One of the finest records on the Vaughn Ltd. label is the Swingin’ Lamp Liters’ “Get Away”. Members at the time of recording were Al Lovoy on vocals, Tommy Calton guitar, Jesse Warth bass and Gary Swatzell on organ. Charles Carbonie was band leader and drummer.
The record was cut in 1967, featuring Tommy Calton’s original “Get Away” backed with a cover of “Little Latin Lupe Lu”.
Other members of the band at one time or another included Frankie Parrish rhythm guitar, Greg Sheffield bass (actually bass lines on a 6-string guitar!), Steve Burkes on organ and three lead vocalists: Jimmy Whitt, George Tobias and Larry McMeekin.
Charles Carbonie formed the Lamp Liters in January of ’64 and continued playing live shows until early 1969.
After cutting the single, Tommy Calton, Al Lovoy and Gary Swatzell left the band to form the Royal Carousel with Jimmy Whitt on bass and Al Pettinato on drums. The Royal Carousel played current sunny pop songs like the Merry Go Round’s “Live”, but only lasted a few months, when Tommy and Gary returned to the Lamp Liters.
Al Lovoy went into the Wild Vybrashons, who cut a good fuzz version of the Knickerbockers’ “One Track Mind”, produced by two WSGN DJs, Steve Norris and Glen Powers.
Tommy Calton formed bands including the Brass Button, Wooden Music and Hotel, and still plays music professionally. The photo and much of the information here is from his (now-replaced) website www.tommycalton.com.
The vocal melody is welded to the standard beat chord changes, making this one of the most predictable tunes in the genre from a songwriting point of view, but the band squeezes every ounce of moxie out of the so-so material, making this a prime example of how enthusiasm and attitude alone can make a recording successful. And dig that reverb! Have you ever heard such a bright, perfect reverb on a 60s garage recording before? I’m going to try to make a convolution impulse from the vocal decay at the end and use it on some of my own stuff. I’d sure love to know where this was recorded!
charles is my cousin and we were both playing in bands at the time (rooster & the townsmen) but we all went to boutwell recording studio here in birmingham to cut our records….
Where was Get away recorded?
Ed Boutwells first studio in Birmingham.—an old church.
Do you happen to know if the church is still there?
The church has been gone for several years now. The studio is now in Homewood. Many good times were had there!!
The first person on the left is JESSE WARTH.
Member of band.