All posts by Chris Bishop

Categories: California, Davis, Drum and organ duos, Ikon, Sacramento

The Denny and Kenny Duo

September 11, 2015 Chris Bishop 1 Comment

The Denny & Kenny Duo at GG's in Davis, CA, from left: Kenny Whitcombe on organ and Dennis Sacco on drums — The Denny & Kenny Duo at GG’s in Davis, CA, from left: Kenny Whitcombe on organ and Dennis Sacco on drums

The Denny and Kenny Duo were Kenny Whitcombe on organ and Dennis Sacco on drums. They came from Davis, California, where they played regularly at Gi-Gi’s night club.

“Meet My Little Sweety In the Night Time” immediately grabs the listener with its speed and echo. I find Sacco’s drum fills endlessly entertaining. The flip “I Love You So” is also good, if not as original. Kenny Whitcombe wrote both songs. Released on Sacramento’s legendary Ikon Records IER 179/180 in 1965.

I’ve always loved this single since hearing it on Crypt Records’s fantastic “The Ikon Records Story”. I finally found a copy, signed by Dennis Sacco! For two people they raise a huge racket.

Whitcombe came from the Carpetbaggers with Dehner Patten who would go into the Oxford Circle and Kak. I’m not sure if this was the same Carpetbaggers from Sausalito who had the single “Let Yourself Go” / “Just a Friend” on the LTD International label in mid-1966. Sausalito is an hour and a half from Davis, but it’s not inconceivable.

Whitcombe opened another Davis club, Mousey’s, and eventually the duo split up. Sacco played with the Daytrippers, then with the Sacramento’s Burgundy Express, and now is pursing a writing career.

Dennis Sacco wrote to me a little about the group, and added more history to the notes for a CD of later, jazzy recordings that he and Kenny did either together or separately.

As a drummer I grew up listening to Gene Krupa, then Joe Morillo and then Louie Bellson.
Back in 1965, Denny and Kenny started playing at GG’s, a little beer bar in Davis, California. Soon, their reputation and fans out grew GG’s. Kenny built a bigger night spot in Davis called Mousie’s. Between GG’s and Mousie’s, Denny and Kenny played in Northern Caliornia and Nevada. During this period, Denny and Kenny cut a record at Ikon Records in Sacramento, California.
Denny and Kenny were a great match. Denny used a Ludwig double bass drum setup and Kenny used a Hammond organ kicking bass pedals. They both did vocals and backup. Many people thought that they were listening to at least four players. They don’t perform as a duo anymore. But each of them, separately or together, have made a few recordings. Included in this album are Kenny’s beautiful and “original” songs (ala 40s style) and some of Denny’s earlier big band recordings for you to listen and enjoy.

There’s a small but interesting genre of organ and drum duo records that include the Me and Him Duo and the Chancellors b-side “5 Minus 3”.

Categories: Drum and organ duos, Paza, Pennsylvania, Pottstown, Reading

The Me and Him Duo

September 11, 2015 Chris Bishop 1 Comment

The Me and Him Duo were organ player Phil Long and (I believe) drummer John Hill, from Pottstown and Reading, Pennsylvania. They have a good instrumental on Paza Records, “On the Money” backed with a vocal by Phil Long “Stay With Me”.

Songwriting is credtied to Philip Long and John C. Hill for Mamy Music Corp. and Mary Hill Music BMI.

Phil Long’s real name was Philip Charles Peter Vagnoni. He was related to country songwriter Shorty Long (Emedio Vagnoni). Phil continued playing organ in the Pottstown area with other drummers including Scot Raugh. Phil passed away in July 2008 in Reading, PA.

This is a mid-late ’60s record, not ‘garage’ by most people’s definition, but I’m posting partly to compare it to other organ and drum duos such as the Denny & Kenny Duo, and the Chancellors (usually a quintet but one of their Fenton singles has the instrumental “5 Minus 3” by organist Jim Ovaitt and drummer Rick Garfield):

I shouldn’t leave out the Cosmic Rock Show whose fabulous “Psiship” / “Rising Sun” takes the duo concept into new experimental territory, released in 1968 on Blitz Records 469 from the Minneapolis area.

Categories: Midwestern Recording Studios, Missouri, Peak, St. Joseph, St. Louis

The Sounds, Ltd. featuring Phil Jackson

September 1, 2015 Chris Bishop 3 Comments

“Slimy Sue” by the Sounds, Ltd. featuring Phil Jackson is the kind of odd, non-commercial record of the ’60s garage era that I love.

These lyrics are bizarre, with plenty of humor in the masochism of the second and third verses.

