Category Archives: Texas

The Gentlemen “It’s a Cry’n Shame”

January 7, 2008 Chris Bishop 23 Comments

The Gentlemen, l-r: Tommy Turner on keyboards, Tim Justice (kneeling) on drums, Mike Kelley on guitar and vocals on "Cry'n Shame", Bruce Bland on bass, and Seab Meador on lead guitar and vocals. — l-r: Tommy Turner on keyboards, Tim Justice (kneeling) on drums, Mike Kelley on guitar and vocals on “Cry’n Shame”, Bruce Bland on bass, and Seab Meador on lead guitar and vocals.

Tim Justice, drummer for the Gentlemen, gives the history of the band behind one of the most essential 45s of the 1960s, “It’s a Cry’n Shame”:”The Gentlemen played in and around Dallas, Texas from 1964 until 1968, always enjoying a booked in advance schedule and putting on energy packed shows. Originally started by guitarist Seab Meador and drummer Tim Justice, they were joined by bassist Lonnie Taylor and guitarist and singer Mike Kelley in early 1965. The band’s early musical direction was crafted by Meador whose guitar genius was recognized by all who came in contact with the group. Seab loved early Rolling Stones, Animals, Kinks and Yardbirds, concentrating heavily on the stylings of Jeff Beck.

“The band took on more of the rhythm and blues swagger of the Stones and Animals than the pop ballads of the Beatles and Dave Clark Five. Our original bass player was Lonnie Taylor, who lived in South Dallas and had a hard time making all the gigs. We found Jimmie Randall, or he found us, and slowly the transition took place. I do remember a few nights when he AND Lonnie showed up and we played with 2 bass players. Heavy.

“Jimmie also remembers something that I didn’t, that he played bass on our first and earliest recordings, ‘Beg Borrow and Steal’, and ‘Here I Cannot Stay’, both written by Seab Meador. Boy, were we young. Must have been 15 at the time. In the session, Seab was on guitar and singing, I was drumming, Jimmie Randall was on bass and Mike Kelly was on guitar. The later three sang backup. Seab penned both songs and as far as I know, there are only 2 copies of the acetate, one owned by me and the other by Jimmie Randall. Jimmie reminds me that these AND the later ‘It’s a Cry’n Shame’ sessions were recorded at Summit [Sumet] Studio, and the master acetates where made upstairs at Boyd Recording Service. [This first session] cost $150 that we split 4 ways. We just wanted to see what we sounded like and never tried to find a label.

“This unit played through 1965 with the addition of fellow Oak Cliff musician Jimmy Vaughan, later of the ‘Fabulous Thunderbirds’, creating a powerful duet with Meador during a several month stint. Meador and Vaughan forged a solid friendship during this time.

Tim: "A business card with no phone number on it….Doesn’t make a great deal to sense, but I’m thinking we thought it was cool at the time!" — Tim: “A business card with no phone number on it….Doesn’t make a great deal to sense, but I’m thinking we thought it was cool at the time!”

“In early 1966, the nucleus that would come to represent the band formed, including Meador, Kelley, Justice and new members Bruce Bland on bass and Tommy Turner on keyboards. This incarnation solidified into a driving rock band that always brought down the house. They played venues such as Louann’s Club and the Studio Club in Dallas and Panther A’ Go-Go and The Box in Ft. Worth. During ’66, The Gentlemen opened for James Brown at the Dallas Convention Center, Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels, and The Beau Brummels at Louann’s. They played along side Jerry Lee Lewis and Roy Orbison at Panther A’ Go-Go.

“Tom Brown, president of Vandan Records heard us play at LouAnn’s Club in Dallas, and wondered if we would do some writing with him and Gene Garretson, his arranger. After several weeks, we came up with a song called ‘You Can’t Be True’ and what was considered the B side, ‘It’s a Cry’n Shame’. We liked ‘Cry’n Shame’ better, but Gene spent a lot of time arranging violins and multiple tracks for ‘You Can’t Be True’ so that was the track they pushed. It took us nearly two weeks to record ‘You Can’t Be True’, and as a complete after-thought, 2 takes and probably 1 hour to slam down ‘It’s a Cry’n Shame’. Therein lies the genuine spontaneity that makes it pure straight ahead punk rock, I suppose.

“The result was what has now become a garage rock classic. ‘It’s a Cry’n Shame’ has been referred to by the G45 LEGENDS listings as: ‘One of the top 10 tracks to play to anyone you need to convert to 60s garageism. Absolute perfection in every respect, including barnstorming drumming, scorching fuzz guitar complete with ripping break, bass alternately swooping and thumping. Add to this the distinctive vocals which combine the best pop sensibilities with the classic Texas punk sneer, and simple yet effective backing vocals. Everything’s just perfect.’

“Bruce Bland, our bass player, was playing a no brand bass guitar that he picked up at a thrift shop for $50. He had a Fender for gigs but this thing was so funky-butt ugly and had a fuzzy thumping sound, perfect for Cry’n Shame.

“Seab Meador had a gaping hole in the center of his Vox Super Beatle so that he could stick his guitar neck inside to get the Fuzz tone that is prevalent on ‘Cry’n Shame’. He was a big Yardbirds follower.”Mike Kelley, our singer and guitarist, stuck his finger in the master tape spool by accident when it was rewinding, causing the strange modulation during the final cord at the end of the record. Since the mix had been finalized, it stayed in….

“Brown then pressed 1 or 2 thousand of the dreadfully flat Vandan copies and sent them to his DJ cronies in Detroit, Philly and Boston for airplay.

“A few weeks later when we were having the photograph [above] made at the Studio Club in Dallas, a triumphant Brown walked in with a copy, (Jan. 1967) of Record World Magazine. In the 4 Star Rating column of hits to watch were 3 songs, ‘For What It’s Worth’, by the Buffalo Springfield, ‘Somebody to Love’, by the Jefferson Airplane, and ‘It’s a Cry’n Shame’ by the Gentlemen. We wondered how that could be at the time, whether Tom Brown paid someone for that privilege, but now I think maybe that song got there on it’s own merit. After all, it was suppose to be the B side. Ha.

“I remember when that 45 came out, it was sent to KLIF and KNOK radio stations is Dallas and they began to play it. We, of course, were completely beside ourselves. We had accepted a job playing at a large auditorium ‘go-go’ show in south Dallas with several other bands, but our new song established us as the band to beat. The promoters arranged to have 2 off duty Dallas police cars intercept us a few blocks from the gig. Girls were lined up several deep wanting autographs and such, so we had to run through them to get to our room back stage. Once there, a guard was stationed by our door and we could see girls jumping up to look in the little opera window, yelling and screaming.

“Bands were rotating equipment so that there were always 2 setups on stage. A band called Mike and the Midnighters played before us, and then it was our turn. We typically dressed in collarless jackets (Nehru Jackets they were called at the time) with gold ascots, stovepipe black slacks and Beatle boots, of course. What a crowd reaction! Several hundred wild kids whooping it up! When we finished and started off stage, several girls ran through the equipment to get to us, knocking over the Midnighter’s drum kit. The bass drum rolled over and fell off stage. They were very mad, but we were very happy, as this was about as close to ‘That 60’s British Rock Star Magic’ as a bunch of 16 year old kids from Dallas would ever get.

