Category Archives: US

Categories: Houston, Pasadena, Shane, Texas, Unknown

The Actioneers “It’s You” on Shane

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The Actioneers recorded these two songs in just two hours on November 15, 1965 at Huey Meaux’s Recording Service Studios in Pasadena, Texas. You can tell they went straight from the garage or rec room into the studio, this 45 is about as unpolished as garage gets.

“It’s You” is a great fast rocker, with a repetitive guitar line. I think it’s amazing that there’s no bridge or break, or change of chords for the chorus! The band gets the riff down and stays with it to the finish. The drum kit might be nothing more than a tom tom and a snare!

“No One Wants Me” is also simple, but has a tom tom and tambourine break. I’ll bet they didn’t do many takes of this one!

Both sides were written by Ray Gilburn. The band was probably from Houston, but they were pretty much unknown until boxes of unplayed copies of their 45 were found in Huey Meaux’s studio.

I did find a couple mentions of them in the Baytown Sun from 1965, but no lists of band members.

The only other 45 I know about on the Shane label was by the Eccentrics – “Baby I Need You” / “She’s Ugly” on Shane 60, both songs written by L.J. Swift.

Categories: April, Daytona Beach, Florida

The 2/3rds

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From Daytona Beach, the 2/3rds recorded this one 45 at Quimby’s studio in nearby Ormond Beach, and released it on the April label in early 1967. At the time of this recording, the band included Gene McCormick on vocals and tenor sax and organ, Phil (PJ) Jones on drums, Ralph Citrullo bass and Allen Dresser lead guitar.

“2/3 Baby” is a moody complaint with a fine chorus, written by McCormick. It was backed with a bluesy ballad, “All Cried Out” written by Pete Carr. Members of the band eventually became the Third Condition, releasing two 45s on the Sundi label in 1970, one of which got some airplay, “Monday in May” about the Kent State tragedy. (The song was bounced off the airwaves by CSN&Y’s “Ohio”).

After Gene left the band to join Jam Factory in New York, the band moved to Tallahassee to attend FSU. Later members included several who had been in another Daytona group, the Hungri I’s: Neil Haney vocals, as well as Max Eason on drums from Tallahassee. The band was named Rock Garden for a brief time (Neil Haney, Allen Dresser, Ralph Citrullo, Max Easom and Chris Drake) then became Duck (Chris Drake, Allen Dresser, Rick Levy and Max Easom – later Benny Jones replaced Rick Levy and Don Langston replaced Max Easom).

(Text corrected according to Allen Dresser’s comment below).

Categories: Manhattan, New York, New York City, Sanders Recording Studios, Unknown

Mystery Jazz Acetate from Sanders Recording Studio on W. 48th St.

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This is an unidentified 12″ Sanders Recording Studios acetate featuring a somewhat free jazz ensemble whose sound and instrumentation remind me of Sun Ra or Mingus. I’m hoping some listener will be able to help me identify the artist. If you have any friends who are into this kind of jazz, please have them give these samples a listen.

Neither side has any information on it other than the printed label with the studio’s address and phone number, at 167 West 48th St., off Times Square in New York City. I would guess this dates to about 1961 or 1962.

It’s a very low fidelity recording, but I think the music is interesting enough to make a listen worthwhile. It’s noir, well-composed but not totally straight either. Track 13 may be the most polished composition on the acetate, so you may want to start with that first.

Someone commented the trombone sounded like Bob Brookmeyer, though I didn’t hear it.

Track 4
Track 5
Track 9
Track 12
Track 13

Categories: MTA Records, New York, Unknown

The Forsaken

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Forsaken MTA 45 Babe
 

Forsaken MTA 45 She's AlrightFor the most part, the MTA label (Music – Talent – Artistry!) signed California bands, but there were a few east coast groups on MTA as well. The Forsaken put out two singles on MTA in the second half of 1966. I have no idea where the Forsaken came from or who was in the band, but I suspect they were from the New York area. Ted Varnick is listed as songwriter and producer on all their sides; he also produced and wrote songs for the the Descendants.

