Forgotten series: Warren Zevon’s Lyme and Cybelle, “Follow Me” (1966)

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A male female duo, Lyme and Cybelle consisted of Warren Zevon and Violet Santangelo respectively. Based in Los Angeles, California, the twosome got off to a roaring start with their excellent debut single, “Follow Me” (White Whale Records), which set the local airwaves ablaze in the spring of 1966. But the disc didn’t fare quite as well beyond the area, reaching only No. 65 on the national charts.

Written by Lyme and Cybelle, “Follow Me” shimmers, stutters and spikes to a lightly-battered psychedelic folk rock formula. Delectable harmonies collide with wobbly guitar figures, not to mention a gripping hook and an equally compelling break. Imagine the Byrds mating with the Mamas and the Papas, and that basically summarizes the sound and feel fueling this cool tune.

The flipside of the record, “Like The Seasons,” was also composed by Lyme and Cybelle. A melancholic ballad addressing the heartache of falling out of love, the gentle song was slapped on the back of the “Happy Together” single by the Turtles, and further appeared on the band’s Happy Together album.

Lyme and Cybelle issued a pair of additional singles before calling it a day. Cybelle left the music business altogether, but Lyme reclaimed his birth name — Warren Zevon, natch — and enjoyed much success, both on his own and penning tunes for other artists prior to passing away in 2003. “Werewolves of London,” “Roland The Headless Thompson Gunner” and “Lawyers, Guns And Money” are just a few of his memorable tunes.

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Beverly Paterson