The Impacs came from Highlands, about 15 miles east of Houston, across the San Jacinto River and just north of Baytown. The Baytown Sun featured this sharp photo of the group in March 1966.
Band members were Audie Morgan, guitar; Tim Franks, drums; Garry Wicker lead guitar; and Gary Norris, bass.
I like this photo of the Invertebrates (or Inverebrates, but I think the Baytown Sun spelled the name wrong) in their early psychedelic shirts. This article ran in April, 1967.
Members were Colby Tipton, lead guitar; Rickey Glover, drums; and Bill Badeaux on bass, students at Cedar Bayou Junior School in Baytown, Texas, and managed by Larry Snderli.
The Downbeats came from Sweeny and West Columbia, two small towns just inland of Brazosport. The Brazosport Facts paper ran this photo of the group in March, 1965, and had another short article on the group in July.
Members were Cleston King, vocals; Bobby Maxey, guitar; Randy Tolbirt guitar; Mickey Duke, drums; David Smith, trumpet; and Jackie Benet, trumpet.
The G’s have a great 45 on Young Generations Records featuring two originals, “There’s a Time” / “Cause She’s My Girl”. I haven’t been able to find a copy unfortunately, but I did find this poor reproduction of a photo of the band posting with Santa Claus, and an additional article on the group. It’s quaint how Texas newspapers often list the names of the parents of the teen combos they cover.
The band came from Denton, Texas, about 40 miles northwest of Dallas, the same town where the Chessmen and the Briks had their start. In a December, 1964 news clip they’re called the 4G’s.
Members were:
Randy Ford, lead guitar Bobby Keith Jr., guitar and vocals Mike Green, drums Don Hansel, bass guitar.
The band made their first appearance in July of ’64 at the Sanger Hootenanny. They were 14 and 15 years old.
An article in the Denton January 2, 1966 features a photo of Don Hansel and Bobby Keith. Bobby Keith’s father R.V Keith acted as their manager and even opened a teen club called “The Place” on Fort Worth Highway in Denton so the G’s could have a place to play every Saturday.
By this time, Mike Smith had replaced Randy Ford.
In September, 1966 they released their only single, and on September 16, 1966 they played at the North Texas State Fair. Smith and Bobby Keith would write both sides of their 45. The article calls them “the G’s Combo”. It also states that they have made 22 recordings, and that their single would be out that week. I would like to hear the other 20 songs!
Talk about your all ages shows. Here’s another Texas group that didn’t record to my knowledge.
The Mysterians came from Grand Prairie, just west of Dallas, east of Arlington. Members were Kenneth Rachels on drums, Johnny Atchley lead guitar, Terry Potter rhythm guitar and Richard Presley.
There’s a Mysterions who had a record on Jox in 1965, but they were from San Antonio, 4 hours drive away.
Again, sorry for the lousy photo quality (due to the microfilm transfer). Sometimes members of unknown bands like this made demo recordings or joined other groups that did record, or can shed light on other groups from the period.
The Originaires of Irving, Texas, just west of Dallas. Members were Steve Tidwell, Larry Trujillo, Larry Hickman and Jim Nuckolls on drums. Sorry for the terrible photo, but at least the members names are there.
The Avantes of San Antonio formed in November 1964 at Robert G. Cole High School. Members were Chuck Klein (guitar), R.V. Brinkerhoff (lead guitar), Woody Brinkerhoff (drums, violin) and Randy Wilson (guitar and trumpet). All but Chuck Klein were sons of army officers at Ft. Sam Houston.
I don’t believe they recorded, at least under this name. For every combo that recorded a single or demo, there must have been 50 that did not.
I came across the photo by accident when looking for info on another group. There’s a half-page write-up of the band in the society pages that accompanies this photo.
The Just VI formed at Tennyson High School in Hayward, California in late 1964.
The early lineup included:
Tony Rhodes – lead vocals Mike Cantrell – guitar, vocals Ken Houston – guitar, replaced by Kenny Simms in 1965 Don Cantrell Jr. – organ, vocals Dennis Brock – bass Sal Saccardo – drums
The band played out frequently, helped by their Cantrell’s father, Don Sr., who was a promoter and booking agent. Sometimes listed as the Just Six, they played at venues including the Coconut Grove in Santa Cruz, the Newark Pavilion, Frenchy’s, the Rollarena in San Leandro, Carpenters Hall, Maple Hall in San Pablo, at the Carousel Ballroom and Longshoreman’s Hall in San Francisco and the Avalon Ballroom on Catalina Island (with the Yardbirds), IDES Hall in Hayward, and at Battle of the Bands including at the Santa Clara Fair Grounds. They also appeared on Dick Clark’s Happening ’68 and toured with the Animals.
