The Tyrods formed in high school in Chino, California in 1965. Chino is in San Bernadino County, just east of Los Angeles.
Members were:
Herkie Alves – guitar John Alves – guitar Alex Kizanis – keyboards Tim Thomas – bass Jerry Sagouspe – drums
Winning a battle of the bands at the Hollywood Palladium in 1967, earned them recording time to produce a single on Mark Records MR-202.
Brothers John and Herkie Alves wrote both sides of the single. “She Said, He Said” has lyrics worth puzzling out:
She said he said it’s all wrong, But I don’t believe her at all. She said he said it’s all wrong But I said …. (?)
She says that I look like I’m dead, ’cause I never smile any more. I say that I can’t …. (?) There’s so many things in my head.
There’s so many things in my head. Everything around I can’t see. Head’s to the sky, Eyes to the floor.
(?) …. all that riches and fame.
“Girl Don’t Know” includes harmonies that the group would develop in their later recordings.
Sunrays, Renegades and Tyrods at the D.E.S. Ballroom in Chino, February 25, 1966
About the beginning of 1969 the band made a second single, “Hey Girl” / “In a Garden” this time on Flick City. The label changed the band’s name on the single to the Young Californians, but for live shows they continued to use the Tyrods name, as seen on posters opening for the Strawberry Alarm Clock, Giant Crab, and the Sunrays.
Once again Herkie and John Alves wrote both songs. Released in February, 1969 on Flick City FC-3006, the record did not hit, despite a very favorable review from Cash Box on February 22. The band had developed their sound, and both sides are well-made songs.
Adam Sean Music, BMI published both songs. The brothers registered another song with Adam Sean Music in November, 1968, “Everyone Loves a Sunday Morning”, which has not been released to my knowledge.
The litigious side of the record businessDavid Rolnick owned both Adam Sean Music and Flick City, as well as Take 6, which was known for packaging hits into albums for local radio stations. In 1967, Take 6 had a number of interesting releases by the Nervous Breakdown (Rusty Evans), the Giant Sunflower and others. Rolnick may have started Flick City to distinguish original releases from the repackaged Take 6 product.
A Billboard article from April 1969, shows Rolnick being sued for over $47,700 by Rainbo Record Manufacturing.
I’ve seen mention that Creed Bratton, guitarist with the Grass Roots, was in this group, but I believe that must have been a different Young Californians.
The Tyrods Band opening for the Strawberry Alarm Clock and Giant Crab at Espris Car Club New Years Dance at the Des Hall, December 28, 1968
In 1969 they had their last single, this time as Buffalo Nickel on Dome Records 507. The sound is even more polished than the Young Californians single, but this time they didn’t use their original songs.
Tony Powers and George Fischoff wrote “Hard to Be Without You”, and this may be the original version, as copyright registration shows February 1969. The more well-known versions are by the Book of Matches on Bell in June, 1969, and by Joey Powers Flower on RCA in December.
Jack Nitzsche and Greg Dempsey wrote “I Could Be So Good to You”, which was originally done (I think) by Don & the Goodtimes in 1967. Don McGinnis arranged the songs and Kingstreet Productions has a credit on the label.
I believe the group broke up shortly after this release.
Jerry Sagouspe would join Merrell Fankhauser, appearing on a number of albums beginning in the 1990s.
There was a Johnny Alves who was in Manuel & the Renegades with Manuel Rodriguez, Corky Ballinger, Roger Anderson and Mike Le Doux but I don’t believe this is the same person as the John Alves in the Tyrods.
Info & images on the group forwarded to me, originally from Jerry Sagouspe.
Info on Take 6 from Billboard and also Lisa Wheeler’s Radio Use Only.
The Baby Cakes, July, 1965. From left: Don Lupo, Chuck Bakondi, Pat Russell and Tommy Hill
The Baby Cakes were a legendary Austin band that lasted from 1965 until August, 1967. The Baby Cakes never recorded under that name, but they may have been the first Austin group with long hair, they won the first Aqua Festival Battle of the Bands, and they were a big influence on later groups. Two of their members would go on to form the Lavender Hill Express.
