Basel. Only Zurich, and Geneva used to have some small Punk scenes, but since most of the bands were only short living, you could have easily missed them! The release of THE BASTARDS LP on my label was very important, since only a few Punks from Geneva were actually aware of the history of this great Punk band before. They were even missed by the Swiss Punk fanzine editors from the German spaking part of Switzerland while they were happening.

My goal is to provide the full story of some cool bands and scenes in form of text and music. I'm going to work on some more 60s Garage, and 70s Punk reissues. I'm also planing to add some more worldwide bands to the Feathered Apple rooster.

Special Thanks must go to my pal GREG PREVOST as he came up with the fabulous name for my label, and also to GREG's band THE CHESTERFIELD KINGS because they left a major influence on me, and also because they were responsible for the recording the proud debut 45 on this label. Thanks GREG! For those who still don't know: THE CHESTERFIELD KINGS was the FIRST, and BEST modern band to play authentic 60s Garage music again (in 1979), and they were also responsible for the starting of the worldwide 60s Garage revival during the early 80s.
Thanks to MORT TODD of BACK FROM THE GRAVE fame for the FEATHERED APPLE label logos.
To JONAS GANZ for his suave help with the cover work to my last 2 LPs, and last but not least to CAREY FLEINER (the great KINKS fan), and LENNY HELSING (of the fantastic THANES and WILDEBEESTS) for the fixing of the linernotes to my last 3 LPs, as well as to all the bands and people involved -- this is including all friends, buyers and supporters!!!!

Thank you!!!!!!!