Category Archives: California

Categories: Brent, California, Capitol, Cleveland, Dimension, Highland, Houston, Los Angeles, Mainstream, Ohio, Rosco, Texas

The Bushmen, War Babies and Euphoria

November 16, 2015 Chris Bishop 3 Comments

Much has been written about Euphoria’s legendary album A Gift from Euphoria. This article focuses instead on the various releases the band members did prior to the LP and the connections to other bands I’ve covered on this site.

Euphoria had its start as a Cleveland band with David Potter and Wesley Watt called the Bushmen. Although it was thought that the Bushmen was a separate group from Wesley Watt’s projects prior to Euphoria, David Potter’s bio states:

After playing drums at the club [the Clinton Bar in Cleveland, OH] for three months, Wesley Watt, a guitar player came in looking for a drummer for a group he wanted to put together, The Bushman [sic]. When he heard David he knew he was the one. David turned sixteen in January and in May, David, Wesley, Paul Armstrong, and Carl Johnson left for Los Angeles to make their mark. On arriving in L.A. they immediately became the house band for the club, Guys and Dolls.
After only eight weeks they signed a contract with Colpix records, also signing with Buck Ram, the manager of the Platters. Their first single was “Baby” with “What I Have I’ll Give to You” on the flip side.

The Bushmen had one release “Baby” / “What I Have I’ll Give to You” on Dimension 1049 in June of ’65. Dimension Records was part of the Columbia Pictures / Colpix company at this time.

Bill Lincoln had relocated from Seattle to Los Angeles. He must have been in the group at this point as he is the composer of “What I Have I’ll Give to You”.

Bill Lincoln and Mike Dood are credited with writing “Walk on the Surf Side” by the Nova-Tones, released on Rosco 417 circa 1963, and backed with “Lost Love”. I’m not positive it’s the same Bill Lincoln, but it seems likely as the time and place are right. I haven’t heard either song, so if you have the 45 or sound files, please contact me.

Potter’s bio continues:

The Bushman [sic] were getting a lot of notoriety and attention from all over, including film producer David L. Wolper. He was looking for bands for a documentary about to start filming, Teenage Revolution. They approached Buck Ram about The Bushman being the premiere band for the documentary. Wolper wanted to show what bands went through while traveling around the country from gig to gig. (Along with The Bushman being were about four other bands, one being The Lovin’ Spoonful.) About a month later Buck set up a live gig in Lancaster CA where they filmed their part of Teenage Revolution.

A portion of Mondo Teeno aka The Teenage Revolution is online. I hear music that may be the Bushmen, but haven’t seen any footage of the band.

In addition to the Bushmen single, Watt and Lincoln recorded their original songs as the War-Babies “Jeanie’s Pub” / “Love Is Love” (Highland 4000, August 1965).

The War-Babies recorded another two songs, “Now It’s Over” / “So Little Time” but these came out under the name The Word on Brent 704.

Although I’ve read that the Bushmen came after the War-Babies and Word singles, release dates suggest the Bushmen single came first.

Potter’s bio continues:

After filming the documentary, David, Wesley, and Bill Lincoln wanted to do their own thing. Now seasoned professionals and highly respected musicians they wanted to play and record their own music. With the chance so did their name, to Euphoria. The newly named group spent all their time playing, touring, and recording material that would lead to two of the groups albums. During a successful tour in Texas, their single. “Baby”, released when they were The Bushman [sic], went to #7 on the charts, staying there for seven weeks.

The newly-named Euphoria added Pat Connolly of the Surfaris on bass by the time they traveled Texas in 1966. Bill Lincoln married and moved to England, and left the group before they went to Texas. However, he would rejoin Wesley Watt within a year or two for the sessions for Euphoria’s 1969 album on Capitol.

Euphoria featured in Scott Holtzman’s nowsounds column, Houston_Post, June 19, 1966

Euphoria arrived in Houston in the spring of 1966. Scott Holtzman saw them at La Maison and featured them in his June 19, 1966 nowsounds column.

A trio (plus one child) fresh from Hollywood’s Sunset Strip called Euphoria. They’re playing at La Maison and recording at Houston’s Andrus Productions.
Drummer: David Potter, 18.
Guitar: Wesley Watt, 19.
Bass: Pat Connally, 19.
Tambourine and Harmonica: Robbie, 3.
The Scene? A Houston apartment. Three longhaired musicians, two girls called Kym and Joe and one small boy called Robbie.
Wes: “The only reason we’re different is because we’re out of place. In LA, we’d be in place. Just ordinary.”
What is Psychedelic Rock?
Dave: We don’t know. We play our own music.
Wes: The phonies put the labels on it and we just play.
Dave: Really weird, way-out stuff. Teenagers love confusion.
Wes: You get carried away on your highs .. and you’re pounding all the time and it’s just shriek … shrieking noises.
Dave: Most people think when we’re playing we’re loaded on dope, ya know. We’re not. We just get involved in our music … euphoria.
They don’t like Houston groups except the 13th Floor Elevators.

This group recorded some tracks at Andrus Productions in Houston, including “Pick It Up”, “In Time”, “Walking The Dog” and “Oh Dear, You Look Like a Dog”, none of which surfaced until Texas Archive Recordings released the LP Houston Hallucinations in 1982. The band had other unreleased Texas recordings which await reissue, including “People You and Me” which has some similarity to Da Capo era Love.

In a later column by Scott Holtzman titled What is Psychedelic? he wrote:

Houston has had some of the leading exponents of this kind of music, but the most pure form of it I have personally heard live was a group called Euphoria, which has since disbanded. I’ve heard unreleased tapes and spent time around these guys and I’m truly sorry they couldn’t stick together, because there were strong leaders of the trend.

By July 24, 1966, they had left Texas as Holtzman wrote in his column that week: “Wesley Watt of Euphoria called Frank Davis from LA and asked him to come out there and engineer and play and sing on their sessions. Frank would rather stay at Andrus Productions though.”