John Schwertner of the Reasons Why told Not Fade Away about the Baby Cakes:
We had always looked up to them ’cause they were the first band I remember to play English style rock and roll. A real scruffy looking band, sort of the Texas Rolling Stones I guess. They helped us get some bookings and they’d come to our shows and tell us how to improve our band, really helped us alot.
Early lineups included:
Chuck Bakondi – vocals Leonard Arnold – lead guitar Tommy Hill – rhythm guitar, 12-string guitar Don Lupo – bass Pat Russell – drums
At some point Layton DePenning joined on guitar and vocals.
After drawing crowds of University of Texas students to their rehearsal space, a woman named Paula started booking the group for parties. Michael Lucas would become their promotions and business manager.
The Austin Daily Texan ran a feature on the group on July 27, 1965:
Austin Goes Liverpool Or, Little Church by the Drag: What Gives?
There’s a new beat in Austin … you can hear it resounding from the basement windows of the Congregational Church almost any week night. Call it the West 23rd Street sound — that’s where the “Baby Cakes” hang out.
Practicing in a church basement is probably a unique idea for a rock-and-roll group. But Pat Russell, the Baby Cakes’ drummer, lives there. An English major at the University, Pat hopes to be a Congregational minister …
The group has been together about a month and a half under the name of the “Baby Cakes.” The first members were Pat Russell, Don Lupo on bass, and Leonard Arnold, lead guitar player.
Chuck Bakondi of the Baby Cakes at the Union, September 1965
Then they met Dave Biondi a former KNOW disc jockey. Dave is from Phoenix, Ariz. and had managed a group there. Deciding that the “Baby Cakes” needed a singer, Dave wrote Chuck Bakondi in Phoenix. Along with Tommy Hill, rhythm guitar player, the group was complete …
Sometimes it’s difficult to get together since Don is in the Air Force and stationed at Bergstrom, Leonard is presently going to school in Kingsville and has to commute …
Chuck is the Englishman (sans accent) of the group, complete to his hairstyle and boots. Pat, with his fantastic red hair and beard, looks like a musician, but hardly a potential minister. don, Tommy, and Leonard just look like they enjoy music. Seeing them blast out lines from “Satisfaction” and “For Your Love” you can tell.
The average age of the group is 20. But as Pat put it – “we’re all teenagers at heart.”
Performing on the job, the Baby Cakes wear Beatle boots, black shirts, gold jackets and white lace shirts. They play for about $120 a night.
“We’re expecting a baby organ,” said Pat. The group wants a baby organist and a guitar player to substitute for Leonard on week nights.
Dave got the idea for the group’s name from an old DJ friend of his in Phoenix – broadcasting over the radio he would often say – “what’s happening, Baby Cake?”
The Austin American wrote on July 29, 1965:
“‘Way Outers’ ‘Baby Cakes’ Booked for City Teen Dance”
The Baby Cakes – a newly organized rock-and-roll group of the “way out” variety – will provide half the dance music Friday night at the Parks and Recreation Department’s first annual City-Wide Teen Dance in the City Coliseum …
The second band scheduled for the evening is the popular Imperials group led by Frank Nunez and featuring vocalist Little Joe Castillo. The Imperials are known for their vibrant pop-Latin style and their recordings on the Valmon label …
A special guest appearance by the Petites – sisters Suzanne and Janice Dillingham of Brownwood – will be another highlight …
The Petites recorded the recent “Baby Blue Mustangs” hit for Troy Records, and have another current poll climber – “Baby Heartbreak”.
Frank Nuñez and the Imperials made eight Spanish-language singles for Valmon. I’ve heard an early version of the Baby Cakes backed Ronnie Cells on a single for Valmon: “My Love Is Haunted” / “Chicken” as Ronnie Cells and His Continentals on Valmon VN-1-067, issued circa May 1965.
Ronnie Cells had been performing in Austin since 1967, and used the Continentals name for his backing band from 1962 until 1970, when he changed to Ronnie Cells and the Fidels! Members of the Baby Cakes may have been part of the Continentals for a time, but if so, they struck out on their own by summer of ’65, even as Ronnie continued with a group called the Continentals for years to come.
The Austin Statesman reported on September 8, 1965:
KHFI cameras and tape recorders will be on the prowl this weekend to pick up the sounds at local fraternity houses. The taping, headed by Mike Ginn, is in preparation for a special program called Talent in Central Texas to be aired probably the following weekend.
