This short-lived, albeit important, Toronto rock band evolved out of The Tripp in late May 1967 and was briefly known as Livingstone’s Tripp. In July the musicians modified the name to Livingstone’s Journey.
Jimmy Livingston, Stan Endersby, Ed Roth and Bob Ablack had all earlier been in The Just Us. Livingston had also briefly co-fronted The Mynah Birds in 1965 with Ricky James Matthews (aka Rick James).
The Livingston-led line up entertained fans at Toronto’s Esplanade (a plaza on the ground floor of the Richmond-Adelaide Centre) during mid-August 1967 and played at Ottawa’s Mall and Parliament Hill (the latter at a ‘smoke-in’ in support of pot legislation).
Sometime in October, Ted Sherrill came in on drums from The Vendettas (Keith McKie of Kensington Market fame’s old band) and former The Imperials frontman Bobby Kris (real name Bob Burrows) was drafted in to replace Livingston.
The new line-up lasted only a few months and in the spring of 1968 the group played its final date at Toronto’s Night Owl (which was recorded live but never released).
These recordings included group originals ‘Inner City’ (written by Bobby Kris) and ‘Bull Feathers’ (written by Ted Sherrill), and a heavy version of The Beatles ‘You Can’t Do That’.
Endersby left for England soon after, where he met The Kinks’ Peter Quaife at Hatchettes Playground in Piccadilly, London (together they later formed Mapleoak), while Roth travelled to Los Angeles and worked with former Tripp members Neil Lillie (aka Neil Merryweather) and Livingston, who later died of cancer on 1 June 2002. Kris reformed The Imperials, who gigged into 1969.
Burrows and Pendrith continue to perform and record with Burrows & Company, who have a number of tracks on Spotify.
Selected gigs
2-4 June 1967 – Boris’ Red Gas Room, Toronto (billed as Livingstone’s Tripp)
9 June 1967 – Boris’, Toronto (billed as Livingstone’s Tripp)
11 June 1967 – Boris’, Toronto (billed as Livingstone’s Tripp)
30 June 1967 – North York Centennial Centre, Toronto with Mandala, The Spirit and The Power Project
1 July 1967 – Broom and Stone, Scarborough (billed as Livingstone’s Tripp) with The Reelers and The Deep End
5 July 1967 – Hawk’s Nest, Toronto (billed as Livingstone’s Tripp).
9 July 1967 – Broom and Stone, Scarborough with Mandala (billed as Livingstone’s Tripp)
28 July 1967 – Kin-Oak Arena, Oakville, Ontario (billed as Livingstone’s Tripp)
4 August 1967 – Hawk’s Nest, Toronto
5 August 1967 – Broom & Stone, Toronto with A Passing Fancy and The Dana
14-19 August 1967 – Esplanade, Toronto
19 August 1967 – Danceiro, near Sauble Falls, Ontario (Sun Times, Owen Sound)
22-27 August 1967 – Le Hibou, Ottawa (Ottawa Journal)
26 August 1967 – The Mall, Ottawa (Ottawa Journal)
August 1967 – Parliament Hill, Ottawa
29 August-3 September 1967 – Le Hibou, Ottawa
22 September 1967 – Purple Peanut Teen Club, Toronto
3 November 1967 – Hawk’s Nest, Toronto (billed as featuring Bobby Kris), with the Tiffanies
8 December 1967 – Purple Peanut, Toronto (billed as Bobby Kris with Livingstone’s Journey)
6 January 1968 – Purple Peanut, Toronto
26-27 January 1968 – Club 888, Toronto
10 February 1968 – El Patio, Toronto
15 February 1968 – The Flick, Toronto
8 March 1968 – BCI, Brantford, Ontario (cancelled when truck broke down) (billed as Bobby Kris & The Livingstone Journey) (The Expositor)
Toronto gigs from the Toronto Telegram and Ottawa gigs from the Ottawa Citizen. This article is based on research originally undertaken in the early 2000s. Many thanks to Bob Burrows, Stan Endersby, Ed Roth and others for their help.
The Polaras released a good instrumental 45 “Cricket” / “Breaker” on Pharos PR 100. Harry Baldwin wrote both songs, published by Bevlynn. Cashbox reviewed the single on July 11, 1964.
My copy is inscribed by Harry Baldwin and Don “Pickle” Nadow. Copyright registration from September 21, 1964 shows the band’s names for an unreleased pair of songs, “Polara 500” and “Pickled Drums”, with music by Les Peterson, Harry Baldwin, Arden Fennell, and Don Nadow. Bevlynn Music Corp. also published these songs. I hope they exist on a demo.