I got me a woman, buddy, she’s got purple hair
Ain’t no other woman, buddy, that can compare, that can compare
To my girl, true blue, back alley Sue
Slimy Sue, yeah, well alright now
When I want some lovin,’ buddy, Sue knows what to do
She can kiss so gently, buddy, turns me black and blue
My girl, true blue, back alley Sue
Slimy Sue, yeah, well alright now
Hit it [guitar break]
When I get in trouble, buddy, with someone tough like you
Me, I never worry, buddy, I call on Sue, I call on Sue
My girl, black belt, weight lifting, Sue
Slimy Sue, yeah, well alright now

Philip W. Jackson wrote this song as well as the flip, “Fly Away”, for Cookie Crumb Music, BMI.

The Sounds, Ltd. recorded at Midwestern Recording Studios at 3140 The Paseo, Kansas City, Missouri. The studio’s own Peak label released the single on P-108 in October 1966. I’d like to know more about the band, who maintain a rough but great sound throughout “Slimy Sue”.

The band was from St. Joseph, Missouri, about 45 miles north of Kansas City. “Fly Away” was the ostensible A-side at the time, a kind of folky almost hippie-sounding song featuring lead vocalist Kathy Helmick.

Midwestern Recorders operated a studio since at least 1952 if not earlier, originally releasing records on the Central label. I assume other garage bands must have used Midwestern but haven’t found evidence of that yet.

Categories: Detroit, Golden Records of La, Michigan, Southgate

The Organized Confusion “Tell Me Why” / “Makes Me Sad” on Golden Records

August 31, 2015 Chris Bishop 17 Comments

I wrote about Alva Starr, who had two interesting garage releases on Golden Records of La., based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. This single by the Organized Confusion is the other garage single on that label. It features two good original songs by Bill Richards, “Tell Me Why” b/w “Makes Me Sad”. Production credited to Ebb Tide and Randy Darnell, published by Darn-L. Copyrights for these two songs plus one called “Bad Girl” were registered with the Library of Congress in May 1968.

Ebb-Tide Golden Records Billboard February 3, 1968 — One of Ebb-Tide ‘s ads in Billboard looking for songs and master tapes.

Interestingly, the band was from the Detroit, Michigan area. Ebb-Tide (Ebb Harrison or Ebb Harris) of Golden Records ran classified ads in Billboard in 1967 and 1968 looking for songs and finished songs. Randy Darnell of “The Darnell Sound” may have seen these ads and responded, or A&R man Bob Balog may have brought the band to Golden.

A promotional photo from the old G45 Central forum shows the band in a tree, and the songs for the single list “Hang On, He’s Not Coming” instead of “Tell Me Why”. Contact info is given both for the label, Golden Records and the production company, Darnell Sound Production, which has an address of 13079 Northline, Southgate, MI, south of downtown Detroit. Darnell and Balog also placed the Liquid-Candy “Hold On-I’m Coming” on Golden.

The Organized Confusion, from left: Joe Grabowski, Mark Bruce (friend of band filling in for Matt Sclafani), Dave Thibert, Bill Richards and Al Consiglio

Update, February 2017:

Joe Grabowski and Al Consiglio sent in the photo of the group standing in front of trees and gave me more info about the band:

Dave Thibert – lead vocals
Bill Richards – lead guitar
Joe Grabowski- rhythm guitar
Matt Sclafani – bass guitar
Al Consiglio – drums
In the mid 60’s two Wyandotte friends and neighbors, Al Consiglio and Joe Grabowski joined Al’s cousin Matt Sclafani, living in Southgate, who knew Bill Richards and Dave Thibert. The five put together a play list, rehearsed the tunes and played local venues. Bill wrote the two recorded songs and pursued the necessary contacts to find the recording studio of Randy Darnell at 13079 Northline Road in Southgate, MI and produce the record. The building now is a beauty salon.
The band stayed together for a short time after making the record as the members focused their attention on finishing school, girls, cars and careers (in no particular order). To my knowledge no one was in a band prior to or went on to join other bands after the Organized Confusion.
Venues:
Knights of Columbus – downtown Wyandotte, MI
Knights of Columbus – Southgate, MI
Southgate Anderson High School – Southgate, MI
Davidson Jr High School – Southgate, MI
ALSAC Benefit with many other local bands including Little Carl Carlton – River Rouge, MI
Lawrence Technological University (Lawrence Institute of Technologies) – Southfield, MI
Southgate Shopping Center (in front of Montgomery Ward) – Southgate, MI
Aquinas High School – Southgate, MI

Categories: Baton Rouge, Denham Springs, Golden Records of La, Louisiana

Alva Starr “Clock on the Wall” and “Light of 1000 Years” on Golden Records

August 29, 2015 Chris Bishop 7 Comments

Alva Starr ad in Billboard, September 9, 1967

Alva Starr Golden 45 Light of 1000 Years

Alva Starr was a character in the Tennessee Williams play This Property Is Condemned. Natalie Wood portrayed Alva Starr in the 1966 flim of the same name, with a screenplay written in part by Francis Ford Coppola.

