Updated December, 2009
The Boy Blues came from Chico, and released two 45s in February 1966 and 1967.
This article is superceded by the release on CD of ‘Up From The Grave’ on Frantic Records (the reissue label, not the original Frantic label based in Universal City), which has all four songs they recorded in incredible sound quality, plus an extensive history of the group including some outrageous stories of baby food and a drug bust that I won’t repeat here. Get the CD to read the full story and hear 30 tracks by a number of Sacramento Valley bands. I recommend it highly.
Below is a brief history of the group:
The Boy Blues started out of a band called the Disciples, with Mark Cipolla on guitar and vocals, Jim Conley on lead guitar, Randy Reaves on bass and Rick Wagner on drums. Bob Brien joined to share rhythm guitar and vocal duties with Mark Cipolla, and then the band changed their name to the Boy Blues. Conley left and Chris Howard joined as lead guitarist.
They met their manager George Martin at a battle of the bands in Marysville, and in early ’66 he brought the band into Ikon Studios in Sacramento to cut their first 45 for release on the Vardan label.
The top side “Living Child” would be re-recorded in a much different arrangement for the b-side of their second 45. Most people prefer the Frantic label version, mainly because it has distorted guitar throughout instead of horns. Still, I wouldn’t dismiss the Vardan version, it’s faster and tighter, and even if the horns are superfluous, they add some dissonance to the chorus.
The b-side of the Vardan 45 is another good Bob Brien song, “Think About It Baby”, with a thick layer of horns arranged by Arthur Wright. I like this one as well, especially the Byrds-like guitar solo. The squeak of the bass drum pedal is really noticeable, especially in the introduction.
Would this be a better 45 without the horns? Maybe – it definitely would have had a more typical garage sound, but the horns don’t ruin either cut for me.
A drug bust in Novato got the band on the front page of the San Francisco Chronicle, and led to the departure of Randy Reaves and Chris Howard.
The band heard John Palmer playing while driving by his garage in Richmond, in the East Bay, where he had been a member of the Plague. The band convinced John to come up to Chico to join them as lead guitarist, and added Jeff Gadbois, who has since passed away, on bass.
The bust didn’t stop their popularity at live shows, nor did it dampen the expectations of George Martin, who brought the new lineup into Sountronics in Lodi for their second single.
‘Coming Down to You’ chugs along to the Batman theme for most of its three minutes, and features a great fuzz solo after its somewhat dreamy chorus. It was written by Bob Brien and Mark Cipolla. Some copies of this 45 were released with a picture sleeve that features the earlier lineup of the group.
John Palmer and Jeff Gadbois were with the group for about six months before departing to play a heavier type of music with Lincoln’s Promise. In the spring of ’67 John went back home to Richmond where he became a founding member of Savage Resurrection.
Cipolla moved to bass, while he and Bob Brien found new members Pat Varvel on drums, Ed Seymour on keyboards and Chuck Edwards on guitar and vocals. They changed their name to Colours and moved to the Bay Area for a new start. That period is documented in a two CD set also released by Frantic, but I haven’t heard it yet.
Arvey Andrews produced the Vardan 45, and co-produced the Frantic release with his business partner, George Martin, while they were stationed at Beale Air Force Base east of Yuba City.
Frantic had other good releases, including the Styx with ‘Stay Away’ and ‘My Girl’ (CR-2125/6), a group called Psycho with ‘You Need Me (CR-2128), and the Mystic ‘I Get So Disgusted’ / ‘Weekend People’. The Boy Blues might be the last 45 on the label.
Sleeve for their second 45 – but showing the earlier lineup of the group
anyone have a better quality scan of this sleeve?
Wow… These Boy Blues tracks are right on! I’m usually not a fan of brass in garage rock, but I think the horns in the first version of “Living Child” really do add some excitement.
On a general note, thank you for all the great music that you share. Your website is the best of its genre. Your taste for this music is impeccable! I look forward to each and every posting.
Update: I just found out that The Mystic, The Psycho and other Northern California North Bay groups will appear on the soon to be released, ‘Up From The Grave: North Valley Garage/Psych 1965-1969’. Coming out this summer on The Frantic record label. Thank you Joey D and Alec P.
Thank you for filling in some gaps in Northern California releases. I believe I have the Mistics’ “I Get So Disgusted” on a cassette. If you would like an MP3, let me know. Keep up the good work.
According to Alec Palao’s article on the Boy Blues in the recent issue of Ugly Things(#28), this band was from Chico not Oroville…as a Chico State University grad I can tell you there is a big difference between the two towns besides the 15 miles distance apart…Chico is a college town with a vibrant night life…Oroville, though the Butte County seat, is much more of a backwater…trust me, I’ve been there a few times…”Coming Down” is a rad reworking of the “Batman” theme…
actually the boy blues are from chico. my dad is randy reaves, and he played in said band. they are from chico!
I have in my possession some artifacts of the Boy Blues including pictures (old xeroxes) of the band, posters etc.,as well as the 45 Coming Down with Living Child on the flip side. Anyone interested in them? I inherited them from a good friend of mind Jon Engleken who has since passed on. I believe he may have served as roadie to the band. I also have a 45 by Hamlet and a reel to reel tape of the band Colours. I believe that these bands included Bob Brien who was also in the Boy Blues. Anyway, I’d be willing to give these a good home. Any takers?