Assuming these are the members of the group, the lineup might be:
Harry Baldwin – guitar Arden Fennell – guitar Les Peterson – bass Don Nadow – drums
Arden Fennell is the only member I can find further info on. Arden had a 1969 single on Evolution, “Baby” b/w his original song “Smile A Little Smile”.
Arden was also guitarist and vocalist in other groups: The Daniel Paul Revelation with Sam Haughland, John Kerns, Rich Tiley, and Randy Tiley; and The Tryb with Ralph Gonzalez, Jerry Lawson, Tim Rock, Leroy Shuster, Bill Shuster, both of which recorded unreleased songs at Norman Petty’s studio.
Pharos was based in Hollywood, mainly releasing records by TV actress Rosemary Prinz, and a jug-band type single by the Nomads, produced by Jackie DeShannon.
Riccardo and the 4 Most made one single, the great ballad “There’s a Reason” backed with a good version of “Barefootin'”, released in 1967 on Foremost Records.
The band is listed on the label: Riccardo Wright (guitar), Ralph Marotta (bass), George Leary (drums), and Douglas Jacobs (organ). Bill White wrote and sung lead on “There’s a Reason”.
“Bare Footin'” features Ricardo Wright on lead vocals. Someone is playing trumpet on both songs, uncredited.
Later members included Joe Lattanzio (trumpet) and Tommy Watson (bass). In 1969, with an expanded horn section including Ron Rucker on trombone and Gene Hilstro on sax, the group became a nonet called the Blues Busters.
If any of the members of the band are out there, I’d like to hear from them.
The single was recorded at Kennett Sound Studio in Kinderhook. I found an acetate lacquer of both sides among a stack of Kennett demos. The Foremost Records release code U4KM-0937 indicates a 1967 RCA pressing.
It’s a little difficult to search for the band, as listings for the group in newspapers include variations such as Riccardo & the Fourmost, Ricardo and the 4 Most, Ricardo and the Foremosts, etc. The sign behind the band on stage in two photos reads “The Fabulous 4 Most”.
The earliest ad I can find for the group is from the Troy Record on February 11, 1967, noting that Ricardo and the 4 Most would be playing the Excelsior House on Snyders Lake in North Greenbush “every Friday, Saturday and Sunday”. Another ad on August 19, 1967 noted the group would play the Excelsior “every Thurs. thru Sun.
The Times Record of Troy mentioned the group playing Shaker High School in Latham twice, once on January 15, 1968, then again on May 29, 1968 in a benefit for a Shaker school in Vadawal, India. The group also played the University Twist Palace in Albany.
Another ad lists Ricardo and the Foremosts at Corkey’s on 18 Clifton St. in Waterford, April 5-7, 1968.
The Troy Record noted a Youth On Unity dance on May 29 at St. Joseph’s Church Hall in Rensselaer with the Blues Busters (“formerly known as ‘Riccardo and the foremost’ from Albany” with the Souls from Pittsfield and the Multi-colored Projections.
A clipping from January 25, 1969 (I don’t know the paper) describes their transformation into Ricardo and his Blues Busters:
Riccardo and The Fourmosts, as you younger people know, has enlarged from four to nine. The new nonet is called the Blues Busters and features rhythm & blues and soul music, much of it original words and music by Riccardo, the leader, and some arrangements by Al Friedman.
The Blues Busters are a living example of interracial harmony, personally and musically. They play to an enthusiastic gathering at The Royal Mousetrap from 9:30 to 3 Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The Mousetrap is on New Karner Road (Route 155) just off Central Avenue [in Colonie].
The two photos and some of the info came from the Albany Group Archive. Thank you to Al Quaglieri and Joe Lattanzio for their help with this article.
I know nothing about Venus Plus X, other than the first names Ken & Greg given writer credits on the A-side. I’d like to know who was in the group and how they came to make this record. The group took their name from the 1960 Theodore Sturgeon novel.
The flip is a cover of the John Phillips song, but a pleasant version.
Andre Tanker and Herman Hadeed owned the Atman Records label, and published “Victim of Circumstances” through Tanker Music.
Switzerland-based soul sensation Berry Window & The Movements recorded three soul-infused LPs during 1967-1968 and a clutch of superb 45s before finally breaking up in spring 1969. Despite also gaining a degree of popularity in southern Germany and northern Italy, the band were complete unknowns in Britain.