“It was 2 takes for Cry’n Shame because Tom Brown was out of money. Shortly after he showed up with the magazine, we showed up at his home to find a for sale sign and no furniture. We would find our later that he was down to his last cash and skipped town to avoid creditors. We never saw him again, but read that he moved to Los Angeles to start over. He died there not long after.

“In 1967, Seab Meador left the Gentlemen to pursue his quest for guitar immortality, including stints with Dallas bands The Bridge and The Werewolves. Guitarist Danny Sanchez who later played with the Roy Head band took over lead duties, but the magic that surrounded the core group was partially lost with Seab’s departure. The Gentlemen disbanded in early 1968 as other goals became important. Like so many bands of this era, we had an incredible time playing music that we loved during a time when 16 to 18 year old high school kids were able to live lives far more mature than their ages implied. It was a unique time that will never be repeated. Texas is known for braggin’ rights, and I realize that this bio contains some strong bragging, but I was and still am so proud to have played with such a great bunch of guys. You can’t buy that kind of friendship and strong ties. Seab and Mike have passed away, but I am still in touch with Tommy and Bruce and since we all still play our given instruments, a Gentlemen musical reunion is being discussed down in Dallas later this year. We may be a lot older, but at heart, we’re still kids from Oak Cliff and we can still rock.”

Tim Justice
Drummer, The Gentlemen

I asked Tim a few questions regarding the band:

Q. Didn’t the band start in Ft. Worth?

Tim: The Gentlemen were always from Dallas. Yes, we did play gigs in Ft. Worth, which as you know, had a thriving music scene of it’s own in the 60’s, but the guys from Norton Records who put the “Ft. Worth Teen Scene” compilations together either assumed or were told that we lived there. Not so.

Q. A band from Florida, the Invaders also performed at a movie theatre showing the Beatles movie Help! Strange coincidence, or maybe it wasn’t uncommon to have bands at movie theaters then?

Tim: I noticed that the Invaders had a similar newspaper clipping regarding HELP! That is a coincidence. I know that they must have had as much fun as we did. We played in the foyer of the theater and got paid PLUS great seats to watch the show. Big stuff for 16 year old kids.

Q. That set list is incredible, I can’t believe a band could play that many songs in one evening.

Tim: The playlist was pretty normal for a 4 hour gig back in those days. We would start around 7:30 and end up around 11:30 with 15 minute breaks in between sets. Each set was tweaked as we learned new songs. There were always a few requests, too.

Jimmie Randall on the Gentlemen:

“My connection was my friendship with Seab Meador. He introduced me to Tim and the other guitar player was Mike Kelley. They all went to Kimball High School in Dallas, I was at Sunset til we moved to Duncanville. They seemed to like my playing and let me be a sort of honorary member.

“I played with Lonnie on guitar in The Squires maybe that’s how I met Seab who knows? Not me. Everybody was changing bands so often then. I think because we were all learning to play and searching for a style and sound. It was like you sort of ‘outgrew’ one band and went on to the next size up. I do always say that the Gentlemen was the first ‘real’ band I was in. They had a real song list and could actually play.

“My time with the Gentlemen was really never as the ‘official’ bass player. I filled in some and played on a recording and on the Panther Hall TV show on Channel 11 from Ft.Worth. We even played a gig at Oak Cliff Country Club with two bass players …with predictable results. But we were 15 and 16 years old what did we know besides it was fun.

“Anyway as far as the Gentlemen recording I don’t really remember what was up with that. I know we did it at Summit Studios [Sumet Sound Studio]. I have the original acetate. These 2 songs [‘Beg, Borrow and Steal’ & ‘Here I Cannot Stay’] really showed off Seab’s early guitar licks and writing capabilities.

“It was recorded for our appearance on the Ft. Worth TV show that was on Friday nights on channel 11 from Panther Hall … a club on Camp Bowie. My first TV appearance was there with The Gentlemen. Seab and I got my mom to drive us over in her old Ford station wagon. First ‘out of town gig.’ Lots of local bands were on that show. I remember the night we were there a group called the Warlocks played I think Dusty and Rocky Hill were in that band they had a girl singer and all dressed in black. Also Johnny Green and the Green Men a show band with horns. Sort of a Wayne Cochran deal except with Giant green pompadour hair, instead of giant white pompadours.

“That was the first time I played with Seab. Later we tried to form a couple of bands, one of which was called the Hurricanes in Houston with Brian Papageorge and Ron Barnett. That became the Werewolves when Ron and I left to rejoin Gary Myrick in his band Slip of the Wrist. Seab was a great friend I was at the hospital the night before he died. He taught me a lot. I miss him still.”

After the Gentlemen, Jimmie Randall went on to play with Dallas groups The Styks and Stonz and The Beefeaters before joining Jo Jo Gunne.

As an interesting sidenote, Seab Meador did a short tour as a member (along with two future members of ZZ Top) of a fake version of the Zombies, a story told with great candor and excellent photos by fellow guitarist Mark Ramsey (Ramseur) at I Was a Teenage Fake Zombie.

The early acetate:

The Gentlemen – Beg Borrow or Steal
The Gentlemen – Here I Cannot Stay

Incredible rehearsal tape of It’s a Cry’n Shame:

The Gentlemen – It’s a Cry’n Shame (rehearsal)

The Vandan 45:
The Gentlemen – It’s a Cry’n Shame
The Gentlemen – You Can’t Be True

I detect a similarity between the riff of “It’s a Cry’n Shame” and Hilton Valentine’s opening to the Animals’ “Baby Let Me Take You Home”. Not to take anything away from Seab Meador, his playing is incredible. The Briks also did a version of this song not long before the Gentlemen cut “It’s a Cry’n Shame”.

The mastering of the Vandan 45 gives it a somewhat distorted, flat sound. Interestingly, a test pressing surfaced with both songs in better sound quality. It was labeled “Crimson Records”, but no one seems to know the definite origin of this copy. The master stampers are different from the Vandan release, and the markings in the dead wax are also unique.

According to Mark Taylor, the Crimson test pressing has in small handwriting “CRIMSON 1006A” and “B”, then “3 ∆ I”. The Vandan has a handwritten “TK4M 8303 1.” Mop Top Mike adds, “Dead wax details allow me to relay that the Crimson pressing is definitely 60s. The triangle and the “I” signify a Capitol custom pressing from the Scranton, Pennsylvania plant. The likely scenario – a better sounding copy was remastered for a subsequent pressing – perhaps the major label, Capitol records showed some interest, and the go ahead was made to upgrade from the original lacquer / stamper done by RCA. A second scenario – I believe the Gentlemen 45 was the last if not the second to last issued by the Caprice / Vandan label. The operators packing in the label might have had something to do with the new pressing.”

The liner notes to Ft Worth Teen Scene vol. 3 state that the band recorded the song for release on their own label (hence the Crimson Records test press), and then gave it to Vandan when they struck a deal. Tim Justice states, “There is no Crimson Record label per se. The now legendary Crimson copy is just that, a single copy which we believe to be the original master to disc recorded after the Vandan studio sessions and before the several thousand Vandan pressings were made.”

