Category Archives: New York

Categories: East Northport, Huntington, New York, South Grape Street, Suffolk County

Utopia Carwash

October 26, 2010 Chris Bishop 15 Comments

Updated April 2011

Selling records at the WFMU fair kept me so busy that I had zero time to look at other folks’ tables. Of course, sharing a table with Mr. Robinson is dangerous, and sure enough I spent a chunk of my sales on a few of his records, including buying back a copy of P.B. & the Staunchmen that I had sold to him last year. Why did I sell it in the first place? Why did I bother to buy it again? These are questions that haunt record collectors.

Billy from Norton Records dropped off a copy of the latest collection of unissued garage acetates: You Tore My Brain! (half of it comes from tapes and not acetates, by the way). Besides the title cut and its flip by the James Street Overpass, there are some excellent and crude out-takes from the Fine Recording vaults, like “I Won’t Play Your Game” by an unknown group, and an incredible cut by Sir Winston & the Commons, “All of the Time”. I remember when that acetate came up for auction earlier this year.

The only other record I picked up was this bizarre psychedelic number by Utopia Carwash. Mr. Finewine turned up a batch of unplayed copies – unfortunately most of them including this one have a rolling warp. The warp was bad enough that I couldn’t make a transfer of “Loneliness”. I did get a decent, if noisy transfer of the flip, “Wait and See”, which hasn’t been compiled. It’s not a bad tune once you get past the droning organ intro.

“Loneliness” was written by Gary Costa. “Wait and See” by Lloyd Deckman.

I didn’t have any real clues as to the location of this band for a long time. South Grape Street could mean Denver, Colorado; Los Angeles CA, or Medford, Oregon. Etched into the trail-off vinyl is “SGS 001A/B – IFL” and “LW” for all the deadwax hounds out there. Mike Markesich thought it might be mid-upstate New York. As it turns out, they were from Long Island.

Last month I heard from bassist Lloyd Deckman, who filled me in on the group’s story:

Utopia Carwash was named after the “Utopia Carwash” that was visible from the Long Island Expressway in towards the city. It was a carwash. Prior to that name, we had called ourselves the Makos, from East Northport.
The Cast:
Barry Ambrosio – guitar
Bryan Ambrosio – keyboard
Gary Costa – percussion
Lloyd Deckman – bass
We started – actually Barry and Bryan started – the Makos in their basement on Grant Street in East Northport. They were twins and they lived across the street from me – we grew up together, Boy Scouts, played army, etc. Barry was the brains and driving force behind the operation. As the Makos we played out at a firemens’ party in the firehouse in East Northport, at the Northport High School (video’d), and at a place called either “The Most” or “Hullabaloo” that was usually a roller skating rink in Northport. The time frame would have been around ’66 or ’67. Those were the only gigs I remember while I was in the band.
I don’t remember where South Grape Street Records came from; I was no longer in the band. “Wait and See” was actually written as “Just You Wait and See”, they chose to abbreviate it for labeling purposes. I wanted it done up-tempo too, but… They had the record cut in early ’69.
As I understand it, Barry has passed, his bio in the music world is rather impressive. I believe Bryan lives in Florida.
Lloyd F. Deckman

Categories: Dallas, Knight (Dallas), New York, Texas, Upstate New York, Watertown

The Knights – from upstate New York to Dallas, Texas

October 4, 2010 Chris Bishop 19 Comments

Bob Sanders ran the Knight and Spectra labels, among others, during the mid-’60s in Dallas, Texas.

The Knights 45 was completely unfamiliar to me until Brian Kirschenbaum wrote to me with the scan and transfers of the record. He was surprised to find a Texas 45 had made its way to upstate New York. It’s an interesting single, very much influenced by the British sounds of the time in changes and feel, especially on “I Know It Now”. Bob Kissell wrote both sides.

I had no information on the group until a couple comments were left (see below). As it turns out, this band made an unlikely journey from upstate New York to work in Dallas, Texas. In Watertown they were known as Dick and the Knights.

