Frani & the Frantics, from left: Fran Russak, Karla Major, Alayne Major and Jim Morabito
Frani & the Frantics were a vocal quartet of Fran Russak, sisters Karla Major and Alaine Major, and Jim Morabito. Fran Russak came from Carmel, New York, the others from Peekskill.
Their one and only single from the spring of 1964, “You Threw a Line” b/w “Skin and Bones” was also the first on the Giantstar label of Mahopac, owned by Raymond Meltzer. Giantstar would release three singles by the Mark IV of Poughkeepsie.
The labels of Giant Star GS 401 credit Dorothea Meltzer & Jeannie Villetto for both songs. Ray Meltzer owned Jemel Publishing, JNR Production and Music-All Inc. Copyright registration shows another song, “Why Ya Make Me Wanna Cry” which Frani & the Frantics attempted but didn’t finish.
Jeanne Villetto had previous experience in song-writing, composing songs for two singles by Claire Lane (aka Claire Litke, a member of the Ramrods): “I Dig That Guy” for the top side of Josie 904 (b/w “Run Run Run Away”), and “Curiosity” / “Isn’t It a Shame” on Petal 1020 in August, 1963.
Villetto and Litke also wrote “Do You Hear Me Call?” in 1962, but I’m not sure if this was recorded.
Alaine Major wrote to me about her time as a Frantic:
I was one of the Frantics of the group Frani and the Frantics. The “Frantics” were myself, my sister Karla and Jimmy Morabito. We recorded “You Threw a Line” backed by “Skin and Bones” in 1964 with Ray Meltzer and Jean Villetto.
Karla, Jimmy and I sang in high school. One day we saw an ad in our local Pennysaver that record producers were auditioning singers for studio backup work (for Frani). We thought that sounded like fun, so we called and auditioned. Once Ray Meltzer and Jean Viletto heard us sing (acapella), Jean decided right then and there that instead of us being studio backup singers, she wanted to form a group.
Within two weeks we were under contract. We rehearsed locally in the Peekskill area for two months most evenings and weekends with a small combo. Finally Ray and Jean decided we were ready to record. Our Mom drove us to Mars Broadcasting [in Stamford, Connecticut] for the recording sessions. Ray knew several musicians from the New York Philharmonic who made up the orchestra you hear on the record. I remember the engineer Chuck James who was truly supportive of our efforts. The studio was very crowded with the musicians on one side and we on the other. We each sang into a hanging mic. There was a lot of down time as the engineer worked on the board with Ray and Jean listening and tweaking. (I also remember hearing that Mars Broadcasting was owned by Dick Clark).
Music-All was Raymond’s company and was the name on our contract. “Why Ya Make Me Wanna Cry” was supposed to be the ‘B’ side of “You Threw A Line”, but the next week we switched to “Skin and Bones”.
At our request, “Skin and Bones” was done acapella. If you listen to it again, you’ll hear me cue Frani her note after we modulate up on the word “bones.”
The Jarlayns on Giantstar GS-402, “I Don’t Love You Anymore”, released February 1966
We played rock n roll shows with The Duprees, The Ventures, The Rivieras, and others I don’t recall anymore. It was an exciting time for three high school kids from Peekskill, NY! We became local celebrities and got invited to sing at many, many shows and events.A year later I used to do a lot of writing and I would go to the studio just to get my stuff on tape. Under the name The Jarlaynes, we recorded “Why Don’t You Call” with Karla and I playing the acoustic guitar. “I Don’t Love You Anymore” was originally just me and my guitar and Chris Dikaris [who also had a single on Giantstar] added instruments & backup vocals. I wrote both of those songs and so my name, Alayne Major, is written underneath the song title.
After high school Karla, Jimmy and I began singing as a trio again and sang at many local events and “hootenanny’s” which became popular with the advent of folk music.
Mirabai in the Poughkeepsie Journal, September 5, 1976
Karla was also a student at New Paltz. Jimmy moved on, but Karla and I sang as The Major Sisters and were invited to other colleges to perform in their hootenanny’s. We also were asked to be the opening act for several musicians at college concerts which included Chuck Berry (!), Judy Collins, Miriam Makeba and Hugh Masakela among others. This went on through 1969.After Woodstock, Karla moved to San Francisco and started a band, and I was a wife and mother. In 1970 Jimmy was drafted and went to Vietnam.
