Category Archives: US

Categories: Kennett Sound (Kinderhook NY), Kingston, New Paltz, New York, Orange County, Ulster County, Walden, Wallkill

Morning After “I Don’t Need You Today” / “Dream” on Third Wave

August 5, 2022 Chris Bishop Leave a comment

Morning After released one record in 1970, “I Don’t Need You Today” / “Dream” on Third Wave 0027.

Members were:

Joe Kearney – lead guitar and vocals
Bruce Talbott – bass guitar and vocals
Jim Tate – drums and vocals

Although all three have song writing credit on the labels, copyright registration from March, 1970 shows Bruce E. Talbott wrote words and music to “I Don’t Need You Today”, and Talbott and Joseph Kearney co-wrote “Dream”. Dyad Music published the songs, but I don’t see them in BMI’s database.

According to an article in the Kingston Daily Freeman from March 7, 1970, the group met in New Paltz but were based in Kingston, NY. The group were in their early 20s, so they may have had previous band experience.

For Them, Rock’s the Mother Tongue
Morning After is not much interested in talking up a revolution. Its three clean-cut, suede-jacketed-and-vested members prefer to sing songs that are rhythmic with vocal harmony rather than rife with social movement … forsaking screaming lyrics and fire-eating antics for music with a straight-ahead sound.
Relying on the powerful, bluesy, lean sounds of Wallkill drummer Jim Tate, Kingston lead guitarist Joe Kearney, and bass guitarist Bruce Talbott of Walden … Their impeccable instrumental style and express-track delivery has brought them bookings at The Creamery in West Park, the Thunderbird in Saugerties, the Blue Eagle in New Paltz, and the Trade Wind and Coral Reef in Newburgh …
Talbott … tied in with the other two members of the group during a jam session while he was a student at New Paltz State University College.
The new disc, produced by Lance Naylor for Third Wave Records, was recorded at Kennett Sound Studios in Kinderhook: is currently available at Caldor’s Abrams and Britts.
(T.G.)

I don’t know if Talbott, Kearney or Tate continued in music after Morning After. Their record is one of the few singles from Kennett Sound studio that I don’t have in my collection.

Lance Naylor had a previous mention in the Daily Freeman, from March 25, 1969:

Theft of musical instruments valued at $1,000 from the Pleasure Yacht Tavern here, was under investigation …
Lance Naylor … manager of The Spurs, a musical group, reported the theft on Monday to authorities. He said the missing articles included three amplifiers and other musical equipment.

Categories: Black Cat, Florida, Orchid, Tallahassee

The Mystics “Snoopy” and the Many Others “(Tell Me Why) I’m Alone”

July 31, 2022 Chris Bishop 2 Comments

The Mystics, from left: Dan Searcy, Ben Willis, Donnie Fields, John Schuessler and Johnny Teague at an “infamous gig” at the Woman’s Club, 1965

The Mystics came from Tallahassee, Florida, and in late 1964 recorded “Snoopy”, a crude version of the Vibrations “My Girl Sloopy”.

Members of the band were:

Johnny Teague – guitar and vocals
John Schuessler – guitar and vocals
Ben Willis – guitar and vocals
Dan Searcy – bass and vocals
Donnie Fields – drums

Mark Hinson wrote a profile of the group’s upcoming reunion in the Tallahassee Democrat on April 3, 1998, featuring the photo at top, and mentioning that the Mystics cut “Snoopy” at a small studio on Adams Street.

Teen Beat Mayhem states “consensus opinion deems the McCoys patterned the arrangement of “Snoopy” for their own remake of ‘Hang On Sloopy.'”

The article quotes John Schuessler about the McCoys version:

It was the same producer and he used our exact same arrangement. But he left town with our contract, which was written on the back of an FSU speeding ticket, and there wasn’t much we could do.

Released on Black Cat 501, “Sloopy” is credited to C. Jim, aka Curley Jim (real name James Morrison), who did not write the song, but was associated with Marve-N-Harve Music Pub. out of Miami. The flip was a version of “Oo Poo Pah Doo”.

