All posts by Chris Bishop

Categories: Conda, Florida, Power, West Palm Beach

The Tasmanians

January 12, 2006 Chris Bishop 28 Comments

Tasmanians Conda 45 Baby — The Tasmanians first 45 “Baby”

The Tasmanians ruled West Palm Beach, Florida in 1966-67. The group’s members came out of Melbourne High, Cocoa High, Satellite High, Merritt Island High and Brevard Junior College. Released on the local Conda label, “Baby” is a garage classic. Despite being a rare 45, it’s found its way onto many garage comps over the years. The flip side is a great pop song, “Love, Love, Love”.

Members were:

Mike (Gypsy) Carns – lead guitar and vocals
Robbin Thompson – lead vocals and acoustic guitar
Craig Davis – keyboards
Woody Pollard – bass and vocals
Greg Brunt – drums

Robbin Thompson’s site also mentions Steve Bland and Ronnie Cable as later members.

Thompson and Carns wrote three of the four songs released, with Woody Pollard’s help on “I Can’t Explain This Feeling”. Robbin’s name is spelled ‘Robin Thompson’ on the Conda labels and Mike Carns last name is spelled ‘Carnes’ on both.

Robbin Thompson and Mike (Gypsy) Carns of the Tasmanians — Robbin Thompson and Mike (Gypsy) Carns

Gypsy and Craig of the Tasmanians — Gypsy and Craig, dig the Canadian Rogues’ drum kit in the background.

Gypsy Carns wrote to me:

Robbin Thompson had a band called The Fab Gents – I joined that band and from there we formed the Tasmanians. He knew a couple of guys and I knew a couple of guys and we jammed with different people then we settled on this line up.
I’ll have to get with Robbin on how we met Bud Blount, but he was THE MAN without question and ruled the band with an iron hand. He was law enforcement in West Palm Beach Florida and an ex-Green Beret – so he had control of the band. We grew to be very popular in Florida and the south – had out the records and were by all accounts an energetic – rock till you drop – sort of with reckless abandon – type of band. You can hear it on BABY…the first single.

Robbin related this info to Jeff Lemlich:

“Baby” was written by me and Mike Carnes, now known as Gypsy Carns. “Baby” and “Love, Love, Love” were produced by a guy named Bud Blount, who was our manager at the time and also a cop in Boca Raton. I think a guy named Dave Hieronymus [drummer of the R-Dells/American Beetles/Razor’s Edge, later producer, engineer, and studio owner] had something to do with it from the production side also. He was a writer from Nashville who wrote the “b” side of a second 45.
I think all four songs were recorded at the same time at Criteria Studios in Miami. the band was “discovered” by the manager and father of a member of the band “Count Five” the one-hit wonders of the song “Psychotic Reaction”. They introduced Bud to us. Bud was a part-time concert promoter.

Robbin wrote to me recently:

We were introduced to our manager, Bud Blunt by the manager and father of the singer of the Count Five (“Psychotic Reaction”). The interesting part of that story is that when we played with the Count Five we were a whole different band called the Fab Gents. The band broke up for various reasons. We re-formed, called Bud and didn’t tell him we were really not the band that was seen by the manager of Count 5 except for me and Mike Carns. Bud’s younger brother, Glen Blount was also in the mix of all of this.
The Tasmanians broke up after Craig Davis, the keyboard player got busted for smoking pot. He was set up by one of his high school teachers. She convinced him she wanted to try it and he went over to her house with a couple of joints. When he lit one up cops came from out of the woodwork and arrested him. He got off due to entrapment but we were all smokin’ by then and having a cop for a manager was a bit awkward so we parted ways. By that time Bud was a detective for the Boca Raton Police Dept. We kept up with him for a bit but he found another group to work with, the name escapes me but they were a straight laced kind of a pop band.
The Fab Gents and Tasmanians were regulars at the Melbourne Teen town which was at the Civic Center there. Between the two bands we opened for bands such as the Beau Brummels (they practiced in our living room before the gig), the Mind Benders, the Lemon Pipers, the Bitter End (a band with Allman Bros drummer Butch Trucks). We also opened (in other places) for the Turtles, Blue Cheer, Doug Clark and the Hot Nuts, Mamie Van Doren, Wayne Cochran and a group called The Seven of Us which later became NRBQ.
“Baby” and “Love,Love Love” were recorded in one session. “Can’t Explain this Feeling” and “If I Don’t” were recorded in different sessions at Criteria Studios in Miami by then novice engineer Ron Albert. At that time there was only one hit record on the wall there, James Brown’s “Please, Please, Please”, as I recall.
The only members still living in the original band are me and Mike (Gypsy) Carns. Craig Davis died several years ago.
Years went by and I searched Bud out. Gypsy Carns, Bud and I reconnected and have been keeping in touch for many years now.

