All posts by Chris Bishop

Categories: Michigan, Pa-Go-Go, Saginaw, San Antonio, Texas

Pa-Go-Go Discography

February 8, 2011 Chris Bishop 19 Comments

Story of how Cameo acquired “96 Tears”, Billboard, October 1, 1966 note “Bago Records” (sic)

Any help with the discography or info on Pa-Go-Go in general would be appreciated!

Lillian Gonzales and her husband Joe “Pato” Gonzales owned the El Pato grocery store in Saginaw, Michigan, and also ran the Gonzales & Gonzales artist management company. Joe, whose name I’ve seen in print as Jose Gonzales or Victor Gonzales, owned half of Bego Records with Paulino Bernal, which had been releasing conjunto records in McAllen, Texas since the early ’60s.

Joe started the Pa-Go-Go record with brothers Rudy “Tee” Gonzales and Manuel Gonzales (apparently no relation to Joe – see comment from Cisco below), basing the label out of San Antonio where Rudy Gonzales had his group, Rudy & the Reno Bops. Pa-Go-Go’s focus would be less specialized than Bego’s, with rock, soul and r&b releases.

Lillie Gonzales brought ? & the Mysterians to Art Schiell’s Recording Studio in Bay City, Michigan in April, 1966 to record a version of “Midnight Hour” and their original song, “96 Tears”, with Rudy Gonzales producing. The first pressing was 750 copies, but there were additional pressings as the single broke out on stations in Saginaw, Flint, Windsor and Detroit.

According to Billboard, Neil Bogart, a twenty-three year old sales manager at Cameo-Parkway flew to McAllen, Texas to purchase the master of “96 Tears” from Bego, winning out over a verbal agreement with Roulette’s Morris Levy.

Although Pa-Go-Go’s address of 408 Hazel St. San Antonio, Texas was on the labels of every release, about half the acts were from Michigan. A Billboard item from October, 1967 even mentions the label being headquartered in Saginaw. Pa-Go-Go only existed for about a year and a half, but released some fine music in that time, with the last single I can find mention of, Count & the Colony’s “Say What You Think” being sold to SSS International.

Pa-Go-Go Discography:

101 – Danny & the Tejanos – “Mi otra movida” (Polka) / “Con esta copa” (Ranchera)
102 – Question Mark & the Mysterians – “96 Tears” / “Midnight Hour” (April, 1966)
103 – Sir David & His Knights – “Shotgun” / “All My Love” (David Camarillo, published by Ed Arguello Pub.)
104 – Fernando Y Juan – “Se te llego tu dia” / “Vuela vuela Palomita”
105 – Chavez & the Chevelles – “Buscando Una Estrella” / “El Trenesito (The Train)” (D.A.R.)
106 – Danny & The Tejanos – “Confecion” / “Mundo raro”
107 – Little Henry & His Band – “No soy tu arroz con pollo” (Isidrio Lopez) / “Amor sin medida” (Jose A. Jimenez)
108 – Sonny Ace- “Ya volvio la Palomia” (Lonnie Guerrero) / “Sandra” (Martin Linan)
109 – ?
110 – Al Pinckney & the Exclusives – “Coasting” / “La-Hai”
111 – Chavez & the Chevelles – “Pido” / “Angelitos Negros”
112 – Danny & the Tejanos – “Listen, Sweet Thing” / “What’s the Word” (Danny Martinez)
113 – Conjunto Los Galantes de Manuel Gutierrez – “Contestaction a ‘Me Voy Lejos'” / “Ellas”
114 – ?
115 – Freddie Fender & His All Stars – “Cool Mary Lou” / “You Are My Sunshine”
116 – ?
117 – ?
118 – Staffs – “Another Love” / “I Just Can’t Go to Sleep”
119 – ?
120 – ?
121 – Count and the Colony – “Can’t You See” (Dick Brown, Butch Burden) / “That’s the Way” (Larry Wheatley, Butch Burden)
201 – Count and the Colony – “Say What You Think” / “Symptoms of Love” (October, 1967)

#101 shows only “Go-Go” on the label.

Little Henry Pa-Go-Go 45 No Soy Tu Arroz Con Pollo

See the entry on the Staffs for more about that band.

At this point I’m not sure if the missing numbers were actually issued, as I haven’t found any evidence of them, nor has Davie Gordon (see his comment below) or Mike Markesich.

? & the Mysterians, Sir David and His Knights, and Count and the Colony were all Michigan acts. Danny & the Tejanos, the Staffs and Al Pinckney & the Exclusives were from Texas (see comment from Robert Villarreal below).

Sources: background on Bego from Wikipedia, most complete account of the early days of ? & the Mysterians I could find was at MichiganRockandRollLegends.com, with further background from the ChicagoReader.com, Fredric Dannen’s Hit Men, and info on Danny & the Tejanos and Sir David & His Knights from I’m Shakin’.

