The Quadrangle were a New York group, and this is their only 45, released in October of 1966.
“She’s Too Familiar” now is a classic garage song. Every element is striking: the keyboard intro, the bass line and drums, the sharp guitar parts and the fantastic vocal, with a tambourine-led chorus that brings it all together.
The b-side, “No More Time” combines a New Orleans type beat with a bit of Donovan’s Mellow Yellow vocal delivery.
I had thought they were only a studio group until I found a mention in the April 30, 1966 issue of Billboard that states “Ray West’s group the Quadrangle closed at Arthur last week and will now record under the supervision of Artie Kornfeld.” Artie Kornfeld did produce them, using the songwriting team of Michael Konstan and Jay Fishman.
Kornfeld had a lot of experience writing classic songs as half of the Changin’ Times with Steve Duboff. Their original versions of “Pied Piper” and “How Is the Air Up There” were covered with more success by other bands. Kornfeld went on to work with many other acts as producer. Michael Konstan released a solo lp on RCA in ’73. I’d like to know more about the other members of Quadrangle, though.
From left: Ned Bibb, Bobby Marlin, Zac Zachery and Robert Alexander (thanks to Dale Aston for the correction)
From the Ensley Highlands section of Birmingham, Robert Alexander (bass), Ned Bibb (vocals and guitar), and Bobby Marlin (drums) started playing in high school in 1962, rehearsing in Robert Alexander’s basement.
In 1965-66 they backed Travis Wammack, then took the name The Distortions from his record “Distortion pt. 1”. They added Zack Zackery on keyboards, and recorded their first three 45s on Sea Records. These included an interesting Ned Bibb original, “Can You Tell”, which was backed by a slow, loopy take on “Hound Dog”; and a raging version of Howlin’ Wolf’s “Smokestack Lightning”.
The band added Eddie Rice on guitar in 1966 and switched to the Malcolm Z. Dirge label for their next release, “Thank You John”, which reached the charts on WSGN in town. On the flip they recorded a fine version of the Rascals’ oft-covered “I Ain’t Gonna Eat Out My Heart Anymore”.
When their next 45, “Behind My Wall” was picked up for national distribution by Smash, they had their biggest hit, selling 10-15,000 copies according to their producer Ed Boutwell. Their penultimate 45 was a good Bill Haney original, “I Found a Girl”, with a version of “I Don’t Really Like You”, originally done by Baton-Rouge’s Canebreak Singers on Montel and written by Mike Crespo. It was produced by Haney and Richie Becker and released on Casino, a subsidiary of the Dover Records company of New Orleans.
In ’67 the Distortions added Roy Alexander on saxophone.
Capitol promo shot, 1968, from left: Roy Alexander, Roy Zachary, Bobby Marlin, Steve Salord, Dale Aston and George Landman
Dale Aston of the Torquays sent in the photo above and writes about his time with the band:
I played guitar with the band. Steve Salord and I had just left The Torquays and joined with The Distortions for a brief period. We recorded “Let’s Spend Some Time Together” at Boutwell Studios in Mountain Brook, AL.
As I recall Ed Boutwell had a hand in getting Capital Records to pick up “Let’s Spend Some Time Together”. The other labels were homegrown and produced by the band for local distribution only.
Their last release was a cleaned-up version of the Stone’s “Let’s Spend the Night Together”, retitled “Let’s Spend Some Time Together”. This was picked up by Capitol but didn’t sell particularly well.
Henry Lavoy took over on drums during the late 1960’s.
The band split up in 1969, but Zack Zachery and Roy Alexander played college and club shows as the Distortions into the ’70s, with Clif Payne on drums and Ed Finn.
Clif Payne sent in the photo of the group from the 1970’s as well as four unreleased songs from 1975 in a polished, commercial sound the band developed later on, something akin to the Average White Band. See Clif’s comment below for more information about that band at this time.
Roy Alexander and Bobby Marlin are now deceased.
45 releases:
Hound Dog / Can You Tell – Sea 100 Take This Ring / You Know I’m On My Way – Sea 101 Smokestack Lightning / Hot Cha – Sea 102 I Ain’t Gonna Eat Out My Heart Anymore / Thank You John – Malcolm Z. Dirge 45000 Smokestack Lightning / Behind My Wall – Malcolm Z. Dirge 45002 A Love That Loves You / Behind My Wall – Smash S-2068 I Don’t Really Like You / I Found A Girl – Casino 501 Let’s Spend Some Time Together / Gimme Some Lovin’ – Malcolm Z. Dirge 45008 and Capitol 2223
Sources: Reunion of the Sons and Daughters of the Sixties program, May 8th, 1987; Birmingham News. April 30, 1987, Birmingham Weekly, vol. 10.
Thank you to Mike Pair for loaning me the Birmingham News article, “Hair” Rally notice and Reunion program.