Formed by singer Barry Window aka Berry Window (b. 25 November 1946, Basel, Switzerland), the original formation comprised bass player Peter Rietmann (b. 14 June 1945, Switzerland; d. 2009); sax player Ferdinand Keller; drummer Dietmar Carl; keyboard player Fritz Trippel (b. 10 December 1937, Chur, Switzerland, d. 2010); and – last to join – lead guitarist Ronald William Bryer (b. 23 April 1947, London, England; d. 25 June 1973).
Window (whose real name is Urs Fenster; Fenster being German for window) started his career as the drummer for R&B/soul band The Sam Wee Five, a popular Basel outfit that never recorded, in 1964.
Window’s grandfather was born in Brazil while his father Kurt had arrived in Basel via Düsseldorf with the American Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus. Like his father, Berry mastered the drums but at heart had aspirations to be a singer. He certainly had the voice and stage presence to suggest he could be a dynamic front man and, by June 1967, was ready to step out from behind the drum kit and make his mark.
One of the first musicians he lined up for The Movements was Peter Rietmann, who had first come to prominence with The Dynamites in spring of 1964.
The bass player worked with this band until April 1966, leaving to join The Blue Sounds for two months. This fascinating outfit, featured two English musicians – singer/harp player Robert Muir and guitarist Mike Whitlock, who’d come to Basel with Merseyside band The Marksmen.
Rietmann, however, didn’t hang around long and soon joined top Austrian outfit, The Slaves, working with them until around March/April 1967 before he briefly gigged with The Countdowns. By early summer, he was ready to join Window in putting The Movements together.
While Dietmar Carl (aka Karl) was formerly a member of Basel group The Kettles, the much older Fritz Trippel was a seasoned musician steeped in jazz and well connected in music circles, notably in Stuttgart (more of which shortly).
According to the singer, Berry Window & The Movements secured an important engagement at Seiler’s Atlantis, a former coffeehouse that had specialised in jazz when it opened in the late 1940s, within a month of forming. By the mid-1960s, Seiler’s Atlantis had remodeled itself as a rock venue and had hosted a number of visiting British bands to the city.
At the time The Movements were still without a guitar player but the club booking necessitated a photo session and so a “stand-in” was brought in to pose with the other musicians sitting in a boat in the middle of the River Rhine.
Window, however, already knew who he wanted as the guitarist – British musician Ron Bryer who until recently had been working with expatriates The Big Wheel, a popular R&B outfit that had played at the Hotel Hirschen in Zurich and the Tanzrad in Basel among others.
Bryer had started his career with Bexley, Kent group, The Loose Ends but had departed in mid-1965 before they signed with Decca Records and cut two great Mod 45s, including a cover of George Harrison’s “Taxman”.
Briefly adopting the stage name Ron Spence, the guitarist next worked with The Revellos for six months or so before joining The Carl Douglas Set with future “Kung Fu Fighter” Carl Douglas, and recording some unreleased tracks that were later issued by the Acid Jazz label.
In June 1966, however, he replaced Del Grace (ironically on his way to replace him in Carl Douglas’ band) in The Big Wheel. Keyboard player Andy Clark, later of Clark-Hutchinson and Upp fame, was instrumental in bringing Bryer into the group.
After releasing a lone 45 in Switzerland in February 1967– Clark’s “Don’t Give Up That Easy” c/w “You’re Only Hurting Yourself” on the Eurex label, Bryer was ready for a fresh challenge.
Debuting at Seiler’s Atlantis, Berry Window & The Movements proved so popular with local fans that the club’s owner extended their residency (a photo shows them performing on stage that August). By then, Trippel had used his contacts to secure a recording deal with the Bertelsmann Group Intercord label, based near Stuttgart in West Germany.
Rushed into the studios, the band kicked off with two German-language recordings, penned by Trippel: “Abschiedslied” and “Ich Bin Allein”, which were coupled for the band’s debut 45 on the German label.
Soon afterwards, the group recorded its debut English-language single for Intercord, a cover of Bobby Robinson and Irral Berger’s “Warm and Tender Love” backed by Steve Cropper, Eddie Floyd and Alverts Isbell’s “I’ve Got Everything I Need”, issued in late 1967.
The same line-up was responsible for the follow-up release: an impressive reading of Isaac Hayes and Dave Porter’s “Hold On, I’m Coming” backed with Eddie Floyd and Steve Cropper’s “Knock On Wood”. Both English-language singles proved popular locally.
During this period the musicians were still heavily reliant on cover material and recorded their debut LP Soul & Loveat Bauer Studios in Ludwigsburg, north of Stuttgart over two days.
