The Trophies released one single in October, 1965, “With a Love” backed with the uptempo “C’mon Little Lady”.
If the members were also the song writers, then the band included:
George Jevicky Andy Martin Daniel Nasimento
Geo. Jevicky, Andy Martin wrote the moody “With a Love” published by Blue Coast Music, administered by SESAC. Daniel Mascimento wrote “C’mon Little Lady” published by Duval BMI.
This is the only release on the Golden Sound label that I know of, GS 1011.
Teen Beat Mayhem lists the band’s location as San Francisco, California, but the label credits read “produced by Suwanee Songs, Lenoir City, Tennessee”.
I’d like to know how a San Francisco band wound up on a label out of Lenoir City, a small metropolis southwest of Knoxville.
Little Richard Morton cut this one single on his own Morton Records in June of 1964, backed by “His Musical Four”. Richard Morton wrote both songs, the rocker “Sad, Sad Song” and the slow “A Love I Once Enjoyed Is Now a Dream”.
The crude recording quality, prominent organ and r&b backing help push “Sad, Sad Song” into what could be called ‘garage’. His intonation is very country, so it’s no surprise the same month he made this single, he played a western dance at Womack Hall in Clifton, TX as Little Richard Morton and His Rainbow Valley Tophands.
The dead wax etchings “Manco-Morton #1 6-10-64” show this was recorded and released through Manco Recording, a Fort Worth company that released over forty singles, including “She’s A Doll” / “Kiwi Boogie” by Jim Jones & the Chaunteys.
The address of N. Pendell Ave, Cleburne was probably Morton’s home address at the time. Cleburne, TX is 30 miles south of Fort Worth.
According to copyright records, his full name was Richard Lowell Morton. Bluebonnet Pub Co. published both songs.
Richard Morton has other copyright registrations for religious songs.
The Templars, from left: Skip Pawson, Chris Rez, Tom Larson, John Hall and Bob Ellis
The Templars came from the Del Mar area of San Diego County. They cut one single, “Chafungie” / “Get Out of My Life” on Paragon Records k-57.
Members were:
Bob Rez – guitar (bass?) Tom Larson – guitar Bob Ellis – guitar Skip Pawson – keyboards John Hall – drums
Both songs on the single were originals by the group. “Chafungie” is an organ and fuzz guitar instrumental by Robert Ellis and Robert Rez (though the article above gives his name as Chris Rez). “Get Out of My Life” is a half-spoken vocal, written by Skip Pawson and Robert Ellis.
Robert Ault produced the single and signed the copy pictured here, along with the band.
The San Bernardino County Sun ran a feature on the group on April 14, 1967 about their upcoming appearance in the Jerry Lewis movie, The Big Mouth:
Teen Band Gets Break by Karen Rhiner
Tom Larson was so excited about appearing with Jerry Lewis in a movie that he couldn’t talk straight …
Tom is the leader of the Templars, a Del Mar area band which will go to Hollywood soon to film a sequence for Jerry Lewis’ new movie, “Big Mouth.”
It’s a big break for this five-man, clean-cut combo. They’ll appear on screen – alone – for almost three minutes playing their “Chafungie,” a song written by Templars Bob Ellis and Chris Rez. They’ll also provide background music during a scene taking place in a teen nightclub.
And, after the film is released, they’re scheduled for a 25-day, 51-city personal appearance tour to promote the movie.
Other members of the band are John Hall and Skip Pawson. All-are either juniors or seniors at San Dieguito High School or San Diego Military Academy near here.
What’s the secret of their success?
“We have an original sound and an original appearance,” Tom said. “We don’t have long hair, and our clothes are neat. We decided we wanted to look like boys and like ourselves. We’d be copying if we’d go with long hair. We wanted to bend the trend.
“Our sound is a driving one. We have one of the best drummers in the county (John Hall), and he comes through to pace a driving beat. Yet we can play the smoothies, too like “Georgia On My Mind” as well as polkas and Roaring 20s tunes.
“Our morale is pretty high, too. That helps. There’s nothing that can tear a band down more than dissension. If you don’t get along with each other, playing is a job. With us, it’s a pleasure and a hobby.”
The band leader thinks originality is important. “Bands shouldn’t try to copy,” Tom said. “Record companies don’t want copies of big groups. You’ve got to play around until you find a sound of your own.