The Esquires formed in 1964 in Jonesboro, Arkansas, a town closer to Memphis than Little Rock. Members were Jim Grimes vocals, Rick Metzler rhythm guitar, Stanley Knight lead guitar, Rick Murray sax, Scott Snellgrove bass and Roger Barnhill drums.
As a live act they were popular at local clubs like the Cave, the Place Next Door, and the Hotel Noble as well as in Memphis, where they appeared on the Talent Party television show. They competed at battles of the bands with acts like Knowbody Else, Tommy Jay and The Escorts, the Gentrys, the Devilles, and the Guilloteens.
They recorded “Sadie’s Ways” at Alley Records’ studios in Jonesboro. It’s possible that four additional songs were cut to acetate. Alley Records also released a great 45 that I’ll feature very soon, the Newcastle Blues’s “Cotton’s Mama”/ “Walkin’ the Dog”.
The Esquires broke up in 1966. when Grimes and Rick Metzler went into the Marines.
Stanley and the Grass at Las Cruces High School cafeteria dance, Fall, 1965. Left to right: Lynn McIntyre, Dennis Finn, Stanley Stenner, James (Timmy) Schaefer, and JT Archer.
The Grass came out of the Las Cruces, New Mexico scene that included bands like the Keymen, the Four Dimensions, the Morfomen and the Outer Limits.
In August 1966 they released their only 45. recorded at Emmit Brooks’ Goldust Recording Studio, “I’m Getting Tired” (written by Dennis Finn and Lynn McIntyre) backed with “Y’Love”.
In the lyrics of “I’m Getting Tired” the singer is having trouble finding a girl worthy of his continued attention:
There’s just one reason why the girls never hit me with a put down, I’m cool enough to know just when to put my foot down. They offer me their love – what can I do then but take it? Offer me their heart – what can I do then but break it?
JT (Tim) Archer sent in the photo at top, adding “here is a pic of Stanley and the Grass before the Goldust recordings with The Grass w/ Larry Lucero. Notice two of the guys are wearing ‘belt-straps’ instead of regular guitar straps. Except me, I left mine at home.”
JT wrote more about the band in comments below:
I was the lead guitar player for The Grass. The band included myself and Lynn McIntyre (formerly of the Checkmates and The Hustlers), Dennis Finn, and Tim (James) Schaefer. We first formed with Stanley Stenner as our lead singer and thus Stanley and The Grass was born circa 1965-1966. When Stanley left, we added Larry Lucero and he was the lead singer on our Gold Dust sessions.
I played a Fender Jazzmaster; Tim Schaefer played a Strat; Lynn played a Precision Bass. We refinished them all white and used belt straps instead of regular guitar straps… How cool is that?
I grew up on the Ventures and even during The Grass days we played a few instrumentals including “Slaughter on Tenth Avenue”. The band broke up and I went to Hollywood and tried to make it with Stanley, Lynn, Dennis and other friends from LC. Great experience -tough business! After Hollywood, I still pursued music and toured in lounge bands and even worked with Link Wray in Tucson.
I recorded two solo albums: Canyon (Gold Dust 1974) and Who’s Watching (my label – see CD Baby). I am now into Jazz and R&B. I hope to someday release another album under my jazz persona – Joey Primo. I have quite a guitar collection including a Mosrite which Semi Mosely custom made for me. It’s a keeper!
I have a picture of Stanley and The Grass at a Las Cruces High Dance. I also have a few pictures of me in the Shandels at Skylanes Bowing alley in El Paso when I filled in for Bob Allinder when he was on vacation one summer. I also have a picture of The Hustlers that pre-dates the Grass.
Stanley Stenner had a 45 on the Dynasty label from the early ’60s, “Teri” b/w “Angel of Mine”, written by Stenner, Charles and Richards for Borgelin-Melissa Music, BMI, orchestra conducted by Gene Garf. It’s a pop vocal style record.
Dennis Finn added:
Stan was one of the elves [Curly, one of the Lost Boys] in Peter Pan. He was from Hollywood. His dad was the great grampa on the Munsters. He also performed in Vegas with Sammy Davis, Jr., a great singer. He went back to Hollywood, and we got Larry Lucero to be the lead singer. I wrote “Y’Love”, and Lynn and I wrote “I’m Getting Tired”. We recorded them at Emmit Smith’s Gold Dust records.
Later, Pete Hecker and John Leduc (from the Outer Limits) and Dennis Lucero (from the Shandells) and Tim Archer and me (Dennis) went to Hollywood, and played at Ciro’s for 16 weeks in the summer of ’69. It was wild and crazy, and we had long hair, but were mainly hicks from New Mexico. In 1970 we came back to New Mexico, either to go back to college, or whatever.
The Renegades I’m writing about today were from Manchester, New Hampshire, about fifty miles NW of Boston. They have no connection to Richie’s Renegades who also released a record on Polaris.
