From left; Steve Epperly (drums), David Epperly (keyboard /tenor sax), John Laughter (tenor & bari sax), Bluefield College student Alfred Thompson (tenor sax) and Roger Bailey (guitar).
John Laughter writes, “Arnold Smith played bass but was unable to make it in time for the photo. He presently performs with The Emeralds.”
Steve Epperly wrote “The Mini Movement”, which runs all of 1:28! Since first posting about the band, Steve Epperly wrote to me:
The Blue Chords were from the Bluefield, VA area, and played from 1958 to 1978.
The Blue Chords were especially known in the Virginia Beach-Norfolk area where they played in The Top Hat and other club venues from 1959-1962. The Blue Chords opened for many nationally known artists including but not limited to The Del Vikings, The Gladiolas (later known as Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs), Jerry Lee Lewis, Fats Domino, Ricky Nelson, Art Neville, The Delfonics, Percy Sledge, Bill Deal and the Rhondells, and The Okaysions.
The Blue Chords recorded “So Far Away” and “The Mini Movement” in May, 1967 in the basement recording studio of James E. Parcell who owned Associated Recording Service in Roanoke, VA. The musicians were Arnold Smith who played bass and provided lead vocal on “So Far Away”; Larry Frost and Ron Sagady on horns: Jack McCormick – guitarist; David Epperly – organist, vibes, and saxophone; and Steve Epperly – drums and lead vocalist on “The Mini Movement”. The Blue Chords made other recordings in that studio, but “So Far Away” and “The Mini Movement” were the only ones ever pressed.
David Epperly (tenor sax), Alford Thompson (tenor sax), Roger Bailey (guitar).
Missing from photo, the late Arnold Smith (electric bass)
John Laughter sent in the great photos of the band seen here. His comment about Blue Chords around 1960 is worth repeating here in the main article:
I was fortunate to have played sax with the “Fabulous Blue Chords” for about two years before moving to Florida. I recall 1959-1960 or maybe it was 1960-1961. We played in various dance halls and frat houses in and around the Bluefield, West Virginia and Virginia area.
But the real good times were spent during the summer months at Virginia Beach in the Top Hat Club. The club had two stages and two bands six nights a week so when we kicked into our break song the other band picked it up to keep the music going. On an hour, off an hour.
The door next to our stage opened onto the boardwalk where a lot of the underage college kids would stand or dance. When the club was packed some of the patrons would dance on the table tops after consuming the 3.2 beer. And those summer night were HOT! We would sweat and play the new hits of the day.
I remember a drummer with one of the guest bands, “T & T” Braggs. What he could do with only a bass, snare, hi-hat and ride cymbal was fantastic! Another band was from Philly. They also brought down the house.
We would visit the local music store on Saturday and pick up the latest 45 rpm’s to learn on Sunday. Then to the Neptune restaurant at the corner for First Street and Atlantic Blvd. for a seafood dinner in the 56 two tone green Ford station wagon with the band’s name on the side.
One of the apartments that we lived in was on the south end of town next to an all night doughnut/coffee house. I would go down and listen to the jukebox until the hours of the morning. And as with several of the other members, we are still rockin’ to this day!
Update 2015: James Shott of the Sinsations writes that Arnold Smith and David Epperly have passed away.
Top Hat photos taken from the Bill Deal website, now defunct.
Update, January 2026 with three more photos:
My name is Jack McCormick and I go back a ways with the Blue Chords Band. I was the guitar player with the Blue Chords on the Reverb recording we made in a basement recording studio in Roanoke Va. on May 2, 1967. A-side “So Far Away” featuring ARNOLD SMITH vocal AND B-side, “Mini Movement” featuring STEVE EPPERLY vocal. The musicians on this recording are as follows: RON SAGADY (the best I ever knew) tenor sax, LARRY FROST tenor sax, STEVE EPPERLY drums, ARNOLD SMITH (deceased) world class singer and bass player, DAVID EPPERLY (deceased) world class musician vibes/Hammond B3 organ player and respectively JACK MCCORMICK guitar.
Our original mode of travel was a 1952 Caddy hearse. We later expanded and acquired a old Greyhound bus that was customized for band travel.
David Epperly left the “Blue Chords Band” to join a world famous circus in 1967. The band was reorganized/reformed. The musicians were as follows: Arnold Smith lead vocalist / bass, Steve Epperly vocalist / drums (super syncopated “fatback” style), Ron Sagady and Larry “Frosty” Frost on tenor sax, and Jack McCormick guitar. We regularly played several clubs in Roanoke VA, as well as Charleston WV and others in WV, Va, NC AND SC.
I am pleased to say I have played with Arnold since 1965 until his death in 2013 and Ron Sagady thru 2015. Over the years, Arnold and I worked with several bands, namely “WOODEN HORSE”.,”LEGACY” AND “THE EMERALDS” until 2013 (Arnold’s passing). In addition to the above mentioned Blue Chord members, I would like to name John Laughter Sax, Petie Belcher, electric piano, Roger Bailey guitar, Lonnie Woodall guitar, Jim Marino sax, Smokey Shott trumpet, all great musicians that I know, knew and made music with them all.
Jack McCormick
The Flys:
Their first 45 is “Reality Composition #1”, written by John Elvin and Stephen Widmeyer, backed by a fine version of the Stones’ “Got to Get Away” and released with a green label.
Link Wray passed away earlier this month and word is only now getting out. As I look at it, garage has two main sources: Bo Diddley and Link Wray. Without them it probably wouldn’t exist.
Dennis and the Times of Norfolk, Virginia were three brothers on guitars and vocals, along with a couple friends playing bass and drums. The Burlage brothers’ father helped them record and release two 45s on the Trend label.
