Here’s a 45 by a group called Soulbody that I’m curious about. I don’t own a copy, but was alerted to this by Mike Hadenfeldt who found one with an address label from a suburb of Los Angeles. Mike reports the following info on the labels:
Vintage Records (A Chess Recording) WJZ 51147 “I See You Crying” / “Then Came The Winter” Both songs written by Bill Zurowski Both sides have a date of 1966 under “BMI”
Deadwax info:
“I See You Crying”: F1191 WJZ 51147-2 (no dashes [just spaces] between groups of digits except the last one)
“Then Came The Winter”: F1190-WJZ-51477-1 (dashes between all groups of digits)
Band member Bill Zurowski put the video on Youtube (listing the band name as two words, “Soul Body”) and gave me some background on the band:
We were a band made up of Milwaukee and Chicago musicians in the mid 60’s. We recorded 2 songs at Chess Records in Nov 1966. We recorded in the historic studio where all the hits of the Chess artist were recorded, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Muddy Water, Howlin Wolf, Little Walter and Willie Dixon etc. Doug Brand was the engineer. Doug was Chess’s main engineer. We used Fender black faced amps and a Gibson fuzz tone (that’s what Richards used on Satisfaction); my guitar was an ES 335.
I asked Bill if the band ever had their original tape or demo pressed to 7″ 45 vinyl, but have not heard from him yet.
The song sounds like a ’60s recording, but I’m almost certain this is not a ’60s pressing. The fonts on the label point to a graphic style from a later period, and the label name “Vintage” also suggests a later issue. Not to mention a stereo pressing for a private 45 would be extreme unlikely in 1966. Mike Markesich suggested the five digit number code could be a 70s Universal pressing.
Also, despite the labels saying “BMI” and “1966”, Mike Markesich could not find a copyright listing for the writer or song titles from 1964-1972.
The second version of the Blue Crystals, with vocalist Baron Thomas from left: Douglas Maas, George Anderson, Baron Thomas (front center), Don Harris and Don Hite
Baron Thomas & the Blue Crystal’s “Tension” is a song that I never get tired of. The bass gives the song a great propulsion, the drumming sounds fantastic with all the reverb on it, and Baron Thomas’ vocals cut through the hiss of the ride cymbal and the compression of the recording. The two guitars have distinct sounds and roles in the song, and everything comes together so nicely on the chorus, as the finger-picked rhythm switches to slashing chords.
I started looking into the story of the band and found band leader George Anderson’s website, which features a history of the group written by George Gell, which I’ll summarize here.
The Blue Crystals came from Bowling Green, Ohio. They had been the Citations until a new manager, James Farringer had the idea to spray their hair blue and change their name to the Blue Crystals in 1964. The blue hair didn’t last, but the name stuck and they would remain the Blue Crystals for the next four years.
The band at this time were Joe Dill (lead vocals), George Anderson (lead guitar), Don Hite (rhythm guitar), Roger Rauch (bass) and Don Harris (drums). They cut their first record in 1965, “Be Bop a Lula” / ” Hey Baby” at Courier Studios in Fremont, owned by Bob Brown.
By 1966 Joe Dill and Roger Rauch had left, to be replaced by Doug Mass on bass and Byron Thomas, from Toledo, as new lead vocalist.
They went back to Courier in late ’66, recording two originals by George Anderson, a ballad “We’ll Be Thru For Ever” b/w “Tension,” “inspired by a certain girl friend from that time” says George. The band pressed 1,000 copies in January, 1967, selling most of them.
Later that year Don Hite switched to bass after Doug Mass left the band and Dave Brown came in on keyboards and sax. The group continued until the draft broke them up in 1968.
George Anderson continued in music, playing part-time in bands, giving lessons on guitar and performing solo with MIDI backing.
Thank you to Mark Taylor for the great transfer and scan of his autographed copy of the 45. Special thanks to George Anderson for the scans of the clippings and photo.
The original lineup of the Blue Crystals at the Metropole, with vocalist Joe Dill and bassist Roger Rauchleft to right, top: Don Harris, Roger Rauch and Joe Dill; bottom: Don Hite and George Anderson
The What’s New have always fascinated record collectors: mistakenly listed as a Florida band, they released two EPs in France but nothing in the U.S.
Spike Priggen found some great videos of the What’s New performing on French TV and suggested we collaborate on a post, which I put up at Bedazzled last month.
Their story starts with the Yachtsmen, a folk group founded by students at Long Beach City College in 1959. The Yachtsmen became regulars at Disneyland in Anaheim, releasing an LP on Disney’s Buena Vista label (BV-3310), High and Dry with The Yachtsmen in 1961.
On the LP the group were Carl Berg (vocals, guitar), Ray Jordan (vocals, banjo, string bass), Jay Huling (aka Jay Hulingpart, vocals, guitar, bongos), and Bill Reed (vocals, bass). Other members included Kevin Shipman and Mickey Elley.
The Yachtsmen continued performing at Disneyland for the next several years, appearing on another LP, Jack Linkeletter Presents a Folk Festival.
Bud Hedrick and Colin Scot at Coke Corner, photo courtesy Bud Hedrick.
Meanwhile Scot Thistlewaite (stage name Colin Scot) had been playing banjo and guitar with a ragtime duo called Bud and Scotty at Coke Corner in Disneyland, with Bud Hedrick on piano.
