The Five Flys, from left: Rich Murlo, Tony Tonon, Steve Kucey, Skip Nehrig and John Gallagher. Photo courtesy of Tony Tonon
The Five Flys released their only single “Livin’ for Love” / “Dance Her By Me” in 1966. It was the last single on Samron Records S-104, and the only one with Coaldale, PA on the label.
Members included Rich Murlo, Tony Tonon, Steve Kucey, Skip Nehrig and John Gallagher. They were from the Coaldale area in Schuylkill County, like Angie and the Citations.
Five Flys and the Chevelles at Tam-Au-Go-Go Bandstand, Mahoney City, August 1965
The Five Flys played local shows in Coaldale and Mahoney City in 1965 and 1966, and further away in Allentown and Bethlehem.
A report of an August 1966 show at St. Joseph’s in Summit Hill described “music for street dancing by the Five Flys”.
Thank you to Tony Tonon for the photo. I would appreciate more info on the Five Flys.
Five Flys at Jamaican A Go-Go, Bethlehem, July 1966, days after the King’s Ransom and the Scott Bedford Four
The Vibrasonics came from Meadville in northwest Pennsylvania, east of Cleveland and north of Pittsburgh. They recorded two good original songs, “Don’t Go” / “Send Her to Me”, on Marjon Records MJ-511, in July 1965.
Bud Pendolino wrote both songs. He registered copyright under Leonard James Pendolino in May and July 1966.
Pete Simonetta produced the single, I am not sure of his connection with the Vibrasonics.
Five years later, Buddy Pendolino’s name shows up on the writer’s credit for “Way Out West”, the A-side of a single by Fairchild (also known as Stonewall) on Marjon Records. The B-side was “I’d Like to Make You Mine”, written by B. Kurt, D. Miller, J. Crecraft and N. Dasovich.
Johnny and Martha Krizancic owned Marjon Records in Sharon PA, recording mainly polka and country music.
This is not the same band as the Vibra-Sonics from Johnstown, Pennsylvania, that made one 45, “Thunder Storm” / “Drag Race” on the Ideal label in 1964. That band included George Tweedy on lead guitar, Bob Tweedy rhythm guitar, Bill Sabo on 2nd lead and rhythm guitar, Joe Colner bass, and Joey Michno (later known as Joey Covington) on drums. These Vibra-Sonics often played Conneaut Lake, very close to the Vibrasonics hometown of Meadville.
I wonder how a fast, wah-heavy version of the Rokes “Che Colpa Abbiamo Noi” got its only release on a Philadelphia label known for a handful of local pop artists.
Whoever put the label together changed Gli Angeli to Gil’ Angeli, and misspelled the Italian title (as “Che Colba Abbia Mo Noi”), as well as several songwriter names.
Although there is an English title, “What Faults Do We Have?”, the song is sung in Italian. “Che Colpa Abbiamo Noi” was an Italian version of Bob Lind’s “Cheryl’s Goin’ Home”, and was a hit for the Rokes in 1966. The Mogol song credit is Giulio Rapetti Mogol who often adapted English lyrics into Italian.
I put together a video of the song for youtube, but as I was uploading it, an automatic copyright claim popped up. Some faceless company would “allow” the upload but monetize it for their own profit. There’s a good chance this company doesn’t even have the rights to claim copyright, and I never monetize my uploads. So I decided not to upload it at all. The world will do without.
The flip also gets an English title, “Don’t Cry Tonight”, but it’s sung in Italian too, and is a cover of Don Backy’s 1967 ballad, “Non Piangere Stasera”. Mainstay Music Inc. is listed as publisher.
Usually a record like this would have been released in Italy or somewhere else first, but as far as I can tell, this was not released in any other country. The Bats did a version of “Che Colpa Abbiamo Noi” but it does not sound like this one.
It’s possible this was recorded in Philadelphia, and was not taken from a demo or international release. The label says produced by Ricky Layne, who produced at least a couple other releases on Star-Line Records, on S. Eleventh St. in Philadelphia, PA. Possibly an Italian group was touring the US, and cut this 45 in a quick session to sell at their shows.
The dead wax FC-1A/B F/W indicates Frankford-Wayne mastering.
There was a Gli Angeli from Abruzzo who did “Butta La Corda” backed with an Italian version of the Who’s “I’m a Boy” as “Dove Vuoi”, but they didn’t have a vocalist named Franco. Gli Angeli Di Trieste are another possibility, but the recording I heard of them is much more polished pop than this.
I’d appreciate any leads on who this Gil Angeli & Franco could be.