Credits: Photo of Seab in 1965 from the BigD60s yahoo group. Transfers of the Gentlemen test press 45 courtesy of Mark Taylor. Some of Tim’s recollections first appeared on the G45 Central site and are reproduced with permission. Quotes from Jimmie Randall from my correspondence with him as well as the BigD60’s group.

Categories: Amarillo, Texas, Tipton, United Artists

The Hysterical Society

December 23, 2007 Chris Bishop 26 Comments

Hysterical Society UA 45 Come With Me A double-sided winner from Amarillo, Texas. Both sides were written by M. Hinton (Markus Lee Hinton according to the song publishing info).

The producer Eddie Reeves was working for United Artists publishing at the time; he’d had a prior career as a vocalist with the Nighthawks and a solo 45 on Warwick, “Cry Baby” / “Talk Talk”. He was from Amarillo, and may have provided these songs for a home-town group.

There is a likely connection to a group who recorded a 45 as the Hysterical Society Boys, “Funny Face” / “I Got Shot Out Of The Saddle” on the EBR (Eddie B. Reeves) label in the early ’60s, but I haven’t heard that one yet. (Thanks Davie G for this info.)

Despite good songwriting, production and performance on both sides, the 45 didn’t make a dent in the charts.

The band had one more release, “I Put A Spell On You” b/w “Summertime (Variations)” on an Amarillo label, Tipton, in 1968.

Update May, 2018:

Michael Thom acquired a 10″ acetate of one song recorded at Associated Recording Studios in New York. Michael wrote, “the acetate is very badly damaged, with a lot of lacquer separation that goes through the entire disc”. Michael spent hours restoring the sound so we can hear what this unreleased song sounded like. Perhaps someone associated with the band has another copy of the demo, or the master tape from this session.

Click to hear an excerpt from “Ain’t Comin’ Back”

The Hysterical Society with friends including Mark Kirk

I knew next to nothing about the band until Woody Key contacted me about the band. I’ll reproduce the comment he left below here, because it contains so much info about the group:

The Hysterical Society lineup on this record (and most of their career) was Mark Hinton – guitar, organ, vocals; Ronnie House – guitar, vocals; Ken Hutchinson – bass, vocals; and Mike Pugh – drums, vocals. There was indeed a link between Eddie Reeves and the Hinton family; Mark Hinton’s uncle Mike was one of the members of the Hysterical Society Boys, which I think were a band that was formed in Austin when Mike went to University of Texas. I don’t think that Eddie Reeves was in the Hysterical Society Boys, but he and Mike Hinton were in the Nighthawks.
The record (and I think 4 more sides, which weren’t released) was done in New York City. The boys were excited to be in the Big Apple, and had the opportunity to meet Bob Dylan and Napoleon XIV of “They’re Coming to Take Me Away” fame.
The Hysterical Society were a popular TX Panhandle and regional band from 1966 – 1969. They recorded “Summertime” / “I Put a Spell On You” in 1968 at Norman Petty’s studio in Clovis, NM, with Norman producing. By this time, they had replaced Ken Hutchinson with David Fine on bass and keyboards. They eventually replaced Ronnie House with Mark Kay on guitar, and kept this lineup until they broke up in late 1969.
Mark Hinton and Eddie Reeves kept crossing paths musically, with Eddie producing demos by Mark’s band Piper in Los Angeles, and also Mark’s solo demo projects in the early ’70s.

Update January 2012

Ken Hutchinson sent in the photo at top, and answered some of my questions about the band:

The photo was one of my favorites and I’m happy that I found it. True that Eddie had some promo shots of us done while we were in New York but as the single never made a dent in the charts we saw proofs but I do not believe finished copies were ever made. My sister remembered some studio shots done in Amarillo by our mother who was a photographer with a local studio. My mother also took the shot that I sent you.
The formation of the band came about by a chance connection of me and Ronnie House, the lead guitar player. He also knew Mark Hinton from school and as he and I worked together he suggested that we get together with Mark who knew a drummer (Mike Pugh). At the first get together the chemistry was good and we decided to become a group. Mark and Mike were the real talent of the group and Ronnie and I were good enough to compliment them.
After a while we kind of took the Texas panhandle by storm as we were all high school students and were very good at copies. We practiced enough to keep our material current, were very energetic on stage and popular enough around school that the buzz got going pretty quick. What probably kicked us off the most was the opportunity to open for Buffalo Springfield and Jay and the Americans at The Amarillo Civic Center [Tri-State Exposition on June 23, 1967 with additional acts the Dearly Beloved and the Stumps – anyone have a poster of this?]. The crowd was packed and I believe we represented the local talent well as we were the only local band. There were a lot of people in the audience who had never heard of us and could not believe we were local. Members of both of the lead bands complimented us back stage on our performance.
The Hysterical Society February 1968
The connection with Eddie Reeves did indeed come through Mark’s uncle Mike Hinton who was pursuing a law degree at The University of Texas at Austin. He had booked us at some frat parties and such in Austin as he was still active in music and had a lot of connections down there. We had to be careful about booking Austin as it was a 500 mile drive one way from Amarillo but the pay was so good that it seems we were playing down there a lot. I’m not sure yet what those college kids saw in a high school band from Amarillo but we continued to be asked back.
Mike asked Eddie to come listen to us in Amarillo. I believe Eddie had some family ties in the area. He came, listened and asked us if we would be interested in coming to New York to record for the label – he would produce us and take care of us while there. How could four 17 year old kids refuse?
We did indeed cut six sides while there however the promo copy of the two that you acquired was all that was released. We received copies of the other four, but I have lost track of mine after being passed around to family members for 45 years. There were five rock and roll songs written by Mark and one ballad written by me recorded. Eddie picked the two for release.
“Come With Me” was very current for the time – it must have been as the Beatles used the same riff for “Tax Man” a short time later with a lot better result. The flip side, “I Know”, was, I think, a little ahead of it’s time but what is my opinion worth.
We did have the opportunity while in New York to meet Bob Dylan and Napoleon XIV but I doubt that it made any sort of impression on either of them as we were just some high school kids from Texas who happened to draw the attention of UA momentarily and they were stars. Probably just bored.
Drummer Mike Pugh
When I left the band I had an opportunity to tour with The Shirelles who later connected up with The Drifters and The Coasters. So I had a chance to appear on stage with all three for quite a while. This was late 1969 and the early ’70s and all three of the groups had seen the shining days of their careers go by but were still active on tour and still drew reasonably good crowds. I’m sure the groups I played with did not still retain all of the original members but the music was good, the crowds were large and the tour was fun so I stuck around for a while.
I also played with some opening bands around Los Angeles while we were there and got to meet quite a few more “stars” and perform for huge crowds. When I finally decided that what I was doing was really to big for me I returned to Amarillo. I was after all married with children and needed to settle down.
I took a break from music that turned out to be extended to almost 20 years before the itch was too much trouble to scratch and started playing again about 1992.
A couple of really good local bands and about 15 years later I took another break and do not at 62 have much desire to do it any more. That’s why I respect Woody Key so much. He is not that much younger than me and is still out there doing it every day and succeeding. The difference between an artist and a practitioner I guess but I would not give one minute of it back for anything.
Ken (Hutchinson) Warren

Thank you to Woody for info on the band, and to Ken Warren for the photo at top and history of the band.

