The obscure group Teachers Pet cut this one single on the equally obscure B-Rod Records. “Trying to Get Back to You” is crude swampy boogie. The A-side was the comparatively sleepy “Say You Love Me”. Both songs were originals by Larry Sims and Mike Zimmerman.
BMI lists Sims’ full name as Larry Clifton Sims, but it may be confusing him with the bassist and vocalist with the Sunshine Company and Loggins & Messina. BMI also lists two other original songs by the duo, “Seven Days a Week” and “Yes I Do”. I’m not sure either song was recorded.
Kingsbury-Wilson published the songs, now listed as Kingsbury-Wilson Enterprise of Louisville in BMI’s database. Mountain Music did the production. Released on B-Rod Records, without a catalog number on the label. The runout has “1269 – 1948”, I suspect the 1269 could mean December of 1969, but it’s just a guess.
I know of two other releases on B-Rod Records. Don Woolett’s “Rock to Kentucky” / “Ballad of Abraham Lincoln” is on a blue label similar to the Teachers Pet single, released in May, 1971.
A different red label design has Robin Kay Waggoner’s “We’ve Got to Try” / “Your Friend”, with “product of MMP in Lebanon Junction, KY”. Music Mountain Productions also recorded the Sound of the Zounds 45, covered previously on Garage Hangover.
Teachers Pet may have been from Lebanon Junction, Kentucky, or possibly Louisville, a half-hour’s drive north.
Gold label, no Atco distribution, D-116 AOne of the most famous ‘garage’ singles has to be the Shadows of Knight’s version of “Gloria”. As a national hit distributed by Atlantic Records (Atco), the 45 rpm single exists in over 15 U.S. variations pressed at plants around the country.
My post today concerns two of those, the original pressings on Dunwich from January and February 1966, without any Atco credit on the labels.
General agreement is that the first release has a gold label with the outlined lettering, a box around “A Dunwich Production” and “D-116”.
Teen Beat Mayhem notes that total quantity pressed is only several hundred. This pressing quantity has been repeated in online sources, but I feel it is incorrect. A pressing of a few hundred would have quickly sold out, and been worn out, but I’ve found two VG+ copies without much effort or expense.
The liner notes to If You’re Ready! The Best Of Dunwich Records…Volume 2 state that Bill Traut put together that first gold label design and ordered 4000 copies. He also used the cheapest local pressing plant he could find. Thank you to Jeff Jarema for looking that up for me. I suspect that the initial order may have been for less, and that 4,000 was the total pressed at that small plant over the first couple weeks of release. The Dunwich lettering is similar to other Chicago releases.
Yellow label, no Atco credit, DX-116 AThe first yellow label without Atco has the same credits as the gold, but a different label design, and has the release code DX-116, a number which would be used on most of the subsequent national releases. Since the small unknown Chicago plant couldn’t do the quantity needed, Traut ordered from Plastic Products in Nashville.
I asked people on the Chicago Rock Bands 1960s and 1970s Facebook group which label they had first, and by far most remembered the yellow label version. Later gold and yellow label versions exist that include Atco distribution credit, so this survey is not definitive.
I constructed this early 1966 timeline for “Gloria”:
February 18: 1st appearance on the WLS “Silver Dollar Survey. Chicago’s Official Radio Record Survey” at #18, having been played for three weeks on the station, which would put its first WLS airplay in very late January or early February.
February 25: reaches #7 on WLS
March 4: reaches #6 on WLS
March 5: Billboard reviews it and lists it as a breakout single. Enters Billboard’s Chicago singles chart at #15
March 12: rises to #8 in Billboard’s Chicago singles chart. Billboard notes 40,000 sold in Chicago and additional sales in other cities. “Kent Beauchamp acted as a kind of co-ordinator in getting the first record out and has been handling local distribution.” [ Kent Beauchamp owned Big Town Distributors and, along with Ed Yalowitz, Royal Disc Distributing.] Cash Box reports that it is “a recent master purchase” by Atlantic”. Dunwich co-owner George Badonsky had been working for Atlantic and Atco as a Midwest sales and promotion rep since February, 1965, which may explain the connection with Atlantic.