Drawing largely on the material they played live, this included impressive takes of Otis Redding and Arthur Conley’s “Sweet Soul Music”; Mack Rice’s “Mustang Sally”; James Brown’s “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag”; and Smokey Robinson and Ronald White’s “My Girl”.
On 25 November 1967 (Berry’s 21st birthday), the band made a rare TV appearance, guesting on the “Hits A Go-Go” programme, aired in West Germany and Switzerland before resuming their busy live schedule, taking in the Chemilhütte in Basel and the Hazyland in Zurich among others.
Soon afterwards, Fritz Trippel departed and Belgian multi-instrumentalist, composer and keyboard extraordinaire Joel Vandroogenbroeck (b. 24 August 1938, Brussels, Belgium; d. 23 December 2019) took over, raising the standard of musicianship in the process.
Having made his first appearance on classical piano when he was only six years old, Vandroogenbroeck had toured Europe with The Quincy Jones Orchestra in the late 1950s but had a long and distinguished career. When he met Barry Window & The Movements he was playing with American singer Dee Dee McNeil (more of which shortly).
Around the same time Peter Rietmann followed Trippel out of the door and briefly reunited with the Chur-born keyboardist in the popular Swiss band Les Sauterelles.
Bass player Peter Giske (b. 1947, Basel, Switzerland) took over from Rietmann, who later progressed to work with Swiss band Crusade in 1969. Giske had Polish ancestry, adding to the diverse mix of nationalities that comprised The Movements.
During early 1968, the group returned to the studio with new drummer Hans-Peter Schweizer to record material for a Swiss-only EP entitled I Like Soul, which featured reworked (and superior) versions of “Knock On Wood”; “Hold On, I’m Coming”; and “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag”. By this point Ferdinand Keller had departed.
Thanks to Joel Vandroogenbroeck’s connections with Dee Dee McNeil, the musicians next got the opportunity to record an LP with the American singer for the German MPS Records label in spring 1968. Entitled Soul Hour, the record was credited to Dee Dee, Barry & The Movements.
With new drummer Wolfgang Paap (b. 1944, Danzig, Germany) behind the kit, the sessions for the LP took place in Basel on 16 and 17 April 1968 and included powerful covers of Allen Touissaint’s “Get Out of My Life Woman”, Wilson Pickett and Steve Cropper’s “In the Midnight Hour”, plus yet another re-recording of “Hold On, I’m Coming”.
Soul Hour also came with some interesting sleeve notes about the individual musicians’ backgrounds. In addition to new member Wolfgang Paap on drums, the album also featured French sax player Barney Wilen (b. 1937, Nice, France), who’d previously worked with Miles Davis among many others.
Around this time Berry Window & The Movements appeared on West German TV show “We Like Soul” playing “Hold On, I’m Coming”. On several tracks Dee Dee McNeil joined Window for a duet and the recording also shows a second sax player.
Not long after, Berry Window & The Movements started work on their second studio LP Soul In Action, which remains arguably one of the best continental LPs recorded during the 1960s. Gone was the reliance on cover material, replaced by superb band originals, mainly co-penned by Vandroogenbroeck and Bryer, such as “I Gave You My Heart”, “Go Away” and the horn- driven soul-rocker “Give Me the Time”.
Berry Window had a hand in a few songs too, collaborating with Vandroogenbroeck and Bryer on “Rock Locomotion”, which was paired with Vandroogenbroeck and Bryer’s “I Wanna Get Moving out of Here” for a single, and the sublime, jazzy number “Stay as You Are”.
Vandroogenbroeck also came up with two gems on his own: the Hammond drenched soul outing, “Funky for Now” and the majestic “Solitude Street”, which saw the Belgian step away from the keys and demonstrate his mastery of the sitar.
In fact, his use of the Indian stringed instrument on several tracks created a unique psych-soul blend to the LP. The front cover shows him sitting on the floor with sitar in hand and Window standing over him.
Two non-LP tracks further demonstrate Vandroogenbroeck’s skills on the instrument, the hypnotic “I’ll Wait for You” and the driving, infectious “Hear Me, Help Me” again penned by Vandroogenbroeck and Bryer. Coupled as a single in the latter half of 1968, they are, as far as this writer is concerned, the band’s creative peak.
Like the group’s previous Intercord single release which paired two more non-LP Vandroogenbroeck and Bryer collaborations – “Remember The Rain” and “It Happened Once Before”, the recordings failed to achieve the commercial success the band deserved.
