Original bassist Bill Gaunce sent me this early photo of the Aliens. I love the illustration painted on the organ. A couple years after this photo they recorded two 45s, “Love Someone” / “Tobacco Road” on the Telastar label, and “Come Fly with Me” / “Season of the Witch” on the Son of a Witch label. Hear “Love Someone” on the excellent CD, Aliens, Psychos & Wild Things vol. 1.
Here’s the first official band photo taken of The Aliens from Norfolk, Virginia. This picture appeared in Norfolk paper, The Ledger Star, when the Aliens became the house band at the Four Seasons club. We’re all 15-16 years in this pic.
The Aliens played in the 1967 WNOR battle of the bands. There was also an Aliens from Hampton, Virginia which prompted a battle of the bands challenge at Mercury Roller Rink in Norfolk to determine who would keep the name. The Aliens from Norfolk won the battle, but from then on were known as The Norfolk Aliens which had been originally adopted just for the battle of the bands.
The lineup changed in the next few years, this photo is of the original members. Pictured from left to right:
Bill Gaunce on bass
Conrad Dedicatoria on drums
John Davis guitar
Robbie House (front with tambourine)
Rick Hudson keyboardsRick and Conrad asked me to join the band they were forming. Conrad and I “auditioned” Robby House (without his knowledge!) when he was in a band called The Royal Wellingtons. We asked him to join and he did. The Aliens were in a battle of the bands with the Corduroys; Steve Green was the singer/gutarist and really impressed us so we ask him to join. Byrd was a high school friend who basically hung around and sat in enough to eventually be “absorbed” into the band.
Rick Hudson was replaced by Steve Green (guitar/vocals) shortly after this picture and Bill/Claire Sechman (aka Byrd) was added shortly after that. We played at the Four Seasons with this lineup and then I left and formed a band called Quagmire (me on bass, Steve Wilson vocals, Nick Kepics guitar, and Russell Scarborough drums). In ’68-’69 we were a fixture in downtown Norfolk’s seedy bars, most notably The Jamaican Room where we were house band for a short time.
The Aliens expanded their lineup to include Nick Bonis (keys) and PooNeil [Gayle Hollowman] on vocals. With Doug Coward on bass they had their recording lineup. Doug has passed away, Nick Bonus still plays and is the bass player in a band called Big Fun, which coincidentally had Quagmire’s old drummer Russell Scarborough playing with them until just recently. Robbie House still gigs around town doing acoustic stuff, Steve Green is playing bass and guitar in Nashville.
I played live until 2004. Now I write and record my own stuff & I’ve put out a few CDS with my music. I’m getting ready to release a cd of Americana flavored music & the songs are scattered about on my site at www.billgaunce.com.
Bill Gaunce
This photo was found with another by the East Coastmen – could there be any connection between the two?
What kind of portable organ is that in the Aliens photo?
Farfisa or Vox . One or the other
Theres not a lot to go on from that view,but I would say it is probably an Ace Tone.
Nicky was in the aliens in 1968 that I know of,he mostly used a hammond that I can remember. This accomplished keyboard guy really was good and he inhanced the Norfolk Aliens Greatly. It was nicky that wanted me Laddie from San Diego california to help carrie equpitment on various engagements at the hollibalou teen nightclubs and the American Lighthouse and greenleaf teen club along with numerous other teen clubs in the Norfolk aera. Nicky B. when not bieng a rocker worked in his parents greek resturant on montacello blvd. The Norfolk Aliens did cover tunes so good that you almost thought it was the real thing! I wonder what happend,the years went by so fast.I would hope that this fourm could spark some good memorys for anyone or even any Norfolk Aliens to hit me back someday,Laddie has a memory that don’t quit! it’s nice bieng so clear! Their manager (WNOR’s) Jerry Bright really had a lot to do with there getting the good gig’s! There singer Robbie House could really bring the house down with his mid to high voice! The Norfolk Aliens were more than any garage band and there parents backed them up 100%, much like the Kansas band drumer parents whomb I knew as well,there parents wanted good fourtune for ther kids and that sure was cool! When ponille Norfolk Aliens girl singer sang (J A ) material strickingly, it was so close to Grace Slick it was like she was their! Were talking about 1968 Norfolk Aliens,my old friends and this is just a memory stream of Laddie now a bass guy looking for country mucic all the way,none of this 5 string bass stuff I’m just doing well,with triditional that is. If the editors of this fine fourm wants more from Laddie I’m more that willing to supply some data on thin great Norfolk VA. band. And if the band wants to make contact that’s cool too! I was their and I’m still picken!
I saw “Ponille” singing and playing today in Cocoa, Florida! Her voice is amazing! She has a couple CDs out under her own name Georgia Randall. She is on YouTube and on FB as Georgia Randall Solo and as Georgia Express.
Cool you still playing I played with Danny and the delnotes band would love to here some live stuff from back in the day.
Great commentary from the band members and really good picture..I’ve got a photocopy of the newspaper edition of that photo, and its good but not nearly as clear. And yes, great graphics on that keyboard! I was just wondering if anybody could remember who was in the other Aliens, from Hampton? Or better yet, what they changed their name to after that Battle of the Bands? Also, do any of the following bands ring a bell, some of them played at an amusement park at the ocean front circa 67-68:
The Equations
The Misfits
The Casket Shakers (Coffin Shakers?)
