This is the original Apollos band established in early 1964 by Jim Price and Dave Harney.
Updated Jan. 2, 2012
From McLean, Virginia, the Apollos went through several personnel changes while leaving behind demos, live tapes and two 45s as their legacy. I’ve read conflicting accounts of who was in the band when, but with feedback from Jim Price and Tommy Vorhauer, this seems to be correct:
The original band consisted of brothers Dave and Don Harney on guitar, Jim Price on bass, and Dave Elliot on drums. Jan Sylvester soon replaced Elliot on drums was himself replaced by Wayne Groves, and Jon Parisi came in on keyboards. The band’s repertoire leant heavily on surf numbers until they added Tommy Vorhauer on vocals. This is the group in the photo at top.
A win at a local battle of the bands gave them studio time at Edgewood Recording Studio in D.C., and they cut several sides, including early versions of “That’s the Breaks” and “Country Boy”. They re-recorded these two for their own Delta label in 1965.
“Country Boy” is a fine surf instrumental written by Don Harney. Surprisingly it has never been comped before. “That’s the Breaks” has great drumming and nice fluid guitar work with a strong vocal by Vorhauer. I’m not sure who’s playing the organ on this 45.
Tom Vorhauer clarified some points about the band in a comment below that I’ll reproduce here:
Jon Parisi played keyboard and wrote the music for “That’s the Breaks”. I wrote the words and sang lead vocal. I also sang lead vocals on “Target Love” and “It’s a Monster”. We were playing on M street in Washington DC at Mack’s Pipe and Drum and were approached by two gentlemen who were scouts for Paramount Artists. They were interested in signing the Apollos to a record contract but on one condition, they wanted to replace our manager Bill Moser, we refused and never signed.
By late 1966 Vorhauer, Groves and Parisi had left to be replaced by Doug Collins on vocals, Dwight James on keyboards and Wayne Goubilee on drums. Their second 45, “Target Love” b/w “It’s a Monster” on the Montgomery label is a great double-sided 45. I hope to feature it in the future, but it seems to be rarer than the Delta one.
There’s also a live tape of the band, with good versions of “Dirty Water” and “I’m Crying”. At some point they were turned down by MGM, and that seems to be the end of their story.
In December, 2011 Jim Price contacted me and gave some background on the group:
We were from McLean, Virginia, not Falls Church. Dave, Don and I all lived in Woodside Estates, McLean. That’s where it all started in 1963. I was playing my guitar on our front porch and Dave and Don came wandering up and introduced them selves and said they played as well. I was playing lead guitar, Dave rhythm and Don played bass.We switched up as time went on and everyone found their niche.
We did our demo cut of 4 songs at Edgewood:
1. “That’s The Breaks” words by Tommy Vorhauer and music by the band.
2. “Country Boy” by Don Harney
3. “Dance Dance Dance” (Beach Boys) sung by Wayne Groves
4. “Mr. Lonely”, a remake of the original, sung by Tommy Vorhauer“Mr. Lonely” was to be our front side of the first 45 but we decided to go with two original songs instead. They were both hits but “Mr. Lonely” would have been a hit as well. It would today.
I created “Delta Music Company” with the help of our agent Bill Moser, thus Delta on the label. We outsourced the art work for the label. Since Edgewood had recorded the songs we contracted through them to have the records pressed and the labels put on them. The records would then be made and sent to us and Bill and I would take them out to the stores and put them on the shelves. In those days you could put your records in stores on consignment. It was all we could do to keep up.
MGM did offer to buy the rights to “That’s The Breaks” but we turned them down. Paramount contacted our agent Bill Mosser three times trying to get us to sign a contract with them but we would lose $ on each record that was sold so we turned them down. Within 3 weeks of the last turndown, our records were not being played on any radio station in the nation. Paramount told Bill that “the boys will be sorry they did;nt sign with them.” The stores even started refusing to slot them any more. “Target Love” and “It’s A Monster” only made it to #10 before it vanished from the airways.