“In the beginning, as with the Templars, you conform to other groups. But along the way somebody in the group does something terrific and you stick with it. It took us about six months before we found out what our sound is.
Although the group is only a year and a half old, it already has a record, “Chafungie” – the tune they’ll play in the movie in release.
I’ve only seen a few clips from The Big Mouth, so I’m not sure if the band actually appeared in the film.
At least a couple members of the Templars became a group called the Magical Mist, who had an excellent single, “When We Use Our Minds” / “Time Out to Fly”, both songs by Robert P. Ellis, George Pawson and Alan Decotes (Alan Decoates according to BMI’s records). Robert Ellis produced the single, released on Cross-Winds CW 105 out of Wildomar, CA in June of 1968, publishing by Rolling Wheels Music.
Thank you to Jonas Carlsson for his help with the article.
The Hustlers included Chauncey Romero, Doug Grantz, and John Tavaglione Tavaliogne, plus two members I do not have first names for, Roach and Bedwell.
The Hustlers first cut “Hangin’ Five” and “Barefoot Adventure” on the House of Note Records label, as early as December, 1962. I haven’t heard either song yet. They were cut at Paul Buff’s PAL studio, and an alternate version of “Hangin’ Five” exists on tape.
Sometime in 1964 they made their next single, changing to the Original Hustlers, probably to differentiate the group from the Hustlers with Grant Baker who recorded two excellent R&B/exotica instrumental singles on Downey, “Inertia” / “Eight Ball” and “Kopout” / “Migraine”.
“Cueball” was written by L. Fields, with publishing by David Marshall Co., I’m not sure what the original source was for this song, but it’s a fine surf instrumental.
“Barefoot” is an original by the Hustlers, released on LaBelle L-64121.
LaBelle mainly released records by the folk group the Countrymen, but it also issued the Swords “Raunchy” / “Fibreglass”, which I haven’t heard yet (and could use label scans of).
Chauncey Romero first managed, then owned the House of Note music store in Redlands. The Redlands Daily Facts from July 18, 1966 wrote:
The House of Note music store at 20 N. Sixth street is now operating under the new ownership ot Chauncey Romero, former manager. Romero, a native and lifelong resident of Redlands, managed the House of Note here for four years. For the past six months, he has served as manager of the House of Note music store in Riverside. He purchased the Redlands facility, which had been a branch of the Riverside store, from owner Ted Peckles of Riverside.
The House of Note in Redlands is a franchised dealer for such well known musical instruments and accessories as Fender guitars and amplifiers, Grctsch drums and guitars, Gibson guitars and amplifiers and Martin Guitars …
Romero noted that members of several local musical groups, including the Hustlers, Templars, Tornadoes and Never So Few, received musical training at the House of Note. He said there currently are more than 100 students enrolled. The teaching staff is composed of Norman Sanders, Greg Tomquist, John W. Sessums III, C. P. Woods, Warren Wheeler, Dean Pickard and Casey Cunningham.
The House of Note closed in 1968.
The Tornadoes included Norman (Roly) Sanders, Gerald Sanders, Leonard Delaney, Jesse Sanders, and George White, and would cut “Bustin’ Surfboards” among other singles on Aertaun and an album on Josie.
The Templars included Garry Brier, Glen Hellman, Dave Gruver, Ron Norcross and Mike McGrath, but I do not believe they recorded (they’re not the Templars who cut Chafungie” / “Get Out of My Life” on Paragon).
The Countrymen recorded on Audio Adventures out of Piqua, Ohio, 20 miles north of Dayton in 1971. They were really a country act, but “Flare-Up!!” is a crude and bizarre song, and does sound like it was recorded in a garage.
On “Flare-Up!!”, Ron Lininger sang lead and played guitar, Harry Burd played bass and Bud Allen contributed the tambourine. Lyrics were by W.R. Lake, music by Harry Burd.
Are you ready girls?
Now there’s times I’m sorry, You can bet your bippy, That I ever decided to marry a long-haired hippie.
Well I like to eat, And hold down a job, You’d rather eat and drink and live like a slob.
I think we’re about to have a flare-up, Let’s not have another flare-up.