Cheers,
Marc Martin
Would love these things, my dear friend was married to Mark Cipolla and they have a son, I would share with her, Jody Cipolla
I knew the band members of the Disciples and Boy Blues when I was in high school. (Little-known fact, it was me who came up with “The Disciples” as the name for the band. :-)) I knew Jon Engleken too. He was indeed a roadie for the band. I was very fond of him. He was extraordinarily warm and kind.
Hi Marc…this is Joey D, the guy who owns Frantic Records and released the Colurs & Up From The Grave cds. Please email me, I am interested in the tapes and records you have…Cheers…Joey D
Greetings Marc
I am John Palmer ,one of the groups lead guitarist from around 66. I was a close friend of John who was the roadie and driver at the time. In fact it was he & Mark that came to Richmond to bring up to Chico. I would love to posses any of the items from that era.
Peace
JPP
My dad, Rick Wagner, was born and raised in Chico- and yes, Boy Blues was a Chico band!
I have a 45 demo record of theirs still. 🙂
Hi Robbie!
Hi Marc
I am the wife of Steve Parsons who played drums in Hamlet, I also know Bob Brien,Kurt kearns,Randy Reaves and so on.
I know Steve,Kurt and Bob would love to have the items you have. Please email me and let me know if you still have them
Thank you
Wanda
Hey Wanda, please tell Steve Randy
Kilpatric said hello…we were neighbors
Back in 60’s…remember the Souls!
In the late 60’s they played a bit in Redding, at the park. Do you have any of their music. Steve will always be remembered here, for the double bass, single tom set up. Hot Band for the Day.
John- I just put up a comment on the Savage Resurrection page on pandora.com- yeah, amazing, they played Savage Resurrection! I had to complain that they didn’t mention you, and you were the whole reason I knew of them. I was a 13yo kid hanging out on the front of stage at the Oroville Municipal Auditorium watching the Boy Blues, and, imho, you were the coolest thing going at the time; part of what made me who I am. Thanks for that. Hope all is well in your life. MK
This really doesn’t have anything to do with the Boy Blues, other than Steve Parsons, but it is the first time I’ve seen any mention of Shane, or Shane Bros., as they were later known, anywhere online.
I know there must be recordings of Shane out there. I have a really bad cassette of a single- barely listenable.
Freddie O’Quinn passed away a few years ago, and he was just too amazing a singer to not be remembered. I truly hope some recordings will surface. Thank you.
What is the geneolgy of these bands?
Is there a Boy Blue connection to Rosey Bones?
Shane, Rosey Bones and s few others I can’t remember were regulars at Redding’s Fillmore The Vet’s Hall. Like any North State I think they all got into bed with Harry Arnold, the Bill Graham of Ashland.
I recall a 2 day? outdoor festival at the Shasta College football field outside Redding. Loading Zone was one of the headliners but I was most impressed by Rosey Bones who had a kind of Nerdy “Who” (they did “Substitute”) vibe at the time. Think they even did some Kinks. Ahead of their time but kinda out of place in the hippie scene which was what I liked about them.
Where/who is this Frantic Records CD ‘Up From The Grave’? Is it Alec Palao? He did a CD of Redding’s rockabilly group “Bailey and the Nervous Kats”. Is Redding represented (Trakstod)?
Saw Shane quite a few times at the Redding Vet’s Hall.
Did a good version of Lee Michaels’ “Hello”.
Freddy played a mean B3. After Shane broke up he graciously came up to Redding to jam with our band at Lake Redding Park.
I lived in redding in 69-70. The Shane Brothers were my favorite band. Their Hello, Oh Pretty Woman (Albert King) , and Heroin still ring in my head. I know you posted this 5 years ago. Have you had any luck finding info or recordings? I would love to hear anything.
Steve Carpenter Rockaroski@aol.com
Ok, now I get it. Vardan was the original label, then the song “Living Child” was re-recorded for Frantic.
Frantic is also the label for the CD compilation re-issue.
Joey D is the guy who now owns Frantic Records.
Both of Redding’s “Trakstod” singles were released in 1970 although they have a self-produced single from 68-69: Waitng for the Train/Woman on Ninth Street
Carolina Train (J. Berick)(Trakstod, Philips 40655: 1970
Say Hello (J. Berick)(Trakstod, Philips 40655: 1970
Philips 40681: 1970 – Both Hands On The Wheel/Back In The Arms Of My Darling
This site has some good North Valley band info but don’t think it’s been touched/updated in years.
http://reocities.com/NapaValley/1326/nvbands1.htm
They list “Kurt Kearns (Guitar, Vocals)(Boy Blues, Colours, Hamlet, Rosey Bones)”
Is Steve in Chico, and do you have any Shane Bros. recording you can share with people that still remember you?
Hey – I knew Steve and Kurt, I remember hanging out at Steve’s house on North Ave in high school in the 60s. I’d like to hear what happened to them and other Chico musicians like Phil Duncan and Gary Braden.
Dave Pyles
Dave, long ago I lost your email address in a severe computer crash. Miss hearing from you guys, am on FB Nancy Brown. Get in touch! Nancy Norris… hope you are well.
I believe they had a drummer named John Healy?
I put some violin parts on the demo that got Hamlet their deal. I really liked that record a lot. “Just a touch” was a great tune from it. I think that was the title.
I remember the Boy Blues Disciples in 1965-66. They played in Fort Bragg Ca and sang a rolling stones song – that’s how strong my love is, a really gifted lead singer. They were very popular at Battle of Band events in towns north of San Francisco. I though they could have be famous if they wrote their own songs or had song writers available. Interesting there is internet information available about the Disciples/Boy Blues.
Just found this site and love it. Knew all these people. Appreciate this very much