I’ll repeat most of Dick Kissell’s comment here:

The group consisted of Chuck Martuzas, bass (now deceased); Bob Lawlor, drums; Bob Kissell, lead guitar; and myself on rhythm guitar. The vocals were done by Bob and myself.
On a whim, we went to Dallas in the fall of 1964 because we had a friend down there who said he might be able to help us find some local clubs needing bands. We started out at a place called The Haunted House Club then moved on to the Disc-A Go Go and eventually LouAnns. We became house band at LouAnns.
Lewis Lindsey played the organ part on the “Stay” side. A guy named Bill Petty was friends with Lewis Lindsey and was also part owner in the Haunted House club; that’s how we got the recording deal. Only 300 copies were pressed. Later the following year, we became friends with The 5 Americans and played around Dallas for awhile until returning home.

Dick Kissell added in an email to me:

The single “Only You Hold The Answer” was a regional hit for us around 1967. My brother Bob Kissell wrote the melody while I wrote the lyrics. He plays (blues) around the Daytona Florida area in the winter, and then comes home and plays here (Watertown, NY) summers.

The Knights second single, “Only You Hold the Answer” b/w “Walkin’ The Streets” may have been their own production with no involvement from Bob Sanders of Knight Records in Dallas. The labels credit their last name as Kisslle (sic). The single had publishing by Pinent Music, BMI and the band recorded it at Dayson Studio in East Syracuse, NY.

Many thanks to Brian Kirschenbaum for alerting me to the Knights 45 and to retrogirl86 for the info in her comment.

Categories: Albion, Audition, Batavia, New York, Upstate New York

The Humans

September 12, 2010 Chris Bishop 21 Comments

Dick Doolan – vocals
Danny Long – vocals and harmonica
Bill Kuhns – lead guitar
Gar Trusselle – keyboards
Marty Busch – bass
Jack Dumrese – drums

The Humans were from Albion, New York, 20 miles north of Batavia. According to the liner notes for Back From the Grave vol. 5, all six members were in high school marching band when they decided to form a band in the summer of 1964. Their band’s moniker was a dig at all the groups naming themselves after insects and animals.

They toured throughout the northeast, opening for some big acts, including playing the Rheingold Festival in Central Park, Manhattan in 1966.

Their only 45 has a fine folk-rock original on the A-side, “Take a Taxi”. The instrumental passage is a neat combination of twelve-string guitar and organ.

For years now, it’s been overshadowed by the B-side, “Warning”, which has become almost an anthem in garage-rock circles, and rightly so. It’s a well-arranged combination of ringing guitar chords, thudding drum beat and bass line, simple organ melody, a great rough lead vocal answered by a second singer and a harmonica solo.

Lead guitarist Bill Kuhns (listed as William R. Kuhns, Jr. on the label) wrote both songs. It was recorded at Riposo Studios in 1966 and released on the Audition label, which had a number of classic mid-60s singles. I don’t know what happened to the band after its release, or if the record sold at all. It’s pretty hard to find these days.

Gar Trusselle answered some of my questions about the band:

Q. How did the band sign get to tour around the Northeast?

We were managed locally by Al Cecere in Rochester. As far as we knew, Al Cecere was the sole owner of Audition. He had some connections so he got us signed up with Premier Talent Associates (PTA) in NYC. Our agent with them was Rich Nader who went on to promote R&R revivals across the country. We also opened for the Hollies, Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels (several times) and played a two week gig in Miami with the Standells.

We were friends with “The Heard” as they were also managed by Al Cecere. We alternated at Oak Orchard Lanes in Albion [with] Caesar and His Romans from Buffalo. By the way, Oak Orchard Lanes was quite a hot spot. In the summer, the owners would cover all 12 lanes with plywood and have dances on the lanes with some pretty big names. A couple that come to mind are the Rivieras and the Shadows of Knight.

Q. Do you remember any details about the Riposo Studio and making the record?

All I can remember is that the studio was in Syracuse. Someone said Wooly Bully was recorded there but I cannot verify that.

Q. Did it get any airplay at the time?

We did get good local airplay and some national as well. Billboard reported us in the top twenty in a Michigan and Texas market but it did not last.

Q. Did the band perform “Warning” and “Take a Taxi” during your live shows?

We did perform the two songs live at every performance.

Q. The band had long hair for 1966, did that cause any trouble?

Nothing but. However, we had a lot of local support even from the adult side.

Q. How did the band break up, and did you stay in music after?

It began when Dan died in a car accident in September of 1966. We went on from there but the draft started to whittle at the group. I think our last job was in November of 1966 at our own venue in Albion. We had rented the local (out of business) movie theater, remodeled it, and named it “Happiness Is…”.

