Category Archives: California

Categories: Ariola, California, Hollywood, Living Legend, Los Angeles

The Rogues “Wanted: Dead or Alive” early Michael Lloyd and Shaun Harris

2 Comments
The Rogues Ariola PS One Day / Wanted Dead or Alive
German issue on Ariola

The Rogues Living Legend 45 One DayMichael Lloyd formed the Rogues while he was at Hollywood Professional School. It was his third band after the surf instrumental group the New Dimensions and the vocal version of the Dimensions, the Alley Kats.

Shaun Harris met Lloyd while playing bass in another band at Hollywood Professional, the Snowmen, who had recorded “Ski Storm” with Kim Fowley producing. Shaun joined the Rogues in time to help produce their only 45, “Wanted: Dead or Alive”/”One Day.”

The Rogues Living Legend 45 Wanted: Dead or Alive
Original US issue on Living Legend
“Wanted: Dead or Alive” is basically Hey Joe with altered lyrics, despite the songwriting credit to Harris and Lloyd. It’s an unusual version though, with ethereal harmonies and a guitar solo accompanied by a change in rhythm that just manages to stay on track. On the flip is Michael Lloyd’s excellent “One Day”, which demonstrates the direction his songwriting was heading in.

Lloyd and Harris produced the 45, which was released on Kim Fowley’s Living Legend label. This record marks the start of Shaun Harris’ work with Lloyd; they would soon start the West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band with Shaun’s brother Danny. It may also mark the beginning of Lloyd’s frequent collaborations with Kim Fowley.

On the Living Legend label are also a couple solo 45s by Kim Fowley “Mr. Responsibility”/”My Foolish Heart” and “Underground Lady”/”Pop Art ’66”; a Fowley duet with Gail Zappa as Bunny and Bear titled “America’s Sweethearts”; and one by Vito and the Hands, “Where It’s At,” featuring the Mothers of Invention.

The sleeve above shows the German release, probably a result of Fowley’s connections in Europe.

For another example of Michael Lloyd’s early work, see the entry on Boystown.

Categories: California, MTA Records, Unknown

The Ferguson Tractor

Leave a comment

Another obscurity from the MTA label. Ferguson Tractor was the vehicle (hah, sorry for the pun!) for D. Ferguson, who wrote both these songs. “12 O’Clock High” has strong fuzz guitar backing the vocals and what sounds like a Leslie speaker for the guitar’s wah effect on the chorus.

“Desperation Blues” is very much like other psychedelic blues from 1967, like the Dead or Big Brother & the Holding Co. The guitar fills remind me of early Country Joe & the Fish especially. Neat watery effect on the organ. Anyone who likes blues in the style of the early Bay Area groups should dig this.

I’ve read that “Desperation Blues” was the last 45 released by the Moonglow label, in early 1967, but I’ve only ever seen it on MTA, a 1969 release. The Moonglow link, if it’s real (which I doubt), plus the general sound of the record strongly suggest this is a California group.

Categories: California, Dottie, GNP Crescendo, Los Angeles, Newman, Rayjack, Treasure Chest, White Whale

The Ambertones

60 Comments


The Ambertones, from left: Jimmy Alvarez (on drums), Eddie Delgado (above on bass), Mike Sandoval (guitar), Frank Vasquez, Danny Medina, Tony Cardenas (sax), and Henry Hernandez (guitar).

The Ambertones were part of Los Angeles’ fabled East Side scene along with dozens of legendary bands like Thee Midniters, the Premiers, the Romancers and Cannibal and the Head Hunters. All these groupos could play in several styles, from garage to straight soul to r&b shouters and ballads.

The original lineup was:

Ray Arriola – sax
Henry Hernandez – lead guitar
Mike Sandoval – rhythm guitar
Eddie Delgado – bass and vocals
Danny Medina – keyboards
Jimmy Alvarez – drums

Later members included:

Frank Vasquez (Frank Olvera?) – vocals
Charlie Muñoz – vocals
Tony Cardenas (or is it Tony Duran?) – saxophone
Henry Sarnoff joined on piano and organ in 1966
Ruben Alvarez – drums

They began releasing records in 1963, with “Charlena” / “Bandido” on the GNP/Crescendo label. Next came two 45s on the Dottie label. I have never heard the first, “Chocolate Covered Ants” / “One Summer Night”.

Their second Dottie 45 is a ballad, “I Need Someone” backed with an excellent garage original “If I Do”, written by Eddie Delgado. The sound of the organ, vocals and guitar solo make “If I Do” my personal favorite of their records.

Originally released on a dark blue Dottie label in October of ’65, it was reissued with a pale blue label, pictured here, in 1969 or later, probably because of interest in the ballad, “I Need Someone”.

