The Gremlins

Like many New Zealand and Australian bands of the mid- to late '60s, the Gremlins were heavily influenced by both British and American rock, pop, and soul music, to the point where they seemed more like versatile all-around talents than musicians who had developed a style of their own. Merseybeat, mod, light psychedelia, soul, surf, pop, and more could all be heard in the nearly two-dozen tracks they released between 1965 and 1968, as well as some specific nods to the Kinks, Bee Gees, and Troggs. Of the groups of this kind that managed to release a fair number of records, however, the Gremlins were above average, both because of their formidable vocal and instrumental skills and their ability to write most of their material (usually courtesy of singer/guitarist Glyn Tucker). However, only one of their singles — a cover of the Knickerbockers' "The Coming Generation" that was more forceful than the original — was a big hit, reaching number two in the national New Zealand charts in September 1966. All of their recordings were issued on the 2005 CD compilation The Coming Generation: The Complete Recordings 1965-68.