“She’s Alright” is an uptempo pop number, where the singer is defending his painted-up, long-haired girlfriend from slander. The flip, “Babe”, is pretty good despite a dirge-like tempo.

I haven’t heard the Forsaken’s second single on MTA 111, “Frantic” / “Gotta Get Movin'”. It also has Varnick’s name in the credits and Varona Music, BMI as publisher.

Categories: Memphis, Nat, Tennessee

Tommy Burk and the Counts

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Tommy Burk and the Counts were a big local act in Memphis, every kid in the city would have seen them live or have known about them.

They had a career that spanned early ’60s vocal pop to garage. Members included Tommy Burk on vocals, Wayne Thompson guitar, Mike Stoker bass, Thomas Boggs on drums, John Greer, Steve O’Keefe and Dan Morelock.

They had about ten 45s on various labels, including a local hit with a garage-styled version of “Stormy Weather” and “Without Me” backed with a version of “Maggie’s Farm” on Southern Artists 2026. They are also supposed to be the group behind A. Jacks & The Cleansers “Stronger Than Dirt” on Clean 110. I hope to feature more of these eventually, but right now here’s “Counted Out”, a rocking instrumental from ’62, and the b-side to their very first 45, the doo-wop styled “You’ll Feel It Too”.

Categories: Renay, Tennessee, Union City

The Jades

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From Union City, Tennessee, close to the Kentucky border, this band recorded an early 45 as the Viscounts with Sherrill Parks Sr. handling vocals on ’50s rockers, while his son Sherrill Jr. played sax.

They reformed without Sherrill Sr. as the Jades: Sherrill Parks Jr. on vocals, Jim Hutchcraft guitar, Terry Hailey keyboards, Horace Phoebus bass and Ray Dement on drums. The Jades recorded two 45s for the Memphis label Renay. The first is a rockin’ cover of “I Ain’t Got You” with saxophone but no fuzz guitar backed with an instumental called “Rough House”. I hope to track this one down soon.

The second is a fine original, “When Shadows Fall”, as up-to-date a sound as you could wish for in 1966. Jim Hutchcraft’s great tremolo fuzz sound and Terry Hailey’s organ lay the basis while the drums and vocals syncopate, and the band takes off nicely during the chorus. Very different is the flip, a much older-styled instrumental, “Blue Nocturne”, probably something they had to play at local dances.

Anyone have a photo of the group?

Categories: Beaumont, Big Beat, Texas

The Kidds

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I know little about this group. Their one 45 was produced by Tommy Bee, who had been based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, while the Big Beat label shows a Greenville, Mississippi address at 617 Nelson St.

The band actually came from Beaumont, Texas, Kelly High School to be exact. Their guitarist Joey Patrizi commented below. John Schmidt played bass, to be replaced by Glen Moyer.

A good rocker, “Straighten Up And Fly Right” was written by Bryan and Brown. On the flip there’s a ballad, “See What My Love Means”. This 45 is not rare and can be picked up cheaply.

Categories: Arlington, Britian, Texas

The Five

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The Five seem to have come from Arlington, Texas. I couldn’t find any definite info on them until a friend of the band, Michael, commented below.

They sound like they were very young when they recorded this great double-sided 45 on the Britian (sic) label, the pounding “She Doesn’t Love Me Anymore” b/w a fine jangler, “I Don’t Care If It Rains All Night”. Tommy Jacobs and Terry Jacobs are the songwriters.

I’ll repeat most of Michael’s comment from below:

I knew these guys very well back in Junior High in Arlington, Texas (closer to Ft. Worth than Dallas).

Their original last name was Bryant, but changed to Jacobs after being adopted by their step-father. Tommy was about 2 years older than me and Terry was a year younger. Terry was the lead guitarist and lead singer while Tommy was was rhythm and back-up. Their drummer’s name was Bill Smith and can’t recall the bass player’s name, but he was a college guy and I always remembered that he played an Epiphone bass.

