A band that may have the name Stitch in Time (Stuck in Time or Stich in Time? It’s difficult to read the writing) cut a four-song demo acetate at Fiesta Studio in Hartford, CT.
Two of the songs are “Visions of a Dream” and “Darkness of My Mind”. The other label only has “Wayne” written along the edge. The acetate is in terrible condition, with severe flaking on those two songs, but I was able to salvage one track on the other side. I don’t know the name of the song, maybe “I Want to Live”. Hear an excerpt below:
Fiesta Recording Studio was located at 922 Main Street in Hartford, Connecticut. The best thing cut at Fiesta that I know of was the Bends “If It’s All the Same to You”.
Fiesta also seems to cut a number of polka LPs by Johnny Menko, Ted Nowack’s Harmony Kings, and Ed Podolak & his Polka Cats.
The Viscanes, from left: Al Martansic, John Ayers, Lou Dobrolosky, Jerry Hyde and Donald Jack Four song EP cut at Hertz Sound in Newark
The Viscanes came from Morristown, New Jersey, and included:
Donald Jack – lead guitar John Ayers – rhythm guitar Al Martansic – keyboards Jerry Hyde – bass Lou Dobrolosky – drums Billy King – vocals
They cut four unreleased songs at Hertz Recording Studio in Newark. From the songs on the acetate, the Viscanes had a style influenced by soul sounds of the day. There’s a cover of “Ooh-Poo-Pah-Doo”, and two original songs, the uptempo “Windstorm” and a ballad, “Black and Blue”. They also recorded a loose jam of organ and guitar solos with some ad-libbed vocals.
The Viscanes played regularly at Danny’s Hideaway in East Hanover NJ, located on Route 10, attached to a bowling alley. Some silent 8mm footage of the band exists, with part of the recordings as the Front Row added for a soundtrack:
They also played at Idaho Pines in Parsippany NJ, Dude Ranch Inn in Dover NJ, and Aunt Kate’s on Rt 46 in Stanhope NJ, as well as the Boardwalk at Seaside Heights and Atlantic City.
The Viscanes on stage Danny’s Hideaway, April 1966
The Front Row perform “The World’s Fantasy”, produced by Marty Foglia at Regent Sound Studio
The Front Row
With a couple lineup changes the Viscanes became the Front Row:
Donald Jack – lead guitar John Arends – rhythm guitar Frank Knox – keyboards Jerry Hyde – bass Lou Dobrolosky – drums Al Martansic – vocals
As the Front Row they made two acetates at Regent Sound Studios on West 56th St in Manhattan. One has two vocals, “The Worlds Fantasy” b/w “Hey Little Girl”. The second acetate has backing tracks for both songs, but with “The World’s Fantasy” titled “Roaches” for some reason.
“The Worlds Fantasy” is well-crafted commercial pop, with a great opening guitar lick and pounding drums. It certainly is good enough to have deserved release, but I don’t think it ever was. I can’t find copyright information on either song, and wonder if “The World’s Fantasy” was a working title.
The Front Row perform on the backing track to “The World’s Fantasy” produced by Marty Foglia
“Hey Little Girl” is a slower ballad. Marty Foglia’s name is on the labels, probably as producer. In 1966, Foglia recorded an early Jim Croce song called “Sun Come Up” with an unknown group called the Clique that Laurie Records released.
Marty Foglia had been active in the late ’50s, running the Cecilia Records label with a handful of pop and doo-wop singles by the Criterions, Johnny Starr and Mike Figlio. He co-wrote “New Orleans Beat” with Michael Ralph Colicchio. Foglia also recorded the Viscounts, selling the masters to Madison Records which hit with “Harlem Nocturne” in 1959 and again in 1965. But I can’t find many credits for him after 1961. Some info from Pop Archives.
Donald Jack moved to Sunrise, Florida in 1975 where he opened D&J Chevron in Deerfield Beach. His sons Don and Steve contributed the photos and info on the band. Don passed away in 2001, and Jerry Hyde passed in 2006.
