Revolver made one single circa 1973, with the A-side being the Kinks-like “Roll-a-Coaster Man”, and the flip the Beatles-esque “Caught In a Day”. Both sides have harmonies and a sixties sensibility but the lead guitar especially is definitely ’70s in sound.
Ken Brophy wrote “Roll-a-Coaster Man”, and Brophy and Jim Rosler wrote “Caught In a Day”, which is the song I most like. Carl Siracuse and Revolver produced the single.
I don’t know where the band was from, but Roxan studios was located in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania and owned by Mike Stahl. A small batch of the 45s was found in New Jersey.
Roxan also released singles by the Innkeepers “Bittersweet” (written adn produced by John Paris) / “Someday”, Staneless Steele (“Down at the Y” / “Never Tell a Lie” (both written by Joe Scovish), B.B.K’s Expedition ”Change The American Dream” / “Sole Confusion” and TNT, plus an album by Frankie & The Corvettes.
The Black Banana had two singles under different band names. The first 45 I’d heard but hadn’t connected to the second because of the different artist name until Mike Markesich pointed out the connection in his comment below. Mike kindly provided scans of the 1st single as the Black Banana.
The group was from Limestone, in upstate New York, only a little west of Olean, the home of the Tigermen. The Tigermen were active earlier, but perhaps the bands knew each other. Mike tells me the band was also based in Bradford, Pennsylvania, just south of Limestone.
Reversing the usual way of garage bands, the group formed after some of the members had finished their military service. They have a great mid-’60s sound on both their singles despite the late recording dates.
Both singles list the members on the label, for this first one the lineup is:
Fred Mascioni Karl Langner Dave McGee
Denny Eck would join the group on guitar by the time of the second single, but he is credited with co-writing “Listen Girl” with McGee and Mascioni.
McGee and Mascioni wrote “Please Come Back to Me” which I haven’t heard yet.
Karl Langner and Arnold White designed the cool label, and Car Hamme engineered the recording. This is an RCA custom pressing from 1969.
The second release has the Fog label but the band name is changed to Banana Music Ltd. It may date as late as 1971.
Members were:
Fred Mascioni Karl Langner Dave McGee Denny Eck
Denny Eck wrote “Don’t Bother Us” and Mascioni & Eck wrote “Walkin'”.
The group is listed as “The Mack Banana Band” in the Bradford Era newspaper from August 1, 1969. From the excerpt I could find online, all the members names are listed except Denny Eck:
The new sound around, come and listen to music written & played by THE MACK BANANA Band — Fred Mascioni, Karl Langner, Dave McGee …
Besides Fog Music Inc., there are other production credits on the labels: “Langner Label”, “Rotten Crates Music Corp.” and “Black Banana”.
When Mike Markesich contacted Fred Mascioni he mentioned there were songs cut for an album that went unreleased.
The Buggs came from Forbes High School in Kantner, Pennsylvania, about 75 miles southeast of Pittsburgh. In February, 1966, the Buggs cut two songs at Bittner’s Recording Co. in nearby Somerset. “It’s All Right” is great frantic garage, “Please Be True” is an original ballad by Raymond Lohr. Rite Record Productions in Cincinnati pressed the 45s, which are now very scarce.
Members were:
Raymond Lohr – singer and lead guitar Ernie Lohr – bass guitar Barry Boyer – organ Joe Wirleich – drums
The Somerset Daily American Newspaper on Wednesday, March 9, 1966 wrote:
No, these are not the kind that will bite or harm you. As a matter of fact, they are pretty friendly. It is a name given to a Rock and Roll band from Forbes. Members of the group are: Raymond Lohr, singer and lead guitar; Ernie Lohr, bass guitar; Joe Wirleich, drums; and Barry Boyer, organ. All members of the group are from Forbes, except the manager, Ronnie Eutin, who is from Frielens.
They recently cut their first record with the Bittner Recording Company of Somerset.
The group will suffer a great loss, when Ernie Lohr leaves for the service at the end of March. Ernie has been with the group since it started in 1964.
Bittner’s would release four other singles that I know of, one each by Andy Wynn, Donnie Hunter, Larry LaVigne and Judie Follmar.