Pat Connolly left the band either in Texas or when they returned to California. Watts and Potter returned to California, taking Misfits members James Harrell on guitar and Peter Black on bass with them.

Houston artist and band manager George Banks wrote to me:

Euphoria did come into Houston about high times for the Elevators and others of the IA time frame. They were a sizzlin’ three piece group. Wesley Watt, David Potter, drums and Pat on bass … Euphoria and the guys from the Misfits got along quite well and … through some differences .. all together left for LA, minus [Misfits lead guitarist] Frost, who having married early on and was with their first child, did not travel to CA with everyone else.
We played around out there, got a recording contract. I brought the first release [Euphoria’s “Hungry Woman” / “No Me Tomorrow” 45 on the Mainstream label] back to Houston and presented it to Larry Kane. It didn’t really take off, Euphoria hadn’t stuck around town long enough to really develop any notoriety, or following.
The band in LA went through a lot of emotional changes in part due to the fact that Wesley and David were married (and drugs). The times got tough, to even feed ourselves. James, Pete and I headed back to Houston.

Euphoria mentioned in nowsounds, Houston Post, October 9, 1966

In L.A., Bob Shad of Brent & Mainstream Records brought the group into United Studios in Hollywood to record four songs in one session. Shad issued two of these (with vocals re-recorded at additional sessions), “Hungry Women” and “No Me Tomorrow” on Mainstream 655,

In his October 9, 1966 nowsounds column, Scott Holtzman wrote: “George Banks, manager of Euphoria, is in town promoting their new Mainstream single. Wesley and Dave have combined with two former Misfits, (James Harrell and Pete Black) and their sound is something else.”

At these sessions Euphoria cut two originals by James Harrell, “I Realize” and “It Could Do Us No Wrong”, but these were left unreleased and eventually lost.

Despite a good push from Bob Shad, the single didn’t make much of an impact. Back in Houston, Scott Holtzman wrote in his November 6, 1966 nowsounds column: “Euphoria broke up for good. George Banks is building a new group from the old Misfits into Lost & Found.”

In 1967, Potter and Watt joined Lee Michaels band where they played on Michaels’ album Carnival of Life with Gary Davis and John Keski, released in January 1968.

In his February 25, 1968 nowsounds column, Scott Holtzman wrote “[In Los Angeles] I ran into Wesley Watt, who you’ll remember as lead guitarist with Euphoria about a year ago in Houston. Wesley was all strung out back in Houston, but you should see him now. He is really into the meditation and has even become a vegetarian.”

Potter joined the East Side Kids in time to play on their 1968 album The Tiger and the Lamb, which featured one of his original songs as well as two by Wesley Watt, “Heavy Love” and “Can’t Feel Love”.

Bill Lincoln had returned by this time. He and Watt worked for almost two years on what would become their album A Gift from Euphoria on Capitol in 1969, produced by Nick Venet. According to his bio, Potter also played on the album. Guitarist Doug Delain is also listed in credits for the LP.

After recording the East Side Kids The Tiger and the Lamb album, Potter moved to Houston and joined with Endle St. Cloud (Alan Mellinger) for his album on International Artists, which also included Pete Black and James Harrell of the Lost & Found. They moved back to LA to for the Potter St. Cloud LP on Mediarts in 1971.

David Potter passed away in 2011, but there was a detailed biography about him at his website, davidpottermusician.com (now defunct but viewable on the Internet Archive).

Watt and Lincoln co-produced and played on Bernie Schwartz’s solo album The Wheel, released on MGM in late 1969, which features a version of their song “Sunshine Woman” that had been on Euphoria’s Capitol LP.

Potter, Watt and Lincoln all continued in music into the early ’70s. For example, Potter and Watt played on Daniel Moore’s 1971 ABC album, and Watt played guitar on Dory Previn’s 1971 Mediarts album Mythical Kings and Iguanas.

Hamilton Wesley Watt, Jr. passed away on February 20, 2015 in Sheboygan, Wisconsin.

Bill Lincoln recorded an album with his wife Lynda and friends as Addie Pray. Late for the Dance went unreleased for years but is now available on www.cdbaby.com/cd/addiepray.

Sources include Alec Palao’s liner notes to the Big Beat CD release of With Love – A Pot of Flowers.

Categories: California, Long Beach, Los Angeles

The Royal Knights

November 7, 2015 Chris Bishop 4 Comments

Royal Knights Photo 1965 — The Royal Knights, 1965. From left to right: Phil Whitson, Ric Zacher, Jim Wilson and Steve Werner

Lead guitarist Eric Zacher sent in these two photos of the Royal Knights, one of the many bands who played the Retail Clerks Auditorium and were listed on a flyer I had posted in 2014.

Members were:

Phil Whitson – lead vocals
Eric “Ric” Zacher – lead guitar, 2nd vocal
Mark Drawbolt – 2nd lead guitar and rhythm
Steve Werner – rhythm guitar
Jim Wilson – bass
Terry Buckman – drums

Eric writes:

The Royal Knights on the bill with Limey and the Yanks, the Saints, and the Things at Retail Clerks Auditorium, Nov. 12, 1965

We started in Terry’s garage as a lot of bands did in 1965. We all went to Millikan high in Long Beach, CA. My dad was our band manager and represented us very professionally unlike other bands. We got lots of gigs (most weeks after we got going were 2 per week!).

We played Retail a Go Go as the flyer said (did about 3 gigs there), Cinnamon Cinder in Long Beach, the Elks club and many “joints” (off campus clubs having Friday and Saturday parties).The songs we did included Stones, Zombies, Beatles, Yardbirds, Byrds and others from the mid 60s.
We broke up in 1967, all went our separate ways. I was in a college band called the Woods – very professional and made lots of money! I still play weddings and am jamming with several local bands. I really got into blues after the 70s. I have cut several CDS of 60s and 70s folk rock.
The Gibson 335 that you see me holding in the pics was purchased used for 250.00 in 1965. It is an original limited edition dot neck 1961 cherry – I still play it as my blues guitar!

