Dave and the Squires cut this moody original song “The Girl of My Dreams” in late 1965, released on Radex R65121. The flip is a slow version of “Ferry Cross the Merscy” [sic].
I know nothing about the group except one member’s name, Dave Lamoreux who wrote the A-side and sang lead on both sides.
Radex Recording Studio was in business in Freeport, Illinois into the 1980s. Its most notable production may be the Nomadds who cut an album there, Nomads Originals Plus. Owner Dexter Witt passed away in January 2023.
The High Numbers from left: Danny Daniels, Bruce Bruscato on drums, and Bill St. John
The High Numbers made one record, “High Heel Sneakers” / “I’m a Man” on their own Ocean label, 885S-0594. The TK4M-0594 code dates the pressing to the second half 1966. Both sides clock in at over four minutes, rather long for single sides from that time. The band cheekily listed Giorgio Gomelsky as producer of “I’m a Man” (he was of course the producer of the Yardbirds’ version!)
Members were:
Danny Daniels – lead guitar and vocals Glen Engleking – rhythm guitar Bill St. John – bass, harmonica and vocals Alan Gratzer – drums and backing vocals, replaced by Bruce Bruscato
Bass player Bill St. John sent in these photos and told me about the group:
Danny Daniels and Bill St. John
I had a band in the mid-60s in Arlington Heights.
When Danny and I were about 14, we formed a little group and played at some house parties for $5.00! We got more serious, bought some nice equipment and had a few gigs. Alan Gratzer had a band called The Questions, and they had better gigs. He called me one day and asked if I would join his band as bass player. I said I would if Danny could come along and play lead guitar. We were getting really good and found 14 year old Glen Engleking who was still in 8th grade to join as rhythm guitar.
We cut one record in 1966. I was 15 and Alan 17. When we recorded “I’m a Man”, Glen took over the bass part and I played harmonica and sang. Pretty rough and basic with no over dubs! Somehow it found its way to the Garage Punk Unknowns Volume 3 compilation album.
About three months after we cut the disc, Alan left for college. We added different drummers along the way, but it was never the same. I left for college in 1968 and never saw or talked to Danny or Glen again. Both are deceased.
Bruce Bruscato went on to replace The Shadows of Knight original drummer. Alan formed REO Speedwagon at University of Illinois in 1967.
Gary Steffins & the Fugitives 5 “I’m a Lover” / “Back Track” on RMP is an obscure 45 from one of the suburbs of Chicago, from March, 1966.
The lead guitar is strong on both sides, especially the neat instrumental “Back Track”.
A couple of photos have turned up on youtube videos, but I haven’t seen a list of band members.
On August 16, 1975, about nine years after the record, the Atlanta Constitution ran a profile of Daphne’s Lounge at the Sheraton near Hartsfield airport, with an interesting paragraph:
The band of the moment is Crystal Ball, a group formed five years ago in Chicago and now relocating to Atlanta. Gary Steffins handles most of the vocals and plays the congas. Other personnel are Steve Farrell, lead guitar, his brother Bill [Farrell] on drums, Joe Grimm on keyboards, and Greg Curbow on bass.
Surely the lineup changed in the intervening years, but I would like to know the names of the original group on the single.
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.
This is a Chicago 45 featuring Sons of Adam with Ron Steele on “Sleep in Public Places” backed with an instrumental, “I’m All Through with Her”.
It was released on Flop Records, a subsidiary of Jim-Ko Inc. In fact, “Sleep in Public Places” was also the A-side of Cole Steele and the Steele Drivers on Jim-Ko Inc. JK-41095.
I’m not sure if it’s the identical recording to the Sons of Adam version, but given both are Jim-Ko productions and include an artist named Steele, I would think it’s likely.
The flip is a fine instrumental in a different style, “I’m All Through with Her”, which doesn’t include horns, backing vocals or sound effects like “Sleep in Public Places”. Ron Steele is not credited on this side.
Jim Kolb produced the Sons of Adam 45, and Jim-Ko Pub published the songs. The dead wax includes “For Jeanette” on the A-side and “J. Kolb” on the flip, plus 41095 which was the Jim-Ko release number of the Cole Steele 45.