Ray Lohr passed away on May 17, 2017. An obituary online adds some information about his song, “Please Be True”:
He grew up in Hooversville, Pennsylvania, and graduated in 1966 from Forbes High School in Kantner, Pennsylvania. While in high school, he was a member of “The Buggs” rock ‘n’ roll group; he wrote and produced a 45 record entitled “Please Be True to Me Girl” about his high school sweetheart who had moved to Anchorage, Alaska. Shortly thereafter, Ray headed to Anchorage where he married the love of his life, Sandra J. Shumaker, on March 4, 1967.
In November 1967 a single by the Riders of the Mark came out on 20th Century Fox Records 45-6694. One side is the very accessible “Gotta Find Somebody”; the flip is the wild two minutes of “The Electronic Insides and Metal Complexion That Make Up Herr Doktor Krieg”.
Teen Beat Mayhem lists locations of Moorestown, New Jersey which is east of Philadelphia, and Lancaster, Pennsylvania, over an hour’s drive to the west.
The Riders of the Mark may have been a real group, but the credits on their 20th Century Fox single don’t support that idea, and instead point to John Hill, Don Cochrane and their associates.
John Hill wrote “Gotta Find Somebody”; John Hill and Don Cochrane wrote “The Electronic Insides and Metal Complexion That Make Up Herr Doktor Krieg”. Blackwood Music published both songs, and the Blackwood connection features in the lead for news items on the recording in Cash Box and Record World. Tony Luis and John Hill produced both sides, and Hill arranged “… Herr Doktor Krieg”.
Record World, November 4, 1967
John Hill and Don Cochrane composed “Love, Love, Love, Love, Love” for the Nite People, also done by Wool, and John Hill released it under his own name on a Columbia 45 backed with “I’m a Bear”.
Hill produced and played guitar on Margo Guryan’s 1968 LP Take a Picture, and produced the sessions that would be released as Susan Christie’s Paint a Lady. Studio musicians included Kirk Hamilton on bass and Jim Valerio on drums. These were done at Philadelphia’s Sigma Sound Studios, but since that studio opened in 1968, I have to assume the Riders of the Mark single was recorded elsewhere.
In 2009, Finders Keepers Records released some of his 1970 sessions at Sigma Sound as John Hill’s 6 Moons of Jupiter.
Stairway to the Stars, 1967, from left: T.r. Sollosi, Dave Benard, P.J. Geary, and Ray Niccolai. Photo courtesy of Paul Geary
The Stairway to the Stars came from the Pittsburgh area, but cut this 45 for the Brite-Star label out of Newberry, Ohio, near Cleveland. Newberry is only a couple hours from Pittsburgh, but the labels indicate a Nashville base.
One side has a moody, echoing vocal, “Cry”, written by Tom Sellosi and Dave Benard. The intensity grows for the short recitation at the end.
On the flip is “Dry Run” a great instrumental featuring a lot of tremolo on the guitar, a strong three note riff that sounds like a keyboard more than guitar, and a long and dissonant middle section for the lead break. Phil Dirt pointed out the similarity of the opening melody to the Vistas “No Return” on Tuff, but the Stairway to the Stars really expand on that theme in the rest of the song.
The Rite account number is 728 and the release numbers are 17909 (“Dry Run”) / 17910 (“Cry”), released in September or October 1966.
Members on the record included:
Tom Sollosi – lead guitar Dave Benard – lead vocals Paul Geary – tenor sax Ray Niccolai – rhythm guitar and bass
Paul Geary provided the photos and wrote to me:
We all lived in the Monongahela, Pa. area south of Pittsburgh. Tom Solossi knew I played tenor sax in the jazz band in high school and he was trying to get a little band together. He had already recruited Ray Niccolli for rhythm guitar. Tom himself played lead guitar and also taught guitar at a local music shop. Dave Benard who worked at a furniture store in Mon City was our vocalist.
The band did a lot of weddings, teen dances, and social clubs. We were all in high school at the time and appreciated the extra money we made playing music.
