“Strange Land, Strange People” reminds me of some of the Strawberry Alarm Clock’s songs, and has a solo section with organ and piano in unison. Songwriting is by Dennis Stewart. The flip “Crying All Alone,” is similar in sound and was written by Greg Schuller.
Released on the Sand “G” label in 1968 it was also put out on the Golden Voice label with the band’s production address listed at 1118 Nowland, Peoria, Illinois.
I didn’t know anything about the band until Ed Mooberry left his comment (see below) and Deborah Shawgo contacted me.
Members of the band were:
Greg Schuller (lead vocals) Mike Summerville (lead guitar) replaced by Gary Shawgo (lead guitar, backing vocals) Ed Mooberry (rhythm guitar) Dennis Stewart (keyboards) Mike Creek (bass) Frank Ballard (drums)
Gary Shawgo had been in the Furniture, who are likely the group out of Galesburg that released “Keep on Running” / “I Love It Baby” on Stature, though I don’t know if Gary was in the group when the record was released. Deborah Shawgo remembered the Furniture often playing “Keep on Running” live.
Other members of the Furniture were Ron Stockard on keyboards (he later joined Chaka Khan – though I’ve seen his name spelled Ron Stockert), and Jerry “Pork” Armstrong who had a lot of success with his own group Pork and the Havana Ducks and passed away in 2003. Randy Moody is another name I associate with the Furniture as he wrote “I Love It Baby”.
By the time he joined the North Bridge Company, Gary was attending the University of Missouri at Rolla, and commuting back on weekends for gigs and rehearsal. Gary and Deborah Shawgo had a group in the late ’80s called Sudden Impact in Springfield, IL. Gary passed away in 2007.
The Only Onz were from Illinois – one member from Lincoln, the others from Chicago, so I’m not sure where they were based. This 45 was originally released on the R.I.P. label – anyone have a scan of that label?
“When Teardrops Fall” was written by Drezner, Gayle, & Reiss. The band takes about half a minute to get the song really going. On the other side is a decent version of the Lovin’ Spoonful’s “On the Road Again”.
Members were Bruce Drezner, Rick Gayle (organ) and Jack Reiss.
The Shadow Casters were students from West Aurora High School in Aurora, Illinois, on the edge of the greater Chicago area. The band was active from 1966 to 1969, when members left for college.
They released two 45s on J.R.P. Records (James Ruff Productions) in November 1967 and April 1968. I knew little about the group until members of the band started leaving comments, below, so I’m rewriting this post with this new information.
Bill Maakestad – lead vocalist Gregory Ellis – lead guitar (replaced by Thom Swiss) Ron Pansing – bass Bill Buff – drums
“It’ll Be Too Late” is their first 45, credited to Ron Pansing. The flip “Going to the Moon” has a slow, late night atmosphere. Singer Bill Maakestad says that this song made it to American Bandstand.
Their second record featured a guest vocalist, Dick Johnson. “But Not Today” was their most upbeat song, credited on the label to Bill Buff. “Cinnamon Snowflake” is an excellent melancholy number credited to Greg Ellis.
Originally I was surprised to see each of the Shadowcasters’ songs written by a different member of the group (plus one credited to their producer, James Ruff). Bill Buff corrects this, saying Bill Maakestad wrote all lyrics and co-wrote the music with Greg Ellis. Maakestad’s name was left off the labels only because James Ruff couldn’t remember how to spell it. Ruff was not musically inclined, but somehow listed himself as writer of “Going to the Moon”.
The only other single on J.R.P. that I can find is Something Obviously Borrowed, a band who may have included D. Geinosky and L. Carr as members.
Thanks to Ad Zwaga for sending in the soundclip of “Cinnamon Snowflake”.
Keith Everett (real name Keith Gravenhorst) released this 45 in April, 1966. “Don’t You Know” is a fine ballad, while the flip is an outrageous indictment of conscientious objectors, with the lyrics:
They call themselves the conscientious objectors But all they’re tryin’ to do is tryin’ to infect us With their fear and their shame They hide under the name of conscientious objectors They might as well be defectors The way they act
Well keep it up boy the way you’ve been goin’ And who can tell son, you’ve got no way of knowin’ That tomorrow we might be the way That Vietam is today And you’ll be sorry you fools For the things that you do
You’re conscientious objectors You might as well be defectors The way you act
“Don’t You Know” did well in Chicago, entering WCFL charts in March, and reaching as high as #10 two months later.