Thank you to Martin Hancock for info on the Little Henry 45 and to Antonio of La Plebe for his contributions to the discography. Thanks also to Francisco Candia, Shane, Alfonso, and Josh (jollyrarestuff) for their help with the discography.

Categories: Brownsville, Pa-Go-Go, Rio Grande Valley, Texas

The Staffs

February 8, 2011 Chris Bishop 23 Comments

Raul Altamirano (vocals and bass)
David Ceballos (guitar)
Jesse Salinas (bass)
Ruben Ceballos (keyboards and harmonica)
Emilio Reyna (drums)

Jesse Salinas joined the Staffs on bass, after playing rhythm guitar for Noe Pro & the Semi-tones. Although the band did not record while Jesse was in the group, they did cut one excellent 45 in October 1966 for the Pa-Go-Go label out of San Antonio. One side is “Another Love”, an excellent original by singer Raul Altamirano, backed with a Kinks song, “I Just Can’t Go To Sleep” that I haven’t heard yet.

Thank you to Jesse Salinas for the photos and to Mike Markesich for the label scan and information on the Pa-Go-Go release.

Categories: Reviews

Review: Teen a Go Go (DVD)

February 6, 2011 Chris Bishop 2 Comments

Teen a Go Go DVD cover

In the mid-’60s, Fort Worth, Texas had an almost ideal teen band scene. The city was large enough to support dozens of semi-professional bands, it had several clubs that catered specifically to teens and even a few small studios and record labels. Most of all, it had a lot of musical talent, aware of the city’s own rhythm and blues heritage but soaking up the edgy sound of the English bands on the charts in ’64-’65.

Fort Worth bands cut incredible covers of British Invasion bands: the Cynic’s take on the Yardbirds’ version of “Train Kept a Rollin'”, the Mods’ version of “Evil Hearted You”, the Jades take on Van Morrison and Them’s “Little Girl”. They recorded great original songs as well. As a guitarist I can tell you how much fun it is to play Larry & the Blue Notes’ “In and Out”, with its bent-string breaks between every line of lyric. Other classics that come to mind: “Alibis” by the Bards, “My Confusion” by the Elite, “Don’t Burn It” by the Barons, “Be Nice” by the Nomads.

The records these bands cut were sold to the local teens and played on local radio. Few of the bands made it out of Fort Worth, and only a handful of Fort Worth records broke out to limited national exposure, such as “One Potato” by the Elite or “Night of the Phantom” by Larry & the Blue Notes.

Despite the lack of national recognition at the time, these records have made the Fort Worth Teen Scene legendary among garage fans in the years since. Now there is a DVD release to document it in detail, Teen a Go Go, a film by Melissa Kirkendall, Mark Nobles and James Sterling Johnson.

The filmmakers have done a spectacular job of interviewing many participants in the scene, including members of most of the important bands along with DJ Mark E. Baby (Mark Stevens), studio engineer Phil York, and Sump’n’Else producer/director Bud Buschardt. The interviews are casual and in-depth, with high quality audio and video. With so many interviews, it helps that the editing breaks them up so we return to the participants throughout the film, making the faces familiar to viewers who might not know the different bands.

Teen a Go Go starts with a general overview of the mid-60’s band phenomena, which surprised me by featuring a number of interviews with members of non-Fort Worth bands like the Novas from Dallas, the Excels of McKinney, the Vipers from Henderson, Arkansas and Eric & the Norsemen of Lawrence, Kansas. However, these interviews do a good job of showing the similarities between the teen band scenes throughout the United States.

After this introduction, the movie focuses on Fort Worth, briskly moving through discussions of the teen clubs, go-go girls, TV appearances by the bands and more. There’s a good segment on Major Bill Smith with footage of him in the studio from the ’70s. It’s fun to watch the Elite describe the making of their “One Potato” / “Two Potato” single – I could only wish there was more on about the making of records, the studios and the labels. There is a short discussion of the rivalries between different sections of Fort Worth which I’m sure is enough for most viewers, but I would like to have seen explored in more depth.

The film brings up the complicated shadow of Dallas, a larger city with more resources and commercial possibilities than Fort Worth. Ron Chapman’s Sump’n’Else TV show was influential throughout the region, and since footage of any Fort Worth bands on the show is lost, the film shows clips of the Five Americans (an Oklahoma band signed to the Abnak label of Dallas) lip-synching to “Western Union Man” and “I See the Light” and the Kingsmen doing “Louie, Louie”.

Returning the focus to Fort Worth, the film gives good background on some important Fort Worth acts that influenced the teen bands, notably Ray Sharpe and Bruce Channel, who cut “Hey Baby” with Delbert McClinton for Maj. Bill Smith.

