Updated December 2009
The Interns have two 45s on the Paradise label, both have A-sides of straight up rock n’ roll. “Sally Met Molly” is a cool medley of Long Tall Sally and Good Golly Miss Molly. The flip is a a good version of Don Covay’s “Have Mercy”. What’s that someone shouts during the fadeout at the end of the song? Anyway, it’s like they were doing a song the Beatles covered on one side, and one the Stones cut on the other.
Their second 45 has “Don’t Make Me No Mind”, which sounds much like “Out of Sight”, backed with an original by Jack Durrett and Graham Hill, “Life With You”. With its harmonies and lighter sound “Life With You” is much different than their other material.
I knew nothing about the group until bassist and vocalist Graham Hill wrote in with info about the group (see comment below):
Lead singer- Jack Durrett, lead guitar- Reid Farrell, drummer- Rusty Dobson and I were the group’s main players. Ernie Graham from Kinkaid H.S. and Albert Dashiels from Lee H.S. played guitar and Tony Pryor and Johnny “The Rabbit” Bundrich [John Bundrick] from North Shore H.S. played organ at various times. We attended Memorial High School and graduated in 1967.
We primarily played private high school parties and after football game dances but we were the opening act for the Animals, Hermann’s Hermits, Neal Diamond, The Byrds, Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs and other groups at concerts at the old Houston Colliseum. We also played the Houston Club scene. The other bands of our time were the Coastliners, Neal Ford and the Fanatics, Thursday’s Children, and Fever Tree. Roy Head and BJ Thomas were a few years older than us. Billy Gibbons was a little younger and he would hang out at our practices-Reid still stays in touch with him.
The recording you have was on a 4 track machine at Gold Star Studios. We double tracked the lead vocals on Have Mercy and added the hand clapping and back up singing on Sally Met Molly. We did hit the KILT radio top 10 list and were on the Larry Kane TV show several times.
Johnny has been playing with “The Who” since the mid-70s. Reid toured with Archie Bell and the Drells after graduating from high school. Jackie, Reid, Rusty and I still play once or twice a year in Houston.
Thanks to Graham Hill for info and photos of the band and for sending me their second 45 to transfer and scan.
I do believe the boss beat cat shouts,
UNDERWEAR!
Mystery solved!!!!! I was the bass player and one of the singers for the Interns. We attended Memorial High School and graduated in 1967. We primarily played private high school parties and after football game dances but we were the opening act for the Animals, Hermann’s Hermits, Neal Diamond, The Byrds, Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs and other groups at concerts at the old Houston Colliseum. We also played the Houston Club scene. Lead singer-Jack Durrett, lead guitar-Reid Farrell, drummer-Rusty Dobson and I were the group’s main players. Ernie Graham from Kinkaid H.S. and Albert Dashiels from Lee H.S. played guitar and Tony Pryor and Johnny “The Rabbit” Bundrich from North Shore H.S. played organ at various times. Johnny has been playing with “The Who” since the mid-70s. Reid toured with Archie Bell and the Drells after graduating from high school. Jackie, Reid, Rusty and I still play once or twice a year in Houston. Our covers have been primarily of sixties groups: the Beatles, the Stones, the Kinks, CCR, Roy Orbison, James Brown, the Rascals, Van Morrison, etc. My nephew (Hunter Perrin) currently tours with John Fogerty and my son (John Hill) is a record producer in New York (Santigold is one recent album he co-wrote and produced-#6 album of the year and #2 song of the year according to Rolling Stone Magazine). He is presently working on projects with Shikira. If anyone has a copy of our Intern’s records, I would love to hear it, buy it or record it. Let me know if you have any more questions.
I don’t have any of the 45’s but have friend that finds a lot of the old stuff. I will let him know. I think I painted you P -Bass in high school Candy Red and I think a guitar for Reid either his Telecaster of Jazzmaster. Do you remember the P-Bass and where is it now?
Graham:
We never met but Al Dashiell recruited me to play bass for you during the summer one year while you were off to summer camp.
I played with the Interns at a Joske’s fashion show and several gigs in your place.
It was before our band, The Sixpentz, got rolling. Rock Romano (later Dr. Rockit & the Sisters of Mercy) and Sam Irwin (later Duck Soup) and DeEdward Greer (earlier band – D. J. & The Slades) were in the band with me, along with Paul Guillet and Mike Cemo.
The Sixpentz played on the same Herman’s Hermits/Animals show at the Houston Coliseum as the Interns did.
All of the Sixpentz 45s and some of our later band, The Fun & Games Commission’s 45s were digitized and release on a CD on Cherry Red Records as “Summer Girl – The Complete Recordings” available through Amazon.com.
I have always appreciated my time playing with the Interns and a couple of other bands with Al.
Glad to hear that your son and nephew are carying on the music tradition.
I happened to come across “Life with you” by The Interns on Youtube, and was simply wondering if anyone knew the year it was released? Such a lovely song!
Glad you like a “Life With You.” Record released in 1966.
Hi Graham. Barry Pryor here. I used to listen to you guys practice at our house in 1967 or so. My brother, Tony, passed away yesterday on Easter Sunday. He went down quickly with esophageal cancer. He was living in Houston. I loved his being in The Interns!
He did too. He left a trail of music, humor, and kindness.
Fan of Reid Farrell for years lost touch with him but would like to reconnect.
Reid is still in Houston playing music and giving guitar lessons. How can he get in touch with you?
He plays at my church and I’m very good friends with Reid as I am the drummer. He’s still got that musical touch to him and overall a very talented man.
To: Reid Farrell. Lost touch with you after late 60’s. Noticed that Memorial’s 50th just happened in May. Mine here in LA is scheduled for next month. Hope you’re doing well. Drop me a line if you get the chance. Hilliker.
Great Group of Bands of Our Time !Our Band Was The Minute Men out of Memorial High School and Spring Woods School Class if 68 Played Break Group for Neal Ford and The Fanatics many times, Plus The Carousel,And The Catacombs .Played many of our Spring Woods After the Game Dances…
What a great time to have been alive!
Buzzy Gruen from Memorial High School left our band to join Point Blank We were all so proud of him!
So lucky to have been even a minor part of this great magical time in Houston Music!
To all of the Reid Farrell Fans-In 1976 Reid recorded and wrote songs with Rocky Hill under the Lone Wolf Management Team, which included Bill Ham, manager of ZZ Top. After a major conversion to Christianity, Reid began playing guitar in rehab centers, nursing homes, half Where are you? houses, hospitals and later in various Churches. In 1987 began teaching guitar. Students include grammy winner John Hill and John Fogerty band mate Hunter Perrin.
My son John Hill co-wrote, produced and played bass on “Feel It Still”, which was received a Grammy for Pop Song of the year. I am very proud of him.
I was roommates with Ernie at UT. Where is Ernie now?
Ernie is back in Texas. Living in Brenham area. Contact Rob Wilson for more details. Wilson@q10kdhco.com
Hi – Ernie Graham is my father in law and I would love to get a copy of the album to give to my husband as a surprise. Any idea where I could find one? Thank you!