Tom knew a local DJ in Charleroi, Pa. His name was Johnny Barbero and he wanted us to come to the radio station WESA for a recording session. I played sax on the recording but was drowned out by the heavy guitars.
We made a demo and paid Brite-Star Records to make some records to distribute. It played on a few local radio stations, but never took off.
Q. Do you remember who played drums on the record?
We were between drummers at the time but I’m pretty sure it was George Tirpack.
We stayed together for about a year and then everyone started applying for colleges and that ended the group.
The Library of Congress has a registration for “Cry” from September 12, 1966, to David Benard and Thomas Sollosi. The “Dry Run” label lists T.R. Sollosi, but this song wasn’t registered.
Teen Beat Mayhem indicates this 45 came with a picture sleeve, which I’ve never seen. Paul tells me there was never anything but a plain sleeve for the single.
The Blue Knights, precursor to Stairway to the Stars, from left: Frank Champ, accordion and keyboard; Tom Sollosi, lead guitar; Bill Garrison, drums; Paul Geary, sax; Ray Niccoli, rhythm guitar. Photo courtesy of Paul Geary.
Info on Brite-Star came from the 45rpm Records site.
Here’s an unknown group, the Four Counts, or the Counts Four, possibly from Reading, Pennsylvania. There’s a chance they could have evolved into the Counts who came from Valley View and cut “Last Train” / “I Will Lose My Mind” for the Kingston label in July of 1969, but from the small b&w photo I’ve seen of the Counts I’d say this is unlikely.
Samron Records had a great run, releasing only a handful of singles but all that I’ve heard are top-notch rock ’n roll. Thee Avantis’ “I Want to Understand” / “Nancy” on Samron S-103, recorded in late 1965, is one of the best.
“I Want to Understand” is the kind of single I never get tired of, featuring a neat guitar hook, solid bass and drum playing, the right amount of organ and great vocals. There are fine guitar and organ breaks, the entire song clocking in at 2:27.
The other three singles on Samron are:
Samron S-101: The Wizards “Don’t Trust A Man” / “Sad Little Girl” Samron S-102: Ognir & the Night People “I Found a New Love” (Nehring, Marusak) / “All My Heart” (Nehring, Molinaro) released October 1965
Samron S-104: The Five Flys “Livin’ for Love” / “Dance Her By Me”
Samron was run by Ronald Magazzu, and Sam Lesante was also involved. The first two singles listed Magazzu Productions in Hazleton, PA, while the label for the Five Flys changes the town to Coaldale, PA.
I’ve read Thee Avantis were from Scranton, but I found a notice in the Hazleton Standard-Speaker from March 5, 1966 listing the band for a Sunday Dance at the Fiesta Room in Hazleton, about an hour’s drive southwest of Scranton.
I only know the names of three members of Thee Avantis: Nick Fata on bass and Robert Schnessel who wrote both songs, plus Tom Flanagan. Magazzu Music Co. published both songs.
Thank you to Mike K and Mike Markesich for additional info on the label in their comments.
The Conductors, from left: Larry Borgess, Chad Fenstemaker, Skip Kreitz, Regan Meyer, Barry Hirsh, and Danny Brungard
The Conductors came from Williamsport, Pennsylvania, cutting the great “She Said So” as the b-side to their June 1966 single. Members were:
Larry Borgess – lead vocals Chad Fenstemaker – lead guitar Skip Kreitz – rhythm guitar Regan Meyer – bass Barry Hirsh – organ Danny Brungard – drums
Barry Hirsh and Larry Borgess left to join Prince Charles & the Royaltones. Mike Ranck replaced Larry until the Conductors split.
“She Said So” is a stomping fuzz and organ rocker written by Barry Hirsh, with taunting lines:
You gotta stay home and watch the kids tonight, Because she said so, But I wanna tell ya, Better sit up and say that everything’s not right, Because you said so.
You gotta break free, Stand on your own two feet, Stop doing things that you don’t want to do, Just because she said so!
The original A-side “Whatever’s In Your Smile” is light pop, but worth a listen, it too was written by Barry Hirsh, and features harmonies, piano and a lighter touch on the guitar.
