The Forgotten, from left: Mike Lachance, Bob Panetta, Denis Bergeron, Rick Grannary, and Mik FouquetThe Forgotten were a short-lived group notable for having two members who would go into the Mike Jones Group: Michael Lachance (Mike Jones) and Bob Panetta.
The group’s members were:
Mike Lachance – lead vocals Bob Panetta – lead guitar Denis Bergeron – rhythm guitar Mic Fouquet – bass Rick Grannary – drums
They played some shows in the Cartierville neighborhood of Montreal, including in the hall of the Transfiguration of Our Lord church.
Rick Grannary sent the photos seen here. Rick wrote to me:
The Forgotten did play several live venues … I can remember a battle of the bands in the Cote de Neiges area near the Jewish General Hospital, and in the Boys and Girls Club in Point St. Charles.
We did our practice sessions in the my basement (12100 St. Germain Blvd, Cartierville). Sometimes they turned out to be live performance for my neighbours, or my older Sister’s gang. My Dad had a 1965 Dodge Polara for which we volunteered his car and driver to get all the equipment to and from. I had to take the skins off the drums to make storage room for microphones and anything else that could be packed inside.
Mel Younger became their manager and the group reformed as the Mike Jones Group. Rick wrote: “Sadly, I could not follow that path with them as I was just too young. I am still a closet drummer. I haven’t been in a band since the Forgotten and have cherished memories”.The Forgotten, 1965, from left: Bob Panetta, Mike Lachance, Denis Bergeron, Rick Grannary, and Mik Fouquet
The Forgotten, from left: Bob Panetta, Denis Bergeron, Mike Lachance, Rick Grannary, and Mik FouquetThe Forgotten at the Transfiguration church hall, 1965Mic Fouquet on bassManager Mel Younger in foreground, at the Transfiguration church hall, 1965from left: Bob Panetta, Mike Lachance sitting on stage, Rick Grannary on drums, and Mic FouquetFans at the Transfiguration church hall, 1965The Forgotten on stage, Mike Lachance on vocalsBob Panetta signing autographsLater lineup without a band name
Something Wild is known for their excellent 1966 single “Trippin’ Out” / “She’s Kinda Weird” on Psychedelic Records.
The group started as the Hustlers in 1962. By 1964 the lineup included Bill Evans on lead guitar, Tim Leach on rhythm, Joe Geppi on bass and Micky Moshier on drums. This lineup opened for the Byrds at Righetti High School. They won a battle-of-the-bands at the Blue Dolphin club in Solving, and appeared on a local TV dance show on KCOY-12.
Kal-X-Blue (Karl Gebhardt) asked to be their vocalist, and in early 1965, the group changed their name to Something Wild.
Micky Moshier left the group, and was replaced first by Bill Peckham, and then Ronnie Libengood (known in the band as “Red” Libben or Libbon), who played on their single. Ronnie Libengood passed away at a very young age.
Santa Maria Times January 21, 1966A
A couple of photos refer to Bill Peckham as “Rufus Peckham” in the captions. One that ran on January 21, 1966 lists Bob Pierce (should be Bob Piers, according to his brother) and William Michael in addition to Rufus Peckham, Kal X. Blue and Joe Geppi.
In 1966 Tim Leach left, and Bill Payne joined on guitar and keyboards.
Also in 1966 Something Wild did two recording sessions, including one at Stars International Recording in Hollywood. The first demo, “She’s Got a Hole in Her Soul” / “The Blues”, was unissued. Anyone have pics of the labels of demo?
The second session featured the awesome “Trippin’ Out” written by Blue, Payne and Evans, backed with Blue’s original, “She’s Kinda Weird”. The group released it on their own Psychedelic Records PR-1691 in July, with the credit “Produced by Kal X. Blue – Acid Head Productions” and the tag “if it’s PSYCHEDELIC then it’s happening”.
The lineup that played on the Psychedelic single: Bill Payne, Bill Evans, “Red” Libben, Kal X. Blue, and Joe Geppi, from KRLA’s Beat newspaper, August 27, 1966
On August 27, 1966 KRLA’s newspaper The Beat featured Something Wild in the Beat Showcase, but in September the group split. Kal X and Bill Evans would continue in the Kal-X-Blues Band, playing at the Fillmore on Halloween 1966.
