Category Archives: Country

The Villains (aka The Villians on Bullet)


left to right Steve Hacker (bass), Larry Mattingly (rhythm guitar, vocals), Alan Hoover (lead guitar, backup vocals), Roger Walker (drums, vocals), Bob Ledbetter (lead vocalist)
 

The Villains first 45, “Don’t Ever Leave Me” is a classic, featuring some of the most savage screams in garage music.

The Villains were long thought to be from Tennessee because their records were on the Bullet label from Nashville, but after hearing from lead guitarist and co-founder Alan Hoover, I can confirm they were from Evansville, Indiana, just 150 miles north of Nashville. Their records were produced by Leon Beaver (a country singer himself) and Jack Bulleit (the son of Jim Bulleit).

Here’s their story as told to me by Alan:

Actually, we spelled Villains correctly (after looking it up!), but many people put the a/i in the wrong order, including the guys at Bullet Records. Jim Bulleit (“pronounced Bullet”) of Nashville was the producer/owner of Bullet. He attempted to revive the label with our record, but I don’t know if he ever did get it going.

Anyway, the folk classic “Shortenin’ Bread” was the “A” side of our first record, not “Don’t Ever Leave Me”. Shortenin’ Bread acheived number one in Evansville, IN, for a good run, and also other towns in the area. We had to play it 2 or 3 times a gig or they wouldn’t let us leave. Really! Don’t Ever Leave Me was also locally popular, but much less so than Shortenin’ Bread. Also, Shortenin’ Bread was a 4-star pick hit in Cashbox Magazine, and (we were told by Bulleit) “broke” in the Tallahassee, Florida market and some other markets. I have also been told by several people over the years that the Bullwinkle cartoon show featured it in an episode, but I have never personally verified that. We actually heard it on an Astronauts (Boulder CO) record as a rock song in ’63, and thought we could improve on it.

Here is some history of the band:

Bob Ledbetter (Led) and I started the Villains in our hometown of Evansville, Indiana, in summer of 1963 (after we graduated from high school), with Roger Walker, a local drummer (we had no bass yet). I was lead guitar, taught Led some rhythm. Led was also our lead singer. We started playing beer parties, dances, etc. I went to college that fall, and Bob met Larry Mattingly (Midget), a local E’ville guitar player who sang good backup. They continued the band during the ’63/’64 school year, adding Bob’s girlfriend Julia Hadad for backup harmony and sex appeal. Still no bass guitar. Then, I quit college, came back in the summer of ’64.

We practiced all day all summer and fall in Bob’s basement, improving our chops. In the fall of ’64, we picked up Steve Hacker, a local bass player. We played loud, solid rock, and crowds were attracted to the atmosphere that we created. Our reputation kept increasing, and we became the top local band. We had lots of fans/friends around the area. We were known for inciting rowdy behavior with our music, particularly if beer was running freely. The “Villains” name fit, although we chose it largly because we were from “the ‘ville”. We were definitely one of the party bands of all time, I’m not exaggerating either. Larry and Led had a natural comedic talent, which added to the showy aspects of the band. (They formed a “Led and Larry” duo for about 10 years after the Villains broke up, also known for inciting rowdiness.)

In ’65, we got a new drummer, Pat Ziemer, from another local band (The Aragons). Also, we picked up Bruce Blythe, a local keyboard player, from the same band. Bruce and my brother Mike Hoover (now a doctor in Evansville) wrote “Don’t Ever Leave Me”. We actually recorded Shortnin’ Bread/Don’t Ever Leave me in late summer of ’65 in Nashville, after Jim Bulleit saw us and liked what we were doing. He personally auditioned us in Evansville, and had us to his house for a cookout immediately after we recorded Shortenin’ Bread etc. He mentioned that he was reviving the label after being out of the business for some years.