Their next two releases were on Rayjack. “Clap Your Hands” is a great party record, and “Cruise” is a riff on Thee Midniter’s “Whittier Blvd”. This 45 was also issued on the Newman label, pictured here, in 1966. Both of these were written by Leonard Mamola, who also produced all their records except their first.

“I Can Only Give You Everything” is another of their garage recordings, it too was issued on a second label, Treasure Chest.

In 1967 they signed with White Whale for two 45s in a soul style, giving them probably the best nationwide exposure of their career. “Ninety-Nine and a Half” is a fine cover of the Wilson Pickett hit, with a Sam and Dave song on the flip, “You Don’t Know Like I Know”.


top center: Henry Hernandez
middle row, l-r: Jimmy Alvarez, Eddie Delgado, Ray Arriola, and Mike Sandoval
bottom row l-r: Charlie Muñoz and Danny Medina
 

 

 

 

Source: Photos from collection of Victor B. and from Mark Guerrero’s excellent site markguerrero.net.

Leader of Mark & the Escorts of the classic “Get Your Baby,” Mr. Guerrero has also written extensively about Los Angeles music, including articles on the Romancers, The Premiers and the Blendells. I highly recommend setting aside a few hours to look through his site.

Thanks to Danny Medina for correcting the IDs on the photos.

Ambertones 45 releases:

Charlena / Bandido (GNP Crescendo 329) – 1963
Chocolate Covered Ants / One Summer Night (Dottie 1129) – 1965
I Need Someone / If I Do (Dottie 1130) – October, 1965, repressed on pale blue label in 1969.
Clap Your Hand / Cruise (Rayjack 1001) – December 1965
Clap Your Hand / Cruise (Newman 601) – 1966
I Can Only Give You Everything / I Only Have Eyes for You (Rayjack 1002) – 1966
I Can Only Give You Everything / I Only Have Eyes for You (Treasure Chest 001) – 1966
Ninety-Nine and a Half / You Don’t Know Like I Know (White Whale 242) 1967
A Million Tears / Little Bit Of Lovin’ (White Whale 302) 1969


from left: Danny Medina, Mike Sandoval, Eddie Delgado, Henry Hernandez and Ruben Alvarez

Categories: California, Not garage, Oakland, Seize the Time

The Lumpen “Free Bobby Now” on Seize the Time

15 Comments

Once in a while I come across something that doesn’t fit into the garage category but deserves some wider exposure – the Lumpen 45 is one of these records.

“Free Bobby Now” is an anthem for Bobby Seale. The Lumpen were a group of Black Panthers based in Oakland but peforming throughout the Bay Area to get the Panther’s message across through music.

A full history of the group by member Michael Torrance is on the Black Panther history site, It’s About Time. I’ll quote some of it here for background:

The original members were Bill Calhoun, Clark (Santa Rita) Bailey, James Mott and myself, Michael Torrance. We had all sung in groups in the past, Calhoun having performed professionally in Las Vegas, and it just came naturally.

Calhoun wrote “No More” in a spiritual/traditional style, and then “Bobby Must Be Set Free”, a more upbeat R&B song. We recorded these two songs and soon we were singing at community centers and rallies. Emory Douglas, Minister of Culture, named the group the Lumpen for the “brothers on the block,” the disenfranchised, angry underclass in the ghetto.

Thanks to Calhoun’s expertise, we were able to put together a high-energy hour-long “act” complete with uniforms and choreography. By the time the Lumpen were about to go on an East Coast tour, the auditorium at Merritt College was packed for the kick-off concert which was recorded live. The whole audience sang along with “Bobby Must Be Set Free.”

The first copy I found was in New Orleans shortly before Katrina hit. I was listening to a batch of records and this one caught my attention, though I realized right away it was mislabeled – it has labels from a hit on the White Whale label that must have been at the press at the same time. Which would date this to December, 1970. Recently I found another copy with the correct labels on it.

Categories: Blue Fin, California, Los Angeles, Pomona

The Deepest Blue, Egyptian Candy & Blue-Fin Records discography

13 Comments

The Deepest Blue formed in Pomona, a town about halfway between Los Angeles and San Bernadino further inland. Members were:

Earl Shackelford – vocals
Russell Johnson – lead guitar and vocals
Ken Zabel – organ
Rick Edwards – rhythm guitar
Bruce Lavoie – bass
Russ ‘Soupy’ Morrow – drums

The band was actually known as the Doves, they only changed their name when releasing their 45, because they thought it sounded more commercial.

They played teen clubs in the area like the Oasis and Discoteen, and a couple shows on the Hollywood strip with the Leaves and the Seeds. Their repertoire was all covers, mostly influenced by the Stones and other English groups.