Wedge was based in San Francisco but was notable for including two musicians from Santa Maria, California, a small city near the coast, north of Vandenberg Air Force Base. Santa Maria is 150 miles northwest of Los Angeles, and part of Santa Barbara County.
Members included:
Howard Miller – lead guitar Kal X. Blue – drums (?) and vocals John Nicholas Kirk Patrick
An article in the Santa Maria Times from May 4, 1968 announced their participation in a teen dance at the Convention Center with the James Brothers Circus (a real circus, not a band name!) Other bands included Hunger, Giant Crab, and the Paper Fortress:
“Wedge” features two former Santa Maria musicians, Howard Miller and Kal X. Blue. This group is from San Francisco and recently returned after performing in Hawaii.
Miller was the former lead guitar player with the “Impacts,” now known as the “Hammermille Butter.” Kal sang with the “Something Wild”, and was a hit performer last summer at the county fair rock band contest.
They are being joined by John Nicholas and Kirk Patrick in the new organization. They have played at the Matrix and Avalon Ballroom in San Francisco and have appeared many times at the Ark in Sausalito.
Something Wild is known for their excellent 1966 single “Trippin’ Out” / “She’s Kinda Weird” on Psychedelic Records. Kal X and Bill Evans of Something Wild would continue in the Kal-X-Blues Band, playing a show at the Fillmore on Halloween, 1966.
I suppose the Impacts the article mentions was the group from San Luis Obispo who recorded on Del-Fi Records and had included Merrell Fankhauser on lead guitar until 1963. I haven’t seen Howard Miller listed as guitarist with the Impacts anywhere else.
Wedge did not record to my knowledge.
The Wedge became a trio featuring Kal X Blue (going by the name Linus) and Jason (real name LaVerne Miller) on lead guitar. The group traveled to Germany, where they added a bassist and drummer, changed their band name to Life, and made an album of original songs titled Spring, released in Germany by CBS in 1971.
Kal X Blue’s birth name was Karl Heinz Gebhardt. He was born in Germany in 1946, and died in Sweden on January 7, 2016.
The Dignitaries of North Adams, MA, April 17, 1969
The Dignitaries cut a fine r&b instrumental, “Steppin’ Out” on Darec VSS 81943. They recorded at Vibra Sound Studio in Schenectady in early 1969.
The group came from North Adams, Massachusetts. Members on the record were:
Dick Gigliotti – Cordovox and leader of the group Chuck Sweeney – bass “Doc” Everett Rivers – drums Robert Trottier – drums Andy Durocher – vocals
Darec is their own label, made of the first letter of their first names. Richard Gigliotti wrote “Steppin’ Out”. The flip is a ballad, “You Want to Be Free” by J.C. Thompson. Robert Barry Music has publishing credit on both songs, as it did on most of the Vibra Sound studio output, but does not seem to have registered them with the Library of Congress.
First notice I can find for the Dignitaries, in the Bennington Banner, October 23, 1968The North Adams Transcript had a feature on the band on April 17, 1969:
‘Dignitaries’, New Band, Cuts First Record
The five men, Richard “Dick” Gigliotti, 23 (he’s single girls), is the group’s leader and emits on the Cordovox; Charles “Chuck” Sweeney, 24 is a master of the bass guitar. Robert “Bob” Trottier, 22, on drums; Everett “Doc” Rivers, 27 on another set of drums; and Andrew “Andy” Duroucher, the “old man” of the group at 35, is its outstanding vocalist.
They have worked as a group for the past six months, and prior to that as a four-man group for six months and in the very beginning as a trio.
The original trio, Dick, Chuck and Bob, was first known as the Taconic Trio and played most of their engagements at the Taconic Park Restaurant in Williamstown. The name was changed to the Dignitaries eight months ago when they began to branch out and played various supper-clubs in the area.
It also notes that Chuck Sweeney had been in the Four Knights. Everett “Doc” Rivers had been in the Electros, Doc and the Interns, and the Other Guys. The article includes extensive information on their backgrounds and education.