It quickly became #1 in E’ville. A local DJ started managing our bookings, and we were playing all over the southern Indiana/Illinois, northern Kentucky area, with Shortenin’ Bread boosting our visibility in the area. We also regularly played fraternity parties in Evansville, IU (Bloomington IN) and Vanderbilt (Nashville), as well as numerous Louisville and Indinapolis gigs. Fraternities always asked us back, for obvious reasons.

Bruce Blythe had other ambitions, and left later in ’65. We picked up Danny Brown, another local keyboard player, to replace Bruce. In ’66, we recorded a Gary Bugg song called “Love is the Treasure”, our second record, and we put “Midnight Hour” on there too (actually the “A” side). Danny and Garry Bugg both came from another Evansville band, The Circles. We recorded that in the basement of a funeral home in Evansville!


The Passions (l-r): Althea Mitchell, Sandy King, Cynthia Bennet

In 1967, a local Supremes tribute group called “The Passions” joined us, as we started playing more and more soul. They were Cynthia Bennett (lead singer), Althea Mitchell, and Sandy King. These girls danced, sang, looked great in short dresses, and the crowds loved them. They liked our white soul, and sat in on a couple gigs. They were sweethearts. Everybody liked them, so we made them part of the band. About that time, we joined Triangle Talent of Louisville, KY, who put us into many venues that we didn’t previously have access to.We pretty much split up in ’67 or ’68, with Larry and me quitting. Led, Dan, a new drummer (Tommy Thompson), and Steve Hacker teamed up with super guitar player Denny Browder (who is said to have refused a membership with Chicago because of fear of flying), along with Cynthia of the Passions and formed a touring band. They might have called themselves The Villains, but no one can recall.

In 1984, we decided to do a 20-year reunion in Evansville, with Led, me, Larry, Pat, Danny, and Steve (our serious party lineup). It went over big, with all the original members showing up to jam. We continued this every year until 1997 with good crowds. The rowdiness would always recur, even though many of the audience were entirely too old to be behaving in such a manner. But, they couldn’t help themselves! Then, Led had a stroke Christmas Eve of 1997 at the young age of 52. The stroke damaged Led’s speech, and he can no longer sing. So, that sadly ended the Villains. He can still make me fall over laughing though, he is such a natural comic.

Everybody went on to have families, etc., some in professional fields. I became an engineer, designed, patented, and now make and sell a guitar invention called the Sustainiac, that produces infinite sustain for guitar. (Sustainiac.com) Larry Mattingly and Pat Ziemer are in sales, Danny Brown a counselor, Roger Walker a hairdresser, Steve Hacker still playing bass I think, Bruce is doing well as a nationally recognized consultant with business on dealing with catastrophic events. Cynthia Bennet became a nurse, but I don’t know about Althea Mitchell or Sandy King. I hope I got all the facts right.

Thank you Alan for your input and the great photos.


“Photo taken at the Surf Club (a regular Friday gig for us for a couple of years): Danny Brown (right, keyboards) and Pat Ziemer (our main drummer for most of our run) are shown in this picture.
We would pack the place with 400-500 people, and it got loud and rowdy without fail. Most of our old fans recall the Surf Club as some of the most fun of their youth years. By the way, Pat would usually stand on his drums during Shortnin’ Bread, and never fell off that I can remember!” – Alan Hoover

The Dynamites

The Dynamites first 45, "Tunnel to Heaven". - scanned from an original sleeve
The Dynamites first 45, “Tunnel to Heaven”. – scanned from an original sleeve

The Dynamites logoThe Dynamites were Segawa Hiroshi vocals, guitar and leader of the group (that’s him in the chair), Oki Keizo slide guitar (unusual for a Japanese band), Yamaguchi Fujio lead guitar, Yoshida Hiroji bass and vocals, and Nomura Mitsuro (“Tako”) on drums. The ripping guitar and driving rhythm of their best music make them one of the top Japanese garage bands.

They came out of the Tokyo club scene, calling themselves the Monsters before having to change their name when signed to Victor.

