Allan Breed with the Third Level had only one release, “City Where I Once Lived” / “Many’s the Time”, both full pop productions with light psychedelic touches. By accident, some of the lyrics on “City Where I Once Lived” are incredibly apt to our situation in 2020:
Well here I am, in the city where I once lived, But no one bothers to speak, Attitude is simply oblique, It’s not the same anymore.
Love once surrounded me here, In the city where I once lived, But the love I once knew is gone, Only faces of misery drawn, Puts the blame of it all.
Where are the people who once smiled and said hello, Where did they go?
Have I stayed away too long or is there really something really wrong?
So as I walk, through the city where I once lived, And see this disease I’ve seen, That destroys the reasons for being, I can’t understand.
Allan Breed notably co-wrote “Frozen Sunshine” with Rick McClellan, which in recent years has become a well-known hit with retro club DJs, especially in Europe. Breed and McClellan collaborated on a number of songs, not all of which seem to have been released. The first may have been “Goodbye My Friend”, registered in 1966.
In May of 1968 they registered copyright on “City Where I Once Lived” and “Many’s the Time”. Allan Breed produced the songs with Steve Clark for release on their own label Treswood TW 101.
The following year, Lawrence Allen Breed and Rick McClellan wrote “Frozen Sunshine”, copyright registered in May of 1969. Breed and Mike Henderson (for Treswood Productions) produced that single on Ranwood R-849, and also his follow-up, “Redheaded Woman” / “2:30 in the Morning” for Quad Records QU 105, where Allan Breed was head of A&R.
Quad Records also reissued “Frozen Sunshine”, without the violins, and with a different B-side, “Julie Makes It Right”. A Cash Box notice from July, 1970 lists some other Quad releases and notes Al Perry was executive vice-president of Quad. An ad in Cash Box from the same month for Four Star / Stellar Music / BNP Music Publishing lists Alfred Perry and Fred Benson as VP, and has Allan Breeds name but without title.
Later copyrights by Breed and McClellan include “By the Light in Your Eyes”, “Here Comes the Sun” and “Who Taught You”. I’m not sure if these were recorded or released.
Allan Breed would go on to produce a few more records with Mike Henderson, including two singles of Sandy & Dick St. John on Congress, and two by CaShears on pbm Records. Also on pbm Records Breed produced Sidro’s Armada’s “Little Girl from Greenwood, Georgia”.
Steve Clark is likely the same person who partnered with Curt Boettcher in Our Productions (thanks for the tip Max Waller). Clark and Mike Henderson both worked on some Tommy Roe productions from this period.
July 1970 publishing ad including writers R.B. Greaves, Dean Kay, Hal Blair, Arthur Hamilton, Kelly Gordon, Peter Daniels, Norma Green, Tad Suckling, Gloria Sklerov, Douglas Fir, Rick McClellan, Jerry Wright, Nick Alexander, Lala Schrifrin, Bob Simpson, Chuck Jones, Buzz Siler and Martin Kosins
“Homebrew” is a storming instrumental, with a foreboding rhythm guitar and bass behind sharp lead guitar work, excellent drumming and rockin’ piano.
I can’t find much about Archie Liseo other than an odd news item from December, 1965, where an Archie Liseo “is resigning from the Denver Young Democrats in protest against what he described as ‘filth’ in the organization’s newspaper. Liseo said he objected to the review of a play in the December issue of the paper The Vanguard. He said the paper had been read by his children before he arrived home Thursday.”
I suppose that could be a different person, considering this group titled their record “Homebrew”.
“Homebrew” has a writing credit of A. Trujillo, which could be another name for Archie Liseo. This may be the only record he ever made. The band is so good I hope there are more recordings somewhere.
The ballad A-side, “Lonely” was written by L. Pickett and J. Ward. CLW Music Pub published both songs.
Released on CLW 45-6576, this is a Rite pressing, 13705/6 from 1965. CLW owner Jim Ward produced the single with Geo Chapekis. The address for CLW is given as 522 Knox Ct., Denver.
I’m not sure if the San Diego Marauders were an actual group or a studio creation. Cecil Calvert ran Compose Records from his home at 450 Orlando St. in El Cajon, just east of San Diego.
