The Buggs came from Forbes High School in Kantner, Pennsylvania, about 75 miles southeast of Pittsburgh. In February, 1966, the Buggs cut two songs at Bittner’s Recording Co. in nearby Somerset. “It’s All Right” is great frantic garage, “Please Be True” is an original ballad by Raymond Lohr. Rite Record Productions in Cincinnati pressed the 45s, which are now very scarce.
Members were:
Raymond Lohr – singer and lead guitar Ernie Lohr – bass guitar Barry Boyer – organ Joe Wirleich – drums
The Somerset Daily American Newspaper on Wednesday, March 9, 1966 wrote:
No, these are not the kind that will bite or harm you. As a matter of fact, they are pretty friendly. It is a name given to a Rock and Roll band from Forbes. Members of the group are: Raymond Lohr, singer and lead guitar; Ernie Lohr, bass guitar; Joe Wirleich, drums; and Barry Boyer, organ. All members of the group are from Forbes, except the manager, Ronnie Eutin, who is from Frielens.
They recently cut their first record with the Bittner Recording Company of Somerset.
The group will suffer a great loss, when Ernie Lohr leaves for the service at the end of March. Ernie has been with the group since it started in 1964.
Bittner’s would release four other singles that I know of, one each by Andy Wynn, Donnie Hunter, Larry LaVigne and Judie Follmar.
Ray Lohr passed away on May 17, 2017. An obituary online adds some information about his song, “Please Be True”:
He grew up in Hooversville, Pennsylvania, and graduated in 1966 from Forbes High School in Kantner, Pennsylvania. While in high school, he was a member of “The Buggs” rock ‘n’ roll group; he wrote and produced a 45 record entitled “Please Be True to Me Girl” about his high school sweetheart who had moved to Anchorage, Alaska. Shortly thereafter, Ray headed to Anchorage where he married the love of his life, Sandra J. Shumaker, on March 4, 1967.
Here’s a relatively unknown single by female vocalist Brook Hall. The A-side has the solid hippie-psych of “I Had a Dream”, the flip “Coming of the Sun” is a ballad.
Brook Hall and P. Kasper wrote “I Had a Dream”, and Phil Kasper wrote “Coming of the Sun”, both show publishing Target Music (BMI).
Produced by Terry Munford, this was released on the one-off Target label of Hollywood as Target T-1010 in March of 1970.
I can’t find any leads on the people who made this record. I did find “I Had a Dream the Other Day” registered to Guy Ditmars and Brook Hall, Vail Pub. Corp, in November 1969.
The Wanderers cut this great version of Fats Domino’s 1958 hit, “Sick and Tired”, with catchy lead guitar throughout. The flip is a good version of “There Is Something on Your Mind”.
Tri City Records released this as Tri 5452. The code ZTSB 125453 refers to a custom pressing at Columbia’s Nashville plant, probably in early 1966.
I doubt I will discover who was in the Wanderers, as both sides are versions of r&b hits so there is no song writing credit to trace.
It does seem possible these Wanderers are the same group on a yellow-label 45 pressed by World Wide Records in Nashville, and produced by Tri-City Records, No. 3269. One side has Kenneth Castlemen’s great take on “Match Box”, the other James Stafford with the Wanderers doing “Changing My Mind “.
These artists are supposed to be from Jackson, Tennessee, about 2 hours drive west of Nashville.
World Wide Records is mentioned in Billboard as starting in 1966 and having Carlene Westcott Whaley as sales manager, prior to her starting Consolidated Record Enterprises. World Wide had a studio at 5819 Old Harding Rd in Nashville and seemed to specialize in white gospel records.
In November 1967 a single by the Riders of the Mark came out on 20th Century Fox Records 45-6694. One side is the very accessible “Gotta Find Somebody”; the flip is the wild two minutes of “The Electronic Insides and Metal Complexion That Make Up Herr Doktor Krieg”.
Teen Beat Mayhem lists locations of Moorestown, New Jersey which is east of Philadelphia, and Lancaster, Pennsylvania, over an hour’s drive to the west.