Through this phase the band members were: Don Harney, Dave Harney, Wayne Groves, John Parisi (now John Ian), Jim Price and Tommy Vorhauer. Some time after that John Parisi left the band and we added Dwight James.
The summer of 1966 we recorded “It’s A Monster” and “Target Love” on the Montgomery Label. I can’t remember the name of the studio. Shortly after that Tommy and I left the band and went to Boston to college. Dave and Don Harney continued to run the band with a new drummer who was the singer as well. When I was home on break, I would go and sing with them down in Georgetown, lots of fun.
The band stayed together for a while longer then everyone seemed to go their own way. Tommy is now in Denver, Dave is in Dayton Ohio, Don is in Seattle, Wayne is in Great Falls VA, John Ian DC, Dwight Fairfax VA and I am in Hot Springs, Arkansas.
My oldest son Jason Price does production work in his spare time in the northern VA area – take a look at www.squadcar37.com.
Jim Price
hey, in addition to the awesome Apollos 45, Montgomery Records released some other top notch 45s in the 60’s including stuff by THE SPECTRUM FIVE(All Psyched Out b/w Shot Thru The Hole In My Soul – one of THEE great all time psych garage tracks, the band’s location is unknown)and The Looms'(‘It’s True’-high energy, but melodic mersey garage from somewhere in Md.), plus a horn rock(?) 45 by one of Delaware’s most popular 60’s bands The Adventures. How’s about featuring a blog on some Montgomery 45’s in the future, especially that Spectrum Five record cuz i’ve never actually even seen it on sale anywhere and it’s sooo great!
(The many lineupos of) The Apollos rocked and they were wild! That’s one thing I dig the most, digging how a beat combo changed in personnel and sound. Country Boy and Target Love (my fave brand of Apollo ear slop) are so different and it would be boss to know it was the same set of out of sight cats, but it was a different set of far out cats, almost another group but still the same righteous beat group, The Apollos. So, trying to keep score here, is there any Country Boy Apollo laying it down on Target Love?
Dave Harney, Don Harney, Tommy Vorhouer and me were all part of Target Love and Its a Monster. The core of the band was there and you can feel it’s presence.
Jim Price founder of the Apollos
I was the Lead singer for the Apollos and I wanted to help you fill in some areas on the website. Jon Parisi played keyboard and wrote the music for “That’s the breaks” I wrote the words and sang lead vocal. I also sang lead vocals on “Target Love” and “It’s a Monster”. We were playing on M street in Washington DC at MACKS PIPE AND DRUM and were approached by two gentlemen who were scouts for Paramount Artists. They were interested in signing the APOLLOS to a record contract but on one condition, they wanted to replace our manager BILL MOSER, we refused and never signed. Your website is great and was so surprised to find so much information! GREAT JOB!
My father, Jim Price was the bassiest for “The Apollos”. Was wondering if anyone had anymore copies of all The Apollos music? Please email me at priceadam2009@yahoo.com
I scored a copy of Target Love/It’s a Monster a couple years back from a DC area promoter/deejay back in the day. I can only say wow, great tunes. Couldn’t resist putting them out there on youtube.
I started the band with the Harney Brothers in 1964, by 1965 we started our own music co. “DELTA” and cut and sold our 45’s of That’s The Break’s Tommy Vorhauer wrote the words we all put together the music. Don Harney wrote all of Country Boy and taught it to us. By the way, John Parisi was playing a Vox organ in That’s the Breaks, Wayne Groves played drums. The summer of 1966, John Parisi was no longer with us. Dwight James took over on a big Hammond B3 and we as a group re-wrote the words and added music to It’s a Monster and Target Love which went on the Montgomery Label . Tommy and I left the band to go to college.
Therefore, in addition to a demo of five songs we recorded 2- 45’s, four songs and had a lot of fun doing it.
You may email me at: jprice47@juno.com
Jim Price
The Apollos are also featured on VH1’s website.
http://m.vh1.com/music/bio.rbml?artist=apollos
I made a mistake as to Johns new name it is Ian Woodberry.