Local Rock ‘n’ roll groups scheduled for recording include The Babycakes … a college group known as the Cavaliers, and a high school group called the Pack.
The Austin American on December 16, 1965 names their early manager: “Booked Friday at the Circleville Hoedown Club in Taylor – the Baby Cakes, a popular Austin rock band. Manager Leroy Ponkoney says the band returns by ‘popular demand'”.
Tower Fund benefit with bands including the Baby Cakes and the Wig.Wow! April 14, 1967: Baby Cakes with the Playboys of Edinburg, 13th Floor Elevators, Zakary Thaks, Chevelle V and Chandells for the All-night Round Up Party at the City Coliseum
On March 4, 1966, the Austin American wrote:
New feature at the Jade Room on Tuesday and Wednesdays is a big dance contest. With the Baby Cakes supplying the music, couples vie for free movie passes and record albums. This week, KNOW program director, Chuck Boyle, who also manages the Baby Cakes, was on hand along with staffer Richard Moore to judge the event. When asked how he managed to pick his winners from all the high-stepping young girls on the dance floor, Doyle confessed: “I watch the boys.” Oh well, to each his own, Chuck.
In August, 1966, the Baby Cakes participated in a benefit for the Tower Fund, to aid families of the victims of the University of Texas tower sniper. KNOW DJs hosted the event, and other bands included the Wig, the Mustangs, the Zakary Thaks and the Reasons Why.
The Austin American reported on August 4, 1966 “they are scheduled to being a European tour this fall, and are now negotiating the release of a new recording.
1967 photo of the Baby Cakes, a few months before their split
The Austin American on April 6, 1967 reported:
The Baby Cakes … will be back in town to perform (along with The Wig) outside the Paramount Theater Wednesday night for the world premier of “Good Times” …
And starting Thursday night, the group will be appearing weekly at the New Orleans Club. Lately, however, the Baby Cakes have been all over the place – at Texas Tech in Lubbock, at clubs in Dallas and Abilene, at the Catacombs in Houston … in Corpus Christi and at Texas A&I College in Kingsville. They’ll also be sharing the bill with the Playboys of Edinburgh at a Friday night bash in City Coliseum.
The last notice I can find for the Baby Cakes is from August 2, 1967, and ad stating they would be playing at Ozone Forest on 3405 Guadalupe “each and every Wed.”
On September 3, 1967, the Austin American announced a September 9 benefit for KMFA-FM, Austin’s classical music station … “making its debut will be South Canadian Overflow with former Wig [sic] Chuck Bakondi, Baby Cakes ex [sic] Johnny Richardson, and former Reasons Why John Inman, Tommy Langford and Dennie Dolan.”
At some point in 1967, Leonard Arnold and Layton DePenning formed the Lavender Hill Express with John Schwertner of the Reasons Why and two members from the Wig, Jess Yaryan and Rusty Weir. Baby Cakes manager Michael Lucas would continue with the Lavender Hill Express.
The first Lavender Hill Express notice I’ve found is from the Jade Room on November 7, 1967.
Don Lupo would go on to play with the Georgetown Medical Band, Liquid Glass with Bill Campbell and Virgil Harris (lamingo Lounge at 3709 Lake Austin Blvd on April 1, 1968) and other groups before moving to Tucson in 1971 and continuing in music.
Tommy Hill moved to Nashville but returned to Austin to form Tommy Hill and the Country Music Revue (also covered on Sonobeat).
1st notice I can find for the Baby Cakes, with the Outcasts and the Greenmen, KNOW show at the Municipal Auditorium, July 9, 1965
Partial list of live shows:
1965:
July 9: KNOW show with the Outcasts of San Antonio, and the Greenmen at the Municipal Auditorium.
July 18: Cimmaron at 4900 S. Congress
July 30: City-Wide Teen Dance at City Coliseum with the Imperials
August 10: Austin Aqua Festival Battle-of-the-bands with Rob London & the Rogues, the Outcasts, the Emerals, the Pack and the Spades.