The Monic Depression released one single, “Wondering Why” / “Midnight Hour”. I wish I could tell you more about the band but nothing is known at this point.
“Wondering Why” is an excellent original by K. Ellmer. The organ, guitar, bass and drums blend into a near-perfect garage sound, even if the record was made in 1969, as someone wrote on my copy.
Kevin Ellmer, Keith Ellmer, Ken Ellmer, Knox Ellmer?!
The flip is a good version of “Midnight Hour”
Teen Beat Mayhem lists the band’s location as possibly Virginia, while I’ve seen Pennsylvania on the internet, possibly Scranton.
Released on HRS 45-218, possibly HRS stands for a recording studio. Harrisburg?
I love the band name, was the spelling of Monic intentional or was it supposed to be Manic Depression?
Mitzee Baker’s “Stand Up Boy” is early ’60s pop, not garage but it has a strong beat and crude production. I’m posting because it seems to be unknown, and there are some deadwax codes I am not familiar with.
The flip is a ballad with some orchestration, “No One Can Love You (More than I)”. Harry Moffitt wrote both songs and co-produced with Fred Downs, released on Dralmar 5000. Pompadour Music published the songs, but I can’t find them in BMI’s database. A Philadelphia origin is likely.
The runout codes are: “D-5000-B A” / “D-5000-B”. Both sides have “A.M.S.” followed by something that looks like a D with a couple short horizontal lines in front of it. In very small lettering on the A-side is “TV 33166”. All are etched.
An embossed stamp on both sides seems to read backwards, beginning with, possibly M.O.I. and ending with CO – but I may not be reading that correctly.
Omnibus came from Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The psychedelic styling on the B-side, “Take Your Only Chance” led me to think this single was from about 1970, but it seems to come a few years later, 1973 or 1974.
Omnibus members were:
Dan Glasse – vocals and percussion Jeff Morrison – lead guitar Jimmer Pontz – bass, guitar and vocals Kenny Kaye – keyboards, guitar and vocals Biair King – drums and vocals Gail King – vocals and hand percussion
A good summary of the band come from Blair King’s Youtube channel:
Central Pennsylvania’s Omnibus had its origins in 1970, while Jeff Morrison and Jimmer Pontz formed a band called San Juan Hill, playing throughout their sophomore years at Hempfield High School, Kenny Kaye was touring with Store Records’ Geoffrey Stoner Band supporting a regional hit with a reinterpretation of The Bee Gee’s “To Love Somebody” and Blair King, a sophomore at JP McCaskey High, was performing with another local favorite “Exit”.
In February of 1972 the high school musicians were asked to audition for a new band in its infancy. Founded by keyboardist Kaye it also had vocalist Dan Glass, a recent transplant from Nashville, and Gael King, King’s folkie sister.
The band recorded it’s only single “Surprise, Surprise, Surprise” b/w “Take Your Only Chance” on the POT label out of Philadelphia, taping at Virtue Studios under the helm of Central Pennsylvania producer and Pee Vee Records label owner, Pancho Villa.
Omnibus was to be the last act to be signed to the Pee Vee label before the company moved to Delaware in 1974. The 45 single … was a minor regional hit and afforded the band the opportunity to tour in their funky converted delivery truck gigging from Fort Lauderdale, FL to Lowell, MA.
Dan Glass’s name is spelled Glasse on the label of the single. I’ve also seen Blair King as Blaine King, and Gail King instead of Gael, so maybe someone could clear up the correct spellings.
Kaye and Morrison wrote “Surprise, Surprise, Surprise”, which includes harmonica and was designated the A-side. I prefer the flip, “Take Your Only Chance”, written by Glasse and Morrison. Released on Pot Records P-100, a “Farr-Vil Promotion”; it seems to be rare now.
Both songs published by Pan-Vil Music BMI.
Kenny Kaye wrote “Let’s Go Steady” for the Shaynes, who were produced by Pancho Villa (Charles Miller), like Omnibus, but I don’t believe he was ever in the Shaynes.
The Oncomers came from the Mon Valley (Monongahela River) region south and east of Pittsburgh. Turtle Creek and McKeesport seem to be the main locations for the band members or where they played live.
The group members were:
Wayne Schillinger – guitar Billy Capranica – bass Jack O’Neill – drums
The Oncomers started in the early ’60s and often played live with a slightly younger act, the Arondies. This is their only release, on the Gateway Custom label. Wayne Schillinger wrote both songs, published by Telldell Music. Teen Beat Mayhem dates the 45 to 1967 but I’ve read the group had broken up in 1965.
“Every Day Now” is something of a throwback to early styles. “You Let Me Down” is a classic moody song, with a fine lead vocal and guitar work.