The Tasmanians 2nd 45, "I Can't Explain This Feeling" — The Tasmanians 2nd 45, “I Can’t Explain This Feeling”

For their second and last 45, the Tasmanians adopted a much more English feel – “I Can’t Explain This Feeling” is as good as some of the top UK freakbeat of the time. It’s b-side “If I Don’t” is competent if unspectacular Beatles-influenced pop. It’s released on the Power label, or Flower Power if you take the picture into account.

Gypsy Carns:

The manager agreed to cut this track [“If I Don’t”] – written by producer Dave Hieryonmous – ‘to get a better deal on the studio.’ The band hated this song and looked at it like a ‘sell out’. The track turned out great in retrospect but the band never played this song live.
Once the band splintered Robbin got some other guys together as the Taz but that was short lived and did not have the charisma the original band had. It was an awesome experience. Robbin and I are very close to this day.

After the Tasmanians broke up, Robbin Thompson joined the Blues People, Transcontinental Mercy Flight, Steel Mill and others.

Check out Gypsy Carns’s website www.gypsycarns.com.

Robbin Thompson’s website is www.robbinthompson.com.

Robbin Thompson wrote “Woody (Callis Woodson Pollard III) died of drug overdose in the early 70’s or earlier.” Gypsy Carnes tells me that Greg Brunt has also passed away.

Special thanks to Gypsy Carns for the photos of the band. News clipping and some info from the Limestone Lounge.

Greg Brunt of the Tasmanians — “Greg was the dynamic drummer for the band. Loved to wear leather and suede – a great drummer and friend. He has passed on.” – Gypsy

Woody and Robbin of the Tasmanians — Woody and Robbin

Craig Davis of the Tasmanians — “Craig was the keyboardist for the band. As you can tell he would rock the house. He very rarely played the keys standing still. He would rock the organ back n forth or take it off the stand and parade around the stage like he’s doing here.” – Gypsy Carns

Craig and Woody of the Tasmanians at Melbourne Civic Center. — Craig and Woody hanging in the dressing room – Melbourne Civic Center.

Gypsy Carns and Greg Brunt of the Tasmanians — Gypsy on guitar with Greg behind him. “The Tasmanians held their record release party on the beach in West Palm. It was a wild affair!”

Greg Brundt with Gypsy in front. Dig the two-tone jeans!

Gypsy and Robbin of the Tasmanians — Gypsy and Robbin

Robbin, Woody and Gypsy of the Tasmanians — Robbin and Woody jamming, Gypsy to the left. Rocking in Fort Lauderdale, Florida

The Tasmanians on stage — “On the ground was a big part of the band’s show. Whether Gypsy was hanging off the stage blowing harmonica or Robbin working the crowd. In this photo Woody and Gyp were both getting feedback from the back line.” – Gypsy

The Tasmanians with Bill Vermillion, the Weird Beard — Bill Vermillion, the Weird Beard with a later six member lineup – can anyone give a who’s who in this one?

Things are shaping inside my head, I can’t explain this feeling
My mind is warping, my nerves are damp, it keeps me on the ceiling
I see a blur and I hear a shot, I can’t explain this feeling
I think my mind is gone to pot, it keeps me on the ceiling
People start to stop and stare, they can’t explain me sitting there
In a corner dark and damp, staring at a broken lamp
The crowd gets bigger the days go by, they’re wondering when I’m gonna die,
someone grabs me and pulls me down…
I feel an object but it isn’t there, I can’t explain this feeling
They say I’m wrong but it isn’t there, it keeps me on the ceiling
People start to stop and stare, they can’t explain me sitting there
In a corner dark and damp, staring at a broken lamp
The crowd gets bigger the days go by, they’re wondering when I’m gonna die,
someone grabs me and pulls me down…

The Tasmanians “I Can’t Explain this Feeling” by Carns, Pollard and Thompson

Categories: Joda, Rhode Island

The Cowsills – in memory of Barry Cowsill

January 7, 2006 Chris Bishop 8 Comments

Barry Cowsill, the group’s bassist, had been missing in New Orleans since the hurricane in September, but this week his body was identified.