March 19: rises to #4 in Billboard’s Chicago singles chart and enters Billboard’s Hot 100 national chart at #78. In a detailed article, Billboard reported:
… the single has sold 60,000 legitimately in Chicago to date …
Local distribution by Royal Disc Distributing …
The group is managed by suburban record store and teen nightclub owner Paul Sampson, who found the quintet singing in a Veterans of Foreign Wars Club. He installed the group in his own spot, The Cellar, where they were heard by Royal Disc’s Kent Beauchamp, who recommended them to Dunwich Records.
The group is comprised of Joe Kelley, lead guitar; Gerald McGeorge, rhythm guitar; Warren Rogers, bass guitar; Tom Schiffour, drums, and lead singer Jim Sohns.
“Gloria” is getting played and starting to sell in Milwaukee, Detroit, Cleveland, St. Louis, Cincinnati and Atlanta …
“They are a super-tight group,” said Sampson. “They have everything live they have on record and they are competent musicians.”
March 26: rises to #2 in Billboard’s Chicago singles chart and #10 in Detroit. Full page ad (shared with George Edwards) in Billboard on page 7.
April 1: reaches #1 on WLS
May 7: “Gloria” reaches its peak Billboard national chart position at #10. It would remain at 10 the following week before dropping off.
High-quality scans of WLS surveys can be found here.
Dennie Mosley seems to have only cut this one single, the cool rockabilly “Love Me, Love Me, Love Me” backed with the pleading lament, “I Tried”. It’s not really a garage style record, but the late recording date and crude quality of the production gives it something of a garage feel. The guitar break on “Love Me” is excellent.
The RCA custom pressing code, U4KM-9220/1 indicates an early 1967 pressing.
Released on B & 4 Records out of Columbus, Ohio. Bill Caito wrote “Love Me, Love Me, Love Me” and arranged that side, while Dennie Mosley wrote and arranged “I Tried”.
Other names on the label include M. South, G. Kirk, L. Newsome and F. Smith who must be the backing musicians. B&4 Records typically list the singer of the group as the artist, so it is possible they had a group name not listed on these labels. Any further info would be appreciated.
Publishing by E.C. Baugess Publishing Co.
Chad Baugess ran a home studio and owned the B & 4 Records label. Buckeye Beat has a list of other records on the label, but not this one.
The Bobbies came from Florence, Alabama, cutting this one fine single, “(She) Put Me Down” parts 1 and 2 in June, 1966. Members included:
Bobby Heathcoat – lead vocals (Bobby Heathcote ?) Richard Hahn – organ Glenn Hall – bass
– but I don’t know the other names of the group. Scans of an autographed 45 include these names:
Duck Hempil or Henpil? Randy Wills “Angel”
Sonny Limbo (real name Robert Limbaugh, I believe) was a DJ at WAAY in Huntsville, Alabama, about 72 miles east of Florence. I am not sure how he found the Bobbies, but Sonny had been hipped to local Huntsville group the In. The In recorded a demo of “Just Give Me Time” at Bobby Land’s studio in Huntsville and asked Sonny to produce a finished version. Sonny brought both groups, the In and the Bobbies to Sonic Recording in Memphis to share a four hour session.
Autographed copy of the Bobbies 45, courtesy of Brandi Garrison.
The bands, who did not know each other before, became friendly and helped out on each other’s session. The Bobbies and their friends contributed to the crowd noise on the In’s version of “Midnight Hour”, plus Bobby Heathcoat contributed backing howls and Richard Hahn played organ on the song. Eddie Burton of the In added some lead guitar to the Bobbies recording.
The In’s session would lead to a national release on Hickory of “Just Give Me Time” / “In the Midnight Hour”. In an interesting twist on the usual sequence of local-to-national release, Hickory dropped the group (supposedly because their session was non-union), and Limbo released the songs locally on his own label, pairing “‘Live’ in the Midnight Hour” with “You’re So Fine” for Sonny 45-1002, and “Just Give Me Time” with Eddie Burton’s original “You’re Not Gonna Live Forever” for Sonny 45-1004.
Limbo released the Bobbies single on Sonny Records 45-1001. I’m not sure what songs the Bobbies planned on recording when they went into the session, but Sonic Recording owner Roland Janes gets writing credit for “(She) Put Me Down”.