The Dynamites Victor 45 "Tunnel to Heaven"Their first single from November, 1967 (pictured above) contains different versions of two songs that would show up on their album, Young Sound R&B. “Tunnel to Heaven” is a fine number on the 45, but compare it to the LP and what a difference! Much heavier drums and the guitar is forward in the mix instead of the vocals dominating. Both versions have fantastic solos and plenty of shouts and screams.

The opening chords of “Koi Wa Mo Takusan” (That’s Enough Love), very reminiscent of Paint It Black, segue into a heavy fuzz intro on the LP. On the 45 strings carry the melody instead of the guitar, though once again the solo blazes away. The LP version retains the strings but they’re flat buried in the mix. The song itself is fairly bland and wouldn’t appeal to non-Group Sounds fans, but that opening and the ferocious guitar solo make it worthwhile.

The Dynamites great second 45, "Otona no Senso" - this one is scanned from a reissue sleeve
The Dynamites great second 45, “Otona no Senso” – this one is scanned from a reissue sleeve

The flip of their second 45 from March of 1968 was “Otona no Senso”, which translates as Adult War, and I don’t really know what that’s supposed to mean. This one repeats the unique Dynamites formula: strings, insistent rhythm, screams and shouts, and plenty of fuzz. Japanese 45s and LPs from this time are in stereo with excellent recording quality; when the music is this good it’s a rare treat.

A clip of the Dynamites performing the A-side of their second 45, “Yume Ga Hoshii” in a movie (not sure which) has been taken down from yutube.

Like most GS bands, their LP is chock full of poorly chosen cover songs like “My Girl” and the Bee Gees’ “Massachusetts”. though there’s also an LP-only original “Nobosecha Ikenai” that’s good. It was released in April of 1968 and was followed by three more singles that I haven’t heard:

“Manatsu No Yoru No Dobutsuen (On Midsummer’s Night)” / “Kegawa Ni Natta Shimauma (The Zebra Who Became Fur)”

“Koi Wa Question (Love Is Question)” / “Sekaiju Ni Hohoemi O (Smile At The Whole World)”

“Bara To Akuma” / “Yume-Demo Lisa”

There’s also a CD Live at the Go Go ACB 1969, which is supposed to be OK, but with poor sound quality. I haven’t heard that either.

The Dynamites on stage

The Dynamites photo

The Dynamites, from left: Oki Keizo, Yamaguchi Fujio, Segawa Hiroshi, Yoshida Hiroji, and Nomura Mitsuro
from left: Oki Keizo, Yamaguchi Fujio, Segawa Hiroshi, Yoshida Hiroji, and Nomura Mitsuro

The Landlords

The Landlords from Winchester, MA released one 45 on the Reed label before disappearing.

Erik Lindgren provided the lineup of the band in a comment below:

Roger Millen – lead vocals and harmonica
John Buzzotta – lead guitar
Bill Brusseau – rhythm guitar
Bobby Mouradian – drums
Jimmy Mouradian – bass

Michael Kelley wrote a comment that I’ll reproduce in part here because it’s informative:

The Landlords were from Winchester, MA. Their one single, pictured above, was released by Jolar/Reed Record owner John J. Sullivan in 1967. The Landlords did back up labelmate Jonna Jaye on some live peformances, but not in the studio. However, she did come with her father to the Landlord’s recording session in New York. Jonna’s last release “Detour On A Dead End Street” was backed by the Maine garage band The Barracudas who recorded on Critique, Flair, and Jolar.

“I’ll Return” is a well-crafted love song, lyrically interesting, with tasty guitar reverb. The quality recording lets you hear an experienced, cohesive band that was probably gigging regularly. “I’ll Return” was written by Richard R. Errico. My copy is inscribed “To Pvt. Rossi – Good Luck – Dick Essio”, poignant given the escalation in the Vietnam War going on in 1967 when this was released.

“I’m Through With You” is as weepy as they get, and I wish I could have made a less noisy transfer of it. This side was written by John Buzzottu and Bid Woods.

Anyone have a photo of the group?