Somehow the single also saw release in February 1965 on Future Talent 13893/4, “A Rose-Givens-Mason Production” from tiny Waverly, Virginia, and also with Marve-N-Harve Publishing.

I don’t know who the Mystics producer was, but “My Girl Sloopy” / “Hang On Sloopy” was written by Bert Berns (aka Bert Russell) and Wesley Farrell, and produced by Feldman, Goldstein, Gottehrer (the trio behind the Strangeloves singles), so the connection is unclear.

In December 1965, the group released another single as the Many Others on Orchid BC-504. “(Tell Me Why) I’m Alone” is a great original by Johnny Teague. The flip is a version of “Can I Get a Witness”, which according to the article was “a fluke No. 1 hit in Japan”. However, I can find no release of this single in Japan.

Orchid and Black Orchid Publishing were based in Miami, like Black Cat and Marve’n’Harve Pub. Orchid singles from two other west Florida bands. From Marianna there was the Bangs “Then I’ll Cry” / “Tab Top” in 1965. In 1966 Orchid released the Pagans “Your Going To Lose That Girl” / “Strawman” (written by Frank Chandler), recorded live at Rutherford High School in Panama City.

Donnie Fields died in a car crash circa 1988, so when the Mystics reunited in 1998, Richard Bevis played drums. Another reunion in 2000 included David Cox on keyboards and vocals, and has been released on CD as “Live and Kickin'”, but I haven’t heard it.

Categories: California, San Jose, Santa Clara

Pat ‘n’ Al – “I’m Still in Love” / “Meant to Love” on Pleasure Records

July 28, 2022 Chris Bishop Leave a comment

Pat ‘n’ Al were Pat Bowers and Al Hittle, with Steve Marley on drums and Jim Gonzales on guitar. Al Hittie and Pat Bowers wrote both songs on their single, “I’m Still in Love” / “Meant to Love” released on Pleasure Records 45-1050, with Sunnyvale, Calif on the label.

Bowers Music published the songs, with copyright registered by Patrick D. Bowers and Alvin R. Hittle on October 4, 1965.

There is some incorrect information on the internet that this is a stereo record from 1968. It is a mono record, and the date was probably late 1965 to match the publishing.

The Las Gatos Times-Saratoga Observer on March 5, 1965:

Young performers from area high schools will have their turn to appear in the Villa Montalvo Carriage House Theatre March 12 and 13. The cultural center’s drama committee will present “A Folk Festival”, featuring local folk singers and instrumentalists … Pat Bowers and Al Hittle, Buchser High School, will sing many of their own songs.

Steve Marley commented on youtube:

This was recorded in 1965 at Pacific Recorders in San Francisco. The instrumentals were put down live and just the vocals were overdubbed. Pat Bowers, Jim Gonzales and Steve Marley (me) attended Santa Clara High School together. Pat, Al and Jim were seniors, while I was a kid freshman. Pat n’ Al played regularly at Ricardo’s Pizza in Willow Glen in the summer of 1966.
After Pat n’ Al, I joined a couple of other bands, before landing the Teddy and his Patches gig in 1967 – the year we recorded “Suzy Creamcheese” at Tiki Studios in San Jose.

One note though – Pacific Recording Studios in San Mateo did not open until 1968. The runout code CR-2711/2-RE suggests the group went to Coast Recorders at 960 Bush St. That code could also mean the single was recorded elsewhere but mastered at Coast.

Commercial Recorders at 149 Natoma St. is another possibility. Engineer Dan Healy recorded his friends’ bands after hours by invitation. During the day the studio was busy producing radio ads, but did record and master some garage singles like the Ethix “Bad Trip” / “Skins” on Mary Jane.

In November 1965, Patrick David Bowers and Alvin Robert Hittle registered three additional songs, “Why, Oh Why?”, “Yes I Do” and “You Say”. Alec Palao tells me there is another, folkier, Pat ‘n’ Al single, which I have not seen yet.