Alva is not a common name now, but you may recall it was phonograph inventor Thomas Edison’s middle name. Alva Starr became the stage name for Alva Snelling, a songwriter and singer from, possibly, Denham Springs, Louisiana, a few miles east of Baton Rouge.

Snelling recorded two singles in August and September 1967 for the Baton Rouge label Golden Records, owned by Ebb-Tide, short for Ebenezer K. Harris.

The first, on Golden 102 is the psychedelic-garage classic “Clock on the Wall”, where Alva intones lyrics like “time has made slaves of us all … the clock ticks away at our destiny … the hands they move with such a pace as to control the lives of the human race” while the band vamps with a monotonous drum beat in the background.

The flip side is the bizarre and cool patriotic ode “Space Race to the Moon” which includes lyrics like “the moon must be free, because that’s the way God meant it to be”. Alva Snelling wrote both songs, published by Sano Pub. Co BMI.

His second single is another fine original “Light of 1000 Years” played with a defter touch than the first, and backed with a cover of Arthur Alexander’s “Anna”. Snelling registered “Light of 1000 Years” with the Library of Congress in March of 1966.

As to who was backing Alva Starr, one commentator on youtube suggests the band was named the Luvrakers. I couldn’t find info on the Luvrakers other than they had a guitarist named Susan Owens probably at a later date than these recordings. However John Herring of the Lost Generation doesn’t recall Susan Owens, but provided me with the names of the Luvrakers:

Rodney White – lead guitar and vocals
L.J. DeMaio (DeMiah? – how should this be spelled? – now calls himself L.J. Copas of the Copas Brothers) – rhythm guitar and vocals
Alva Snelling – bass and lead vocals
Alva’s brother – keyboard
David Cook – drums

Alva Starr and Ebb Tide produced both of these singles on “Golden-Records of La.” Golden Records had an address of PO Box 2544 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Both singles were released with gold-colored labels, though some copies of “Light of 1000 Years” have blue labels.

In 1986 Alva’s current band the Luv-Rakers recorded a heavy version of “Clock on the Wall” on Angel Records 1006, b/w “Lost Things and Changes” (written by Susan Owens).

Alva Snellling seems to have died in 1995, but I can’t find confirmation of this.

Other than Alva Starr and an interesting release by a Detroit group, Organized Confusion, most releases on Golden Records were country or soul music. 45 Cat has a nearly complete discography.

Blue label version scan taken from Mojama Records. Tip of the hat to Chaim O’Brien-Blumenthal for finding the Billboard ad at top.

Categories: Unknown, Valiant, Warner Bros

The Johnnys

August 28, 2015 Chris Bishop 3 Comments

Warner Bros Buys Valiant, Billboard April 22, 1967 — Warner Bros Buys Valiant, April 22, 1967

“Nothing Sacred” blends mournful sustained guitar with bright harmony vocals for a captivating song. Unfortunately it was relegated to the B-side of the only release by the Johnnys.

The Johnnys get a mention in an April 22, 1967 article in Billboard as one of the artist contracts transferred to Warner Bros when it purchased the Valiant Records label. Song writer Bodie Chandler is also named in the article. He and Edward McKendry wrote “Nothing Sacred”, and Chandler arranged the song. Chandler had been part of Barry & The Tamerlanes and has an extensive writing catalog.

The ostensible A-side is the more conventional “I Remember” written and arranged by Jack Walker. Both sides were published by Tamerlane Music, BMI

This single had release in July of 1967 on Warner Bros 7057. I can’t find any other mention of the Johnnys or who was in the group. I assume they were from California but that is only a guess. If anyone has more info please contact me.

Categories: California, Concord, Martinez, Unknown

The Phantoms – unknown band

August 24, 2015 Chris Bishop 3 Comments

Here’s a good photo of a band that would be anonymous but luckily the photo was mounted to a backing board which names the band as the Phantoms, and the photographer as Newell Wood of Ulfinian Way in Martinez, CA. It also tells that the photo placed second in the Concord California Club miniprints competition in June of 1966.

Martinez is about 8 miles from Concord, and the band could be from anywhere around the East Bay, Vallejo or Walnut Creek. I’m not aware of any group named the Phantoms from that area, or if they made any recordings.