The Checkmates

Updated January 2010

For every fuzz-driven garage screamer, there are a dozen records like this one by the Checkmates: competent and upbeat but uncompromised pop music. I didn’t know much about the group until people commented and wrote to me, so I’m adding some of the comments into this article.

Ray Ruff was an Amarillo impresario, owning the Checkmate night club, a recording studio and Ruff Records. He was also a partner in Sully Records, eventually taking it over from Gene Sullivan, who had started it in Oklahoma City in 1959.

A paragraph from Ruff’s obituary gives some background on his early music career:

Ray Ruff befriended Buddy Holly’s record producer Norman Petty and, after Holly’s death, he made several soundalike recordings, deliberately wearing spectacles like Holly’s when he recorded. Ruff often worked with his group the Checkmates, but they became the Executioners and wore hooded masks on stage.

There are at least eight different 45s by Ruff with the Checkmates, mostly on Norman Records, from between 1959 to the early ’60s.

Bobby Hacker commented below:

I was his first drummer and I recorded several records with the Checkmates under the Norman label. Ray was the vocalist along with Chuck Tharp. Tharp was the original vocalist for the Fireballs. Charles McClure was the lead guitarist, Tharp was rhythm guitarist and Tom Beck was bass guitarist. We toured the mid-west U.S., along with two provinces in western Canada. Most of our recordings were done in Clovis, N.M. at Norman Petty studios. While on the road, we. the Checkmates, recorded in St. Louis, Mo. backing a singer, trumpet player named Gabriel.

The year was 1961 and I am the only living survivor of the original Checkmates mentioned here. Ray Ruff went through several musicians during the 1960’s and he passed away a couple of years ago in L.A. He was very sucessful as a record producer but not that good a singer when I worked with him. He supposedly along with Norman Petty, formed the Checkmates.

Tom McCarty of the Page Boys wrote to me:

Ray Ruff had a recording studio in Amarillo at the Trades Fair shopping center at N.E. 24th and Grand. Ray was a Buddy Holly look-alike/wannabe who toured the mid-west with the Checkmates from Scotts Bluff, Nebraska – Minot, Minnesota, etc. If memory serves me right, The Checkmates had pretty well disbanded by 1966 which is about the time I met Ray Ruff. They were really a good group. Larry Marcum, their lead guitarist, was a good musician and a nice fellow.

Jerry Hodges commented:

I played with Bob and Larry Marcum with the Checkmates. I remember a tour to North Dakota with with Ray Ruff. I think we traveled in a Nash Rambler. I can also remember going into the Norman Petty studio and Larry wanted to play bass, so we switched as I was the bass player.

The band’s lineup had changed considerably since Ruff fronted the group, and by the time of the 45 I’m featuring here the band included Galen Ray (Galen Ray Englebrick) on bass. Galen Ray wrote both sides of this 45. There’s another 45 on Ruff by the Charming Checkmates – Just to Make Me Cry, that I haven’t heard.

Also see the Ruff and Sully discographies I’ve posted here.

Anyone have a photo of the group?

The Witness Inc.

The early Witness, Inc. (l-r): Craig Kaleal, Les Bateman, Kenny Shields, Ed Clynton and Dennis Tremeer
The early Witness, Inc. (l-r): Craig Kaleal, Les Bateman, Kenny Shields, Ed Clynton and Dennis Tremeer

Witness Inc, second and longest-lasting lineup, l-r: Ed Clynton, Dave Tupper, Kenny Shields, Allen Ayers and Les Bateman (kneeling).
Second and longest-lasting lineup, l-r: Ed Clynton, Dave Tupper, Kenny Shields, Allen Ayers and Les Bateman (kneeling)
The Witness Inc. came out of Saskatoon in the central Canadian province of Saskatchewan and immediately became a touring sensation in the western provinces. They released a series of 45s which became increasingly pop after the second. The band finally caught on in Ontario after several years and many personnel changes.The original band consisted of Kenny Shields vocals, Ed Clynton guitar, Dennis Tremeer bass, Les Bateman organ and piano, and Craig Kaleal on drums. I was surprised to learn that the band traveled to New Mexico to record their first 45, probably at Norman Petty’s studio in Clovis.