Thank you to Don and Steve Jack for sharing these great photos and history.
The Viscanes on stage Danny’s Hideaway, April 1966
The Snakes, from left: unidentified woman, Cecil Cotten, unidentified man in white coat, Keith Ferguson (on floor), Steve Karnavas (seated in barber’s chair) and Benny Rowe
In 1969, four Texans formed a band in San Francisco known as Benny, Cecil and the Snakes. I believe the group’s name was a take on the popular cartoon, Beany and Cecil the Seasick Sea Serpent by Bob Clampett.
Members were:
Cecil Cotten of the Briks on vocals Benny Rowe of the Wig and a later lineup of the Jackals on lead guitar Steve Karnavas of the Chaparrals on drums Keith Ferguson – previously with Johnny Winter, and later with the Fabulous Thunderbirds, on bass
Keystone Korner, July 1970, photo taken by Fred King, used with permissionThey played parties for for the Rip Off Press and opened shows for Boz Scaggs, including at the Keystone Korner in July of 1970. Reese Wymans and George Raines of Boz’s band would sit in with the Snakes on occasion.
I found a few published notices for the band:
Benny, Cecil and the Snakes shared a bill on July 24, 1970 with Joy of Cooking at the New Orleans House on San Pablo in Berkeley.
They played for a Young Replublicans of Santa Clara event at the Ramada Inn on November 13, 1970!
July 1-4, 1971 they opened for Charlie Musselwhite at In Your Ear, 135 University Avenue in Palo Alto.
In a February 1971 feature in the San Francisco Examiner, Kathy Goss described the band playing a Bastille Day party at the Pacific Heights mansion she shared at 2300 Pacific before it was torn down. The photo at top was taken at this mansion, I believe; the unidentified man in the white coat was a tenant there. It’s worth quoting a small part of that article:
Maurice and Stanford, the owners of a shop that had recently moved from Union Street to upper Fillmore, had a gigantic French flag that they wanted us to hang outside the mansion for Bastille Day. And so we decided to have a Bastille Day party, and to invite not only our personal friends, but also people who we thought would enjoy having their minds blown by a beautiful, free, colorful party. The house was hung with banners of red felt and velvet, the tables were laden with food.
Benny, Cecil and the Snakes, a fine band and good friends of the house, began playing in the late afternoon. The rooms were filled with shifting images and colors of a light show, and we reveled in the blend of wildly costumed guests of all ages and pursuits who danced and talked and generally enjoyed themselves, sharing in the excitement and energy and splendor of the mansion.
Some unreleased tapes exist of rehearsals and live shows, including one that may have been recorded at the Pacific St. mansion.
Thank you to Wm. Lewis Wms for sending the photos that Cecil Cotten shared with him, and for much of the information in this post.
I’d appreciate more info on Benny, Cecil and the Snakes.
The Snakes, from left: Keith Ferguson, Steve Karnavas, Cecil Cotten and Benny Rowe
Delta Recording Center, aka Delta Studio, Fort Worth, 1965Opening announcement, Nov 23, 1965
Delta Recording Center opened in November 1965 at 910 Currie. It was one of a handful of Fort Worth recording studios in the mid-’60s, including Clifford Herring, Sound City, and Bluebonnet Recording Studios.
Garage rock was only a small part of their business, which would have included much gospel, country and other types of music.
I’m sure there were many other rock singles cut at Delta, but these seem to be definite:
Charay Records C-17 – The Elite – “One Potato” / “Two Potato” Charay Records C-31 – The Elite – “My Confusion” / “I’ll Come to You”
Ector Records 101 – The Jades – “I’m Alright” / “Till I Die” (Prod. & Eng. by Jesse Smith)
Sound Track ST-2000 – The Reasons Why – “Don’t Be That Way” / “Melinda”
November 1966 adJohn D. Maxson from Dallas was owner and engineer, Robert L. Farris, vice president, and John A. Patterson, production manager. It is often referred to as Delta Studio or Delta Recording Studio instead of Delta Recording Center.
