The Shondels - Complete Master Recordings (2023)

The Shondels were an early version of the Ides of March, releasing one single, "Like It or Lump It" b/w "No Two Ways About It," under the Shondels name in 1965. (They were unrelated to the famous Shondells -- spelled with two l's -- that backed Tommy James.) "Like It Or Lump It" was a basic Kinks-like garage song; "No Two Ways About It," written (as was the A-side) by group members Jim Peterik and Larry Millas, was a tamer rock-a-ballad that was caught between the doo-wop and British Invasion styles. Pressed in a quantity of 200 on their own Epitome label, the single was sold for a buck at their shows. By the time their second 45 came out in early 1966, they had changed their name to the Ides of March. Both sides of the single were reissued on Ideology, the Sundazed compilation of 1965-1968 Ides of March material. ~ Richie Unterberger