Categories: Hiram, HR Records, Ohio

Lord Douglas and the Serfs

August 14, 2015 Chris Bishop 2 Comments

Lord Douglas and the Serfs were students at Hiram College, about 40 miles Southeast of Cleveland. Producer Howard Russell brought them to Cleveland radio station WSLR to record two originals for their only single on HR Records 606.

Gerald Johnson and Robert Kopp wrote “Your Turn to Cry” which features harmony vocals and a great bass line in the break. Kopp, Alexander and Smith wrote the flip side, “The Way of a Man” which has a catchy chorus and a brief subdued solo that reminds me of something on the Velvet Underground’s third LP.

The band registered “Your Turn to Cry” with the Library of Congress on August 29, 1966 but the single’s release date is approximately February 1967.

Categories: D'Arcy Sound Studios (Norfolk), Norfolk, Nottingham Disc Co., Sounds International, Virginia

D’Arcy Sound Studios, Sounds International & Nottingham Disc Co.

July 28, 2015 Chris Bishop 3 Comments

D’Arcy Studios was started by Warren Miller, who had cut “Everybody’s Got a Baby But Me” / “Say You’ll Be True” for United Artists in 1958. In 1964 Miller had a label called D’Arcy with two country releases, one each by Charlie Wiggs and Jesse Travers.

In 1966 Miller started D’Arcy Sound Studios in Norfolk, and Sounds International seems to have been the house label for the studio.

About half the label’s releases were soul, of which the Sheepherders is most in demand. The Nite Liters and Del-Notes are good blue eyed soul.

The Rude Awakening is garage, the Outcasts single is heavy organ-based rock. The Common Wealth has been described as folky rock. The Holmes Brothers singles are country.

Of course many artists recorded their at D’Arcy and for release on other labels, such as the Regents with Mel Gaines and the Del Notes.

In 1968 Miller started using a new label, Nottingham Disc Co., which continued the last two digits of the numbering system (for example, changing from Sounds International 640, 641, 642 to 849, 850, 851 for Nottingham Disc Co). Nottingham 853 and 854 read “D’Arcy Studio Center” on the labels instead of “D’Arcy Sound Studios”.

The Journey Back’s single on Nottingham Disc is much sought after, and New Directions “Springtime Lady” is also very good. I haven’t heard the Russ Spooner or Mark III singles yet.

Around 1970 Miller changed the name of the studio to simply Studio Center and began a new five-digit numbering system beginning with “50”. He revived the Sounds International label for at least two releases in a 70s rural rock style.

Twenty Grand Music BMI published all original songs on Sounds International and Nottingham Disc Co. About two dozen songs were registered on April 3, 1968, including “Set Me Free”, “Only Love”, “Old McDonald”, “I Love You”, and “I Wish I Was Home”. Also registered that day was Danny O’Brien’s “Don’t Leave Me Girl” which the Del-Notes had released on Top Cat Records 968.

Sounds International and Nottingham Disc Co. discography:
Any help with this discography would be appreciated.

Sounds International 630 – Dean & the Dominants – “‘Copter 23” / “Lost and Found” (both by Sgt. Oscar Capps)
Sounds International 631 – Nite Liters – “Set Me Free” / “Harlem Shuffle”
Sounds International 633 – Gentle-Men – “Only Love” (Wilson) / “Old McDonald”
Sounds International 634 – Rude Awakening – “Certain Girl” / “Fortune Teller”
Crane SI 635 – Chuck Mooney With The Arkansas Travelers ‎– “I’m Going Home” / “Jail Bird”
Sounds International SI-636 – The Del-Notes – “I Love You” / “I Wish I Was Home”
Sounds International SI-637 – DeWayne Mack – “I’ll Never Be Your Only Love” / “The Kind Of Love”
Sounds International SI-638 – The Sheepherders with Bubba Bailey – “If You Ever Need Me” (Jones, Lowder, O’Sullivan) / “By the Time I Get to Phoenix”
Sounds International SI-639 – The Outcasts – “While I’m Here” / “Spell” (J.G. Heisler, Twenty Grand Music BMI)
Sounds International SI 640 – Elsie Strong “This is the Last Time” (Gene Casey) / “Ask the Lonely” (William Stevenson, Jobete BMI)
Sounds International SI 641 – Holmes Brothers – “September Love” / “Splendor of Love”
Sounds International SI 642 – Pop Tops featuring Roy Hines – “I Want to Make It With You” (Hines, Weaver, Leibman, Esenberg, Barthlow) / “I Can Live”
Sounds International SI 643 – ?
Sounds International SI 644 – Holmes Brothers – “Searching Eyes” / “It’s a Big Big World”
Sounds International SI 645 – Ronnie and the Progressive Society – “Chain of Fools” / “Twenty Five Miles”
Sounds International SI 646 – Elsie Strong – “You Better Tale Time” / “Shades Of Green”
Sounds International SI 647 – ?
Nottingham Disc Co. 848 – Russ Spooner with the Sheep Herders – “We Got That” (Bobby Moore) / “The Truth”
Nottingham Disc Co. 849 – The Journey Back – “Synthetic People” / “Run Away Baby” (L. Burnell, B. Sutton publ. Twenty Grand Music BMI)
Nottingham Disc Co. 850 – New Directions – “Springtime Lady” (L.H. Jones, publ. Twenty Grand Music BMI) / “Swlabr” (arranged by Chip Golden III)
Nottingham Disc Co. 851 – The Machine – “Hey Grandma” / “Roll With It” (S. Miller)
Nottingham Disc Co. 852 – George and Judy – “That’s No Way to Ask You” / “Looking For Me” (1969)
Nottingham Disc Co. 853 – Mark III “Gigolo” / “39-21-46” (Norman Johnson)
Nottingham Disc Co. 854 – Plague – “Brighter Side” (T. Charauros, J. Burcham) / “Cherry Road”
Nottingham Disc Co. 855 – George and Judy – “Pocketful of Promises” / “Love Is the Key”