Although the filmmakers have gathered a huge collection of photos and clippings, I found there to be too much panning across photos and not enough use of the little surviving film footage from the time. We see all-too-brief glimpses of the Cynics, the Elite and The Bluecoats. There are a few seconds of the Jades and the Sundown Collection from the Panther Hall, but I would like to have seen more of the fragmentary footage that survives – such as a ferocious half minute of the Phaze V performing “7 and 7 Is”. This is a minor quibble and after all, we can turn to the internet for that kind of video.

I highly recommend Teen a Go Go. For more information on the film, or to order a DVD, check out Teen-a-Go-Go.com.

Garage Hangover accepts recently-released LPs, CDs, books and DVDs for review. Please email me for a mailing address.

Categories: Bego, Benja, Brownsville, Falcon, Harlingen, Ideal, McAllen, Mercury, Norco, Pharaoh, Rio Grande Valley, Texas

Noe Pro and the Semi-tones

February 1, 2011 Chris Bishop 15 Comments

Jesse Salinas, rhythm guitarist for Noe Pro & the Semi-tones writes about his time with Noe’s band and his later group, the Staffs:

I joined Noe Pro’s band in 1963. Original members started with inexpensive instruments mostly Sears Silvertone, Harmony or Alamo guitars and amps. Guitars, bass and microphone were plugged into one Silvertone amplifier. What started out with mostly high school musicians, Noe turned into “Noe Pro and the Semi-tones”.
“I’m Gonna Leave This Town” excellent soul-funk number
The band recorded several 45s on the Pharaoh label in McAllen, Texas in 1963, ’64, ’65 and ’66 at a small two or four track studio owned by Jimmy Nicholls. English record “Yesterday’s Dream” and flipside “Come Along My Baby” was the first recording for the Semitones, picked up by the Mercury label. The band also recorded the single “I Know” and its flipside “Reina De Mi Vida” and “I Know What’s Been Going On” and flipside “I Love You My Darling” at the Pharaoh Studio. All records had some local success.Noe Pro and the Semi-tones recorded most of the Spanish 45s at Ideal Records Studios in San Benito, Texas. I recall recording engineer and owner of Ideal, John Phillips had Baldemar Huerta (Freddy Fender) working the recording equipment. We spent numerous nights at the Ideal studios recording until 3 or 4 o’clock in the morning. The LP was done at Falcon Studios.
Semitones, L-R, front: Gabriel (Gaby) Garza (sax), Gilbert Colunga (trumpet), Bobby Vill (bass); back: Jesse Salinas (guitar), Noe Pro (singer, drummer) and Carlos Cantu (sax)
Noe was also a great guitar and bass player, he could play numerous instruments, he arranged all the melodies for our horn section. Noe was known as the singing drummer which was unique for that time. Everyone loved to hear Noe sing and could dance to the music we played in English and Spanish.
In 1965 Noe was picked up by an orchestra service agency in Dallas that arranged for him to tour. They used their musicians. Some of us were either still in school or were not hired. Noe Pro’s band had new beginnings, and his music played on. Noe’s roots are in the Rio Grande Valley where he continues to record, and entertain his fans with tejano, country, rock, blues and big band music. Though it’s been over 40 years, this is some of what I recall about the early years of Noe Pro and the Semi-tones.
I played bass guitar with another school band The Staffs. By the middle of 1966, most of us were drafted into military service. It seems everyone left Brownsville, Texas.
Sadly, we have lost two of the early years Semi-tones, Gregorio (Goyo) Reyes: trumpet and Guadalupe (Lupio) Hernandez: lead guitar.
I ask anyone with knowledge of the band to submit photos, stories or any information about Noe Pro’s band “The Semi-tones”.
Jesse Salinas

Q. Were you part of the Blue Valiants with Noe? “I Know (You Don’t Love Me Anymore)” / “Reina de Mi Vida” is credited to Noe Pro and the Blue Valiants.

Jesse: I was never with the Valiants. Noe joined the Valiants as a drummer. The Blue Valiants did record for Jimmy Nicholls at Pharaoh when he was with them. Later Noe formed his own band the Semitones and we recorded “Yesterday’s Dream” and its flip at Pharaoh, it was the first recording for the Semitones. Noe tells me that “I Know” and its flip was actually the second recording. We all noticed the error on the label at the time we got copies but it was too late to change.