Scot was born in the UK, moved to Canada in the late ’50s where he went to Sir Adam Beck Collegiate High School in London, Ontario, then moved to California where he attended Cal State University at Long Beach.
In October, 1965, French chanteuse Line Renaud and her husband Louis “Loulou” Gasté saw the Yatchsmen at Disneyland and brought the group over to Paris in January, 1966.
Kevin Shipman wrote to me about how Scot joined the group:
Scotty was a friend of our folk group The Yachtsmen when we were all at Disneyland. As you have noted in your piece, he and Bud Hedrick played ragtime at Coke Corner.
Some time in December 1965, Line Renaud, the star of the Casino de Paris in Las Vegas, toured Disneyland and saw us performing. Shortly after that we received a call from her representative saying that she wanted us to come to Paris to be second billing in her new show at the original Casino de Paris. We talked about it and decided it would be a great opportunity to live in an amazing place and to re-charge our creative batteries.
One of our guys was finishing up his master’s degree and had just been engaged to be married and he declined to make the trip. We immediately went to Scotty to see if he might be interested. He jumped a foot off the ground and yelled “YES”. Scot had just been called up by the draft board and there was no way he could have been a soldier. He was barely an American having arrived from Canada only a few years earlier and he was a committed pacifist. This would be his way out of that and into a new and exciting chapter.
Scotty was the perfect addition to our group. He spoke French with near fluency – something we were not aware of when we approached him – and he brought a lot of energy and heart to what was to become a folk-rock band. We wanted to break out of the folk music constraints and do original music with power and finesse. All the members were strong musicians with great harmony sensibilities and we could all sing solo. I like to think that we were predecessors of bands like Crosby, Stills and Nash and the Eagles.
The band changed their name to the What’s New though they still look very collegiate performing “Des mots d’amor” with Line Renaud on French TV. [Unfortunately all the excellent videos of the band on French TV have been taken down from Youtube since I first posted this article.]
The What’s New: from left: Jay Huling, Colin Scot, Kevin Shipman and Carl Berg
They recorded their first EP in July, ’66 at Gasté’s own studio in Paris, scoring a French hit with a single version of Gordon Lightfoot’s “Early Morning Rain”. Their first EP also has their version of Tom Paxton’s “The Last Thing on My Mind” and two songs by Randy Sparks of the New Christy Minstrels, “Huckleberry Finn” and “Driving Wheels”.
Kevin Shipman told me:
We had a hit in France (number one or two depending on who you talk to) with “Early Morning Rain” but we did not have the management we needed. Line Renaud’s husband Lou Lou Gaste liked to think that he was performing those tasks and fended off other true management people who approached him.
One of our best moments was one of our last. We played the premiere music venue in Paris – the Olympia – opening for Michel Polnareff and the Beach Boys [October 25, 1966]. Everyone one who saw the show said that we blew the Beach Boys off the stage. They had great hits but they were weak in live performance.
Their second EP
Their second EP showcases four original songs by Colin Scot, putting a sharp folk-rock sound behind Scot’s plaintive lead vocal and the group’s harmonies. It includes the now-famous “Up So High” (“Got no use for LSD, every time you look at me I’m up so high”) and the excellent “Get Away” which moves from dreamy verse to tough chorus.
The What’s New disbanded in early 1967.
Kevin Shipman explains:
I had decided that I needed to go back and finish my college studies. I was one year away from graduation and I felt that goal slipping away after a year and a half in Paris. Another member was having marital troubles and his wife insisted on returning to the US and her church group. So, we reluctantly parted ways as friends having come very close to the prize but not at the right time.
Scot could not go back to the US having eluded the military and chose to go to England where the music scene was far more vibrant than in France.
Colin Scot became part owner of a nightclub called Kahuna’s Cave in Cala Mayor, Palma de Majorca, and toured the folk circuit in the UK in the late ’60s. In the 1970s he released LPs on United Artists and Warner Bros, with a final single “Mandolin Man” / “Boris” on RCA in 1977. He died in Amsterdam in 1999.
Kevin Shipman:
My wife and I remained close to Scotty over the years and visited him twice in Amsterdam. He came twice to our home at Lake Tahoe and we found all our visits to be both rich in friendship and yet agonizing witnessing his descent in ever-deeper and more virulent alcoholism. I never saw him pass out which was amazing considering how much he drank.
Our last visit from him was in winter of 1999 and he would die a few months later. During that last visit he was not drinking for the first time in his adult life but he was having liver failure. He resumed drinking when he returned home.
Scotty was a beacon and a natural Pied Piper. Everyone loved him and he seemed to love everyone. I can tell you from reading his poetry that he came to view life in a fundamentally dark way. He trusted everyone and was taken advantage of by many. He had no concept of money management and it vaporized in his possession.
Ultimately, his life was very difficult with bright chapters – Disneyland and Paris in particular – and many dark ones. In reflection, it could not have gone any other way. This was Scotty and there was no other life option for him. Music and entertaining was his passion and alcohol was a demon none of us could exorcise from him. Interventions were planned but failed.
Scot’s writing was always a reflection of his life circumstances. The music he wrote during the What’s New period was mostly upbeat. He intensely disliked the dreariness of London and addressed that directly in one of his solo songs. His writing became darker as his circumstances deteriorated and that diminished the appeal of his music for many. I repeatedly encouraged him to lighten up and inject some humor or irony, as he used to do, into his writing rather than hitting us on the nose with what he didn’t like. He preferred the direct approach. Regardless, he was a great talent and a wonderful, sensitive person.