“I’ll Forget Her Tomorrow”, is a fine pop song, backed with “Girl Before You Go”, an original by Dennis Tremeer (listed as Doug Tremeer in the BMI database). The picture sleeve features a different band lineup than the group on the recording, with new members Dave Tupper on drums and Allen Ayers on bass.

The Witness Inc. (Witnesses) and the Guess Who at the ManhattanThe A-side of their second record, “Jezebel”, is a cover of the old Frankie Laine standard. As good as the Teddy Boys version, it was probably their biggest hit, reaching #1 on CKXL in Calgary in February, 1968.

Younger fans like myself generally prefer the flip side, “Not You Girl”, an original by Ed Clynton and Les Bateman, which speeds by in a hasty 1:46 with a great scream from Shields and an nifty organ solo by Bateman.

The January 13, 1969 issue of RPM Weekly announces that the band had dropped the ‘Inc.’ from their name for their fifth single, “So Come With Me”, recorded at Sound Canada studios in Toronto. Surprisingly the article says this was their first Canadian session!

The Witness Inc. Apex 45 Not You Girl

45 releases:

I’ll Forget Her Tomorrow/Girl Before You Go (Apex 77044) Sleeve
Jezebel/Not You Girl (Apex 77063) Sleeve
Harlem Lady/I Put A Spell On You (Apex 77077, & in U.S., Decca 32328) Sleeve
Visions Of Vanessa/Another Side Of Her (Apex 77087) Sleeve / Reverse
So Come With Me/I’ve Got To Go (Apex 77093)

Saskatooon Musician's Association Annual Social 1967
Thank you to Ivan Amirault for providing scans of the sleeves, and to Peter Studer for the clip of I’ll Forget Her. Very special thanks to Cory for the photos and clippings of the original lineup from his father Dennis Tremeer’s scrapbook.

Witness Inc., first lineup at the Saskatoon Musicians Social, l-r: Craig Kaleal, Kenny Shields, Dennis Tremeer, Les Bateman and Ed Clynton
First lineup at the Saskatoon Musicians Social, l-r: Craig Kaleal, Kenny Shields, Dennis Tremeer, Les Bateman and Ed Clynton
RPM Weekly, January 13, 1969, now simply 'The Witness'.
RPM Weekly, January 13, 1969, now simply ‘The Witness’. Thanks to Chris Smith of the Factree for the clipping
Witness Inc. news item from Jan. 13, 1969 RPM Weekly
news item from Jan. 13, 1969 RPM Weekly

The Weads “Don’t Call My Name” / “Today” on Duane Records

The Weads Duane 45 Don't Call My NameThe Weads were the first rock band to release a record on the Duane label in Bermuda. I wondered, how did a band from Stony Brook, New York end up on a label from Bermuda? That question was answered when I spoke to Rodger Jackson, bass player for the Weads, who generously provided a lot of information about this great band.

Rodger Jackson started a band called the Statics with Allan Varela at their high school in Garden City, Long Island, Rodger playing bass and Allan lead guitar. Allan was 14 at the time and Rodger a little older. The next year, Allan moved to Stony Brook, where he attended the Stony Brook Boys School, though he continued playing music with Rodger. They recruited Dick Turano from Northport to play drums and Myron MacLeod McCloud to play rhythm guitar. Myron was from Texas but was attending the Stony Brook Boys School at the time.

The Weads distinguished themselves from other groups by playing only original songs, most of them written by Allan Varela (listed as Varella II on 45 label). They outfitted themselves in suits, and played through Vox Super Beatle amps. Allan Varela played a Stratocaster, Rodger a Precision bass, and Myron a Vox Teardrop guitar.