The Troy Record and the Times Record ran nearly identical profiles of the Dignitaries on May 6, 1969 for their opening at Mario’s Theater Restaurant on Campbell Ave in Troy, NY:
Dignitaries Provide Potpourri at Mario’s
“Dick, Chuck and Bob started as the Taconic Trio. Six months ago they spread to a quintet and got down to the serious business of seeing what they can do in musical circles …
The music offered by the Dignitaries is not saturated with rock, nor is it steeped in psychedelic; rather it is a meshing of listenable, melodious tunes on the one hand, driving, vibrant beat on the other. They can go both ways, and do.
“We’re making the big effort now,” Sweeney, a darkly handsome young man, admitted with a grin. “I know, home in North Adams isn’t all that far away, but Troy at least affords a real springboard for us.”
Their top thrills to date probably are two in number – appearing on stage with the Irish Rovers and cutting their first record, Stepping Out.
On August 30, 1969 there was a notice of the Dignitaries appearing on Dialing For Dollars on TV Channel 10.
On April 16, 1970, the North Adams Transcript ran an item for their May 2nd show for a Lebanese Social Club dance at the Armory on Park Street. It looks like the group was down to a quartet, without Bob Trottier. The Dignitaries also had an upcoming engagement at the Cloud 9 Lounge of Bradley International Airport.
On August 28, 1971, the North Adams Transcript ran a photo of Charles Sweeney signing a contract for the Dignitaries to play the Fall Foliage Festival Dance. Bernard Robinson is mentioned as a member of the group, and co-owner, with Sweeney, of the Mountainview Restaurant in Clarksburg.
The Silver Byke at Arthur’s, photo courtesy of Reggie WardThe Silver Byke released only one single, “I’ve Got Time” / “Who Needs Tomorrow” on Bang Records B-557.
Charly Cazalet wrote “I’ve Got Time”, while “Who Needs Tomorrow” is credited to Cazalet, Nelson, Platania, and Ward.
Cash Box gave it a favorable review in April, 1968. It was also released in the UK on London Records.
Supposedly the group had more songs completed for an album when Bert Berns of Bang Records passed away on December 30, 1967. If they still exist, I’d love to hear them!
Members were:
Reggie Ward – lead vocals and rhythm guitar John Platania – lead guitar Charly Cazalet – bass guitar Michael Nelson – drums
An unsigned profile of the Silver Byke appeared in the May 4, 1968 edition of the Kingston Daily Freeman:
Silver Byke Rolls Along Sporting Guitar and Song
The Silver Byke is a recording group out of Poughkeepsie …
The Silver Byke was the last group to be signed to a recording contract and become proteges of the late great Bert Burns [sic] of Bang Records. Two of their recent releases on this label are “I’ve Got Time” and “Who Needs Tomorrow”.
Among the many successful college concerts where the Silver Byke has made its sound are Vassar, Harvard, Bard and Finch…
Founder of the group is Michael Nelson, a drummer who began his career several years ago with the Lost Souls. He later recorded with Bobby Dylan. After a stretch on the New York music scene he returned to the Hudson Valley where he had spent most of his life after coming over from his native England.
Charlie Cazalet [sic], bass guitarist, immigrated here from France and stepped right into the music scene at 17. After accompanying well known groups here and in Canada, he joined Mike in The Silver Byke, then under the name of The Meek and Obscure.
Most recent member of the Byke brigade is 20-year-old John Platania, lead guitarist. A well known instructor in upstate New York, John gained fame as lead singer and guitarist with the big city group, Love’s Body.
Formerly a member of the Dirty Elbows recording group, Reginald Wald [sic], also 20, does honors as lead singer and rhythm guitarist for the Bykes. He also switches from guitar to trumpet and does a good deal of horn dubbing for the Bykes recording sessions.
Recent engagements have been two weeks at the Discotheque Arthur in New York City and weekend performances at the Dew Drop Inn, Eddyville.
from the Daily Freeman, October 17 1969I can find listings for the band around the Poughkeepsie area from December 1967 until April 1969, including at the Dew Drop Inn on Route 213 in Eddyville, and at the “Us” teen club at Roosevelt High School in Hyde Park.
