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.
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.
Flyer for the Nightshades with WLS DJ Ron Riley at A Better Mouse Trap Club in Vernon Hills
The Nightshades formed as the Deadly Nightshades at Glenbrook South High School in Glenview, IL, a suburb of Chicago. The group’s lineup changed, sometimes to a quartet or trio format, but included at various times:
Gary Schaeffer – vocals Bob Zemke – lead guitar Larry LaCoste – rhythm guitar Phil Jernigan, replaced by Tom Lavin – bass Don Locke, replaced by Kenny LaCoste – drums
I only have one of their singles, the second of three the band released on Gear Records in 1967 and 1968.
The first was “Summertime” / “Wonder Where My Baby Is Tonight” on Gear 747/8.
“Summertime” and the Kinks cover are cool enough, but I like the original songs on their second single on Gear C 749/750, “Flying High” and especially the heavier “American Boy” with its sustained guitar sound and lyrics that would tell an interesting story if I could decipher more of them. The labels list Zemke, La Cost, Jernigan as writers for both songs, published by Gear Music BMI, with arrangement by Bob Zemke, plus Gear Enterprises, c/o Ed Zemke.
Their last single was “Sweet Cecelia” / “My Mother Done Told Me (That You Were a Lover)” on Gear 751/2.
Flyer for the Nightshades at The Exit on 1810 Walters Ave
Deborah Fortune wrote to me with the flyers for the Nightshades at The Exit and the Mouse Trap. She wrote to me:
Nick Rush was their first drummer. Sometime in 1965 or so. He lives in California now. I went to high school with Larry and Kenny, Bob, Nick and Gary. Gary Schaefer is alive, Nick is too. Bob Zemke died when we were all kids in high school. Bob’s dad was the band’s manager.
I grew up on the Northshore; Glenview, and went to all the different teen clubs. I found it interesting, looking back, that the Glenview Park District forked over its golf course clubhouse to be used as a teen club every Friday and Saturday night. That was The Pit. They also supplied an off duty policeman. Why, I was never sure as we certainly were not a rowdy bunch back then.
Bobby Simms was born Robert Siemiaskzo. While still in high school in 1961 he joined the Mus-Twangs as lead vocalist. The Mus-Twangs were based out of Harvey, Illinois, about 20 miles south of central Chicago and just west of Hammond, Indiana. The Mus-Twangs had two instrumental singles on Smash, including the very first single ever released by that label, “Marie” / “Roch Lomond”.
Simms left the Mustangs in 1962 and started the Bobby Simms Trio with Mus-Twangs bassist Keith Anderson, recording a good Mersey-influenced single in 1964 on New Breed “And Your Mine” / “Do Things Right” featuring the drumming and harmonica of Verne Johnson (later of Illinois Speed Press).
In 1965 Simms had his own single on Smash, “The World Is Funny” / “You’re My Everything” which I haven’t heard yet.
The following year he released a 45 as Bobby Simms and the Simmers, featuring two of his original songs, the raucous “Big Mama” backed with a much gentler harmony sound in “Please Please Believe”.
This seems to be the only release on WM & RC Records, though there were two different labels, one featuring a key and distribution by Summit. WM standing for Walter Melnyk, the manager of Simms and owner of the M.B. Club in the Burnside neighborhood of Chicago. The “C” in RC stands for Cox, co-producer of the sinle with Melnyk. Publishing was by M.B. Key BMI.
Musicians on the Simmers single included Keith Anderson and Verne Johnson from the Trio, plus guitarist Paul Cotton from the Mus-Twangs.
In 1967 Simms became one of the founding members of the Rotary Connection. Keith Anderson and Paul Cotton formed the Rovin’ Kind, which evolved into Illinois Speed Press.
I’m sorry to report that while researching this post I saw a comment from Keith Anderson that Bobby Simms passed away on May 29, 2015.
Information for this post came from Paul Cotton’s excellent site, especially this page on Bobby Simms.
The Nervous System had two 45s on the Jambee label circa 1967, though one side, “Make Love, Not War” was used for both releases. The band seems to have been from the Chicago area, though I don’t have confirmation of that.
Their first 45, on Jambee 1001/1002 included the song “Bones”, with a first line that really hooked me: “I like the way she’s wrapped around her bones, the way she talks and how she smiles at me…”
The tense performance, the atmospheric production and the melancholy nature of the song makes “Bones” stand out for me, compared to the intricate but low-key “Make Love, Not War”. Both songs were written by J. Miller for Yuggoth BMI, and produced by J. & M. Miller. A 10″ acetate from Universal Recording Corp. on E. Walton includes “Make Love, Not War” plus a decent try at “Foxy Lady”.
The Nervous System’s second release included “Oh!” written by J. & M. Miller and produced by J. Miller and P. Serrano. It shows up on another Universal Recording acetate backed with a pop song, “Hello Sun” and a bluesy public service announcement, “Keep Chicago Beautiful”.
The only other release on the Jambee label that I know of is Circus, “I’ll Always Love You” by W. Stevenson and I. Turner, b/w “Away From This World” by Kevin Murphy, which is Jambee 1007/1008, so I suppose there’s a Jambee 1005/1006 out there somewhere but haven’t seen it yet if it exists. The producers for the Circus record were Jordan Miller, Morrie Parker, at least giving us a clue who J. Miller was.
Presumably the same Jordan Miller wrote “The Great Train Robbery” for the Little Boy Blues on Ronko.