Both ‘Waiting For You’ and ‘Tell Me What To Say’ were written by Lorin Ruggiero.
It was produced by Joe Melino and arranged by Harry Palmer. Polaris was a Boston-based label, Ray Fournier engineered many other sessions for the label.
Ed Rod ran this ad on at least three occasions in the San Mateo Times, this one from July 15, 1966
This 8″, six song acetate of the Juveniles on Century Custom Records was found at the estate of a music teacher who had a small studio at his home in Palo Alto, California.
“Let Me Tell You Girl” has a great opening fuzz riff and a fine solo. “Goodbye Girl” is also excellent garage.
The other four songs feature trumpet as the lead instrument. One of these is very good: “Don’t Kid Around”. The others are decent instrumentals, titled “Work Song”, “Bosa Nova” (sic), and “What Now My Love”, which is basically “Tequila”.
For years I didn’t know anything about the group or where exactly this was recorded, only that these kids sound young, like 14 or 15 maybe. As it turns out, most of them were even younger than that, ranging from 11 to 14. Geoffrey’s comment below about Ed Rod let me to search the San Mateo Times and I came up with the article seen below, something far beyond my expectations!
Members were:
Scott Beall (San Mateo) – guitar David DeVee (San Mateo) – guitar Don Schneider (Burlingame) – bass Lester Lovitt (Hillsborough) – trumpet Jim Sanchez (Redwood City) – drums
The Juveniles, featured in the San Mateo Times, July 2, 1966
According to the article by Barbara Bladen, David and Scott took lessons from Eddie Rod in Redwood City, then found Don Schneider and eventually Jim and Lester joined. The group played the Cow Palace, the Burlingame Exchange Club, and the Circle Star Theatre among other venues.
The Juveniles and the Renaissance in the San Mateo Times Oct. 18, 1968 The above article from October 1968 is interesting, – either the San Mateo Times mixed up the band names, or the Juveniles, now a couple years older, took on a new name, the Renaissance, and gave their Juveniles name to a new band of youngsters, consisting of Steve Grippi, Bill Weber, Mike Trantham and Pat Loeb.
The Far End in 1967. From left: Joe Costa, lead guitar; Tommy Broadfoot (wearing hat), drums; Frank Demascio, bass; John Berg (standing to right in foreground), lead singer & rhythm guitar
The Far End formed at La Habra High School in Orange County, southeast of downtown Los Angeles. Lead singer and rhythm guitarist John Berg is generously sharing a few songs they recorded at home.
“Don’t Invite Me Over” has a great, crude quality to its sound. The chords and verse put me in mind of Simply Saucer, and the solos have all the intense fury of the Velvet Underground. Their version of “Gloria” is solid, with Tommy Broadfoot’s steady drumming and nice guitar trills by Joe Costa, and John doesn’t hold back on the vocals. “Please Don’t Say” shows the versatility of the band, and the harmonica solo isn’t as bad as John makes it out to be.
Other songs on the tape include versions of the Beatles’ I Feel Fine, It’s Only Love and That Boy; Buffalo Springfield’s For What It’s Worth and the Dave Clark Five’s Because.
John writes about the band:
I was lead singer/rhythm guitarist in “The Far End” between 1966-’68, based in La Habra, California (Orange County, between Fullerton and Whittier.)
Our music started off strongly influenced by a weird mixture of Beatles, Stones, Dave Clark Five, Them, the Standells, and some surf and wedding party music our guitarist Joe Costa insisted we play. Gradually we became more “psychedelic” though our actual musical talent never quite matched the sounds we heard in our heads.
We were a 4 piece “living room band”, i.e. we rarely made it even out to the garage — though we did play the Hollywood Teen Fair two Springs in a row, the second time (’67) as the “demo band” at the Sunn Amplifiers booth. We played a few other local “gigs” including the opening of a pizza parlor on Whittier Blvd – performing outside in the parking lot to hardly anybody beyond family members — and a few other similar occasions.
Our real passion was writing songs — more than 50, of which we only managed to record a couple onto a Sony reel to reel machine in my living room in the spring of ’67. Actually, we also cut two originals to tape at the JBL booth at the ’67 Hollywood Teen Fair, but the girlfriend of our lead guitarist Joe “borrowed” the tape to play for some friends and promptly lost (or perhaps destroyed?) it, so I never even got to hear it.
I have a whole 3 ring notebook full of sheets of paper containing the lyrics for the songs that I and Joe Costa co-wrote, none of which ever got recorded other than these two originals, “Don’t Invite Me Over” and “Please Don’t Say” (wretched harmonica “solo” by yours truly) and of course our take on “Gloria” since Van was my #1 fave singer of the era.