The Sons of Adam were a real group, including Bill Zimmerman and Joe Estok on drums, who was replaced by Marcus David in 1967. There was a well-known session guitarist in Chicago named Ron Steele, but I don’t know if this is the same person.
I couldn’t find publishing info on “Sleep in Public Places”, which was written by Zimmerman and Failla.
The July 12, 1966 registration for “I’m All Through with Her” lists Bill Stewart, pseudonym of William A. Zimmerman.
There’s another Stewart/Zimmerman registration on that date, for a song called “I Can’t Stand It”, words by Jim Dee, pseudonym of James N. Skarzynski, and words and music by Bill Stewart aka William Zimmerman. I’m not sure if this song exists on record.
Additional info on the Sons of Adam or Jim Kolb would be appreciated.
Getting out of my usual range to post about an unknown record from 1973. The label reads “Mumbled on the album Riddles from Home by Humpback Whale” but I haven’t found a trace of that album yet, if it exists.
One side contains a kazoo arrangement of “Also Sprach Zarathustra” with whistling. It predates the version by the Temple City Kazoo Orchestra by a good five years.
“The Whale Sighed” (i.e. the side with the whales on the label) has a great original song called “Passing Tone” by V. Karlsson.
The only other credits are “1973 Angel Guardian Road Service” and “Your Basic Fish Recordings, Chicago, Illinois” and BMI, though I can’t find the songs in BMI’s database.
Humpback Whale – Also Sprach Zarathustra
Randy Chance was lead guitarist for a group called the Other Half, and before that the Just Four. Note this was not the Other Half from Chicago who cut “Girl with the Long Black Hair” / “Third of January” on the Orlyn 503 in June of 1967.
There is an April 1975 copyright registration for “Search for Magicians”, words by Wade Martinow (Martinov), words and music Van Karlsson, pseudonym of Van Carson, Angel Guardian Road Service Publishing Company.
Randy Chance has a website with a timeline, dating Riddles from Home to 1972 and noting that from 1971 – 1973, he built Humpback Whale Studios in Chicago, plus “Your Basic Fish” record company and “Angel Guardian Road Service” publishing.
He also wrote and performed a musical, Turds in Hell by the Godzilla Rainbow Troupe, and a rock opera Breathe Deeply Today is Fill in Blank for the Free Theater and the Center for New Music.
Randy’s online resume includes an extensive list of composition and recording through 2016.
Gold label, no Atco distribution, D-116 AOne of the most famous ‘garage’ singles has to be the Shadows of Knight’s version of “Gloria”. As a national hit distributed by Atlantic Records (Atco), the 45 rpm single exists in over 15 U.S. variations pressed at plants around the country.
My post today concerns two of those, the original pressings on Dunwich from January and February 1966, without any Atco credit on the labels.
General agreement is that the first release has a gold label with the outlined lettering, a box around “A Dunwich Production” and “D-116”.
Teen Beat Mayhem notes that total quantity pressed is only several hundred. This pressing quantity has been repeated in online sources, but I feel it is incorrect. A pressing of a few hundred would have quickly sold out, and been worn out, but I’ve found two VG+ copies without much effort or expense.
The liner notes to If You’re Ready! The Best Of Dunwich Records…Volume 2 state that Bill Traut put together that first gold label design and ordered 4000 copies. He also used the cheapest local pressing plant he could find. Thank you to Jeff Jarema for looking that up for me. I suspect that the initial order may have been for less, and that 4,000 was the total pressed at that small plant over the first couple weeks of release. The Dunwich lettering is similar to other Chicago releases.
Yellow label, no Atco credit, DX-116 AThe first yellow label without Atco has the same credits as the gold, but a different label design, and has the release code DX-116, a number which would be used on most of the subsequent national releases. Since the small unknown Chicago plant couldn’t do the quantity needed, Traut ordered from Plastic Products in Nashville.
I asked people on the Chicago Rock Bands 1960s and 1970s Facebook group which label they had first, and by far most remembered the yellow label version. Later gold and yellow label versions exist that include Atco distribution credit, so this survey is not definitive.
