Category Archives: US

Categories: Iowa, Sears Recording Studios (Omaha), Sioux City

The Last Chapter “It’s Only When I’m Lonely”

May 5, 2021 Chris Bishop Leave a comment

The Last Chapter came from Sioux City, Iowa, and would evolve into a group called Freight. In late 1969 the Last Chapter cut their only record, released on Skip Records 2758.

“It’s Only When I’m Lonely” has a crunching rhythm, a great bridge and stinging guitar solo. “Words For You” features acoustic and electric guitar and a catchy vocal melody. It was the A-side of the single.

Russ Gill wrote both songs, and the Sears Pub credit indicates they were cut at Sears Recording Studios in Omaha.

The first mention of the Last Chapter that I can find comes from the Sioux City Sunday Journal from August 3, 1969, mentioning the band came in second place at the River-Cade Festival of Bands after being together only two weeks.

Members of the Last Chapter at this point were:

Russell Gill
Bob Werkmeister
Dave Schultz
Dave Wenberg

Russell Gill had been in the Restrictions.

The winner of the festival was the Cellophane Spectacle from LeMars, who had also won the year before. Members of that group were Randy Hoyt, Jack Toth, Jim Weiler, Al Schrank, Timothy Hauff, Tom Ross, Mark Moeller, Fred Juhl and Jim Luense. The Cellophane Spectacle cut one single at Sears Recording in Omaha for release on Spectacular SR61968, “It’s Not Unusual” / “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg”. Another is mentioned but I haven’t seen it yet: “Going Back to Miami” / “Exodus”.

The third-place band was the Instant Blues Machine, “led by Richard Samore backed by Alan Vellinga, Charlie Larimor, Norm Reitsma, Harry Kantrovich and John Wimmer”.

Other bands were the Evolution, Wind, and the Purple Haze.

On June 24, 1970, the Last Chapter participated in a concert for 2,000 at Grandview Park, emceed by KSJC DJ Rick Anthony. The Sioux City Journal ran a couple articles on the concert, noting Jim Wentworth was from Laurel, Nebraska, 44 miles west of Sioux City. The first article quoted both Russell Gill and Jim Wentworth, and noted “A contract is pending between The Last Chapter and a Nashville, Tenn., recording company.”

The local bands were Fox, Evolution and the Last Chapter. A review titled “Young, Old Concur: First Rock Festival ‘Beautiful'” gave the names of the groups and their members:

The Last Chapter consisted of Russell Gill, Dave Schultz, Dave Wenberg, and Jim Wentworth replacing Bob Werkmeister.

Members of the Evolution were Chuck Pope, John Young, Ralph Goldheim, Neil Rollison, Dan Weigel and Kim Treiber.

The Fox included Steve Lewis, John Bartle and Russell Bizzett.

Freight – a band with three members of the Last Chapter. Article from August 15, 1971

Gill and Wentworth are mentioned again as organizers of the July 1971 “People’s Music Forum” at the Grandview Park bandshell. That concert included the London Bridge, Big Toe, Bittersweet, Stonewell, Freight, Fat Cat, Sinn, Dr. John Cook, and Prairie (formerly Danny and the Velaires), with folk music by Glen Reitsma and Ted Falk.

Finally in August, 1971 the Journal ran a photo of Gill and Wentworth’s band, now called Freight, with members Jim Wentworth, Mike Yandrich, Russell Gill and Dave Schultz. Other bands included Fat Cat, Sinn, and Bitter Sweet.

Anyone have photos of the Last Chapter?

Categories: IGL, IGL (Iowa Great Lakes Recording), Iowa, Sioux City

The Restrictions from Sioux City, IA

May 5, 2021 Chris Bishop 2 Comments

The Restrictions came from Sioux City and cut one single on IGL 147, “Down on the Corner” / “She’s Gone Away” in September, 1967. Russell Gill wrote “Down on the Corner” and co-wrote “She’s Gone Away” with Rob Molden.

The Restrictions members were:

Russell Gill
Rob Molden
Donald Pinney
Dave Mettleton
George Lauresen

The Sioux City Journal ran a notice about the August, 1967 River-Cade Festival of Music band competition, and listed the members of the top three groups.

The winner of the competition was the Shags, who would receive a session at Sears Recording Studio in Omaha. Russell Gill of the Restrictions wrote the song that would be the top side of the Shags’ single, “You’re a Loser”.