After leaving Teddy and His Patches, Steve Marley and David Conway would record another single as The Change: “The Time Traveler” / “Things Aren’t What They Seem to Be” on Chance 670.

I am not sure if Pat Bowers, Al Hittle or Jim Gonzales continued in music.

Thank you to Alec Palao for help with this post.

Categories: California, Canterbury, Los Angeles, World Pacific

The Electric Tomorrow “Sugar Cube” on World Pacific, Clem Floyd, and the Sound Machine on Canterbury

July 26, 2022 Chris Bishop 1 Comment

The Electric Tomorrow single is one of only two record credits I can find on musician Clem Floyd. The Electric Tomorrow was likely a studio concoction from early 1966. At the time Clem was a member of the Sound Machine, a group in the middle of the mid-’60s Los Angeles music scene.

Clem Floyd and Jack Millman co-wrote “Sugar Cube” and “The Electric Tomorrow”. Both are captivating instrumentals, despite an odd warble that could be considered a defective tape transfer. Dan Daniels did “sound coordination”, perhaps manipulating the tape to give these songs their strange sound.

Jack Millman and B. Elder “of Music Industries” produced the single for Banyan Productions, released on World Pacific Records 77860.

I can find no listing of musicians on the single, nor do I know if Clem Floyd played on it.

B. Elder and Dan Daniels also have credit for sound coordination on the Mira LP New Directions of the Afro Blues Quintet Plus One, also recorded in 1966. Jack Millman produced three cuts on that album, which has special effects credited to David Diller. Some of the cuts on the album have a passing resemblance to the Electric Tomorrow single, such as “Incantations” and portions of “3/4-5/4-7/2 (Liquid Landscape)” and “Freaks”.

The Afro Blues Quintet Plus One included Joe DeAguero, Jack Fulks, William Henderson, Jim Keltner, Michael Davis, Norman Johnson and Moises Obligacion. It’s possible some of these musicians play on the Electric Tomorrow single.

BMI’s database also lists “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright” published by Irving Music, and another collaboration with Jack Millman, “Minute Freakout”.

The Sound Machine had one single: “Gotta Ease My Mind” / “Spanish Flash” on Canterbury C-511 from March, 1967. Clem wrote both songs and Gerald Curland (who has no other credits I know of) produced.

In Hollywood Eve, published 2019, Lili Anolik describes Clem Floyd as band mate to David Crosby in an unnamed group, and also as part of the Sound Machine with John Densmore. The book has more detail about Clem’s relationship with Mirandi Babitz (sister of Eve Babitz) and their leather clothes business, but nothing further about Clem’s music.

In the July 29, 1966 Los Angeles Free Press, Jerry Hopkins mentioned “Clem Floyd’s newly reorganized Sound Machine” opening for the Factory and the Mothers of Invention, in a review of the Great Underground Arts Masked Ball and Orgy (GUAMBO).

In late 1966, Mojo Navigator #11 mentioned the reorganized Sound Machine with “Gary Marker, formerly of the Rising Sons on bass”.

Grant Johnson played keyboards with the Sound Machine around the same time he was part of the Psychedelic Rangers with John Densmore, Robby Krieger, and Billy Wolff.

On his website, Bruno Ceriotti mentions the Sound Machine playing an after-hours show at Dave Hull’s Hullabaloo on January 14, 1967.

That is all the info I can find on Clem Floyd and the Sound Machine to this point.

“The Train” / “You Put Me Down” on San Mateo’s Action Records is a different Sound Machine altogether, with Wayne Ceballos (later of Aum) on guitar, Ty Tolomei playing organ, and Lee Better on drums.

Special thank you to Mike Dugo for pointing out the Sound Machine single I had missed. Info on Wayne Ceballos from Hooterollin’ Around.

Categories: AAA Recording Studios (Boston), Massachusetts, Musicor, Rhode Island, Unknown

The Grand Jury on Musicor’s New Talent Series

July 20, 2022 Chris Bishop Leave a comment

The Grand Jury made one single, “Lovely Lady” / “Rollin” on Musicor Records’s New Talent Series NTS 417. The New Talent Series is an interesting set of records, including some experimental singles that I haven’t covered before, like the Lemon and Lime.