Undeterred by the public’s reaction to their excellent LP and cache of superb singles, Berry Window & The Movements continued to gig across southern Germany, Switzerland and also northern Italy. The highlight of this period was perhaps a 40-minute TV show that West German station ARD recorded in Baden-Baden in September 1968.
As 1968 turned to 1969, Wolfgang Paap bowed out (subsequently to reunite with Vandroogenbroeck and Bryer) and new drummer Marc Hellman stepped behind the kit. Barney Wilen also departed to record the brilliant Dear Prof. Leary LP.
At this point, Window expanded the horn section bringing in two Caribbean musicians – Roy Edwards (trumpet) and Rudy Jones (sax) for some fresh recordings at SAAR Studios in Milan, Italy.
According to Window, a friend of his was on holiday in Spain at the time and had seen the two horn players at a club in Playa de Aro called the Maddox backing singer Eddie Lee Mattison and had alerted Window, who was on the look-out for a brass section.
Four tracks were recorded in early 1969 – English and Italian versions of Doug Sahm’s “Mendocino” and Alan Bergman, Marilyn Keith and Norman Luboff’s “Yellow Bird”, which were released in quick succession on the Italian Joker Dischi label.
By then, The Movements were on their last legs. With the end in sight, Bryer and Vandroogenbroeck pieced together a new, far more experimental band, The Third Eclipse, which soon became better known as Brainticket. The pair was reunited with Wolfgang Paap who joined the group’s most famous line-up and appears alongside the duo on the classic Cottonwoodhill LP.
The Belgian would continue to lead Brainticket for decades but Bryer soon returned to England where he subsequently reunited with former Loose Ends singer Alan Marshall in his band One. Sadly he died prematurely of an accidental drug overdose on 25 June 1973.
With a restructured band featuring Roy Edwards and Rudy Jones, Berry Window changed his name to Barry and took the revamped line-up to London where, as The London Cats, they recorded two tracks for Baf Records – David Porter and Isaac Hayes “I Thank You” and Roger Penzabene, Norman Whitefield and Barrett Strong’s “End of Our Road”, which were coupled for a British-only single.
That might have been the end of Berry Window & The Movements but that same year, RCA Records combined a recent recording that the singer had cut with Italian studio musicians, a cover of Herbert Pagani and Adriano De Grandis’ “Preistoria, Preistoria” with a second (and arguably superior) version of the classic “I’ll Wait For You”, cut in 1968 when Vandroogenbroeck and Bryer were still members.
With Edwards and Jones remaining in the UK to join JJ Jackson’s band, Window returned to Switzerland and embarked on an illustrious solo career which he continues to this day.
Fortunately, anyone who wants to check out the band’s excellent legacy can hear the group’s entire work (minus Soul Hour) on the Early Yearsdouble CD.
Thanks to Rolf ‘Ray’ Rieben of Feathered Apple Records and Barry Window for their help
The Apogees were a drum and organ duo. The drummer was Bud Lee and the organist Izzy Navarrete. Izzy’s name is spelled differently each time I find it in print – Izzy Navarette and Izzy Navarrette for example.
Together they made one of the strangest EPs I’ve ever heard, echo-laden versions of Guantanamera, Sweet Caroline (“Sweet Adeline” on the label), Quiet Village (“Quite Village” on the label) and an almost-unrecognizable version of La Bamba. The Apogees release is on Stripe 99 Hollywood 10001A/B. It’s hard to date this, but I guess about 1970.
At one point Izzy was a member of the Spirals, a long-running group from Tulare, California, led by Ralph Alvarez and Manny Alvarez, whose members included Mary Murillo and Ed Torres and probably many others. At this time I don’t know if the Spirals ever recorded.
Photos of Tulare groups the Spirals and the Charades, along with some history the area’s music, can be found in the Tulare Advance-Register, July 5-6, 2003.
Izzy Navarette had a duo with Terry Wall that played often at the El Dorado restaurant on East Tulare Ave in the mid-1970s. The advertisements call it “Izzy Listening” music. There are notices for him appearing in lounges in Palm Springs into the 2000s.
Bud Lee’s name is too common to trace, so I can’t tell you anthing about “El Tomborro” (tamborro?).
Stripe 99 had one further release by the Sand Trackers, “Track of the Scarab” / “Big Bird Blues”, both by F. Stuart Wilson (Ford Stuart Wilson aka Fred Lile), and released as Stripe 99 SNN45-10002.
Drum and organ duos were an efficient combination, and more common than you might think, as I’ve profiled three others on this site.
Wallace Geller sent in the photos and story of a Fort Wayne, Indiana band called the Male Men. The group didn’t release any records, but did make a demo at WGL Radio in 1967.