Gar D. Trusselle

The photo at top originally provided to RambleMusic.com (link dead as of 2013) by Bill Vosteen. The site includes photos and clippings of other Batavia-area groups like Beethoven’s Dream Group, The Majestics, the Plague, Salt of the Earth, The Revengence, the Squires.

Categories: Audition, New York, Nu Sound Ltd., Rochester, Upstate New York

Audition Recording and Nu Sound Ltd. discographies

September 11, 2010 Chris Bishop 4 Comments

Al Cecere taping the Vaqueros performing at a Charlotte High School dance. Photo courtesy of David Heath.

Al Cecere owned the record labels Audition Recording and Nu Sound Ltd., of Rochester, New York. Cecere changed the label’s name to Nu Sound Ltd. with release #6111 by the Wee Four.

Al sent tapes of the bands he recorded to the Circa company in Los Angeles which pressed the records at the Allied plant and shipped them to Rochester.

Any help completing this discography, or info on Al Cecere’s productions or Riposo Studios would be appreciated.

Discography:

Audition

6102 – The Vaqueros – Desert Wind / Echo (both by Weld-Heath-Corona)
6103 – Dick Jans Duo – I Am (Edwards, Shuman) / Venus (the Frankie Avalon hit) – June 64
6104 – The Vitrones – Linda (Cheshire, Couto, Downing) / London Fog (licensed to Barry, #3326X in Canada)
1605 (typo for 6105) – America’s Children – Do-Maka / No Need For Blame
6106 – America’s Children – Star / Swinging Christmas (1965)
6107 – The Heard – Laugh with the Wind (Jeff Wheat and Brad Wheat) / Stop It Baby (Karim Copli) (mentioned in Billboard, May 7, 1966)
6108 – Bobby Mac Trio – Sherleen / Maria
6109 – The Humans – Take a Taxi / Warning (both by Bill Kuhns, Jr.)
6110 – The Rogues – Train Kept a-Rollin’ / You Better Look Now (Jim Perotti*, Bob Radell*, Mike Spriggs)

Nu Sound Ltd.

6111 – The Wee Four – Weird (James Obi, T. Pilittere) / Give Me a Try
6112 – Terry Pilittere – It’s Not That Way / You Wouldn’t Believe Me
6113 – Pete Morticelli – Lost / If You See Me

* correct spellings of these two Rogues names are Jim Pierotti and Bob Radel.

Most originals on Audition and “Weird” by the Wee Four 45 published by Cecere Music, BMI.

The Heard have an unreleased song, “Leave Well Alone” on a Capitol Custom acetate.

The Montereys “Bye Bye” / “Sheryl-ane” also recorded at Riposo Studios.

Thank you to Davie Gordon for his help with this discography.

Categories: Nassau County, New York, Rockville Centre, Showcase

Yesterday’s Children “Wanna Be With You” / “Feelings” on Showcase

August 8, 2010 Chris Bishop 10 Comments

Yesterday’s Children, one of many groups by that name. Released in September, 1966, “Wanna Be With You” / “Feelings” was this particular group’s only 45, both sides written by Don Krantz.

“Wanna Be With You” was the top side. It starts off cooly as can be and builds, but the chorus comes as something of a letdown after the tension in the verses.

For me, it’s “Feelings” that has the magic. The bass floods the opening and I’m immediately hooked. The patented garage rhythm and Farfisa organ kick in and the background chorus repeats what, as far as I can make out, is the phrase “sure enough!” over and over through the verse.

There’s a great moment before the chorus as the bass (plugged directly into the board but still so well recorded and mastered) slides down the neck. You couldn’t ask for a better scream at the end of the chorus. The guitar break is nicely by the book – four bars of bluesy soloing and four bars of just one note picked in sixteenths until the emphatic return to the rhythm.

My feelings inside are [of?] this day and age
And society.
Those people walking around down there they say
“Alright now, who are you?
You walk around looking like a girl wearing boots up high and pigtails”.
What’d I say?
Who are you?
You tell me what I should do,
You got your feelings,
But mine are true – whaah!
My feelings inside are this day and age
And society
Those people walking around down there they say
“Alright now, who are you?”
They tell you how to dress, how to wear your hair,
Not giving you the chance to think for yourself.
What’d I say?
Who are you?
You tell me what I should do,
You got your feelings,
But mine are true – whaah!