Maxson was also part owner of Spot Productions, Inc, at 2831 Bledsoe, which produced TV and radio jingles, breaks, and programming.
Johnny Patterson, guitarist with Bob Wills’ Texas Playboys and other groups, bought the studio in 1969.
By 1973 it was running ads that boasted:
“Ampex and Scully mono, two, four and EIGHT TRACK recorders. When you record at Delta you receive a custom service … from mastering and processing, to labels, album covers, cassettes and cartridges.
In February, 1974 the Star-Telegram announced:
Lawton Williams is the new manager of Delta Recording Center, owned by Rick Snow and Jim Shadle. Johnny Patterson, formerly with the Bob Wills band is chief engineer and directs the house band.
Demos / acetates from Delta Recording:
The Tracks- “Rain in My Eyes” (?) / “Don’t Cut My Hair”
Louis Howard – “You Can Do as You Please” / “Comin’ Home to You”
Louis had a 45 on Impact Records I-4074 with the Red Hearts, “You’re Too Much” / “I’ve Got the Feeling”.
Uncredited band (probably the Creep) at Holiday A-Go-Go, April, 1965
Uncredited band (probably the Creep) at Holiday A-Go-Go, April, 1965The Creep had one fine single, “Betty Lou’s Got a New Tattoo” / “I’m Wise” in 1964.
Both sides are credited to Hobson and Kithas, though the A-side is an adaption of Bobby Freeman’s “Betty Lou Got a New Pair of Shoes”. Still it’s a great performance by the group, and a record I’ve never found.
Members included:
Nick Kithas – sax and vocals John Hobson – guitar Joe Moore – drums
I don’t know the names of any other members yet. I believe Nick sings lead on “I’m Wise”.
The Star-Telegram ran a feature on the Holiday Skating Rink’s Holiday a-Go-Go, mentioning only one group, the Creeps, with Nick Kithas the only member named (and misspelled Kethas). The feature has two unlabeled photos of a band, I assume these are the Creeps, can anyone confirm that?
The notes to Fort Worth Teen Scene vol. 3 states they were also called Creep and the Deacons, and that Homer Sewell engineered and released the 45 on Oakridge Records OK-1. The labels credit Mike Dooley Productions.
Nick Kithas later ran a couple clubs in Fort Worth, Daddio’s and The Jazz Café, and was still playing live as of 2019.
The Rocks came from Huntsville, in northern Alabama.
Randy Duck is quoted on a Lee High School alumni site (a couple spellings of names are corrected):
The original Rocks included Johnny Harbin, Butch Rolfe, Bulldog Hillis, Joe Skipworth, Skip Atkins, Donnie Cartelli and me. Later, Johnny and Butch went into the service and Bulldog dropped out. Jackie Tiller started playing lead guitar, Richard Hahn came on board with keyboards …
We had several different drummers after Donnie, but Doug Cheffer was the last one. Donnie and Doug are both passed away.
My copy of “Terri” is signed by Butch Rolfe.
I’ve seen a later photo of the band with this lineup:
Randy Duck – lead vocalist Joe “Little Joe” Skipworth – sax Jack Tiller – lead guitar Skip Atkins – bass guitar Doug Cheffer – drums
Randy Dee Duck wrote both songs of their first single, “Love City” / “Terri”, released on Gold Master Records GM-1001 in November 1964. Both sides are great, crude rock ‘n roll.
Their second single came in 1965, “Love or Money” by Don Cortelli and Randy Duck with “Rock Pretty Baby”, on Gold Master GM-1003. I haven’t heard this one yet.
The Rocks get a slower, bluesy sound on the top side of their last single “Because We’re Young” written by Walter Sims, I’m not sure his connection to the band. The flip is a ballad, “My Only Love” by Johnny Harbin and Randy Duck, released in November 1965 on Woodrich Records WR-1249.
A single by the Rocks on White Cliffs 239, “Who Do You Love” (by Edgar Starns) / “Keep My Woman Home” may be a different group.
