Being from Connecticut I feel it’s my duty to shout about any record from the Nutmeg state that folks worldwide should know about, and they should really know about this two-sided gem because it ranks with the greatest USA garage records of 60’s. Of course seasoned garage freaks will know both of these tunes by heart as they were on the very first garage compilations such as Pebbles and Psychedelic Unknowns. Both sides of the 45 were also covered by a mysterious UK outfit called The Remayns in the mid 80’s (I think the group had a connection to UK eccentric Clive Pig.)

The Squires hailed from Bristol, Connecticut, which is a small working class city about 25 miles from the state capitol of Hartford. Bristol was once home to the Bristol Red Sox who were the AA affiliate of the Boston Red Sox in the 70’s & 80’s, playing their home games at ultra cool Muzzy Field (which still stands to this day.) Many of the Red Sox greats of the 70’s such as Jim Rice, Fred Lynn and later Bruce Hurst & Dennis “Oil Can” Boyd passed through Bristol. Outside of that the only other notable landmark in Bristol is that it is the home base of “dork factory” ESPN network (a very uncool place!)

All that aside The Squires began life as The Rogues and cut a cool garage 45 called “It’s The Same All Over The World” in 1966. A name change to The Squires found the group signed as a “one off” with mega USA label Atco Records. “Going All The Way” is quite simply one of the top 10 USA garage 45’s of the era. Musically it comes on as strong as 1966 Byrds blended with the toughness of the early Who. Lyrically it is in the same ballpark as Third Bardo’s “I’m 5 Years Ahead Of My Time” & The Who’s “I Can See For Miles” in that it is a teenage declaration of intent. Clear the field The Squires are coming through! I should also mention lead singer Mike Bouyea’s vicious scream about midway in. 

On the flip “Go Ahead” is in a different bag altogether, this one is a chiming folk-rock ballad that brings to mind California folk-rockers The Dovers. The lead vocals on this song remind me of a very young Feargal Sharkey of The Undertones. At one time this 45 was ultra rare but a warehouse find in the mid 80’s leaked a few more copies onto the market. I got my copy in a swap with Connecticut radio legend “Fast Eddie” Budds for the first 45 by Squeeze, talk about a steal! That was like the Orioles getting Frank Robinson from Cincinnati for Milt Pappas! 

For those unwilling to search out the 45, luckily Crypt Records issued a sensational Squires anthology simply titled “Going All The Way” back in the 80’s, I think it’s still in print, it’s a great album with many superb out-takes. Squires lead singer Mike Bouyea later became a radio personality in Canada.