If you dress like a girl, Maybe put up your hair, I’m sure that we could avoid another flare-up.
If you’d only wake up, And do a little clean-up We might avoid another flare-up.
When I need a little loving, Tender loving care, All I ever see is your long, black, and greasy hair.
I think we’re about to have a flare-up, Let’s not have another flare-up.
The lyrics are basically sung twice, separated by a break where the drummer & tambourine keep the beat while Ron slides the pick down the strings.
For the country ballad “That’s Why I’m Dreaming of You”, Bud Allen sang lead, Harry Burd played steel guitar (and wrote the song), and Ron Lininger played bass.
Fred Snyder played drums on both sides.
This is a Rite Records custom pressing, 27699/27770 from Rite account number 5216.
Viscount Records was based in Cranston, Rhode Island, releasing three singles in 1968.
I don’t know anything about the Night Walkers other than Bob Carey wrote the band’s original song, “In Our Time”, which is slow, moody and a little psychedelic.
The flip is a somewhat busy version of “Things We Said Today”. The Basement Walls site lists Warwick, just south of Cranston, as their base.
Released on Viscount VR4503, about 1968, this is a styrene record. The labels include a six-digit code 112681/2.
Prior to the Night Walkers, Viscount Records released Ken Lyon “Lonesome Trip” (Lyon – Bill McQuade) / “Rock Island Line” with his brother Don Lyon on harmonica. The picture sleeve has notes by the Rev. Donald Lavallee suggesting he was the owner of Viscount Records. Ken Blumberg took the photo and Leonard Hardisty designed the cover.
early photo of Homer, clockwise from top: Chet Himes, Pat Cosgrove, Galen Niles, Gary Crapster and Frank Coy
Homer was a group from San Antonio that would last from June of 1968 until about 1973. In Houston they would record three singles and an LP for URA Production (Universal Recording Artists).
The first press on the group that I can find comes from August 8, 1968 the Crystal City Sentinel ran a profile of the group by Margaret Anderson in her column, The Teen Scene:
… “Homer” has a really unique sound and the guys said that they plan to bring blues into Texas and prove that rock and roll isn’t “rinky-dinky”, but is something we can musically appreciate. The group seems to be striving for individuality among the many groups of today, rather than being just another band. All of the members of the group have been together for only two months and are all from different original groups.
The leader of the group is Galen Niles. He toured with the “Outcasts” … all through the East Coast, sings lead, and teaches music. The drummer is Pat Cosgroove [sic – actually it was Gary Crapster, Pat played guitar I believe], who won 1st place in International Drum Solo Contests. He has played in many major citys of the United States…
Other members are Frank Coy, Chet Hines, and Gary Crapster, who is also a music teacher. Kids in Crystal City look forward to having them back again for a dance in the near future.
At this early point in 1968, members were:
Frank Coy – vocals Galen Niles – lead guitar Pat Cosgrove – guitar Chet Himes – bass Gary Crapster – drums
Galen Niles has a stellar history in San Antonio music. He played on both the Pandas “Walk” / “Girl from New York City” on Swingtime and the Outcasts “1523 Blair” / “Smokestack Lightning” before joining Homer. He also played the solo on the Mind’s Eye “Help I’m Lost” (Steve Perrone – Luis Cabaza) on Jox (but not on the flip, which was taken from a single under their earlier incarnation as the Argyles).
Ron Houston wrote in the San Antonio Express and News on February 9, 1969:
… I sat ringside at the Web in Corpus Christi diggin’ the band playing a song called “Hi Ho Silver Lining.” It wasn’t Jeff Beck I was looking at. It was “Homer,” the band I had booked for Ray Schaff at the Web.
Frank Coy wrote the A-side of their first single, “Dandilion Wine”, (note spelling – not “Dandelion”) backed with a radical reworking of “I Never Cared for You”, which I would never have guessed was a Willie Nelson song if I hadn’t seen the credit on the label. It even uses “Hall of the Mountain King” in the break.
Their next single had two originals by Galen Niles, “On the Wall” / “Texas Lights”, published by Illiad Music.
Their third single had another Galen Niles composition, “Sunrise”, with a repeat of “Dandilion Wine” on the flip.
Homer at Sun Valley Ballroom on Friday, July 25, 1969 with Ron Houston, KTSA DJ, from the Victoria Advocate.