The Grand Jury single is not as adventurous, but both are original songs by Moore and Spitrini. Of the two, I prefer the B-side, “Rollin'”. Like others in the series, it is a styrene 45 that is easily worn.

I can’t find any information on where the group is from or who the members were. I am guessing Rhode Island only because Spitrini is an unusual surname, but is found in Rhode Island.

Joe Saia owned AAA Recording Studio and Parsay Pub. Co. Parsay appears on many New Talent Series 45s like the Lemon and Lime, the Lost Souls, and LSD, as well as other AAA productions like the Collage’s “Best Friend” / “Girl Don’t Tell Me”.

However, most of these songs do not appear in BMI’s database, or in the Library of Congress list of registrations.

I’d appreciate any further info on the Grand Jury or other acts that recorded at AAA.

Categories: California, Hollywood, Los Angeles

The Polaras “Cricket” / “Breaker” on Pharos

July 18, 2022 Chris Bishop 1 Comment

The Polaras released a good instrumental 45 “Cricket” / “Breaker” on Pharos PR 100. Harry Baldwin wrote both songs, published by Bevlynn. Cashbox reviewed the single on July 11, 1964.

My copy is inscribed by Harry Baldwin and Don “Pickle” Nadow. Copyright registration from September 21, 1964 shows the band’s names for an unreleased pair of songs, “Polara 500” and “Pickled Drums”, with music by Les Peterson, Harry Baldwin, Arden Fennell, and Don Nadow. Bevlynn Music Corp. also published these songs. I hope they exist on a demo.

Polaras copyright Registration for Pickled Drums and Polara 500,September, 1964

Assuming these are the members of the group, the lineup might be:

Harry Baldwin – guitar
Arden Fennell – guitar
Les Peterson – bass
Don Nadow – drums

Polaras reviewed in Cash Box, July 11, 1964 — Cash Box review, July 11, 1964

Arden Fennell is the only member I can find further info on. Arden had a 1969 single on Evolution, “Baby” b/w his original song “Smile A Little Smile”.

Arden was also guitarist and vocalist in other groups: The Daniel Paul Revelation with Sam Haughland, John Kerns, Rich Tiley, and Randy Tiley; and The Tryb with Ralph Gonzalez, Jerry Lawson, Tim Rock, Leroy Shuster, Bill Shuster, both of which recorded unreleased songs at Norman Petty’s studio.

Pharos was based in Hollywood, mainly releasing records by TV actress Rosemary Prinz, and a jug-band type single by the Nomads, produced by Jackie DeShannon.

Categories: Albany, Kennett Sound (Kinderhook NY), New York, Upstate New York

Riccardo and the 4 Most “There’s a Reason” on Foremost Records

July 17, 2022 Chris Bishop 2 Comments

Riccardo and the 4 Most made one single, the great ballad “There’s a Reason” backed with a good version of “Barefootin'”, released in 1967 on Foremost Records.

The band is listed on the label: Riccardo Wright (guitar), Ralph Marotta (bass), George Leary (drums), and Douglas Jacobs (organ). Bill White wrote and sung lead on “There’s a Reason”.

“Bare Footin'” features Ricardo Wright on lead vocals. Someone is playing trumpet on both songs, uncredited.

Later members included Joe Lattanzio (trumpet) and Tommy Watson (bass). In 1969, with an expanded horn section including Ron Rucker on trombone and Gene Hilstro on sax, the group became a nonet called the Blues Busters.

If any of the members of the band are out there, I’d like to hear from them.

The single was recorded at Kennett Sound Studio in Kinderhook. I found an acetate lacquer of both sides among a stack of Kennett demos. The Foremost Records release code U4KM-0937 indicates a 1967 RCA pressing.