I originally posted this record a while back – by odd coincidence I found this 45 in New Orleans last year. I’ll repeat it in his memory, especially as these are rare tracks never put on any Cowsills cd that I know of.

The first incarnation of the Cowsills consisted of four brothers, Bill, Bob, Barry and John, from Rhode Island, managed by their dad.

“All I Really Wanta Be Is Me” / “And the Next Day Too” was their first 45, very fine folky teen garage, released on Johnny Nash’s Joda label. Supposedly it was the only record on which they played the instruments instead of studio musicians until they recorded their “In Concert” lp in 1969.

When this 45 was recorded in 1965, Barry would have been only 10 or 11 years old. Within a couple of years the Cowsills went pop with their mom Barbara and sister Susan singing along.

Categories: Boston, Continental Recordings, Framingham MA, Cori, Massachusetts

C.C. & the Chasers

January 5, 2006 Chris Bishop 30 Comments

CC and the Chasers Photo — C.C. and the Chasers, from left: Charles Currie Wicker, Ted Demos, Joe Castagno, Jack Bruno and Richard Barnaby

C.C. & the Chasers have just this one 45 on the Cori label from 1967, “Hey, Put the Clock Back on the Wall” / “Two and Twenty”

C.C. was Charles Currie Wicker, lead vocalist for this group from Boston. Both songs are by Gary Bonner. “Put the Clock Back on the Wall” is more famously done by the E-Types. The flip, “Two and Twenty” is well-turned twee pop.

It was recorded at Continental Studios in Framingham, MA, the same studio used by the Rising Storm. Dan Flynn ran both the studios and the Cori label.

Richard Barnaby wrote to me about the band, and Jack Bruno sent me scans of the two photos seen here. I will have a fuller story soon but for now here is a little info from Richard:

Members:
Charles Currie (CC) Wicker – lead vocals
Ted Demos – lead guitar, vocals
Richard Barnaby – bass guitar, vocals
Joe Castagno – rhythm guitar, vocals
Jack Bruno – drums, vocals
We switched from Bonner and Gordon, done largely with George Papadopolous’s (Unicorn) input to a more psychedelic format called “The Sacred Mushroom”, and then went to New York. After that we changed to Applepie Motherhood Band without Currie, and taking on Ann Tansey. After Applepie, the group went in many directions. Jack and I went to Florida and played with The Second Coming, and shared a house in Jacksonville with the Allman Brothers. Then Jack went with Shakey Legs Blues Band with Ted, and then Jack went with Tina Turner, and was her drummer for 15 or more years, and then he went with Elton John for about 2 years.

Thank you to Jack Bruno and Richard Barnaby for the photos and info about the band.

Categories: Birmingham, Detroit, Hideout, Michigan

The Four of Us

December 29, 2005 Chris Bishop 11 Comments

The Four of Us were from Birmingham, Michigan, just outside of Detroit.

They had two 45s on the Hideout label. The first from 1965 features “You’re Gonna be Mine”, which smoulders under a sharp fuzz riff. The flip was originally called “Batman”, then titled “Freefall” on a later pressing.

The 4 of Us’s second single, from May of ’66 was a good version of “I’ll Feel a Whole Lot Better” / “I Can’t Live Without Your Love”.

Minor footnote in rock history is the fact that a teenage Glenn Frey joined the band after these records.

Categories: DJ and Radio gigs

Tainted Lady Dec 24, 2005

December 24, 2005 Chris Bishop Leave a comment

Categories: Canada, Ontario, Toronto, York Town

The Ugly Ducklings

December 20, 2005 Chris Bishop 124 Comments

Ugly Ducklings, RPM, July 11, 1966 — RPM, July 11, 1966

Ugly Ducklings, RPM, October 19, 1966 — RPM, October 19, 1966

Ugly Ducklings Yorktown 45 Nothin Here’s a quick post before I try to make my way across town during the subway strike – the Ugly Ducklings from the Yorkville section of Toronto, Canada.

