Good Tuesday, from left: Dave Duncan, drums, Ron Connolly, bass, Paul Cervenak, keys, Keith McCurdy, guitar, and Kevin Ohl, lead vocals
The band’s keyboardist, Paul Cervanek, provided the rare photo and biography:
My first band was Echoes from a Broken Mirror, which quickly changed to Good Tuesday, due to the name’s length. [The band photo] was taken in my basement, around 1966 to 1968, with the band Good Tuesday. I am the blond guy slouching against the wall, third from left.
We played the various Detroit teen nightclubs that prevailed at that time, primarily those operated by Ed “Punch” Andrews, in partnership with Suzi Quatro’s brother, Mike, such as the Crows Nest—both east and west—and the Silverbell, which was a former ski lodge near Oakland University, and the Birmingham Palladium. We also appeared twice at the infamous Grande Ballroom, along with Something Different located on Northwestern Highway, Wamplers Pavilion, and a few H.S. dances.
I left Good Tuesday in 1968 when I started my first year at Oakland University, but fell into a small music clique that included Tom Weschler and we became friends. I had a short stint with Bob Seger’s band—in between Tom Schultz and Dan Watson—before joining Madrigal.
When Madrigal’s music moved more toward the theatrical rather than rock ’n’ roll—and became more non-danceable, concert-type songs—I left. In retrospect, it seemed odd that a band with that type of product would have been hired to play at the Roostertail, a popular Detroit nightclub, on one of its “Sunday Night at the Roostertail” events, which were non-alcoholic, 18 to 21 years old only. Madrigal performed at all of the same clubs that my previous band, Good Tuesday, played.
Ironically, that was on a warm, late-summer-like evening in September during that Madrigal gig at the Roostertail when I met my future wife [and still married 50 years later]. For that, I am grateful. I recall that may have been one of my last gigs with Madrigal, as my “priorities” changed shortly afterward. At the very end, Ted Pearson, who fronted Madrigal, out of the blue decided the band’s new name was now Walpurgis, this on the eve of our first Grande Ballroom show. They, of course, eventually recorded what became the Phantom’s Divine Comedy project. As for me: my last professional band was Fancy Colors, in the early ’70s.
As it turns out, I gave keyboard lessons to Russ Klatt, a saxophone player. He got a gig in a band called Downtown Clergy as result—and eventually played the Hammond on Phantom’s Divine Comedy.
Paul Cervanek on keyboards with Madrigal, 1968 to 1969.
Good Tuesday, Madrigal and Fancy Colors recorded no singles (though Madrigal, at some point and not during Cervanek’s tenure, it’s rumored, did; but they were never released).
Eddie and the Upsets, with Eddie on left, and Jesus Escoto on right
Eddy and the Upsets had a number of singles beginning in 1966, sometimes as Eddie Dimas & the Upsets. Most of their singles are Mexican guitar instrumentals or ballads, but “I Got News” sounds very garage. Recorded at Audio Recorders in Phoenix, it was released on Dektr ARA-41668 in 1966 with the ballad “Cry Cry Cry” on the flip.
The band formed at Phoenix Union high school. Eddie Dimas played lead guitar and sang some lead vocals. His older brother was Benny Dimas of the Majestic Five.
Jesus Escoto is on bass in the black & white photo and wrote “So Long”.
I don’t know the names of other members of the ’60s version of the band.
Dave Rivero wrote “I Got News” and the ballad “Don’t You Ever”.
Eddie Dimas at the Id Club on South Central Ave in PhoenixFreddie Brown sings lead on “No Me Tengas Compacion”, the B-side to a single on Christy as Eddy Dimas and the K-Men. Freddie Brown had his own releases on Christy.
Arthur Castro co-arranged “El Mitote”, and Benny Dimas co-arranged “La Vieja Seca”. Ross Benavidez produced a 1970 single on the Lance label.
Johnny Collins produced the Dektr singles, while G.G. Hardin gets production credit for most of the Cristy singles. Christy collected a number of instrumentals for an album El Mosquito on Christy CR 5007.
Edward Dimas passed away on March 8, 2013, and his brother Bennie Dimas on April 12, 2018.
Thank you to Francisco Candia for suggesting this post and for providing info, photos, and scans of the singles.