I was the impetus for Karla’s solo career through contacts I’d made. She used the stage name Mirabai. She returned from San Francisco around 1972 and moved to NYC where she was a headliner at Reno Sweeney’s, Catch a Rising Star, and The Bottom Line (she opened for Billy Joel, Kenny Rankin, Loudon Wainwright III). Her big break came in 1974 when Jimmy Cliff was going to do his first U.S. concert at Carnegie Hall and he requested Karla (then Mirabai) be his opening act. Danny Goldberg caught her performance and began managing her career at that point.
In 2006 Karla was living in Asheville, NC with her family. She got in touch with Bob Johnston who produced her album and he produced a new CD she’d written. Unfortunate personal events precluded its release, but I have the master and a couple of first CDs printed.
I learned from a friend that Raymond and Jean got married and lived out the rest of their lives in Florida. Karla died in 2016, and Jimmy died on March 14, 2022.
Thank you to Alaine Major for answering my questions about the Frantics!
Thanks also to Mike Markesich for the scans of the Jarlayns single on Giantstar.
Frani and the Frantics mentioned in the Mamaroneck Daily Times on April 30, 1964
The Outer Mongolian Herd, signed by Buddy Searcy, Terry Nemish and Devon Patrick The Outer Mongolian Herd were a short-lived sextet from Enterprise, Alabama, a small city about 30 miles west of Dothan, and 90 miles southeast of Montgomery. They are now best known for their version of “Hey Joe”, but I prefer the A-side of the single, “I Want to Love You (Scared)”, released on Daisy 4846 / 4847.
Members were:
Patrick Devon – keyboards Glenn Griffin Jerry Jones Mike McKinnon Terry Nemish – drums Buddy Searcy
At least three of the band attended Enterprise High School in 1968. The Montgomery Advertiser reported on February 4, 1968, that the group played at Enterprise High School’s ROTC Military Ball.
Ad for the Outer Mongolian Herd at a WBAM event at Brewbaker Buick-Opel, March 30, 1968Devon Patrick and David Keller wrote “I Want to Love You (Scared)”, with its excellent harmonies and a catchy structure with piano introduction. The flip is a version of “Hey Joe” with organ and acoustic guitar, and more-than-usual vocal interjections.
The labels have “Produced & Arranged by David Keller”. They probably recorded at Ed Boutwell’s studio in Birmingham, but I can’t confirm that yet.
The only other notice I can find for the group is from Alabama Journal in Montgomery, which ran an ad for a WBAM event at the Brewbaker Buick-Opel dealership with the Outer Mongolian Herd in person.
The Crescendos came from the Leetonia and Salem area south of Youngstown, Ohio, and made this one single in 1965. “I Need Love” is fine garage, and the flip is a good ballad, “Blue Sunday”. Both were written by vocalist Jim Altomare.
They cut the record at Gateway and released it on the Action Records label of Youngstown, between the two singles by the Executioners on the label. Trend Setter Music did the publishing, and Jerry Starr produced.
Instrumentally, the Crescendos was a quartet but I only have two names so far Jim Altomare on vocals and guitar and Jim Ginther on drums. I’m not sure who was playing bass or piano on these cuts.
The Crescendos received a few mentions in the Salem area press. In October, 1964, they played a street fair in Columbiana, and in February 1965 they headlined a dance at the Knights of Columbus hall in Leetonia.
Jim Ginther was also part of the Invictas from Lisbon, with Jerry Justice on piano.
Any further info on the group would be appreciated.
The Novells recorded a great lament “Go Now” for Dale Menten’s Westchester label of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Other than a writing credit to Steve Johnson, the Novells are a mystery to me.
“Go Now” was released on Westchester DR-271, as the B-side to a version of “Billy Boy”. The DR-271 number on the label indicates this was recorded at Dove Recording Studios in Bloomington.
Producer Dale Menten is most famous as guitarist of the Gestures, and writer of “Run, Run, Run”.
The Minneapolis Tribune on Sunday, June 2, 1968 ran an overview of the local rock business that included this paragraph:
Candyfrost Productions is a two-year-old firm that manages about 16 bands and does promotion for them as well. The firm did about $400,000 worth of business last year. Dale Menten and Peter Steinberg, the owners, are both 23. Steinberg is also a major stockholder in Dove Recording, a 3 1/2-year-old rock recording compoany that grossed more than $50,000 last year.