Compose Records released two singles by the San Diego Marauders. The first had an original by Cecil Calvert, “Don’t Come Around” backed with a good version of the Olympics “The Bounce”. Released as Compose Records 1901/2, the Monarch Δ number 56767 dates it to April or May of 1965. “Don’t Come Around” has a good garage sound, and runs a minute and a half!
The second single is interesting for including “Ervin Rucker, vocal” and featuring an original song by Rucker and Ervin Groves, who often collaborated together. Compose Records 1903/4: “Baby Can’t You Feel It” (E. Rucker and E. Groves) / “Sentimental Reasons”.
In July 1967 and 1968, Cash Box’s list of ASCAP publishers includes “Groham c/o Cecil Calvert, 450 Orlando”. Calvert also had a June, 1964 copyright for a song called “Shackles of Love” written with Robert L. Jackson. If it ever was recorded, I don’t believe it saw release.
Bob Galindo, brother of 13th Floor Elevators bassist Danny Galindo, wrote on a now-defunct San Antonio music history site, “Max Range was not the ‘Stepfather’ of Texas pyschedelia, he was ‘THE GODFATHER’. He was a very influential guy, in a subversive sort of way, if you know what I mean.”
On the same site, Margaret Moser posted, “Max Range gets no credit as one of THE visionaries of South Texas music”.
I have not found much detail on how Max Range influenced the Elevators and the psychedelic scene in Texas, but one thing is certain, Range fronted three bands that included five future members of the Elevators.
Max Range’s full name was George Max Range, born in Beeville, TX, an hour’s drive from Corpus Christi (also birthplace of John Ike Walton, who moved to Kerrville in 1950). Max went to school in Beeville, and became an Eagle Scout.
Max moved to Kerrville in the early ’60s, perhaps with his family to finish school, or as an apprentice printer for the local newspaper the Daily Times.
Traditions, Kerrville Daily Times, July 23, 1963 In Kerrville he would join a group called the Traditions. The Kerrville Daily Times featured a photo of the Traditions on July 23, 1963 with the accompanying text:
The Arcadia Theatre of Kerrvile will present a Summer Stage Show during the intermission of two big twist hits, “Don’t Knock the Twist” and “Twist Around the Clock” July 24 and 25 at 8 p.m. The music of “The Traditions” will be presented.
“The Traditions” is a group of young local musicians that produce an activated tempo-type sound. Five members comprise the band.
Max Range, 19, from Beeville is the vocalist. Max has had four years experience in the musical field and has performed in two bands before organizing the Traditions.
Bobby Hunter, 19, from Freeport, plays the lead guitar. He has had four years of training…
Bobby Sanchez, 16, from Kerrville, is the rhythamatic drummer with a set of “talking” drums. He has put three years into the mastery of the drums and has won several awards in the Tivy High School Band.
Randy Jackson, 18, from San Juan … plays the bass guitar and has had two years of experience.
Stacy Sutherland, 17, from Kerrville provides the basic rhythm … which enables The Traditions to give that special sound quality necessary for a top grade band.
All of these band members from various parts of Texas are now combined into one soundsation group…
Marvin Taylor, “The Traditions” manager and the assistant manager of the Arcadia …
I’d like to know more about Max Range’s two earlier bands from his four years experience in music, but have not turned up any info other than a group with Stacy called the Signatures, mentioned in Ben Graham’s A Gathering of Promises.
Although the Daily Times article states Max organized the Traditions, it seems the group formed in 1961 or 1962, well before Max joined. An early photo shows Stacy Sutherland, Bob Schmerbeck, Eddie Flores, Bobby Sanchez and Randy Jackson.
In April 1964, the Kerrville Daily Times runs an ad for the Grove restaurant “now under new management, Grady and Shirley Sharp” with “Live Band – Max Range and “The Traditions” featuring Joe Burkett III and His “Backwoods Fiddle”.
On August 23, 1964, the Kerrville Daily Times makes the first mention of Max Range appearing with the Penetrators (as the Penetrations):
Jamey Ryan of San Antonio, Miss KTSA, is schedule to appear at the Arcardia Theatre on Thursday, Aug. 27 in connection with the Gigantic Hootenanny Stage Show. Headlining the show will be Denny Ezba and the Goldens; Bruce Hathaway of KTSA as master of cermonies; Max Range, local vocalist; and the Penetrations, a local group from Kerrville.
Range is band leader of The Traditions but will be appearing with The Penetrators.