Publishing was through Hi-Mar Music and Ronbeth Music BMI, both of which had other copyrights, most notably Ronbeth with the 7th Avenue Aviators “You Should ‘O Held On”.
The Conductors single came out on Dater DT-1303/4 in June, 1967. Dater was owned by Dave Chackler, and had one other single that I know of, the Soul Generation “I Can’t See You” / “Big Boss Man” on Dater DT-1301. The A-side has the Starlites doing a drier, stripped-down version of their classic on Bar-Clay, “I Can’t See You”. The label notes produced by Dave Chackler for Peter Warren Enterprises. The Starlites came from Reading, PA, 100 miles southeast of Williamsport, so I wonder how the Conductors connected with Dave Chackler.
Hamilton Productions, run by Bill Hamilton in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, produced several garage singles with different label names including:
Sands of Time – ”Come Back Little Girl” / “When She Crys For Me” Stearly 8167, August 1967) Satyrs – “Yesterday’s Hero” (C. Morrill, G. Williams) / “Marie” (M. Doerr, C. Merrill) Spectrum 2668, released 1968, Haddonfield Heights, NJ) Groop Therapy with Gary Dial “I’ve Got To Leave This World” (Gary J. Dilllio) / “Ronnie Ronnie” (Lisa 6865, June 1968, Ripley Park, PA)
Hamilton also put out a number of singles, mainly soul, on the Groovey Grooves label starting in 1968, including the Exceptions “The Look in Her Eyes” and Phillies player Rich Allen and the Ebonistics doing “Echoes of November”.
Groovey Grooves discography any help with this would be appreciated
Groovey Grooves 160 – Rich Allen and the Ebonistics “Echoes of November” / “Fannari” Groovey Grooves 161 – Exceptions “The Look in Her Eyes” / “Baby You Know I Need You” (Hynes, Walker, Ellis, Jones, arr. by Bob Lowden) Groovey Grooves 162 – Collectors “Cruel World” / “I Still Love You” (March, 1969) Groovey Grooves 163 – Isthmus of Sound “River” / “Sweet Love” Groovey Grooves 164 – Stone Dawn “Agent Promise Blues” / “What You Think Is Right” (both by Penny Stubbs, Assoc. prod Bill Hoy) Groovey Grooves 165 – ? Groovey Grooves 166 – Norwood Long “I’d Like to Have You” / “She Belongs to Me” Groovey Grooves 167 – Exceptions “The Shagg” / “Danny Boy” Groovey Grooves 168 – Great Compromise “Let The Evening Roll On” / “He Was A Man” Groovey Grooves 169 – Les Stewart, Jr. “One Woman Man” / “Mind Your Own Business” Groovey Grooves 170 – Fairwinds “She & Me” (J. Swank, R. Smith) / “Height in Funland”
Groovey Grooves 176 – Fantastic Soul-Locks “Come On Home Girl” / “Funky Prance”
The Exceptions recorded at Impact Sound Recording Studio on Castor Ave in Philadelphia, while Stone Dawn recorded at Baker Sound in New Jersey.
Folsom Music, BMI published many of the original songs on Groovey Grooves.
Klemen Breznikar has an interview with one of the members of Stone Dawn at It’s Psychedelic Baby!. The piece doesn’t identify which member he interviewed but I believe it’s George Manney.
Thank you to Laurent, Max Waller and Mike Markesich for help with this post.
There isn’t much information about the Facts of Life despite the group’s fine 45 single. The group came from Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania, which lies just to the west of the Philadelphia city line. Members included Bruce Klauber, later a jazz drummer and professor, and Robert Yampolsky, who wrote both songs on their only single. I don’t know the other members’ names.
“I’ve Seen Darker Nights” begins with a blast of distorted guitar but otherwise is free of fuzz. The lyrics are heartfelt, the singing good, the arrangement has good hooks and momentum from the rhythm section. There’s a long solo on the organ and a brief guitar break.
The flipside, “All In Good Time” has a good ballad sound with a basic guitar solo. Robert Yampolsky copyrighted both songs in October, 1967, and the record came out as Frana Records 59-A/B. I don’t know of any other releases on the Frana label.
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