The Riders of the Mark may have been a real group, but the credits on their 20th Century Fox single don’t support that idea, and instead point to John Hill, Don Cochrane and their associates.
John Hill wrote “Gotta Find Somebody”; John Hill and Don Cochrane wrote “The Electronic Insides and Metal Complexion That Make Up Herr Doktor Krieg”. Blackwood Music published both songs, and the Blackwood connection features in the lead for news items on the recording in Cash Box and Record World. Tony Luis and John Hill produced both sides, and Hill arranged “… Herr Doktor Krieg”.
Record World, November 4, 1967
John Hill and Don Cochrane composed “Love, Love, Love, Love, Love” for the Nite People, also done by Wool, and John Hill released it under his own name on a Columbia 45 backed with “I’m a Bear”.
Hill produced and played guitar on Margo Guryan’s 1968 LP Take a Picture, and produced the sessions that would be released as Susan Christie’s Paint a Lady. Studio musicians included Kirk Hamilton on bass and Jim Valerio on drums. These were done at Philadelphia’s Sigma Sound Studios, but since that studio opened in 1968, I have to assume the Riders of the Mark single was recorded elsewhere.
In 2009, Finders Keepers Records released some of his 1970 sessions at Sigma Sound as John Hill’s 6 Moons of Jupiter.
The Nite Liters horn section at D’Arcy studio, from left: George Resto, Harrel Baker and Danny Kelly.
Don Faulk and Harrel Baker wrote the A-side of the Nite Liters excellent single on Sounds International 631, “Set Me Free”. D’Arcy Sounds Studios‘ publishing company Twenty Grand Music belatedly registered copyright on over 20 songs including “Set Me Free” on April 3, 1968. Since this seems to be the earliest release on Sounds International, the single likely dates a year or two earlier.
Danny Kelly of the Nite Liters wrote to me about the group and sent the photo seen above:
I did play trumpet with the Nite Liters along with George Resto and Harrel Baker on sax and also rhythm guitar. Bobby Schnell on drums, Joe Fromel on keyboards and vocals, Donnie Faulk on bass and vocals, and Steve Keith on lead guitar filled out the rest of the band.
We all went to Hampton High School. Danny and the Del Notes went to Newport News High School which was a real rivalry in every sense.
We recorded an original titled “Set Me Free” and covered “The Harlem Shuffle” in D’Arcy Studio around the time Danny and the Del Notes did their record. We were both on the Sounds International label. Our 45 aired locally on AM and played on a few juke boxes. We only had 500 copies made.
Before George and I were recruited into the band, the Nite Liters played in the battle of the bands at the Peninsula Auditorium.
I remember playing with Dennis and the Times at the Peppermint Beach Club in Virginia Beach. The best times were when we were the house band at the Hullabaloo Club in Newport News, Va. We even tried getting into some psychedelic music there. That was really crazy.
There were other good times like when a couple of members including myself went down to North Carolina to get a dj Russ Spooner to play a demo tape on the air. We recorded that also at D’Arcy studio.
As of right now, we’re all still alive and kicking. Steve, Bobby and myself are the only ones still in the area. George and Joe are up in northern Va., Donnie’s somewhere out west and Harrel is music director with a group in Hawaii. He was a surfer back when we were at Hampton High School. I’m retired from the USPS.
The Dynamics were from the west side of Louisville, Kentucky, and cut a great instrumental single from 1962 or 1963 on Farrall Records.
Jerry Hargrove wrote the A-side, “Later On”, which starts out with a solemn intro for 15 seconds then kicks into high gear with a driving guitar riff and growling saxophone. That slow intro was cut when this song appeared on a volume of Strummin’ Mental many years ago.
Gary King wrote the flip, “Departure”, a ballad all the way through. Tronic Music published both sides. Issued as Farrall Records FAR-45-694.