The Sound Effects
The Green Fog
The Paisleys
Yes I remember the Misfits! The drummer, John Elliot, was a super nice guy I liked at Northside Jr. High around 1966.
The Sound Effects
First of all, let me say that I really miss Sweet Billiam Gaunce and all those bandmates in the Aliens (we don’t smoke, we don’t drink… Norfolk, Norfolk, Norfolk?). I sometimes question what I do remember about the whole thing (and I’ll let you draw your own assumptions), but Bill’s got it totally right! I suppose one of the strongest aspects of our sound was that we had so many great singers. I bet Bill Gaunce could still sing the “Mining Disaster of 1849” by the BeeGee’s with ME.. Me.. me.. (cute echo reference)? Personally, I wish that Bill had never left the band. However, I remember the day a young red-headed kid (in a tuxedo, I think) showed up to audition for playing bass… he didn’t look the part but Doug Cowart could play his ass off! R.I.P. old friend! Nicky Bonis is another over-talented guy (who wrote the tune “Come Fly with Me”) so we don’t even need to mention him at all… other than that bloody B3 weighed a metric tonne! {I think I still recall some of the Greek cuss words that Nicky’s grandmom would yell at me?} Speaking of heavy lifting, I fondly remember Fletcher helping with all that gear as well (btw, where’s my Williamsburg shirt from that night on the beach in Nags Head?) Those damned huge ‘special’ cabs that Jacobs Music sold us (& REsold us) to hold up the Plexi Marshall’s must be buried on the Moon like Monoliths from the Space Odyssy? It was Don Tyler (nick name deleted) that was our manager… and I remember he was fond of Roller Derby! Back to singers, ‘cuz the Aliens had 3 great lead singers! Robbie was always amazing and in the beginning (when Bill & I sang back-up) there wasn’t a Beatles or Hollies song that was safe from us. But as things got gRoOvy, we expanded to have Byrd sing the hard rockin’ Cream & Hendrix stuff and Pooneil did the Jefferson Airplane and Janis Joplin material. At that point, we were a commercial show-band and I say that with pride cuz’ we could play most anything, most anyplace. We did open for the BoxTops at the Dome and Deep Purple at the Lighthouse… but the most memorable gig might be opening for the MC5 (Mutha F*cka) at the Hulabaloo club (Dr. Shoes?) in Hampton. Oh Yeah. Morgan Hampton! Morgan (our bombastic drummer) shed his earlier ID and reinvented himself. Even as a dumb kid, I realized that it took guts to do that, so I still don’t call him Conra…ehh, and how about John (nick name deleted) succeeding at the huge job of playing all of those varied songs on lead guitar? I’m reminded that I only had to play the intro of ‘Tobacco Road’ on the record… and I think I still screwed it up every time? Oh, and we can’t forget Buzzy… he kept our asses on stage in many ways with his laid back vibe… oh yeah, and I played rhythym guitar (and now I can more or less spell it). Love, Steve Green
Steve would love to get a CD live gigs of y’all . I played with Danny and the delnotes
As Bill Gaunce says, I didn’t join the Aliens until after Rick left, so I don’t know what he played, although I had a Farfisa Mini Compact organ around for a while (which was also traded along with a VOX Royal Guardsman amp to Jacob’s Music for magic beans). Nicky Bonis had the BIG organ, ehh, as I understand it, anyway.
It seems that quite a few people remember our band (humbling really after so long), so Scott Sechman (Byrd’s brother) has set up a FaceBook page. Please join us and relate all those embarrassing moments that we don’t (or won’t) remember?
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Norfolk-Aliens/161488377210823?ref=mf
… that would be Fletcher Harrell … he’s still around and I’m gonna ask him about the Williamsburg shirt thing … I remember the Deep Purple gig at the Lighthouse in Portsmouth … good times they …
I will never forget and will always cherish being there and seeing it ! And Spazz was the nickname ( spelling ). Love/Loved the band! Barry
Looking for facebook page so that I can relive “those good old days”. What are band members doing these days? Is Morgan still in the area? Anyone still playing music? If so in our area? Thanks for the info and memories!
I can remember a band that used to practice in their garage 3 houses down from ours and I think it was the Aliens I remember Robbie House We lived on Kingston Ave in Ocean View Norfolk Va Us kids would sit outside on the sidewalk and rock out! What a time…
Saw you guys at Lighthouse in Portsmouth when I was in high school at Churchland (66-70). Awesome.
And I personally think Conrad Dedicatoria is SO much cooler a name than Morgan Hampton.
“Love Someone” is actually “When You Love Someone” written by David Brown and first recorded by The 18th Edition from Statesville, NC.
Doug Cowart, not Coward, played bass in a lot of bands, most notably, the Aliens. Conrad changed his name to Morgan Hampton, after learning that was Doug’s middle name.
damnit! i fell in love with your music back in 71 when i was at Granby HS….i really loved “come fly with me” Please tell me there is a cd of that with some of your other music that is available to purchase today….i would love to own my own copy.