I expect there is a Sonny 45-1003 out there but if so, I haven’t seen it.
The A-side of the Bobbies received a B+ in the July 30, 1966 issue of Cash Box.
Richard Hahn would go on to join the In.
The Wessex Combo (before the “In”), from the Decatur Daily April 28, 1965
I couldn’t find any news clippings for the Bobbies, but did turn up this interesting mention of an early version of the In, calling themselves the Wessex Combo for the 14th birthday party of Miss Jeannie Sharpe, the band featuring Bill Peck, George Vail, Chet Nolette, Eddie Burton and Fred Sanders. It was published in the Decatur Daily (Decatur Alabama that is), on April 28, 1965.
By the time of their Memphis recordings, Chet Nolette was out of the group and the In consisted of Bobbie Land – lead and backing vocals and organ, Eddie Burton – lead and backing vocals and lead guitar, Bill Peck – lead and backing vocals and rhythm guitar, Fred Sanders – lead and backing vocals and bass, and George Vail – drums. Later on Jackie Tiller of the Rocks would play bass for the group.
Anyone have a good photo of either group?
Info for this article comes from Jeff Jarema’s interviews with Eddie Burton of the In on the Sundazed and 60sgaragebands.com sites, both now defunct.
This is an early, relatively unknown single on Jimmy Capps’ JCP Records label 1016. There’s nothing ‘garage’ about it.
“My Love for You” is a latin-styled pop song with male harmony vocals, and a female recitation in Spanish. Tonie Krakora wrote the song, published by Aimee Music Co. which handled many JCP releases, so I believe this was an original song, not a cover.
“Ram-Bunk-Shush” is a good instrumental, probably learned from Bill Doggett’s version.
Distributed by Sound of Nashville, SoN 17061/2.
I haven’t been able to find anything about the group or Tonie Krakora.
Little John and the Monks Graves 45 acetate Woman Take a Trip
Little John and the Monks came out of Klamath Falls, Oregon. Tom Davis, a singer from Scotland, founded the group as the Nomads and changed it to Little John and the Monks when they went to Eugene. The membership changed frequently in the few years the band lasted.
Members included:
Lloyd Barnhurst – ? Tom Davis – vocals Luis Weathers – bass guitar Davy Jones – saxophone Clark Lynch – drums Stan Brawn – lead guitar Bob DiMartino – keyboards Larry Harding – lead guitar Dennis Baldwin – ? Lee Wilson – bass Bob Martin – drums
In late 1965 the group cut Tom Davis’ original song “Black Winds” backed with a cover of “Needles and Pins” on Jerden 775. Many years later, an unreleased song, “Too Many People” appeared on Big Beat’s Northwest Battle of the Bands Volume 3 showing a tougher sound for the group.
Little John and the Monks Graves 45 acetate All Them LiesIn August 2020, an ebay auction featured a demo lacquer (acetate) by Little John & the Monks with two original songs recorded at Graves Recording Service in Eugene. “Woman Take a Trip” continues in the heavier northwest sound, and extends it with a frenzied rave-up of squealing sax, sustained guitar notes and sliding bass notes. The bass line drives the flip, “All Them Lies” with cool unison accents by guitar and sax and some bluesy organ.
Tork Publishing, perhaps meant for release on Tork, which did release the Moguls – “Round Randy” / “Another Day”.
Anyone have good photos of the group? I’d also like to know who played on what recordings.
Carol Chakarian lets loose with a great vocal on “Put Your Accent on Love”. Not ‘garage’ music, but a pop song in a country style. Hear an excerpt.
The flip is the more sedate “Lost in This World of Love”, both songs written by Phil DeWolf, publishing by Tronic BMI. Released in 1965 on Nashville 5242, “A Tommy Hill Starday Studio Production”.
Here’s an obscure one, the Little Indians doing two original songs, “No” / “Wait a Minute”. It may also be the first release on Chanté Records, as it is release 101 and has master numbers CH-1 and CH-2.
Richard D. Tellier and Edward Martin composed both songs, and registered copyright in March 1965. They have other copyrights that may have not been recorded, “Blind Date”, “Life Was So Lonesome” and “Anymore”.