Special thank you to Mike Pugh’s niece Deborah for providing scans of all the photos except the top one. These were added to this article in November, 2014.

The Hysterical Society Early Promo Photo 1 — From left: Ken Hutchinson, Mark Hinton, Mike Pugh and Ronnie House

Categories: Sherman, Texas

The Marquees of Sherman, Texas

November 25, 2007 Chris Bishop 2 Comments

The Marquees were a high school group out of Sherman, TX, northeast of Dallas. They never recorded, but shared a small local live scene with Bill Galleon’s the Passions (“Lively One” / “You’ve Got Me Hurtin'” on Pic 1 records), the Jack Rafters and the Coachmen with Steve Chase.

Members were Mark Higgins and Mark Kennedy on vocals, Dan Witt and Elon Reynolds on guitars, Eddie Moughon bass and George Tocquigny on drums. They had a great website (http://thefabulousmarquees.com/history_01.htm – defunct as of 2022) with lots of photos and history of the band, and even some silent Super 8 footage.

Categories: Bismark, Dallas, Denton, Dot, Texas

The Briks of Denton and Dallas TX

October 18, 2007 Chris Bishop 33 Comments

The Briks, left-right: Mike Meroney, Cecil Cotten, Richard Borgens, Lee Hardesty and Steve Martin

The Briks came from a band called the Embers who formed at Texas Tech in Lubbock in 1965, with Richard Borgens on vocals and lead guitar, Lee Hardesty on guitar, Bobby Daniels, and Steve Martin on drums. The band relocated to Denton, outside Dallas, and Gainesville, TX, where some of them attended Cooke County Junior College, a “home for the academically ill” as one teacher put it. There they met Cecil Cotten, who became their lead singer, and bassist Mike Meroney and changed their name to the Briks.

An early photo of the Briks, l-r: Lee Hardesty, Richard Borgens, Cecil Cotten, Steve Martin on drums, and Mike Meroney

Lee Hardesty wrote on the BigD60s site:

Some of the Briks lived at the Stella St. apartments for a while. Cecil, Steve, Reggie Lang (manager) and I had a place there and Tommy Carter was just down a few doors. Across the courtyard is where Bob Story and Johnny Hale lived and they were some wild and crazy guys! Just around the corner at the next complex is where “The Four Speeds” lived (later they became “Felicity”). That was a fun time for the most part but I think our apt. was a mess. Some of us were driving back and forth to CCJC in Gainesville at the time.

The Briks signed with the Bismark agency, run by George Rickrich, who also managed the Chessmen. Whit Snell of the Beefeaters remembers Rickrich this way:

George was the Godfather of the music scene in Denton. He and Charlie Hatchet from Austin controlled everything north of San Antonio all the way to the Oklahoma border. His so-called real job was Manager of the Campus Theater on the Denton square. Here, at the back and above the large dimly lit balcony, was George’s office, Bismark Agency, filled with movie posters, black and white photos of bands, food wrappers and heaps of clutter, scribbled phone numbers, scratched out and circled dollar figures. There, on his desk, were two or three black telephones, their rotary dials worn shinny silver from thousands of calls made by George’s stubby fingers.

Lee Hardesty adds: “George Rickrich started that laser light show in Forth Worth at the planetarium in the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History. At one point I helped him with some of the electronics and got a bunch of free passes to the movie theater as payment.”

Their first recordings were distributed on acetates only. Both “I’m Losing” and “It’s Your Choice” are classic garage numbers and it’s a shame these weren’t released on 45.

There are two versions of “It’s Your Choice”. One features a twelve-string guitar, and the band takes the song at a fast pace. The other has an altogether tougher sound. On this version Cecil’s vocals are nothing less than menacing. The band generates an ominous, intense sound with Mike Meroney’s repetitive bass line, the jangling guitar, drum fills and occasional harmonies. There’s a good, trebly guitar solo and a neat break with just bass, drums and handclaps.

The Briks – It’s Your Choice
The Briks – It’s Your Choice (12-string version)

Steve Martin slams out the beat on “I’m Losing,” which also features their first use of a distortion pedal on the guitar. The band’s harmonies add to Cecil’s lead vocal but his voice still cuts through. It’s a great sound.

The Briks – I’m Losing

The Briks at Cook County Junior College, clockwise from bottom left: Mike Meroney, Reggie Lang (manager), Cecil Cotten, Richard Borgens, Lee Hardesty and Steve Martin

Lee Hardesty: I can’t speak for the differing versions. I remember recording them only once at Sellers (downtown Dallas). It was our first trip to the studio and I remember the engineer running out of the control room saying “There’s something wrong here! I’m hearing horrible distortion!!” We laughed because he had never heard a fuzztone before and didn’t know it was intentional. Actually he was probably right about the sound though. That was my original (homemade) fuzz box, built into a wooden English Leather box, and I imagine it probably did sound pretty horrible.
When we had finished recording we asked for a 45 and they cut us one right there on the spot (cutting lathe). We drove out to KBOX on flagpole hill (about midnight) and went around to the back of the building. I think the DJ was the only one there so we knocked on the window and he opened it to talk to us. We gave him the 45 and went back to our car and listened to it on the radio! What a thrill! Seems a little more difficult to get things on the radio these days.

The Briks at the Studio Club, 1966 — At the Studio Club, 1966

The Briks released their first 45, the poppy “Can You See Me?” on Bismark in ’66, though garage fans love the flip side, “Foolish Baby”. Both sides are originals by Richard Borgens and Cecil Cotten. Dot label picked it up for national distribution and to promote the record the Briks traveled to Houston for shows at the Catacombs, around November of 1966.

Lee Hardesty: It was a big thrill the first time we played there. We were given some real star treatment, ads on the radio stations, radio station interviews, a dinner I believe. I think they might have been a little underwhelmed though because that stuff ended after our first night. It was a cool place (glad we didn’t use pyrotechnics back then!!) but I liked the parties and other dance halls better where it wasn’t so much of a show thing. I liked playing when people were dancing more.

Mike Meroney: I also recall that the Dot record rep showed up and threw records to the audience. I also recall that we changed outfits between each set and broke a guitar or two. How nutty was that? We appeared on the Larry Kane show during one of those trips to Houston. I remember listening to the Catacombs promos on the radio as we approached Houston – that would pump us up.

On one trip to the Catacombs they were overshadowed by the professionalism of Baton Rouge’s Greek Fountains.

Mike Meroney: We went back there several times with various versions of the band. The last gig there that I remember was a bit humbling. We were the headliners but they had another band that played during our breaks. All I remember was they were awesome, kind’a kicked our butts, and it was hard to get back up there and do a second set. They were some band from Louisiana and had real good players, PA, etc.
As I recall their name was the Greek Fountains or something like that. They were good. It seems like the most common technical challenges in those days were with PA systems. They never could seem to catch up with the rest of the stuff. As a bass player I felt techno disadvantaged as well. It was hard to keep up with the Hardesty. It was never loud enough or clear enough or punchy enough. The first set up that I felt even reasonably satisfied with was dual Kustom towers. This Louisiana band did have a good equipment setup including an awesome PA.