In November ’65 the Just VI cut two original songs, “Bo-Said” (written by Tony Rhodes and Mike Cantrell) b/w “You” (written by Kenny Simms and Tony Rhodes) at Golden State Recorders. Both sides published by Merrie Making Music, BMI.
The songs were issued on Wax W-211 and the single sold well, including a supposed sold 14,000 copies in Winchester, Missouri!
Over the next few years the band recorded additional songs that were not released at the time, including auditions for Capitol and Columbia. Big Beat included “I’m Gonna Be Gone” on the excellent compilation CD You Got Yours! East Bay Garage 1965-67. A photo in the liners shows the band in patriot dress like Paul Revere & the Raiders.
In 1968 Tony Rhodes left the group and Roger Corboy joined, along with his brother Dave Corboy from a Fremont group called the Differentiated Concepts. Dennis Brock left and Steve Lind took over on bass.
The band had a 45 as the White Haven Pillow “Wreck It” (K. Simms Jr., D. Corboy) / “Muisc Man” (D.E. Cantrell Jr.) on the MTA label in 1969.
After Sal Saccardo left the group hired Terry Rissman of Peter Wheat & the Breadmen to play drums. When Terry left, Mike Cantrell played drums until the group split in late ’69.
Most of the group had some involvement in music after the Just VI. Roger Corboy joined Helix, Sal Saccardo went into the Powers of Darkness and played with Little John, the Cantrell brothers had Crossfire in the ’70s, and Kenny Sims had a group called Truckin’ later on.
The best source of info for this article was Bruce G. Tahsler’s The San Francisco East Bay Scene: Garage Bands from the 60’s Then and Now, including the scan of the Yardbirds show poster.
Wax Records
Wax Records of Oakland started out with at least two soul singles in 1964, Tiny Powell’s “My Time After Awhile” / “Take Me With You”; and Sugar Pie DeSanto’s “Strange Feeling” / “Little Taste of Soul”.
In 1965, Wax released two 45s by the Cheaters of San Leandro, “Take It Easy” / “Girl – I Want” (Wax 210) and “My Favorite Girl” / “Suzanne” (Wax 213).
Certain later pressings had a yellow and orange design, large logo and featured the tagline “If It’s a Hit, It’s on Wax”.
Thee Kavaliers had four singles on the Pharaoh label, the most releases of any artist on that label.
Their first was under the plainer moniker The Cavaliers and features a good garage vocal composed by Billy Rowe backed with the surf instrumental “Sea Weed”, composed by Frank Barrera. My copy has an inscription by Billy Rowe on the A-side that unfortunately got smeared to near-illegibility before I came to own it.
I’m not sure who played what instrument or exactly who was in the band. Billy Rowe must have been in the group, at least early on, and Javier Rios became their leader and wrote or co-wrote most of their original songs on their records as Thee Kavaliers. A clipping (see below) includes Mike Dunn, Gary Vandiver, Jeanne Hatfield, Richard Mancilla and an unidentified person as the Cavaliers. Frank Barrera’s name isn’t included but shows up on at least two of their songs as composer. The photo at top shows six members, and doesn’t include Jeanne Hatfield.
I don’t think Thee Kavaliers backed Jeanne Hatfield on her single on Pharaoh, which features a keyboard prominently.
In any case, they were a strong group with a wide repertoire. “Congregation for Anti-Flirts, Inc” is considered their best work, but all of it is strong. “Symbols of Sin” is a take on “Land of 1,000 Dances” but really gets moving once the guitar break starts.
Pharaoh 137 – The Cavaliers – “Pride” (Billy Rowe) / “Sea Weed” (Frank Barrera) (Oct. ’65) Pharaoh 146 – Thee Kavaliers – “That Hurts” / “Symbols of Sin” (both by Javier Rios, July ’66) Pharaoh 150 – Thee Kavaliers – “The Last Four Words” / “Ballad Of Thee Kavaliers” (Sept. ’66) Pharaoh 154 – Thee Kavaliers – “Congregation for Anti-Flirts, Inc” / “Back to You” (Jan. ’67)
The Huns came from Arlington Heights, Illinois, a suburb NW of Chicago, most of them students at St. Viator High School, class of 1969. They cut one of the best double-sided 45s of the ’60s, the incredible, blasting “Destination Lonely” with the more tuneful “Winning Ticket.”