September 19: Union Week Ice Cream social
November 6: The Adolphus Hotel in Dallas for a North Texas State College fraternity party
December 18: TCU Fraternity party at the Hotel Texas in Fort Worth
Baby Cakes play the Bat Dance, March 12, 1966February 22, 1966: The Baby Cakes at the Jade Room, while upstarts Roky and the 13th Floor Elevators are at the New Orleans Club
1966:
January 16: The Circleville Hoedown Night Club
January 22: Austin High School senior party at A.L.A. Hall
March 6: opening for Sonny & Cher, with the Outcasts and Scotty McKay, at the Municipal Auditorium
March 12: “Bat Dance” at the Municipal Auditorium
March 14: at the New Orleans Club
March 19: Gunsmoke a Go-Go at ALA Hall March 20: Austin Livestock Show
April 7: at the New Orleans Club
April 27: at the New Orleans Club
April 29: Club Westerner Teenage Dance, Victoria, TX
May 5: at the New Orleans Club
June 1: at the New Orleans Club June 1: with the Nomads at a midnight screening of Hold On!
June 10: Club Westerner Teenage Dance, Victoria, TX
June 19: Swinger’s Club Sunday Jam Session
June 29: Swinger’s Club
July 6: The Swingers Club “with go-go girls Leslie and Maggie”
July 18: Club Westerner, Victoria
August 4: Starlight Revue series at Zilker Hillside Theater
August 11: Austin Aqua Festival at the Municipal Auditorium: “Last year’s winner, ‘The Babycakes,’ will be back this year as the house band hosting the visiting bands.”
August 19: The Circleville Hoedown Nite Club in Rockdale, followed by Ronnie and the Farrells the next night
The Swingers Club, after Leo & the Prophets, October 1966
October 7: The Swingers Club
October 24: Texas Federation of the Blind variety show in Town Hall at Hancock Center
October 30: Lanier High gym
November 12: The Same Place (managed by Burt Womack)
December 30: The Swingers Club
Baby Cakes and the Wig opening the premier of Sonny & Cher’s “Good Times” at the Paramount, April 12, 1967
1967:
At the Carousel on May 11, 1967 preceded on May 7 by the Zulus, the Second Story and the Grim ReapersFebruary 10: Rockdale Teen Club (American Legion Hall)
April 7: at the New Orleans Club
April 12: Baby Cakes and the Wig at the premier of Sonny & Cher’s “Good Times” at the Paramount. April 13: at the New Orleans Club April 14: Baby Cakes with the Playboys of Edinburg, 13th Floor Elevators, Zakary Thaks, Chevelle V and Chandells for the All-night Round Up Party at the City Coliseum
April 27: at the New Orleans Club
May 4: at the New Orleans Club
May 11 and 12: The Carousel, Corpus Christi
May 19: Richard King High School senior dance at the Corpus Christi Country Club with Kit and the Outlaws
June 6-11: The Pusi-Kat, San Antonio, with Joe Thomas
June 17: at the New Orleans Club
July 2: The Dunes, Port Aransas
July 5: at the New Orleans Club
July 18-23: The Pusi-Kat, San Antonio
August 2: at the Ozone Forest on 3405 Guadalupe “each and every Wed.”
August 9: at the Ozone Forest
One of their last advertized shows, at Ozone Forest, Wednesday, August 9, 1967
The Carousel recorded in Birmingham, Alabama in 1969. Members were:
Carl Williams – lead vocals Richard Studdard – vocals, keyboards Ronald Naramore – vocals, guitar Donny Grace – vocals, bass Mike Patton – vocals, drums
“Girl Maybe You” and “Gonna Hide My Face” are fast-paced pop originals by Donny Grace. Bob Grove and Unity produced for It’s a Lemon 1002.
Bob Grove ran Prestige Recording Studio in Birmingham, where he had recorded artists for his own Unity Record Company label with its beautiful logo of black and white fists with a dove.
I know of two releases on Unity, Candy Stanton’s “Now You’ve Got the Upper Hand” / “You Can’t Stop Me” (both written by Bo Fowler and produced by Bob Grove and Richard Dingler), and Underground Euphoria featuring Keisa Brown “What Can I Do About You” / “Let’s Go Back (To Our Little World)”.