April 6, 1965 Notices in the Kerrville Daily Times on September 20, October 2 and November 6, 1964; and on January 14 and 28, 1965 all include Max Range as vocalist of the Penetrators.
On, April 5, 1965 and earlier dates, the Kerrville Daily Times ran a 1″ x 1″ classified display ad “for Sale, Ideal for musical group. Premier P-14 PA System … Max Range, Daily Times.”
Penetrators, Kerrville Daily Times, June 6, 1965
A Daily Times article from June 6, 1965 writes:
The Penetrators … have released their first record which is available to the public. The record, “Praying Till Then” and “Kurl” is on the Trater Record label. “Praying Till Then”, a slow ballad, was composed by Max Range, vocalist for the group. The flip side “Kurl”, was composed by all members of the ensemble, who are, Danny Klein, Bob Morrison, Ron Leatherman, Pat Morrison and Max Range.
The single was released as by Max and the Penetraters on Trater Records 650528. As far as I know, this is the only recording Max Range ever made.
In the spring of 1965, Kerrville musicians Stacy Sutherland and drummer John Ike Walton met violinist Benny Thurmond at Dirty Martin’s hamburgers in Austin. After a trip to Mexico together, they stopped at the Gulf Coast town of Port Aransas on the way home. There they met Ralph Plumlee and talked their way into a residency at the Dunes club. They brought Max Range into the group, which they named the Lingsmen.The Lingsmen at Bonnie and Dougs, Aransas Pass, September 1965
I’ve read that Tommy Hall was a member of the Lingsmen, but that seems to be incorrect, although the band would see Tommy and Clementine Hall in Port Aransas that summer.
I’d also read that Stacy, John Ike and Benny left Max to go form the Elevators, but it seems that Max was the first to leave the group. Tony Joe White filled in for some shows, and the Lingsmen may have recorded a demo with Tony, now lost.
Perhaps the last show of the Lingsmen with Sutherland, Walton, & Thurman at the Maison Rouge in Corpus Christi, November 16, 1965 Corpus Christi Times Nov. 1, 1965
Judging by local news ads, the group continued at least until mid-November, 1965. About that time Stacy, John Ike and Benny left Port Aransas, supposedly because of attention from local police. In Austin, they would form the 13th Floor Elevators with Tommy Hall and Roky Erickson, playing their first show on December 8, 1965.
June 16, 1966, Max and the Laughing Kind at the Dunes Annex and also at the Carousel on 10th St.Max Range however returned to Port Aransas, recruiting members of a San Antonio group called the Loose Ends circa January, 1966:
Dan Galindo – bass Bob Galindo – guitar Bill King – guitar Buddy Toscano – drums
This group may have performed as the Lingsmen initially, but by June had become Max and the Laughing Kind.
“Two of the Laughing Kind hitting the chords at the Dunes.(guit and bass)” – Max and the Laughing Kind profile in the Corpus Christi Caller Times, July 24, 1966
An article in the Corpus Christi Caller Times on July 24, 1966 lists the other members as:
Keith Miller – lead guitar Bill King – guitar Bill Smith – bass Tom McTaggart – drums
Hundreds Flock to Port Aransas Danceland Every Weekend
The popularity of the Dunes Danceland at Port Aransas appears to be climbing in its second season, and owner Ralph Plumlee says he has plans for a bigger place in the future.
On a Saturday night now it starts about 8 p.m. – a line of headlights heading down the Padre Island beach toward Horace Caldwell Pier, begins to turn into a laughing, dancing crowd of young peoople at the Dunes.
Plumlee, a retired Dallas business man, and head of White Marlin Enterprises in Port Aransas, said that the average Saturday night attendance ranges from 700 to 1,000. The July 4 weekend drew a crowd estimated at 2,700 on one night…
Max and The Laughing Kind provide the warmth and the music. The long haired band leader wears sunglasses for the evening performance.
… the five-piece band is composed of Max Range, from the Beeville area, who is leader and singer; Bill King, guitar; Tom McTaggart, drums; Keith Miller, lead guitar; and Bill Smith, bass.
The Danceland’s popularity has spread out of the immediate area. College students from Kingsville and even as far as San Antonio and Houston make the Saturday night dances.
