Dementions, third version (Battle of the Bands winners, 1968) with (L-R) Randy Belger, Don Wadyka, Bill Bernico, Carl Block, Kim Steffen
The Dimensions (first lineup) with (L-R) Bill Bernico, Randy Belger, Don Wadyka, Dan Shaske Bill Bernico sent these photos of his bands, the Dimensions, High Water and Pye, based around Sheboygan, Wisconsin, about halfway between Milwaukee and Green Bay.
I formed the band in the fall of 1965 and our first name was The Dimensions, later changed to The Dementions and finally to High Water (we found a road sign warning of High Water).
We played throughout Wisconsin until July of 1972 at which time we all went our own ways. We played a lot of Sheboygan Armory jobs, opening for such acts as The Robbs, Cryan’ Shames, Skunks, Tony’s Tygers, ? and the Mysterians, The Legends, Next Five and on and on. As for our members, they were… and were from…
Bill Bernico…Sheboygan Don Wadyka…Sheboygan Falls Dan Shaske…Batavia Randy Belger…Batavia Carl Block…Random Lake Kim Steffen…Fredonia
Second version of Dementions with (L-R) Randy Belger, Bill Bernico, Don Wadyka, Kim Steffen, Carl BlockAfter more than 43 years, I am the only one still active as a working musician. I’ve pared down from a 6-piece band to a duo and now a solo act. Other Sheboygan bands I’ve played with included PYE, Colonel Corn and Flashback.
As for recording, we had the song all picked out, rehearsed and ready to record when our keyboard player decided he didn’t want to have to tour to promote it, went to another band.
Bill Bernico, 2009
High Water with (L-R) Kim Steffen, Carl Block, Randy Belger, Bill BernicoHigh Water, final lineup (1971) with Kim Steffen, Bill Bernico, Randy Belger (back) and Carl Block (front)Pye, my 1969 band (lasted 6 months) with (L-R) Tom Roth, Bill Bernico, Steve Progar, Mick Johnston, Dick Colbath
Here’s a contribution from JP Coumans, who writes:
Here’s an over-the-top-as-garage-music-should-be record: Jim Curran with the Lonely Ones – “Aren’t You Happy” – on the super obscure D-Rea records!
Probably dating from ’65 – ’66 and besides the incredible crude production it’s got great kinda “girl put me down” or is it “put the girl down” lyrics! And they definitely listened very well to “Twist and Shout”… since they took it over and changed it into their own song … with an incredible cool loud break!!!!!
This Jim Curran probably was a rich man’s son who invited the Lonely Ones to release a record together with him. While looking at Jim he’s probably some university dude who really wanted to make a record.
The B-side is something completely different … instead of “Let there be drums” it’s “Drums Send Me” … with only Jim Curran credits. Is this drum instro music? Definitely Jim hasn’t drummed before because that’s how it sounds … completely off rhythm and it sounds more like a space filler!
I’ll repeat Edward Scalzo’s comment about this release, as it gives the most information about it:
This record was recorded in 1966 in the basment of Jim Curran’s home is Rice Lake, Wisconsin. It is correct that he was a rich man’s son that wanted to make a record and asked the band to take part.
The Lonely Ones were a very popular band from Spooner, WI that played gigs all around northern Wisconsin 1965-66 and a little bit in ’67. Originally known as The Epitaphs the band loved doing Rolling Stones and the like. This song is not typical of the band. I played bass with the band ’65-66. The guys had a bit of a bad boy image, but not me. I am the young gentlemen wearing glasses upper right.
I do not have a copy but would like to have one. The flip side is Jim trying to learn to drum, it was just filler.
The Darnells circa 1962, clockwise from top L: Tom Hahn, Mike Blattner, Bruce Wells, unknown (sax), center: Denny King (photo courtesy Bruce Wells).
These Darnells (unrelated to the ones on Gordy) began in Milwaukee as Denny & the Darnells circa 1959, with various musicians (including future Legends drummer Jim Sessody) passing through the band. The line-up that went into the Cuca studios to record the first single consisted of lead guitarist Denny King, tenor saxophonist Tom Fabre, singer Gary Lane, Bruce Wells on piano, Norm Sherian on rhythm guitar, and Jerry Sworske on drums. The A-side is their remake of Gene Vincent’s “Little Sheila”, while the instrumental flip is a Latin standard, featuring the jazz oriented sax-man Fabre.