The Titans came from the Denver area, releasing only one single, the very cool “Don’t Cry Girl” b/w “”Don’t Miss the Boat” on Amber 218-DCG in 1968 as the Teeny Titans.
The Titans were about 14 years old at the time of the single and had been together about two years with this lineup:
Dave Feager – guitar Mark Siegert – guitar Cheryl Justice – keyboards Greg Schriener – bass John Justice – drums
Mark Siegert wrote “Don’t Cry Girl” with two names I’m not familiar with, Wyant and Tarvin.
I’m not sure how they ended up on the New York City based Amber Records label, but their B-side “Don’t Miss the Boat” had been the A-side of one Amber singles by the Zephyrs. Writing credits for “Don’t Miss the Boat” go to Fuller and Bruce.
Last Exit came from western Ohio, perhaps Montgomery County, near Dayton. The only name I have is K.K. Petty, who wrote both sides.
“The Fast One” gives the lead guitarist plenty of time to solo. “The Slow One” is, as the title suggests, a ballad, with lines like “The best foundation for true love is simply a little trust / But the whole thing can be shattered, with a sudden burst of lust”!
The band cut their single at Wildwood Sound Productions in Brookville, where the Centrees, and Captain Crunch and the Crew also recorded.
Gene Turner’s Gene O Music published the songs but I cannot find registration for either. It is a Rite pressing, account # 1850, from 1967.
Best-known lineup of the Downbeats: Marty Ford, Dave Gaston, John Bowman, Don Sailing, Gary Bolen, and Lann Gaston
The Downbeats came from Wichita, Kansas, and released one single “1-2-3” / “Trying to Get Through” on Kanwic HFCS-137 in early 1968
The Downbeats were active from 1964 until 1970, with the horns added in 1966. Members were:
Gary Bolen – lead guitar and lead vocals Marty Ford – bass Don Sailing – organ John Bowman – drums Dave Gaston – sax Lanny Gaston – trumpet
Gary Bolen and Marty Ford composed “Trying to Get Through”. It’s a stomping soul performance, with a steady beat, funky rhythm guitar and bursts of horns. A scratched copy is audible on youtube:
Early lineup of the Downbeats, from left: Marty Ford, Jim Holmes, John Bowman, Gary Bolen, and Barry Sigars
Early members included guitarist Barry Sigars, vocalist Jim Holmes, John Clampitt on organ and Mike Brittain on bass. Later members included Wayne Avery, Mike Musick and Gary Heitz
Rob McKnight managed the band, and co-produced the single with Don Clyne.
The Downbeats with their 1937 Cadillac La Salle hearseThe Downbeats in the Beacon, February 14, 1968
While looking into the Kanwic label, I found the news feature on the band above, Downbeats Pick Up Pace by Cathy Henkel, from the Wichita Beacon of February 14, 1968:
Working at High Fidelity Recording, Inc., the band has done radio jingles, and acted as a studio band for other singers.
For more info on Kanwic, an item from the Wichita Eagle & Beacon Magazine on December 12, 1965:
A Wichita recording firm, High Fidelity Recording, Inc, at 445 N. Oliver, has issued its first album under the Kanwic label…
High Fidelity has been in operation for about a year. It is owned and operated by Raymond Creely and Jim Strattan, both natives of Wichita.
The company, which has issued previous recordings under other labels, makes its own tapes and handles promotion and distribution for its recording artists. The pressing of the albums and jacket production is done by other companies. There are no pressing firms in this part of the country.
First photo of the Downbeats after Don Sailing joined: Marty Ford, Don Sailing, Mike Brittain, John Bowman, and Gary Bolen
In July, 2022, Don Sailing wrote to me with an update, and sent photos of the group:
We weren’t able to make any other recordings, but I remember making several commercial jingles … one really good one for Uhlik Music.
In 1999, after almost thirty years after we disbanded, we had a wonderful reunion at Marty Ford’s place in Lampe, Missouri. To have all six of us “brothers” together again was surreal!
After a great weekend of playing music again, and thinking we were getting “old” at around 50 years of age, we made the decision to get the band back together. After many months of rehearsals and hard work in Missouri and Wichita, we booked a two night debut show at Ahoys in Kimberling City, Missouri in August of 2000. It was an unbelievably awesome gig!