After “Conscientious Objector”, he released another on TMT-Ting, “She’s The One Who Loved You” / “Lookin’ So Fine”, then one more on Mercury with a Dunwich Productions credit, “The Chant” / “Light Bulb”. Everett wrote all six songs.
from left: Wes Dobson, Ron Fricano, Lee Adams and Rick Harper
The Riddles were all from the well-to-do western suburbs of Chicago, around Elmhurst. Members were:
Patrick Harper – lead vocals and lead guitar Lee Adams – vocals and bass Weston Dobson – rhythm guitar Ronald Fricano – drums.
They recorded a cover of the Searchers hit “Sweets For My Sweet” which made the charts on Chicago stations WLS and WCFL in April of 1967, but it’s the b-side that I dig, the very cool original “It’s One Thing To Say”, written by Pat Harper and Wes Dobson. Edgewater music publisher Peter Wright often placed records with Mercury Records, so the 45 was released locally on Qull and with national distribution on Mercury.
The Riddles were frequent guests on the local Chicago TV program Kiddie A-Go-Go. They played a benefit concert with the New Colony Six in Grant Park on September 27, 1967, then disappeared, probably off to college to avoid the draft.
Thanks to Chris S. for sending in the photo of the band, and to Jim M. for alerting me to the interview with Jack Mulqueen of Kiddie A Go go by Phil X. Milstein. Mercury promo photo sent in by John ‘Nusound’.
The Starlites released this one 45 on Zap, a Nashville, Tennesee label affiliated with Belle Meade Records.
The 45 labels list them as the Starliters, but the R is crossed out on at least some copies, so they’re generally known as the Starlites. They were a mystery group until comments came in from Steve Dodson and lead guitarist Alan Wait. The band was from Danville, Illinois.
Members were:
Alan Wait – lead guitar Harold Hannon – rhythm guitar Ron Meeker – sax Jim Crystal – drums Steve Ransom – keyboards
“Wait for Me” was written by Alan Wait. Though repetitive, the song features a frantic fuzz guitar solo. The flip is “You’ll Never Find Me”. Alan comments below that Vickie Porter wrote the lyrics for both songs.
Gene Vanderport comments below that he played keyboards with the Starlites after the single.
There’s no connection to the Starliters who have a 45 “I Cry Alone” (written by Lloyd Faust) / “Don’t Ever Leave Me” on the 4 Sons label from Paris, Tennessee.
The Shays in 1963, from left: Steve Naylor, Denis Ahlborn, Jim Harvey, Ken Heinrich and George Mattson
Updated June, 2016
The Shays came from Mount Prospect, Illinois, northwest of Chicago, and released one 45 on Astra, “People’ve Been Sayin'” / “Tell Me Where”. These two tracks feature basic but solid two-guitar instrumental backing for the vocalist.
Members were:
Ken Heinrich – lead vocals Denis Ahlborn – lead guitar George Mattson – rhythm guitar & backup vocals Steve Naylor – bass Jim Harvey – drums
Both songs were written by George Mattson, who contacted me about the band:
Jack Schapps owned three music stores in shopping centers in suburban Chicago and Astra Records was kind of a sideline business of his. The Shays’ bass player, Steve Naylor, and myself worked at his music store at Randhurst Shopping Center in Mt. Prospect and Jack agreed to record our band on his label. I understand that he had worked for RCA records before going into retail, therefore we recorded at the RCA studios in Chicago (somewhere near Navy Pier) around 1965. We did get airplay on WCFL-AM for “Tell Me Where”, which is what we considered the A side. Originally the playing time was almost 3 minutes. WLS told us that was too long to get airplay on their station. At that point, Jack had the 2nd verse removed to reduce the playing time. WLS still wouldn’t play it. 😉
While checking out your website, I discovered the pics of “The Mouse Trap” club in Vernon Hills. The Shays played there regularly in the mid-60s and I still remember The Riddles as another regular band from there. It was another flashback to see the photo of Phil Metzler there. I believe Phil was the guy who started the rumor that burned through the NW suburbs that The Beatles might make a stop at the Mouse Trap after their concert at Comiskey Park in 1965. That night the club was the most crowded that I ever remember. (Phil was a real promoter.)
George Mattson
As George added in a comment below, “we basically were busted up by the Viet Nam draft around 1966-67.”
This group was not connected to the Shays from Canada who had a couple 45s on Roman Records.
Astra Records were part of the Nova Corporation in Hillside, Illinois. Their RCA account number was 806N, with original songs (such as the Shays and Bobby Stanton Sextet) published through Randhurst Music, BMI. There about five other Astra labels from the ’60s including the the reissue label from Pittsburgh and one from Detroit specializing in doo-wop and r&b.
