The Four of Us were from Birmingham, Michigan, just outside of Detroit.
They had two 45s on the Hideout label. The first from 1965 features “You’re Gonna be Mine”, which smoulders under a sharp fuzz riff. The flip was originally called “Batman”, then titled “Freefall” on a later pressing.
The 4 of Us’s second single, from May of ’66 was a good version of “I’ll Feel a Whole Lot Better” / “I Can’t Live Without Your Love”.
Minor footnote in rock history is the fact that a teenage Glenn Frey joined the band after these records.
“You Gonna be Mine” was previously recorded by the Fugitives in 1964 (slow version, with obnoxious dubbed-in audience noise) and included on the Hideout album “The Fugitives Live at Dave’s Hideout.” The Fugitives later evolved into The Scot Richard Case (SRC).
Growing up in Birmingham Michigan, although only 14 in ’67 I was able to see local bands such as SRC many times. My brother played rhythm and later bass with a number of bands including one, the name of which escapes me… with Gary Burrows on lead who became lead guitar and vocals of The Four of Us. I recall seeing an early version practicing from our basement steps, Burrows had the longest hair in town, played a Rickenbacker and was considered one of the best players around. They also recorded FEEL A WHOLE LOT BETTER, I CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT YOUR LOVE, and BABY BLUE on BEST OF THE HIDEOUTS LP in 1966.
JAMES is currently creating his art and playing drums at a friday night gig.
We happily live in SW florida and would love to hear from you! We are on FB too..(James Fox Art.)
Hello Jim, I started searching for old music classmates when I heard about Glen Fry passing and I’ve learned a bunch or facts to fill in the 65′ to 69′ timeline. I used to play backup guitar with Gary, you on drums and Paul Engard on bass–Seaholm high days 63-64 I went on to Eastern Mich. and played in a band on campus for a year and then with Eric Morgeson on keys and Chris Campbell on drums. I think the same Chris Campbell that has been Bob Seger’s bassist for decades. I moved to Long Beach Ca. in 69′ also taken with the music scene and ran into many emerging musicians in local bands like Poco, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Santana, and Airplane and did the LA to San Fran run with a group of musicians in a band called Of the People. I ended my music hopes about the late 60’s and returned to Michigan. I’ve got a lot more history but musically but more importantly, I’m still an active bass player now in a suburb of Seattle and my work for many years has been designing and building bass cabs. Thank God for music ! its kept me going for decades. Don Oatman
What was the Seaholm band you were with? Remember the “combo clashes” there? I think my band was called the Overtones. Our chief competitor was Pete Draper’s Marauders. We won by a hair, chiefly on showmanship. Interesting post, thanks!
I remember practicing in the Oatman’s basement when Gary and I first got started playing together and we were just doing instrumentals at the time. It was a great time as we went on to record and play at The Hideout doing Beachboys, Beatles, Stones, etc. They lined up outside to get in and dance! I remember when Gary and I bleached our hair! Hahaha …. still have the picture.
Though the timeline is a bit fuzzy, I played lead with the Four of Us with Gary and The late Jeff Alborell. Gary was perhaps the most learned Beach Boys student I’ve ever known. His biggest frustration with us was that covers of BB materials was just out of our range and ability. We used three chained dual 15″ Fender Showman amps, giving a very blended backup sound–add the vocals through a mixer into the chained amps, and you had a very uniform and balanced sound wherever you were in the audience. Jeff was very good with harmony and also played a Rickenbacker bass. At the time, I was playing a Gibson ES 335 (stolen by a crackhead when I lived on Forest in Detroit). Jeff and I went on to play with Glenn Frey in a Ed Punch Andrews band called the Heavy Metal Kids. We didn’t play metal–the name was supposed to imply that we were “radio active.” I know, really obscure. Gary Burrows brother, Steve, was the keyboard player. The late Lance Dickerson, a real pro, was the son of a pro drummer. He can be seen in videos of Commander Cody and the Lost Planet Airmen. Glenn Frey arranged “Rescue Me” for the Heavy Metal Kids pretty much the way Linda Ronstadt did it on her album, with Glenn in the backup group. At the time, Glenn played Timbales up front, and enjoyed doing duets with Lance as rhythm solos. We had a “band house” in Southfield for a while, with a tiny space we called the “dope attic.” Intuitive Rastafarians?
Do you know what Gary is up to now? I would go to the hideout every week to watch the 4 of us. I loved them. Graduated from Seaholm the late 60’s.
Paul – Just discovered your comments. Very interesting! Was “Ziggy” Baran in the band before or after you?
Last I knew, Gary and Steve were in the LA basin. I’m in the San Joaquin Valley. My band ‘Village Pillagers’ performed with ‘Four Of Us’ at the Crow’s Nest in Madison Heights. Steve was our piano player and we practiced in the Burrows basement. I later played with ‘Ourselves’ at the Grande, and opened for Jefferson Airplane on 6-30-67.
Bill – Just discovered your comments. Familiar name. Do you have a brother named Bob who played in Animal Crackers with Rick Areen, Doug Booth, Larry Westport, and Doug Denuyl?