In September, 1969, Homer were one of the bands represented for booking by Fun People, Inc. at 4807 West Ave in San Antonio, along with the Laughing Kind, the Bubble Puppy, the Playboys of Edinburg, the Sweet Smoke, and Lavender Hill Express.
By the time of their album’s release in 1972, with eight originals by the band, the lineup was:
Phil Bepko – vocals Frank Coy – vocals Galen Niles – lead guitar Howard Gloor – lead guitar and steel guitar Chet Himes – bass Gene Coleman – drums
Frank Coy, Galen Niles and Chet Himes seemed to be in all incarnations of the group. I’ve also seen Rob Randolph and Van Wilks named as members. Robin Overall was a member for a few weeks, but wound up forming Heironymous with Gene Coleman and Phil Bepko, ending Homer’s run.
Chet Himes went into audio engineering, he passed away in August 2020.
Some info from mikesbandarchive.com (now defunct).
The Outcasts, November 1965. “Left to right with the jointly-owned speaker are Buddy Carson, Denny Turner, Jim Carsten, Jim Ryan and Ricky Wright.” Buddy Carson and Ricky Wright pressured to cut hair, October, 1966
The Outcasts were one of the top bands in San Antonio, and Texas in general. They cut several fine singles, including two absolute classics, “I’m in Pittsburgh (and It’s Raining)” and “1523 Blair”.
Two members of the band have sites about the group, which I’ve included below. I have found some interesting news clippings to add to their story.
The Outcasts were children of Air Force servicemen. By late 1964 they had become a quintet with:
Jim Carsten – guitar, vocals Buddy Carson – keyboards, harmonica, vocals Denny Turner – lead guitar Jim Ryan – bass Ricky Wright – drums
In June of 1965 they made their first record, “Nothing Ever Comes Easy” / “Oriental Express” recorded at Texas Sound in San Antonio, produced and written by Mike Post, released as Outcast 6865.
The Outcasts with Baby Cakes and the Greenmen, Austin Daily Texan, July 9, 1965
The San Antonio Express-News ran a feature on a number of local bands on November 21, 1965, including the Outcasts, the Rhythm Kings, the Fugitives, the Mildly Wilds, and the Loose Ends, along with the photo of the Outcasts seen at the top of this article.
Outcasts look “in” when they play.
They wear silver and black jackets, black trousers and white shirts except for “Surfer” parties when they don sport shirts.
The Outcasts, including Denny Turner, Jim Carsten, Buddy Carson, Ricky Wright and Jim Ryan, have a manager and play only popular music, old favorites and “some folk music and jazz.”
Denny, the only Outcasts who has had music training, studied the guitar because his parents couldn’t get a piano up the second-story apartment in which they lived.
The Outcasts may have one of the most elaborate public address systems owned by any teen-age band anywhere.
The lads have $700 worth of sound equipment, including two 5-foot speaker columns which contain six speakers each; three microphones and one large amplifier.
The speaker columns were built by Major Eugene Carson, the band’s manager, Buddy Carson and Jim Ryan. All the Outcasts chip in for equipment, although some of the money comes from royalties from a record the lads made sometime back …
Their five-foot speaker column, which cost $140, allows the singer’s voice to be clearly heard over the music.
Maj. John Carson was Buddy’s father and early manager of the group. San Antonio Express and News, April 2, 1966
In 1966 they had three singles on Askel. Jim Carsten was their main song-writer. Jim wrote both sides of their first Askel single, “I’m in Pittsburgh (and it’s Raining)” and “The Price of Victory”. It was their best-selling record, reportedly getting airplay on various stations around the country.
Jim Carsten wrote the top side of their next single, “Everyday”, while Carsten and Denny Turner wrote “I’ll Set You Free”, both fine original songs. Askel reissued “Everyday” with a great version of “Route 66”. One 45 label I’ve seen has “Buddy is singing” written on the “Route 66” side.
All of their Askel 45s had Ron Newdoll producing, at Accurate Sound Inc in San Angelo, publishing by Sangelo Music BMI.
During two summers when Jim Ryan returned to Oslo, Norway, where his father was stationed, he had two fill-ins, John (surname?) in 1965, and Kurt Linhoff in 1966.
