Category Archives: South Bend

Categories: Indiana, South Bend

The Rimfires “Bandstand Step”

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The Rimfires had one great single, featuring the rocking vocal “Bandstand Step” backed with “Un-Gowa”.

Members probably included:

Robert Wantuch – drums
Theodore Michael Broskey
Ted Niemann

Ted Broskey is credited with writing “Un-Gowa” on the label, but BMI’s database for Cedarlane publishing also has Bob Wantuch listed as writer.  BMI shows “Bandstand Step” written by all three members.

Released on Sounds of the Rimfires, the code R3KM-9159/60 indicates the 1964 date. I don’t have the record but I assume there is an “I” in the deadwax to indicate RCA’s Indianapolis pressing plant.

The band came from South Bend, Indiana.

Bobby Wantuch’s LinkedIn profile shows he drummed with the Rivieras, Clark Terry, Thad Jones and others besides the Rimfires. In more recent years he is listed as Team Leader at Musicians Friend.

A notice in the South Bend Tribune from May 1, 1964 advertises a “Teenage Rock n Roll Dance” with music by the Rimfires.

A January 1966 article in the same paper lists local bands: the Rimfires, Ravens, Teen- Tones, Trade Winds, Fugitives and Soul Seekers.

The Tradewinds cut “Oop Oop a Doo” / “Floatin'” on Destination 620 in March, 1966.

There was a Fugitives band from Bloomington that released “Sticks and Stones” / “Lonely Weekends” on Dust 1050, but this may be a different band – Fugitives, like the Ravens, being a common band name.

That’s All Rite Mama has an article on the Teen-Tones, listing their three 45s and members: “Mike Ryan on vocal and sax, Ken Kidder on Wurlitzer Piano, Tom Hemminger on Lead, Roger Lacky on Rhythm, Lew Kimble on Drums.”

T&T stands for Tune and Talent Productions, Paul E. Hertel’s publishing and promotion company. That’s All Rite Mama mentions Paul Hertel also managed the Rimfires and that the band became the Music Project.

I could use quality scans of the Rimfires 45 labels.

Categories: Flic, Indiana, South Bend

The Checkmates “Do It” on Flic Records

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Checkmates Flic 45 Do ItI don’t know anything about The Checkmates, who put out one 45 on Flic Records 786 in the early or mid 1960s. Tim Garbocz wrote “Do It” with vocal by Mickey Stillson. There’s no publishing info listed.

Crypt Records put “Do It” on the 2015 compilation Ho-Dad Hootenanny Too!, which I recommend buying if you like this crude, rockin’ garage sound. The instrumental flip is only a minute and a half long and has not been reissued before.

The initals MW on the label (MW 544/5) indicate Midwest Record Pressing in Chicago pressed this single. Could be they were an Illinois group.

One source shows this band connected to the Checkmates from Johnson City, Tennessee who recorded “Talk to Me” / “Cindy” on Champ Records 2009 in August 1967. That may be possible, but I doubt it – the band would have had to add an organ player and the vocalist sounds different. The Checkmates who recorded “Do It” were a pre-British Invasion group in their style. It would have been a leap for them to get to the sound on “Talk to Me”.

Checkmates Flic 45 Checkmate

Categories: Chicago, Destination, Illinois, Indiana, South Bend, Unknown

The Tradewinds

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This unknown group recorded one of the strangest versions of Jessie Hill’s “Ooh Poh Pah Doo” I’ve ever heard, titled “Oop-Oop-a-Doo”. Unfortunately there is no name listed under the song writing credits for “Floatin'”, a cool instrumental with sax, piano and some sharp guitar.

Jim Gordon of USA Records started the Destination label to cover bands from the area around his Chicago base, though this group may be from Indiana.

The was a group called the Trade Winds that eventually morphed into Styx, but I think it’s likely a different group. Nor were they the Tradewinds from New York who recorded for Kama Sutra. Anyone know for sure?

Thanks to Geoff Brittingham for the scans and transfers of this 45.

Categories: Indiana, La Porte, Riviera, South Bend, Unknown

The Sigma Five “Comin’ Down” / “Pop Top” on Riviera

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Sigma Five Riviera 45 Comin' DownThe Riviera label was created for the Riveras, who scored with their first single, “California Sun”, released in October ’63 and hitting the national top ten in early ’64. Bill Dobslaw owned the label and also managed the Rivieras, occasionally singing with them as well.

Besides the Rivieras, the label released one 45 each by the Kastaways and the Sigma Five, one and the same group according to Otto Nuss of the Rivieras, who recalled in an interview with Kicks magazine that the original name of the group was the Sigma 5. This group was from La Porte, Indiana, a few miles west of South Bend. The Sigma Five’s keyboardist uses the electric piano instead of the organ sound that the Rivieras made popular.

“Comin’ Down” is a cool adaption of “Money”, credited to their producer Bill Dobslaw. The neat instrumental “Pop Top” was written by Banicki, who also wrote the Kastaways b-side “You Never Say”, which I haven’t heard yet.