After a few more gigs in Missouri, we all decided we had reached a pinnacle that few old bands are blessed to experience, and we decided to hang it up.
Sadly, only four of us remain today. We lost Marty Ford about nine years ago, and we lost Lanny about five years ago. The four of us remaining have all been married to our first wives, and we all have grown kids and growing grandkids!
Downbeats reunion, from left: Gary Bolen, Lanny Gaston, Dave Gaston, Marty Ford, Don Sailing and John Bowman.
The Rain, from left: Owen Evans, Jim Bond, Ron Hall and Steve Croucher
Rain was a quartet from Osage City, Kansas. The members were:
Steve Croucher – lead guitar and vocals Owen Evans – keyboards and vocals Ron Hall – bass Jim Bond – drums and vocals
In August 1967 they traveled about a half hour southwest to Emporia to cut a record in the basement of 15 year old engineer Tom Webb.
“Love Me and Be Glad” is a great soulful number with lead vocals by Owen Evans and Steve Croucher. “Little Boy Blue” is a gentle song sung by Steve Croucher. Both are originals by the group.
The single was released on Webb Records No. 5667A, with dead wax L-270-1/2.
From right to left: Steve Croucher with headphones, Tom Webb “fingering the control panel”, Jim Bond seated next to him, Owen Evans, Bill James and Ron Hall.
Amazingly one of their recording sessions was documented by the Emporia Gazette on Thursday August 31, 1967:
Young Emporians Doing Record Business
Webb Records, named for the senior partner, Tom Webb. Fifteen years old. A student at Roosevelt Junior High School … Tom has been playing around with tape recording as a hobby for about a year…
Headquarters for him and for Webb Records is the basement of his family’s home…
…the truly impressive sight lines fully half of one wall. It is a large handmade electronics control panel, sporting built-in tape recorder, gauges, flashing lights, tone controls and several trays of toggle switches. On one side of the control panel is a work table, buried beneath an avalanche of printed order forms, contracts and information sheets … On either side of the whole squat huge speakers.
Tom’s partner in Webb Records is Bill James … Bill keeps a sharp eye on the company finances while Tom wears the earphones and flips toggles at the control panel…
Here recently a rock-and-roll band from Osage City came to set up its equipment for a recording session.
The band goes by the moniker, “The Rain.” All four members are young, in their teens, not unusual for today’s rock combos. “The Rain,” however, is no ordinary back-yard garage band … Last spring, when they still went under the name, “The Imperials,” they carried off top honors from a marathon “battle of the bands” held in Topeka. Just before their last recording session with Tom Webb, they had completed their first extended tour, a three-week trip that included Garden City, Pratt, Hutchinson, Dighton and a thrust on up into Nebraska.
Although Tom has done recording work with a number of young bands – the “Red Dogs” from Lawrence, the “Ides of March” from Kansas City, the “Coachmen” from Oklahoma City, the “Intruders and the “Esquires” in Emporia, for example, he has spent most of the summer concentrating on “The Rain.”
“Love Me and Be Glad”
The hit record that has been Webb Records’ main claim to fame so far was cut by “The Rain.” The 45-rpm disc features a big beat song called “Love Me and Be Glad,” with “Little Boy Blue” on the flip side. The record has been plugged on several radio stations … in Topeka, Osage City and Emporia. Tom has a list of 16 stations he has been working with.
The manager and lead guitarist for “The Rain” is Steve Croucher, a quiet, reserved chap who even wears his brown hair short. Even more reticent is the bass guitarist, Ron Hall. Owen Evans, the heavy-set, long-locked organist, pounds out chords and beams all over … The fourth band member … is Jim Bond, a short mop-topped extrovert who lays into his drums like they were going out of style. Owen, Steve and Jim handle most of the vocal roles.
The system Tom and Bill have set up is simple and efficient. Occasionally Tom moves his recording equipment to the band, as he did with the “Red Dogs” (their organ was too large to squeeze into the Webb basement)…
When the jam session finally chruns out a good tape, Tom takes it to Audio House in Lawrence. There the tape is used as a master to cut a record on a metal disc covered with acetate. Up to 25 copies are made this way, Tom says, but because acetate records are expensive – $4 each – larger quantities are pressed.