Another venue for the Briks was the legendary Louanns.

Cecil Cotten: We had to audition in order to play. The audition was done while Mrs. Bovis and her family were eating dinner. This was in 1966. There were two stages one on each end and another completely different room on the other side and yes a beer garden.

The Briks also played Sump N Else [local TV show hosted by Ron Chapman] and played two songs. “I’m A Man” (Yardbirds) and “Baby Let Me Take You Home” (Animals). I remember the window that allowed people to look in on the show while they were at the North Park Mall. It was like being in Hollywood for us. We were still in our late teens or early 20’s and felt invincible.

In a comment below which I’ll repeat here, Bud Buschardt writes:

The Briks appeared on the Sump’n Else show on October 10, 1966. The music log lists them playing a song called “Keep Down.” When a group appeared on the show, they also performed live for the pre-show warm up. Perhaps that is when they played the cover songs mentioned in the bio. Our music lists were often made out in a hurry before the show, so there could have possibly been a misunderstanding of the song title, especially if no one in the group remembers “Keep Down.”

What sounds like a studio version of “Baby Let Me Take You Home” exists, and it’s a great version with an intro that’s reminiscent of the riff to the Gentlemen’s “It’s a Cry’n’ Shame”, fine drumming, 12-string guitar and a rave-up ending. It’s likely the Briks recording came first – could it have influenced the Gentlemen’s legendary guitarist Seab Meador? In any case, I believe it was Animals’ guitarist Hilton Valentine who came up with that riff for “Baby Let Me Take You Home” in 1964.

The Briks at Taylor Ranch — At Taylor Ranch
from left: Mike Meroney, Lee Hardesty, Cecil Cotten

In August ’66 Cecil Cotten, Steve Martin, the band’s manager Reggie Lang, and Mike Neal of the Jackals all joined the Air Force together, drafted after they’d left Cooke County Junior College. Chris Vanderkolk replaced Steve Martin on drums. Paul Ray replaced Cecil on vocals, singing on a version of “Keep Down” recorded at IRL. It’s an interesting original with organ and descending bass line, and appeared years later with other Briks material on the old vinyl compilation Texas Punk vol. 7.

March 17-18, 1967 the Briks play at the Box in Fort Worth.

Paul Ray soon left to join the Cobras. Cecil was out of the service and back in the band by January, 1967, and Jamie Herndon came in on lead guitar, replacing Richard Borgens, who wanted to try production work and folk-oriented music.

Later that year the Briks released a second 45, a cover of Cream’s “NSU” b/w “From a Small Room”, an original by Borgens. Part of a show at the Northwood Country Club was recorded, the set list full of songs made famous by British bands: “Til the End of the Day”, “NSU”, “The Nazz Are Blue”, “Heart Full of Soul”, and “I’m a Man”. There’s also a live version of “Everybody Needs Someone to Love” that, to my ears, comes from an earlier live performance show. All of these are collected on Texas Punk vol. 8.

Lee Hardesty: I think that one of those unissued songs was actually recorded at Mike Meroney’s house using his father’s tape deck. The song “Over You” was an original by Jamie Herndon and the real title was “Green Green” if I’m thinking of the same thing here.

“Over You” has a lot of potential as a song, with moody, churning verses going into a brief ooh-ing “over you” and a short fast break. On the version I heard, the sounds of a guitar and bass doing some practice runs intrudes on the recording briefly about 35 seconds in.

The lyrics are hard to make out, but I can hear some snippets like “the sky is blue the night is black the sea is green …” The song finishes with an intense 12-string guitar solo that lasts a full minute over a bass line reminiscent of Cream’s “”Tales of Brave Ulysses”.

I’ve read they also cut a version of “It Won’t Be Wrong” but if so, I haven’t heard it.

The Briks after Cecil Cotten returned to the band
Rear l-r: Mike Meroney, Chris Vanderkolk, Cecil Cotten. Front l-r: Lee Hardesty and Jamie Herndon

The Briks broke up by 1968 and Cecil joined a band with some members of the Chessmen, who had also just split. Cecil told me “Jimmy Rabbit managed a band called Texas which included Jimmy Vaughn guitar, Cecil Cotten vocalist, Tommy Carter bass, Billy Etheridge keyboards and on drums Sammy Piazza. We did some recording at Robin Hood Brians studio in Tyler (I would really like to have a copy of those tapes). We played only a few times and one of those times was opening for The Jeff Beck Group with Rod Stewart at Louanns in Dallas.”

In 1969, Cotten moved out to San Francisco with Benny Rowe of the Wig, Steve Karnavas of the Chaparrals, and Keith Ferguson, where they gigged as Benny, Cecil and the Snakes.

Richard Borgens sang on The Truth’s 45, “Chimes on 42nd Street” / “When Was Then”.

The Briks reunited once, in 1996 at White Rock Lake.

Lee Hardesty: It was really a pretty short run for the original Briks, just a year and a half or so, then another year or so with Paul and Chris and Jamie I would guess. A lot happened in a fairly short time and it was quite a while ago. If we’d only had a clue we should have been writing and recording a lot more. Richard had more talent in that area than we realized at the time, and so did Mike for that matter. Somehow I just don’t think I had any idea what we were doing or what the potential was. It was mostly just fun and a way to make some money. And it was a lot of fun sometimes.

I’m very sad to report that Cecil Cotten passed away on Friday, April 4, 2008 in Winnsboro, TX, at the age of 62. In recent years Cecil and former Briks bandmate Mike Neal recorded a CD of blues-inspired songs as The Pickin’ Cotten Band. I greatly regret I never met Cecil in person, and his music will always mean a great deal to me.

Update February 2020: I’m very sorry to write that Richard Borgens passed away on November 25, 2019. He was a faculty member at Purdue University and founded the Center for Paralysis Research “to develop clinical therapies for injury and disease of the human nervous system” and that he was “regarded as a preeminent researcher in spinal cord neuronal regeneration.”

Thank you to the BigD60’s site for the history and photos of the band, and to Andrew B. for contributing the transfer of the incredible acetate of “It’s Your Choice”.

Cecil Cotten of the Briks performing live on the train to Waco Denton Record Chronicle, December 8, 1965

Categories: Blacknight, Dallas, Empire, In Records, Sellers Company Recording Studio (Dallas), Texas

Kit and the Outlaws “Don’t Tread on Me”

October 5, 2007 Chris Bishop 64 Comments

Kit and the Outlaws, 1967
l-r: Kit Massengill, Joe Jessmer on drums, Jerry Colwell at the mic and Alan Ravkind

Kit and the Outlaws evolved from the Outlaws, the Dallas group led by Kit Massengill. As the Outlaws, they had a great early Texas garage 45 on the In label, produced by Tommy Allsup. Both sides, “Worlds Apart” / “Fun, Fame & Fortune” were written by Kit.

With a change of members, the group hit the big time with their second 45, a fuzzed-up version of “Midnight Hour”. It was picked up by Philips for national distribution in late 1966, mainly on the strength of the a-side. That’s a fine cover version, but it’s the b-side, Kit’s original “Don’t Tread on Me”, that gets the attention nowadays.