Categories: California, Unknown

Sonlight band photos 1970-1971

October 15, 2015 Chris Bishop 7 Comments

Sometimes I pick up photos of unknown bands through ebay or in antique shops. This set came from a seller in Yuba City, California, north of Sacramento, but I don’t know the locations in the photos yet. Most of the photos show what seems to be a Christian music group called Sonlight from about 1970 and 1971. One photo shows some teens in front of a Saint Anthony Seminary, possibly in Santa Barbara, but I’m not sure of that. The photo at the top left is from 1967 and shows what is definitely a teen garage band in front of a banner “Sound”, but I don’t have the name of the group unfortunately.

Jeffrey Harvey pointed out that The Ancient Star Song website posted the cover and tracklist of an album by Sonlight that may be the same group. The back cover lists members of Sonlight:

Vicki Higgins, Betty Davis, Patti Bryson, Doug Norby, Ron Quigley, Richard Johnson and Roger Walck.

The group has an address in Van Nuys, California. Dean Talley produced the LP, and Mike Wallen designed the cover. Recorded at Customcraft Recordings in North Hollywood.

Can anyone identify who these people are?

1967 band photo Sonlight — 1967 band photo, one member may have been in Sonlight band later

Sonlight photo 9 — on back: Jerry, Kathy, Me [Joe?], Sue before the jazz dance

St. Anthony Seminary - Santa Barbara? — St. Anthony Seminary – Santa Barbara?

Sonlight photo 10 — dig the Rheem Mark VII Combo organ

Categories: California, Davis, Drum and organ duos, Ikon, Sacramento

The Denny and Kenny Duo

September 11, 2015 Chris Bishop 1 Comment

The Denny & Kenny Duo at GG's in Davis, CA, from left: Kenny Whitcombe on organ and Dennis Sacco on drums — The Denny & Kenny Duo at GG’s in Davis, CA, from left: Kenny Whitcombe on organ and Dennis Sacco on drums

The Denny and Kenny Duo were Kenny Whitcombe on organ and Dennis Sacco on drums. They came from Davis, California, where they played regularly at Gi-Gi’s night club.

“Meet My Little Sweety In the Night Time” immediately grabs the listener with its speed and echo. I find Sacco’s drum fills endlessly entertaining. The flip “I Love You So” is also good, if not as original. Kenny Whitcombe wrote both songs. Released on Sacramento’s legendary Ikon Records IER 179/180 in 1965.

I’ve always loved this single since hearing it on Crypt Records’s fantastic “The Ikon Records Story”. I finally found a copy, signed by Dennis Sacco! For two people they raise a huge racket.

Whitcombe came from the Carpetbaggers with Dehner Patten who would go into the Oxford Circle and Kak. I’m not sure if this was the same Carpetbaggers from Sausalito who had the single “Let Yourself Go” / “Just a Friend” on the LTD International label in mid-1966. Sausalito is an hour and a half from Davis, but it’s not inconceivable.

Whitcombe opened another Davis club, Mousey’s, and eventually the duo split up. Sacco played with the Daytrippers, then with the Sacramento’s Burgundy Express, and now is pursing a writing career.

Dennis Sacco wrote to me a little about the group, and added more history to the notes for a CD of later, jazzy recordings that he and Kenny did either together or separately.

As a drummer I grew up listening to Gene Krupa, then Joe Morillo and then Louie Bellson.
Back in 1965, Denny and Kenny started playing at GG’s, a little beer bar in Davis, California. Soon, their reputation and fans out grew GG’s. Kenny built a bigger night spot in Davis called Mousie’s. Between GG’s and Mousie’s, Denny and Kenny played in Northern Caliornia and Nevada. During this period, Denny and Kenny cut a record at Ikon Records in Sacramento, California.
Denny and Kenny were a great match. Denny used a Ludwig double bass drum setup and Kenny used a Hammond organ kicking bass pedals. They both did vocals and backup. Many people thought that they were listening to at least four players. They don’t perform as a duo anymore. But each of them, separately or together, have made a few recordings. Included in this album are Kenny’s beautiful and “original” songs (ala 40s style) and some of Denny’s earlier big band recordings for you to listen and enjoy.

There’s a small but interesting genre of organ and drum duo records that include the Me and Him Duo and the Chancellors b-side “5 Minus 3”.

Categories: California, Concord, Martinez, Unknown

The Phantoms – unknown band

August 24, 2015 Chris Bishop 3 Comments

Here’s a good photo of a band that would be anonymous but luckily the photo was mounted to a backing board which names the band as the Phantoms, and the photographer as Newell Wood of Ulfinian Way in Martinez, CA. It also tells that the photo placed second in the Concord California Club miniprints competition in June of 1966.

Martinez is about 8 miles from Concord, and the band could be from anywhere around the East Bay, Vallejo or Walnut Creek. I’m not aware of any group named the Phantoms from that area, or if they made any recordings.

Categories: Break Out, California, Era Records, Los Angeles, Oxnard, Platter, Ventura

The Colony “It’s a Lie”, Platter Records, Chiyo & the Crescents

June 10, 2015 Chris Bishop 6 Comments

In April of 1967 a band called The Colony released their only single, the wild “All I Want” b/w a great song called “Things On My Mind” on Platter Records P-105. The two make for an interesting contrast: one is hard-edged r&b with a desperate-sounding vocal, the other a much more polished production that includes string arrangements but keeps its drive.

Both songs were written by Mike Foley and Bill Eucker for Worlday-Jenks BMI.

Platter Records: a redundant name wouldn’t you say? Platter was located at 34 San Clemente St, in Ventura, California.