Much more is known about Circus, who seem to have included Rick Panzer on piano, Kevin Murphy on Hammond organ, Jimmy Stella on vocals, Larry McCabe on trombone/trumpet, Bill Mickelburg, Vern Pilder and Phil Michilson on guitar, and Ross Salomone on drums. They had a much more brash sound, something like Sly & the Family Stone, featuring heavy funk and a full horn section. After the Jambee 45 they had a release on Columbia, also produced by Morrie Parker, “Where Are You At” / “Read All About It” in 1969. Eventually those three members joined with guys from the American Breed to form Rufus.
Universal Recording demo of “Foxy Lady”, flip side is “Make Love Not War”Universal Recording demo with two songs “Hello Sun” and “Keep Chicago Beautiful”, flip had the version of “Oh” released on their second single
David and the Huns as part of the Ray Smithers Revue with the Night Watch, Perpetual Motion and other bands
The Huns came from Arlington Heights, Illinois, a suburb NW of Chicago, most of them students at St. Viator High School, class of 1969. They cut one of the best double-sided 45s of the ’60s, the incredible, blasting “Destination Lonely” with the more tuneful “Winning Ticket.”
Members were:
David Grundhoefer – vocals Bob Dempsey – lead guitar Mark Abate – rhythm guitar Bill McCaffrey – bass (also spelled Bill McCaffery in one source) Herb Klein – drums
blue Sheldon version of “Destination Lonely”
An article in the Roselle Register from May 24, 1967 states that they made their first appearance at the Plum Grove Club in October 1965. It also goes on to say “they have cut one record and made the arrangements for the release of another.”
The article states that the members “recall the Oasis Drive-In Battle of the Bands last August [1966] as its first big step. WNWC sponsored the contest and the Huns were among the top five finalists from 67 entries. They went on to take top billing … and won the record contract.”
“‘Destination Lonely,’ written by Dave and Mark, was cut at Sheldon Recording Studios in Old Town. Distributed under the ROCK N’ JAZZ label, the record gained popularity here and in Milwaukee but could not be played on either WCFL or WLS due to lack of a copyright.”
red Stereo Sound version with added reverb to lead guitar and vocal on “Destination Lonely”
“In the words of Dave [Grundhoefer], ‘We started after Saturday’s Children but changed to more abstract folk in the lyrics, an obscure tough of Dylan.’ As examples he cites three new Huns songs: ‘Look My Way,’ ‘My Life’ and ‘Did You Believe Me?'”
“Their equipment, built up over the last 18 months, now totals over $5,000. … ‘Most of our earnings have gone into equipment’ said bass guitarist Bill McCaffrey.'”
Another article in the Daily Herald states that the band had played the Hut, the Cellar, and “are schedule to play with the Cryan’ Shames at the New Place in Cary.”
Dave Grundhoefer and Mark Abate wrote “Destination Lonely” and Grundhoefer wrote “Winning Ticket,” both published by RNJ Pub, BMI.
The Stereo Sound version of “Winning Ticket” with jet sounds
The Huns released their single in November, 1966 in two different versions: first with blue labels with a dry sound (no reverb), and then with red labels with added reverb on the vocals and jet noise overdubbed on “Winning Ticket.”
The blue label has a slightly different intro to “Destination Lonely”: the opening chord is struck twice, while the red version has a leading chord before striking the next chord two times.
Other than that, and the reverb added to the lead guitar and vocals, I can’t detect a significant difference in these versions of “Destination Lonely.”
The blue labels include “S-4923” and “S-4924” which indicates it was pressed at Sheldon in Chicago.
The red labels include “SS-8668-01A/B” which is supposed to indicate this single was recorded and pressed by Stereo Sound in Chicago.
However the versions are so close, that I do not think the entire song was rerecorded at Stereo Sound. I believe it’s possible that the lead guitar and lead vocal were both re-recorded over the original backing track done at Sheldon. That would explain the difference in the striking of the opening chords.
I haven’t heard the blue label version of Winning Ticket – any difference besides the overdubs?
The blue label version is considered much rarer than the already-scarce red label copies.
Rock n’ Jazz Records released 45s by the Night Watch – “The Goods Gone” (by Forbes – Loesch – Hanson) / “Shake”; the Perpetual Motion – “You Hurt Me” / “Sally Brown”; and one by Ray Smithers and the Perpetual Motion – “I Remember” / “We Will Share”.
“We Will Share and “Sally Brown” are original songs by Mertes and Saranpos, “You Hurt Me” by Saranpos alone. Publishing on all Rock n’ Jazz singles except the Huns was by Freemont Music.
I believe Ray Smithers owned the Rock n’ Jazz label, as the photo at top notes the Ray Smithers Revue. I haven’t seen any records by the Marie Antoinettes though!
“Fast-Rising Huns Take Next Big Step” Friday, March 24, 1967
I read some stories in Fuzz, Acid and Flowers about the group that I’m a little skeptical of: that they wore “animal skins with bleached white hair,” that “Robert Dempsey took guitar lessons from Ted Nugent … he apparently helped his student by writing some of the guitar solos for the 45.”
I also read that some years later they released a 45 for Ampex as Greenwood County Farm, but Roy Vombrack wrote to me to clarify: “that was a separate group that had former Huns singer Dave Grundhofer as lead vocalist. Greenwood County Farm released a Bill Traut-produced single “The Man”/”I Wish I Knew You” with Dave on lead. I was the tenor sax player. The band later became Greenwood & then morphed into Jamestown Massacre which later became Mariah.”
Thank you to Paul Sullivan for sending in the photo at top of what appears to be the Huns, listed on the sign behind the band as David and the Huns. Bob Dempsey has commented on youtube that this is his group of Huns from Arlington Heights, not the Ithaca, NY group.
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
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.