I constructed this early 1966 timeline for “Gloria”:
February 18: 1st appearance on the WLS “Silver Dollar Survey. Chicago’s Official Radio Record Survey” at #18, having been played for three weeks on the station, which would put its first WLS airplay in very late January or early February.
February 25: reaches #7 on WLS
March 4: reaches #6 on WLS
March 5: Billboard reviews it and lists it as a breakout single. Enters Billboard’s Chicago singles chart at #15
March 12: rises to #8 in Billboard’s Chicago singles chart. Billboard notes 40,000 sold in Chicago and additional sales in other cities. “Kent Beauchamp acted as a kind of co-ordinator in getting the first record out and has been handling local distribution.” [ Kent Beauchamp owned Big Town Distributors and, along with Ed Yalowitz, Royal Disc Distributing.] Cash Box reports that it is “a recent master purchase” by Atlantic”. Dunwich co-owner George Badonsky had been working for Atlantic and Atco as a Midwest sales and promotion rep since February, 1965, which may explain the connection with Atlantic.
March 19: rises to #4 in Billboard’s Chicago singles chart and enters Billboard’s Hot 100 national chart at #78. In a detailed article, Billboard reported:
… the single has sold 60,000 legitimately in Chicago to date …
Local distribution by Royal Disc Distributing …
The group is managed by suburban record store and teen nightclub owner Paul Sampson, who found the quintet singing in a Veterans of Foreign Wars Club. He installed the group in his own spot, The Cellar, where they were heard by Royal Disc’s Kent Beauchamp, who recommended them to Dunwich Records.
The group is comprised of Joe Kelley, lead guitar; Gerald McGeorge, rhythm guitar; Warren Rogers, bass guitar; Tom Schiffour, drums, and lead singer Jim Sohns.
“Gloria” is getting played and starting to sell in Milwaukee, Detroit, Cleveland, St. Louis, Cincinnati and Atlanta …
“They are a super-tight group,” said Sampson. “They have everything live they have on record and they are competent musicians.”
March 26: rises to #2 in Billboard’s Chicago singles chart and #10 in Detroit. Full page ad (shared with George Edwards) in Billboard on page 7.
April 1: reaches #1 on WLS
May 7: “Gloria” reaches its peak Billboard national chart position at #10. It would remain at 10 the following week before dropping off.
High-quality scans of WLS surveys can be found here.
The Shandells, from left: Sean Ryan, Joe Stanley, Tom Nyquist, and Tom Blomquist
The Shandells came from Mount Prospect and Arlington Heights, Illinois, adjacent suburbs about 20 miles northwest of Chicago. The Shandells cut one treasured record, “Caroline” / “Mary, Mary” on Sizzle SS-5130 in August, 1965. The label reads “That Fabulous Four Sean, 2 Toms, Joe”. Members were:
Joe Stanley – lead guitar Sean Ryan – bass Tom Nyquist – guitar Tom Blomquist – drums
Crypt Records included “Caroline” and “Mary, Mary” on Back from the Grave volumes 3 and 6, respectively.
A feature in the Chicago Tribune on August 5, 1965 includes three photos of the group in the studio (which goes unnamed, unfortunately), and even quotes a verse of “Caroline” a little different to what was on the record:
The last time I saw her she said to me She’d be mine if I wanted her t’ be I said ah-Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! YA-A-A-OWWW!
The band downplay rock music in the article, presenting a wholesome image.
An article from Arlington Heights Herald notes how they would regularly fill the Knights of Columbus Hall. It goes on to say that Sean Ryan was leader of the group and primary writer of their original songs, and that he was an Irish citizen. He was a senior at Prospect High School.
Joe Stanley also wrote for the group, was a sophomore at St. Viator High and “has a B average.”
Tom Blomquist was class president at Arlington High School, wrote “Caroline”, and also averaged Bs in school.
Tom Nyquist is “lead rhythm guitarist” and a sophomore at Prospect High School.
When they cut their single, the group were 15 years old, except for Sean who was 17.