Ricardo and the 4 Most Excelsior House, Troy Record, February 11, 1967 — ad from February 11, 1967

It’s a little difficult to search for the band, as listings for the group in newspapers include variations such as Riccardo & the Fourmost, Ricardo and the 4 Most, Ricardo and the Foremosts, etc. The sign behind the band on stage in two photos reads “The Fabulous 4 Most”.

The earliest ad I can find for the group is from the Troy Record on February 11, 1967, noting that Ricardo and the 4 Most would be playing the Excelsior House on Snyders Lake in North Greenbush “every Friday, Saturday and Sunday”. Another ad on August 19, 1967 noted the group would play the Excelsior “every Thurs. thru Sun.

The Times Record of Troy mentioned the group playing Shaker High School in Latham twice, once on January 15, 1968, then again on May 29, 1968 in a benefit for a Shaker school in Vadawal, India. The group also played the University Twist Palace in Albany.

Another ad lists Ricardo and the Foremosts at Corkey’s on 18 Clifton St. in Waterford, April 5-7, 1968.

The Troy Record noted a Youth On Unity dance on May 29 at St. Joseph’s Church Hall in Rensselaer with the Blues Busters (“formerly known as ‘Riccardo and the foremost’ from Albany” with the Souls from Pittsfield and the Multi-colored Projections.

A clipping from January 25, 1969 (I don’t know the paper) describes their transformation into Ricardo and his Blues Busters:

Riccardo and The Fourmosts, as you younger people know, has enlarged from four to nine. The new nonet is called the Blues Busters and features rhythm & blues and soul music, much of it original words and music by Riccardo, the leader, and some arrangements by Al Friedman.
The Blues Busters are a living example of interracial harmony, personally and musically. They play to an enthusiastic gathering at The Royal Mousetrap from 9:30 to 3 Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The Mousetrap is on New Karner Road (Route 155) just off Central Avenue [in Colonie].

The two photos and some of the info came from the Albany Group Archive. Thank you to Al Quaglieri and Joe Lattanzio for their help with this article.

Kennett Studio lacquer 7″ for “Barefootin'”

Categories: Drum and organ duos, Los Angeles, Tulare, Visalia

The Apogees, Bud Lee & Izzy Navarrete on Stripe 99

June 25, 2022 Chris Bishop Leave a comment

The Apogees were a drum and organ duo. The drummer was Bud Lee and the organist Izzy Navarrete. Izzy’s name is spelled differently each time I find it in print – Izzy Navarette and Izzy Navarrette for example.

Together they made one of the strangest EPs I’ve ever heard, echo-laden versions of Guantanamera, Sweet Caroline (“Sweet Adeline” on the label), Quiet Village (“Quite Village” on the label) and an almost-unrecognizable version of La Bamba. The Apogees release is on Stripe 99 Hollywood 10001A/B. It’s hard to date this, but I guess about 1970.

At one point Izzy was a member of the Spirals, a long-running group from Tulare, California, led by Ralph Alvarez and Manny Alvarez, whose members included Mary Murillo and Ed Torres and probably many others. At this time I don’t know if the Spirals ever recorded.

Photos of Tulare groups the Spirals and the Charades, along with some history the area’s music, can be found in the Tulare Advance-Register, July 5-6, 2003.

Izzy Navarette had a duo with Terry Wall that played often at the El Dorado restaurant on East Tulare Ave in the mid-1970s. The advertisements call it “Izzy Listening” music. There are notices for him appearing in lounges in Palm Springs into the 2000s.

Bud Lee’s name is too common to trace, so I can’t tell you anthing about “El Tomborro” (tamborro?).

Stripe 99 had one further release by the Sand Trackers, “Track of the Scarab” / “Big Bird Blues”, both by F. Stuart Wilson (Ford Stuart Wilson aka Fred Lile), and released as Stripe 99 SNN45-10002.

Drum and organ duos were an efficient combination, and more common than you might think, as I’ve profiled three others on this site.