Russ Johnson and Earl Shackelford wrote two songs just for the recording session, the first originals the band had ever played. They recorded at 9th Street studio in LA in August of 1966, with Richard Delvy, drummer for the Challengers engineering. Vic Gargano financed the record – he also produced the Tomorrows’ La Do Da Da / Need Only You on Condor. Without the band’s knowledge Gargano had a studio musician add guitar parts to enliven the sound. Although this upset the group, the resulting single is fantastic.

“Pretty Little Thing” features Bruce’s sliding bass line, precise drumming from Soupy, and a raging organ solo by Ken Zabel. Earl’s vocal has elements of Jagger’s inflections but his voice is stronger. “Somebody’s Girl” is more subdued but also powerful. Despite the quality of the record, it received little airplay.

The band returned to the studio to record more tracks for an album which was never finished. Soupy Morrow had an acetate of the sessions, but it has not surfaced since.

However, two songs “I Found Out” and “Living My Love Game” were released on a Blue-Fin 45 under the name the Egyptian Candy. Earl for one had completely forgotten about this record, but he did confirm that this was recorded by the Deepest Blue for their album sessions. Earl speculated that this may have been released under the name Egyptian Candy to test the waters for how the band’s new direction would be received.

Both songs demonstrate the influence of Earl’s friend Chris Darrow on his songwriting. Earl had met Chris at the Forum Club in Montclair when Chris was with the Floggs. Chris would record both songs with his next band, Kaleidoscope in similar arrangements (“Living My Love Game” retitled “Love Games” in the Kaleidoscope version and not released at the time). Another song by Earl, “I Found Out” became one of Kaleidoscope’s signature songs. It’s unfortunate the Deepest Blue were unable to stay together to pursue this new style, as they were obviously onto something.

Lacking success and headed in different musical directions, the band split up. Soupy died in a motorcycle accident in 1967 [actually in 1968 according to Oscar Bee], and Rick Edwards was killed in a car crash the following year while on tour. Earl stayed in music, notably forming Wheels with Chris Darrow and Walter Egan, and arranging vocal harmonies on Iggy Pop’s New Values album.

Update: Russ Johnson passed away in Australia in 2007. He had a long career in music there, most notably with a group called Mississippi.

For more information on the Deepest Blue there are two interviews with Earl Shackelford, one by Mike Dugo, and one at Pulsating Dream.

Blue-Fin discography (incomplete?):

101 – Ascots: The Wonder Of It All (R. Borden, M. Borden) / I Won’t Cry (Al Politano) (engineer Doc Siegel at Gold Star Studios, Onned Music BMI)
101 – Ascots: Summer Days / The Wonder of It All (matrix #s BL-FI-1004 and, I assume, BL-FI-1000)
102 – Deepest Blue: Pretty Little Thing / Somebody’s Girl
103 – Egyptian Candy: I Found Out / Living My Love Game

Thanks to Max Waller for bringing the two separate releases of the Ascots Blue-Fin 101 to my attention. Max writes:

The Wonder Of It All” (BL-FI-1000) has Monarch 62241 in the dead wax. “I Won’t Cry” (BL-FI-1001) has 62241-X in the dead wax so this was supposedly the “B” side, although it appears from the “*” scrawls on the label that someone was pushing this track. This monarch number pairing seems to confirm that this was the original/first pressing, from June 1966.

For the “Summer Days” 45, I’d expect to see a different monarch # in the dead wax for that track, (BL-FI-1004).

Due to the “(BL-FI-1001)” ref, it appears they used the same recording of “I Won’t Cry”, so I’d expect to find Monarch #62241 in the dead wax.

Categories: California, Los Angeles, Sotto

Boystown

2 Comments

Boystown is a collaboration between Michael Lloyd and his childhood friend Jimmy Greenspoon. Lloyd and Greenspoon had been playing music together and recording as far back as 1963, with the New Dimensions. Greenspoon also may have played with Lloyd in an early version of the West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band.Boystown Sotto 45 End of the Line

When the Boystown 45 was released in June of 1967, Lloyd had recently left the WCPAEB, but was busy with with many projects, including helping produce Kim Fowley’s first lp, Love Is Alive and Well.

Greenspoon wrote the very poppy “Hello Mr. Sun”, and co-wrote with Lloyd the hypnotic “End of the Line”, which would have sounded right at home on an early West Coast Pop Art album.

Soon after this release Jimmy Greenspoon moved to Denver briefly, before returning to LA and forming Three Dog Night. Lloyd stayed busy with productions for Mike Curb and his own group, Smoke.