According to guitarist Joe Memmer, this psych-driven single, which features Dave Gilbert on lead vocals, was recorded in 1968 at Ralph Terrana and Al Sherman’s Tera Shirma Studios. The band paid for the sessions, themselves. Carl Cisco, who managed the career of CKLW DJ Tom Shannon, earned his production credit on the single as result of his bringing in Motown’s horn section for the sessions. Shannon, in partnership with Carl Cisco and Nick Ameno—both of the Antiques, the Buena Vistas, and the LaSalles—operated the Detroit-based Marquee Records.
Carl Cisco’s production assistance resulted in “Decision for Lost Soul Blue” being issued on the Marquee label around December of 1968, with the B-side, “What Makes You.” Making the regional sales charts via airplay on CKLW Toronto and WKNR Detroit, the single went on to have a three-week run as the “Pick of the Week” on CKLW. Impressed with the sales and airplay, Atco/Atlantic picked up the record for national distribution, issuing the single in March 1969. (The label variations of the Atco version are result of different pressing plants manufacturing the record. On those releases, the A-Side title was expanded to “(Day of) Decision for Lost Soul Blue.”)
The Free remained together for about a year, until Dave Gilbert left to become the lead vocalist for Ted Nugent in January 1971. While he doesn’t appear on the album, Gilbert toured Nugent and the Dukes’ fifth release, Survival of the Fittest (1971). According to Memmer, Dave’s hard partying lifestyle conflicted with Nugent’s anti-drug stance (which caused him to dissolve the Amboy Dukes in the first place); that, in addition to Dave’s desire to start a band proper with his brother Marc, resulted in Gilbert’s departure.
Shadow signing announced in Billboard, October 9, 1971
Joe Memmer and Dave Gilbert starting writing songs again and, along with Gilbert’s brother, Marc, formed Shadow. The band recorded a pair of singles in 1972 for Clean Records, an Atlantic subsidiary operated by Robert Stigwood and Rolling Stone Records’ Earl McGrath; the label’s other signings were the commercially-successful soft-rockers America and Starbuck. According to Memmer, Gilbert’s drug use, compounded with his reluctance to work with Stigwood’s suggestions for the band (adding string orchestrations; remembering Stigwood managed-produced the Bee Gees at the time), soured the deal.
New Order with Dave Gilbert at the mic
By 1974, Gilbert moved to Los Angeles and joined the Stooges’ guitarist Ron Asheton and MC5’s drummer Dennis Thompson in New Order; the band also included KJ Knight from the Amboy Dukes. Marc Gilbert’s next band, the hard-rocking Adrenalin formed in 1977, recorded two albums issued through MCA Records in the early-to-mid ‘80s.
Joe Memmer became a non-recording member of Detroit’s Pendragon from 1977 to 1981; Pendragon eventually recorded two 7” singles with Rick “The Lion” Stahl, formerly with the Wilson Mower Pursuit and Sincerely Yours.
The late Dave Gilbert achieved national success as the frontman for the Rockets, which he joined in late 1975. Comprised of ex-members of Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels, the Rockets’ biggest hit was their cover of the early Fleetwood Mac tune, “Oh, Well.”
Today, Joe Memmer serves as the lead guitarist for the nationally, critically-acclaimed Doors tribute band, the Detroit Doors.
There are more photos to be discovered of all of Dave Gilbert’s bands—including rare images of Shadow (but none from the Free)—on The Rockets Singer Dave Gilbert Facebook.
The Kwintels with Paul Revere and the Raiders; Jerry Zubal, standing left
According to guitarist Jerry Zubal, the Kwintels started out as the Quintels, eventually dropping the “Qu” for a “Kw” for the sound-the-same-but-spelled-differently, more “rocking” handle. Jim Baranowsky, who also managed Tom Carson’s the Lazy Eggs, served as their manager.
