The Hondells

The Hondells were the recipient of the best song that <a href="spotify:artist:4Q82S0VzF8qlCb4PnSDurj">Brian Wilson</a> donated to another artist, "Little Honda." One of the best hot-rod tunes, it made the Top Ten in 1964 (<a href="spotify:artist:3oDbviiivRWhXwIE8hxkVV">the Beach Boys</a> would record their own version that year, but would not issue it as an A-side). Like numerous Southern California groups in the mid-'60s, the Hondells, despite numerous picture sleeves, were not a bonafide group. Their recordings were put together by floating lineups of Los Angeles session men, overseen by producer <a href="spotify:artist:4hvks1MBaJwnMtJYHqA5fh">Gary Usher</a>. "Little Honda" itself featured ace guitarists <a href="spotify:artist:59hLmB5DrdihCYtNeFeW1U">Glen Campbell</a> and Richie Podolor, as well as drummer <a href="spotify:artist:5W6Vbf1DmTUOpvsXq4lQFJ">Hal Blaine</a>. Hondells groups were put together for live performance in the wake of "Little Honda," but session musicians such as <a href="spotify:artist:3bhW5qL3xrhU1qrJD45mIe">Podolor</a> were always present on the recordings.

The Hondells never had another hit on the level of "Little Honda," but recorded a surprising quantity of material, putting out two albums and thirteen singles before the string ended in 1970. Most of their early songs were written by the songwriting team of <a href="spotify:artist:4hvks1MBaJwnMtJYHqA5fh">Gary Usher</a> and Roger Christian, both of whom had helped write early <a href="spotify:artist:3oDbviiivRWhXwIE8hxkVV">Beach Boys</a> tunes with <a href="spotify:artist:4Q82S0VzF8qlCb4PnSDurj">Brian Wilson</a>. Wilson himself would have a songwriting credit on just one more Hondas recording ("My Buddy Seat," which he co-wrote with <a href="spotify:artist:23zg3TcAtWQy7J6upgbUnj">Usher</a>) after "Little Honda."

For all their manufactured personnel, the Hondells weren't bad. Indeed, they probably made the best hot rod music aside from <a href="spotify:artist:3oDbviiivRWhXwIE8hxkVV">the Beach Boys</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:0pqGj6vO9YHsXuZmaJaP2Y">Jan & Dean</a>, and were cuts above the generic stuff <a href="spotify:artist:23zg3TcAtWQy7J6upgbUnj">Usher</a> ground out on several hot rod exploitation discs, although nothing else was as cool as "Little Honda." <a href="spotify:artist:23zg3TcAtWQy7J6upgbUnj">Usher</a> eventually turned over the production reins to <a href="spotify:artist:3K03NMtKNyd0jemLuLYcLf">Mike Curb</a>, and the Hondells made the middle of the Top 100 with a cover of <a href="spotify:artist:7CCn4PFRRRZF127jtCBAUe">the Lovin' Spoonful's</a> "Younger Girl," although a competing version by <a href="spotify:artist:3TBg6CCsmr6vhkk323TBDN">the Critters</a> outsold it by a large margin. ~ Richie Unterberger, Rovi