I’ve read there are more studio recordings and even a live tape from the Cove nightclub in the town of Large, PA, but I haven’t heard these yet.
The Oncomers later became Grant Street Exit with some lineup changes. Wayne Schillinger wrote both sides of the Grant Street Exit’s 1968 single on Del-la single (and re-released on Millage) “I Got Soul” b/w “That’s Why I Love You”, which I haven’t heard yet. Telldell Music is the publisher and distributor for that release.
Jack O’Neill joined Jim Pavlack and Gary Pittman of the Arondies to form the Soul Congress.
Source: the Tube City Almanac has some remembrances of the band & the local scene at that time.
The Blue Beats made one single with two fine sides on Shane Records 100 out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The top side is “Bad Girl” with a snarling female vocal accompanied by a band and male chorus. The flip “Am I the One” is also good.
Paul Cappell wrote both songs, published by San-Dee Music ASCAP. The only other listing for San-De Music I can find is probably an unrelated company with a registration, “Lucky Baby” by Alan Lee & Mildred Phillips from 1964.
Shane Records had an address of 511 North Broad Street in Philadelphia. The release date may be as late as 1969. I’m not familiar with the TBB-1 / TBB-2 code on the labels.
“Bad Girl” seems to be a cover of a 1968 single by Connie Little with B.G. Ramblers “Bad Girl” / “Don’t Mess with Cupid” on Rambo IV Records of Secor Road in Toledo, Ohio. According to Buckeye Beat, the B.G. Ramblers members included Billy Price, Bob Koons, John Ahlfors, Jerry Ahlfors and Peter Mousoulias.
Although that release is firmly in a soul style, Connie Little (real name Connie Mierzwiak) had recorded earlier singles as Connie Little and the Cashmeres and Connie and the Cytations with a gruff child voice that could match this Blue Beats single.
Buckeye Beat has an entry for her, noting that she had a group called “Connie and the Blu-Beats who sprayed their hair blue and who may have had a member named Paul Cappelletty”.
Could this be Connie Little singing on the Blue Beats single? It’s definitely the same song, though the song writing credits have been changed from Mierzwiak-Mousoulias on the Connie Little single to Paul Cappell on the Blue Beats. Connie Little and several of the B.G. Ramblers have passed away, so we’ll probably never know.
“Why” / “Baby Get Your Head Screwed On” was the first single by the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania group the Legends, who are best known for their devastating 1969 psych single “High Towers” / “Fever Games”.
This lineup of the Legends was:
Larry Swartzwelder – lead guitar Dan Hartman – keyboards Derek Parsons – bass Ralph Schwartz – drums
Earlier members of the band included Dave Hartman guitar and vocals and Denny Woolridge bass; later members included Gene Brenner guitar, Joe Caloiero bass and vocals, Dave Cope on bass, and Larry Sadler on drums.
The Legends story is told elsewhere in some detail, but there is little about this release on the internet.
The A-side is an original by Dan Hartman, “Why”, featuring a soulful vocal over a backing dominated by the organ.
The Legends probably found “Baby Get Your Head Screwed On” from the version by the Double Feature, a British duo from Birmingham, Bill Hall and Brian Lake. Double Feature had two singles on Deram, both of which saw release in the US. It’s also possible the Legends heard the song on its composer Cat Stevens’ first album, Matthew and Son which also had a US release in 1967.
John Ulrich produced the single, and published “Why” through John Ulrich Music. Gene Eichelberger engineered the single, released on Up Records 2202-7-13. The single is styrene, with X-5291/2 etched in the deadwax.
Dan Hartman designed a picture sleeve with a crude b&w drawing very similar to the sleeve for the Blues Magoos “Pipe Dream”. It was not used for the single until many years later, when Billy S. reproduced the drawing with a discography on the back to sell a small amount of copies of the original single. Thank you to Thomas Grosh for sending in the scan.
PS made years after the original release.
Up Records was part of Bridge Society Records which had some other fine releases including:
The Shan-Dells ”Chimes” / “Little Girl” and their soul classic ” I’ve Got To Love Her” / “Idle Excursion” The Evil “I” – “Love Conquers All” / “Can’t Live Without You” The Legends second single, “Keep On Running” / “Cheating”
Info on band lineups from the Arf! Arf! compilation High Towers [1965-1973].
Photo taken by Dave Peirce, reproduced with his permission
Andy Mark came from St. Davids, Pennsylvania, a small community close to Wayne, about 15 miles northwest of Philadelphia.