Warren Patients and the Cobras playing in Hazleton, PA, Feb. 25, 1967

The Platter Records discography looks like this (any additions would be appreciated):

Platter 1001: Homer Lee – “Pedernales River” (Bert Peck) / “I’ve Got Some Crying To Do” (June 1966)
Platter 1002: The Cobras featuring Warren Patience – “It’s a Lie” (Michael Walker) Worlday-Jenks BMI / “Thoughts of You (Are Wrecking Me)” Sept. 1966
Platter 1003: Morrie Hamilton “Wimoweh” / “Pickin’ and Grin’in” (Morrie Hamilton – Chas. Wright for Worlday-Proctor BMI) (produced by Joe Bill D’Angelo)
Platter 1004: The Two of Us (Bill & Dorice) “You’ll Love Me” (Richie Carpenter, Lightup Music BMI.) / “Piki Teepee” (no artist listed)
Platter 1005 – The Colony – “All I Want” / “Things On My Mind” (Mike Foley and Bill Eucker) April 1967

Burt Peck, Homer Lee, Platter Records Billboard, June 18, 1966 — Billboard mentions Burt Peck and Homer Lee’s Platter release, Billboard, June 18, 1966

The Cobras came from Kingston, Pennsylvania, west of Scranton. I have no idea how they came to be on Platter Records, but their 45 is a rare and classic garage single. The label for the Cobras reads “featuring Warren Patience” but an ad I found in a central PA newspaper puts his name as Warren Patients.

Homer Lee worked with a song writer out of Dallas, Texas. Morrie Hamilton worked in various locations including Denver. The Two of Us (Bill McClure and Dorice Vance) worked around Anaheim and Santa Ana in Orange County.

With the widespread origins of these artists, the Colony may have been the only act on the label actually from the Ventura area.

Chiyo Platter Records 45 Piki Teepee — Platter Records reissue of “Piki Teepee”, originally the b-side of the Sundancers Breakout 45 “Devil Surf”

Bill Eucker produced and arranged both sides of the Colony single. His full name is William Herschel Eucker. I have no other clue as to who performed on the Colony single, or if they were even a real band outside the session for these two songs. Bill Eucker’s name connects Platter Records with an earlier label from the Oxnard area, Break Out Records.

One odd thing about this discography is the B-side to the Two of Us single, credited only by its title “Piki Teepee”. This instrumental had original release two years earlier as the flip to the Sundancers’ Break Out Records single, “Devil Surf”. Who were the Sundancers? They were Chiyo & the Crescents by another name.

Chiyo & the Crescents and Break Out Records

The best info on Chiyo comes from the article and comments section of Office Naps’ post Everybody Wipe Out Now(officenaps.com/instrumentals-surf/everybody-wipe-out-now/ but this is now defunct), which I’ll summarize here, though I can’t attest to the veracity of all this information.

Chiyo was supposedly of Hopi Indian descent, originally named Chizomana. However, see the comment from Carolyn below, about one Fredericka Bick … “born & raised in Nebraska.”

In the 1940s Chiyo went to the University of Nebraska in Lincoln to study music. She married an engineer by the name of Fred Ishii who worked at Pt. Mugu Naval Air Station in Oxnard. She began giving lessons in various instruments at her home, but by the early ’60s she opened up her shop, Chiyo’s Guitars and Drums, on Saviers Road in Oxnard where she continued teaching, notably flamenco-style guitar.

Around 1962 or 1963, Chiyo formed a band called the Crescents:

Chiyo Ishii – lead guitar
Thom Bresh – rhythm guitar
Tom Mitchell – bass
Ray Reed – sax
Bob Ross – drums

Thom Bresh is Merle Travis’s son. He would have been about 15 or 16 at the time of these recordings. Bresh was taking lessons at Ernie Ball’s store in Thousand Oaks, where Bill Eucker was teaching. Eucker wrote an instrumental he called “Pink Dominos”, which would become the first of three singles by the Crescents on Break Out Records. Oddly each of the three releases has a different artist name, even though all are by Chiyo & the Crescents.

The only single on Breakout not by Chiyo and the Crescents was by the Dar Vons: “Hot Pepperoni” (obviously trying to cash in on the Dartells “Hot Pastrami”) b/w “Bowling Alley Baby”. The Dar Vons or Darvons included Dave Bowers and previously were known as the Surftones – but I don’t believe this is the same Surftones that backed Dave Myers, that band included Johnny Curtis, Ed Quarry, Dennis Merritt, Seaton Blanco, and Bob Colwell.

Break Out Records discography

Break Out BBM-3/4 – Chiyo & the Crescents – “Pink Dominos” (Bill Eucker) / “Devil Surf” (Chiyo) (Sept. or October 1963)
Break Out 105-A/106-B – Kresents – “Purple Checkers” (Bill Eucker, Dimondaire Music BMI) / “Maple Syrup” (Chiyo) (February, 1964)
Break Out 107-AA/108 – Dar Vons – “Hot Pepperoni” (Steve Middleton, B. Peeler) / “Bowling Alley Baby” (Waldemar Mennigen – Jerry Jaye) produced by Moraga- B. Moon
Break Out 111 – The Sundancers – “Devil Surf” / “Piki Teepee” (both by Chiyo)

Break Out was at least partly owned by Harold Moraga. Moraga also owned part of Dimondaire Music BMI, which published all the songs on Break Out.

The Crescents featuring Chiyo Era 45 Pink Dominos — The Crescents featuring Chiyo, Era 45 “Pink Dominos” – written by Bill Eucker

Kim Fowley bought the master for “Pink Dominos” and placed it with Era Records for a wider release, reaching #95 in Billboard on December 28, 1963 and reportedly climbing as high as #69 in early 1964. I read Ghoulardi used it on his show so it became an in-demand in the Cleveland, Ohio area.

Fowley controlled half the publishing for both sides through Room Seven Music, BMI. The flip side “Breakout” is credited to Moon and Moraga and even though Chiyo’s name is on the label, this sounds like a different group using a cheap organ sound.

Despite the success of the single, the two follow ups on Break Out were recorded under different band names. The Kresents single features a song Bill Eucker wrote called “Purple Checkers”, while the band remade “Devil Surf” with saxophone under a new title, “Maple Syrup”. As the Sundancers, they do yet another version of “Devil Surf” with “Pink Teepee” on the flip. BMI shows he wrote a song called “Torment” during this period, which seems to have gone unrecorded.