Up to Listeners
After the records are cut, Audio House ships them to Tom, who then makes the rounds of radio stations, leaving a free record at each station…
Once the song goes out on the air, Tom’s fortunes rest with the listeners. If they like the song, they will go downtown to their friendly local record store – where they will be told the disc is not stocked … The retail dealer then contacts the distributor, who in turn contacts Tom. Webb Records then ships the disc directly from Tom’s basement…
“I sure would like to get my own cutting machine,” Tom remarks, adding with a crestfallen expression, “but they cost around $40,000 … But say, if I had my own equipment, I could turn out records for only about two cents each.”
Circa early 1969, the Kanwic label out of Wichita would release a single by Rain, “I’m Free” / “London” on Kanwic HFCS-151. Publishing was by Doree, Johnny & Bill Music.
I believe this may be an entirely different band. The two songwriters, Larry Ulin and Mike Carney, were not in the Rain who recorded on Webb. Also, the sound is much different on “I’m Free”, featuring driving lead guitar without the organ and sweetness of the earlier single.
Wichita is about 100 miles from Emporia, and further from Osage City, though it was not unusual for bands to travel long distances to record.
As for Webb Records, in 1968 Tom Webb would produce a single by Friar Tuck & the Monks on Webb 5668, featuring an original song “Escape” (by Ron Bowell) with a slowed-down cover of “Help”, vocals by Ron Bowell and Rich France. I don’t know if Tom Webb and Bill James continued in music after that.
The Souncations made only one single, a version of “Respect” with a fine original song “Exit” by Jerry Rojas on the B-side, released on Head 1001 in 1967.
“Exit” features organ dominating the melody, but there’s a fine guitar solo and t he vocalist drawls his lines something like Jagger.
Earl Slocom produced, and the address 844 Pilot Dr, Dallas may have been his home. Usually spelled Earl Slocomb, he had been bassist with the Big Beats, who had cut instrumentals for Columbia, Liberty and other labels going back to 1957.
Despite the Kendall Pub. credit I cannot find a registration of copyright on “Exit”.
The origin of the Souncations is unknown, but I can find two notices on a guitarist named Jerry Rojas from Corsicana, TX, about 60 miles south of Dallas.
Both concern Navarro Junior College talent shows. The first show on December 2, 1965 is described:
Carol Kennermore was featured twice – singing … “Summertime,” and dancing to the strains of “Malaguena.”
Jerry Rojas on guitar, Danny Espedal on organ, and Roger Ballew on bass accompanied her song. The shaggy-maned Rojas himself later belted out a rock tune.
The second on March 24, 1966 notes:
Jerry Rojas, accompanying himself on his electric guitar, dipped into modern jazz for vocalizations of “Run for Your Life,” “Tombstone Blues” and “Ballad of a Thin Man.”
But so far I have no confirmation this is the same Jerry Rojas, or that the group actually came from Corsicana.
Thank you to Michael Robinson for alerting me to the Audiodisc acetate of the single.
Our Gang made one single “Rapunzel” / “Here Today, Gone Tomorrow” on ‘Round & ‘Round Records RR-4503.
The band probably came from Colorado Springs, or at least that was the base for ‘Round & ‘Round Records. Rick Fooshee wrote both songs.
Members included:
Rick Fooshee – vocals Alex Asbridge David Asbridge Greg Stepanic Mike Lawrence Ron Lewis
Gazette-Telegraph, April 1, 1967Charles A. Bennett started ‘Round & ‘Round Records, and released at least five singles in 1966 and 1967, including the Chasers “Believe Me” (by Frase, Myers, Rivera, Valdez) / “Rainy Duffy’s Blues” (Hoonoze), produced by Gene Towne.
I haven’t found any news articles on Our Gang or the Chasers, but Chuck Bennett’s ad & record business was profiled in 1967.
The Chasers included Dave Myers – vocals, John Rivera – guitar, Troy Valdez – bass, and Richard Frase – drums. They were from either Colorado Springs or Edgewater, and had two other singles, “Let Me Kiss away those Teardrops” / “Unchain My Heart” on Top Ten 2299, and “You Can’t Buy Love” / “I’m Sure” on CLW 45-6597.
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
Karla, Jimmy and I sang in high school. One day we saw an ad in our local Pennysaver that record producers were auditioning singers for studio backup work (for Frani). We thought that sounded like fun, so we called and auditioned. Once Ray Meltzer and Jean Viletto heard us sing (acapella), Jean decided right then and there that instead of us being studio backup singers, she wanted to form a group.