The Carousel single came a couple years after these. I assume it was also recorded at Prestige. The Carousel 45 was preceded on the It’s a Lemon label by a hard rock single by The Brood “Virginia Neal” / “The Roach”. The Brood was Dale Aston of the Torquays along with Steve Salord, George Landman and Bobby Marlin.
I suppose there’s another release on It’s a Lemon between the Brood and the Carousel, but so far I haven’t found it.
Anyone have a copy of the It’s a Lemon singles, or a photo of The Brood?
Dueces Wild featured in the Amarillo Sunday News-Globe on May 28, 1967
The Deuces Wild formed in high school in Amarillo, Texas in 1965. They continued at least through 1967 and cut one 45 on their own Deuce Records label, “Hey Little One” / “Come Easy Go”.
Members were:
Mark Fenlaw – lead vocals Freddy Johnson – bass and vocals Donnie Rae – lead guitar Mark Hart – rhythm guitar Tommy Pena – organ Bill Hegedus – drums
AY a Go Go: DJ Rick West emceed, and local youngsters were featured in fashion photos by Lonnie Sutherland. Models included Malee Miller, Sally Lewis, Suzanne Thompson, Dennis Coyne, Jane Pangburn, Lynn Hagemeier, David Spooner, Melissa Cox and Susan Elliott.
First mention I can find for the band comes from August 12, 1965, announcing their participation in the Allied Youth’s AY a Go Go at the Amarillo Little Theatre, along with the Illusions, the Windthieves, the Others and the Echoes. I haven’t heard of these other bands.
The group’s ages ranged from 16 to 20 at the time of their 45 release. “Hey Little One” is the Dorsey Burnette song. Freddy Johnson wrote and sang the B-side, “Come Easy Go”. The songs were recorded at Larry Cox Studio on N.E. 24th Street, formerly Ray Ruff’s Checkmate Studio.
On May 28, 1967, the Amarillo Sunday News-Globe ran a feature on the band by Gloria Denko:
Rock ‘n’ Roll Band Cuts First Record
The Deuces Wild started about 2 1/2 years ago …
This week the group joined the ranks of performers on record. Their first release, “Hey, Little One,” on Era, with Mark Hart on the vocal, was produced and reocrded by Larry Cox Recorders, 3412 NE 24th, and hit the airways at KGNC, KPUR, KIXZ and other Panhandle radio stations.
“Come, Easy Go” on the flip side, with Freddie Johnson on the vocal, is an original by Johnson. He wrote the ballad, his first, about two years ago and since has written about 15 others. Johnson said about a third of his songs are ballads and the rest are rock ‘n’ roll.
The Deuces Wild count their appearance following Paul Revere and the Raiders at an all-city dance last fall as the high point of their career to date…
Bobby Harper, the buyer at Cooper & Melin, has been their manager for the past year …
They have performed … at Amarillo Air Force Base, for groups in Hereford, Spearman, Dumas and Vega, as well as in Amarillo.
The Dueces Wild had a stage show that included black light, a siren-whistle, flashing lights in time with music and a strobe.
The Wild Prophets came from Ames, Iowa, about 35 miles north of Des Moines. They recorded one single on Kustom Records, Ltd ARS-1001, an energetic version of the Last Word’s “Can’t Stop Loving You” backed with “Do I Have to Come Right Out and Say It”, a Neil Young original with the Buffalo Springfield.
The lineup at the time of the record was:
Ted Nunemaker – vocals Keane Bonath – sax Ken Wood – guitar Roy Aasen – keyboard Larry Kelley – bass and vocals Andy Gielbelstein – drums
Mark Miller signed the label of the record, but he replaced Ken Wood on guitar after the record was made.
Earlier members included Jacque Furman and Ralph Stevens on drums, Ray West on keys.
Later members included Ron Arends on keys and Scott Erickson.
Larry Kelly wrote to me:
I had a few groups in high school. My first band I joined was the Mystics – the first combo at Boone High School. I left that group and started my own band called the Tel-Stars. In ’65 I left that band and got married.
In ’66 I started organizing a new band and we came up with the name The Wild Prophets – Ken Wood, Ray West, Jacque Furman and I. We did things like play guitar/bass behind our heads, lay down on the floor playing, etc. That’s where the ‘wild’ came from in the name. We went thru various other musicians when Ray left. Jacque left and Ralph Stevens played drums. He left in time and Andy took over. When Andy left, Randy Stultz took over on drums.