Ad for the Kwintels, We Who Are, the Thyme and Harmon Street Blues at the Silver Bell Hideout, April 8, 1967
The Kwintels were regulars at the Punch Andrews-managed the Silver Bell Hideout, the Clawson Hideout, and the Birmingham Palladium. Their major gigs were the Southfield Pop Festival in July 1967 alongside SRC, Bob Seger and the Last Heard, the Rationals, and the Mushrooms featuring Glenn Frey. The Kwintels also opened for, and loaned out equipment to, according to Jerry Zubal, Paul Revere and the Raiders during their Detroit stop in 1965. Around that same time, the Kwintels, when Jerry Zubal was only 15, served as Freddie Cannon’s backing band during a Detroit stop in Lake Orion. Impressed with the teens, Cannon offered the Kwintels the slot as his permanent band; they turned him down to concentrate on original tunes. As was the course of bands in those days, they recorded covers of popular songs as singles, but those acetates were never pressed for release.
Later, Zubal joined the harder-rocking Tea, which was known for a time as Poetic Justice when Joe Aramini (Bob Seger’s later road manager) managed the band. Signed to Punch Andrews’s Palladium Records, which issued Seger’s early albums, Andrews felt “Tea” carried a detrimental “drug image,” so the band became 1776. Those 1971 sessions, overseen by Pampa Studios’ Jim Bruzzese and Greg Miller, who also engineered Bob Seger’s early catalog, resulted in the band’s lone, self-titled album. Featuring the Andrews-chosen singles: covers of Dave Mason’s “Only You Know and I Know” and the Bryds’s rearrangement of the Art Reynolds’ Singers’ “Jesus Is Just Alright,” only the latter charted on Detroit radio: the limited success of 1776 was usurped by the Doobie Brothers’ version, released a year later.
After the Kwintels, and prior to Tea, Jerry Zubal and Glenn Frey, he of the recently disbanded the Mushrooms and a co-writer on Bob Seger’s early songs, formed a creatively unsuccessful band. Frey, of course, relocated to the west coast and joined the Eagles. Jerry Zubal also relocated to Los Angeles.
Upon meeting guitarist Brian Naughton, formerly of Rock Candy (who issued one, Montrose-inspired, heavy-metal progenitor on MCA Records in 1970), the Peanut Butter Conspiracy, and the Grass Roots, the duo formed the hard-rock concern Rockits. Renamed by their new management, The Toby Organization (also handled Quiet Riot and Angel), in 1974, Rockicks issued the album, Inside, on RSO Records in 1977. That album, along with later demos and unreleased RSO and MCA-era recordings, were compiled in the 2018 release: Keep on Rockin’: A Retrospective Anthology.
The Kwintel’s core members (who later became Tea): Jerry Zubal Mike Roush Bryan Barnes
Other members: Greg Ballard Bob Hinshaw
Tea of Rochester, Michigan: Left to Right: Bryan Barnes (G, V), Phillip Bliss (G, Steel Guitar), Jerry Zubal (G, V), Eggmahn (B), and Bill Doral (D).
In 2010, members of the Quintels/Kwintels held a reunion show in Detroit. You can enjoy a 12-song playlist of that show on You Tube.
Through the ’90s and 2000s, Jerry Zubal and Johnny Heaton, the latter of the West End, would later form the bands Roxius, Catching Fire, Seize, and Rock Anthem. You can enjoy an 18-song playlist of those bands on You Tube.
the schools ‘vocal director’ Donna Buel … Linda Tyra, Nancy Schunk, Janet Miller, Norma Sumner, Shirley Mangold, all 8th graders, Diane Rodenburg, Diane Schwander, Jill Lampe, Mary Schleue, Diane Spencer, all 7th graders, and Jane Labanz, a first grader … An eleventh member was added … in time for the studio ‘take’ … Melody Stinson now a ninth-grader at Oak Hills High School.
The Percussions backed the Sprites for their recording of “Little Latin Lupe Lu” / “On a Slow Boat to China”. The tape was sent to Wakefield Manufacturing in Phoenix, Arizona to be pressed, and the Wakefield code 7234 dates it to 1965.
Even more obscure is their second record, which probably features a different group of children, as the Wakefield number 14360 dates it to 1969 or 1970. “Consider Yourself” (from Oliver!) is about what you’d expect, and features backing by the Percussions (definitely not a rock group). The flip is the gentle and affecting “Jim’s Ballad” featuring guitar by Jim Wenstrup.