Also at the school was a student from Bermuda, Alan Dowdy, who took a demo tape of the Weads back home with him and played it for Eddy DeMello, owner of the The Music Box in Hamilton. DeMello liked what he heard, and in short order he contacted the Weads and signed them to 3 year, 10 song contract. The Weads recorded at least four songs at National Recording in Long Island. DeMello then took the masters back to Bermuda and pressed records there.

DeMello stocked them in his record shop and DJ Bryan Lodge got them played on the local radio station ZBM, sending “Today” to #2 in Bermuda. Allan Doughty from Bermuda became their manager. All the college students there for vacation knew the songs from the local radio play, so when the Weads arrived for College Week, they already had a good audience. Like the Savages, they played for college audiences around the island and at the Princess Hotel. It’s likely that the success of their 45, “Today” / “Don’t Call My Name”, led to the recording and release of records by the Savages and the Gents.

Back in the states, the flip side “Don’t Call My Name” went top 10 on Long Island. The Weads did an hour-long radio interview that may still exist on tape somewhere. They played shows at local Hullabaloo clubs and in Pt. Jefferson. They also started recording commercial jingles and may have recorded new material at Ultrasonic in Hempsted.

About a year after signing with DeMello the Weads decided they wanted to get out of contract in order to concentrate on breaking into the national scene. DeMello fought this and made it difficult for them to find another label. Columbia passed on them in late ’66/early ’67 and with members going to college, the Weads called it quits.

During college, Rodger joined a club band, playing the Hamptons and Lake George. He fondly remembers late night jam sessions with members of other Long Island bands at the Afterhours.

Master tapes of the Weads sessions should still be in existence. One of the unreleased songs has a title like “Her Name Was Lynn”. Until those tapes surface, we’ll have to wonder what else this talented group was capable of. Given the quality of their original material on the Duane 45, they could have done well if they had the backing of a major label.

Anyone have a photo of the group?

Jimmy Rabbit and Positively 13 O’Clock

 Jimmy Rabbit cuts Chuck Dunaway's call letters off his shirt
Jimmy Rabbit cuts Chuck Dunaway’s call letters off his shirt after winning a boat race between the stations. Photo from The History of KLIF Radio (http://1650oldiesradio.com/pgone.html – now defunct).

Jimmy Rabbit Knight 45 PushoverJimmy Rabbit was a prominent DJ at Dallas station KLIF AM 1190 with a show that mixed British Invasion sounds with Texas acts like Mouse and the Traps, Sir Douglas Quintet and the Five Americans. Having tried his hand at singing as a young rockabilly under his real name, Eddy Payne (Dale Payne), he decided to make another attempt in 1965. With help from friends, Rabbit released three good garage 45s from ’65 to ’67.

“Pushover” is distinguished by a popping rhythm and sharp guitar. It was released with three variations in the name. First as Jimmy Rabbit with Ron and Dea on the yellow Knight label, on a blue Knight label as simply Jimmy Rabbit, and then picked up for national release on Southern Sound as Jimmy Rabbit and the Karats (ha ha).

Jimmy Rabbit Knight 45 Wishy-Washy WomanThe b-side “Wait and See” is dark and less catchy, but pretty good too. Both of these were written by Lindsey-Kirkland-Rambo, arranged by Bob Rambo and produced by Bob Sanders.

Next came the bluesy “Wishy Washy Woman” from July of 1965, written by Ron Price. “Wishy-Washy Woman” reached #31 on the KLIF charts thanks to Jimmy’s connection with the station. It’s a formulaic blues, but gains momentum a little over halfway through as Jimmy sings just over the drums, with the other instruments coming in at the end of each measure.

The flip side is “My Girl”, credited as a Price original but really more a version of Willie Dixon’s “My Babe” with some different lyrics.

Jimmy Rabbit Southern Sound 45 PushoverJimmy Rabbit Josie 45 Wishy-Washy Woman

Positively 13 O'Clock photo
Positively 13 O’Clock lineup, from left: Dave Stanley, Bugs Henderson, Jimmy Rabbit and Jerry Howell Jimmy Rabbit: “The picture of Positively 13 O’Clock was taken while we were playing at the world famous Lou Ann’s Teen Club.”