The first BlacKnight pressings list the band as “The Outlaws”, later pressings read “Kit and the Outlaws”. Philips licensed the single through its subsidiary Mercury Records, from San-Lin Corporation on November 23, 1966.

Members included:

Kit Massengill – lead vocals and rhythm guitar
Dennis Lowe – lead guitar
Jerry Colwell – keyboards
Alan Ravkind – bass
Joe Jessmer – drums

There is also one further 45 as Kit and the Outlaws, “Now Doubt About It” / “Mama’s Gone” on the Empire label, another of Bob Sanders’ labels. Both sides written by Kit Massengill and published by Tall Pine Music, Black Knight Production. I don’t know the date of this one, or where it fits in to the chronology of their releases, but it seems to be a rare 45.

Alan Ravkind - bass

I recently heard from keyboardist and occasional vocalist Jerry Colwell, and asked him about Kit and recording “Don’t Tread on Me”:

I met Kit in late ’65, he was working with the owner of the Cotton Club, a topless bar on Lemmon Ave. He had a bass player named Alan Rafkin [actually Alan Ravkind], and drummer named Joe Jesmer [Joe Jessmer seems to be correct spelling], but needed a keyboard player and lead guitar. I was on my way out of a band called the Gobyzurks, we were a college and night club band in North Texas.
Dennis Lowe was the lead guitar and I was the organ player. Dennis and I went to high school together and were fairly good friends. Kit told us we had 2 weeks to learn about 50 songs and play nightly at this club.

Kit & the Outlaws, recording Midnight Hour at Sellers Recording Studio, Dallas — Recording Midnight Hour at Sellers Recording Studio, Dallas

After about a year of playing night clubs in Dallas we recorded the record Midnight Hour/ Don’t Tread on Me. The Sellers Studio was close to downtown [2102 Jackson Street]. I sang on the song Don’t Tread on Me, as background.We had it pressed on the Black Knight Label. Frank Jolly at KBOX really liked us and would play the song every night, Finally all the DJ’s at KBOX started playing the song and it went up the charts. [It reached #1 on KBOX on December 2, 1966.] We were shocked that it was doing so good. KLIF wouldn’t play it cause we wern’t with a major record label.
Thanks to Bob Sanders, the recording engineer for the Sellers studio and our manager, we got signed to a 5 year contract with Philips. And changed our name to Kit and the Outlaws.

We played at a daily televised venue called “Something Else” [Sump’N Else] hosted by Ron Chapman, as well as opening for Sonny & Cher, The Hollies, Herman Hermitts, Noel Harrison, and The Byrds. We toured and had some great stories, like me and Kit putting a huge dead fish in the Galvez hotel swimming pool one night at three in the morning. Had pictures of Graham Nash and the Hollies drinking about 14 cases of beer before they went on at Will Rodgers in Fort Worth.By 1968 was almost 20 and still hadn’t completed high school, somehow lost interest due to work and touring. Can you imagine going to high school and having a #1 record. Needless to say I dated just about anyone, and I did!

Early days:

The Malibus, 1964

Started playing bass guitar and got with some older guys called the Centurys in Mesquite. Later [1964] formed my first band “The Malibus” with Don Doss, Gary Stultz, & Glen Milsap. Started playing in old bars down on Grand and Haskel Ave. These places had dirt floors, we used to put a hat down and play Jimmy Reed stuff. Thats how I learned blues harp.

The Kavemen backing Chuck Berry at Surfers a Go go

Later joined the #1 Dallas band The Cavemen 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 were also played at Louanns many times.

The Kavemen, Dallas 1965
from left to right: Roland Allen, Jimmy Allen, Rodney Vinyard, Tommy Fonseca, Bill Walden & Jerry Colwell

In 1965 my favorite club was the Purple Orchard in downtown were my buddy Little Anthony was the host. I could go in just about any night club in Dallas and get a drink for free when I was just 16. Had a great time one night with Fats Domino.

The Gobezerks at the Sugar Shack in Mesquite

In 1966 played with “The Gobezurks” a college and night club band, I dressed in drag for some of the songs and would fall off the stage as if I was drunk.The Outlaws broke up in spring of 1968 and I went on to form the Jerry Layne Orchestra with 10 various horns and a stand up bass with Teresa Morrision on vocals.
I still play a B-3 and have recorded and produced 3 live CD’s in Austin.

Jerry Colwell with Kit & the Outlaws — Special thanks to Jerry Colwell for his history of the band and photos.

Update, February 2021:

March 1966 demo tape of Kit & the Outlaws from Sellers Recording

George Gimarc sent this image of an early demo tape of Kit & the Outlaws from March, 1966. “Fame, Fun and Fortune” is a different version than the In single. The other three songs are “Wanted”, “You Are My Sunshine” and “Lonely Avenue”. None have been released. The tape was found in the storage of the Sellers Company Recording Studio.

Update, September 2021:

Ron Lansing wrote to me about early days with the Outlaws:

I started playing with Kit when he joined my band Revelee’ in early 1965. We had met when my band was playing Louanns. Kit played with my band at a Mardis Gras party in February of 1966.
He and I both played with other bands from time to time. Band members came and went just like many of my high school buds who I played with at the time. Ultimately I ended up playing lead guitar with Kit when he and I along with Joe Jesmer and Tommy Johnson (I think that is correct last name) formed The Outlaws.

I am not positive, but I think our trip to Odessa with our ‘Outlaw’ band was in April 1966 to record the two songs Kit and Joe Jesmer came up with.

Categories: B. Ware, Dallas, Garland, Texas

The Chants “Hypnotized”

September 17, 2007 Chris Bishop 22 Comments

The Chants released one great 45 in late 1966, “Hypnotized” b/w “Elaina”. The B. Ware label was owned by William Ware, who ran the Pirates’ Nook club and his booking agency at the 4420 Elm St. address listed on the label. Bill Ware gave me the phone number of Chants’ vocalist Darrel Howard, which led to a long conversation with Darrel and lead guitarist David Norfleet about their time in music.

The Chants formed at Garland High School. David Norfleet had started out on steel guitar, but after hearing Elvis he knew he wanted to be playing rock n’ roll, and Chuck Berry became his main inspiration on guitar. Ron Vargesko played rhythm guitar, Forest Eubank drums, and Brownie Sherrill played bass.

Darrel Howard’s best friend in high school, Tommy Galbert, was the keyboard player for the group. When their original lead singer left to go to college, Darrel volunteered to sing. When Tommy went into the Navy, the band did without a keyboardist for some time.

The Pirate’s Nook nightclub opened in 1963 on the corner of Elm & Carroll in east Dallas, then a hot area for night life. The club had once been an old hotel, with a glass showcase out front announcing the bands. It had high ceilings, a central stage and platforms on the sides for go-go dancers. I was surprised to hear there was no dance floor, though.

The Chants auditioned for the gig at the Pirates Nook and started there in early 1966, taking over for the Chapparals. The Nook previously hosted extended residencies from Oklahoma’s Five Americans, who were discovered by Abnak there; the Allusions (also from Oklahoma); and the Just Us Five.