Max Waller alerted me to an entry in Brenda & Bill Wood’s book Louisville’s Own which gives an extensive band member list. On this instrumental, the likely lineup is:
Jerry Hargrove – lead guitar Gary King – saxophone Bob Webb – bass Johnny Coffman – drums and possibly Freddie Witzelhouse on rhythm guitar
According to Louisville’s Own, the Dynamics formed in 1961, most members students from Shawnee High School.
Other members would include:
Tinsley Stuart – lead vocal Gary Harrod – vocal Kenny Flowers – vocal Tommy Flowers – vocal
In 1963, most of the band (Tinsley Stuart, Gary Harrod, Bobby Webb, Gary King, and Johnny Coffman) joined members of two southern Indiana bands (the Citations and the Imperials) and Frank Bugbee (later in Soul Inc. and Elysian Field), and formed the ten-member group, the Shadows, who released one single “Shake Sherry” / “That’s All” on Jam 45-109 in September 1964. That band later became the Chateaus. The Chateaus had three singles including ones on Jam and Boss Records.
Farrall Records released a number of good rockabilly and country-bop singles by Ken Turner, Paul Wheatley, Jimmie Dale, & Fannom Patrick, among others. It may be best known for the original version of “Scorpion” by Jimmie McConville & the Shamrocks. The label had an address of 1834 Nelligan Ave, near Portland Ave.
Thank you to Max Waller and Louisville’s Own for information on the group.
The Shades Of Depression, circa 1967, (l to r): Joe Johnson, Ronnie Slemp, George “Rocky” Hammonds & Chuck Leamon.
Less than two weeks ago The Shades Of Depression were a complete unknown band in the garage rock 45 rpm community, one of those iconic bands that recorded a stunning and highly collectible record and disappeared into the lore of history to be debated on late night chat rooms and podcasts 40 plus years later. When I first started collecting local records a couple years ago Trail TSRC-1712 released in 1967 was at the top of my want list. “Time For Love” backed with “I’m A Fool” by The Shades Of Depression doesn’t sound like a record made in the hills of East Tennessee and the band name oozes West Coast coolness.
The Shades Of Depression, “Time For Love”, Trail TSRC-1712, side 1, released 1967.
Frustrated that I’ve never even seen a copy of this gem recorded less then 3 miles from Big Lon’s clandestine lair, I posted pictures of one I’d found grossly over priced on eBay asking if anyone knew anything about the band and within an hour had made contact with a band member and the widow of a band member. By this past Saturday, I was standing outside The Down Home getting a hug from Anne Hammonds, the widow of one of the band members with a near mint un-played original copy in my hand and a story to share.
The Shades Of Depression, “I’m A Fool”, Trail TSRC-1712, side 2, released 1967.
Turns out The Shades Of Depression were not from an exotic far-off land, they hailed from God’s country, Church Hill, TN just a few miles down Bloody 11-W from the Tri-State studio in Kingsport. This band formed in 1967 consisted of Church Hill High School students Joe Johnson (vocals, guitar, song writer), Chuck Leamon (guitar, vocals), George “Rocky” Hammonds (bass, vocals) and Ronnie Slemp (drums).
They performed together 2-3 years while in high school mostly playing local sock hops and dance parties. Rocky and Chuck would sit up late night with a tape recorder and AM radio to catch the newest Beatles or Doors songs on Chicago radio stations and then learn them for the next weekend gig as new records released in major markets didn’t make it to small towns like Kingsport until two or three weeks later giving The Shades Of Depression a leg up on other local bands.
Their biggest rival band for local shows was The Odds’n’Ends from Surgoinsville, TN which featured Benny Wilson (Passenger, Janie Fricke Band, Benny Wilson Band) and Billy Greer (Passenger, Bishop, Kansas) who had just recorded TSRC-1709 “Record Shop Song” at Tri-State.
The band had 500 copies of the record pressed. They sold them mostly to friends and family with a few available at the local Woolworths and Joseph’s Music Center in Kingsport.
As with most garage bands life happens and they broke up as Chuck went to college, Rocky joined the Air Force and Joe started a successful real estate business. Chuck said he doesn’t know what happened to Ronnie as they drifted apart as school, jobs, wives and children rearing became the priorities. Rocky passed away in 2007. Chuck and Joe still live in the area.