Positively Thirteen O'Clock HBR 45 Psychotic ReactionHis biggest hit came in 1966, with a buzzy cover of “Psychotic Reaction” under the name Positively Thirteen O’Clock, recorded at Robin Hood Brians studio in Tyler, Texas with members of Mouse and the Traps: “Bugs” Henderson and Ronnie “Mouse” Weiss on guitars, Ken “Nardo” Murray drums, David Stanley bass, and Jerry Howell organ.

The solo has a frantic, trebly quality that’s a trademark Texas sound. The band ends the song with a final burst of fuzz rather than coming back into the verse as in the Count Five’s original, itself an imitation of the Yardbirds’ raveups. This abbreviated version clocks at a tidy 1:59!

High Yellow film still photo

Mr. Rabbit wrote to me:

The Dallas records [“Pushover” & “Wishy Washy Woman”] were a totally different thing than the Tyler recordings [“Psychotic Reaction”]. When Bobby Rambo and I teamed up in late ’64 we were a part of a new kind of music “thing” in Dallas-Ft. Worth.

We all came out of rockabilly music and we all used to hang out at the Sand-Lin Recording Studio (Bob Sanders and Lewis Lindsey) and played at, among other places: LouAnn’s and The Cellar in Dallas. This was right when the change from American to English music was taking place. We really tried to become/sound English! (like my friends in The Sir Douglas Quintet).

High Yellow promo bookI was a teenager with a Beatle haircut who was the number-one d.j. on KLIF Radio. I had brought the Beatles on stage when they played Dallas [fascinating write up was at http://www.radiodailynews.com/rabbittchapter12.htm but can now be found at https://web.archive.org/web/20120329141938/http://www.radiodailynews.com/rabbittchapter12.htm] and played in several bands, so we all got record deals at different times. There were several bands that hung out and listened to and recorded music. At any given time, there could be a band called ‘Jimmy Rabbit and the Karats’, ‘Jimmy Rabbitt with Ron (Boston) and Dea’ (Kirkland), ‘The Rowdies’, ‘The Bobby Rambo Rock-Kings’ and on and on.

The songs “Pushover” and “Wait and See” were recorded in 1965 and were featured in the movie, High Yellow. The band included Bobby Rambo, Lewis Lindsey, Dea Kirkland, Rex Ludwick, Ron Boston, and others who have been long forgotten!

Bobby Rambo, Rex Ludwick and I (and others) became Jimmy Rabbitt and Texas (on Atco Records) and later Jimmy Rabbitt and Renegade who recorded an album for Capitol with Waylon Jennings producing in 1977. Of all the records that I have made over the years, the only song that Bobby Rambo didn’t play on was “Psychotic Reaction”.

Check out Jimmy Rabbit’s website at www.jimmyrabbitt.com.(defunct)

? and the Mysterians

Saturday, Feb 24, 2007, there’s a benefit in Brooklyn for Rudy Martinez aka “Question Mark” the singer and songwriter of 96 Tears. His house burned down on January 9, and he lost all of his memorabilia, including the actual Farfisa on which Mysterians’ organist Frank Rodriguez played the famous 96 Tears riff. There’s a moving video of Question Mark walking through the wreckage at http://96tears.net/ and if you want to donate something to Rudy, you can do it there.

Come out to the Laila Lounge, 113 N. 7th St. (near the L train at Bedford) in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. There will be bands from 8 pm until 11, then djs including Phast Phreddie, Mike Lynch and myself, and a raffle of rare 60’s movie posters. Only $5, and all proceeds will go to Question Mark.

Most people familiar with garage will know their famous songs “96 Tears”, “I Need Somebody”, “‘8’ Teen”, so I’m including just a few lesser-known tracks as samples of their sound.