I was the lead singer of the Fort Wayne Malemen. Members of the band were: Rick Thomas, lead guitar; Rick Johnston, rhythm guitar; Dave Armstrong, bass guitar; and on drums was Jim Brickley. Rick Thomas and Dave Armstrong also did back up vocals.
I became the lead singer April 1965. June of 1965 we participated in a battle of the bands at Northcrest Shopping Center. There were about 10 bands involved. We came in second place but I received the Best Male Singer Award. I still have the plaque.
The summer of 1965 was very busy for us. We performed at the water ski club every Saturday through the summer at Lake George, Michigan. Fall 1965 we were seniors at Northside High School Fort Wayne.
October 1965 we were picked to be the house band of a TV show called 21 A Go Go on the ABC affiliate WPTA Channel 21. We were on every week and we had other local bands and singers on the show. We video taped the half hour show on Tuesday nights and finished on Wednesday nights. The show was on Saturday afternoons at 4 PM. The show ended February 1966 because of union complaints. We were all non union on the show. The station couldn’t get a sponsor. The show was then terminated. The station told us there was about 40,000 people watching the show. That was very considering Fort Wayne was about 180,000 at that time.
The station would let us come in and their sound people recorded us. We had a good recording of “Stand By Me”, made after the band broke up.
The Malemen broke up when the lead guitar player, Rick Thomas was drafted. It was a fantastic time while in the band. Unfortunately, all good things come to an end.
Rick Johnston joined the Marines with me in March 1967. Rick Johnston later became a medical doctor. Rick Johnston and Dave Armstrong are both retired and still live in the Fort Wayne area.I lost touch with the drummer Jim Brickley and the lead guitar player, Rick Thomas.
After I got out of the Marines I became a Phoenix Arizona Police Officer for 28 years. I retired May 1999. After I retired my wife Ann got me a karaoke machine for Christmas. I then started performing with my Karaoke machine.
Wallace Geller
Thank you also to Rick Johnston for sending in two of the wphotos seen in this article.
This post is dedicated to the memory of Max Waller, my fellow music researcher who helped me with many articles over the years, for which I am grateful.
Tamara’s New Generation is an obscure Chicago-area group with just one single to their name, released on IRC 6943. The A-side “Just Flowers” is a Gabor Szabo style number with flute, a two-note keyboard line, and some fine raga guitar work.
I prefer the flip, “Traffic” with it’s pulsating bass line, beatnik vibe, and crashing end. Interestingly, the dead wax codes reverse the A & B sides, which makes more sense to me.
Members included:
Tamara – lead vocals Pete Ianni – ? Tom Miller – bass Ollie – ? Denny – ? Brian – ? Paul – ?
Although this may be the only International Recording Company credit for Perry Johnson, he did writing and arrangement for related labels like Royal Blue (the Paniks “Look Twice”, the Wild “Monkees”, Lou Capri “Love and Kisses”) and Redd Robb (Edges of Wisdom “Past”, Holocaust “Savage Affection”).
This is the first time I’ve covered a band from the IRC (International Recording Co.) label, which released a number of great 45s by the Little Boy Blues, Danny’s Reasons and others; and was the studio for the Crees 4 acetate “Misunderstanding” / “Looking at Your Picture”, released in 2021 by Mojo-Bone.
The band was formed as Four + One in mid-1964. Les Jones and Ken Lawrence had both previously been members of The Tridents
After a cover of “Time Is On My Side”, issued in January 1965, the band became The In Crowd and released a second single, “That’s How Strong My Love Is” in April 1965. According to Flashback magazine, the group became resident band at Club Noreik on Seven Sisters Road in north London
29 October 1965 – Harvest Moon Club, Guildford, Surrey with The Just Five (Surrey Advertiser/West Surrey Advertiser) May not be the same band; possibly Staines group
30 October 1965 – Silsoe Village Hall, Silsoe, Bedfordshire (Ampthill News & Flintwick Record)
In November, The In Crowd issued their third 45 – “Why Must They Criticise”
13 November 1965 – Harvest Moon Club, Guildford, Surrey with The Just Five (Surrey Advertiser/West Surrey Advertiser) May not be the same band; possibly Staines group
21 November 1965 – Harvest Moon Club, Guildford, Surrey (Surrey Advertiser) May not be the same band; possibly Staines group
10 December 1965 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Gary Farr & The T-Bones (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)
11 December 1965 – Victoria Cross Gallery, Wantage, Oxfordshire (Oxford Mail)
14 May 1966 – Star Hotel, Croydon, south London (Chris Broom book: Rockin’ and Around Croydon)
29 May 1966 – The Dolphin, Marine Court, St Leonards, East Sussex (Roger Bistow’s research at Dizzy Tiger Music website)
30 May 1966 – Le Discotheque, Grimsby, Humberside (Grimsby Evening Telegraph)
30 May 1966 – The Witchdoctor, the Lifeboat Hotel, Grimsby, Humberside (Grimsby Evening Telegraph)
10 June 1966 – Oscar’s Grotto, Ilford, east London (Redbridge & Ilford Recorder)
23 June 1966 – Hastings College 1066 Rag Appeal Dances, Hastings Pier, Hastings, East Sussex with Chris Farlowe & The Thunderbirds (Roger Bistow’s research at Dizzy Tiger Music website)
Record Mirror reported that John “Twink” Alder had left The Fairies and joined The In Crowd in early July after working at Café des Artists in Fulham.