The Electros, April 1967, from left: Jim Wenstrup, Frank Luckey, Gene Yuellig, Rick Clark, and Ed Holloway
This must be the same Jim Wenstrup who played lead guitar with the Electros, a group from nearby Elder High School and Oak Hills High School. The Electros included Frank Luckey on rhythm guitar, Gene Yuellig on drums, Rick Clark on bass and Ed Holloway on vocals. The Cincinnati Enquirer ran a photo of the group on April 8, 1967, and mentioned that the Electros planned to cut a record “Chase Around the World” – but if they did I haven’t seen it.
I would like to know more about how the Sprites came to record what seems to be an original song by Jim Wenstrup.
The Ill Bred Mind were high school students from Sayreville, New Jersey, making their only single in 1969. There are no credits on the label, but I believe “How Can You Be Happy Today?” is an original song. The flip is a fine version of “Walk on By”.
My copy is autographed by another member, possibly Gary Jensen. Another copy (see below) has other names & spellings: including Greg Evigan (who became a well-known actor), Garry Jenssen, George B (?), Jimmy Smokey (?). I would appreciate help with deciphering the names. Youtube comments lead me to the name of another possible member: Bruce Elacqua.
The Ill Bred Mind recorded at Photo Sonics Laboratories at 236 Walnut St. in nearby South Amboy, releasing it on P.S.L. 20171.
Marty Ruszala owned or operated PhotoSonics Laboratories, also known as Triple A studio, where he engineered the Jerry Rivera “Lovin’ Man” single on Kim, and Brian O’Connor “How Was I To Know” / “Missing You” on Sayne Records 20168.
I can find two notices for live shows from the Home News, on August 1, 1969 at the Emma L. Arleth School, and at the Sayreville VFW Post 4699 on August 20.
Anyone have a photo of the Ill Bred Mind?
can you help decipher George and Jimmy’s surnames on this single?
The Panics started in 1963, formed at Huguenot High School in Richmond, Virginia.
The lineup was
Jimmy Sherwood – lead vocals and rhythm guitar Bill LaRue – lead guitar and vocals Bill Lyell – bass John Herbig – drums
Dwyane Givens was their equipment manager.
Their only single contains two original songs by Bill Lyell and Bill Larue, the mid-tempo “I Pretend” shows some Beatles influence, and the fast-paced “No More” opens with a Lennonesque “Oh!”
It was released on Shoestring Records SHO 107 in 1965, a styrene record from the Columbia Records plant at Terre Haute, Indiana.
Clyde Atkinson of the Wild Ones and Mickey Russell of the Fugitives also went to Huguenot High. The Fugitives had a single on Shoestring.
After the Panics, Bill LaRue would form a three-piece blues band, Blue Alfred. He would have one more record that I know of as Snelson & LaRue “I’m Tired of Getting Put Down” / “Making Your Mind Up it’s Over” with David Snelson and Cynthia LaRue, recorded at Audio Communications in Richmond.
Anyone have a good photo of the group?
A couple of very small photos of the group are in the booklet to Aliens Psychos & Wild Things vol. 2.
Picture sleeve for first single, with original drummer Skip BordenThe Creations came from Milford, Connecticut, releasing two singles “Crash” / “Chickie Darlin” in July 1964, and “Don’t Be Mean” / “Forty One Willis” in April 1965. Members were:
Chuck Delaney – lead guitar and vocals Howie Plant – rhythm guitar and vocals Danny Gomes – bass and vocals Skip Borden – drums, replaced in late 1964 by Jim Burnham – drums
Danny’s surname is spelled Gomes on the records, but Gomez in some news articles and on copyright registrations.
The first notice I can find for the group comes from the Bridgeport Post on July 28, 1964:
Four local boys, members of a combo billed as “The Creations” in its first recording for Top Hat records, will make a personal appearance at Fladd’s music center in Milford on Friday from 7 to 8 p.m.
The members of the combo are Howie Plant, Skip Borden, Dan Gomez and Chuck Delaney.
The group has appeared locally to play for numerous dances and are currently appearing at the Black Cat in Shelton on Wednesday evenings.
“Crash” is a frantic surf instrumental written by Chuck Delaney without a trace of British Invasion influence. Danny Gomes wrote the ballad flip, “Chickie Darlin”.
The band released it through New York label Top Hat Records, TH 1003. Top Hat had Rite Record Productions of Cincinnati press the records, pressing # 12699/12700.
Publishers Palais Royale Music and Marks Tey Music both seem connected to Top Hat Records, as earlier releases on Top Hat included those publishers.