The recording came about with Ken, Keane Bonath, Ted Nunemaker (both Keane and Ted were ISU students at the time), Andy on drums, and Roy Aaesen played keys. We found the two songs we wanted to do and Ted sang lead on the slow song, me on “Can’t Stop Loving You” which was a Buffalo Springfield flip-side song from their hit, “For What It’s Worth”. But “Can’t Stop” was too slow so we sped it up a bit!
We had a school bus we fixed up to travel in along with the name of the band on each side in big letters. In ’69, we bought over $10,000 worth of new band equipment which today would be more like $80-100k. So many stories, too numerous to tell.
The Wild Prophets recorded at Audiosonic Recording Studio in Ames, and the record saw release in 1969.
According to the informative Boone Rock website, the band played “in Mason City. The Cellar in Ames was a favorite with a good crowd in attendance every time. Other venues they performed at include the Starlite in Carroll, the Pla-Mor in Fort Dodge, the Dance-Mor in Swisher, RJ’s Lounge in Marion.”
The Wild Prophets broke up in 1973. Jacque Furman continued in music, but I have few details other than playing with Cris Williamson and Glen Yarborough.
Ted Nunemaker died on Dec. 14, 2008.
Thank you to Larry Kelley for correcting the spelling of names.
Some information from http://members.iowatelecom.net/thx1136/pages/prophets.html (currently offline).
I can find a few other Audiosonic Recording Studio credits, such as:
Ted Hart – “Down in the Mine” / “I Don’t Need You Anymore” (both by Don Taft and J.T. Schreiner), produced by J.T. Schreiner on Leslie LR 72068 from 1968.
Syndrum of Soul - “Lost and Found” (Gary French, Floyd Brown) / “Do You Care” on SOS 100, produced by M. Harper, from 1970.
The Coachmen, from left: Sam Brough, Glen Cammack, Tommy Burnett (sitting) and Rick Allen, “backstage at the Mid-South Coliseum after a Sam the Sham & the Pharoahs gig.” Photo from Ron Hall’s essential “The Memphis Garage Rock Yearbook 1960-1975”
The Coachmen are not well-remembered now, but were a significant band in Memphis in 1965. They played at the premier of Help at the Loews Palace Theatre with the WMPS Good Guys. They had one single on Gold Standard 155, “I’ll Never Leave You” / “Possibility”.
Members were:
Tommy Burnett – vocals Sam Brough Glen Cammack Rick Allen
“I’ll Never Leave You” is good upbeat pop. Copyright registration from August, 1965 shows Larry Hill and Rusty Taylor (as Roland Parker Taylor) as co-writers. Rusty Taylor was vocalist with the Yo-Yo’s (the Swingin’ Yo-Yo’s) and later had two solo singles on the M.O.C. label. The Coachmen single preceded the Yo-Yo’s singles on Goldwax.
“Possibility” is a Stan Vincent composition which had been done by the Crowns on Old Town Records in 1964.
Gold Standard owner Zeke Clements produced, and the labels credit “The Coachmen (from Memphis, Tenn)” and “vocal by Tommy Burnett”.
Rusty Taylor and Larry Hill registered another composition “I Know”, in October, 1965, also with Blazon Music.
Betty Simpson wrote both songs on this teen record on the Zundak label out of Alexandria, Louisiana, northwest of Baton Rouge. “What Is Love” is upbeat, while “Weeping Willow” is a ballad, as you’d expect from the title.
Betty was a teenager when she cut this in 1965. She worked with a band called the Argos, who were Billy Spillman (bass), Steve Smith (drums), Robert Rachel and Stan Rachel (both on guitar). They performed at the La Paloma Lounge south of Alexandria, and Betty also appeared at the Louisiana Bandstand TV show.
Photos and info come from the youtube video below, which has a few more news clippings of Betty:
They recorded the single at La Louisianne studios in Lafayette. Zundak was the label for one of my all-time favorite Louisiana garage 45s, “Baby Get Lost” by the Barracudas.
The Twilighters came from Kirksville, Missouri, a small city about 165 miles from Kansas City and 200 miles from St. Louis. In 1967 they cut two originals, “Spellbound” / “My Little Angel” at Technisonic Studios in St. Louis.