I wonder what Bill Eucker was doing in the two or three years between writing for the Crescents and recording the Colony single. It’s also a mystery how “Pink Teepee” shows up on the flip to the Two of Us single, as there doesn’t seem to be any overlap in publishing or production between the Break Out and Platter labels.

I find no more credits for Bill Eucker until 1972, when he turns up playing guitar on the John Henry Kurtz LP Reunion on ABC Records. That record that contains the original version of “Drift Away”, a later version of which continues to be heard in supermarkets across the country.

Thank you to Dick Blackburn for adding the Dar Vons to the Break Out discography. Thank you to Chuck Keever for suggestions about the order of release.

The Crescents featuring Chiyo Era 45 Breakout — “Breakout” – credited to the Crescents, but sounding like another group altogether.

Categories: Glendale, Highland Park, Los Angeles, Monte-Vista, Montville

Chris Parry and the Mockers

May 24, 2015 Chris Bishop 7 Comments

Here are two obscure singles that seem to have been recorded in one session on the same day, apparently March 12, 1965. Both feature the Mockers, and each was released on the Monte-Vista label and numbered 3-12-65.

The first features two surf instrumentals: the atmospheric “Children of the Sun” backed by a first-rate surf-rocker “Madalena” with crunching wet guitar. Both songs were written by David Norgord for Monte-Vista Music BMI.

Dave Norgord of the Mockers, photo courtesy of John Morgan

The Mockers Monte- Vista 45 Children Of The Sun

The Mockers were obviously a very competent group, and may have come from Glendora High School.

The second single has them backing what sounds like a prepubescent lead singer, Chris Parry, on another single written by Dave Norgord, “I Need You Now”. The flip is a cover of “Angela Jones”, written by John Loudermilk (composer of “Tobacco Road”).

A comment from Nancee (Norgord) Vincent, below lists two more names of the Mockers:

Dave Norgord was my brother. Bobby Figueroa was on drums and Jimmy McGrew played bass. Both Bobby and Jimmy became professional musicians. Jimmy passed away October 2918. Dave passed away July 2005. Bobby is still alive and should be easy to find. Chris Parry was quite young, English at a time the “English Invasion” took over pop music.

The producer was Dale Smallin who in 1963 managed the Surfaris’ and brought them to Paul Buff’s PAL studio in Cucamonga to record “Surfer Joe” / “Wipe Out” (Smallin also contributed the maniacal laughter to the opening). Smallin may have lost the Safaris when he and Dot Records brought in the Challengers to record tracks to fill out the album. In any case, the Mockers may have been the only records after the Safaris to feature his name as producer. If there are others, I haven’t found them yet.

Monte Vista Street runs in Highland Park in Los Angeles, not far from the Glendale origin of the Safaris. Smallin would name his film production company Monte-Vista and produced a 28 minute movie show in West Covina, The Day That Sang and Cried in 1968, featuring another band, The West Coast Blues Company. Dave Smallin died on March 1, 2011.

Categories: Arizona, California, Los Angeles, Norwalk, Phoenix, Santa

The Majestic Five “Jerk Like Me” / “Queen of Fools”

April 17, 2015 Chris Bishop 17 Comments

The Majestic 5 at the Can Can, June 1965 — The Majestics 5 at the Can Can, June 1965

The Majestic Five have this one obscure single on Santa Records out of Phoenix, Arizona in 1965.

The A-side, “Jerk Like Me” is a cover of Rudy Gonzalez & the Reno Bops “Do the Jerk Like Me”. The drummer lays down a rock-solid beat up front in the recording, while the rest of the group sounds somewhat distant. The singer does a good job but the record has a sparse sound.

The Majestic Five in Albuquerque, September 1965

The flip is a ballad, “Queen of Fools” written by Saenz and Escobedo who were members of the Majestic Five. Santa Records was located at 506 W. Cocopah in Phoenix, I haven’t seen any other releases on this label.

According to a comment below by Joseph Saenz, members included:

Albert Escobedo – guitar
Benny Dimas – rhythm guitar
Joe Saenz – keyboards
Arturo Borquez – bass
Albert Rodriguez – drums
Jerry Cruz – vocalist

Benny Dimas was the older brother of Eddie Dimas of Eddy and the Upsets.

In June of ’65 I find several ads for their week-long engagements as the Majestics 5 at the Can Can on 3rd St. and E. Roosevelt in Phoenix and then in September at the Grand Canyon Bar and Lounge at 119 4th NW at Copper in Albuquerque, but no mentions of the group after that. Joseph Saenz explains in a comment below that the group relocated to Los Angeles for a number of years.

Tedd Thomey’s In Person column from the Long Beach Independent / Press-Telegram on June 27, 1968 profiled the Majestic 4 during their time in California:

… the best-liked band ever to appear at the Purple Bunny, 11311 Imperial Highway, Norwalk …
The Majestic 4 are lead guitarist Albert Cardoza, 25, born near Albuquerque, N.M.; bass guitarist Arthur Borquez, 23, of Nogalez, Ariz.; drummer Albert Rodriguez, 23, of Tamalpais, Mexico, and organist Joe Saenz, of Globe, Ariz.
By the time they were teen-agers, the two Alberts, Arthur and Joe were all living in Phoenix …
In 1965, a “battle of the bands” was held at the Phoenix fairgrounds featuring Sonny and Cher. Thirty-five bands, amateurs and pros, competed for prizes, including an electronic organ. The Majestic 5 decided to enter, hoping to win the organ for one of their singers, Joe, who lacked an instrument. During the contest, they played their theme song, “Hello, Everybody,” which they wrote …
When the judges announced that they had won, the boys were so astounded and overjoyed that they could hardly speak. They had their choice of the organ or a recording contract with VeeJay Records. They chose the organ. It was a good decision, because the recording company decided to sign them anyway. Through no fault of the band’s, the recording deal later fell through, largely because of legal complications.
The Majestic Four and Mary-Lee Whitney opening for Brook Benton, Cannonball Adderly, Carmen McRae, Richard Pryor, and Sam Fletcher, Shrine Auditorium, March 19, 1967
… Then the group decided to come to California. They dropped one musician … and changed their name to the Majestic 4.
Joe, their spokesman, walked up to Stan Rossi, owner of the Purple Bunny, handed him the band’s business card and asked politely: “Sir, we’d like to play for you tonight while your regular band is on its rest break.” Rossi agreed. The Majestic 4 made such a hit with the crowd that Rossi hired them on the spot. They started work three weeks later and stayed eight months. Last April, after playing at clubs in Nevada and elsewhere in California, they returned for another smash engagement at the Bunny.
Majestic Four and Mary Lee Whitney, Long Beach Independent, June 27, 1968
… Their star singer, Mary Lee Whitney, is another natural …
Born in Portland, Ore., she sang for seven years with a Baptist Church choir … She was the seventh of the nine children in her family. An older brother, Jimmy, a singer who had his own band, inspired her to become a professional.
Ad for the Majestic 4, Mary Lee Whitney, and the Shirell’s (Shirelles?) at the Purple Bunny, June 1968
She became so good that a church friend, Henry Moore, asked her to join his professional group, the Harlequins. She came to California with them in 1966 and sang with them at the Purple Bunny and elsewhere.

Mary Lee Whitney released one 45 in 1966 on Loma 2044, “Don’t Come a’Knockin'” (produced and arranged by Bobby Paris with Doug Best, supervised by Russ Regan) / “This Could Have Been Mine” (produced by Larry Shayne).

As Mary Lee Whitney Evans, she sang backing vocals to three Stevie Wonder songs on Songs in the Key of Life and Hotter than July.

Thank you to Francisco Candia for sending me the clippings of the Majestic Four’s time in California.

Categories: California, Jet Set, Santa Barbara

Blue Wood “Turn Around” / “Happy Jack Mine” on Jet Set

March 22, 2015 Chris Bishop 3 Comments

Blue Wood, Moby Grape and PG&E at Santa Maria Fairgrounds on April 27, presumably 1968 as it was a Saturday that year. Jet Set Productions, Poster by Ecstacy Inc. (Subsidiary of ‘Visual Agony’), Daryl Dane ’68. Poster from the collection of Lance Rose, courtesy of Chuck Cummings

Blue Wood has the third release on the Jet Set label of Santa Barbara, California, though this time the label features a detailed logo.

The A-side has a somewhat rural psychedelic sound (harmonies and no fuzz) on “Turn Around” by Rich Geiger. The flip is a lightweight country-rock song, “Happy Jack Mine” by Ralph C. Multon and Lance Rose. Both songs published through Jet Set Publishing ASCAP, as were all the other original songs on the Jet Set label.

Blue Wood and Captain Speed at the Hangout, Santa Barbara News-Press, December, 1967

I didn’t know anything about the group until Chuck Cummings, a friend of bassist Lance Rose sent in the posters and photo seen here.

The first mention I can find of Blue Wood comes from a notice for their appearance at the Hangout (formerly Snoopy’s) in December, 1967. They played the Hangout again in May, 1968, and the Establishment Coffee House on Milpas in July, 1968.

The Santa Barbara News-Press published a note on January 30, 1968 of a benefit show with an awesome lineup of artists:

‘Lights Up ’68’ To Benefit Stadium
“Lights Up ’68,” a program of recording groups playing their latest hits, will be staged Feb. 21 in the San Marcos High School auditorium.
The event is being sponsored by the Channel Islands Region of the Junior Statesmen of America to benefit Valley Stadium.
Among the headline groups will be October Country and the Bonniwell Music Machine; Pat Briley; Floyd and Jerry, the Count Five, and the Venus Fly-Trap.
Blue Wood at The Hangout, Santa Barbara News Press, May, 1968
Also on hand will be the Valiants, the Novell’s Happening Inc., the Lollipop Fantasy and Hammermill Butter. Santa Barbara’s own Blue Wood, Giant Crab and the Calliope will also perform.
Tickets are on sale for $2 a person at the Record Rack …
An autograph party will be held on stage immediately after the show.
Proceeds will be turned over to the Valley Stadium Fund to help provide needed lighting equipment and a fence, according to Les Asher, a junior at San Marcos High School, who is serving as mayor of the sponsoring Junior Statesmen.

The poster of Blue Wood, Moby Grape and PG&E at the Santa Maria Fairgrounds on April 27 took place presumably in 1968 as it was a Saturday that year. Chuck recalls Lance telling him Moby Grape cancelled that show, so it is not certain if the show took place. I can find no newspaper notice of the show at the Fairgrounds.

It’s interesting to note “A Jetset Production”, and the credit “Poster by Ecstasy Inc. (Subsidiary of ‘Visual Agony’), with a signature by the artist Daryl Dane ’68.

The last mention I can find of Blue Wood is James N. Doukas’ column “Small clubs; small groups” from the Goleta Gazette-Citizen on September 26, 1968, which laments:

Last week I stopped in one of Goleta’s music hang-outs. The group that was playing was Blue Wood.
About ten flashes went through my mind while they performed.
Blue Wood at The Establishment, Santa Barbara News-Press, July,1968
The first one seemed to explain why the Santa Barbara area produces very little creative musical talent: its environment is dead. If clubs like the Brother’s Galley, the Hang-Out or such places are serving as centers for learning and developing new sounds, it’s literally no wonder that only two or three rock groups over a period of six years have matured musically.My mind recalls these three groups as Alexander’s Timeless Blues Band [Bloozband], the Travell Agency [possibly The Travel Agency, who had a 1968 album on Viva], and … Blue Wood.
I say that these groups have developed in an area which just doesn’t care if they were great, poor, termendous or boring. At the club with Blue Wood performing, the audience’s concerns were far from listening to music. Most people were caught up in the way they were looking …

Unfortunately there is no info on the group in Mr. Doukas’ article.