Noe Pro’s 1960s record releases

45s:

Noe Pro and the Semitones:

Mercury 72341 – “Yesterday’s Dream” / “Come Along My Baby (and Dance with Me)” (1964)

Pharaoh 118 – “I Know (You Don’t Love Me Anymore)” / “Reina de mi Vida” (credited to Noe Pro and the Blue Valiants)
Pharaoh 124 – “I Know What’s Been Going On” / “I Love You My Darling”

Noe Pro y Los Semitones Bego 45 Para Ti — “Para Ti” for the Bego label, a wild adaption of the Animals “I’m Crying”

Bego BG-167 – “Para Ti” / (as Noe Pro y Los Semitones)

Benja 103 – “Oh Darling” / “What Shall I Do” (both written by Benny C. Mendez and credited to Noe and the Semitoness)

Norco 110 – “If You Would See Me Tomorrow” / “I’m Gonna Leave This Town”

Ideal 2163 – “En Que Pierde una Mujer” / “Gracias”
Ideal 2285 – “Usted” / “Quizas, Quizas, Quizas”
Ideal 2370 – “Gorda” / “Mi Baby”
Ideal 2372 – “Extraños en la Noche”
Ideal 2382 – “El Destgastado” / “El Soltero”

Falcon 1656 – “Yo Te Daria Mas” / “Llora”

Album:

Falcon FLP-2055 – La Voz Internacional de Noe Pro

songlist: Llora, Mi Razon, Sin Verte, Incomprendida, Humo en los Ojos, Yo Te Suplico, Yo Te Daria Mas, Yo Soy Aguel, Aunque Me Hagas Llorar, Ya No Me Quieres, Cuando Comienza Elamor, Que Injusticia

Thank you to Jesse Salinas for the photos and scans in this article, and to Chad Burnett for the scan of the Bego 45 “Para Ti”.

Categories: Texas, Waco, WMC

The Veskants

January 29, 2011 Chris Bishop 10 Comments

Jack Benner, drummer with the Veskants and the Silvertones wrote to me about his career:

I started out playing piano as a kid, but didn’t like conventional music lessons. After a couple of years with Mamie B. Forkel (I swear), I quit. Later I found Geneva Hamilton, about as round as she was tall, well into her 60’s, coal-black dyed hair and smoked Camels, but she could PLAY piano! That was my start-out instrument (professionally). The problem with piano in a “movable” band back then was the equipment you had to buy and carry. Not every place you needed to play had a piano and if it did, it usually meant re-tuning the whole band.
When I met Mickey Sharp in the 9th grade and I was so impressed with his natural style on drums, I asked if he would teach me as much as he could. We struck up a life-long friendship and he taught me as much as I could learn. I was never quite in his league … he was the best, I was just good.
I started playing professionally while attending Richfield High School. My first job was with Jeweldine Taylor & The Rockets and first job was at James Connally AFB. Later we played at The Flame Room Lounge. When I was with the band, Augie Roundtree was on bass and I think Wallace Pelton may have been on lead guitar, she played rhythm guitar (Fender Jaguar). Started on piano but Rex Boehme took a radio DJ job in Dallas, so I took over drums.
Q. Did you play on her 45, “Look Who’s Talking (About Love)” on the TRC (Texas Record Company) label, backed by Bogle & the Beaumen?
Did not play on the Jeweldine Taylor record. Don’t remember hearing it or knowing about it until now. Her dad was her booking agent and manager and he repaired typewriters for a living. A few years after I worked for her, she went deeply religious and carried a Bible around with her. If you spoke to her, just a “hello”, you got “saved”!
I worked part-time at Waco Music Center in Southgate for a short time. Later we formed a band called Veskants with Larry Nichols (keyboard/sax), Ted Richardson (guitar), Richard Travis (bass), me on drums and Ronnie Byrd as vocalist. We recorded “Little Miss Heartbreaker” and “More Than Love” at Goodson McKee’s recording studio. Songs were written in part by Byrd. “More Than Love” was supposed to be the “A” side of the record but for some reason “Heartbreaker” got the most request/play, go figure. Pressed a few hundred records on W.M.C. label. Sold a few – gave away most. I still have a couple. Larry Nichols made up the name Veskants … who knows what goes through that mind of his!
Next band was The Silvertones featuring Little Anthony. He claimed his real name was Anthony Fontaine, who knows, but we were soon packing them in at The Red Carpet Club. Several talented players came and went in this band. I played trumpet, Mickey Sharp drums, Rick Jensen tenor sax, Ronny Cawthon lead guitar for a while, later Ted Richardson, Richard Travis bass (got drafted) so Jerry Rierson took bass – later Frank Tate. Larry Nichols played keyboard and for a while we had a 3rd horn (bari-sax) but can’t remember his name.
While in school, I took “Band” and learned to play the Coronet. Never really figured on using it professionally – weren’t many bands at that time using brass. Then as if by magic, Herb Alpert came along and then the R&B (soul) bands and all of a sudden there was a need for brass-players. It was light and easy to transport and I loved it for traveling all over the country. I can’t tell you the number of times I played “Lonely Bull”! Because I could play several instruments fairly well, I was never without “work” if I wanted it. That was nice.
Q. Was the Silvertones you were with the same group that recorded with Gaylan Ladd, “Get Out of Town” / “Something Is Strange”?
The Silvertones I played with did not record while I was with them but Gaylan came along after I left the band and the band Heather Black had a core of Silvertones in it so that’s possible. When we picked up Little Anthony and the extra instruments we were mainly a “showband”.
We toured many clubs & military bases. Gaylon Christy was our first agent but we got picked up by Sam Gibbs – Wichita Falls. Lots of work/travel! After band broke up (Dec. ’68) I moved to Arlington, took a day job and started working as “fill” on drums or keyboards, got married and was transferred to Wichita Kansas where I formed a 3-piece club band to keep my sanity.
When I got back to Texas (Hurst) I quit playing for a while. Then got a call from Frank Tate and Richard Travis to play organ/front a band called Bandana. Their rhythm guitar got transferred and they had a contract at Franks Lakeview Inn on Lake Belton. Just wanted me to help them out to the end of the contract – about 10 weeks. This was in 1973 – four years later we were still going strong.
Smil’n Jack Benner