14 July 1966 – Birdcage, Eastney, Hampshire (Dave Allen research)
15 July 1966 – Penthouse, Birmingham (Birmingham Evening Mail)
16 July 1966 – Rhodes Centre, Bishop’s Stortford, Herts with The Mode (Steve Ingless book: The Day Before Yesterday)
1 August 1966 – Disc Club, St Martin’s Centre, Colchester, Essex (Essex County Standard)
7 August 1966 – Embassy Club, Colchester, Essex with The Poachers (Essex County Standard)
20 August 1966 – Club De Danse, Colchester, Essex (Essex County Standard)
23 August 1966 – Chinese R&B Club, Corn Exchange, Bristol (Evening Post)
3 September 1966 – Birdcage, Eastney, Hampshire (Dave Allen research)
According to Flashback magazine, the band played in the Netherlands in October
4 November 1966 – 76 Club, Burton on Trent, Staffordshire (Burton Daily Mail)
5 November 1966 – Princess Ballroom, Halifax, West Yorkshire with The Pythagoras Squares (Halifax Evening Courier & Guardian)
12 November 1966 – Witchdoctor, Lifeboat Hotel, Cleethorpes, North East Lincolnshire (Grimsby Evening Telegraph)
In mid-November, The In Crowd played at the Charlie Max in Milan, Italy for two weeks, according to Flashback magazine
1 December 1966 – Blaises, Imperial Hotel, Queen’s Gate, west London (London Life)
3 December 1966 – Birdcage, Eastney, Hampshire with Cream and The Wrong Direction (Dave Allen research)
8 December 1966 – Blaises, Imperial Hotel, Queen’s Gate, west London (London Life)
According to Flashback magazine, the band returned to play in the Netherlands in December
31 December 1966 – Birdcage, Eastney, Hampshire with Graham Bond Organisation and The Wrong Direction (Dave Allen research)
14 January 1967 – Birdcage, Eastney, Hampshire (Dave Allen research)
27 January 1967 – El Grotto, Ilford, east London (Redbridge & Ilford Recorder)
9 February 1967 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Herbie Goins & The Night Timers and The Satin Dolls (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)
17 February 1967 – 76 Club, Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire (Burton Daily Mail)
18 February 1967 – Birdcage, Eastney, Hampshire (Dave Allen research)
23 February 1967 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Herbie Goins & The Night Timers (Tony Bacon’s book: London Live)
10 March 1967 – Nottingham Tech College, Nottingham with Chris Farlowe & The Thunderbirds, Robert Hirst & The Big Taste and Our Young
In late April 1967, The In Crowd change name to Tomorrow
29 April 1967 – Birdcage, Eastney, Hampshire (Dave Allen research) Billed as The In Crowd unless this is another band
6 May 1967 – Shoreline Club, Bognor Regis, West Sussex with Herbie Goins & The Nightimers (Dave Allen research) Billed as The In Crowd unless this is another band
Thanks to Ken Lawrence for sharing all of the photos
Frani & the Frantics were a vocal quartet of Fran Russak, sisters Karla Major and Alaine Major, and Jim Morabito. Fran Russak came from Carmel, New York, the others from Peekskill.
Their one and only single from the spring of 1964, “You Threw a Line” b/w “Skin and Bones” was also the first on the Giantstar label of Mahopac, owned by Raymond Meltzer. Giantstar would release three singles by the Mark IV of Poughkeepsie.