Max and the Laughing Kind profile in the Corpus Christi Caller Times, July 24, 1966
Miller, Smith and McTaggart had been in a San Antonio group the Mysterions with Roy Cox. When the summer was over, they went back to San Antonio and continued to use the Laughing Kind name with Bobby Trevino on keyboards and Tommy Smith on vocals. Dan Galindo would soon join the 13th Floor Elevators in time to record much of Easter Everywhere.
1967: Max Range’s Lingsmen with a new lineup, back at the Dunes
The following year, the Corpus Christi Times announced “Max and the Lingsmen” for the grand opening of the new Dunes Danceland, on Friday, May 12, 1967; “main dance floor enlarged and redecorated.”
The lineup at this time was listed on the now-defunct Mike’s Band Archive site:
Max Range – vocals Chris Holzhaus – lead guitar Bill King – guitar Ronnie Huth – vox organ Mike Marechal – bass Sam Allen – drums
That is the last document of Max Range’s music career that I have found until 1970, when an International Artist list of bands includes Ice with Max Range, Stacy Sutherland, David Browne, Michael Marschell and Ron Viviano (reproduced in Paul Drummond’s 13th Floor Elevators: A Visual History). Ice reportedly went into a studio twice, but no recordings have survived.
According to an online obituary, “Max was a printer for the Houston Chronicle for many years. George Max Range of Copperas Cove died at 59, on July 10, 2003, after a long illness.”
Ronnie Leatherman is best known for playing bass on The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators. Before that time, he had at least two other bands, the Penetrators and the Beau-Mondes, formed while he was at Tivy High School in Kerrville, Texas, a town about 65 miles northwest of San Antonio.
Kerrville Mountain Sun, September 18, 1963
The Penetrators started as “The Counts”. On September 18, 1963, the Kerrville Mountain Sun reported:
“The Counts,” a small band group at Tivy, performed on the radio September 10. The group is composed of Pat Morrison, guitar; Ronnie Leatherman, bass; Danny Klein, guitar; and Bobby Morrison, drums. They played “Bulldog” and one of their own songs, “The Swing.”
Listed as the Penetrations, March 25, 1964
The earliest notice I can find for the Penetrators is from March 25, 1964, where the Kerrvile Mountain Sun lists the group name as the “Penetrations”. Members were the same as the Counts:
Danny Klein – lead guitar Pat Morrison – rhythm guitar Ronnie Leatherman – bass Bobby Morrison – drums
This quartet would be the heart of the band through several changes in lineup.
Penetrators, Kerrville Daily Times, July 14, 1964
On July 12, 1964 the same lineup played a show at the Jaycee Center with the Reverbs, which included Bobby Schmidtke, Frank Lola and Pat Young.
Penetrators, Kerrville Daily Times, October 2, 1964Penetrators, Kerrville Daily Times, November 6, 1964
A notice in the Kerrville Daily Times from August 23, 1964 is the first time Max Range is connected to the band: “Range is band leader of The Traditions but will be appearing with The Penetrators, local combo.”
On September 20, 1964, the Daily Times column Hill Top Village Views includes Max Range as a member, and also includes Bobby Solomon whose name I do not see in any other listing. The October 2 Daily Times includes a photo of the band with Max Range.
A notice from November 6 in the Daily Times for a Jaycee Youth Center dance the next day lists yet another short-lived member, Carlton White on rhythm guitar. Carlton’s name would also appear in notices from January 14 and 28, 1965. Carlton White had been in a folk group with Stacy Sutherland, the Travelers Four.
The Penetrators from left: Bob Morrison, Ron Leatherman, Max Range, Danny Klein, and Pat Morrison
On February 25, 1965, the Daily Times reused the photo from October, but noted:
Kerrville’s Penetrators made their first TV appearance Saturday afternoon on the Ricci Ware show … on Channel 5 … The boys have written several songs and played one composed by Max Range, “I’ll Keep Praying Til Then” on the TV show. Left to right are Bob Morrison, drummer, and student at Tivy High School; Ron Leatherman, bass player and Tivy student; Max Range, vocalist and harmonica player who is employed at the Daily Times; Danny Klein, Tivy senior and lead guitarist; and Pat Morrison, rhythm guitar and student at Schreiner Institute.