In the end, he should be remembered as a loving, caring, zany bundle of gifts and excesses. His was the life of the clown. Happy on the outside and often tortured within. The day his father Cy called to inform me of his passing I cried. I knew Cy would call with that message before too long so I was prepared for it. But it pained me greatly and it still does. He was one of a kind and he is missed.
My friend Derek Taylor sent me this batch of photos of a band that he found last year in San Francisco. Written on the back of the two larger photos is “Vandals – Jan 1966” in neat handwriting, plus the band’s name is shown behind the bassist in one shot.
A photo of the bass guitarist similar to the one below was reproduced in a newsletter or yearbook for the St. Ignatius High School (now St. Ignatius College Prepatory) at 37th Ave and Quintara in the Outer Sunset district of San Francisco.
On the back of this clipping is a list of names sporting and events that took place during the four years of that class of ’66 or ’67 with some names (though not of the band) – Vince Spohn, Jim Nevin, Rich Wilpitz, and Den Carter.
Mike Dugo pointed out this was the same group that recorded for Joe Brattesani’s Golden Gate Records – “I Really Want to Want You” b/w “A Reason” and “It’s Like Now Baby” b/w “Wet & Wild” & “Mustang Georgie”
Cosmo Violante – vocals Joe Tarantino – guitar and vocals Nick Paolini – bass and vocals Ned Bawden – keyboards Curt Mellegni – drums
Nick Paolini passed away in 1970.
Bassist Nick PaoliniClipping featuring Nick Paolini from similar photo to the one above
Marc Winokur – anyone know him? God Fearin’ Man, recorded at Jack’s Window Studios in West Wardsboro, Vermont
I’ll be selling records this Saturday and Sunday, October 29 & 30 at the WFMU Record Fairin Manhattan. I’ll be at table C-22, towards the back of the room. I’ll be peddling a few rare garage 45s, plenty of LPs, and even some 78s.Please come by and say hello, I’d like to meet any regular readers of the site. If you haven’t been before, please be advised it’s insanely crowded until late in the day.
Chan Romero’s Warrior label from Montana“Jane” by Kostas LazaridesPueblo, Colorado group on a small Montana label!
I’m trying to clear up some of the confusion about the various Warrior labels that existed in Texas, Montana, Louisiana and California.
Let’s start with Chan Romero’s Warrior label from Billings, Montana:
I’ve read that Chan, a one-time Pueblo, Colorado resident best known for writing and recording “Hippy Hippy Shake” owned the Warrior label that released the great single “I Don’t Recall” by the Trolls (also from Pueblo). I was uncertain of this, as a notice in Billboard announcing the formation of Romero’s Warrior label in Billings, Montana came much later – 1971. However, Lisa Wheeler of Pueblo City Limits related that Chan told her he was indeed the owner of Warrior, starting it in Billings as early as 1962.
Stan Campbell on WarriorChan’s Warrior label with horseman logo
Billings, Montana. Chan Romero, owner, circa 1962-1966:
likely incomplete – any help with this would be appreciated Warrior L-128 – Kostas – “Something We Call Love” (C. Romero) / “Jane” (Kostas Lazarides) ( Crooked Rock Music, BMI, 1962 or later) Warrior L-140-1- The Wanderers – “Don’t Pity Me” / “Give Me All You Got” Warrior L-173 – Trolls – “I Don’t Recall” (Richard Gonzales, Warrior Tunes BMI) / “Stupid Girl” (November 1966) Warrior L-219 – Chan Romero – “Lost In Love” / “Billie” (can anyone provide a label scan?) Warrior OV-105 – Stan Campbell – “Any Time” (Happy Lawson) / “Just One More Dance” (Stan Campbell) (date?) Warrior WS-106 – Faith, Hope & Charity – “That’s What the People Said” / “Hey, Hey World” (1971), Warrior WS-114 – Lonnie Bell and the Yellowstone Dudes “The Last Mile” / “Montana Song” Warrior NRF-542 – Chan Romero – “The Best Thing I Ever Had” / “The Fire in My Light” (“recorded in Canada”)
Other Warrior discographies: Any help with these would be appreciated:
Pleasanton, Texas labelsame Texas company as the Dayton Smith 45, but moved 30 miles north to San Antonio with different label design
Pleasanton, Texas and San Antonio. E.J. Henke, owner, 1957-1959. Emil J. Henke would go on to own the Satin label also covered on this site.