“Spellbound” is a fast-paced rocker, driven by Dave Daniels’s fantastic drumming. There’s a great guitar break and a double-time ending, and it’s over in less than two minutes.
The chant of “Spellbound” has a distinctive sound that may come from some other song but if so, I can’t think of it. It reminds me of a later cut, Steve Miller Band’s “Living in the U.S.A.” where the group chants “Stand Back”. I’d be interested if anyone has heard something very similar in another song from the era.
The B-side, “My Little Angel” is a ballad with fine vocals, and good recording production.
Released on Red Flame Records 45-1005, the labels show a 1966 copyright date, but the U4KM indicates a pressing date in the first half of 1967.
The Twilighters, from left: Everett Cassidy, Gary Blurton, David Daniels on drums, Bob Harbur, and Randy Elmore. Photo courtesy of David Daniels.
David Daniels wrote to me:
The Twilighters band began in 1963 with Gary Blurton (rhythm guitar and vocals), David Daniels (drums), Everett Cassidy (bass), and Bob Harbur (lead guitar). Randy Elmore joined the band in 1964 because Gary was leaving to join the National Guard and the band would be needing a lead vocalist. Randy played lead guitar as well.
Eventually Bob moved to the St Louis area and Everett also moved away from the Kirksville area. At that point Richard Hudson, also a local boy and friend of Randy and David, came on to play rhythm guitar.
The Twilighters, from left: Everett Cassidy on bass, Randy Elmore on guitar, David Daniels with drumsticks, and Gary Blurton, guitar. Photo courtesy of David Daniels.
This configuration of The Twilighters (Randy, David, and Richard) placed an ad in the local paper seeking a keyboard player, to which Carl Foultz responded and that was the group that made the record “Spellbound” / “My Little Angel”. Carl Foultz was the song writer and organ player, and the bass was covered by the bass pedals on the organ.
Randy Elmore – lead guitar and lead vocal Richard Hudson – rhythm guitar Carl Foultz – organ (and bass pedals) David Daniels – drums (background vocals for “My Little Angel”)
There were no headphones to monitor in the recording room and “Spellbound” was recorded in one live take. The band could not hear the vocal work at all until listening to the playback in the control room. Likewise for “My Little Angel.” It was the first recording the band had made and their first experience in a recording studio.
Randy, Richard, and David were local boys, born and raised in the Kirksville area. Carl was from Pennsylvania and came to Kirksville to attend university at Northeast Missouri Teachers College (now Truman State University).
The band members changed off and on over subsequent years with a total of about 20 different players having done some time with The Twilighters during their run (1963 – 1971).
Randy and David continued to play in many other bands in the NE Missouri area from 1971 – 2011, often times together, other times not, under the names: Country Flavor, Fox, Survival, Loose Louie, Twilighter’s Rockin’ Reunion, BJ Allen Band, and Blue Voodoo.
These photos are of the original players. There are no pics with Richard or Carl, so neither of these are the exact group of players that were on the recording.
David went on to buy Circle M Music in Kirksville in 1974 and operated the music store and built his own recording studio where he recorded many local musicians and vocal groups. David mentored many young kids over the years, sharing his love of music and recording. He retired in 2014 after serving the NE Missouri music community for 42 years. As an honor to his Grandpa David, Black Daniels & The Bears did a cover of “Spellbound” live at David’s retirement party in 2014, the 3rd generation of musicians in the Daniels family, carrying on the tradition.
Randy retired from SW Bell and now lives in Columbia, MO.
Richard did not continue with music but went on to other employment, was a private business owner, and has retired to Lake of the Ozarks.
Carl graduated from NE Missouri Teachers College and moved away, the other band members having lost touch with him.
Gary is retired from local employment in the Kirksville area.
Bob and Everett are now both deceased.
Dick Lawrence (deceased) was owner of Red Flame Records and was an avid music promoter throughout the NE Missouri area his entire life.
Carl Foultz was also a member of an r&b group called the Del-Fis or Del-Phis with Ed Corte, Frank Gantt, T.J. Jackson, Mac Pendelton, Nick Romanetz and Gary Smyth, some of whom were students at Northeast Missouri State Teachers College (now known as Truman State University).