Outcasts at The Casket in Kerrville, Sept. 14, 1967, from the Daily Times
Denny Turner left the band in late 1966, and the Outcasts found Galen Niles of the Pandas, to replace him. Jim Ryan wrote “[Galen] switched to a vintage Les Paul in late ’66 and recorded with us on our last single.”
“1523 Blair” / “Smokestack Lightning” came out in January 1967 on Gallant GT-101. Jim Ryan and Buddy Carson wrote “1523 Blair”, produced by H & H Productions at 243 Southill St in San Antonio. For certain, the song has incredible energy, with the vocalist (Buddy?) practically spitting out the lyrics.
1523 Blair was the address for Doyle Jones’ studio in Houston, where the band did some other recordings that were not released at the time.
Outcasts “a smashing success at California’s Hi-Ho Clubs” (did the group actually play in California?) and the Chaynes at the Olmos Club, San Antonio Express Nov. 5, 1966Outcasts now called the Proof, at New Orleans, October 20, 1967, from the Daily TexanOutcasts now called the Proof, at The Casket in Kerrville, November 3, 1967, from the Daily Times
In October 1967 at the New Orleans club in Austin, and then in November at The Casket in Kerrville, ads bill the group as “The Proof” (formerly the Outcasts).
One member wrote: “sadly, the group dissolved in a psychedelic haze in 1968”.
Jim Ryan would play with the Swiss Movement, then move to Los Angeles in 1969 for a couple of years.
The Outcasts story is told in some detail on various members sites, that are remarkably still active as of 2021. The photos unfortunately are mostly very small in size.
Denny Turner’s site has several pages on the Outcasts, try this one and this one.
Jim Ryan’s band page also has info on the Outcasts.
Mike Lowell’s site mikesbandarchive.com has been out of commission for about eight years now but is still partially available on the Internet Archive.
If anyone has better quality photos of the Outcasts, or more info on the members & group, please contact me.
Galen Niles Pandas San Antonio Light, Oct 16, 1966
The Valkryies recorded one single at Continental Recordings in Framingham, released on Cori Records CR 31003. “Love You Like I Do” is excellent garage rock, with sharp drumming and good guitar and sax solos. “Blues for Cookie” is a slow saxophone instrumental.
Members included:
Frank Curtis – lead guitar and vocals Steve Thorp – rhythm guitar and backing vocals; bass guitar on the single Domenic Palumbo – tenor sax and bass guitar Stan Baker – drums and backing vocals
Until Steve Thorp commented, I had no info on the group other than two song writer names: Francis Curtis (Francis Wesley Curtis, Jr.) and Domenic Palumbo. F. Curtis, Jr. registered “(That’s Why) I Love You Like I Do” on September 29, 1965. Domenic C. Palumbo registered “Blues for Cookie” on August 9, 1965. Donna Music BMI published both songs.
Steve sent in the photos and answered my questions about the Valkyries:
The Valkyries (also known as the New Valkyries) were active in the suburban Boston, Massachusetts area between 1965 and 1967.
The Valkyries in Medford MA, November 1965
Location and Personnel: The members of the band came from several small towns about 25 miles southwest of Boston. Frank “Snuffy” Curtis, the leader of the band, lived in Medway, Massachusetts. Curtis was a veteran of the local rock and roll/garage band scene and had fronted an earlier version of the Valkyries. He was 23 years old in 1965.
Stan Baker and Steve Thorp were from Medfield, Massachusetts, about 6 miles from Medway. Baker and Thorp had met in high school. Baker played drums in the school band and Thorp had been playing guitar for four years on his own and in a few small folk groups and rock bands.
Thorp and Baker shared a mutual love of rock and roll and R&B. The two started jamming together in 1964 at Baker’s house. Baker and Thorp met Curtis through the local music scene, probably at a house party, and the three started playing together. Curtis then invited Baker and Thorp to form a new version of the Valks in early 1965.
Curtis knew a lot of people from the local music scene and brought in various musicians to play in the band from time to time. Domenic “Gitch” Palumbo was a tenor sax player and a friend of Curtis. Palumbo may have been from Franklin, MA, a small nearby city. Palumbo was the same age as Curtis, and, like Curtis, had a lot of experience in the local music scene.