Mike Blattner eventually replaced Sworske on drums, and singer Kim Marie was a member when they played off-night gigs at the Spa on 5th & Wisconsin in September 1962. Our Florida band, the Nightbeats, was touring through Milwaukee’s ACA agency, and they had booked us into the Spa for two weeks. We were looking for a different guitar man and King was looking for steady work, so he joined our band, putting a temporary end to the Darnells. However, five months later King and I left the Nightbeats to reform the Darnells as a trio, with bassist Tom Hahn. Hahn had already been out to Southern California with the Bonnevilles and he wanted to make another trip in order to obtain a Mexican divorce from his estranged wife. A SoCal trip sounded great to Denny and me, so in May 1963 we headed west and landed a gig for the summer at the Firehouse, a beer bar on 17th Street in Costa Mesa.
On the referral of the Nightbeats’ bass player, we connected with the Tide label in L.A. and recorded eight sides – two instrumentals and a pair of vocals by each of us. “Spooner”, the first instrumental, is an up-tempo, surfy, 12-bar blues guitar rocker. The flip is another 12-bar blues, this time a slightly jazzy mid-tempo swing. Denny King’s “She’s My Girlfriend” is teenish, while the flip has the flavor of Troy Shondell’s “This Time”. My own release is teen pop with added strings and voices. To my knowledge, Hahn’s vocals were the only cuts not released from those sessions.
We returned to Milwaukee that fall and, in January 1964, Hahn and I left to join the Cashmeres, bringing a final end to the Darnells. The Cashmeres metamorphosized into the Mojo Men (who later evolved into the Portraits with releases on Sidewalk). Hahn left the Mojo Men and did some work in Memphis with Ace Cannon (“Tuff,” 1962) before leaving the music business and settling in Michigan. After doing some club work with country singer Johnny Carver, Denny King returned to California and teamed up with the Canadian Beadles (sic), whom we had previously met in Ishpeming, Michigan. That combination recorded one single for Tide as the Mojo Men, but they had no connection with the Milwaukee Mojo Men. (It seems that Tide Records, having had their only national chart appearance with Larry Bright’s “Mojo Workout” in 1960, tried to capitalize on the “Mojo” name in every possible way).
After his solo recording for Specialty in 1972, King moved to the Sacramento area and formed a booking agency. He later imported medical supplies from Korea and had other business involvements before he died in 2000; Mike Blattner died in 2004. Gary Lane had gone on to work with the Mad Lads and the Saints Five, and later owned a club in Milwaukee. Besides the Darnells, Jerry Sworske had drummed with several other Milwaukee bands, including the Noblemen and Junior & the Classics. He later became a police officer. Tom Fabre moved to Los Angeles and continued in music until his death in 2007. Kim Marie has organized frequent oldies shows in Milwaukee since 2000. This writer has lived in the greater L.A. area since 1965, played full-time until 1982, and part-time since then.
Darnells releases:
Sara 1055: Little Sheila/Besame Mucho, 11/61 Tide 1090: Spooner/Sleepy, 9/63
Related:
Tide 1091: She’s My Girlfriend/Long Lonely Night (Denny King), /63 Edit 2005: Poor Little Baby/If (You’d Only Be Mine) (Gary Myers), 11/63 Tide 2000: Surfin’ Fat Man/Paula (Mojo Men), 2/64 Tide 2001: Mojo Workout/I Got A Woman (Tommy Hahn & the Mojo Men), 5/64 Specialty 726: Bessie Mae/Go Down Moses (Denny King), /72 Specialty LP 5003: Evil Wind Is Blowing (Denny King), /72
Gary E. Myers is author of two histories of Wisconsin music of the 50’s & 60’s, “Do You Hear That Beat” and “On That Wisconsin Beat”, as well as two instructional books, “Understanding and Using Chords and Chord Progressions” and “Understanding and Using Scales and Modes”. Check Gary’s website for more information.
Darnells in Appleton: Tom Hahn, Gary Myers, Denny KingDarnells 1963: Tom Hahn, Gary Myers, Denny King
Sultans Five – original mid-60s lineup on the records as noted on photo: Ken Allen, Lenny Juliano, Tim Mickna, Ray Polouski and Vic Weinfurter.
The Sultans Five were based out of Racine, Wisconsin, originally a three-piece when they formed in 1963. Original members were Len Juliano guitar, Tim Michna on bass and Vic Weinfurter, Jr. on drums. With the addition of Ray Plauske from the Sensations on lead guitar they became the Sultans IV. Farfisa organist and saxaphonist Ken Allen made them the Sultans Five.
Their recording career consisted of all or nearly all original songs, with Victor Weinfurter the main contributer along with Ray Plauske and Tim Michna.