A promotional sleeve created at the time of his first single reproduces a number of news articles, programs and letters. Andy was part of a folk group referred to variously as the Suburan Three or the Suburban Four.
These St. Davids lads are: Andy Mark, 13, guitarist; Jim Schnaars, 13, second guitarist and lead vocalist; Dan Gladish 14, Irish bass player; all students at Radnor Junior High, and Bob Schnaars, 15, blue-grass banjoist, who attends Mercersburg Academy.
Another Hootenany program omits Bob Schnaars and lists Jaccy Schnaars instead of Jim. Debbie DuPont managed his bookings, and Ed Cotlar produced his first single. Ed Cotlar had worked for Cameo-Parkway and Goodway Records, and in 1968 would join Diamond.
front of promotional package that accompanied “Partime Hippie”Billboard, April 27, 1968
Billboard published two mentions about this release in the April 20 and 27, 1968 issues.
Ed Cotlar is reactivating his free-lance record promotion service, E-jay Enterprises – House of Ideas. His first accounts are “Girl Watcher,” by the O’Kaysions on North State Records and “Part Time Hippie,” by Andy Mark on Hilaire Records.
The second news item is about Deborah Eldredge duPont forming Hilaire Records headquartered in St. Davids, PA. Unfortunately the item spells the A-side as “Oartime Hippie”.
Hilaire H-100 has two originals by Andy Mark, “Partime Hippie” and “Take a Good Look”. Both songs’ lyrics seem to question fads of the time.
“Partime Hippie”
Not all of us can make it (?), So we’ll just have to fake it, Unless we want to stand up to the world.
?? But in some peoples’ eyes, You can’t be a man till you grow a beard.
It’s a new generation, Of a new revelation, It’s a turn-on, tune-in and drop out.
[music freaks out]
I know what you’re thinking That I’m supervising (?) But you don’t know how wrong that you are.
Not all of us can make it, So we’ll just have to fake it, Unless we want to stand up to the world.
“Take a Good Look”
The time has come when I must run and leave you to your games, It’s been a year, the time is here to forget our names.
Take a good look and tell me what you see, Take a good look and tell me what you’ll be.
You say that truth is meaningless and you live for today I say that truth is valuable, who’s to say?
I regret I must disagree, That in this world, one cannot be entirely free.
Take a good look and tell me what you see, Take a good look and tell me what you’ll be.
I regret I must disagree, That in this world, one cannot be entirely free.
Until you see my reasoning I must be sure of just one thing, That when you change and come back home, you’ll know that I am here (?)
Take a good look and tell me what you see Take a good look and tell me what you’ll be.
Bissel Music is listed as publisher, but I can find no copyright record for these songs.
Interestingly, the promotional packet that accompanied the “Partime Hippie” single does not mention either song from that single or provide the lyrics.
The Philadelphia Inquirer had a full article on Andy on June 9, 1968, with a photo and the headline “‘Rich Fairy Godmother’ Aids Young Rock Star”. Unfortunately I do not currently have an online newspaper archive subscription so I can’t access the photo or full text but I did glimpse some excerpts:
“Dave Hardt on bass guitar and John Fuchs on drums. Andy and Dave were just graduated from Radnor Senior High School, while John is entering his senior year.”
Andy “picked up pointers on the instrument from his older brother. Andy cannot read music and must tape all his original songs and have a friend transcribe them. Andy and his friends have appeared on several television shows …”
There is also a mention of Andy’s music being conservative in political outlook, and that he would be studying law in the future.
Andy Mark’s statement from the promo kit
A second single saw release as Andy’s Tool Box, also on Hilaire but with a different label design and numbering (527 this time).
“Well of Your Love” is a swift-moving rocker with organ and bass in the fore of the mix, backed with the piano-led ballad “Breadcrumbs” that livens up with harmonies in the chorus. This time the lyrics are concerned with relationships and unrequited love. Andy Mark wrote “Well of Your Love” and co-wrote “Breadcrumbs” with J. Peirce.
This single came with a picture sleeve that shows Andy with photos of an unnamed drummer and bassist.
H. Kaplan produced, with distribution by Melrose Records, and publishing by Hera BMI (though once again I find no registration with the Library of Congress).
According to an article in the Philadelphia Inquirer, in 1972, Andy Mark went into commercial jingles for radio and TV, starting several companies including Philadelphia Music Works, Broadcast Results Group, and the Canary Collection. He passed away in February, 2009 at the age of 58.
Thank you to John Pitts for research help with this article, and to Dave Peirce for the high quality scans of the photos he took of Andy.
Inside of the promotional folder that came with my copy of “Partime Hippie”
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