Warrior WA 501 – Dayton Smith & the Roving Warriors – “What Will the Answer Be” / “Standing by a Seashore” Warrior WA 502 – Red Hilburn – “Three Words” / “The Rambling Blues” Warrior WA 503 – Opal Jean – “I’ll Never Forget My Kind of Boy” / “I Heard His Heart Break Last Night” (reviewed in Billboard Sept. 30, 1957) Warrior WA 504 – Franklin Smith with Roving Warriors Band – “No Wonder I Wonder” / “A Golden Dream of You” (1957, blue ‘Chief’ label with Pleasanton address) Warrior WA 505 – Jerry Smith – “I Don’t Care What They Say” / “I Couldn’t Win Your Love” (1958) Warrior WA 506 – Al Dean & His All Stars – “Fragile Heart” / “Blue Sky Waltz” Warrior WA 507 – Doug Sahm & the Pharoahs – “Crazy Daisy” / “If I Ever Need You” Warrior WA 508 – Al Dean – “I Shot Billy” / ? (1959)
Hollywood rockabilly label from late ’50s
Hollywood, California, 1959:
Warrior W-1554 – Bobby Lee Trammell – “Open Up Your Heart” / “Woe Is Me” (May 1959) Warrior W-1555 – Curtis Lee – “Pure Love” / “With All My Heart (I Love You)” (1959) Warrior W-1556 – Joey Norman – “King of Fools” / “Heart of Mine” Warrior W-1557 – ? Warrior W-1558 – ? Warrior W-1559 – ? Warrior W-1560 – Frankie Knight – “Unchained Melody” / “Call Me”
Warrior label from North Hollywood
North Hollywood, owned by Tom Sawyer, 1966
Only one release I know of: Warrior W-166 – Our Gang – “Careless Love” (D. Duvall, Huckleberry Music, BMI) / Heartbeat (1966, prod. by Tom Sawyer)
Doesn’t seem to be connected to the earlier Warrior label from Hollywood. Tom Sawyer also had the Trident label. Our Gang were from Buena Park by Los Angeles (info from Mike Markesich). This band Our Gang is not the Colorado Springs group who cut “Rapunzel” / “Here Today, Gone Tomorrow”.
Another Warrior label from California
Warrior SM-1007/SM-1008 – Simon T. Stokes “Big City Blues” (Clifton) / “Pow! Zap! (I’m the Bat)” (Murray-Clifton) January 1966, produced by John Herring, Sawtell & Herring Music, ASCAP
Simon Stokes would record several different versions of “Big City Blues”. After the Warrior release, he would cut it for the HBR label (HBR 487) in July of ’66, with new flip “Truth Is Stranger Than Fiction” (Simon Stokes) and arrangement credited to Harold R. Battiste, Jr., and A&R by Larry Goldberg. He made a third version b/w “Cobwebs” on the In-Sound label in 1967, and also released it on MGM K14135 as by Simon Stokes and the Night Hawks, prod. by Michael Lloyd for Voodoo Prod. Stokes was also a member of the Perpetual Motion Workshop (“Infiltrate Your Mind” / “Won’t Come Down” on Rally), the Flower Children (“Mini Skirt Blues” on Castil and Allied) and recorded as Simon T. Stokes & the Nite Hawks on Elektra.
Louisiana: 1001 – Guy Spitale – “Who’s That Woman” (W-101) / “It’s Over Forever” (W-102)
1002 – Guy Spitale – “Returning Your Letters” (W-103 )/ “Scroungy” (W-104) (white label w/ red printing)
Unknown locations: RFF 777 – Ivan X – “Edge of Night” / “Tell Tale Heart”
Special thanks to Westex of Lone Star Stomp, Drunkenhobo, Bob of Dead Wax, Collin Pruit of Inkmathematics, Dave Martens, Kurt Rokitta and Andy for their contributions to these discographies. Thank you to Dominic Welhouse for the Simon T. Stokes scans.
The Kavemen, Dallas 1965 from left to right: Roland Allen, Jimmy Allen, Rodney Vinyard, Tommy Fonseca, Bill Walden & Jerry Colwell
Roland Allen – vocals Jimmy Allen – vocals Rodney Vineyard – lead guitar Tommy Fonseca – rhythm guitar Jerry Colwell – bass Bill Walden – drums
The Kavemen came from the southeastern section of Dallas, Texas. Jerry Colwell had discussed the Kavemen in a longer interview about his career with Kit and the Outlaws and other bands:
Later joined the #1 Dallas band The Cavemen [sic] and played battle of the bands against Jimmy Vaughan and his band, and the Royals and others. In 1965 the Cavemen was the home band for a Night club “Surfers A Go Go” in Dallas, where we played with Chuck Berry, Roy Head, the original Drifters, Jimmy Velvet and Johnny Green and the Greenmen. We played at clubs all over Texas, my favorites were the “Bamboo Hut” in Galveston, and “Panther Hall” in Fort Worth, a televised event every week. We also played at Louanns many times.
As it turns out, they recorded four songs at Sumet Sound Studios which were never released. Carlene Fonseca sent me the songs from their unreleased acetate and passed along this info from her ex-husband Tommy Fonseca:
The band got together first as an instrumental group playing at Twilight Time Skating Rink, in Dallas, TX and playing for high school dances at H. Grady Spruce High School and E. B. Comstock Junior High. Jimmy and Roland Allen were singers and they went to Spruce Hi and heard the band and offered to sing for them.
The recording was done at Summit [Sumet] in Dallas. The recordings were not released. The jumps & skips are because of a defect in the master dub. Tommy said somebody dropped it and it was chipped at the spot where the 1st song was on the 1st side and the 1st song on the flip side.
Rodney Vineyard, the lead guitar, left the group to play with Sunny Satin and the Mysterians. The Kavemen couldn’t find another lead guitar so they broke up. When the studio was ready to release it they declined since the group was no longer together.
Tommy recently spoke to Roland Allen. He lives in Gun Barrel City and he told Tommy that Jimmy had passed away the just the week before. We cannot locate Bill. He was the drummer. Rodney lives in Balch Springs, TX and he still plays for VFW Posts occasionally.