Their earliest releases include two on the RAL label “Tonight Is the Night” / “Hey Little Girl” and “Walk with Me” / “Who’s at Fault”. Of these I’ve only heard “Tonight Is the Night” from its later release on Raynard. The flip of that release is “With You”, an original by Ray Plauske.
Their second on Raynard was a good rocker, “Daisy” that features a raucous, booming guitar sound on the breaks. It was backed with “Life Is Like a River”. Both were Vic Weinfurter originals.
Both Raynard 45s, along with their last, came with custom sleeves reading “Enterprise Thirteen presents the Sultans Five”, along with the band’s first names, song titles and composers, the Baker Building address and the optimistic message “more to come”.
Enterprise Thirteen would be the label for their last and most famous release, the fabulous “You Know, You Know” a song that would grab everyone’s attention whenever my pal DJ Bossy Boots played it out in clubs. The flip is the gentle “Calico”, a fine moody number written by Weinfurter and Ray Plauske.
After the recordings Tom Zager joined on bass and Butch Kieffer on organ. The band broke up in 1968.
Thanks to JP Coumans for the scans and transfers of the Raynard 45s. If anyone has good transfers of their RAL releases, please let me know.
Update, November 2009
Ken Allen, who played Farfisa organ with the group wrote to me about his time with the band, and sent in the photo at top:
The picture I sent you was taken from the Racine Journal Times, advertising for us playing at Ligits Beach Bar at Browns Lake, Wisconsin.
Vic called me and asked if I would play organ for the Sultans and I said yes, but I would have to order a portable organ first. I ordered a brand new Farfisa Compact Duo, with two Gibson Saber Reverb amps. It was a great high tech fold up organ for the day. I had to wait for a month and a half for it to come over to the USA on a boat. I was told that my Farfisa was the second one sold in the USA.
We played at Earls Club in Kenosha, The Nitty Gritty in Racine, The Kraut Festival in Franksville, Wisconsin. We also would play for private parties etc.
Yes I was on our records. The records were recorded at the [Dave] Kennedy Recording Studio in Milwaukee. King Sabornick a D.J. at WRIT Radio was one of the arrangers we had and the other one was from New York, but I can’t remember his name.
To make a long story short… Tim Mickna and I resigned from the Sultans Five, and that is when Butch Keifer replaced me on keyboard and Tom Zager replaced Tim Mickna on bass. I can’t remember all the details, 44 years is a long time. We had a great time while it lasted though.
Ken Allen
A later lineup, standing from left: Len Juliano, Ray Plauske, Butch Kieffer, Tom Zager; seated: Vic Weinfurter. Photo from Gary Myers’ Do You Hear That Beat, original from the collection of Vic Weinfurter.
The Inpirations, from left: Mike Murphy, Keith Newell, Bruce Jensen, Kenny Newell and Dennis Milby
Updated February 2011 with info from comments below and Gary E. Myers book On That Wisconsin Beat
The original lineup of the Inspirations included Keith Newell on guitar, his identical twin Ken Newell on bass, Dennis Milby on drums and Michael Murphy on keyboards. The band was from Rock Falls and Sterling, Illinois, two hours drive west of Chicago.
Bruce Jensen joined on guitar by the time of their 45 on the Feature label. At some point the Newell brothers left the band and Don Dowd came in on bass.
Both songs on their August, 1966 single were written by Jensen and Murphy, with (I believe) Murphy singing lead vocals. “That Girl” has a brittle guitar sound and a loping bass line, with good lead and backing vocals. The organ takes a fine, trebly solo before the last chorus. “Baby Please Come Home” has a moodier sound that works well.
This is possibly the Inspirations without the Newell brothers. Top left is Keith Pratt and bottom right with drum sticks is Steve King. Any help identifying the other members would be appreciated.
Feature Records was owned by Ken Adamany, a legend in the Madison area. Janesville, Wisconsin is about 25 miles southeast of Madison, just short of the Illinois border. Adamany also ran Rampro Records, then became a major promoter of bands in lower Wisconsin and owner of the Factory club in Madison, but he’s best known now as the first manager of Cheap Trick. In an interview with the band back in the 70’s, Rolling Stone described him as “the son of Lebanese immigrants …. a slight, swarthy fellow … with the cool, disinterested air of a camel trader.” Nice profiling RS!
Ken had himself played in a band callled the Nigh Tranes who had one release, “Hangover” (aka “Swamp Fever” / “Rockin’ Abe” on Cuca. That band included Boz Scaggs, Tim Davis, Ben Sidran and Steve Miller in later lineups (as the Ardells?).
The 13th Precinct from left: Mike Murphy, Bruce Jensen, Down Dowd and Tom Kurtz
Image from The Meadow site.In 1967 the group changed it’s name to the 13th Precinct, with a lineup of Mike Murphy, Bruce Jensen, Don Dowd and Dennis Milby, and cut some demos in Chicago.
Gary Myers wrote in On That Wisconsin Beat, “These caught the ear of New York producer Paul Tannen who took them to Nashville for sessions that resulted in the TRX release [“Junk Yard” / “You Gotta Be Mine”, January, 1968]. The 13th Precinct worked often in Oshkosh and Appleton, and as the house band at The Barn outside Sterling. Drummer Dennis Milby was forced to leave with an injury shortly before the band appeared on ABC-TV’s Happening ’68 with Paul Revere & the Raiders in Los Angeles.”
Michael Bryan Murphy left the band in 1969 to join the One-Eyed Jacks in Champaign, Illinois, and then went on to sang with REO Speedwagon on their third, fourth and fifth albums.
Tom Kurtz replaced Dennis Milby on drums, and then Tim Dowd joined on guitar and vocals as the 13th Precinct continued into the 1970s.
Thank you to Kevin McLaughlin for the top photo and to Heidi Dowd for the second photo.
OK, it’s not as heavy as the Shandells, but I can’t believe no one ever mentions this version of “Go Gorilla”. The original of the song was done by Chicago r&b group the Ideals in 1963, who had a #3 regional hit with it on KQV in Pittsburgh.
The Dynastys version come out of Wisconsin in September of ’64, followed by the Shandells a few months later. The instrumental flip, “Birmingham”, shows how accomplished a band they were as it really swings. Neither song has been comped before to my knowledge.
The Coulee label was out of La Crosse, Wisconsin, owned by Bill Grafft, who also ran the Boom, Knight and Transaction labels. The Dynasty’s 45 (Coulee 108) comes just before Dee Jay and the Runaways’ “Love Bug Crawl” / “The Pickup” (Coulee 109).
The Dynasty’s definitely honed their skills pre-British Invasion, with large helpings of rockabilly, r&b and even surf and folk music in their sound. They originally came from Oskaloosa, Iowa. Their first 45 came out on the Fan, Jr label in 1964, a cover of the Eldorados’ “I’ll Be Forever Loving You” backed with another cover, Harold Dorman’s “Mountain of Love”, which Johnny Rivers made a hit not long after the Dynasty’s version came out. Production by Orlie Breunig.
As Gary Myers wrote in a comment below, the band came from Milwaukee. Band members were George Shaput (guitar), Duane Schallitz (guitar), Mark Ladish (organ), Dave Maciolek (bass), Jim Serrano (lead guitar) and Kenny Arnold (drums).
At the band’s request to play on the West Coast, their manager Lindy Shannon booked them into the Longhorn in Portland, Oregon. Jerry Dennon of Jerden Records saw them there and heard their demos, leading to their final 45 in 1966, “It’s Been a Long, Long Time” / “Forever and a Day”.
On “Forever and a Day” the band manages to create a memorable harmony pop ballad without sacrificing their strong rhythm and drumming.
Not long after this release George Shaput joined the Shades of Blue and then played with Conway Twitty. The band reunited at a La Crosse show to honor Lindy Shannon in 1994.
The Glass Candle is an excellent psychedelic 45 from early 1969. “Light the Glass Candle” has piercing guitar lines; “Keep Right on Living” chugs along to steady tom tom beats with vocals that sound either very young or speeded up.
Both sides written by Jimmy Tillmann. Two other members named Roger and Danny have signed my copy of the 45. There must have been at least one more member, as the lineup includes guitar, bass organ and drums.
The 45 was produced by Alan Posniak, and seems to be their only recording. The Target label was based in Appleton, Wisconsin, but I’ve read the band was from Milwaukee, about a hundred miles south of Appleton.
l-r: John Spratto, Gordon MacDonald, Mike Cleary (seated), and Warren MacDonald.
The French Church were a band from Marquette, Michigan, a small town on Lake Superior about 180 miles north of Green Bay. Members were Mike Cleary singing lead vocals, John Spratto on guitar, Gordon MacDonald on bass, and his brother Warren MacDonald on drums.
I asked John Spratto how the band was named: “A good friend of the band, Floyd Maki, suggested we name it the French Church which is what St. John’s Catholic Church in Marquette was known as amongst the old timers. We were a little rebellious and figured that might get a rise out of certain people which would bring notoriety to the band. Some people, my mother actually, didn’t care for the name at first, but it was OK after a while, didn’t cause too much consternation.”