Members were Dave Byngham vocals (spelled Bingham on the songwriting credits); Glynn Bell guitar; Roger Mayne guitar, John Read bass; Robin Boers drums. Their first three singles are incredible, later ones are more mainstream but still solid.

Thank you to Ivan Amirault for the scans from RPM.

Categories: Metrobeat, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Peak

The Jokers Wild on Metrobeat and Peak

December 15, 2005 Chris Bishop 9 Comments

The Jokers Wild, photo courtesy of Dan Shearen

The Minneapolis area was home to a great music scene in the 60’s. The Jokers Wild were one of the most progressive groups of the era.

Original lineup:

Dave Wagner – vocals
Gene Balabon – lead guitar
Dave Middlemist – keyboards
Denny Johnson – bass
Pete Huber – drums

Original lead vocalist Dave Wagner (Dave Waggoner) and guitarist Gene Balabon formed the Jokers Wild after leaving the Aardvarks (“Josephine” / “Reminiscing” on the Bell Concert Recordings label). Neither would be in the group by the time they recorded. Gene was the first to leave, replaced by Bill Jordan.

In 1967, their booking agent/manager David Anthony organized an interesting switch of personnel. He took Dave Wagner and Dave Middlemist from the Jokers Wild and joined them with Dick Wiegand, Larry Wiegand and Harry Nehls of the Rave-Ons to form South 40. Lonnie Knight of the Rave-Ons joined the Jokers Wild on vocals and guitar.

Lonnie Knight – vocals and lead guitar
Bill Jordan – guitar (replaced by Dale Strength, then Danny Kane)
Greg Springer – keyboards
Denny Johnson – bass
Pete Huber – drums

The Jokers Wild as a trio, clockwise from top left: Denny Johnson, Pete Huber and Lonnie Knight

Lonnie Knight had been in the Castaways before they hit big with “Liar, Liar” then joined the Knights with the Wiegand brothers and Harry Nehls, the band name eventually changing to the Rave-Ons. They had three great 45s on Twin Town and Re-Car plus some unreleased songs cut at Dove Studio. Lonnie left the Rave-Ons partly because he wanted to pursue a more folk-oriented sound. He would get to that in the early ’70s, but not before spending a couple years with the Jokers Wild, a heavy, progressive rock group! (Read the Rave-Ons full story in Lost and Found #3).

The Jokers Wild first 45 was released on the Metrobeat label. “All I See Is You” is a good original by Knight, given as Lowell Knight on the label. “I Just Can’t Explain It” reminds me somewhat of the Who, and was written by guitarist Bill Jordan.

To me, their best moment comes from their second 45, “Because I’m Free” / “Sunshine” on the Peak label – anyone have good scans of this 45, or a copy to sell?

They had one more 45 on Peak, “Peace Man” (also written by Knight) and “Tomorrow”, produced by Tony Glover. There’s also a light pop-psychedelic number “All the World’s a Copper Penny”, unreleased until the Best of Metrobeat LP in the 1990.

The band was down to a trio of Lon Knight, Denny Johnson and Pete Huber when the time the group broke up in the fall of 1969.

The Jokers Wild later trio lineup, from left: Denny Johnson, Pete Huber and Lonnie Knight Photos from www.lonnieknight.com

45 releases:

All I See Is You / I Just Can’t Explain It (Metrobeat 4451)
Sunshine / Because I’m Free (Peak 4456)
Tomorrow / Peace Man (Peak 4459)

Sources include: Lost and Found #3 (Rave-Ons article by Jim Oldsberg and Mark Prellberg), Lonnie Knight’s website and an interview with Lonnie Knight by Ray Stiles from mnblues.com.