The following releases have a different numbering system and credit “A Product of Sound Center, Norfolk, Va.” on the labels:

Nottingham Disc Co. 50104 – New Directions – “Lalena” / “Them Changes” (1970, Capitol custom matrix #s ZB-737/8)
Aim Records 50108 – Windfall – “There Is a Shadow in Here” / “Workers”
Fuo Records 50112 – Colonists (Richmond Virginia’s All Girl Band) ‎– “Evil Ways” / “Aimless Lady”
Sounds International 50116 – Common Wealth – “Circles” (Carl Brody) / “It’s Over” (Phil Liebman)
Sounds International 50120 – Franklin Freight Train – “Full on the Hill” / “Loving What You Can” (Seale-Leighton-Mahl-Seale)
Gent’s YGB Records 50124 – “WDJ – THF Prince Of Soul” ‎– “Invitation To Love” / “Funky Loving”

Thank you to Matt Beck for his videos of the Plague 45 on Youtube. Also thanks to Max Waller, Marty Key and J.D. (Ologist) for their contributions to the discography.

Categories: D'Arcy Sound Studios (Norfolk), Newport News, Sounds International, Top Cat, Virginia

Danny and the Del Notes

July 28, 2015 Chris Bishop 78 Comments

The Del Notes came from Newport News, Virginia. Danny O’Brien attended Newport News High School and formed the group at school.

Early members included:

Danny O’Brien – vocals and keyboards
Tom Clark – guitar
Earl Howard – guitar and vocals
Ronny Methany (also written as Ronnie Matheny) – bass guitar
Dickey Moore – drums

Danny O'Brien of the Del Notes — Danny O’Brien of the Del Notes

The Del Notes recorded their singles at D’Arcy Studios across the James River in Norfolk, VA.

The first included two original songs, “Don’t Leave Me Girl” by Danny O’Brien b/w “I Been Thinking Lately” by Earl Howard, released on Top Cat 968. Twenty Grand Music registered copyright on “Don’t Leave Me Girl” in April of 1968 along with 20 other songs. The single likely was released earlier than that date.

For their second single on the Sounds International label, Danny O’Brien wrote a great blue-eyed soul song “I Love You” b/w another Earl Howard ballad “I Wish I Was Home” which a commentator said was written for Ronnie Matheny who had been sent to Vietnam.

Twenty Grand Music BMI published their original songs.

Danny O’Brien periodically revived the Del-Notes over the next few decades. Later members included bassist Garland Reece, guitarist Fred Ordonio and drummer Randy Jackson.

Earl Howard was killed in an auto accident on May 16, 1991. Dan O’Brien passed away on December 4, 2003.

The photos seen here Tom Hudgins submitted to the Peninsula Garage yahoo group some years back.

An article in the Daily Press from November 1991 was a good source of information for this post.

I don’t know of any other releases on this Top Cat label, but D’Arcy Sound Studios and Twenty Grande Music publishing show up on many releases on the Sounds International label.

An early photo shows Earl Howard and Ronny Methany jamming with members of the Nite Liters, including Steve Keith on rhythm guitar, Harrell Baker on lead guitar and sax and Donny Falk [Faulk] on bass guitar. The Nite Liters had their own single on Sounds International, “Set Me Free” / “Harlem Shuffle”.

Garage Hangover