Here are photos of a 1965 WPGC show featuring the Cobras, a group with a great look, from Woodbridge, Virginia, southwest of Alexandria and DC. They were unknown to me until Pat Moore commented below.
Members were:
Jimmy Russell – vocals
Pat Moore – lead guitar
Don Marcopulos – rhythm guitar
Carl Bailey – sax
Bobby Echols – bass
Mike Frankfurt – drums
Al Burnett noted a 1964 photo of the Cobras without Jimmy Russell at the Marumsco Theatre in Woodbridge.
It’s interesting to see Link Wray at the show, along with Bob Rubino, who was recording his single “A Rose and a Baby Ruth” / “Lonely Boy” at Link’s studio in Accokeek about this time. Although Link was recording for Swan Records at the time, this is not the Cobras who recorded “La La (Hey Baby)” / “Goodbye Molly” on that label in 1964.
Link would record a number of teen groups in 1966 for his Gray Ant label and the Vermillion label, including:
The Dead Beats -“She Don’t Love Me” (Rick Maske) / “I’m Sure” (Bob Coleman)
The Hard Times – “I Can’t Wait Till Friday Comes” / “(Old Wine) New Bottles”
The Suburbans – “The Love That I Had” (Roby, Murphy) / “Talk to Me” (Murphy)
I haven’t found any mention of the Cobras in connection to Link.
WPGC DJ Dean Griffith is represented. Dean Griffith was a house name at the station, and this was one of four people that had that moniker – anyone know the real name of the DJ in the photo?
I’m not sure the venue, maybe a gymnasium in the Washington, DC area, or perhaps the DC Armory which did host some shows during these years.
I could not find a newspaper listing for this show with the Cobras, but the Daily Times of Salisbury, Maryland announced a teen dance on April 17, 1965 at the Wicomico Youth and Civic Center, sponsored by Pocomoke High School and Pocomoke City station WDMV. Joey Reynolds of WKDW, Buffalo, NY acted as host. The bands were the British Walkers, Link Wray and the Wraymen “with Rob Rudino, guitarist, and a local group called the Astro-Tones”. The Astro-Tones also played a dance at the Boggs-Disharoon American Legion in Berlin, MD on April 3.
There are listings for two Cobras “Dragnet Dance” shows at the Fredericksburg National Guard Armory in March, 1966.