Thanks to Mike Markesich for the scans and transfers of the Veskants single.

Categories: Alabama, Birmingham, Ed Boutwell Studios, Knight (AL)

The Knights Band – The Original Knights

January 25, 2011 Chris Bishop 12 Comments

The Knights Band, from left: Bill Ashton, David Keller, Bick Mitchell, Carson Hood, Dudley Parker (?), and Ray Edwards

The Knights Band were Ray Edwards (vocals), Dudley Parker (keyboards), Carson Hood (bass), Bill Ashton (sax), Bick Mitchell (drums) and Dave Keller (lead guitar).Vocalist and DJ Ray Edwards sent in the early photo of David Keller’s first band, the Knights and gives some background, below.

The Preachers was David’s third band. In Shades Valley High School in Birmingham in the early 60’s, David played lead guitar for The Knights. I was the singer (little guy on the end) and “booking manager.” Other members were Bill Ashton (sax), Carson Hood (bass), Dudley Parker (keyboards), and Bic Mitchell (drums).
I graduated in 1963 and after a year at UAB in Birmingham headed to Tuscaloosa and a job 5 nights a week as a DJ at WJRD in Tuscaloosa. I was “invited” to drop out of the group. David took over lead vocals and sort of manager. They changed their name to The Original Knights and put out a 45 record to promote the band.
In the late 60’s I ran into David. He had just bought the convertible and told he he was making great money promoting bands. He said he had paid 21 $100 bills for the car. This was in Panama City where he had the club. The next thing I heard was that he was about to be drafted and had headed for Canada.
I have caught up with Bill Ashton, he is in sales and gets to Alabama from time to time. I met Dudley Parker at a wedding I was Djing for. (DJ company is Alabama Entertainment – alaentertainment.com) I talked with Bic who was filling in with a band playing at The Club. Carson died some time after we were in the band.
I have often wondered what happened to David. He was always “Crazy David” even when we had Saturday Morning band practice in his parents garage on Dolly Ridge Road in what became Vestavia Hills.
Ray Edwards

The Original Knights, from left: Carson Hood, Bill Ashton, Bick Mitchell and Dave Keller

When Edwards and Parker left, the band became a quartet, now calling themselves the Original Knights. This group released one 45 on their own Knight Enterprise Records recorded at Boutwell Recording Studios in Birmingham. David Keller wrote both songs, “Going Fishing” and “Please Don’t Go”, which has vocals credited to Keller and Carson Hood.According to the sleeve, Keller attended University of Alabama in Birmingham while Hood and Mitchell were students at Walker Jr. College (now Bevill State I believe) in Sumiton, 25 miles to the northwest. Bill Ashton is listed as attending the more distant Auburn University.

For further info on David Keller, check out the page on the Preachers.

Thanks to Ray Edwards for the photo and info about the Knights Band, and also to Jeff Lemlich for the scans and transfers of the 45 as the Original “Knights”.

Categories: Houston, Paradise, Texas, Waco

Paradise discography

January 24, 2011 Chris Bishop 9 Comments

The Paradise label out of Houston, Texas is known for garage 45s by Thursday’s Children and the Warlocks, which came late in the label’s run. Most releases are r&b or blues, but there are even some country singles in the series.