After Carl Foultz left the Twilighters, Bill Daniels joined on guitar and Ray Beets on bass, as Ray states in his comment below.
Dick Lowrance owned Red Flame Records which released three singles by the group he was a member of, the Red Blazers, usually with Ike Haley as leader.
In 1966 Lowrance released a single by Friar Tuck and the Merrymen’s “Peanut Butter” / “Try Me” (Mike Barger) on his Sherwood Forest Records subsidiary. That band may have been from western Illinois though I’m not sure which town. I’ve found newspaper ads for a “new Friar Tuck and the Merrymen” playing at the Wayside Inn in Moberly, Missouri, about an hour south of Kirksville; not sure if this is the same group.
When singers John Finley and Lee Jackson left The Jon-Lee Group (aka Jon & Lee and The Checkmates) in mid-September 1967, Toronto singer David Clayton-Thomas picked up their backing band, renamed it The Phoenix and moved to New York.
After a month’s rehearsals, the group debuted at the Bitter End and then briefly played at the East Scene in October before working as the house-band at Steve Paul’s The Scene.
The band’s career, however, was cut short during early November when Clayton-Thomas was deported for being an illegal alien.
Leishman also returned to Toronto at this point and played with several groups, including The Power Project and Bobby Kris & The Imperials before joining The Duke Edwards Cycle in late 1968.
Hodgson meanwhile was offered a place in Project Supergroup (later Rhinoceros) in December and flew out to Los Angeles to audition.
After being passed over for the group in early 1968, he briefly rejoined David Clayton-Thomas in his group, David Clayton-Thomas Combine. When that split in mid-1968, Hodgson moved back to the US and became a member of the Paxton Ranch Band, playing on Jackson Browne’s early recordings (aka Baby Browning).
Cutler stayed in New York and worked with an embryonic version of Hot Tuna and then did a stint drumming and managing The Crazy World of Arthur Brown during the band’s summer ’68 North American tour. He later worked as a manager for The Holy Modal Rounders.
When Clayton-Thomas had previously worked in New York in March 1967, he had shared a flat with former Bob Dylan bass player Harvey Brooks, who was in the process of putting The Electric Flag together.
Apparently Brooks had offered Thomas the original vocal slot in the group, but he declined.
Fonfara however, did accept an invitation from the Flag’s drummer Buddy Miles to replace Barry Goldberg when the latter got busted in November 1967.
Fonfara duly appeared on the group’s debut album, before becoming a member of Project Supergroup the following month, which soon changed name to Rhinoceros.
Hodgson and Leishman both rejoined Fonfara in Rhinoceros in 1969.
David Clayton-Thomas joined Blood, Sweat & Tears in June 1968.
Advertised gigs
19-22 October 1967 – Steve Paul’s The Scene, New York with The Carnival Connection
Mitzee Baker’s “Stand Up Boy” is early ’60s pop, not garage but it has a strong beat and crude production. I’m posting because it seems to be unknown, and there are some deadwax codes I am not familiar with.
The flip is a ballad with some orchestration, “No One Can Love You (More than I)”. Harry Moffitt wrote both songs and co-produced with Fred Downs, released on Dralmar 5000. Pompadour Music published the songs, but I can’t find them in BMI’s database. A Philadelphia origin is likely.
The runout codes are: “D-5000-B A” / “D-5000-B”. Both sides have “A.M.S.” followed by something that looks like a D with a couple short horizontal lines in front of it. In very small lettering on the A-side is “TV 33166”. All are etched.
An embossed stamp on both sides seems to read backwards, beginning with, possibly M.O.I. and ending with CO – but I may not be reading that correctly.
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
The Tyrods formed in high school in Chino, California in 1965. Chino is in San Bernadino County, just east of Los Angeles.
About the beginning of 1969 the band made a second single, “Hey Girl” / “In a Garden” this time on Flick City. The label changed the band’s name on the single to the Young Californians, but for live shows they continued to use the Tyrods name, as seen on posters opening for the Strawberry Alarm Clock, Giant Crab, and the Sunrays.
In 1969 they had their last single, this time as Buffalo Nickel on Dome Records 507. The sound is even more polished than the Young Californians single, but this time they didn’t use their original songs.