Then in October 1969, an ad for the Pleasure Yacht in Eddyville announces the Bak Steppe, “including members of the Famous Silver Byke”.
Charly Cazalet wrote a partial history of his career for his release Rough Mix-NYC, which I’ll excerpt here:
The Silver Byke, photos courtesy of Reggie Ward
My first professional performance was with my first band ‘The Outsiders’ at the Steve Paul Scene nightclub in New York City, the fall of 1964. I was sixteen years old and the band had already recorded two songs at Mirror Sound for a couple of writers from the infamous Brill Building. Soon after we signed with Audio Fidelity Records. Over the next few years I continued to perform in NYC clubs, The El Mio, Ondine’s, The Phone Booth, Arthur’s, The Bitter End and The Salvation to name a few.
In May 1966 after a four month tour in Quebec with French Canadian rock star Tony Roman I came home to NYC and met the band ‘The Left Banke’. They had just recorded “Walk Away Rene” and were looking for a guitarist to join the band. I didn’t join the band but maintained a professional and personal relationship with some of the band members until today. I played bass guitar on most of the tracks for The Left Banke’s third and last album ‘Voices Calling’ around 1978 that was released in Britain in 1988.
The Left Banke lead singer Steve Martin Caro co-wrote and sings lead on track 1 and 4 and sings harmony vocal on track 8 [on Rough Mix-NYC]. The Left Banke drummer George Cameron plays on track 5, 6, and 8. These five songs were recorded between 1978 and 1979. Reginald Ward sings lead on Track 5.
Reggie and I performed in a four piece band called The Silver Byke with John Platania and Mike Nelson between 1967-1970. We signed with legendary music producer Bert Berns, but Bert passed away before we recorded and released a 45 rpm for his label Bang Records. Chris Houston from the British rock band The Undertakers produced the session.
I asked Charly about how he joined the Silver Byke and he wrote to me:
I met Mike Nelson around early 1965 at a club called Ondine in midtown Manhattan. He was playing there with his band The Lost Souls. When they finished the set I went up to him and started talking with him.
At the time I was in a band called The Outsiders and we were the house-band at the El Mio club not to far away from Ondine. A short time later he quit his band and started spinning records at El Mio for a while. My band left El Mio and broke up soon after and some time after that I ran into Mike and he didn’t have a place to stay so, I took him to my parents and they said he could stay with us. To make a long story short, he got a recording gig with Bob Dylan and made a bunch of money $500, so we got an apartment together.
After playing in a number of bands together we formed The Sliver Byke. When the lead guitarist quit we got John Platania to fill in. We broke up in Jan. 1969. I played with John for a while, until he sent on to play with Van Morrison. Mike and I parted ways.
John Platania would go on to play on albums by Van Morrison, Chip Taylor and Genya Ravan, among many others. See www.johnplatania.com for more info on his career.
The Los Angeles Times profiled Mike Nelson in January, 1987, describing his move to California while playing fusion jazz, then leaving music to become a sculptor.
Thank you to Reggie Ward for sending in the photos of the group seen here. Reggie was in a group called Easy Street in the 1970s.
The Last Chapter came from Sioux City, Iowa, and would evolve into a group called Freight. In late 1969 the Last Chapter cut their only record, released on Skip Records 2758.
“It’s Only When I’m Lonely” has a crunching rhythm, a great bridge and stinging guitar solo. “Words For You” features acoustic and electric guitar and a catchy vocal melody. It was the A-side of the single.
Russ Gill wrote both songs, and the Sears Pub credit indicates they were cut at Sears Recording Studios in Omaha.
The first mention of the Last Chapter that I can find comes from the Sioux City Sunday Journal from August 3, 1969, mentioning the band came in second place at the River-Cade Festival of Bands after being together only two weeks.
