Hugh 'Jeep' Holland was in many ways the catalyst for the Detroit rock revolution of the late 1960s. This enigmatic individual graduated from running hip record store Discount Records in Ann Arbor to his operating his own label and management stable, as well booking every major act that played in Michigan during that heady era. The legendary bills at Detroit's Grande Ballroom were all overseen by Jeep, and many musicians in the state still single him out as the true steward of 60s Detroit rock. A-Square (Of Course), named for Jeep's booking agency, chronicles the fascinating career of this lovable rogue whose reputation preceded him. It draws principally on the vaults of his A-Square label, so beloved of 60s garage collectors, but also includes rare recordings by some of the groups that Jeep managed and/or booked.
Foremost amongst the latter are the MC5, whose super-rare 1968 single Looking At You was issued by the band on A-Square without Jeep's knowledge. It is featured here from the original master tapes, as are the incendiary early recordings by the Scot Richard Case, later known by the acronym SRC. The Thyme were another popular group that Jeep nurtured, and in addition to their singles, several unissued tracks by the outfit are included.
Jeep also booked the Bossmen, later to become Grande stalwarts the Frost, and several previously unreleased tracks are present on A-Square (Of Course). Of great interest to Stooges freaks will be a live track by the rarely heard Prime Movers, featuring a snotty young Iggy Pop on drums and lead vocals, circa 1966. Collectable items by the Up, Apostles, Rain and others round out the set, which is profusely annotated and illustrated with items from Jeep's personal archive. A-Square (Of Course) finally and definitively documents a major chapter in Detroit rock history.