Categories: Australia, In Records, Melbourne, W&G

Gerry Humphreys & the Loved Ones

December 8, 2005 Chris Bishop 11 Comments

I just heard of the passing of Gerry Humphreys, lead singer of the Loved Ones, one of the most distinctive bands of the ’60s. They formed in Melbourne and had just one lp. The Loved Ones IN 45 The Loved One

Other members were Ian Clyne piano, Rob Lovett (ex-Wild Cherries) guitar, Kim Lynch bass, and Terry Knott drums. Before recording, Terry was replaced on drums by Gavin Anderson. After their second 45, “Everlovin’ Man”, Ian Clyne left to be replaced by guitarist Treya Richards.

Several singles are excellent, including “Everlovin’ Man” and “Sad Dark Eyes”, but I think there’s nothing quite like “The Loved One” in all of 60’s garage and pop. It was a big hit in Australia, reaching #2 on the charts. The live tracks from Melbourne, 1966 that appeared on Raven’s reissue of Magic Box are just fantastic.

Rare video of “Sad Dark Eyes”, see it while you can!

Ged Fitzsimmons, a fan of the band, wrote in with some more information about the Loved Ones:

The Loved Ones did not form all of a sudden in 1966. Three members, Ian Clyne, Gerry Humphreys and Kim Lynch, had previously been The Red Onions Jazz Band for quite a few years, and had issued no less than three LP albums under that name.
Their musical skills enabled them to create blues recordings with unusual chord structures, rather than the normal 12-bar three-chord arrangement.
Ian Clyne, apart from singer Gerry Humphreys, was the group’s most important member, as it was he who composed the group’s first two big hits. Because of a democratic agreement, the other band members were listed as co-composers on “The Loved One” and “Everlovin’ Man”.
When Ian Clyne left the group, the band’s original material suffered dramatically.
I saw The Loved Ones in 1966 at Zondrae’s Disco in Keira Street, Wollongong, and they were every bit as good live as they were on record.
The band added a new lead guitarist, Danny De Lacey, who came from Los Angeles, USA.
Unfortunately, they seemed to go downhill rapidly after that. They put out an absolutely abominable and abysmal single called “The Loverly Car”, and it sold about two copies, as it deserved. In mid-1967, the boys went their separate ways. Gerry Humphreys formed a group called Gerry & The Joy Band, but they did not get enough publicity to become successful.
Gerry returned to England, where he spent his latter working days as a nurse in a London psychiatric hospital.
In the 1980s, The Loved Ones had a very brief comeback in Melbourne, but Gerry could not reach those high notes. The producers of a televised “live” appearance actually dubbed in Gerry’s wild verses from the original recording of “Everlovin’ Man” because he sounded woeful in person!
May I add that The Loved Ones, despite their very few recordings, have always meant a lot to me, and I have never been without a copy of their output in the last forty years.
Two LP albums were issued, The Loved Ones’ Magic Box and The Loved Ones Live and they have both been available as budget CDs for many years, still selling well in Australia.
Apart from the hit records, the highlights on their studio album include “Blueberry Hill”, “Shake Rattle & Roll”, and “The Woman I Love”.

Categories: Newark, Ohio, Royce

The Children of Darkness

November 30, 2005 Chris Bishop 3 Comments

True garage fans braved the cold snap to hear an insane night of music in Williamsburg last Friday.

Dinos of WHRB Boston (listen to his show every Tuesday evening 10-midnight [EST] at www.whrb.org) played a box full of 45s including many U.S. obscuros and Greek groups like the Charms and Zoo. Marty Violence treated us to Virginia 45s and LP cuts you just never hear – a track from Skip and the Creations album on Justice among them.

The Children of Darkness were an obscure band until recently, when I learned the band was from from Newark, Ohio. “She’s Mine” was written by John Hull. The flip is “Sugar Shack”. The Royce label is from the little town of Oblong in southeastern Illinois, near the Indiana border. This seems to be the only release on it.

Anyone have a photo of the group?

Categories: Epic, Mala, Norfolk, Okeh, Swan, Virginia

Link Wray

November 25, 2005 Chris Bishop 2 Comments

Link Wray passed away earlier this month and word is only now getting out. As I look at it, garage has two main sources: Bo Diddley and Link Wray. Without them it probably wouldn’t exist.

I feel lucky to have seen Link in April in New Orleans. He didn’t shortchange us on the distortion or feedback that night – it was fantastically loud and chaotic.

Garage Hangover