The Showcase label was part of Pickwick International based out of Long Island City in Queens. This 45 was produced by Ronnie Eden and Joe Simmons, with publishing by Impeccable Music and Barmour Music. Joe Simmons had a long career dating back to the late ’50s as both singer, song writer and producer, with many releases in one of those roles on Josie, Diamond and other labels. He had one other co-production with Ronnie Eden: The Ground Floor People “Walking on Eggs” / “It’s All Right Now”, (on Parfait 101, from 1966).

Exactly where Yesterday’s Children came from and who was in the band was something of a mystery until recently. I’d read them listed as being from Valhalla in Westchester County, but the only basis for that was the fact that Don Krantz also was in a hard-rock group called Valhalla. In actual fact they came from Rockville Centre in Nassau County, Long Island.

I reached Don Howard Krantz who answered some of my questions about the band:

Q. Who else was in Yesterday’s Children besides yourself?
Bob Huling – vocals
Don Howard Krantz – guitar
Rich D’Benideto
Dave Natis – keyboard
Joe Delio – bass
Fred Davenport – drums
Q. So was Yesterday’s Children your band between the Vibratones and Valhalla? Did you have other bands before Valhalla?
I had many bands thru the years (I won’t list them because we didn’t last long). The Vibratones included Mike “Eppy” Epstein (my oldest friend) who went on to own Never When (store) and was the owner & manager of My Father’s Place, famous club in Roslyn, Long Island. Eppy & I grew up together, his book is coming out in the fall. Yesterdays Children lineup was brand new.
Q. Did the band last long?
Probably three years…with various band members.
Q. How did you get the Pickwick contract?
Ronnie Eden heard me play at a club & approached me, we talk’d & he offered me a recording contract / management and I (being the only song writer) went with it. Remember I was only 17 yrs old at the time. Started playing guitar at 9 yrs. I will never forget the drive into New York City in the back seat of Ronnie’s car…but that’s another story.
Q. Do you remember any specifics about the recording session?
After the 45 was released i told the bass player (best friend at the time) to leave the band. We were all changing musically & he couldn’t. The sessions were tuff as I recall, get’n the bass right, & if you listen real close to “Wanna Be With You” the bass hits a wrong note.
The president of Pickwick was in the sound booth with the whole family….wife & kids….& I thought that was killing the moment/feel. I think I ask’d to have the light turned down so have a live club feel.
I have three or four Yesterday’s Children tunes that were rough demos done by me & Bobby Huling. I may add some other parts, mix down & upload on YouTube …. but that’s way in the future.
Bob Huling & I (best friends) went on to start Euphoria with Mark Mangold later to become Valhalla. Mark went on to play with many bands & co-wrote with Michael Bolton for Cher. For a long time I was teaching guitar & producing some & doing the unplugged thing on acoustic guitar. The Don Howard Band – Poet’s Road came next & was mixed & mastered by Jack Douglas who won a grammy for John Lennon’s last album. The DHBand is now “Poets Road” and we work on a new album in 11/12.

I’ve seen photos of the Vibratones from 1963 and Valhalla from 1967 on, but none featuring Yesterday’s Children. If anyone has any please contact me at rchrisbishop@gmail.com.

Categories: B.T. Puppy, New York, Unknown

The Rock Garden

June 13, 2010 Chris Bishop 1 Comment

Not the Rock Garden from Arkansas who recorded “Super Stuff” for the Revise label, or the Georgia group who cut “Starry Eyed Woman” for Prophet, or even the one from Michigan (formerly Frederic) who recorded for Capitol. This Rock Garden seems to be an unknown group, possibly only a studio creation.

Released in 1968, “Sweet Pajamas”, written by Jason Schulman, was nearly forgotten for years. I could call this psychedelia-by-numbers due to the anonymity of the group, elaborate production touches like the harpsichord break, and an instrumental middle section taking after the Dead or Mad River. Despite these criticisms, the disparate parts add up to a gem of a song with an endearing hook. The musicianship is professional: the drums crack on the stop-and-start tempo changes, the bass nicely doubles the vocal melody and the rhythm guitar loosens up in the second half of the song.