Sonny Limbo produced for L & C Productions. Sonny was a Huntsville DJ whose real name was Sonny Limbaugh – thus Limbaugh Music publishing, and also seems to have partly owned Gold Master Records.
Besides the two Rocks 45s, Sonny also produced the Hi-Boys Combo ”Why (Must I Love You)” / “Some Man (Other than Me)” both written by C. Bolden, released on Gold Master GM-1004.
Gold Master GM-1002 is Hollis Champion’s “Stand There” / “Sugarfoot Rag”, and doesn’t have Sonny’s name or publishing anywhere on the labels.
Sonny also produced at least two singles on the Exclusive Records label out of Chattanooga:
The Champells – “Don’t You Know” / “Won’t You Love Me” on Exclusive 2297, both written by Ralph Flynn (the second copyrighted as “Won’t You Love Me Too”? by Ralph Thomas Flynn in October 1965).
The Vondels - “Stagger Lee” / “Turn on Your Love Light” on Exclusive 2295.
The Monic Depression released one single, “Wondering Why” / “Midnight Hour”. I wish I could tell you more about the band but nothing is known at this point.
“Wondering Why” is an excellent original by K. Ellmer. The organ, guitar, bass and drums blend into a near-perfect garage sound, even if the record was made in 1969, as someone wrote on my copy.
Kevin Ellmer, Keith Ellmer, Ken Ellmer, Knox Ellmer?!
The flip is a good version of “Midnight Hour”
Teen Beat Mayhem lists the band’s location as possibly Virginia, while I’ve seen Pennsylvania on the internet, possibly Scranton.
Released on HRS 45-218, possibly HRS stands for a recording studio. Harrisburg?
I love the band name, was the spelling of Monic intentional or was it supposed to be Manic Depression?
The Tel Stars, from left: Jimmy Carter, Ronnie Wilson, unidentified – can anyone ID? and Terry Gorka
The Telstars were a big draw in the Washington DC area, playing at the Bayou among other venues.
The band was based in Falls Church; members included:
Jimmy Maddox – guitar Gary Johnson – guitar Jimmy Carter – guitar Terry Gorka – bass Ronnie Wilson – drums
Bud Becker sent in the photo seen here, and remembers two vocalists with the band, Jerry Burke, who went into the Army, and a second named Mick. He also remembers Terry’s wife Cherrie Gorka was a seamstress who made costumes for December’s Children, and that Barry Siedel managed the band.
The Telstars put a lot of fuzz behind “Keep on Running”, a song written and originally performed by Jackie Edwards, and made famous through the Spencer Davis Group. It’s a good version, but I like their take on “Hold Tight” even more. Sylvia Fricker of Ian & Sylvia wrote “Hold Tight”, registering copyright in September, 1966.
“Hold Tight” appeared on Ian & Sylvia’s 1967 album So Much for Dreaming, which I don’t have a release date for, but I believe it shortly precedes the Telstars single on Columbia 4-44141 in May, 1967. I’d be curious if the Telstars heard “Hold Tight” on the album or from a songwriting demo.
The production credit is interesting. Bob Wyld and Art Polhemus of Longhair Productions created many great singles with the Blues Magoos, including “Tobacco Road” and “(We Ain’t Got) Nothin’ Yet”; the Magicians (“An Invitation to Cry”, “About My Love” and more), the Blue Beats and others, usually on Columbia Records.
Barry Seidel (with Tom Traynor) produced records by the Mad Hatters and the Fallen Angels. The Telstars record is the only time Seidel worked with both Wyld and Polhemus, but Bob Wyld would later produce albums for acts that Seidel managed, Steel Image and Exuma.
Bud Becker thought the Telstars recorded at either Rhondell Rodel Studios in Georgetown or Edgewood Recording Studios. Bud managed various groups, such as the Winds of Change and the Yorkshires.