Members of the Last Chapter at this point were:
Russell Gill Bob Werkmeister Dave Schultz Dave Wenberg
The winner of the festival was the Cellophane Spectacle from LeMars, who had also won the year before. Members of that group were Randy Hoyt, Jack Toth, Jim Weiler, Al Schrank, Timothy Hauff, Tom Ross, Mark Moeller, Fred Juhl and Jim Luense. The Cellophane Spectacle cut one single at Sears Recording in Omaha for release on Spectacular SR61968, “It’s Not Unusual” / “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg”. Another is mentioned but I haven’t seen it yet: “Going Back to Miami” / “Exodus”.
The third-place band was the Instant Blues Machine, “led by Richard Samore backed by Alan Vellinga, Charlie Larimor, Norm Reitsma, Harry Kantrovich and John Wimmer”.
Other bands were the Evolution, Wind, and the Purple Haze.
On June 24, 1970, the Last Chapter participated in a concert for 2,000 at Grandview Park, emceed by KSJC DJ Rick Anthony. The Sioux City Journal ran a couple articles on the concert, noting Jim Wentworth was from Laurel, Nebraska, 44 miles west of Sioux City. The first article quoted both Russell Gill and Jim Wentworth, and noted “A contract is pending between The Last Chapter and a Nashville, Tenn., recording company.”
The local bands were Fox, Evolution and the Last Chapter. A review titled “Young, Old Concur: First Rock Festival ‘Beautiful'” gave the names of the groups and their members:
The Last Chapter consisted of Russell Gill, Dave Schultz, Dave Wenberg, and Jim Wentworth replacing Bob Werkmeister.
Members of the Evolution were Chuck Pope, John Young, Ralph Goldheim, Neil Rollison, Dan Weigel and Kim Treiber.
The Fox included Steve Lewis, John Bartle and Russell Bizzett.
Freight – a band with three members of the Last Chapter. Article from August 15, 1971
Gill and Wentworth are mentioned again as organizers of the July 1971 “People’s Music Forum” at the Grandview Park bandshell. That concert included the London Bridge, Big Toe, Bittersweet, Stonewell, Freight, Fat Cat, Sinn, Dr. John Cook, and Prairie (formerly Danny and the Velaires), with folk music by Glen Reitsma and Ted Falk.
Finally in August, 1971 the Journal ran a photo of Gill and Wentworth’s band, now called Freight, with members Jim Wentworth, Mike Yandrich, Russell Gill and Dave Schultz. Other bands included Fat Cat, Sinn, and Bitter Sweet.
The Restrictions came from Sioux City and cut one single on IGL 147, “Down on the Corner” / “She’s Gone Away” in September, 1967. Russell Gill wrote “Down on the Corner” and co-wrote “She’s Gone Away” with Rob Molden.
The Restrictions members were:
Russell Gill Rob Molden Donald Pinney Dave Mettleton George Lauresen
The Sioux City Journal ran a notice about the August, 1967 River-Cade Festival of Music band competition, and listed the members of the top three groups.
The winner of the competition was the Shags, who would receive a session at Sears Recording Studio in Omaha. Russell Gill of the Restrictions wrote the song that would be the top side of the Shags’ single, “You’re a Loser”.
The Restrictions would cut their own record, traveling the hundred miles northeast to IGL Recording Studios in Milford, Iowa. I actually haven’t heard “She’s Gone Away” yet.
The other finalist was the Psychedelic Hangmen, with members Jame Polimeni, Phil Polimeni, Dave Stokes, Larry Means, and Stanley Sawienski. I’m not sure if they ever recorded.
The Shags featured in the Sioux City Journal, Nov. 21, 1967
The Shags came from Sioux City, Iowa. In August, 1967 they won a battle-of-the-bands at the River-Cade festival, beating out the Restrictions and the Psychedelic Hangmen. Their prize was a session at Sears Recording Studios in Omaha, Nebraska, 100 miles to the south.
Members of the Shags were:
Larry Schlines – guitar Mark Renfro – organ Roger Tryon – saxophone John Primm – bass Tom Renfro – drums
The second pressing of the Shags 45, with the title misspelledAt Sears they cut “You’re a Loser” / “Crying” for release on Rocky SR103167 in November, 1967. “Crying” is the Roy Orbison song.