A notice for a show at the Connecticut Post center for the United Fund from October 21, 1964 also includes Skip Borden in the lineup. By December 5, 1964, Jim Burnham had replaced Skip, as the Bridgeport Post ran a photo of the group with new drummer Jim Burnham after a benefit for the Muscular Dystrophy fund.
Creations in the Bridgeport Post, December 5, 1964, Jim Burnham joins the group
For their second record, Danny Gomes and Howie Plant co-wrote the pounding pounding Beatles-inspired “Don’t Be Mean”, while Delaney and Gomes collaborated on “Forty One Willis”, which could refer to an address in nearby New Haven.
Released as Top Hat Records 1004, this was again a Rite pressing, using account number 1151 and Rite pressing code 13891/13892.
Like the first single, this came with a picture sleeve, very rare now. The photo on the front can be seen in the video below.
The Bridgeport Post ran a feature on the group on April 11, 1965, written by Barbara Verespey:
Members of the four-man group include Chuck Delaney, 20, who plays lead guitar and organized the original Creations and the present band, Danny Gomes, 18, bass guitarist and his father, Joseph Gomes, the group’s manager. Both boys are graduates of Milford high. Also, Howie Plant, rhythm guitarist, and Jim Burnham, drummer, are seniors at MHS, and aged 17 and 18 respectively. Jim joined the group in October when Skip Borden of Jonathan Law [High School] moved to Indiana, and feels it was his “biggest break.”
All of them sing except for Jim who “occasionally yells.”
Richard Coderre, their personal agent … “the most colorful agent in show business,” said “we’re shooting for the moon” …
Yesterday, The Creations made a return appearance on the Brad Davis show, Hartford. Their first telecast on the show was Feb. 13. Next stop, if plans work out, is a two-week engagement in Bermuda.
“41 Willys” [sic] and “Don’t Be Mean,” which Chuck and Danny collaborated on, were released March 12. The following week, the group cut “And She Lied,” “Wait For Me.” and “Someone New.” Danny and Howie wrote all three.
The four boys, whose hair is styled in the “fad,” released “Crash” and “Chickie Darlin'” last July. The former was written by Chuck, and the latter by Danny, who, incidentally, hasn’t seen a barber in six months.
Since last January, the group has appeared at Milford high dances and records hops at Enfield, Holyoke, Mass., and New Britain. They have played at the University of Bridgeport, University of Connecticut, Yale, Holy Cross, Bay Path and Central Connecticut colleges. The group has also … appeared at the Actors Colony in Derby, the Ambassador in Hamden, the Statler Hilton hotel, Hartford, the Roadside Inn, Fairfield, and the Etcetera Lounge and Golden Slipper in Long Island.
The Creations have just completed a booking at the Villa Rosa in Milford …
Chuck likes … sleeping, and dislikes snobby girls and liver. Danny also is against snobs, and his favorite interest is dating. Howie has no pet peeves and has expressed an interest in medical science. Jim enjoys playing billiards and dislikes liquor.
Head of the group’s fan club at MHS is Mary Gannett, but the Creations have a bigger following at Jonathan Law. Their officers are Barbara Emmons, president; Donna Skinner, vice president; and Gale Anderson, official correspondent.
Announcing the Creations appearance on the Brad Davis TV show, from left: Howie Plant, Chuck Delaney, Jim Burnham and Danny Gomes, Bridgeport Post, April 11, 1965
Three days later the Post ran a notice that the Creations would appear on The Brad Davis Show on Saturday, April 17, 1965, with Gene Pitney. I have seen a photo of the group with Brad Davis, but only have a poor-quality xerox of it.
That’s the last notice I can find for the Creations.
On April 16, 1965, Danny and Howie registered “Don’t Be Mean” and “Wait For Me” with the Library of Congress’s Copyright Office, and Chuck Delaney belatedly registered “Crash”.
On May 27, 1965, Daniel Gomez and Howard Plant registered two of the songs mentioned in the Bridgeport Post feature, “And You Lied” and “Wait for Me”. I have to think the Creations recorded these songs, but if so, no trace of them has turned up so far. Perhaps “Someone New” also exists on a demo acetate.