Because of the chip in the lacquer, my favorite song “Can’t You See” suffers from skips and drop-outs for the first thirty seconds. Same with the first song on the second side, “Why”. The other two, “Without You”, and “I Feel the Same” are fine. I’m hoping to get a photo or scan of the acetate labels. Despite the flaws, these are fantastic examples of mid-60s Texas rock ‘n roll!
When updating the page on the State of Mind, I started compiling a list of Chavis releases, looking for more garage type singles.
As it turns out, the State of Mind’s two 45s and the Tree’s “No Good Woman” may have been the only rock singles put out by James Chavis on his Candi, Chavis and Barvis labels out of Wilmington, Delaware. The others listed here are gospel, r&b, doo wop or soul.
Since I haven’t seen a complete discography anywhere else, I’m including what I’ve compiled here:
Candi:
1020: Grand Prees – Jungle Fever (featuring Douglass Pettijohn) / Sit and Cry (featuring Bernice Marsh)
1021: Christian Harmonizers – The Day Has Passed and Gone / The Lord Will Make a Way
1022: Mighty Wonders – God Called Moses / All My Troubles Will Be Over
1023: Silas Phifer & the Mellow Fellows* – Gotta Find My Baby / Edwin Johnson & the Mellow Fellows – You Gave Me Love
1024: Santio’s Premiers and Nat. Miller – She’s Still My Baby / Doggin’ the Twine
1025: Vibra-Tones and George Johnson – I’m Begging You Baby / Willie’s Dream
1026: Empires – Love You So Bad / Come Home Girl (Candi)
1027: Evangelist Mattie Lewis & Travelling Gospelettes – The Lord Is My Shepherd / The Rest of My Days
1028: Eddie Johnson – Mis-Ter Night / I Lost My Linda
1029: Ruth White & the Continentals – Give Us Your Blessings / Dog Time
1030: Humble Gospel Singers – Long Way to the City / The Rest of My Days
1031: Maurice Williams & the Inspirations – The Day Has Come / Never Leave You Again
1032: ?
1033: Empires – You’re On Top Girl
* Mellow Fellows – I’ve read some speculation that this is the same group known as the Mello Souls behind the soul classic “We Can Make It” on the Mello label. Anyone have a scan of that?
Chavis:
1034: Matadors – Say Yes Baby / Carmen I Wish You Were Here
1035: Spidels – Like a Bee / You Know I Need You (1965)
1036: ?
1037: Mighty Wonders – Good News / He Heard Me Cry
1038: State of Mind – Move / If He Comes Back (1966) (CH-2076/7)
1039: ?
1040: ?
1041: State of Mind – Make You Cry / Goin’ Away (1967) (CH-2083)
709: Southern Gate Singers – Somebody’s Always Talking About Me / Laugh Laugh Laugh
710: Miller Family – He Cares for You / I Believe in Jesus (arr. Lee Miller) (CH-1420/1)
730: Mighty Kings of Harmony – I Know a Man / Better World (CH 1460)
7011: Rising Stars – You Need This
7012: Sensational Mighty Wonders – Live On High / A Friend in Jesus (CH 3506/7)
7013: Specializers – Rock of Ages / Oh How I Love Jesus
Barvis:
7010: The Tree – No Good Woman / Man From Nowhere (1967)
125: The Superiors Band and Their Soul Singers – Darling I Love You / Amateur Love
319: The Superiors Band and Their Soul Singers – The Lady Part 1 / The Lady Part 2
Most of the gospel releases were produced by Lee Skinner. James Chavis’ publishing was usually listed with Vandever Music, BMI. Though located in Delaware, Chavis seems to have had some connections in North Carolina, the home of some of his gospel acts, like the Mighty Wonders.
I tried to assemble a discography of Wickwire Records out of Long Beach, California. I quickly came up short until Bob pointed out that Cedwicke and Best were related labels.
Does anyone have scans of the Steve and the Emperors “The Breeze & I” on Best?
Best 101 The Pyramids – Pyramid’s Stomp / Paul (1962) Best 102 The Pyramids – Penetration (Steve Leonard) / Here Comes Marsha (prod. John Hodge, Nov. 1963) Best 103 Steve & The Emperors – The Breeze And I (Lecuona-Stillman) / Great Balls of Fire (1963)
Best 13001 The Pyramids – Pyramid’s Stomp (Alfred Mercier) / Paul (Feb. 1964, re-release of Best 101 with London distribution) Best 13002 The Pyramids – Penetration / Here Comes Marsha (Feb. 1964, re-release of Best 102 with London distribution) Wickwire 13003 The Emperors – A Fool For You I’ve Been / Searchin’ Around the World (both written by Bill Hughes for Dorothy Music, ASCAP) Cedwicke 13004 Wee Willie & The Pals – We’re Gonna Dance (Powell-Greek) / Teardrop Strawberry Soda Cedwicke 13005 The Pyramids – Midnight Run (Usher-Berns-Christian) / Custom Caravan (April 1964) Cedwicke 13006 The Pyramids – Pressure (Hodge-Wilson) / Contact (Steve Leonard) (June 1964) Wickwire 13007 The Emperors – Blue Day / Laughin’ Linda (written by Cameron-Watts, arranged by William F. Williams) (with picture sleeve) Wickwire 13008 Dave Myers and His Surftones – Gear! / Let the Good Times Roll (arranged by Rodney Barken, pub. by Number One Music, BMI) Wickwire 13009 The Montclairs – It’s Gonna Work Out Fine / If You Need Me Wickwire 13010 The Lady Birds – To Know Him Is to Love Him / A Girl without a Boy
John Hodge & Larry Wilson produced most of these.