It must have done well locally, as the band repressed the record on Jo-Jo Records 101 in February 1968, though the A-side was mistitled “Your a Loser”, and the publishing switched from Sears Pub. to Lightswitch Music.
Interestingly, Russell Gill of the Restrictions wrote “You’re a Loser”. I’d like to know how the Shags came to cut his song.
The Restrictions cut their own record in September, 1967, traveling a similar distance to Milford to cut it at IGL Recording Studios.
The Runabouts, photo taken November 17, 1967The Runabouts came from Havre de Grace, Maryland, about 40 miles northeast of Baltimore. The two sides of their single have very different sounds. “Way of Life” is fast-paced with horn arrangements. I’m partial to the slow, moody flip, “All Is All”.
The Runabouts formed in 1966 and expanded into an octet by the time they broke up in 1968.
Members included:
Jim Skrivanek – guitar Joe Pascuzzi – guitar Dennis Trimble – keyboards
Don Laye Lew Rothlisberger Mike Lynch Ed Kelly Tom Vincenti
The Baltimore Sun gave a short history of the group when the Runabouts had a reunion on May 19, 2012:
The Runabouts was originally formed by Havre de Grace area high school students as a five-piece guitar, bass and drum combo in 1966. The Runabouts played local teen dances at venues such as Teen Town at Aberdeen Proving Ground and Fiddler’s Green at the old Bainbridge Naval Training Center.
After a couple of lineup changes and the addition of horn, sax and keyboard players, the eight-piece version of the Runabouts was active in 1967 and 1968 playing local dances and events and even cutting one 45 rpm record: “Way of Life,” written by guitarist Jim Skrivanek, backed by “All in All,” written by guitarist Joe Pascuzzi and keyboardist Dennis Trimble, on the independent CEI label out of Ohio.
With graduation, military service and work commitments taking members to far flung locations, the band split up after two years but then got back together for a successful reunion concert in Havre de Grace in 2006.
Robert T. Brown came from Fremont, Ohio, where he had a recording studio, releasing records on his Courier label. From 1966 to 1968 he was in the Army, stationed in Aberdeen. He continued to record bands, changing the name of the label to CEI Records.
Released on CEI Records CE127, the code RI2521 indicates Recordings, Incorporated in Baltimore pressed the single, published through Bro-Nik. Nashville Matrix did the plating.
The Runabouts had a website that is long defunct, but parts of it are available on the Wayback Machine, where I found the photo at top.
“You Cry and I’ll Laugh” / “Doubt” by Hex was recorded in 1967 but only existed on acetate until someone pressed it to vinyl on Hexx HR-101. The vinyl is dark brown, translucent when held to light. The U-37756 in the dead wax indicates it was done in by United Record Pressing in 1995.
Both sides are fine hard rock, with some crushing lead guitar.
The band would be a complete mystery but luckily Preston Fong wrote a comment on Youtube:
This was recorded by our high school band (Hollywood High School). I think we recorded this as a demo for Dot Records. We did one other demo called “A Drop of Color” and another song on the flip side. I was the lead singer, George “Fidel” Bell on lead guitar and vocals … Mike Levy on drums, Mark Lewis (Rain – Beatles Tribute Band) on organ. Don’t remember who played bass on this … We were going to be developed by Dot Records at the time with producer Ray Ruff. The company opted to record the group “Colors” something like that and we didn’t want to wait around to be developed by them.
Another person commented with the list of members: Fidel Bell (guitar, vocals), Mark Lewis (organ), Lee Imes (bass), Mike Levy (drums), and Oden Fong (lead vocals). Also that the band either had no name, or “their real name is Unknown (not Hex). Hex was the name of the album, and Hexx was the name of the record company.”
I’d like to know more about the band, and how the record eventually saw release.
This site is a work in progress on 1960s garage rock bands. All entries can be updated, corrected and expanded. If you have information on a band featured here, please let me know and I will update the site and credit you accordingly.
I am dedicated to making this site a center for research about '60s music scenes. Please consider donating archival materials such as photos, records, news clippings, scrapbooks or other material from the '60s. Please contact me at rchrisbishop@gmail.com if you can loan or donate original materials