The band played six nights a week to packed crowds for about a year and a half. Brownie and Forest were still seniors in high school at the start. The Chants’ live act consisted mostly of Top 40 covers, including James Brown, Beatles, and Sam and Dave hits. They played occasional shows outside the Nook if the money was good, including once at Texas Tech with the Chessmen. Unfortunately their live show was never recorded.

The band rarely played original songs while at the Nook. During practice Bill Ware heard them rehearsing a couple of David’s original songs and decided they should make a record. The band went to the old Sumet Sound Studios (later Sumet-Burnet Recording, I believe) in late ’66. Darrel Howard sang lead on Hypnotized, and David Norfleet sang Elaina.

Rhythm guitarist Ron Vargesko had grown up playing the accordion, and while trying the studio’s organ he came up with keyboard parts the band decided to work into the record. After the session the other members told Ron he should move over to keyboards permanently!

Both sides showed commercial potential, leading the big Dallas top 40 station KBOX to chose it as a pick hit. KBOX wanted the Chants to promote the 45 at station-sponsored shows around town. Bill Ware had the band under contract, though, and wouldn’t let them play to promote the record without payment. KBOX, of course, pulled it from their playlist and the record sank.

The band felt Bill had blown this chance, and that if another opportunity came up in the future he might interfere with that as well. When their contract ran out they wouldn’t resign.

The band moved to the Cajun Club at the Quarter Apartments on Maple Ave. This was the nicer of the two Cajun Clubs. The one on the east side, where Dusty Hill played with the Warlocks, was a dive in comparison.

At the Cajun Club the band became friends with the Five Americans who lived at the apartments and were often at the club. The Five Americans worked with the Chants on some songs, but according to David, everything came out sounding like the Five Americans!

David also worked with two bartenders at the Cajun Club, John Broberg and Randy Shelton. Broberg and Shelton had written a song called Help Me Find a Way with Neal St. John. David went into the studio with them a few times, and a 45 of the song was released as by The Upper Class on Charay. It later was picked up for national release by the United Artists Smash label, but never became a hit.

While at Cajun club Ron quit and Forest was drafted. Finding new members, the Chants took to the road, ending up in Lawton, Oklahoma with a residency at the Tradewinds club. One by one band members left; by the time the Chants finished up in California, only the bass player was left. While at the Tradewinds. David quit music for three years to take care of his wife and new baby.

Darrel Howard left the Chants and joined Quest from 1969-1975, singing and playing keyboards, and recording a privately-pressed album with them. He retired from playing music professionally, and started building race cars.

David Norfleet went into the Hyde Park Circus, played at the Fog Club and Soul City. The Fog was an afterhours place, and touring acts like Jimi Hendrix, Bobby Hatfield of the Righteous Brothers, and John Fogerty sat in while he was there. David went to Europe in ’77-’80 with the Bandits, sharing bills with Dire Straits, Golden Earring, and the Boomtown Rats at the Paradiso Club in Amsterdam. He returned to Dallas and continued working in music professionally until just a few years ago.

Updates

David Norfleet passed on July 4, 2008.

Bill Ware, proprietor of the Pirate’s Nook and owner of the William Ware Agency passed away on May 9, 2012. When I corresponded with Bill a few years ago he had fond memories of the Nook and the bands that played there. He kindly allowed me to use photos from his site for this article.

Ron Vargesko passed away on June 6, 2013, according to a comment below.

Categories: Houston, International Artists, Texas

Lost and Found

August 28, 2007 Chris Bishop 21 Comments

The Misfits photo 1966 — The Misfits, 1966

The Lost and Found came out of Houston, and originally called themselves the Misfits. Members were Peter Black guitar and vocals, Jimmy Frost lead guitar and James Harrell on bass. John Kearney of the Spades played with them for a short while after the Spades had split up in 1965, and they went through a succession of drummers, first Norman Blythe, then Mickey Bishop, and finally Steve Webb.

The Misfits played shows at Love Street and La Maison, where, according to Jimmy Frost, they met the 13th Floor Elevators for the first time. The Elevators would have a huge influence on their sound, and their friendship with Roky Erickson and Stacy Sutherland would eventually lead to an introduction to the International Artists label. At the start of a six month residency at Scott Holtzman’s Living Eye in Houston, they became the first Texas group busted for LSD. Jimmy Frost remembers Peter, James and Mickey facing charges, and that one of the reasons the band signed with International Artists was because its owners, Bill Dillard and Noble Ginther, were lawyers who could help them with the bust. Supposedly the charges were dismissed because the drug was not yet illegal! However, the notoriety of the bust led to the name change to the Lost and Found, appropriate in any case for the increasingly psychedelic direction of their music.

The Living Eye ad with the Lost and Found, the Coastliners, Neal Ford & the Fanatics

George Banks, a friend of the band who took over management of the Misfits, remembers this time differently:

I spoke with James Harrell, just to confirm what I am about to list. First, the MISFITS was a name Micky Bishop came up with, as it was a group he played with in the Navy. He was the first drummer, and to James’ recollection, Kearney never played in the group. After Micky, his younger brother Steve also played drums in the band and as I recall then Webb. There may have been the other fella you mention [Norman Blythe], but I do not know him. We all met the Elevators in Austin, before they played the infamous Jade Room gig, and all remain friends to this day. I was maybe a try-to-be manager with the original Misfits, after leaving the military; and then later the Lost and Found, but I also assisted (I’ll describe it that way) Euphoria, which you rarely see any info about.
La Maison, second location, 319 McGowan at Bagby
Euphoria did come into Houston about high times for the Elevators and others of the IA time frame. They were a sizzlin’ three piece group. Wesley Watt, David Potter, drums and Pat.. I forget his last name.. on bass (early on, in CA, Pat was with a surf group, pre-Beach Boys, and they were very successful in their locale.) Euphoria and the guys from the Misfits got along quite well and … through some differences .. all together left for LA, minus Frost, who having married early on and was with their first child, did not travel to CA with everyone else. We played around out there got a recording contract. I brought the first release [Hungry Woman / No Me Tomorrow 45 on the Mainstream label] back to Houston and presented it to Larry Kane. It didn’t really take off, Euphoria hadn’t stuck around town long enough to really develop any notoriety, or following.
The band in LA went through a lot of emotional changes in part due to the fact that Wesley and David were married (and drugs). The times got tough, to even feed ourselves. James, Pete and I headed back to Houston, the rest kind of picks up with the bust after we had been back a month or two. Micky was not included in the bust in ’66, it was his younger brother Steve and another fella, a writer, Roger Hamilton (deceased) aka William West, and James. Their arrests were dismissed, we each served 10 year probation sentences. I don’t believe that the signing with International Artists had anything to do with there being attorneys in the head office. If I am mistaken, well, I don’t know every minute detail of all these guys lives, but we did live and recreate together often. It was not the notoriety that changed the bands name (I don’t think). But having returned from CA and playing with/as Euphoria the group was rejoined with Jimmy Frost. So I felt the absence from and the reunion, as it were, with the whole band, it was .. well .. Lost and Found.