The Pyramids also had an LP The Pyramids Play The Original Penetration! on Best (LPM-1001, reissued with London distribution as BR-16501, BRS-36501).
The Cedwicke 45s also had distribution by London Records.
See the Emperors page for more info on their records.
I’ve seen two pressings of Wickwire 13008 by Dave Myers and His Surftones – most have Gary Usher as songwriter of “Gear!” but some have Hodge-Wilson listed as songwriter for that song.
Wickwire may have had a publishing connection to the Mod label which had a release by the Menn, “Things To Come” / “What Ever Happened To” (Mod 1013, pub. by Wickwire Music BMI). The Menn had a previous 45 on the Two + Two label, as did the Emperors (see the Whigs for a little more info).
Thanks to Bob and Max Myndblown for their help with this discography and to Wangdangdula.com for info on the Pyramids releases.
In the mid 1960’s the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana became a center for innovative jazz and avant-garde electronic and computer music. Starting in 1967, the Red Herring Coffeehouse just off the main quad on W Oregon became a center for folk artists. And of course there was a thriving band scene at the Illini Brown Jug and other student beer joints. For those not familiar with that area’s geography, the school is located in eastern-central Illinois, roughly equidistant from Chicago, St. Louis and Indianapolis.
Roger Francisco began recording out of a home studio to the east of campus in Urbana, Illinois circa 1964. Rofran (a combination of the first syllables of his first and last names) was the name he gave to his studio, one of his labels, and also the name of his production and publishing companies. It’s an open question as to how prominent the studio was in that area, as many bands recorded at other studios: Dean Carter, the One Eyed Jacks and the Bacardis for example.
I’ve only heard a few of these records. The Cliques has had the most exposure, showing up on Back From the Grave vol. 7. I’ve heard one side of the Keepers, which is good harmony pop, and the first Prodigies 45, “Kysmyph (KIS-MIF)” a bluesy instrumental with sax and some odd organ sounds, backed with “Don’t Look Back”, which starts out with a hip bossa groove but the vocals are square, mimicking the complex harmonies on brazilian groups from the time.
Mike Markesich filled me in on some Rofran releases:
The Sound Studio Production (Rofran 1010) was a label printing goof – the real group is the Prodigies, university guys from Champaign IL. I have the 45 crediting the Prodigies. They have a second 45 on Rofran 1013 “I Want To Do It” / “What I’d Say”, both released in ’66.
Quarternotes “My Baby Left Me” crude thumpin’ garage rocker with a kinda ‘rural’ vocal vibe.
There are other Rofran releases on different-named labels. One that comes to mind is the Ravins “Andy” on the Syndicate label (#1028). Very cool, moody organ swinger with a crisp guitar break. Flipside is “I Had a Feeling”, which is more aligned to a pop sounding jangle ballad. This was their only recording. One of the songwriters on the 45 made a solo Rofran record.
The Cliques “So Hard” / “Ballad Of A Destitute Man” on Custom 1020 (Jan ’67) is a Rofran release. Ditto the Keepers “Why Have You Changed” / “Tiny Teardrops” on Custom 1021 (Jan ’67).
Although early releases seem commercially-minded, Rofran became a studio for more adventurous music sessions towards 1968 and 1969. Some of those musicians, like James Cuomo and Howie Smith, came out of the jazz and experimental music programs at UICU.I asked Howie Smith about his time with the Prodigies at Rofran studio:
The studio, indeed, started in the basement of Roger’s home in Urbana, and at some point he leased a much larger space in a building on Race Street for the studio.
At the time I enrolled at the University of Illinois, the band with Roger Francisco, Gordy Wilson and Bill Steffen was looking for a sax player and I got the job. I played with them on a nightly gig at The Beacon (a bar/roadhouse located just south of Rantoul Air Base) for about 2 years. Roger played guitar and electric bass, Gordy played some sort of electronic keyboard (my memory is that it was an early Farfisa, but I could be totally wrong about that), Bill was the drummer, I played tenor sax and electric bass, and we all sang.
I don’t remember whether the band went under the name of The Prodigies at that time or not, but it was under that name that we recorded “Don’t Look Back” and “KYSMYPH.” At some point the name of the band was changed to Sound Studio One, but I’m almost positive that didn’t happen until later.
As The Prodigies (a name that always made me cringe) we also released a Christmas recording of “Rudolph, the Red-nosed Reindeer” backed with “Sleigh Ride.”
As Sound Studio One we recorded “Never Tell” backed with a very strange “Never Marry a Woman Who is Taller Than You” that richly deserves (and should maintain) its status as unknown by virtually everyone.
The Prodigies/Sound Studio One was also used as the band behind various singers who recorded at rofran. One of those was Al Ierardi, who I believe had some success with “Drifter” backed with “Dureen.”
I was also doing some writing and arranging for other groups in the area and remember recording horn parts at rofran for at least one song by Feather Train.
At Rofran we were also writing and recording music and voice-overs for some ad agencies in the area. “Oh Boy, Tom Boy” was a commercial jingle written for a short-lived drive-in restaurant a-la McDonald’s.