Look for the Apollos Comeback after 47 years with all new records as well as all the old records redone.
Jim Price
Tommy was my first love when I was in my early 20’s. Hope life has gone well for you in Colorado.
XXOO
I was so happy to stumble on the site and realize the handsome young man pictured named Tom V was my old friend 😉 I didn’t recall your being in a band right away since that was before I met you at US Air, but I remembered you singing to me and where you grew up.
Yes, John and I brought up 5 – 3 girls and 2 boys. The youngest is 19, the oldest 27. The girls live in Salem, MA, Goffstown, NH and Pharr Texas. The boys are still in college so home during summers, still. We have lived in Salisbury since 88.
Are you still in Colorado? How are your kids? Married/remarried? I work at a medical practice in Newbury (I was their tech support and later went to work for them full time once I had to start making tuition payments). You are retiring on my birthday, old man *grin*
I found a site that had some MP3 downloads of the band. Internet is amazing, LOL
Merry Christmas Deirdre how are you doing?
Yes, I remarried in 1990 and have two step sons along with my three kids. We are grand parents with 5 (four boys and one girl) I played with a band in Denver for about 4 years (The Shades) and then just last year The Apollo’s started contacting each other. We have been putting out some really good music. A CD will be put together within a year i expect. Glad to hear you had a wonderful life!!
Tommy,
We are your old buddies from FCHS and Dulin. Can’t believe we found you. Please respond so we can catch up. Would love to hear some of the old tunes.
Janet
There is a FCHS reunion in June…maybe you can think about coming
Hi Janet and Jerry, wow it is great to hear from you after all these years. Please email me and we can talk further, mjvorh@msn.com
Hi Janet and Jerry please contact me
I became the lead singer of The Apollos in late 1966, after Tommy and Jim took off for college. The band then consisted of Don & Dave Harney, Dwight James, Wayne Groves and me. I had been with a band in Reno, but relocated to Manassas with my Mom, while my Dad was in Viet Nam. My tour with the band lasted about a year, then off to the Navy.
Oh Yea, I remember when “That’s the Breaks” came out, my band, The Berkshires were in the garage practicing in those days and was playing the military clubs around DC and N Va during the late 60’s. I ended up playing keyboards in the 70’s and knew Dwight who then was playing at the Red Fox Inn in Md around 1973. I sat in for Dwight during the time he went to Texas to marry his sweetheart. Great guys, lots of fun, the band should have gone much farther. Best to all of the members that I had known and the others that I had never met.
I have a 4 track acetate by a group called the Apollos its on a United Recording Acetate out of Hollywood, it also says WESTERN RECORDERS? It sounds like a 60’s Garage Band, and I would be interested to know is it your band, and if it is could you supply some background on these particular recordings, as it would be much appreciated.
Regards
Mark Speakman
Funkyfeet Records Uk.
the tracks are
1. Shake (Sam Cooke Song)
2. Shake Me Wake Me (Holland-Dozier-Holland Song)
3. Save Me (Unidentified)
4. Hey Girl (Goffin/King Song)
What you have is nothing the Apollos recorded. Sorry I can’t help you.
Jim
Jim, how did you guys afford Showman amps and Fender guitars in the middle ’60’s? 🙂
I saw the band at the Springfield American Legion around 1966, hosted by a radio deejay. Thought they were amazing. In 1988 or thereabouts I was at a business function where Dwight James was hosting and was amazed to hear Nancy say “… Dwight was playing with the Apollos at that time …” I don’t know if Dwight was with the group at that time. Thoroughly wonderful band!
Tommy, your mailbox on your cell phone is full, I can’t leave a message!
Hey Apollos and fans! I ran into a member of your band today in Dunkin Donuts. We had a very good conversation, but it only lasted about 30 minutes because I had to return to work. I did not remember his name, but I remembered that he was a member of this band, and that he was the man in the center of the black and white photo featured above. I’d love to connect further with him he seemed like he had a lot to share about life. If he visits this message board often or if anyone knows how to contact him please let me know! Thanks.