Categories: California, Columbia, Los Angeles

Keith Allison “Louise” and “Freeborn Man”

16 Comments

Though born in Texas, Keith Allison made his mark in Los Angeles. A resemblance to Paul McCartney helped him land a starring role on the national show Where the Action Is.

He became close friends with Mark Lindsay of Paul Revere and the Raiders and Mike Nesmith of the Monkees, and soon he was playing sessions for both groups on guitar and keyboards.

His album In Action features “Louise”, a fantastic Gary Usher production and the single hit the charts in March of ’67. Louise was written by Jesse Lee Kincaid (real name Nick Gerlach), who was a member of the Rising Sons with Gary Marker, Kevin Kelley, Taj Mahal and Ry Cooder.

The flip, “Freeborn Man”, written by Allison with Mark Lindsay has become a country standard. Keith joined the Raiders in late 1968, then went into acting.

Categories: California, San Rafael, Titan, York

The Front Line “I Don’t Care” and “Got Love” on York Records

1 Comment

The Front Line were based in San Rafael, in Marin County, California. Members included Gary Philippet on keyboards, Bill Bowen on drums, Rex Larsen, Jim Brewer and Dennis Lanigan. Philippet had been in a few earlier bands, including the Mystics and the Pullice. Bowen and Philippet were both part of Electric Train, who recorded two songs found on an acetate but not released at the time.

Front Line Cash Box, October 23, 1965
Front Line receive notice in Cash Box, October 23, 1965
The Front Line’s first record was “I Don’t Care” backed with the explosive “Got Love”, with strong psychedelic guitar work. Both sides were written by Philippet and Lanigan. Cash Box and Billboard reviewed the single favorably on October 30, 1965.

The York label was part of Charles Greene and Brian Stone’s York/Pala production company. Greene and Stone produced Sonny and Cher, and also worked with the Daily Flash and with the Buffalo Springfield on their early sessions at Gold Star. With a distribution deal with Atco, it’s no surprise that the Front Line 45 was released in the UK on Atlantic. Green and Stone’s connections also landed the Front Line opening slots on a Sonny and Cher tour.

Front Line reviewed in Billboard Oct. 30, 1965
Front Line reviewed in Billboard Oct. 30, 1965
Front Line reviewed in Cash Box Oct. 30, 1965
Front Line reviewed in Cash Box Oct. 30, 1965

Their second 45 was “Saigon Girl” / “Three Day Pass” on the Titan label, which I haven’t heard yet.

Rex Larsen wrote to me with information from the beginnings of the group:

The Front Line formally The Mystics were formed in 1961 in my freshman year of high school. We, the group were all serious about making a great band. Aside from a drummer change we played all through high school every weekend all over the san Francisco bay area. We were from San Anselmo in Marin County.

I was, at that time also working at Sherman Clay Music store in San Francisco during the summers. The store decided to open one in San Rafael right near where I lived. I managed the musical instrument department. Then the store decided to start a music school in a house they leased nearby. I was in charge of the school also giving guitar lessons. One of my students was the son of the manager of Coast Recorders in San Francisco. His father asked me if I wanted to exchange studio time for guitar lessons and of course I said yes. The Mystics recorded 3 or 4 songs there.

Then Gary Phillips and I went to Los Angeles to see if we could get a record deal. Very brave at the ripe age of 16. We decided on two places to go. Phil Specter and Green and Stone Productions. To make a long story short both wanted to sign us but we went with G&S. Several weeks after, I think, the 2nd trip down to L.A they called us and asked us if we wanted to back up Sonny and Cher and do our own set. His name was The rest is history.

I never knew about the single being a hit in England until many years later. Jim Brewer quit the group during the Sonny and Cher tour. There is more to the story for me but maybe for another time.

Late in ’66, Bowen went into an early lineup of the Sons of Champlin. Philippet, later known as Gary Phillips, joined Freedom Highway, Copperhead and Earthquake. He passed away on January 17, 2007.

Sources include the Gary Phillips tribute site www.garyphilippet.com/ – now defunct. Thank you to Rex Larsen for info on the early days of the group.

Categories: California, Century Custom, Redwood City, San Mateo

The Juveniles “Let Me Tell You Girl”

13 Comments

Juveniles, Ed Rod, San Mateo Times, July 15, 1966
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, San Mateo Times, July 2, 1966
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.

Thanks to Derek for loan of the acetate.

The Juveniles – Let Me Tell You Girl
The Juveniles – Goodbye Girl
The Juveniles – Don’t Kid Around

The Juveniles and the Renaissance in the San Mateo Times Oct. 18, 1968
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.

Categories: California, Orange County

The Far End

Leave a comment


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 Far End – Don’t Invite Me Over
The Far End – Gloria
The Far End – Please Don’t Say