Lance Rose on bass and Steve Multon on drums, with a band that could be a later version of Blue Wood, or another group entirely. “Islay Investments” on the directory indicates the location as 800 Garden Street, Santa Barbara, which was completed in January 1970, so the photo was taken some time after that. Photo from the collection of Lance Rose, courtesy of Chuck Cummings

Chuck reported that Lance Rose passed away on September 11, 2024 in Kalispell, Montana. Thank you to Chuck for providing the posters and photo from Lance’s collection.

The Jet Set label:

Tom Lubin produced the Blue Wood 45, with Doug McGuire, the owner of the label, listed as executive producer.

As far as I can tell there were four releases on Jet Set:

JSR-45-2: Planned Obsolescense – “Exit Sticky Icky” / “Still in Love With You Baby” (Sept. 1967)
JSR-45-3: The Calliope – “I’ll Take It Back” / “Ryan 5” (eng. by Frank Kajmar, February 1968)
JSR-45-4: Blue Wood – “Turn Around” / “Happy Jack Mine” (1968)
JSR-45-5: Don Robertson – “Yesterday’s Rain” / “California”. Executive Producer Doug McGuire, Produced by Tom Lubin

Don Robertson also had the only album on Jet Set, titled Yesterday’s Rain, which has cover art by Daryl Dane, who also did the Santa Monica Fairgrounds poster at top.

Jet Set was located at 4296-A Modoc Road, Santa Barbara.

For more on Planned Obsolescense, see the post I wrote last year.

This is not the same Jet Set label that released singles by Jimmy Armstrong, Barbara Long, Jimmy Castor, Eldridge Holmes and others.

Categories: California, Hollywood, Kirk, Los Angeles, Orange Empire, Tower, UNI, Valhalla

The Sound of the Seventh Son and The East Side Kids

March 8, 2015 Chris Bishop 15 Comments

The East Side Kids at the Sea Witch, 1966
From left, back row: Danny Belsky, Joe Madrid, Jimmy Greenspoon, Dennis Lambert
front row: Dave Doud and Mike Doud

Eastside Kids Philips 45 Sunday Stranger — Eastside Kids on Philips – almost certainly a different group, possibly related to the Secrets of “Twin Exhaust” on Swan

First let me discuss a couple red herrings.

A single on Philips as the Eastside Kids likely had no connection to the East Side Kids I will be discussing in this article. Philips 40295 from June of 1965 has a great bluesy instrumental “Sunday Stranger” written by Billy Strange and almost certainly he’s playing the lead guitar too.

East Side Kids Warner Bros 45 Chocolate Matzos — Another studio production probably unrelated to the East Side Kids I’ll be discussing below, despite the identical band name

The other side was also an instrumental, “Subway Train” written by Billy Carl, Ron Gentile, and Richard Moehrle. Hear both at Left and to the Back blog, from which I took the label scan seen here.

Billy Carl (aka Billy Carlucci) co-wrote “(We’ll Meet in the) Yellow Forest” for Jay and the Americans, “Goody Goody Gumdrops” for the 1910 Fruitgum Company, and many other songs.

Ron Gentile and Richard Moehrle (aka Rick Morley) were in the Secrets. They wrote a classic instrumental called “Twin Exhaust”, released on Swan in 1962. As Crystal Mansion they had a 1968 single and LP on Capitol.

In May of 1966 there’s a single by the East Side Kids “Chocolate Matzos”/”Night Mist Blue” on Warner Bros. 5821. Like the Philips single, this sounds like a studio production, but is more exotica than rock ‘n roll, and I doubt the East Side Kids I’ll be discussing below were a part of this. Both sides written by C.B. Jerry for Phenomenal Music BMI, and produced by Dick Glasser.

So now let’s get on with the actual Sunset Strip group the East Side Kids and their initial incarnation as the Sound of the Seventh Son.

Sound of the Seventh Son Clipping — Sound of the Seventh Son: “Shaggy Singers”
from left, front row: Danny Belsky, Joe Madrid, David Doud, back: Jimmy Greenspoon and Michael Doud

In September of 1965, the Sound of the Seventh Son released their single on Tower 169. “I Told a Lie” is a good, crude garage rock. It was written by James Greenspoone (aka Jimmy Greenspoon) and Ed Fontaine. On the flip was the Byrds-like “I’ll Be On My Way”, written by Dollarhide, Greenspoone, Fontaine. Both songs published by Chemistry Music BMI, produced by Al Hazan for S.O.S. Productions.

The Sound of the Seventh Son also recorded a one-sided demo “She Lost Me” which I haven’t heard – anyone have a copy of that?

Michael Rummans of the Sloths wrote:

One of the first venues we performed at was called Stratford on Sunset. The owner was Jerry Lambert and his nephew’s group, The East Side Kids, was the house band. At that time, they had another name, something like The Sound of the Seventh Son, I think. They were older, very professional and served as mentors to us … Stratford was great while it lasted … and it was Jerry Lambert again who got me the audition for The Yellow Payges a year later.

Members of the Sound of the Seventh Son were:

Joe Madrid – vocals
David Doud – lead guitar
Michael Doud – bass guitar
Jimmy Greenspoon – piano
Danny Belsky – drums

Greenspoon and Danny Belsky had been playing together since the very early ’60s with the New Dimensions with Michael Lloyd, Craig Nuttycombe and Art Guy. David Doud had joined when the band became the Alley Kats.

Sound of the Seventh Son, the Independant, September 3, 1965 — Sound of the Seventh Son in the news, September 3, 1965

Sound of the Seventh Son Pasadena Independent, September 3, 1965 — Sound of the Seventh Son in the news, September 3, 1965

The band received press when they went to court on September 2, 1965 to get their contracts with Tower Records and SOS Productions approved and Judge A.A. Scott exclaimed “They look like freaks! … I don’t know whether they are girls or boys … God help them if they get to some real men”. The band were all between the ages of 18 and 21. Coverage was so thorough, and photographs so timely, that I have to wonder if this was a publicity stunt to coincide with their Tower single release.