Their first 45, “Everybody’s Here” / “Forever Lasting Plastic Words” shows the lighter side of their repertoire, and the band complained that IA toned down their sound. The engineer was Frank Davis who worked with other IA bands, like the Elevators and the Golden Dawn. Though at times sounding like the Elevators, their LP has many good songs such as “I Realize” and “There Would Be No Doubt”. George Banks did the cover art for their LP as well as the covers of the Elevators’ Easter Everywhere and Golden Dawn’s Power Plant.

By the time they recorded their second and last 45 in ’68, their sound was totally original and psychedelic. “Professor Black” is supposed to be about Pete Black, it was written by Black, James Harrell and George Banks. “When Will You Come Through” is just as good, with searing guitar work. This 45 was produced by Fred Carroll, an interesting figure in Texas garage history. Fred Carroll (real name Fred Courtney, Jr) founded International Artists in October of ’65, but sold it soon after, then returned as a producer after Lelan Rogers left. He also started the Solar label and managed the Coastliners. He passed away in late June, 2007.

There were other songs recorded around this time for a second LP, but before that could come to pass, International Artists booked them on a tour of Texas, Louisiana and Alabama with the Music Machine.

Jimmy Frost: “When we got back International Artists said we owed them money and that just finished the band off, we didn’t see any money from the tour, and we were all so broke that the band just split up.”

A demo tape of two songs exists. “25 MPH” showed up on Epitaph for a Legend, the other, “Girl with a One Track Mind” I haven’t heard. Still under contract from IA, Pete Black and James Harrell reluctantly played about a dozen dates with Stacy Sutherland and Danny Thomas in a ersatz version of the 13th Floor Elevators after the release of the fake “Live” album in July of ’68. This lineup of the Elevators may have included Steve Webb, who I’ve read was able to mimic Roky’s wailing vocals.

Pete Black joined Endle St. Cloud. I’ve read Steve Webb played drums with Potter St. Cloud and Euphoria, but that conflicts with David Potter’s account (and Potter certainly was the drummer on Potter St. Cloud’s album). Steve Webb passed away a few years ago.

George Banks continues on the connections between the Lost and Found, Endle St. Cloud and Euphoria:

Alan Mellinger (Endle St. Cloud) .. some how.. after we’d left LA.. wound up in LA playin’ around with Euphoria.. in fact they released an album – [A Gift From] Euphoria. James Harrell, after the bust here in Houston, returned to LA (he did studio work for a couple of years) and may have been on that album also (?). Euphoria later did an extensive tour with Blue Cheer. I visited Alan in Morrison, CO some many years ago where he and his wife and two children were doing quite well, as Alan was a partner in a Clinical Drug and Alcohol Re-Hab Practice in Denver. While there we called David Potter, who at the time was living in I believe, Wisconsin or Minnesota, working construction as a masonry contractor. A couple of years later I heard that Alan died of a heart attack.. and so ends my immediate and intimate association with the ‘Music World’ of the 60’s. As a footnote I think that Frank Davis, besides being one of Texas’s true hidden jewels as a performer, did all he could with the available equipment of the times.

Sources include: Interview with Jimmy Frost in Not Fade Away #4, Paul Drummond’s Eye Mind, and my correspondence with George Banks. Photos by their manager, Gary Iwers. Misfits business card from the collection of Andrew Brown. La Maison photo courtesy of Nancy Kuehl.

Categories: Angleton, Custom, Texas

The Reddlemen

August 23, 2007 Chris Bishop 2 Comments

The Reddlemen of Angleton were one of three garage acts on the Custom label out of Tyler. They cut this one great 45, the amazing “I’m Gonna Get in that Girl’s Mind”, with the Byrds-influenced “I Can’t Go On This Way” on the flip.

Les Roberts of the Brym-Stonz Ltd. remembers the Reddlemen and their guitarist and songwriter, Michael Cotton:

You asked about the Reddlemen, they were great musicians. The lineup was Pat Harris vocals, Jim Howell Rhythm guitar and electric piano, Charles Smith bass, Gary Cotton drums, and Mike Cotton lead guitar. [Later,] Rick Hutchinson replaced Mike in the Reddlemen.
Mike was this incredible guitarist. He played a strat and used banjo strings to stretch and bend for his solos long before light gauge strings and unwound G strings came about.
Mike went out to California in the mid-sixties and was roommates with his cousin Keith Allison who played with Paul Revere and the Raiders on a show called Where the Action Is! Mike played guitar on the opening theme to the show. He auditioned for the Beau Brummels also. Tragically he was killed in Vietnam.

An old auction for their 7″ master tape reel mentions two unreleased songs by the band. I’ve never heard these and don’t know the titles.

For more on the Custom label, see entries for The Brym-Stonz Ltd. and Billy McKnight.

Reddlemen business card from the collection of Andrew Brown.

Categories: Commerce, Dallas, Texas, Twilight, Unknown

The Shade “All Is Gone” on Twilight

August 20, 2007 Chris Bishop 2 Comments

A real obscurity here. I’m not sure where the band was from, but the label was based in Commerce, Texas, about 60 miles northeast of Dallas.

“All Is Gone” is a monster of a song, with a spooky organ sound and unrelenting snare beat. The loud mastering leads to some distortion in the 45. The songwriting credits go to Humphrey – Bates, who I suppose were band members.

For the A-side they went with a safer bet, a good cover of “Big Boy Pete”. The Olympics had the big hit with this song, but judging from the Shade’s arrangement I think they probably picked this up from Paul Revere and the Raiders first album.

Their producer was Mike Stanglin, who told me, “My family owned the Twilight Skating Rink in Pleasant Grove section of Dallas. The Shade was a very good band that played there for the “sock hops” that I was in charge of. Roy Clark was the lead singer, who later called himself Royce Clark to keep from being confused with Roy Clark the country singer. I went to college at East Texas State University in Commerce, TX, hence the Commerce address.”

The Shade 45 was recorded at Sumet Studio (the first one) in Dallas. Mike had produced a couple other 45s prior to this, and continued releasing records on Twilight into the late 70’s, including a rap single by FBI…Fresh Brothers International. As for the Shade, they seem to have disappeared.

Categories: Dallas, Ride, Texas, Unknown

Lil’ Henry and his Soul Express

August 18, 2007 Chris Bishop 14 Comments

Not garage, Lil’ Henry and his Soul Express is a Texas soul/funk act that I’m posting because I can’t find any information about this record anywhere.

“Baby” repeats the same couple of themes for its two and a half minutes, but does so with soulful energy. The flip side is a more laid-back piece called “Girls”. Both songs are credited to H. Gentry, so his name may be Henry Gentry.

The Ride label was located in both Dallas and out in L.A. at some point, and may have been one of Mel Alexander’s labels. The publisher, Little “m” Music is a Dallas company, and that’s all I can tell you about this.

There’s also a Little Henry and the Laveers 45 covering “Georgia on My Mind” and Jesse Hill’s “Whip It On Me”, on the Laveer label out of San Antonio. As you can see from the comments below, most agree that Henry Parilla, aka Little Henry Lee is not the same person as Lil Henry from the Ride 45. It sounds like a different singer to my ears.

Garage Hangover