Paul E. Bezanker’s Connecticut Rocks! has some more info on the band that I need confirmation on: Howie Plant replaced by Howie West of the Realms (“Baby Let’s Wait” / “All I Want” on Melody ME 105). Bobby Sheehan replaced Howie West. Delaney replaced by Frank Woodman, also of the Realms. Fred O’Brien of the Long Island Sounds comes in on bass, and Danny Gomes becomes lead vocalist.
The group changed into the New Creations with Danny Gomes, Fred O’Brien, Bobby Sheehan and Rick Simpson, which became Bone in late 1967. After more lineup changes, Bone had one single “It’s an Easy Thing” / “Everybody’s Gone Into April” on Poison Ring 712 in 1969.
Pierce Jr. High School Halloween dance, Oct. 29, 1965, left to right: Bob Pelmear, Dale Kath, John Neff, Chris Chappell, and Frank Giglio. Photo courtesy of John Neff.
The Ascots hailed from the northern Detroit suburb of Pontiac and lasted from 1964 to 1967. The members were between 14 to 16 years old at the time of recording their only single. Frat Records/Watkins Music is the band’s own label-publishing arm. The 45-rpm/7” has no catalog number; the numbers noted on the label are the matrix codes noted in the run-outs and pressed at Columbia’s Detroit plant. Columbia pressed records for smaller labels, such as fellow Detroit imprint, Hideout. The single was recorded in August 1965, but released in April of 1966. Both sides of the single received airplay on Detroit’s WXYZ-FM and Ontario’s CKLW-AM. The band was managed by Jim Baranowsky, who also managed fellow Detroit teen-rockers, the Kwintels.
Chris Chappell — vocals John Neff — lead guitar Dale Kath — rhythm guitars Bob Pelmear — bass Frank Giglio —drums Jim Steil — bass (replaced Pelmear; doesn’t appear on the single)
1966: left to right: John Neff, Dale Kath, Frank Giglio, Chris Chappell, and Bob Pelmear. Photo courtesy of John Neff.
John Neff and Bob Pelmear from the Ascots would later regroup, along with the brothers Joe and Paul Felice, to form the Tribe. Signed to Punch Andrews’s Hideout Productions (who oversaw Bob Seger’s career, as well as the early Detroit bands of the Eagles’ Glenn Frey), the Tribe issued Neff’s second-composed single, “Maple Street Park,” recorded at Ralph Terrana and Al Sherman’s Tera Shirma Studios. The Tribe soon changed their name to Pavement, prior to their 1968 break up.
Dale Kath formed the harder-edged Electric Blues Band while John Neff formed the Toad and the Mushroom; the latter recorded but never released an album with Elektra Records; acetates of those sessions aired on local Detroit radio. While EBB opened shows for the MC5 and Bob Seger, T & M opened the Detroit stops of Fleetwood Mac and the Spencer Davis Group.
John Neff’s later career featured award-winning partnerships with Walter Becker of Steely Dan and filmmaker David Lynch, as well as producing the Arnel Pineda-era catalog of Journey. In addition to appearing on 200-plus R&B and soul singles cut at Detroit’s United Sound in the early ’70s, he toured as a guitarist for country cross-over artist Hoyt Axton, proto-metalers Steppenwolf, and ’70s one-hit-wonder country rockers, Redeye.
White Heat 1972: left to right, back row: Ron Course, Charlie Verno, Dave Anderson. Front row: Johnny Heaton, Mike Sneed, and Dale Kath. Photo courtesy of Ron Course.
Dale Kath worked steadily on the Detroit scene into the early ’70s with the house bands Danny and the Zeltones and White Heat. White Heat’s Johnny Heaton was formerly with the West End. You can learn more about Danny and the Zeltones as part of our exploration of the career of the Coronados.
Pontiac Music and Sound’s Grand Opening, April 1973: “I did a lot of business at this store that started with Frank Merwin at the old Pontiac Percussion Center. My band, Toad and the Mushroom, recorded an album at the studio, then known as Pontiac Music and Sound, and mixed it at United Sound in Detroit.” — John Neff of the Ascots. Photo courtesy of Johhny Heaton.
There are no images or online audio available for the releases by the Tribe and the Toad and the Mushroom. The Pontiac Ascots are not be confused with the 29 other Ascots that released local and national singles in U.S. during the mid-to-late 1960s.