The Restrictions would cut their own record, traveling the hundred miles northeast to IGL Recording Studios in Milford, Iowa. I actually haven’t heard “She’s Gone Away” yet.

Russell Gill would go on to form the Last Chapter in 1969.

The other finalist was the Psychedelic Hangmen, with members Jame Polimeni, Phil Polimeni, Dave Stokes, Larry Means, and Stanley Sawienski. I’m not sure if they ever recorded.

Anyone have a photo of any of these bands?

Categories: Iowa, Sears Recording Studios (Omaha), Sioux City

The Shags from Sioux City, IA

May 5, 2021 Chris Bishop 2 Comments

The Shags featured in the Sioux City Journal, Nov. 21, 1967

The Shags came from Sioux City, Iowa. In August, 1967 they won a battle-of-the-bands at the River-Cade festival, beating out the Restrictions and the Psychedelic Hangmen. Their prize was a session at Sears Recording Studios in Omaha, Nebraska, 100 miles to the south.

Members of the Shags were:

Larry Schlines – guitar
Mark Renfro – organ
Roger Tryon – saxophone
John Primm – bass
Tom Renfro – drums

The second pressing of the Shags 45, with the title misspelled

At Sears they cut “You’re a Loser” / “Crying” for release on Rocky SR103167 in November, 1967. “Crying” is the Roy Orbison song.

It must have done well locally, as the band repressed the record on Jo-Jo Records 101 in February 1968, though the A-side was mistitled “Your a Loser”, and the publishing switched from Sears Pub. to Lightswitch Music.

Interestingly, Russell Gill of the Restrictions wrote “You’re a Loser”. I’d like to know how the Shags came to cut his song.

The Restrictions cut their own record in September, 1967, traveling a similar distance to Milford to cut it at IGL Recording Studios.

Categories: CEI, Havre de Grace, Maryland

The Runabouts from Havre de Grace, MD “Way of Life” & “All Is All”

May 4, 2021 Chris Bishop 1 Comment

The Runabouts, photo taken November 17, 1967

The Runabouts came from Havre de Grace, Maryland, about 40 miles northeast of Baltimore. The two sides of their single have very different sounds. “Way of Life” is fast-paced with horn arrangements. I’m partial to the slow, moody flip, “All Is All”.

The Runabouts formed in 1966 and expanded into an octet by the time they broke up in 1968.

Members included:

Jim Skrivanek – guitar
Joe Pascuzzi – guitar
Dennis Trimble – keyboards

Don Laye
Lew Rothlisberger
Mike Lynch
Ed Kelly
Tom Vincenti

The Baltimore Sun gave a short history of the group when the Runabouts had a reunion on May 19, 2012:

The Runabouts was originally formed by Havre de Grace area high school students as a five-piece guitar, bass and drum combo in 1966. The Runabouts played local teen dances at venues such as Teen Town at Aberdeen Proving Ground and Fiddler’s Green at the old Bainbridge Naval Training Center.
After a couple of lineup changes and the addition of horn, sax and keyboard players, the eight-piece version of the Runabouts was active in 1967 and 1968 playing local dances and events and even cutting one 45 rpm record: “Way of Life,” written by guitarist Jim Skrivanek, backed by “All in All,” written by guitarist Joe Pascuzzi and keyboardist Dennis Trimble, on the independent CEI label out of Ohio.
With graduation, military service and work commitments taking members to far flung locations, the band split up after two years but then got back together for a successful reunion concert in Havre de Grace in 2006.

Robert T. Brown came from Fremont, Ohio, where he had a recording studio, releasing records on his Courier label. From 1966 to 1968 he was in the Army, stationed in Aberdeen. He continued to record bands, changing the name of the label to CEI Records.

Released on CEI Records CE127, the code RI2521 indicates Recordings, Incorporated in Baltimore pressed the single, published through Bro-Nik. Nashville Matrix did the plating.

The Runabouts had a website that is long defunct, but parts of it are available on the Wayback Machine, where I found the photo at top.

Info on CEI Records from Buckeye Beat.

Categories: California, Hollywood

Hex “You Cry and I’ll Laugh” on Hexx

May 4, 2021 Chris Bishop 1 Comment

“You Cry and I’ll Laugh” / “Doubt” by Hex was recorded in 1967 but only existed on acetate until someone pressed it to vinyl on Hexx HR-101. The vinyl is dark brown, translucent when held to light. The U-37756 in the dead wax indicates it was done in by United Record Pressing in 1995.