The version of “96 Tears” here is an earlier, slower take. It’s good, but I don’t think this version would have gotten them to #1 on the charts. “Ten O’Clock” is one of the best songs from their first lp, and was never released on 45. The soulful “Ain’t It a Shame” is from a 1969 single on the Tangerine label (? has a thing for the color orange, supposedly signing with Cameo-Parkway and Tangerine because of the color of their labels!)

? and the Mysterians cut plenty of good garage songs, and I definitely can recommend either of their original lps or the ‘Best of’ compilaton for those who want to hear more.

The German Bonds

German Bonds Polydor International PS We Are Out of Sight

German Bonds photo
German Bonds photo

The German Bonds started out in 1962, soon acquiring a top spot in the Star Club lineup of german beat groups. A few early r&b performances are preserved on the album Rock and Beat Bands Competition, recorded in December of ’63. Their first 45 was the horrendous mock-classical “Sonata Facile”, redeemed by a fine version of “So Mystifying” on the flip.

Sweet Beat Star-Club LP

German Bonds International 45 We Are Out of SightIn 1965 they contributed a good version of a song I’m not a fan of, “Remember” (aka “Walkin’ in the Sand”) to a couple Star-Club various artists lps of the time, Scene ’65 and Sweet Beat.

The line-up changed from time to time, but by 1966 consisted of Rainer Degner lead guitar and vocals, Peter Hecht keyboards, Jurgen Bock rhythm guitar, Dieter Horns bass and vocals, and Peter ‘Peet’ Becker drums. This line-up recorded their strongest record, “We’re Out of Sight”, backed with a great adaption of the traditional “Sing Hallelujah”, released in September of ’66 on Polydor International. It took me nearly three years to track down this one!

Their last recording was for Fontana in 1968, the awful pop tune “Skinny Eleanor” with a somewhat better freakbeat-ish song called “Birthday Is Today” on the b-side.

The Bonds have some connection to obscure Star-Club artists like the Fixx (supposedly the Rattles) and Our Gang. Check out the best song from the Fixx’s only release, “Looking for the Right Girl”.

German Bonds promo card signed to Jimmy Ward and the Tropicals
Promo card signed to Jimmy Ward and the Tropicals

Johnny Green and the Green Men – early days in Dallas

Johnny Green and the Green Men Grand Prairie Daily News-Texan Aug 29, -1965

Johnny Green at Surfers A Go Go club in Dallas
Two members of Johnny Green and the Greenmen at Surfers A Go Go club in Dallas
Johnny Green and the Green Men at Surfers A Go Go club in Dallas

Johnny Green was raised near Green Bay WI, then moved to California in the early ’60s, and eventually settled in Bismark, North Dakota. Johnny and the Green Men toured constantly, and ads I’ve found cite the band as from California or Las Vegas.

Johnny Green & the Green Men may not have started in Dallas, but they seem to have been regulars on the live music scene in the area, so I’m including them in the Dallas section for the time being.

The Grand Prairie Daily News-Texan published a photo of the group on August 29, 1965, noting that the Green Men would be playing at the Hi-Ho Ballroom on W. Jefferson would be playing at its “Shabang” with a battle of the bands and go-go girls.

The photos on the right are from the Surfers a Go Go club in Dallas and were sent to me by Jerry Colwell of Kit and the Outlaws. Howard Wales may have been the keyboardist in the Green Men when these photos were taken. I don’t know the names of any other group members from this time.

As far as I know, Johnny Green & The Green Men’s first single was “Something You Got” / “Green Thumb” on Emerald 2001 and picked up by Tou-Sea. Ken Elliott produced and Mickey Miller sang lead vocal. They later recorded for Ranwood, Edmar and Barak labels.

Johnny Green would become one of the Joker’s Henchmen on the Batman TV series. He kept touring as Johnny Green and the Green Men throughout the years, as far as I know, he may still be at it.

Info from an interview on Batmania.com.

Johnny Green and the Green Men Emerald 45 Something You Got
Johnny Green & the Green Men’s 1st single?