Terry always said that he wrote both songs for my sister, since he had such a big crush on her. The Five (one of many names they had gone by) were constant winners at local battle of the bands contests. And Terry could sing a mean falsetto “You Really Got Me.” Ha!! I think the single was made in ’66, but could have been early ’67, since I moved to Colorado in mid-’67. I saw them one more time, in’68, when we bumped into each other at Six Flags Over Texas. I heard that they moved to the San Francisco area shortly after that but no word on whether they kept up the music. The Britian label came about when the producer asked them what they wanted to name their label. They told him “Britain” but he misspelled it.

Thanks to Joe from the Ugly Beats for bringing the Five to my attention.

I’d love to hear from Terry Bryant, Tommy Bryant, or Bill Smith if they’re out there. Anyone have a photo of the group?

Categories: Almo, Atoll, California, Visalia

The Implicits

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The Implicits, March 1965.
From left, bottom row: Tom Johnston, Beverly Chavez, Jack Love; top row Jerry Hull, Bob Daugherty (Duarte) and Ken Henard.

From Visalia, California come the Implicits. Both sides of their May ’65 release were written by Tom Johnston. “Give Me Justice” is a very catchy slice of garage pop, while “She’s Alright” is a good danceable song.

A&M label picked this up for a July of ’65 release on their Almo subsidiary. Johnston later went on to the Doobie Brothers.

Jerry Hull contacted me about the group:

I was the rhythm guitar for the Implicits at the time the record was recorded. The original Implicits were Tom Johnston, lead guitar and vocal, Jerry Hull, rhythm guitar and vocal, Jack Love, base guitar and vocal, Bobby Duarte, keyboard and vocal, and Kenny Henard, drums.

Our group met through a mutual friend from high school, who was a drummer. Tom Johnston, Jack Love, and Kenny Henard went to Mt. Whitney High School and I went to Redwood High School; the two schools were just a few blocks apart. We were all 14 or 15 years old at the time. Bobby Duarte was a friend of one of the guys and was older than the rest of the group. We played at private parties, and some of the high school after-game dances at Mt. Whitney. We played at events at Woodlake, Hanford, and a March of Dimes sponsored dance in Tulare, which was our largest event at the time. We later added a female singer, Beverly Chavez, to the group.

We were approached by Shelly Martin (who became our manager), about recording a record. We signed an agreement on March 31, 1965, and recorded in Hollywood. I left the group later that year, however, Tom, Jack and Kenny kept the group going for some time, before changing the name.

I still have a picture from the Visalia Times Delta newspaper when we were going to Hollywood to record. I currently live in Henderson, Nevada.

Categories: Oregon, Portland, Vanco, Vancouver, Washington

The Twilighters

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Some of the Twilighters may have attended the Washington State School for the Blind in Vancouver, Washington, not far from Portland, Oregon. Their records are often found with braile lettering on the covers or labels. They released at least this 45 and two LPs on Vanco.

Members were Dave High on guitar, Pat Mulvey – tenor sax, Mike Mulvey, Darrel Deck on organ, Larry Huston on guitar and bass, and William Webber on drums. According to the liner notes of their LP Both Sides of the Twilighters, Dave High was the only sighted member of the group.

From the track list of the first LP Sides of the Twilighters (“Winchester Cathedral”, “Hello Dolly”, “Liechtensteiner Polka”, “Truck Driving Man”, “Fiesta in Acapulco”, “Kansas City”, “Elmer’s Tune”, “My Heart Is an Open Book” plus both sides of this single) and the title of the second (Country Our Way), it’s likely this 45 is as “garage” as they ever sounded.

Given their obvious songwriting talent – “Out of My Mind” was written by Pat Mulvey and David High; “I Need Your Lovin” by David High – I wonder why they didn’t make more records in this style. “Out of My Mind” is particularly strong, though it does sound like the singer renders the lyric “so painfully clear” as “so plainfully clear”!

Like the 45 by the Bystanders this was released on Vanco, the label owned by Bob Gibson. Another 45 on Vanco is #208: “Sorry For Tryin'” / “Happy Springtime”, by The Fire, two songs firmly on the pop side of psychedelic, from about 1968.