Thank you to Mikael for alerting me to the photo of the group, and to Mike Markesich for pointing out the articles.
Before the Buckinghams, there were the Centuries, who released one fine single on the Spectra-Sound label in 1965, “I Love You No More” b/w “Yeh: It’s Alright”.
The Centuries’ members were:
Carl Giammarese – lead guitar Nick Fortuna – rhythm guitar Curt Bachman – bass guitar and lead vocals on “I Love You No More” Gerald Elarde – drums and lead vocals on “Yeh; It’s Alright”
Listen to “I Love You No More” below. “Yeh; It’s Alright” is also good, especially Carl’s frantic guitar solo.
It’s Alright and I Love You No More were recorded by The Centuries in, I think, late 1964, at Lawrence and Western and I think it was the old St. Louis Insurance Building. My cousin Jerry Elarde was our drummer and lead singer (fab voice) … he sang It’s Alright. Our bass player, Curt Bachman, sang I Love You No More. I was the Lead Guitar player and Nick Fortuna was the rhythm guitar player. Both songs were written by Jeff Boyen (from Saturday’s Children). Jeff was part of a duo called Ron and Jeff, kind of folky, but they did early Beatles fabulously. These songs had nothing to do with The Buckinghams other than Nick and I became The Pulsations and then The Buckinghams.
Jeff Boyan was part of the Blackstones which included Curt Bachman for a time. The Blackstones would release four singles on the Invictus label, including a slightly different arrangement of “I Love You No More” (as Dalek/Engam: the Blackstones) in July, 1965. Boyan would go on to join Saturday’s Children with singles on Dunwich. Deb Music BMI published both songs, which were credited to “Geoff – Boyan”.
Carl Giammarese, Nick Fortuna and Curt Bachman would continue with a name change to the Pulsations, adding Dennis Tufano, Jon Poulos, and Dennis Miccoli and eventually becoming the Buckinghams. The Buckinghams first single would also come out on Spectra-Sound Records, “Sweets for My Sweet” / “Beginner’s Love”, before they were signed to U.S.A. Records.
Dan Belloc owned Spectra-Sound Records. The Centuries single has master numbers 4759-1 and 4760-1 while the Buckinghams has S-4617, which may indicate the Buckinghams was released first, but I am not sure of that.
For more info on Jeff Boyan and context on these bands, I definitely recommend Jeff Jarema’s interview with Jerry McGeorge of the Blackstones, the Shadows of Knight, and H.P. Lovecraft in Here ‘Tis #6, which can be found on the Internet Archive.
Something Obviously Borrowed are another mystery to me. Their only single is a good two-sider, released on the same J.R.P. label as the Shadow Casters.
“Tell the People” is upbeat, with typical lyrics of the time (“Now is the time to tell the people, all about love”). D. Geinosky and L. Carr wrote the song; they were probably members of the band.
“Joan” is laid-back rock, with a feel something like Loaded-era Velvet Underground, the singer intoning “please come on home, Joan”. Writer credit is to the producer, James Ruff, but members of the Shadow Casters noted he put his name on one of their compositions, “Going to the Moon”.
James Ruff Productions probably paid for recording time and pressing of the single on J.R.P. 004, sometime after April 1968. J.R.P. labels list an address in Aurora, Illinois. Sandpiper BMI published both songs but I don’t see a copyright listing for either. The code TM 2665/6 indicates Chess Records’ Ter-Mar studio in Chicago.
Something Obviously Borrowed seems to be the only other release on JRP besides the Shadow Casters, and also seems to be rarer than their singles.
This site is a work in progress on 1960s garage rock bands. All entries can be updated, corrected and expanded. If you have information on a band featured here, please let me know and I will update the site and credit you accordingly.
I am dedicated to making this site a center for research about '60s music scenes. Please consider donating archival materials such as photos, records, news clippings, scrapbooks or other material from the '60s. Please contact me at rchrisbishop@gmail.com if you can loan or donate original materials
Dave and the Squires cut this moody original song “The Girl of My Dreams” in late 1965, released on Radex R65121. The flip is a slow version of “Ferry Cross the Merscy” [sic].