Sadly, we lost John Neff in December 2022. You can learn more about his successful, post-Detroit career with an extensive, January 2023 obituary by Clive Young at Mixonline.com. You can also learn more about his BlueBOB project with David Lynch at Wikipedia, and his film career in composition and sound at the IMDb.
The Sincerely Yours was a short-lived studio band hailing from Detroit comprised of Rick Stahl and Erik Dahlgren. The duo never played out live, as the project was intended to establish each as songwriters. As typical of the time—and with all of the artists on the Impact label—studio musicians and arrangers cut the tracks, with the writer-singers themselves regulated to only performing the vocals. By the time of the single’s release, Rick Stahl co-founded his next band, a harder-edged concern known as Wilson Mower Pursuit.
According to singer-guitarist Rick Stahl, the writer of the A-Side/”Plug Side,” the single reached #18 on the Detroit radio charts. The B-Side, “Little Girl,” features the lead vocals of Erik Dahlgren, with Rick Stahl on background vocals.
Issued in January 1967, the single was recorded on October 18, 1966, at Tera Shirma Studios founded by Ralph Terrana and Al Sherman; their chief engineer was Milan Bogdan. The studio is best known for its work with Issac Hayes. The label of issue, Impact Records, was founded by Harry Balk, known for his work with Edwin Starr, as well as co-producing the million-selling single “Runaway” by Del Shannon. (Web repositories place the release of Impact #1020 at either December 1966 and April 1967; we defer to Rick Stahl’s date-of-issue of January 1967. You’ll note the single was issued in both white and red labels; the white-labels were the promotional copies; consumer copies were issued in red.)
John Rhys, who produced both sides, went on to work as an engineer at the world famous Hollywood Sound Studios, which hosted the likes of Earth, Wind and Fire, Jackson Browne, and many others. His own band, John Rhys and the Lively Set, also record a single at Tera Shirma issued by Impact. The singles by Sincerely Yours and the Lively Set appear on The Best of Impact Records compilation issued on compact disc in 1997.
The Sincerely Yours featured:
Vocals — Rick Stahl Vocals — Erik Dahlgren Whistling — John Rhys (on “Shady Lane”) Bob Babbitt — bass Uriel Jones — drums Joe Hunter — piano Ron Koss — lead guitar Dennis Coffey — guitars
Babbitt, Jones and Hunter were known for their work with Motown’s the Funk Brothers. Ron Koss—known for his Motown session work—recorded two albums for Reprise with Savage Grace. He was a one-time member of Detroit’s the Lazy Eggs.
Dennis Coffey culminated his Funk Brothers-era session work on numerous Motown-cut R&B and soul recordings with the instrumental “Scorpio” by Dennis Coffey and the Detroit Guitar Band. Featuring ex-Funk Brother Bob Babbitt on bass, the Gold-selling single landed in the U.S. Top 10 in 1971.
Wilson Mower Pursuit, with Rick Stahl at left
Rick Stahl’s next band, Wilson Mower Pursuit, is remembered in Detroit for its many live appearances at the Grande Ballroom, as well as for their opening shows for the MC5, the Stooges, and Ted Nugent’s Amboy Dukes. After failed offers from Capitol and Kit Lambert’s Track Records, Wilson Mower Pursuit independently recorded their lone album, Last Night Out: Live at the Silverbell. The band’s final live show in the fall of 1968; it was captured-on-tape by Bill Julius, one of the band’s roadies (the album has since been reissued on compact disc). WMP’s Shawn Murphy joined the cast of Hair alongside Meatloaf, formerly with Detroit’s Popcorn Blizzard. Together, they formed the duo Stoney and Mealoaf in 1971.
Wilson Mower Pursuit, with Rick Stahl, center
Concentrating on a songwriting career and retiring from live performances, Rick Stahl returned to Detroit stages in 1981 with Pendragon. After releasing two, private-press 45s in 1983, Pendragon disbanded. A live version of one of their songs, “Queen of Air,” appears on the radio promotional album Live at Hart Plaza issued by WRIF radio. Rick Stahl then retired to Colorado Springs, where he produced music and designed album art for local indie artists.
You can enjoy more of the music of Rick Stahl with this You Tube playlist.
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