By mid-summer the line-up was set: Curtis on lead guitar and vocals, Palumbo on sax, Thorp on rhythm guitar and back-up vocals, Baker on drums and back-up vocals. A succession of bass players came and went through the band.
Instrumentation and styles: The band played late 1950’s/early 1960’s American pop style: up tempo, guitar driven rock, with lots of reverb and a heavy emphasis on beat. Palumbo’s sax playing added touches of rockabilly and surf rock. Curtis’s singing reflected earlier singers like Gene Vincent and Eddie Cochrane. Although the band played mostly covers, Curtis was a talented songwriter who contributed several originals to the repertoire.
Where the band played: mostly high school dances and house parties. The band’s choice of venues was limited because Baker and Thorp were both underage and couldn’t work in bars and night clubs. Nevertheless, the group worked regularly and by 1966 was working bigger venues. The group’s biggest gig was opening for Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs in either late 1965 or mid 1966 at the Lake Pearl ballroom in Wrentham, MA (Palumbo had left the group, which now had a regular bass player). The group began to play small bars and clubs in the Boston area. Thorp left the group by the fall of 1966. The band continued to play as the “New Valkyries” until 1967.
The Valkyries in Medford MA, November 1965
Two photos show the group in action at a high school dance in Medfield, MA, in November 1965. Curtis, in the plaid sport jacket, is at center mic. The bass player partially shown in one of the photos may be Palumbo. Thorp is shown taking the lead vocal in one photograph.How the recording came about: Curtis and Palumbo came up with the idea of recording in late 1965. Palumbo located Continental Recording Studios in Framingham MA, about 10 miles north of Medway, and he agreed to front the costs of recording and pressing the discs.
The band arrived at Continental’s studios, probably in mid-September, well-rehearsed and ready to play. The group didn’t have a bass player at the time, so Thorp played a borrowed electric bass on both tracks. The band recorded both tracks over a few hours, needing only a couple of takes on each track. “Love You Like I Do” was a Curtis original. “Blues for Cookie” was a slow, doo-wop instrumental featuring Palumbo, an acknowledgment of his fronting the recording and pressing costs.
The recording system was simple but effective. Both Curtis’s guitar solo and the harmony vocals were double-tracked, using an eight-track recorder.
The follow-up: although the record got a little air play on local radio stations, it never really went anywhere. The Valkyries continued on with different personnel throughout 1966 and 1967.
The Centurys featured in the Light, April 18, 1964 The Centurys featured in the San Antonio Light in November, 1965
The Pandas started out as the Centurys, formed at Alamo Heighs High School in San Antonio in 1963.
On April 18, 1964, the San Antonio Light profiled the band with the headline Teen Musicians with Haircuts, noting they had $3,000 invested in equipment, and listing the lineup as:
Wink Kelso – vocals Pat Wellberg – lead guitar Bill Bellamy III – bass guitar Tony Volz – rhythm guitar Jimmy Taylor – drums
A May 13, 1965 notice in the San Antonio Light lists the same five members.
The San Antonio Express and News reported on June 27, 1965 about the band’s summer engagement outside Chicago, Illinois:
Half-way through a 10-week contract in Mt. Prospect, Ill, – a suburb of Chicago – are Jim Taylor and Pat Wellberg, who spent last winter studying at Alamo Heights High School, and Bill Bellamy, Tony Volz, Wink Kelso and Chip Stokes, all veterans of one year at Trinity University.
Members of the “Centurys,” a dance band … the boys were hired by Club Living, an apartment complex for young people in their twenties. During the week the boys are being kept busy cleaning swimming pools, mowing lawns, chauffeuring air line stewardesses to and from airports, and generally odd jobbing. But on Saturday nights they really “go to town.” …
Chip is their manager.
“This is going to be quite a deal,” the boys reported happily as they prepared to drive North. “As a band we draw an extra $300 every Saturday night!”
A November 18, 1965 article shows a change in drummers:
Wink Kelso – vocals Pat Wellberg – lead guitar Bill Bellamy, Jr. – bass guitar Tony Volz – rhythm guitar Eddie Phlager – drums (I’ve also seen his name spelled Eddie Pladger, or perhaps Phleger)
The Centurys opened for the Kingsmen at the Granada Ballroom. Unfortunately an extensive history of the Centurys early days by Bill Bellamy is now gone from the internet and not availabe on the Internet Archive. If anyone has archived all of mikesbandarchive.com, please contact me.