At some point after leaving Sound Studio One I worked for a time with The Nickel Bag. The band at that time consisted of T.T. Coleman singing lead vocal, Bob Crownover on guitar, Rick Raines on organ, Pat Hammond on bass, John Phillips on drums, Rick Bendel and Ron Meng on trumpets, and Ron Dewar and me on tenor saxes). The group was very popular and quite busy in the Illinois-Indiana-Wisconsin area, but we never released a commercial recording.
I haven’t been in touch with Roger or Bill for quite a long time, but I get back to Champaign-Urbana a couple of times a year to do a jazz gig, and Gordon showed up at one of then a couple of years ago.
Roger Francisco wrote to me:
I still have file copies of most of the singles we released on RoFran (which I backed and promoted) and the Custom label (for which I was just studio for hire and processed the pressings for). I remember our ongoing special was a few hours of studio time and a hundred 45 RPM pressings for $100.
As we moved into the 70’s, I got involved with the annual Red Herring Coffee House folk festivals, location recording and producing their LPs, and ultimately got involved co-managing and publishing The Ship, running sound for their live gigs and mixing their Elektra album in LA, and also recording the early efforts of Dan Fogelburg.
I sold the studio operation to Al Ierardi (the Drifter single) around 1974-75 and ultimately became chief engineer at Creative Audio, home to Columbia artist Champaign. I eventually transitioned into commercials and industrial sound track production, and ultimately to Human Kinetics where I put together a corporate recording studio and produce all their DVD and web streaming soundtracks.
The Spoils of War consisted of James Cuomo, Roger Francisco, Frank Garvey, Al Ierardi, Anne Whitefish-Williams and James Stroud. They made a seven-inch, 33 1/3 rpm EP (sometimes listed as You’re Invited to Hear the Spoils of War) in 1969, running over seventeen minutes with five songs: “What Happend Now”, “Now Is Made in America”, “Henry T. Joseph”, “Void of Mystery” and “The Greyness Moves in Quietly”.
In 1999 the Shadoks label released recordings made in 1968 without Anne, and a second CD, The Spoils of War II unearthed further live and studio material from James Cuomo’s archives.
Rofran produced another lengthy seven-inch, 33 1/3 rpm, five song EP in 1970 for James Cuomo, known as Cuomo’s Record and featuring Al Ierardi, Charlie Braugham, Bob Witmer, Cal Drake, Larry Dwyer and Steve Larner. Side A: Suzan Never Smiles”, “Remembering”, “Ring, Magic Telephone, Ring”, and “Victoria Falls”; Side B: “Crimson Uniform”.
Cuomo’s Record
Rofran productions and discography(incomplete, any help would be appreciated):
Early 45s on Rofran, Custom and Syndicate seem to follow a 10xx numbering system:
Rofran 1001 – The Intruders “Deception” / “Intrudin'” Rofran 1002 – The Rogues “Gone To Stay” / “Wait Till the Summer” Rofran 1003 – Lee Rust “Scramble” / “Do You Ever Kinda Wonder?” Rofran 1004 – Lee Rust “Mystery House” / “Come on Back” Rofran 1005 – Lee Rust “Try, Try to Leave” (W.L. Rust) / “I’m Spoken For” Rofran 1006 – Lee Rust “She’s Gone Tonight” / “World Made of Romance” 1007 – ? 1008 – ? 1009 – ? Rofran 1010 – Sound Studio One “Kysmyph (KIS-MIF)” (Instrumental by Wilson-Smith-Steffen) / “Don’t Look Back” (H.A. Smith) (1966) Rofran 1010 – The Prodigies “Kysmyph (KIS-MIF)” (Instrumental by Wilson-Smith-Steffen) / “Don’t Look Back” (H.A. Smith) 1011 – ? Rofran 1012 – The Impalas “Kristina” / “Lost Beat” (both by R. Dilling) Rofran 1013 – The Prodigies “I Want To Do It” / “What’d I Say” (1966) Rofran 1014 – The Quaternotes “My Baby Left Me” / “You And I (Are In Love)” 1015 – ? 1016 – ? 1017 – ? Rofran 1018 – The Lindsey Triplets “Tomorrow’s Another Day” (C.F. & R.E. Francisco) / “Terry” Rofran 1019 – Al Ieradi – “Drifter” / “Dureen” Custom 1020 – The Cliques “So Hard” (J.D. Vance, J.S. Walbillig) / “Ballad of a Destitute Man” (Jan. ’67, produced by Tim Abel) Custom 1021 – The Keepers “Why Have You Changed” (S. J. Beresford) / “Tiny Teardrops” (Jan. ’67) Star Record and Recording P-1022 – Count Demon and His Four Members – “(I Got To) Work With It” / “C-C Rider” (836R-1022, U4KM-9165/6) 1023 – ? Custom 1024 – The Dearly Beloved “Cindy” (M. Gallivan) one-sided record 1025 – ? Psychedelic 1026 – Puppet, Dingbat & Odie – “Transcontinental Balloon Ride” / “Julie” (836R-1026, U4KM-3650/1) 1027 – ? Syndicate 1028 – The Ravins “Andy” / “I Had a Feeling” 1029 – ? Shades 836R-1030 – The Shades of Blue “Not the Way Love Should Be” / “You Must Believe Me” 1031 – ? 1032 – ? 1033 – ? 1034 – ? Custom 1035 – The Camaros “I Need You No More” / “Just For The Love Of A Man” (836R-1034) Psychedelic Sounds 1035 – Howie Thayer and his Psycho-Electric Happening “Movin’, Groovin’ Fairy Tale” / “If Death Don’t Get You (Then the Government Will)” – 1968 -“A Custom Product of Rofran Enteprises” 1036 – ? 1037 – ? 1038 – ? 1039 – ? 1040 – ? 1041 – ?