The B.T. Puppy label was owned by the vocal group the Tokens. Their hit “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” was recently discussed on a garage forum as being possibly the most unbearable song of the ’60s. Regardless, by 1967 the Tokens used their harmonies and writing skills to craft some fine psychedelic pop for their LP It’s a Happening World, including “For All that I Am” that the Creation would cover for one of their final singles, and a brief vignette called “Perhaps, the Joy of Giving”.

On the B-side of the Rock Garden single, “Perhaps, the Joy of Giving” is extended to two minutes, laden with effects and voices.

The 45 was produced by Elliot Weiss & Bright Tunes Productions, engineered by Wally Sheffey.

Categories: Bazaar, New York, Ossining, Ren-Vell, Westchester

Raunch

February 16, 2010 Chris Bishop 14 Comments

Sandy Katz – rhythm guitar and vocals
Jay Manning – lead guitar
Frank Taxiera – bass
Tommy Walker – drums

Raunch were from Ossining with the exception of Sandy Katz, their lead vocalist and songwriter, who was from Briarcliff Manor. Raunch’s great cover of Paul Revere & the Raiders’ “Hungry” leads off the fabulous Ren-Vell Records Presents Battle of the Bands Vol. 1 LP.

Raunch recording at Ren-Vell Studio 317 N. Central Ave, White Plains

Even better is a 45 they cut for Bazaar Records, “A Little While Back” / “I Say You’re Wrong”. The A-side is a great song featuring heavy fuzz guitar and a blistering solo by Jay Manning. Jay kindly provided the photos here, including the first I’ve seen of Ren-Vell’s studio, and the story behind the band:

The Synners was the first band I had, while still in high school. It was myself (lead guitar) and my two best friends David Perugini (rhythm guitar) and Alan Raycraft (drums), and later another high school friend, Curt Mienel(bass guitar). We played at our high school a couple of times and parties. I don’t think we ever got paid, but in those days the motivation was impressing girls, not financial rewards.
I have a recording from 1965 of us playing at an Ossining High School Spanish Club banquet. Dave’s dad got a hold of an old Wollensak reel to reel and, unbeknownst to me, recorded three songs.
We graduated in 1965 and in the fall David went to college, in New Paltz, New York, so the band evolved. Alan and Curt stayed, I think we called ourselves the Invaders. I don’t really remember all the iterations of the bands. I do remember that Alan was still playing drums when we met Sandy Katz. I don’t remember how we found him, but he and I clicked. He had a great voice and wrote decent songs. His dad was in business for himself so was very savvy about copyright and publishing rights, so all of Sandy’s songs were copyrighted.
Alan finally quit, we replaced him with another Sandy, whose last name I don’t remember. Curt left and eventually we added Frank Taxiera as bass player. He couldn’t play and didn’t have equipment, he was just cool and he fit. He became a really good bassist and now plays some great blues lead, in Colorado, with some renowned bluesmen.
That’s when Raunch was born. Sandy’s dad wanted us to be The Four Seasons (clean cut, stylish), I had very long hair for 1966 and was not interested in being clean cut.
Raunch played all over Westchester County. Ossining, of course, Tarrytown, Yonkers, White Plains, Armonk, Briarcliffe Manor (that’s where Sandy lived). “The Cellar”, the Ossining Recreation Department’s teen hangout had live music almost every weekend. I can’t remember all the places we played, but it was a lot. Just about every weekend and some weeknights all over the place. I don’t remember playing any bars at that point, but we did banquets and lots of dances and teen clubs.
We were very egocentric. We considered ourselves the best band in the area and thought of all the others as pretenders to the throne, at least I did.
There were a lot of “battle of the bands”, at high schools. recreation departments, clubs, all over the place. We won most of the ones we were in, so didn’t really pay attention to second place.
The two I remember not winning was one for all of Westchester County, NY in the summer of 1966, at the base of Kensico Dam, in Valhalla, NY, we came in 4th. Not really a “battle of the band” but a tryout to open for the Beach Boys, at Iona College in New Rochelle. The best bands in Westchester, New York City and from Connecticut were there. We lost out to a band called The Young Savages, really great band and they lost out, in a second round of tryouts, to a band called Chain Reaction. The lead singer was Steven Tallarico (later Steven Tyler – Aerosmith). I remember them playing “I’m Not Talking”, by the Yardbirds.
Marty Katz, Sandy’s dad, really got into it. He knew his kid was good, but he had never been in a really good band before that could showcase his music. Marty Katz owned a corporation already, so he just created a record label, Bazaar Records, he paid for everything. The actual name of the band was Raunch Inc. and we really were part of a small corporation.
Raunch at Ren-Vell Studio
We recorded everything at Ren-Vell. We were, I believe, Joe Renda’s first project. I really don’t remember the other bands on the album, there were so many bands at that time and so many places to play.
Sandy Katz wrote “A Little While Back”, and on the record, sang the harmonies. I sang the harmony when we played it live.
Sandy is playing the Vox [in the photos], he also had the 12-string model. I had a Phantom, the odd, irregular hexagon shaped guitar, but it was a real pig. Thick neck, weak pickups, tinny sounding. Unfortunately that’s what I played at the battle of the bands, because it was “cooler” than my Hagstom, which was a much better guitar.
I was a terrific guitarist, for the time, if I do say so myself. That was really all I lived for, that and girls of course. I learned everything by ear and watching better players, never had any lessons, still haven’t and I still play quite a bit. Now it’s classical and fingerstyle jazz.
Jay Manning

