The Underground Electrics “Hey Jude” album is Lee Akers singing with back up instrumentation from the The Firebirds, (they’re the same band as the Electric Firebirds) who released two albums including “Light My Fire” on Crown Records in the late 60s, early 70s.   This is a strange album that offers up not only the worst cover of the Beatles ‘Hey Jude’ that I have ever, ever heard (which is odd considering its the title track) but also some great late 60’s blues tracks and groovy pop works all in one.  The album is all over the place and its best material is the blues piece ‘Goodbye Baby’ and thumping good  instrumental ‘Queen Bee’ while dance floor ‘Boogie Chillin’ is a delight…very Austin Powers.  Some folk will listen to this and want to pop out their eyes to better reach in and poke their brains to oblivion but on the whole I liked it and its been on MP3 in the car for a week and a half which is evidence that I find it worth the pain of track one to get to the rest. Its raw, its rough but its damn tasty with it.

Over on YouTube a poster has written the following which sums it up well I think:

Crude raw Heavy psychedelia /Hard rock by the band most known as The Firebirds but also 31 Flavours. Exellent wasted raw psychedelic fuzz blues based hard rock influenced by Cream/Hendrix & Blue Cheer. Hope the mystery surrounding this band is solved one day.

Here is the track listing:

1. Hey Jude
2. Standing At The Crossroads
3. Boogie Chillen
4. The Syndicator
5. No Love In My Heart
6. Goodbye Baby
7. Queen Bee
8. Sunnyland
9. Dark And Dreary
10. Dust My Blues

This album can still be found and bought but its rare.  I could find no current vinyl listings but recent auctions placed it at about 150.00USD.  My own copy went back to the market a few years ago to fund my acquiring of the San Diego Brain Police but that is for another day.

Here is a link to YouTube for ‘Boogie Chillin’.  Also one for the blues number ‘The Syndicator’ on YouTube.

Want to be amazed and appalled…yes…well get this album.

GBS