We were heading more and more into the “psych zone” but girlfriends, college classes, jobs and sundry other things got in the way of our actually getting to record this music. I did write down the chords alongside the lyrics, but can only recall how a few of the songs actually went. One song, “Joy Ride”, was heavily influenced by The Doors (who I first saw in early June 1966 when they opened for Them at The Whiskey A Go Go in Hollywood).
Please Don’t Say does indicate the part of our band persona that was pop/Beatles-influenced, whereas the other two songs show off our more blues/garage side. The unrecorded stuff covered all these veins and more, though certainly we were heading more in the “psych” direction — or at least as much as we were capable of in terms of “chops”. That photo is the only one that has survived the rages of 40 years.
I recently was able to reconnect with my old La Habra High School class of 1966 mate Mike Lewis, who was lead guitarist in the band The New Breed that has three tracks on the recent Big Beat label CD It Came From The Garage [including the great I Got Nothin’ To Say To You] .
Over the ensuing years I continued as a fan of all the musicians who played in the ranks of Them and was able to make contact with several of them, which led in the mid-1990s to me and my friend Neal Skok releasing a CD by the band “Truth” that compiled tracks cut in 1970 by three ex-Them members — same guys who were on the two “Them” albums on the Tower label that have more recently been reissued by Rev-Ola. The music of “Truth” is really much more well-realized than either of those two Tower albums — we only recently made the CD available in case you want to check it out.
The Soul Twisters had two singles on Romat Records out of Greenville, North Carolina. Their first was “Swinging (On a Grape Vine)”, written by J.R. Daniels, Florence Farmer and E. Perkins, and “Soul Fever” by J.R. Daniels and J. Early.
It was recorded at Pitt Sound Studios in Greenville and produced by James Perkins. The Soul Twisters had a second 45 on Romat, #1004, “Doing Our Dance” / “If It Takes A Year”.
I didn’t know anything about the group until James Early and Johnny Ray Williams left comments.
James Early wrote to me:
I joined the band after it started. James Perkins, Samuel Perkins, and Ernest Perkins can tell you more about its beginning.
James Perkins was manager during the time of these recordings….not drummer!
The members of the group on the 45s were:
Johnny Daniels – lead vocal on “Doin’ Our Dance”, background on “If It Takes a Year” and guitar player on all songs.
Fred Farmer – lead vocal on “If It Takes a Year” and background on “Doin’ Our Dance”. He is deceased.
Johnny Williams of Farmville, NC was drummer on all songs.
Joe Daniels was bass player on all songs.
I was on the two 45s as keyboard player.
We all called Roy Mathews (studio owner) “Zeke” jokingly.
I have a sleeve of the 45s with the picture of the group at that time.
We played beach, soul and could adapt to any audience. We played all surrounding areas. We had a female vocalist (Ella Daniels) that could take a dance crowd [off] their seats to pay attention.
The Soul Twisters was the first group I played in. I played an Olympia organ and a Fender Jazz bass. Chapter Three (later name used for our band) did not make any records or tapes.
I played in other groups Jazz Plus, Blues Plus and Poison. I have done and still doing studio sessions with other artist and groups.
James “Bro” Early
Romat was run by Roy Matthews, its first release was the Sound System, which I reviewed here a few months ago.
Not garage, but I like the demented sleeve and these rambling acoustic songs of this duo from Czechoslovakia. I can’t find much info on them in English, but for this, their first release, Saze consisted of Jiri Burian and Milan Vokrinek.
Keith Everett (real name Keith Gravenhorst) released this 45 in April, 1966. “Don’t You Know” is a fine ballad, while the flip is an outrageous indictment of conscientious objectors, with the lyrics:
They call themselves the conscientious objectors But all they’re tryin’ to do is tryin’ to infect us With their fear and their shame They hide under the name of conscientious objectors They might as well be defectors The way they act
Well keep it up boy the way you’ve been goin’ And who can tell son, you’ve got no way of knowin’ That tomorrow we might be the way That Vietam is today And you’ll be sorry you fools For the things that you do
You’re conscientious objectors You might as well be defectors The way you act
“Don’t You Know” did well in Chicago, entering WCFL charts in March, and reaching as high as #10 two months later.
After “Conscientious Objector”, he released another on TMT-Ting, “She’s The One Who Loved You” / “Lookin’ So Fine”, then one more on Mercury with a Dunwich Productions credit, “The Chant” / “Light Bulb”. Everett wrote all six songs.
This site is a work in progress on 1960s garage rock bands. All entries can be updated, corrected and expanded. If you have information on a band featured here, please let me know and I will update the site and credit you accordingly.
I am dedicated to making this site a center for research about '60s music scenes. Please consider donating archival materials such as photos, records, news clippings, scrapbooks or other material from the '60s. Please contact me at rchrisbishop@gmail.com if you can loan or donate original materials
The Grass came out of the Las Cruces, New Mexico scene that included bands like the Keymen, the 