Update April 2016: Jay Manning reports that Tommy Walker died in 2014, and that recently Sandy Katz’s father Morris “Marty” Katz also passed away.

Thank you to Jay for his help with this article. Scan of the Raunch 45 from David Perugini. Thanks to Patrick Lundborg for his help.

Categories: Bronx, Cousins, Mercury, New York, New York City

The Elegant Four

June 15, 2009 Chris Bishop 83 Comments

Elegant Four Mercury 45 Time to Say Goodbye From the Bronx, the Elegant Four were also known as the Elegants. Tom Crosgrove was lead guitarist and vocalist, and wrote both songs on their only 45. Other members included Bill Dennis and Pete Santora.

The chanted vocals and echoing chords give “Time to Say Goodbye” a downcast mood, brightening momentarily during the chorus where the singer gives the boot to the girl holding out on him.

On the flip is the uptempo “I’m Tired”, with more fine harmonies and a good guitar solo.

These songs were originally released on the Cousins label, produced by Mike Barbiero. It was picked up for a December ’65 release on Mercury, but doesn’t seem to have made much chart impact.

Sources: photo from Pete Santora’s site. Thanks to Tom for clarifying the photo IDs.

A couple other photos are available on Tom Walsh’s site Bronx Bands of the Past (warning: Angelfire sites like this one always have pop-up ads).

Categories: New York, Ossining, Ren-Vell, Trutone, Westchester

Westchester Rivals: The Reptiles, the End, and the Aliens

February 16, 2009 Chris Bishop 18 Comments

The Reptiles, 1967, photo by Robin Leach

Ren-Vell Battle of the Bands vol. 1 Side A

The Reptiles have one cut on the Ren-Vell Battle of the Bands LP, “The Glass Toy”. It could have been a fine pop single with more polish, but the Ren-Vell studio wasn’t prepared to offer that kind of guidance or production quality.

Steve Worthy related the story of the Reptiles recording of Glass Toy to Bassman Bobb Brown:

Ron Macera was the drummer, Paul Slavin on bass, Mark Worthy on rhythm guitar and high harmony vocal on the chorus (a reversal of how we usually worked-me high harmony, him low). I played upper register rhythm guitar, because if I was doing the singing I couldn’t do any leads on guitar.
I wrote the song (probably my 3rd or 4th song ever written), full of teenage angst, and having to rhyme the works criticize, minimize and brutalize in the one bridge, shows my poetic and English major leanings. Subconsciously, I imitated my heroes the Beatles by doing something I heard said later about their songs – sad lyrics with happy music!
The only other recording session for the Reptiles was with a friend of my father named Bert Haber, who worked with Famous Music Publishing, and they were looking to get some young bands on one of their record company rosters. Bert gave us this song called “Come Take A Taste” to learn, and we so despised it, but really wanted to get in on the ground floor so we did it. I was so depressed learning it, that I wrote a song called “The Moustache Song” as a joke (“Please little girl with the moustache, blah blahh, Please don’t shave your little moustache, You’re only girl I kissed with one before”), which went on the 45 b-side. No one else had a song, so I had to sing that one as well.
Needless to say, their Broadway-type song was like a Spanky and Our Gang type tune, and our hearts weren’t in it, so it went nowhere further. The chorus sounded like “Sunday Will Never Be The Same”.
The Reptiles prided itself on always being true to the song and getting all the chords right! One of our pet peeves would be songs by bands who couldn’t get the bridge right- on “For Your Love” for example- the last two chords –they would do “A followed by Am” at the end of it, instead of C#m to B. Most bands were a little lazy that way. We used sharps and flats and major seventh chords because of our Beatle training. Me and my brother would listen to records over and over until every chord was perfect, especially with the Beatles stuff, which was our supreme role model. We even did Sgt. Pepper Stuff live like “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds”, “It’s Getting Better”, “A Day In The Life”, “Lovely Rita”.