The labels of Giant Star GS 401 credit Dorothea Meltzer & Jeannie Villetto for both songs. Ray Meltzer owned Jemel Publishing, JNR Production and Music-All Inc. Copyright registration shows another song, “Why Ya Make Me Wanna Cry” which Frani & the Frantics attempted but didn’t finish.
Jeanne Villetto had previous experience in song-writing, composing songs for two singles by Claire Lane (aka Claire Litke, a member of the Ramrods): “I Dig That Guy” for the top side of Josie 904 (b/w “Run Run Run Away”), and “Curiosity” / “Isn’t It a Shame” on Petal 1020 in August, 1963.
Villetto and Litke also wrote “Do You Hear Me Call?” in 1962, but I’m not sure if this was recorded.
Alaine Major wrote to me about her time as a Frantic:
I was one of the Frantics of the group Frani and the Frantics. The “Frantics” were myself, my sister Karla and Jimmy Morabito. We recorded “You Threw a Line” backed by “Skin and Bones” in 1964 with Ray Meltzer and Jean Villetto.
Karla, Jimmy and I sang in high school. One day we saw an ad in our local Pennysaver that record producers were auditioning singers for studio backup work (for Frani). We thought that sounded like fun, so we called and auditioned. Once Ray Meltzer and Jean Viletto heard us sing (acapella), Jean decided right then and there that instead of us being studio backup singers, she wanted to form a group.
Within two weeks we were under contract. We rehearsed locally in the Peekskill area for two months most evenings and weekends with a small combo. Finally Ray and Jean decided we were ready to record. Our Mom drove us to Mars Broadcasting [in Stamford, Connecticut] for the recording sessions. Ray knew several musicians from the New York Philharmonic who made up the orchestra you hear on the record. I remember the engineer Chuck James who was truly supportive of our efforts. The studio was very crowded with the musicians on one side and we on the other. We each sang into a hanging mic. There was a lot of down time as the engineer worked on the board with Ray and Jean listening and tweaking. (I also remember hearing that Mars Broadcasting was owned by Dick Clark).
Music-All was Raymond’s company and was the name on our contract. “Why Ya Make Me Wanna Cry” was supposed to be the ‘B’ side of “You Threw A Line”, but the next week we switched to “Skin and Bones”.
At our request, “Skin and Bones” was done acapella. If you listen to it again, you’ll hear me cue Frani her note after we modulate up on the word “bones.”
We played rock n roll shows with The Duprees, The Ventures, The Rivieras, and others I don’t recall anymore. It was an exciting time for three high school kids from Peekskill, NY! We became local celebrities and got invited to sing at many, many shows and events.A year later I used to do a lot of writing and I would go to the studio just to get my stuff on tape. Under the name The Jarlaynes, we recorded “Why Don’t You Call” with Karla and I playing the acoustic guitar. “I Don’t Love You Anymore” was originally just me and my guitar and Chris Dikaris [who also had a single on Giantstar] added instruments & backup vocals. I wrote both of those songs and so my name, Alayne Major, is written underneath the song title.
After high school Karla, Jimmy and I began singing as a trio again and sang at many local events and “hootenanny’s” which became popular with the advent of folk music.
Karla was also a student at New Paltz. Jimmy moved on, but Karla and I sang as The Major Sisters and were invited to other colleges to perform in their hootenanny’s. We also were asked to be the opening act for several musicians at college concerts which included Chuck Berry (!), Judy Collins, Miriam Makeba and Hugh Masakela among others. This went on through 1969.After Woodstock, Karla moved to San Francisco and started a band, and I was a wife and mother. In 1970 Jimmy was drafted and went to Vietnam.
I was the impetus for Karla’s solo career through contacts I’d made. She used the stage name Mirabai. She returned from San Francisco around 1972 and moved to NYC where she was a headliner at Reno Sweeney’s, Catch a Rising Star, and The Bottom Line (she opened for Billy Joel, Kenny Rankin, Loudon Wainwright III). Her big break came in 1974 when Jimmy Cliff was going to do his first U.S. concert at Carnegie Hall and he requested Karla (then Mirabai) be his opening act. Danny Goldberg caught her performance and began managing her career at that point.
In 2006 Karla was living in Asheville, NC with her family. She got in touch with Bob Johnston who produced her album and he produced a new CD she’d written. Unfortunate personal events precluded its release, but I have the master and a couple of first CDs printed.
I learned from a friend that Raymond and Jean got married and lived out the rest of their lives in Florida. Karla died in 2016, and Jimmy died on March 14, 2022.
Thank you to Alaine Major for answering my questions about the Frantics!
Thanks also to Mike Markesich for the scans of the Jarlayns single on Giantstar.
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