A sign for Slapneck inspired Gordon MacDonald and John to write a song imagining life in a small community in the woods. The band paid Princeton label owner Fred Krook to release the song, recorded in a studio located in the basement of a Marquette lumber company in early 1968.
Harry Walker, he’s the milkman there, No bills are paid, ah, he’s not well Slapneck, come on along with me yeah, Come on along with me, Yeah if you want to be free
Mrs. R.J. Green, she runs a restaurant there The tables they’re clean and the manners they’re clear Slapneck, come on along with me, Come on along with me, Yeah if you want to be free
The lyrics are quaint, but the playing is ferocious. From the sliding chords that open the song, John Spratto lays down some of the heaviest distortion ever put to vinyl.
The flip is a more conventional number, Without Crying, written by MacDonald and Mike Cleary.
John Spratto: “I am all grown up now and a Managing Partner in a CPA firm. Gordon recently retired as a music teacher and his brother Warren still owns MacDonald’s Music Store in Marquette.
“We got together about 5 years ago and recorded a dozen original songs that we wrote together and individually over the last 42 years. We got together again a couple of years ago with our boys who also play and recorded another 6 original songs. They are all very good songs. (My opinion anyway). One of the ones with our boys was a remake of Slapneck 1943.”
Sources: My correspondence with John Spratto, and Steve Seymour’s blog on Upper Peninsula music, Rock n Roll Graffiti.
The Ethics took part in the Milwaukee Sentinel Rock’n’Roll Revue on December 30, 1965, their version of “Down the Road Apiece” preserved on a lo-fi LP of the event that I haven’t heard.
In 1966 they released “(A Whole Lot Of) Confusion”, featuring a tough rhythm with guitar and vocals to match. The flip, “Out Of My Mind” is a folky-pop number written by the band.
This was their only 45 as the Ethics before changing their name to the Invasion in 1967. “The Invasion Is Coming” was a catchy start. This song was also done as “The Invaders Are Coming” by the Young Savages on the same label (Dynamic Sound 2006), but I prefer the vocals on the Invasion’s version.
The lineup at this point included Don Gruender guitar, Mark Miller bass, Gene Peranich keyboards and Mike Jablonski drums. Later on members would include Bob McKenna and Tony Menotti on guitar, P.T. Pedersen and Gary Frey on bass, Rick Cier keyboards and Bruce Cole on drums.
Wailing farfisa, fuzz guitar: their last 45 “Do You Like What You See?” gets all the elements right. It’s also the rarest of these three by far! Gene Peranich and Mike Jablonski wrote this song, unlike much of their other material.
Lennie LaCour (aka Lenny LaCour) was their producer, publisher and principal songwriter. LaCour was born in Louisiana and had a half dozen rockabilly releases on Academy and his own Lucky Four label before going into production. Besides Dynamic Sound, he was also running Magic Touch, known more for soul music.
The Ethics – (A Whole Lot Of) Confusion / Out Of My Mind (Dynamic Sound 2001) The Invasion – The Invasion Is Coming / I Want To Thank You (Dynamic Sound 2004) The Invasion – Do You Like What You See? /The Wind Keeps On Blowing (Dynamic Sound 2009)
Really don’t know anything about the Mustard Men other than that they were from Wisconsin.
Wish I owned this business card myself, but I saved $50 by just buying the 45.
The band recorded at Dave Kennedy Recording Studios in Milwaukee and released this on the Raynard label, the same label that featured the Bryds great “Your Lies” among others.
“I Lost My Baby” opens with a perfect guitar and organ intro, settles into a nice groove with good vocals that occasionally get excited, and features a fine bluesy guitar solo which kind of falls apart towards the end as some of the notes miss the intended pitch. Still, an A+ in my book for the overall sound they achieve.
The flip is “Another Day”, credited to Donne & the Mustard Men.
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
Here’s a contribution from JP Coumans, who writes:
OK, it’s not as heavy as the Shandells, but I can’t believe no one ever mentions this version of “Go Gorilla”. The original of the song was done by Chicago r&b group the Ideals in 1963, who had a #3 regional hit with it on KQV in Pittsburgh.
At the band’s request to play on the West Coast, their manager Lindy Shannon booked them into the Longhorn in Portland, Oregon. Jerry Dennon of Jerden Records saw them there and heard their demos, leading to their final 45 in 1966, “It’s Been a Long, Long Time” / “Forever and a Day”.