any help with this would be appreciated

1000 – Joe Medwick – Second Time Around / Alabama Blues
1001 – Perk Williams – I’m Hanging My Teardrops Out / Release Me
1002 – Jimmy Nelson – Her Last Bye Bye / Tell Me Who
1003 – Frankie Anthony – Goin’ to the River (Frank Argento) / Brenda
1004 – Joe Medwick – You Little Heartbreaker You / I Cried
1005 – Willard Burton – The Last Buffalo / Cuban Cane Fields
1006 – Joe Hill – Just Not My World Anymore / Give Me a Reason
1007 – Link Davis – You Were Only Pulling My Leg / Whenever You Find Your Love My Love (1963)
1008 – Gashead – I’m Too Good / I Want to Get into Something
1009 – The Impellas – Five Plug / Sailing High
1010 – Gene Allison – Not Even Judgment Day / Fading Love
1011 – Gashead – You’re Gonna Miss Me When I’m Gone / Why Do You Treat Me Like a Tramp
1012 – Jimmy Nelson – Sweet Sugar Daddy / I’ll Be Ready
1013 – Johnny Copeland – I Need You Now / Heebie Jeebies
1014 – Link Davis – Orange Blossoms / Feu Follet (1963)
1015 – Larry Martinez – Borquinho / Melinda Café
1016 – Jim Post – Every Once in a While / Look a Long Way
1017 – The Rendevous – Ruby Baby / Ram-Bunk-Shus
1018 – Willard Burton – The Freeze / No Name
1019 – Interns – Sally Met Molly / Have Mercy
1020 – Chris Funston with the High Hopes – Summertime / There’s Nothing Left
1021 – Warlocks – Life’s a Misery / Splash Day
1022 – Thursday’s Children – You’ll Never Be My Girl (Jan Pederson) / Try Girl (Charles Helpinstill, Brown) (also released on Kidd 1334)
1023 – Interns – Don’t Make Me No Mind / Life With You
1024 – Leon Mitchison – The Sheek Part 1 / Part 2

5000 – Tommy Hammond – Ride This Train / Beging to You
5001 – Jim Jones and the Chaunteys – Sparkle and Shine / Three Squares
5002 – Johnny Copeland – Night Time Part 1 / Part 2
5003 – Oscar Perry – I’m on My Way / I Want to Get Old with You
5004 – Julius Jones and The Riverea’s – Eimmer Line / Soulin’ with the Riverea’s

With thanks to Texas Soul Recordings for filling in some missing gaps in my discography, and also to Myskatonic for confirming the Chris Funston disk, and to Bob for the listing of 5001.

Categories: Bainbridge, CEI, Fremont, Maryland, Ohio, US

The Second-Hand Bitter-Sweet

January 21, 2011 Chris Bishop 5 Comments

Most of the Second-Hand Bitter-Sweet were from the small town of Bainbridge, Maryland. They released one 45 in August 1968, one side an upbeat pop song, “You’re Gonna Be Mine Now”, the other a moody favorite of many garage fans, “Please Don’t Go”.

Both were originals by Burchfield and Deaton, and Robert Brown produced the single on his CEI label.

Vocalist Tom Deaton answered my questions about the band and provided the photo and news clip seen here.

Q. Who else was in the band besides you?
Robert Burchfield, Bill Nelson, Mark Wirth, Mike Burchfield, John Oglevee, and Gary Donovan.
I was in a band in high school called the Cobras. When I went into the Navy, I formed another called the Cobras II. We changed the name pretty quickly to Midnite Mass. It was during that time that I let another drummer take over and concentrated on singing. We folded pretty soon and I loaned out my P.A. system to some Navy dependents. I went to pick it up and they were rehearsing for a show at a Catholic school. They sounded pretty awful – they were all just starting to play and sing. I showed them how to sing one of their songs and they asked me to join so I did.
We came up with the name, Second Hand Bitter Sweet cause of the crazy named bands at the time – Strawberry Alarm Clock, etc. When we played out, the kids made fun of us cause we couldn’t sound like the covers. So I suggested we write a couple of our own songs that the kids couldn’t compare to anything. We did – it worked – the kids thought we were great.
Got hooked up with some guy nearby (we were in Bainbridge, MD). We went to a big studio in Baltimore and recorded 2 songs.
The producer was supposed to promote the record, but instead he sent us 500 copies and moved to Ohio.
Of course, it’s virtually impossible to promote something on your own. I had one big time DJ tell me that he got hundreds of 45’s a month and threw most of them in the trash. He said if they had a $50. with it, he would play it once…
I think I gave up too early, but I spent a year in Morocco before I got out. I took up guitar over there and formed a band called the Jagged Edge. Jagged Edge was my first attempt at playing guitar. The rest of the guys were jazz musicians so we did mostly rock and a little jazz. It was fun – we were the only American band in Morocco at that time.
Back in the states, I didn’t do much for a while (college, etc.). When I took a job in San Diego, I played lead with a country band called Country Rainbow – great band. I also played acoustic in bars for drinks and tips.
Back in North Carolina I played with several bands – wrote a few more songs. The band I’m in now, Legacy, is a lot of fun. We played as a 3 piece for over a year. Now we have another guitarist and a new drummer. We do about four of my originals – it’s just a helluva lot of fun. I also volunteer at a local hospital where I sing and play acoustic to cancer patients and others who are in bad shape. 64 and still rockin…. what can I say – “I got the music in me…”
Tom Deaton

Be sure to check out Tom’s website N.C. Blues.