Categories: Fort Wayne, Indiana

The Male Men of Fort Wayne, Indiana

June 12, 2022 Chris Bishop 4 Comments

The Male Men performing on WPTA Channel 21’s 1965 Christmas show

Wallace Geller sent in the photos and story of a Fort Wayne, Indiana band called the Male Men. The group didn’t release any records, but did make a demo at WGL Radio in 1967.

Malemen guitarist Rick Johnston with drummer Jim Brickley.

I was the lead singer of the Fort Wayne Malemen. Members of the band were: Rick Thomas, lead guitar; Rick Johnston, rhythm guitar; Dave Armstrong, bass guitar; and on drums was Jim Brickley. Rick Thomas and Dave Armstrong also did back up vocals.
I became the lead singer April 1965. June of 1965 we participated in a battle of the bands at Northcrest Shopping Center. There were about 10 bands involved. We came in second place but I received the Best Male Singer Award. I still have the plaque.
The summer of 1965 was very busy for us. We performed at the water ski club every Saturday through the summer at Lake George, Michigan. Fall 1965 we were seniors at Northside High School Fort Wayne.
October 1965 we were picked to be the house band of a TV show called 21 A Go Go on the ABC affiliate WPTA Channel 21. We were on every week and we had other local bands and singers on the show. We video taped the half hour show on Tuesday nights and finished on Wednesday nights. The show was on Saturday afternoons at 4 PM. The show ended February 1966 because of union complaints. We were all non union on the show. The station couldn’t get a sponsor. The show was then terminated. The station told us there was about 40,000 people watching the show. That was very considering Fort Wayne was about 180,000 at that time.
The station would let us come in and their sound people recorded us. We had a good recording of “Stand By Me”, made after the band broke up.
The Malemen broke up when the lead guitar player, Rick Thomas was drafted. It was a fantastic time while in the band. Unfortunately, all good things come to an end.
Wallace Geller of the Male Men
Rick Johnston joined the Marines with me in March 1967. Rick Johnston later became a medical doctor. Rick Johnston and Dave Armstrong are both retired and still live in the Fort Wayne area.I lost touch with the drummer Jim Brickley and the lead guitar player, Rick Thomas.
After I got out of the Marines I became a Phoenix Arizona Police Officer for 28 years. I retired May 1999. After I retired my wife Ann got me a karaoke machine for Christmas. I then started performing with my Karaoke machine.
Wallace Geller

Thank you also to Rick Johnston for sending in two of the wphotos seen in this article.

Malemen guitarists Rick Thomas and Rick Johnston. Photo courtesy of Rick Johnston

Categories: Chicago, Illinois, International Recording Co. (Chicago), IRC, Unknown

Tamara’s New Generation “Just Flowers” / “Traffic” on IRC

June 1, 2022 Chris Bishop 2 Comments

This post is dedicated to the memory of Max Waller, my fellow music researcher who helped me with many articles over the years, for which I am grateful.

Tamara’s New Generation is an obscure Chicago-area group with just one single to their name, released on IRC 6943. The A-side “Just Flowers” is a Gabor Szabo style number with flute, a two-note keyboard line, and some fine raga guitar work.

I prefer the flip, “Traffic” with it’s pulsating bass line, beatnik vibe, and crashing end. Interestingly, the dead wax codes reverse the A & B sides, which makes more sense to me.

Members included:

Tamara – lead vocals
Pete Ianni – ?
Tom Miller – bass
Ollie – ?
Denny – ?
Brian – ?
Paul – ?

Although this may be the only International Recording Company credit for Perry Johnson, he did writing and arrangement for related labels like Royal Blue (the Paniks “Look Twice”, the Wild “Monkees”, Lou Capri “Love and Kisses”) and Redd Robb (Edges of Wisdom “Past”, Holocaust “Savage Affection”).

This is the first time I’ve covered a band from the IRC (International Recording Co.) label, which released a number of great 45s by the Little Boy Blues, Danny’s Reasons and others; and was the studio for the Crees 4 acetate “Misunderstanding” / “Looking at Your Picture”, released in 2021 by Mojo-Bone.

Garage Hangover