Both sides are fine hard rock, with some crushing lead guitar.

The band would be a complete mystery but luckily Preston Fong wrote a comment on Youtube:

This was recorded by our high school band (Hollywood High School). I think we recorded this as a demo for Dot Records. We did one other demo called “A Drop of Color” and another song on the flip side. I was the lead singer, George “Fidel” Bell on lead guitar and vocals … Mike Levy on drums, Mark Lewis (Rain – Beatles Tribute Band) on organ. Don’t remember who played bass on this … We were going to be developed by Dot Records at the time with producer Ray Ruff. The company opted to record the group “Colors” something like that and we didn’t want to wait around to be developed by them.

Another person commented with the list of members: Fidel Bell (guitar, vocals), Mark Lewis (organ), Lee Imes (bass), Mike Levy (drums), and Oden Fong (lead vocals). Also that the band either had no name, or “their real name is Unknown (not Hex). Hex was the name of the album, and Hexx was the name of the record company.”

I’d like to know more about the band, and how the record eventually saw release.

Categories: Arizona, Phoenix, Viv Studio (Phoenix)

The Riffs “Tell Her” on Lubee, Phoenix, Arizona

April 26, 2021 Chris Bishop Leave a comment

The Riffs made this one cool single “Tell Her” / “I Been Thinkin'” on Lubee 304 in early 1965. The songs show pronounced Merseybeat influence, especially “Tell Her”.

J. Gocioch wrote both songs, and registered copyright in March, 1965. “I Been Thinkin'” lists only Gacioch on the label, but the registration includes Timothy Ryant, and also that Dandelion Music Co. published both songs along with Debra Music Corp.

I believe J. Gacioch is either Joe Gacioch or James Gacioch. Tim Ryant was likely a member of the band as well. He passed away in 2008.

The deadwax codes include SJW and Clingman, indicating a Wakefield Pressing, and also that Loy Clingman produced the single at his Viv Studio in Phoenix, like the Lost and Found’s “Don’t Move Girl” on Pins.

I can not find any news articles or other info on the band.

The 45 saw national release on Jamie 1296, but was not reviewed in the trades.

Categories: Jerden, Spokane, Washington

Harold Horn “Dew B. Dewey” on Jerden

April 21, 2021 Chris Bishop 2 Comments

Harold Horn was born March 6, 1933 on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation in Lame Deer, MT. He served in the Army from 1950 until 1953, including ten months in Korea. Returning to Spokane, he became a professional musician around Spokane and in Coeur d’Alene.

He played guitar with Bobby Wayne and the Warriors, appearing on their only single on the LJV label, “Sally Ann” / “War Paint”. He also sang a fine lead vocal with the group on “Long Lean Baby”, which was only released in 2005 on the Sundazed EP ’55 Spokane Rockabilly!

Bobby Wayne would produce Harold Horn’s only solo release, “Dew B. Dewey”, a pop song set to a thumping beat with horns and cooing female backup vocals. The flip was the Little Richard standard, “Miss Ann”, a simpler production of acoustic guitar backed by another pounding drum beat.

Bobby Wayne (Robert Wayne Snyder) and Don Weise wrote “Dew B. Dewey”, published byBurdette Music Co. and released on Jerden 750 in 1965.

Harold Horn would lead his own bands during this time. One notice in the Spokesman-Review from June 13, 1964 gives the name of the other musicians in his trio:

Patients at the Shrine Hospital for Crippled Children were entertained Friday with a two-hour concert of music donated by a Spokane band.
The three-piece musical group of Harold Horn played for the children in the hospital’s auditorium. Other members of the band were Jimmy Mitten on drums and LaCharlie Cook on guitar.

Harold Horn left music around 1966, not long after the Jerden single.

The Spokane Daily Chronicle profiled Harold on June 22, 1968, when he was social service coordinator with the American Indian Community Center. Headlined “Indian Aide Recalls Frustration and Depression: Now Helping His People” it is well worth a read.

Harold Horn died on November 24, 2016.

Categories: Chicago, Flop, Illinois, Jim-Ko

Sons of Adam and Ron Steele “Sleep in Public Places”

April 20, 2021 Chris Bishop 1 Comment

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.

