The Chimes of Freedom came from Scotia, New York, near Schenectady and Albany. “Jungle Rock” is known from Girls in the Garage, but the Dead Wax blog shows this was not an all-girl group: Mari Salato vocals, Chip Vedder vocals, Bill Pytlovany lead guitar, Paul Hamilton rhythm guitar, Jeff Austin bass guitar, and Darrell Francis drums.
Hamilton, Francis and Pytlovany wrote “Jungle Rock”, while the original A-side was “Did You Ever”, a ballad by Francis and Pytlovany.
This is a hard single to date, I don’t see anything in the dead wax other than stamped 102A/B, and the label code USS 102 is also obscure. The Robert Barry Music credit helps connect this to the Vibra-Sound Recording Studio in Schenectady.
Hi. Did Mari Salato sing this song? We were good friends in high school. I haven’t talked to her in over 40 years.
Darlene Church-Davis
Yes it was. I’m sitting with het next to a fire and we just found this. Mari lives in troy now
Hey, I was a member of this band and played on this recording as well…..keyboards…Bonnie Carbin Kruger. Fun times!
I remember watching them practice for the Battle of the Bands in a garage at a house on Sacandaga Rd. in Scotia, NY. which I believe they went on to win. I’m thinking that contest is what got them the recording.