Astra Records discography:
Astra 300: Bobby Angel and the Hilltoppers “Submarine Races” / “Heartbreak Hotel” (instrumental) (N8OW-7560/1, 1962) Astra 301: Bobby Stanton Sextet Scree….Aghh” / “Scree….Aghh’s Gone” (1963) Astra 302: Tommy Johnson & Bobby Stanton Quintet “Do You Mean What You Say” / “Coolin’ My Heels” (both by Emme Mullis & Ruth Kling, P3KM-8119/20) Astra 303: ? Astra 304: ? Astra 305: The Shays “People’ve Been Sayin'” / “Tell Me Where” (1965, SK3M-1475/6)
Thank you to George Mattson for the photo and information on the band, and to Gary Cease for providing the photo of the label.
Chicago’s Cryan Shames found huge success from the A-side of this 45, “Sugar and Spice”, but the flip “Ben Franklin’s Almanac” is their finest garage moment and might surprise you. It has a fantastic guitar break too.
Anyone have a photo of the group?
The Destination label was also home to the Boyz excellent pop 45 “Come With Me”.
Interestingly the schedule for Mother Duck, below, shows there was a band by the name Ben Franklin’s Almanac playing around Chicago in 1969.
The Delights from Chicago cut this excellent cover of the Kingsmen’s “Long Green” that surpasses the original in energy and excitement, The Delaware label released it backed with “Find Me a Woman”.
The Delights were Gregory Grimes, Vincent Schraub, Norbert Soltysiak, Robert A. Bluff, and Louis Sanjurio.
They followed up with a cover of the Zombies’ “Just Out of Reach” backed with “Every Minute, Every Hour, Every Moment” on Smash, then disbanded.
Norbert (Norb) Soltysiak later joined the Hardy Boys, a band that released two lps on RCA as a tie-in to the TV show of the same name. The Delaware label also released A.J. and the Savages organ-groover “Long Long Time”.
I’d like to focus on the early career of Baby Huey and the Baby Sitters – four songs released across five singles during 1964-1966, before Huey signed to Curtom and recorded the songs issued on his great posthumous LP.
These four are the influential “Monkey Man” and a great cover of Junior Wells’ “Messin with the Kid”, along with a fantastic soul number, “Just Being Careful”. His version of “Beg Me” isn’t bad, but it’s probably the weakest number on these early 45s.
Baby Huey was born James Ramey in Richmond, Indiana and formed the Babysitters in Chicago in 1963 with guitarist Johnny Ross and organ player/trumpeter Melvin “Deacon” Jones. Melvin Jones is brother of jazz drummer Harold Jones. Reno Smith was the drummer at some point (though I’m not sure if he’s on these singles). “Monkey Man” and “Just Being Careful” were both written by John R. Ross.
Other members of the Babysitters included Plato Jones on percussion, Danny O’Neil on guitar, Rick Marcotte on trumpet, and Byron Watkins on tenor sax.
Baby Huey died in a South Side motel room on October 28, 1970, after a show in Madison, Wisconsin.
Early 45 releases
The history of Baby Huey’s early singles is somewhat confusing because of the repetition of songs. Below seems to be a complete list from this time period:
Shann 73924 – Just Being Careful / Messin’ With the Kid (1965) USA 801 – Just Being Careful / Messin’ With the Kid (April ’65) St. Lawrence 1002 – Monkey Man / Beg Me (1965, issued on both blue and white labels) St. Lawrence 1002 – Monkey Man / Messin’ With the Kid (1965, white label only) Satellite 2013 – Monkey Man / Messin’ With the Kid (1967)
Some or all of the Shann 45s have the label name marked over with “USA”. I don’t believe “Monkey Man”/”Beg Me” exists on Satellite.
The St. Lawrence white label of Monkey Man was bootlegged in 2011.
In 2005 an acetate came up on auction that was supposed to be an unreleased instrumental by Baby Huey and the Baby Sitters. I had a sound clip up here for over a year before Mark Namath identified it as “Zoobie” by the Noisemakers. The acetate was probably a DJ or collector’s cut misidentified as Baby Huey – there’s no connection whatever between the groups.
Thanks to Dean Milano for scan of the photo of Baby Huey and the Baby Sitters at the top of the page. Check out Dean’s new book The Chicago Music Scene: 1960s and 1970s.
Transfer of “Beg Me” thanks to a fan of the group.
Gigs and announcements in the press
According to Billboard, promoter Barry Fey’s first production was a Baby Huey show in Rockford, IL. Eventually Huey and the Babysitters were managed by Marv Stuart’s State and Madison Management (listed as Marv Heiman on wikipedia).
