T is for... Them

Formed in 1964, Them was an Irish band that featured grumpy genius Van Morrison on lead vocals and harmonica. It was while with the band that Van wrote the classic Gloria, a song covered by hundreds of garage bands and just about everyone else.

Amazingly the song was relegated to the B-side of the band’s 1964 single Baby Please Don’t Go. In garage land, Gloria was most famously covered by The Shadows of Knight. The 1967 Blues Magoos version is more experimental. Van the Man’s original version of the song is still the best, no question.

T is also for... The Thanes

The Thanes are a Scottish garage punk band formed in Edinburgh in 1986. Part of the '80s garage revival, the band released a great 27-track retrospective in 2004 called Evolver. If you’re expecting The Proclaimers with fuzz boxes, you’re way off pal.