Terry Gorka would go into the Reason with Tommy Dildy, Bill Manning, and Billy Windsor, releasing an album Age of Reason on Georgetowne Records.
Thank you to Linda Shekan for correcting some errors in this article with her comment below.
The Triumphs “Better Come Get Her” is a stomping rocker, with lines like “she wants to cheat, and I’ll give her the chance”! The flip is the bizarre blues novelty “Morticia Baker”; the single was released on Pacemaker Records PM-238 in early 1966.
The Triumphs came from Rosenberg, TX, just southwest of Houston. Billed as the Triumphs of Rosenberg, I can find notices of their live shows as early as March, 1961, and they started recording in 1962, with singles on various labels such as Dante and Bragg.
For “Better Come Get Her”, the Triumphs consisted of:
Don Drachenberg – usually saxophone but lead vocals Tim Griffith – guitar Tom Griffith – bass Fred Carney – organ Teddy Mensik – drums Denver “Denny” Zatyka – backing vocals Gary Koeppen – backing vocals
Mark Charron was a prolific song writer who composed both sides of this single, as well as other songs for the Triumphs, like “Candy Baby” (the flip of their Pacemaker hit “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry”), and “Keep It Up” on Joed Records, which is now sought after by soul DJs.
The Triumphs had been backing B.J. Thomas, but I’ve read the band wouldn’t tour after “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” hit, so Thomas dropped the group. His solo career was already underway, “Tomorrow Never Comes” / “Your Tears Leave Me Cold” on Pacemaker PM-239, credits B.J. Thomas alone.
Huey Meaux owned Pacemaker Records. A Crazy Cajun album Gotta Keep My Kool includes some unreleased music I haven’t heard yet.
Other members of the Triumphs included Doug Griffith on keyboards, John Perry on bass, and Ron Petersen.
The Triumphs would continue, but not releasing more music until 1969 and 1970, when they made two singles on Master Record Co., based out of Jones Sound Recording Studio at 1523 Blair in Houston. Wand picked up one of these, “Houston Won’t Call Me” for national release. I haven’t heard their first Master single, with the intriguing titles “Hang My Mind Out to Dry” / “The World Is Dying”.
Source: Alec Palao’s notes to Don’t Be Bad! (60s Punk Recorded in Texas) which digs deeply into Crazy Cajun’s tape vaults.
Here are photos of a 1965 WPGC show featuring the Cobras, a group that is unknown to me. They have a great look, and I’d love to know who they were and if they recorded.
Link Wray at the WPGC Good Guys show, 1965
It’s interesting to see Link Wray at the show, along with Bob Rubino, who was recording his single “A Rose and a Baby Ruth” / “Lonely Boy” at Link’s studio in Accokeek about this time.
Link would record a number of teen groups in 1966 for his Gray Ant label and the Vermillion label, including:
The Dead Beats -“She Don’t Love Me” (Rick Maske) / “I’m Sure” (Bob Coleman) The Hard Times – “I Can’t Wait Till Friday Comes” / “(Old Wine) New Bottles” The Suburbans – “The Love That I Had” (Roby, Murphy) / “Talk to Me” (Murphy)
I haven’t found any mention of the Cobras in connection to Link.
WPGC DJ Dean Griffith is represented. Dean Griffith was a house name at the station, and this was one of four people that had that moniker – anyone know his real name?
I’m not sure the venue, maybe a gymnasium in the Washington, DC area, or perhaps the DC Armory which did host some shows during these years.
I could not find a newspaper listing for a show with the Cobras, but the Daily Times of Salisbury, Maryland announced a teen dance on April 17, 1965 at the Wicomico Youth and Civic Center, sponsored by Pocomoke High School and Pocomoke City station WDMV.
Joey Reynolds of WKDW, Buffalo, NY acted as host. The bands were the British Walkers, Link Wray and the Wraymen “with Rob Rudino, guitarist, and a local group called the Astro-Tones”.
The Astro-Tones also played a dance at the Boggs-Disharoon American Legion in Berlin, MD on April 3.
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