Categories: Alaska, Anchorage, Golden Gate, Golden State Recorders

The Pulsating Heartbeats and the Hartbeet Band

April 14, 2021 Chris Bishop 1 Comment

The Apostol brothers, Eddie, John, and Paul, formed the Pulsating Heartbeats in their home town of Anchorage Alaska.

The Pulsating Heartbeats were:

Eddie Apostol – guitar, vocals
John Apostol (Raphael Apostol) – guitar, vocals
Paul Apostol (Raul Apostol) – drums
Frank “Skip” Konte – keyboards, vocals

Originally known as simply the Heartbeats, the group rehearsed in Betty Poeschel’s garage, and recorded in Betty’s Record Den.

As the Pulsating Heartbeats they made one very rare record, “Anne” / “Talkin’ Bout You” on Pace Setters Internationale 007 1/2.

John Apostol wrote “Anne” and co-wrote “Talkin’ Bout You” with Eddie. A local DJ, Ron Moore produced. I believe Pacesetters was a booking agency run by Poeschel and Ron Moore. The address on the record was 425 East 5th Avenue in Anchorage.

The group toured throughout Alaska, and also performed at rallies for Mike Gravel’s failed run as Congressman in ’66.

Heartbeats join union to play Mike Gravel’s campaign rally in Fairbanks, July 1966

Skip Konte left the group. He would move all the way to Tampa, Florida, joining the Blues Image in 1967 and co-writing their hit “Ride Captain Ride”.

Emerson Crivillo took Skip’s place on the keyboards. Eddie Apostol was drafted, leaving the band as a trio.

The group played in Hawaii and probably California as well.

In 1967 they went to Leo Kulka’s Golden State Recorders in San Francisco to cut a single as the Hartbeet Band. John and Paul Apostol wrote “Wait ‘Till Then” while “Run Around Kind” is credited to Apostol – Crivell [sic].

The Hartbeet Band single saw release on Golden Gate Records GG-1263 in small quantities, and is very rare now. The labels list Golden Gate’s publishing wing Guard Music Co. but I cannot find copyright registration for either, or for “Anne” / “Talkin’ Bout You”.

Lisa Wheeler found a demo of “Wait ‘Till Then” and wrote about the group for her site Elk Bugles.

The demo lists Pacesetters Custom Recording Studio.

I believe the Heartbeats / Hartbeet Band ended their touring around this time and returned to Anchorage. Eddie Apostol returned from service and the band would continue to play locally.

Most of the above videos above were made by one of the Apostol’s sons, and feature cool photos and info.

Categories: Arizona, California, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Unknown

The Sect – photos with Deborah Walley, band from Los Angeles or Arizona

April 11, 2021 Chris Bishop 2 Comments

Unknown Los Angeles band the Sect — The Sect – unknown Los Angeles area band

I have photos of a group called the Sect according to their drum head. I don’t know the names of any members, or where they were from other than possibly the Los Angeles area.

Two of the photos feature actress Deborah Walley. Someone suggested it was her husband John Ashley in the white suit in one shot, but Chas Gibson informs me this is Jimmy Hawkins, who had roles in TV shows like The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, Leave It to Beaver, and The Donna Reed Show. Hawkins and Walley were in the Elvis movie Spinout, which would date these photos to about 1966.

Arizona is another possible location. There was a group called the Sect from Mesa, Arizona, just east of Phoenix & Tempe, that included J.R. Lara, Tom Smith, Buford “Corky” Allred, Brad Reed and Rusty Martin. That Sect recorded two songs at Audio Recorders that were not released until 2003, “Simply Sunday” / “Just Can’t Win”.

Two people have identified the guitarist in the white hat as Kenny Vaughn of the Superlatives, Marty Stuart’s band. Perhaps someone can confirm or refute this possibility.

If it is Kenny, it is possible these photos were taken in Denver, Colorado, where he was based in the ’60s.

I like their look that mixes western and rock styles. Any info on the Sect would be appreciated.

This isn’t the first time Deborah Walley crops up in Garage Hangover. She and John Ashley appeared at an opening of Sergeant Deadhead with the Jerks in Birmingham, Alabama.

Thank you to Chas Gibson for help with identifying Jimmy Hawkins.

The site for '60s garage bands since 2004