Steve also wrote about the Reptiles’ rival bands, The End and The Aliens:

“The End” had Allen Spink and guitar and lead vocals, Jimmy Indusi on Guitar, Timmy Smith on console organ-sounded almost like a Hammond, Rick Selby on left-handed drums, and Pat Giordano on bass guitar. They were the second most ferocious competitors to the Reptiles after “The Aliens”. We made a comeback and beat them in a Battle of the Bands at St. Augustine’s High School finally, after a humiliating defeat at St. Ann’s when Spink stacked the deck with all of his friends. One reason the rivalry was so raw, even though personally I was great friends with the leader Allen Spink, was young testosterone when the nine of us were in a room together. We were like the Jets and the Sharks circling each other, I swear!
The Aliens were composed of Ray Marion on lead guitar and lead vocals (playing a Gibson cherry red ES335), Curt Meinel, bass (Hagstrom?), Glen Kane on drums, and a guy named Howie on Farfisa organ. They were very popular because they could be counted on to play all the standard rock ‘n’ roll songs like “Louie, Louie”, “Wipe Out”, “Bang Bang” (Joe Cuba, not Sonny and Cher), and were not adventurous at all, which is why the Reptiles and Aliens were sworn mortal enemies. Ray would do this swagger like he was so cool and shake his ass, which drove us crazy, because our impression of music at the time did not include ass shaking! Maybe he thought he was Elvis, who I both appreciate and love now, but at the time he was kind of old news to us in 1967.

Thanks to Bassman Bobb Brown for forwarding me the comments of Steve Worthy, along with the photo and the scans and transfers of the Aliens 45.

Categories: Dansville, Hornell, Lee, New York, Upstate New York

P.B. & the Staunchmen

February 8, 2009 Chris Bishop 61 Comments

Early photo of the Staunchmen with Silvertone Bobkat guitars, from left: Paul Nagle, Don Cox, George Harvey (drums), Paul Beecher (with tambourine), Barry McLean, and Doug Smith (sax)

P.B. & the Staunchmen cut this rare 45 on Lee, the same label as the Ascendors “I Won’t Be Home” in 1966. The label was located out of Hornell, New York, 40 miles south of Rochester but the band was from Dansville, another 20 miles south/southeast.

P.B. is Paul Beecher, credited along with the Staunchmen for writing both sides of the 45. Members were:

Paul Beecher – lead vocals
Doug Smith – sax
Paul Nagle – lead guitar
Barry McLean – rhythm guitar
Eric Young – organ
Don Cox – rhythm and bass guitar
George Harvey – drums

“Mean Willy” is a driving track with some wild guitar breaks and screams between repetitive lyrics and droning saxophone.

All the girls they can’t sympathize,
They know that he goes around telling ’em lies,
When he looks into their big brown eyes.

The flip, “Lost Generation”, sounds like it has roots in “Eve of Destruction” (though it actually came out earlier – see Don Cox’s comment below). The lyrics are defeatist and downright depressing, if I am reading them right:

This poor war is here to say,
There’s nothing you can do to keep it away,
My brother’s dead, there’s no denying,
This lost generation has me cryin’.
‘Cause it’s lost, this generation, it’s gone away,
It’s lost no matter what you say.
The kids are turnin’, their cards are burnin’,
Trying to escape this war,
The game they’ve lost and now they’ve found,
It doesn’t matter anymore.
Left to right: Barry McLean, Paul Nagle, Paul Beecher, Eric Young, Don Cox, and George Harvey. Not pictured: Doug Smith. Photo courtesy of George Harvey.