Anne and Chuck were surprised by the clamor about this record released over 50 years ago and were appreciative I wanted to do a story about the band and that this treasured 7” piece of vinyl means so much to those of us trying to preserve the musical legacy of Southern Appalachia. Chuck said he tossed 50 or 60 of these away a few years ago with no thought that one day people around the world would clamor for a copy. As Anne’s note says ”it’s all about the music”. Thanks to The Shades Of Depression for preserving a piece of the local 1960’s history through a timeless 45.
Thank you Anne for sharing Rocky’s musical legacy!
The Roustabouts came from Fort Smith, Arkansas, roughly halfway between Little Rock and Oklahoma City and the base for the earlier group Bobby & the Denos. In July, 1968 the Roustabouts traveled to Little Rock to Steve Jaggars’ studio to cut their only single.
Band members were:
Danny Hendricks – lead vocals Gene Rodgers Johnny Carrol Scott Dave Davis
Danny Hendricks wrote “Just You And Me”, the chugging, almost menacing, A-side of the single. Dave Davis wrote the ballad “Lonely Blues”. Tyler Pub. Co. published both songs.
The Roustabouts stayed active until the 1980’s, according to the liner notes to Lost Souls vol. 1., where I found most of this info.
The Other Side came from Tulia, Texas, a small town south of Amarillo and north of Lubbock. The Tulia Herald profiled the group on November 9, 1967.
Members were:
Kennth Bean – lead guitar Paul Sharp – organ Perry Russell – bass and band “showman” Bill Cruce – drums
I don’t believe the group recorded, but it’s encouraging that they had three Kinks songs in their live repertoire.
This is NOT the same group as the Other Side who cut “I Can’t See You” / “Your Faith So Strong” on Warlock Records ACA 6250 in October, 1966. That group came from Victoria, TX, almost 600 miles away and included Tobias Henderson, Bill Gaida, Leroy Materanek, John Wells, Terry Wells, and Gary Vancleave
The New Diablos came from East Baltimore, Maryland, making two excellent psychedelic singles during their time together.
The band went through many lineup changes but included as many as eight people at one point:
Bub Deskin – lead vocals Bill Bell – lead guitar Bobby Peter – rhythm guitar Wayne Smith – bass George Dobash Jr. – drums Dave Smith – keyboards Norm Snyder – saxophone Tim Cech – saxophone
Their first single contained vocal and instrumental versions of “Land of Love”, song writing credits to Serpents Inc., Edw. E. Medcaff (or Ed Metcalffe). It seems Bob Deskin brought this song with him from his prior band, the Serpents. Saxophones are absent from both their singles, but this one has flute to accompany the lead vocal.
The New Diablos released “Land of Love” on Littlefields Records RI 2759, with Alfred L. Cullen credited for production and publishing “at White Marsh, MD”. George Dobash, Sr at 823 Lannerton Road in Baltimore has arrangement credit.
Their next single may have come as late as 1970. “Tangerine Guides” and “I’m Fake” have touches of psychedelia and soul. Bill Bell and George Dobash wrote both songs (Dodash on the label is a typo). I’m still trying to puzzle out the lyrics to “I’m Fake”.
It was recorded at Virtue Recording Studios at 1618 N. Broad St., Philadelphia and released on Frank Virtue’s Fayette label, F-9370. D. Hutch gets producer credit.
The band continued into the ’70s with some lineup changes.
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 Buggs came from Forbes High School in Kantner, Pennsylvania, about 75 miles southeast of Pittsburgh. In February, 1966, the Buggs cut two songs at Bittner’s Recording Co. in nearby Somerset. “It’s All Right” is great frantic garage, “Please Be True” is an original ballad by Raymond Lohr. Rite Record Productions in Cincinnati pressed the 45s, which are now very scarce.
Bittner’s would release four other singles that I know of, one each by Andy Wynn, Donnie Hunter, Larry LaVigne and Judie Follmar.