Folksound 836R-1042 – K. Sandra Wyman (Spud Baldwin, guitar) “Until It’s Time For You To Go” / “Where Does It Lead” (W4KM-5157) with picture sleeve 1043 – ? Psychedelic Sounds 1044 – Howie Thayer and his Psycho-Electric Happening – “Bazap!” / “Side 2” Soul 1045 – Soul Brothers – “Twinkle Twinkle” / Miss Delores” (W4KM-5880, 836R-1045) 1046 – ? Custom 836R-1047 – Linda Fanakos “Candyland Town” / “Let’s Make It Clear” (both by Linda Fanakos). Yellow label with RCA custom press X4KM-2636/2637, which indicates this was mastered in the second half of 1969. (label reads -“A Custom Product of Rofran Enteprises”) Soul Sounds 1048 – Leroy Knox and the Gaypoppers – “The Mistakes I Made” / “Here I Am” (X4KM-3311)
Rofran 836R-2005 – Sound Studio One – “Never Tell” (Roger Francisco, H.A. Smith) / Never Marry (A Woman Who Is Taller Than You) prod. by Howie Smith, W4KM-4773, 1968
Other Rofran productions:
Rofran XALS-2605 – The Spoils of War “What Happend Now”, “Now Is Made in America”, “Henry T. Joseph”, “Void of Mystery”, and “The Greyness Moves in Quietly”
Depot Records (RoFran 0608) – James Cuomo (Cuomo’s Record) – “Suzan Never Smiles”, “Remembering”, “Ring”, “Magic Telephone”, Ring”, “Victoria Falls”, and “Crimson Uniform” 1970
Century 44090 – Mad John Fever “Breath & Thunder” / “One World Lost To Another” (1971?)
Century 35921 – Marvin Lee & the Midwesterners “I’ve Made My Mind Up (To Leave Today)” / “Until My Dream Come True”
Marvin Lee & the Midwesterners – album featuring Sandy Kay, Wil Wilson, Don Markham and Cousin Hi
Notes:
The names on the Prodigies 45 are Howard A. Smith, Frederick W. Steffen III, and James Gordon Wilson. BMI listings show Wilson and Smith wrote a song I haven’t heard, “Oh Boy Tom Boy” with Roger Francisco.
The Keepers is not related to the New York group who cut “She Understands” on the Bravura label, nor do I believe it’s the same group that recorded “Now She’s Gone” for the Mystic label of Hazen, North Dakota.
From a reader:
The “Lindsey Triplets” are identical triplets and were a very popular singing group at the time. They traveled the tri-state area performing at various venues. They also traveled on various U.S.O. tours to entertain the troops and made a few guest appearances on then popular variety shows on national television. For a short time they also were ‘fashion’ models (not Playboy Bunnies) for Playboy.
The group went by two different stage names “The Lindsey Triplets” and “The ABC Triplets (Their first names were Anita, Becky and Cathy). The song ‘Terry’ was sung by Becky with accompaniment from her sisters. While they looked alike their voices were distinctive and each triplet sang their own solos when performing.
They actually did a number of demo tapes of their songs. The group was very talented but did reach the notoriety they deserved due to poor management and not being adequately promoted.
The Lindsey Triplets had one commercial release, “Jiminy Jum Jum” / “Fallin’ in Love” on Top Rank 2010.
Thank you to Adam Lore for the loan of the Sound Studio One 45, to Mike Markesich for much information, to Myskatonic, Bob of Dead Wax, Jeff LaSee, Tim Adams, Ryan Luellwitz, Laurent Bigot, and Downstate Sounds for help with the discography.
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
Baron Thomas & the Blue Crystal’s “Tension” is a song that I never get tired of. The bass gives the song a great propulsion, the drumming sounds fantastic with all the reverb on it, and Baron Thomas’ vocals cut through the hiss of the ride cymbal and the compression of the recording. The two guitars have distinct sounds and roles in the song, and everything comes together so nicely on the chorus, as the finger-picked rhythm switches to slashing chords.
The What’s New have always fascinated record collectors: mistakenly listed as a Florida band, they released two EPs in France but nothing in the U.S.
When updating the page on the 
In the mid 1960’s the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana became a center for innovative jazz and avant-garde electronic and computer music. Starting in 1967, the Red Herring Coffeehouse just off the main quad on W Oregon became a center for folk artists. And of course there was a thriving band scene at the Illini Brown Jug and other student beer joints. For those not familiar with that area’s geography, the school is located in eastern-central Illinois, roughly equidistant from Chicago, St. Louis and Indianapolis.
I’ve only heard a few of these records. The Cliques has had the most exposure, showing up on Back From the Grave vol. 7. I’ve heard one side of the Keepers, which is good harmony pop, and the first Prodigies 45, “Kysmyph (KIS-MIF)” a bluesy instrumental with sax and some odd organ sounds, backed with “Don’t Look Back”, which starts out with a hip bossa groove but the vocals are square, mimicking the complex harmonies on brazilian groups from the time.
Other Rofran productions:
Notes:
From a reader: