One of many groups called the Illusions, this group cut only one 45 featuring the great “Shadows of You” by D. Gillon, which was originally the B-side. The A-side is the more pop “Rain, Shine, or Snow” by J. Dougherty.
Members were Jim Posey – lead vocals, Robert Thames – lead guitar and vocals, David Gillon – rhythm guitar and vocals, Joe Dougherty – bass guitar and vocals and Paul Morrow – drums and vocals. The band had an earlier 45 under Jim Posey’s name, a version of “Double Shot (of My Baby’s Love)” b/w “That Boy” on Bahama Records out of Florence, Alabama.
United Recording and Production was incorporated in Birmingham, Alabama on May 20, 1968. The Chantain BMI credit doesn’t show up in BMI’s current database. Although it looks something like a Rite pressing, it is not, with etched deadwax simply “L-193-1/2”. Maybe someone can comment with the likely pressing plant for this record.
Chantain had at least three other releases, a soul 45 by Roy Smith “Don’t Go Away” (R. Smith, B. Walker) / “The Pain Lingers On” (Chantain CH-0014, reissued on Ascot AS 2239), the Regular Size doing a ballad called “Down In Texas” b/w “Richmond”, and a release by Jerry Woodward.
Thank you to Max Waller for information on the band.
Chas- Writer “J. Dougherty” might be Jimmy Dougherty, of Pleasant Hills, Pittsburgh, PA. I played bass w/ Jimmy on lead guitar in The Legends, 1965-1966. Jimmy got good real fast. The Legends were a great band… We played everywhere and people loved us. Jimmy went on to play in numerous bands, later in the 1990’s w/ “The Mystic Knights of the Sea,” in Pittsburgh.
The Legends really clicked, and for a young group, we were in fact “The Legends.”
Pleasant Hills, centered around hangout Sun Drug, produced a lot of good groups: The Apollos, The Legends, The Strays, and Jerry & The Giants.
The Legends wrote a song, “Baby I Need Your Love,” (not a copy of the Motown song w/ a sort-of similar name), but an original composition, w/ great vocals and a catchy musical background.
Great page, I was the owner of Chantain records and publishing, this page brings back many memories. J. Daugherty was Joe Daugherty of B’ham Ala.
I could give you some color on all of our writers, musicians and artists.
I have a copy of The Regular Size 45 singing ‘Down in Texas’ on this Chantain label ( Cat.# prp 2001/2.) The song is a cover of Eddie Hinton’s soulful ballad. Also covered by the Hour Glass ( early Allman Brothers ) around 1968, the vocalist in these grooves sounds similar to Mark Lindsay of Paul Revere & the Raiders.
I was the prez of united recording & productions.I pressed all of our records in nashville, was also mastered there. Dont recall the plant they might have been affiliated with bradleys barn.
Of added interest is that Ernie Winfrey was my engineer, he later engineered Paul McCartney and the wings album and I think was engineer of the year.
Actually the Hour Glass was previously the Allman brothers. They tied up with john Hurley (Son of a Preacher man) who used my credit card to get them out to LA , they decided to change their image so they changed their name, later decided to go back to the Allman Brothers, their high school name was the Allman Joys.
The allmans were going on the road.During that time Chuck Levell’s father felt he had great potential but was too young to travel with the band. he called me and layed out a plan which I was able to help him with. He arranged to transfer Chuck to Phillips High in Bham and I was sorta his guardian. Helived in my studio while he was on a VOE program and was released to my studio to understudy as an engineer. he was also one of our pickers . We cut Down in Texas on him ,great cut, but Jerry Wexler (Atlantic) passed on it. Never got it picked up.
WE cut the regular size at Ed Boutwells studio, the flip side (richmond) I think was written by one of the Allman Bros. The Drummer and vocal on Richmond side was my little brother Tommy Grove, the band was from Alexandria , La
I loved all of Eddies material, he was a great picker and writer , was with the early Allman bros. Eddie fell on hard times and as fate would have it, he was sitting at a bus stop and Johnny Wieker per chance stumbled into him. They were friends from the early music days.Johnny cleaned him up and before he died they completed an album. happened to see a vintage copy on Amazon for 35$. He was loved by many and missed by all.
No mystery at all. There’s a detailed piece on this Birmingham, Alabama band that I did years ago for “Fuzz Acid & Flowers”. Drummer Paul Morrow contacted me to tell their story and fill in the gaps on my initial attempt to document the 45 in an earlier edition.
Max, can you give more info on this band, besides what’s already listed? That book is hard to find and not cheap. I hate to pay that much without knowing what all is in it. I try get all the info on the Birmingham bands that I can.
Hi Mike, I managed to find an archived copy of my submission for that latest entry rewrite for the Fuzz.. book.
The Illusions (AL) *rewrite*
Personnel:
JOE DOUGHERTY bg,bvcls A
DAVID GILLON rg,vcls A
PAUL MORROW drms,vcls A
JIM POSEY lvls A
ROBERT THAMES lg,vcls A
45:
1 Double Shot (Of My Baby’s Love) / (unknown) Spr 1966
2 Rain, Shine, Or Snow/Shadows Of You (Chantain L-193-1/2) 1967
n.b. (1) credited to Jim Posey.
Yet another Illusions, who produced an above-average garage-beat ballad and an excellent garage folk-rocker on the Chantain 45. Shadows Of You has resurfaced on Psychedelic Crown Jewels Vol.2 (2LP/CD) and PsychedelicStates: Alabama Vol.1 (CD). Drummer Paul Morrow got in touch to reveal more about his high school band from Birmingham, Alabama …
“We all went to different high schools and were approximately the same age (b.1949-1950). The band was actually known locally as “The Fantastic Illusions” but the adjective was dropped on the 45. We were together for approximately 2½ years from the 10th to the 12th grades in high school (1965-1967).”
Their debut 45 was Double Shot (of My Baby’s Love). “Yes, the same song by the locally popular Swingin’ Medallions. They played so much in Birmingham and the song was so popular that we cut it first or at least at about the same time as the K-Otics. Since Jim Posey’s mom footed the bill, only his name is on the 45 (much to the dismay of the rest of us!). It was just beginning to climb the local charts when the local, powerful DJ, Jim Roddy (Roddey?) of WSGN, who had been playing it dumped it immediately when the Medallions came out with their version.
“Four out of five of us eventually moved to Nashville, Tennessee (I don’t know what happened to Jim Posey). David Gillon has had success as a songwriter of primarily country songs. Joe Dougherty is a successful businessman and owns Bean Central, a wholesale/retail coffee shop. Robert Thames, guitarist extraordinaire, continues as a songwriter and a
guitarist in the studio and on the road (e.g. Donna Fargo band). I became an attorney and still play drums for fun occasionally.
“The Jerks were a very good local group from the Birmingham area and one of our chief friendly rivals. Other good B’ham groups that put out records were: The Ramblers (drummer Johnny Robinson still gets this group together for occasional gigs in B’ham); (yet another) Tikis; and (yet another) Ramrods.”
(Max Waller)
since then a copy of that “Jim Posey” 45 has surfaced – Double Shot / That Boy (Bahama No.1001) . It’s an SoN pressing from November 1965.
Thank you so very much, Max for the quick response and the great bio! It is loaded with some great information!
I dont know if you heard, but as a very sad note Robert Thames died in 2016 I think,