Chanté Records labels usually have a Lou Alfieri production credit, but this one reads “A Pabodi Production”. Alfieri Music and Eastwick Music published both songs. A trademark application from 1965 lists a West Moorestown, New Jersey address, not far from Philadelphia.
Anyone have more information on the Little Indians or these song writers?
I do not believe this was the same Richard Tellier who played guitar with a Canadian group called Octopus.
The Federal Fugitives were unknown to me until Rick Ledbetter commented below with the lineup:
Rick Ledbetter – lead guitar Steve Allen – rhythm guitar Dennis Mitchell – bass Gary Stone – drums Johnny Stovall – horns Steve Allen – horns
“Woman of Stone” is a good light-psychedelic original by Ledbetter and Stone. Jim Youmans (of the Swingin’ Apollos) did a fine job of production.
The musicians are accomplished, I wonder if the Federal Fugitives is a pseudonym for another group.
Ledbetter and Stone also wrote the harmony-filled ballad flip, “Just Remember”.
Released on Youmer Records Incorporated, YM 1002 with an address of 524 Plasters Ave, in Atlanta. Youmer’s first release was the Sons of Bach, “Stubborn Kind of Fellow” / “I Knew I’d Want You”, which I haven’t heard. Youmans produced this one too. Without original songs, there’s even less chance of finding out who played on that record.
Both songs published by Margie Music BMI, which was based in Decatur, but I can’t find registrations for either.
Rick told me more about the members of the Federal Fugitives:
Gary Stone went on to play with Billy Joe Royal.
Dennis Mitchell played with Ben Dover and Tennessee Tucker and also appeared in Six Pack with Kenny Rogers.
Rick Ledbetter went into radio broadcasting (Rick Ledbetter On Air on youtube).
Steve Allen performs as a one man band.
Johnny and Ted Stovall also played horns with The Soul Patrol around Atlanta after Rick formed the new group after two years in the Army.
Ted Stovall went on to arrange the horns on Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “What’s Your Name” and “Moonlight Feels Right” by Starbuck.
I cannot find much information on the Incidentals, who were primarily an instrumental band. They released three singles on the Ford Records label out of New York.
The first is the excellent “All Night”, a band original, backed with a version of the Ventures “Driving Guitars” (including drum solo), on Ford Records 134. Cash Box reviewed the single in October, 1964, giving the sides B+ and B grades. These instrumentals are primarily guitar-driven melodies, but the group did have a pianist. The entire band plays very well.
Rest-A-While Music Company (ASCAP) published “All Night”. Rest-a-While Music appears on other Ford and Merry-Go-Round releases, including Ford 117, The Gallant Men’s “Lost Romance” by Foti and O’Donnell, and Dolores Rodell “Go For Broke” written by Vin Roddie, on Ford 132. The company had a New York City address.
I haven’t heard or seen their second single as the Incidentals, two more instrumentals, “Fireside” / “Lucille” on Ford 138. Cash Box reviewed it in January 1965, awarding the same B+/B grades as their first single.
A third 45 “Walkin’ the Dog” / “If You Go” on Ford 143 is credited to Bill Ervin & the Incidentals. The Library of Congress has a May 1965 registration for “If You Go” written by William Ervin, published by Merry-Go-Round Melody Co. I’d like to hear these, and would like to know if Bill Ervin was an added vocalist or if he played an instrument on the earlier records.
Billboard listed Sherman Ford Jr as the Incidentals personal manager, he was also president of Ford Records and Merry-Go-Round.
This Incidentals almost certainly was not the group from Ocala, Florida with a single on Paris Tower “baby I Want You Back Again” / “It’s All in Your Mind”. Members of that Incidentals were Ed Barnett, vocals; John Winter on guitar; Steve Fordyce on bass; Tony Cummings and Biff Ruff on organ; and Mike Barnett on drums.
Nor were they the group who cut “Baby Shake” / “Till the Ending of Time” on Gold Standard.
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
The obscure group Teachers Pet cut this one single on the equally obscure B-Rod Records. “Trying to Get Back to You” is crude swampy boogie. The A-side was the comparatively sleepy “Say You Love Me”. Both songs were originals by Larry Sims and Mike Zimmerman.