The band also appears in the background of a fashion photo shoot for the LA Times magazine taken at the Crescendo Club, though only Madrid, Belsky and Greenspoon are visible in the photos.

Around the time Stratford on Sunset closed in December 1965, the Sound of the Seventh Son became the East Side Kids. Although the Warner Bros. single came in May of 1966, there may be no connection between that production and this group. Dominic Priore, in Riot on the Sunset Strip says that the East Side Kids “took up a residency at a club called Wild Thing near Hollywood and Vine before moving on to the Hullabaloo, leaving their original house band spot to the West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band.”

There’s a great photo (at top of page) of the band at the Sea Witch on Sunset Blvd with guitarist Denis Lambert, who would sit in with the group and later form Lambert and Nuttycombe with Craig Nuttycombe of the New Dimensions.

East Side Kids Orange Empire 45 Take A Look in the Mirror

In January of 1967 the East Side Kids release their single “Take A Look In The Mirror” /”Close Your Mind” on Orange Empire Records OE-500. “Take A Look In The Mirror” has a good guitar break while “Close Your Mind” has more drama in the performance. Someone, probably Danny Belsky, is playing the flute on both sides.

The songs were written by Bernie Schwartz and M. Cavett, but the A-side was published by World Showplace Music, Inc, BMI while the flip by Egap BMI.

Bernie Schwartz has an interesting history, releasing two 45s on the Tide label as Don Atello, including “Questions I Can’t Answer” which you may remember from Boulders vol. 7. He then released “Her Name Is Melody” / “I Go to Sleep” as Adrian Pride on Warner Bros 5867. After writing for the East Side Kids, the Yellow Payges and Power, he formed the Comfortable Chair who had the excellent single “Be Me” plus and LP on Ode, and his own LP The Wheel on CoBurt.

Jimmy Greenspoon seems to have left the group at some point in 1967. In June, he released a 45 as Boystown “Hello Mr. Sun” / “End of the Line” with Michael Lloyd who had just left the West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band. Around this time he moved to Denver for close to a year before returning and forming Three Dog Night.

I’m not sure if Jimmy Greenspoon was still with the group in October, 1967 when they put out their next single on Valhalla 672, which features Jimmy’s original “Listen to the Wise Man” plus a song by Doud and Madrid “Little Bird”. Both sides feature strings and pop production by Larry Tamblyn of the Standells. Publishing by Kim Fowley Music and Padua Music, BMI.

Valhalla also released 45s by the Sunday Funnies (“A Pindaric Ode” / “Whatcha Gonna Do”) and the Vikings (“Boo-Hoo-Hoo” / “Lonely Prisoner”).

Danny Belsky also seems to have left in 1967, being replaced by David Potter from the Bushmen and Euphoria.

East Side Kids, Van Nuys News, January 5, 1968 — East Side Kids news clipping from the time of their Valhalla release, January 5, 1968

By January, 1968, according to one article I found, the members were:

Joe Madrid – lead vocals
David Doud – guitar
Mike Doud – bass
David Potter – drums

This group recorded their LP The Tiger And The Lamb on Uni 73032 in 1968. Buzz Clifford and Dan Moore, both formerly of Hamilton Streetcar, produced the album. Clifford and Moore also contributed songs, along with John Fleck of the Standells and Wesley Watt of Euphoria. Dave Potter and David Doud each contributed one original composition. One single was taken from the album, David Doud’s “Taking The Time” backed with Fleck’s “Is My Love Strong” for UNI 55105 in early 1969.

Gladstone

Around October of 1968 a 45 turns up under the name Gladstone, “Pitter Patter” / “Gone By Day” on Kirk Record Co KR-5002. Under the artist name is “Tracks by EAST SIDE KIDS” and D.F. Potter (David Potter) is one of the producers along with Gregory and Gladstone. Both sides were written by Gladstone but published by different companies, Song & Dance Music BMI and Rockliffe Music BMI.

I cannot determine if Gladstone was a particular person or only an alias for the East Side Kids, but “Gone By Day” ranks among the best performances the East Side Kids were ever involved in.

In May of 1969 a Gladstone single appears on A&M Records 1061, the beautiful “What a Day” backed with the hard-rockin’ “Upsome”, both originals by Al Graham.

Alex Palao wrote to me: “The Gladstone on Kirk was an LA-based singer named Gary Gladstone, [who] cut an earlier(?), way better version of Gone By Day at Original Sound, along with other stuff. Not the same as the A&M / San Jose group of Otherside/Bogus Thunder lineage.”

I wouldn’t necessarily link this single to the East Side Kids except for the producer, Lee Michaels, whose album Carnival of Life included Wesley Watt and David Potter. However, one source lists this Gladstone band as from San Jose, CA, with members Alan Graham (vocals, bass), Ned Torney (guitar, keyboards, vocals), Ken Matthew (drums, vocals) and Jim Sawyers (guitar). Torney, Matthew and Sawyers had been in the Other Side, who had one fine single on Brent in Nov. 1965, “Streetcar” / “Walking Down the Road”. By 1969 they had been playing with Al Graham as Bogus Thunder (possibly with Wayne Paulsen on guitar instead of Jim Sawyers – sources differ).

No connection to the early ’70s band called Gladstone from Tyler, Texas that recorded on ABC and Probe.

I don’t know how the band ended, or what most of the group did afterwards. David Potter joined Endle St. Cloud, with whom he formed Potter St. Cloud. He was also a session drummer. He passed away in 2011. I believe the Doud brothers are both gone too.

In November 2015 I wrote an article about Euphoria detailing more of these connections.

Photos from Hollywood A Go Go, contributed by Danny Belsky.

Info on Bernie Schwartz from http://topshelfoldies.org/tide_edit_records.htm. Thank you to Peter Aaron for suggesting the Gladstone singles.

Garage Hangover