CEI Records

Bob Brown had been recording and releasing records in his hometown of Fremont, Ohio since the early ’60s on his Courier and Empire labels. He continued to produce singles while stationed in the Army in Aberdeen, only 11 miles from Bainbridge. During his two years there he released several records, changing the label name to CEI (Courier-Empire International).

These include:

Sodom & Gomorrah “Flower Children” (written by Caulson, Rudacille and Brown and co-produced by B. Kuhns, D. Bush and G. Gregory) / “Twenty Miles”
The Soulations “Come on Thats Love Baby” (Lester Earl Lee G&J) / “Will You Be Mine”
The Runabouts “Way Of Life” / “All Is All ” (is this the same group from Cincinnati that cut “I Need Time” / “The Chase” on Vox?)
The Hamilton Peach “With the Girl That You Love” (Jeff Yost) / “One Way Ticket Down”
The Souls of Britton “Make a New Light” / “I’ll Be on My Way” (this group had an earlier 45 from 1966, “JJ (Come Back to Me)” / “Can’t Be True” (both by Heiberger / Bumgarner, produced by C.M. Bartlett) on Ed Kennedy’s Ken-Del label out of Wilmington, Delaware).
Sites n’ Sounds “The Night Is So Dark” (R. Taylor, D. Blankenship)

Back in Ohio in late ’68, R.T. Brown became even busier, releasing a good light psychedelic 45, the Majority of Six “I See the Light” / “Tears Like Rain” and a rare private press LP by “Eric”.

Sources include: Background on the CEI label from Buckeye Beat and 45rpmrecords.com.

Categories: Cranston, Malibu, Planet, Rhode Island

The Malibu’s and Bastille

January 18, 2011 Chris Bishop 8 Comments

The Malibus from left: Joe Brocolli, Peter Place, Pete Bulger and Jack Henehan — The Malibu’s, from left: Joe Brocolli (guitar), Peter Place (keyboards), Pete Bulger (drums) and Jack Henehan (guitar)

The Malibu’s “Cry (Over Her)” is a garage classic that made it to the first volume of Back from the Grave in 1983. It was the Malibu’s first single, written by Jack Henehan and released in 1966 on the Planet label. Stock copies on the blue Planet label are rarer than the white label promo copies like the one I own.

“Leave Me Alone” is also credited to Henehan but it repeats the chorus tag “until I can think about her without feeling sorry for myself” from the Zombies’ “Leave Me Be”. In other respects the lyrics and arrangement are different from the Zombies song.

In 1968 or 1969 the band re-recorded “Cry” in a faster version without the rough edges and ferocity of the original. The flip was a very pop song with harp, “I Miss You”, co-written by Jack Henehan and Joe Broccoli.

This 45 was issued with bumper sticker (see below), and also as a Pepsi flexi-disc.

There’s an oft-repeated rumor that the band was from Litchfield, Connecticut, but Ray Renzi, who joined Jack Henehan’s next band, Bastille, wrote to me:

None of the Malibus were from CT. All of them were from Rhode Island, most if not all, from Cranston. Three of them were fraternity brothers of mine at URI. The Malibus consisted of Jack Henehan, Joe Broccoli, Peter Place, and Pete Bulger.
They changed their name to Bastille with these same four members and played together under that name for a while. Joe left the band after he graduated from URI and left RI either for a job or for the military, and we formed the group that included Rick Nielsen, Sam Gingerella and myself with Jack, Peter and Pete.
Later Pete Bulger left the band and we hired Jim Szydlo, who played in my previous band “The Mirage” to play drums. This is when we recorded our 45 with “Music Ship” which showed up on a compilation CD (LeBeat Bespoke Vol 3) in England a few years ago. Later Peter Place went on active duty with the Navy and my brother Lou joined the band. There was one more version of the band after I left in 1973 or 1974.
I stay in touch with the guys that I played with and I have worked in some duos with my brother, Rick, or Jack. Rick and I are producing a CD (OLDZKOOL – The Ray Renzi Project) which should be done in about a month. My brother Lou from Bastille plays bass and sings on it. The other musicians are my brothers Len and Ken, my sister Dianne, Dave Maher on sax, George Correia on drums, Rick and myself on guitars.
Ray Renzi

Malibu's Bumper sticker included with the second release of "Cry" — Bumper sticker included with the second release of “Cry”

Original member Joseph Broccoli wrote to me in February, 2011:

I was an original member of the Band, the Malibu’s and can fill in some blanks from the early days of the band. The original incarnation of Broccoli, Henehan, Place and Bolger formed the band in 7th grade and continued playing throughout high school and then college. We were all from the Cranston/Edgewood areas of RI.
We played for multiple high school and frat parties, private parties, yacht club parties, WPRO appearances and for Cherry & Webb’s fashion shows. We were also involved in several “Battle of the Bands” competitions throughout the New England area. We were also managed by Ralph Stuart from the Biltmore downtown and we played for quite a few debutante balls and exclusive weddings and parties in the New England area alongside his formal big band. We also played in the RI Veterans Memorial auditorium, fronting headliners such as The Four Freshmen and The Byrds.
The first two singles, “Cry” and “Leave Me Alone” were recorded in Myron Fluff’s [Myron Arnold’s] studio in Providence. “Miss You” was recorded in Boston in the same studio that Patti Page recorded “Old Cape Cod”.
I left the band in August of 1971 to begin a graduate degree at the Univ. of Michigan. We changed the name to The Bastille because were continually played at The Bastille, a club in Newport, RI.
Joseph Broccoli

Bastille photo: Sam Gingerella, Pete Bulger, Rick Nielsen, Peter Place, Ray Renzi and Jack Henehan — Bastille, prior to recording the 45, from left: Sam Gingerella (sax), Pete Bulger (drums), Rick Nielsen (guitar), Peter Place (organ), Ray Renzi (guitar) and Jack Henehan (bass and lead vocals)

Bastille gigged around Rhode Island and Vermont and cut “Trying to Be Free” / “The Music Ship” in 1973. I haven’t heard the A-side, but “Music Ship” has good freakbeat-style guitar work, hard drumming (with a cowbell) and heavy organ backing. Ray Renzi and Jack Henehan wrote both songs.

Thanks to Ray for info on Bastille and the photo of the group, to Mike Markesich for the scans and transfer of the second Malibu’s single, and to Yourek for the scan of the Malibu’s bumper sticker.

Note: These Malibu’s are not related to the ones who cut “I’m Cryin'” for the Quill label or the Macon, Georgia group who did “I Want You to Know” / I’ve Gotta Go” (both by David Luckie) for the PJ label, or the soul group who did “It’s All Over But the Shouting” / “A Broken Man” on White Whale. Or other Malibus like the ones who cut “Humpty Dumpty Was Making Out”, “Hey Hey Hey” or “La Da Da”.

Categories: California, Los Angeles, MGM, Unknown

The Majestics

January 13, 2011 Chris Bishop 12 Comments

Mop Top Mike suggested I cover the Majestics, an unknown group who cut this one 45 for MGM in 1965. Hopefully we’ll be able to find some more info on this band.

The A-side is “Smile Through My Tears”, a ballad something in the style of the Beau Brummels, written by Cruz-Columbo. It’s backed with “Love Has Forgotten Me”, which I find less compelling.

Tommy Smalls produced the single independently. Mastered in late 1965, MGM purchased it for release in April, 1966. Tommy Smalls is possibly the same DJ known as “Dr. Jive” who was involved in the payola scandal in 1958. That Tommy Smalls relocated to Los Angeles, where he was an R&B DJ for KADY in 1964 then back to New York at WLIB in 1965. By 1968 he was Vice-President in charge of r&b for Jubilee Records.

The publishing was through Earl Music, BMI, though I can’t find any listing in BMI’s database for either song.

The MGM Labels: 1961-1982 by Michel Ruppli and Ed Novitsky indicates “Smile Through My Tears” and the flip as “purchased titles” and “this group was listed in files as “The Mysterians”.

Other groups called the Majestics

There were many other groups by the name Majestics. I don’t think any are related to this group, but I’ll list some of them here.

The one closest in time to this group recorded the soul classic “(I Love Her So Much) It Hurts Me” b/w “Girl Of My Dreams” on Linda 121, both songs written by Arthur Robles, produced for Faro Productions and released in the fall of 1965. The same songs (minus the horn intro on “It Hurts Me”) had a second release as by David and Ruben on Warner Bros 7316, this time listing production by Eddie Davis. A third release on Rampart in 1969 reused the original Linda stampers. David and Ruben were Art Robles’ brothers. Their group was generally known as ‘Art’s Majestics’.

Interestingly, there was another release by the Majestics on Linda 111, “Strange World” / “Everything Is Going to Be All Right” (by Chick Carlton, produced by Bobby Gross), but this is on the blue Linda label, distributed by Scepter, NY in 1963. Supposedly, this was another band entirely, black, not Hispanic.

Other Majestics include: a doo-wop group from Detroit who recorded for Contour, Chex and V.I.P.; a Miami, Florida group who cut “Cave Man Rock” on Marlin; a vocal group from Massachusetts who recorded for 20th Century Fox and other labels.

Background on unrelated Majestics groups from Soulsource and Doo-Wop.blogg.org. Thanks to Mike Markesich for the scan and transfers.

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