In late 1964 or 1965, the Centurys released a single on Mark, “Whole Lot of Shakin’ Going On” backed with a hot version of the Ventures’ “Gandy Dancer”.
Part of a feature on the Pandas in the San Antonio Express And News Sept 10, 1966
The San Antonio Express and News of September 10, 1966, featured the Pandas and reviewed their history.
In March of 1966, “Mrs. Mel Adcock, who owns and manages Swingtime Productions and manages many top bands, auditioned the Centurys as house band for a new television program called “Panda-Monium,” to be shown in the Houston area.”
To fit with the TV program, the Centurys changed their name to the Pandas and in May cut a great single on Swingtime SW-1001/2 “Walk”, an original by Will Bellamy and Wink Kelso. The flip was a cover of the Beach Boys’ “Girl From New York City”.
By September, 1966, Galen Niles had replaced Bill Bellamy. Galen had been in the Minuets. On the great but defunct mikesbandarchive.com site, the Minuets were described as having the longest hair in San Antonio in 1965. Members included David Frazier on vocals; Larry Murphy, rhythm guitar & vocals; Galen Niles on lead guitar; and Charlie Shoenfeld on bass and keyboards. Jim Ryan wrote: “Galen was playing a great Chet Atkins Country Gentleman and tuned before every set by just listening to open strings. They opened a show for us in Austin and almost stole the show.”
The Pandas were now a quartet:
Wink Kelso – vocals Pat Wellberg – guitar Galen Niles – guitar Jimmy Taylor – drums
The article continues:
Pandas Currently Among City’s Best
Last May, the Pandas released their first single under the Swingtime label, “Walk” and “Girl from New York City.”
A hit locally, a movie of the Pandas introducing the new tunes was shown in Houston and Dallas. The record really hit big in Florida and the lads were immediately offered guest appearances in Jacksonville, Daytona Beach and Miami – offers they couldn’t accept because of school.
Wink Kelso, vocalist is a sophomore at Trinity University … He plays guitar, drums and the organ and has taken formal singing lessons.
Pet Wellberg, who plays the lead guitar and 12-string with the Pandas, was voted “Most Talented” in his senior class last year at Alamo Heights.
Jimmy Taylor, a Trinity University sophomore … plays drums with the Pandas and can swing his ax to any tune and make it come out great.
Galen Niles, a Trinity University freshman … has two hobbies – playing the guitar and teaching the guitar.
Galen formerly played with the Pipelines and the Minuets, both popular local bands. His favorite nationally known band is the Yardbirds, a name he speaks with awe.
The September 17 article has a follow-up and different photo of the Panda, but I don’t have access to that image.
On October 15, 1966, the Express and News noted that Alamo Heights High School won a show by “Wink and the Pandas” on October 22.
In October 1967, Wink Kelso & the Kaleidoscopes appeared at the Casket in Kerrville.
On January 19, 1969, the Express and News had a long profile on Wink Kelso noting how he was singing the role of Paquillo in Offenbach’s La Perichole and also fronting the Kaleidoscope during his senior year at Trinity. Members of the Kaleidoscope at this point include Mike Lasley, Peyton Starr, Pat Mellberg, Scottie Melton, George Holcomb and Dave Sequin.
Wink says, “We’ve stumbled onto a new thing … using a guitar as a percussion instrument. It gives rhythm and blues a great drive.
On August 31, 1969, the Express and News ran a photo of Wink Kelso and the Kaleidoscope, noting they had returned from a summer tour in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Venture, Orange Grove, Long Beach and Tacoma. It lists the current members as Pat Wellberg on lead guitar, Mike Lasley on bass guitar and backing vocals, Steve Smith on drums and percussion, and Tito Morena and Dave Sequin on saxophones.
A 1973 article discusses Wink Kelso’s role in a rock adaption of Lewis Carroll, called Alice and Wonderland, and that just prior he had been in another group, Giant Smiling Dog.
Will Bellamy would play bass in Rachel’s Children.
More info or photos of the Centurys or Pandas would be appreciated.
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