Members were:
David Grundhoefer – vocals Bob Dempsey – lead guitar Mark Abate – rhythm guitar Bill McCaffrey – bass (also spelled Bill McCaffery in one source) Herb Klein – drums
An article in the Roselle Register from May 24, 1967 states that they made their first appearance at the Plum Grove Club in October 1965. It also goes on to say “they have cut one record and made the arrangements for the release of another.”
The article states that the members “recall the Oasis Drive-In Battle of the Bands last August [1966] as its first big step. WNWC sponsored the contest and the Huns were among the top five finalists from 67 entries. They went on to take top billing … and won the record contract.”
“‘Destination Lonely,’ written by Dave and Mark, was cut at Sheldon Recording Studios in Old Town. Distributed under the ROCK N’ JAZZ label, the record gained popularity here and in Milwaukee but could not be played on either WCFL or WLS due to lack of a copyright.”
“In the words of Dave [Grundhoefer], ‘We started after Saturday’s Children but changed to more abstract folk in the lyrics, an obscure tough of Dylan.’ As examples he cites three new Huns songs: ‘Look My Way,’ ‘My Life’ and ‘Did You Believe Me?'”
“Their equipment, built up over the last 18 months, now totals over $5,000. … ‘Most of our earnings have gone into equipment’ said bass guitarist Bill McCaffrey.'”
Another article in the Daily Herald states that the band had played the Hut, the Cellar, and “are schedule to play with the Cryan’ Shames at the New Place in Cary.”
Dave Grundhoefer and Mark Abate wrote “Destination Lonely” and Grundhoefer wrote “Winning Ticket,” both published by RNJ Pub, BMI.
The Huns released their single in November, 1966 in two different versions: first with blue labels with a dry sound (no reverb), and then with red labels with added reverb on the vocals and jet noise overdubbed on “Winning Ticket.”
The blue label has a slightly different intro to “Destination Lonely”: the opening chord is struck twice, while the red version has a leading chord before striking the next chord two times.
Other than that, and the reverb added to the lead guitar and vocals, I can’t detect a significant difference in these versions of “Destination Lonely.”
The blue labels include “S-4923” and “S-4924” which indicates it was pressed at Sheldon in Chicago.
The red labels include “SS-8668-01A/B” which is supposed to indicate this single was recorded and pressed by Stereo Sound in Chicago.
However the versions are so close, that I do not think the entire song was rerecorded at Stereo Sound. I believe it’s possible that the lead guitar and lead vocal were both re-recorded over the original backing track done at Sheldon. That would explain the difference in the striking of the opening chords.
I haven’t heard the blue label version of Winning Ticket – any difference besides the overdubs?
The blue label version is considered much rarer than the already-scarce red label copies.
Rock n’ Jazz Records released 45s by the Night Watch – “The Goods Gone” (by Forbes – Loesch – Hanson) / “Shake”; the Perpetual Motion – “You Hurt Me” / “Sally Brown”; and one by Ray Smithers and the Perpetual Motion – “I Remember” / “We Will Share”.
“We Will Share and “Sally Brown” are original songs by Mertes and Saranpos, “You Hurt Me” by Saranpos alone. Publishing on all Rock n’ Jazz singles except the Huns was by Freemont Music.
I believe Ray Smithers owned the Rock n’ Jazz label, as the photo at top notes the Ray Smithers Revue. I haven’t seen any records by the Marie Antoinettes though!
I read some stories in Fuzz, Acid and Flowers about the group that I’m a little skeptical of: that they wore “animal skins with bleached white hair,” that “Robert Dempsey took guitar lessons from Ted Nugent … he apparently helped his student by writing some of the guitar solos for the 45.”
I also read that some years later they released a 45 for Ampex as Greenwood County Farm, but Roy Vombrack wrote to me to clarify: “that was a separate group that had former Huns singer Dave Grundhofer as lead vocalist. Greenwood County Farm released a Bill Traut-produced single “The Man”/”I Wish I Knew You” with Dave on lead. I was the tenor sax player. The band later became Greenwood & then morphed into Jamestown Massacre which later became Mariah.”
Thank you to Paul Sullivan for sending in the photo at top of what appears to be the Huns, listed on the sign behind the band as David and the Huns. Bob Dempsey has commented on youtube that this is his group of Huns from Arlington Heights, not the Ithaca, NY group.
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