Billboard and Jet magazines kept tabs on some of Baby Huey’s doings during the late ’60s. I’m sure Chicago newspapers from the time have more listings.
at the Jaguar with the Shadows of Knight! March 16, 19681966 various months – Thumbs Up, Chicago February 25 – Harmony Hall, Chicago October – at Trude Hellers, also an announcement that Capitol Booking has signed the group
1967 January- at Ungano’s club in New York November 10-21 – at the Cheetah in Chicago December 31 – at the Cheetah in Chicago with the Exception
1968 March 16 – at the Jaguar with the Shadows of Knight April 5 – The Deep End, Park Ridge, Illinois May 31 – The Deep End June 28 – The Deep End July 9 – Hullabaloo Club, Genoa Road, Belvidere, Illinois July 10 – The Deep End July 12 – The New Place with Christopher Robin & Friends July 19 – The Green Gorilla July 20 – The Cellar, with the Byzantine Empire July 26 – The Deep End August 7 – The New Place with Fire and Ice August 9 – The Cellar with the One Eyed Jacks August 17 – The Deep End August 27 – at the Jaguar with Boston Tea Party November 23 – at Mother Duck with the Box Tops November 27 – The Deep End
1969 March 1 – The Wild Goose, Rt 120 & Lewis Ave, Waukegan, Illinois March 22 – The Wild Goose April – at Barnaby’s Balcony in Chicago and at the Cheetah in Chicago beginning April 21 May – Billboard reports the group scheduled to record their first LP for Curtom in New York. May 6 – Appearance on the Soul! TV show, with Dee Dee Warwick, Lord Superior, Shirley Chisholm and Jacob Lawrence – anyone have a clip of this? May 22 – The Chances ‘R’, Champaign, Illinois May 21 – appearance on the Merv Griffin Show, in New York June (2nd week) – Merv Griffin Show broadcast on various dates depending on city August 14 – Jet announces that Baby Huey was “ailing a bit” in Chicago.
1970 April 24 – Sound Storm Festival, Poynette, Wisconsin (There are a number of excellent photos at (Wisconsin Historical Society – search for Baby Huey or Sound Storm under photos and images.) August 1 – Lou’s Quarry, Appleton, WI October 31 – Drake University Homecoming Dance, Val-Air Ballroom (scheduled but cancelled due to Jim Ramey’s passing on the 28th, replaced by Just Us and the Batch)
Billboard also mentions that after Huey’s death, the Babysitters changed their name to Boink for at least one live show. However Robert Baker, in a comment below states “The Babysitters never changed their name to Boink. This was another concurrent group that had at least two ex-Babysitters in the group.” Live dates from publications including The Daily Herald (Chicago), the Des Moines Register, the Belvidere Daily Republican.
Jet, November 12, 1970Billboard, December 5, 1970Jet, October 7, 1971Billboard, October 29, 1966Billboard, November 26, 1966Jet, January 19, 1967This news item was picked up nationally in August, 1967. I can’t find further details.Billboard, September 30, 1967Billboard, November 18, 1967Billboard, December 23, 1967at Mother Duck with the Box Tops November 23, 1968Jet, March 6, 1969Baby Huey & the Babysitters appear on the Soul! TV show, with Dee Dee Warwick, Lord Superior, Shirley Chisholm and Jacob Lawrence, March 6, 1969 – anyone have a clip of this?Billboard, April 1, 1969Billboard, April 12, 1969Billboard, April 26, 1969Billboard, May 17, 1969 – does the tape of this broadcast still exist?!Broadcast of the Merv Griffin Show on June 11, 1969Lou’s Quarry, Appleton, Wisconsin, August 1, 1970Jet, August 14, 1969At Lou’s Quarry, Appleton, Wisconsin, August 1, 1970Baby Huey profiled in the The Daily Journal (Fergus Falls, Minnesota), March 20, 1969
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
The Only Onz were from Illinois – one member from Lincoln, the others from Chicago, so I’m not sure where they were based. This 45 was originally released on the R.I.P. label – anyone have a scan of that label?
I’d like to focus on the early career of Baby Huey and the Baby Sitters – four songs released across five singles during 1964-1966, before Huey signed to Curtom and recorded the songs issued on his great posthumous LP.
Other members of the Babysitters included Plato Jones on percussion, Danny O’Neil on guitar, Rick Marcotte on trumpet, and Byron Watkins on tenor sax.
Some or all of the Shann 45s have the label name marked over with “USA”. I don’t believe “Monkey Man”/”Beg Me” exists on Satellite.
In 2005 an acetate came up on auction that was supposed to be an unreleased instrumental by Baby Huey and the Baby Sitters. I had a sound clip up here for over a year before Mark Namath identified it as “Zoobie” by the Noisemakers. The acetate was probably a DJ or collector’s cut misidentified as Baby Huey – there’s no connection whatever between the groups.
