disraeli (spelled with a lower case d) self-produced four 45s from 1967-70, finding an original sound that was both accessible and psychedelic.
Band members were Steven Mathre lead vocals, Al Nelson lead vocals and saxophone, Thomas Stangland guitar, Roger Everett guitar and vocals, Steve Kernes bass, and Gene “Geno” Faust drums and vocals. Richard Keefer, who did a lot of engineering work for Oregon and southern Washington bands, also helped produce disraeli’s records.
These handsome chaps all attended Astoria High School in the mid 1960’s…
Their freshman effort was “Tomorrows Day” b/w “Humidity 105”. People liked this record everybody bought copies, fellow students, people at the gigs, their relatives of which they had many and their relatives friends.
They had two frontmen, Steve Mathre and Al Nelson who both sang up a storm and played the tamborine so hard they had to wear gloves to keep from getting blisters. Al also played a mean tenor sax … They sold stock certificates to their friends and neighbors, got better gear went back to the studio and recorded another 45.
“What Will the New Day Bring?” and “Spinning ‘Round”, songs about a peeping Tom with a knife and coming home drunk with the whirlies for the first time respectively. The picture sleeve for this 45 was color and featured the band in matching red blazers out on the south jetty at the mouth of the Columbia, a popular spot to party and race cars not to mention neck etc. This record was supposed to establish disraeli. Both sides were predicted to be hits, it was recorded in stereo, a big deal in ’67 for a 45. The record got airplay and charted around the Northwest.
I remember seeing a billboard for the band in Portland Oregon in late ’67 it said:
disraeli….
listen
A band self-releasing a 45 with a color picture sleeve was unusual for the time, and to release it in stereo in 1967 is extremely rare.
45 releases:
Mantra 001 – Tomorrow’s Day (Stangland – Mathre) / Humidity 105
Mantra 113 – What Will The New Day Bring? / Spinnin’ Round
Mantra 114 – Say You Love Me (Stangland-Mathre) / I’ve Seen Her One Time (Stangland-Mathre)
Mantra 115 – The Lonely One (Stangland-Mathre-Wiley-McKune) / You Can’t Do That
Thomas Stangland mentioned to me that “There were probably 8-10 tracks recorded, but never released because of minor glitches or they just didn’t seem good enough.”
“What Will The New Day Bring” has to be the most lush and beautiful song ever recorded about a stalker. I look forward to listening to the other two songs that were posted.
I saw Disraeli play in my junior high school gym in 1968 in Beaverton, Oregon. Thanks for posting their MP3’s!
Blind Al Rude
Hell yes!!! I haven’t been able to find any info on these guys at all, so thanks for this post. I have a copy of two of their 7″; I still count the first single as one of the finest garage psych recordings I’ve ever heard.
I was a member of disraeli and played the bass. Your bio of the band and our history is accurate. Good Job!
I was married to this former bass player. I’m the double X! I may have some of these ’45’s stored out at the old place. Next time I’m out there, I’ll take a look.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3O21m4Q9ERc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ND8lIYOOJ6I
I graduated from AHS in 66, but left before disraeli got really going. In fact, I graduated with Al Nelson and Roger Everett. Haven’t seen Al since high school but saw Roger at our 40th reunion in 2006. Also, in 2006, a friend bought Mathre’s house on Commercial, but I didn’t know him well.
Where can I get mp3’s of your songs?
Does anyone know where i can get these albums still? Also has anyone heard about Geno’s untimely death last sunday =(
it says in the notes that Richard (rick) Keefer may have produced one or more of these records. Always wondered what happened to Rick. He and I went to high school together in portland oregon and it was he who gave me my start as a guitar player. We played in the same band along with future Kingsmen drummer Dick Peterson for a few years. Rick was always more into production and record making than actaully playing. But we did our fair share of traveling around the NW in the early sixties playing all kind of places. I did one record with him before he left portland never to return as far as I know. He is reported to have done some early engineering sessions in Seattle for Heart and the last time I heard about him was that he had a studio in Hawaii but that was a long time ago. How strange to see his name pop up here.
gene passed away feb. 15 2009 9:30 AM
he will be missed so much by all of us
he would have loved that you asked about him
thanks for being his other #1 fan besides myself
~peg faust
Blind Al Rude:
I also saw disraeli play at my junior high in Beaverton in 1968. I went to Cedar Park. What school did you see them at? I have always remembered 2 things about them: I loved their name, and they were really good. Have looked for info on them ever since. Do you know where to find Mp3’s of their songs? Thanks for any help you can give. Regards, Bob Lawrence
The school I was going to in a portland suburb brought this wonderful band to perform,and we as a student body ALL got to see a great set,by a very talented group. It influenced me greatly, and i will never-ever- forget it. I would like to correspond with ANY former members,and look forward to that opportunity. I guess the name just popped into my head,and I googled it today. Monte
I was searching around and found this Blog (article) about “What will the new day bring?”
If you go down to the 5th paragraph, he gets into a pretty lengthy and interesting discussion about the song.
Here’s the link:
http://andrewtsks.blogspot.com/2007/10/what-will-new-day-bring.html#comments
Some of my coolest memories of disraeli was being a little kid and having the band practice in our garage on 4th street in Seaside. You guys were my earliest musical influence and helped to start my 43 year old love affair with all kinds of music. I am now paying it forward to my two sons. The band will always have a special place in my heart. Thank You disraeli.
I remember the band coming to Beaumont Grade School in 1968 or so…actually have a card with a group picture with several autographs on it…a fond memory of a fun assembly.
I know this is an old post and may not be valid anymore, but I was in 8th grade at Astoria Junior High School and I believe I saw their first (or one of the first) performances at an assembly at our school. I would love to get MP3’s of any of the songs if possible, I have been looking for quite a while for them. Thanks in advance for anything you can do.
Mike Rinehart
Keefer is still in Hawaii and to my knowledge still running a studio there. Last year he licensed the New Tweedy Brothers album to a Japanese label which included an extra “new mix” track — I have not heard it because the price at a bit over $50 is too steep for my pocket — but at least this indicates Keefer is still laying his hand to the music biz plow.
Steve,
Don’t know if you remember me or not. I was with Syncopated Sound and spent a lot of time with you guys. I was looking at a website for the old Pypo Club and found this. I hope all is well with you.. Dow
Speaking of disraeli, hows Three M and Co. doing these days?
Iremember seeing disraeli in those days as well as a couple other ‘local’ bands.
Where’s the music?
Steve Mathre is my grandpa he still knows many of the bands songs and loves to sing them to me and my two other brothers
They mention about a possible unreleased album existing. Has anyone ever bothered to contact the band members to see if that’s true and if any of them has the tapes? If so, they should try to get it released, if not on CD than at least digitally. I’m just surprised that in 15 years of postings not one person has mentioned this.
Al Nelson was my father. He passed away in 2013. This website and all the comments bring me such joy. I have his records and instruments and love the fact that so many people know who they are. I love all of this. I’m from Astoria…many years after he was a band member. Music is life to us also. My father was a wonderful man.
Pretty cool. Thomas Stangland is my mom’s cousin. Ystad/Stanglands 🤘
Musical myself…heavy grunge 🥁🎸🎤
Ryan
Naselle, WA