Penetrators, Kerrville Daily Times, June 6, 1965
A Daily Times article from June 6, 1965 writes:
The Penetrators … have released their first record which is available to the public. The record, “Praying Till Then” and “Kurl” is on the Trater Record label. “Praying Till Then”, a slow ballad, was composed by Max Range, vocalist for the group. The flip side “Kurl”, was composed by all members of the ensemble, who are, Danny Klein, Bob Morrison, Ron Leatherman, Pat Morrison and Max Range.
This is the last mention of the Penetrators I can find. The single was released as by Max and the Penetraters on Trater Records 650528.
By the summer of 1965, Max Range left to Port Aransas with the Lingsmen, a group featuring two other Kerrville musicians, Stacy Sutherland and John Ike Walton.The Beau-Mondes, Kerrville Mountain Sun, November 24, 1965
An article in the Kerrville Mountain Sun from November 24, 1965 on the Beau-Mondes shows the original Penetrators quartet has been expanded into a septet and renamed, featuring:
Mark Atterbury – vocals Danny Klein – lead guitar Pat Morrison – rhythm guitar and manager Bill Stacy – rhythm guitar Bob Schmerbeck – piano Ronnie Leatherman – bass guitar Bobby Morrison – drums
The Beaumondes, Kerrville Daily Times, December 29, 1965
The last mention I can find of the Beau-Mondes was from December 29, 1965, and mentions a single that I do not believe was ever released:
The Beaumondes … have recently cut a record. The name of the record is “Won’t You Cry for Me?” It will be released January 11. The lead singer, Mark Atterbury, wrote the song and sings it with the other boys providing the background The members are Mark, Pat Morrison, Bobby Morrison, and Ronnie Leatherman.
From an interview on It’s Psychedelic Baby by Justin Jackley, Ronnie Leatherman mentioned a trio with two friends who passed away the same year. He also said the Lingsmen asked him to come to Port Aransas for a few weeks to play with them and help Bennie Thurman learn how to play the bass, and that Stacy wanted Ronnie in the 13th Floor Elevators.
Thank you to Matthew B. for his continued help to access news sites.
The Thingies were a peripatetic band, settling and playing shows in a number of locations, and occasionally recording. A full story of the band is on the Cicadelic site. I wanted to include a brief post on the Thingies because of their single on Casino Records.
In late 1962, Larry Miller formed the TR4 while he was stationed with the Air Force in Topeka, Kansas.
The TR4 were:
Don Ferguson – lead guitar Dave Daws – organ Larry Miller – bass and vocals Joe Rodriguez – drums
The TR4 released a single in 1963, “Peter Rabbit” backed with a stomping instrumental, “Surfin’ TR” on Exclusive Records.
In 1964 the band added Phil Weaver as lead vocalist and changed their name to the Coachmen. Gordon Marcellus replaced Joe Rodriguez on drums.
By 1965 the lineup changed again along with the band name to the Thingies:
Fabulous Thingies at the Emporia Civic Auditorium, Nov 11, 1966
Phil Weaver – lead vocals John Dalton – lead guitar Ernie Swisher – organ Larry Miller – bass Gordon Marcellus – drums
They released “It’s a Long Way Down” / “Merry Go Round Of Life” on Casino in early 1966. The group played often in Omaha, Nebraska, where the band first learned about psychedelics. The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band played at The Tiki Club in Topeka, and they helped the Thingies get a light show together according to Larry Miller.
In December, 1966, the Thingies recorded two original at Fairyland Studios in Columbia, MO, “English Eyes” / “No Matter What The World May Say” that were not released at the time, but “English Eyes” appeared on the CD “The Thingies Have Arrived” on Collectables. That CD also features one vocal and two instrumental takes of another original, “I’m Going Ahead”.
The Thingies spent the summer of 1967 in Miami, playing regularly at a huge teen club called The World.
Georgetown Megaphone Sept. 29, 1967
They went to Waco, where Phil Weaver had family, then moved to Austin, Texas in September. One of their earliest shows in Austin was at a Love-In at Zilker Hillside Theater on September 24.
In an article headlined Capital Cops Tops With Hippie Love-In, reporter Mary Callaway gets a little carried away, but still presents a great window onto the Thingies stage show:
Freak-out music dramas presented by the Thingies, a national psychedelic band.
Dressed in a collage of costumes from full monk garbe to Daniel Boone, the Thingies presented a trip experience in which an amber light caught on the jags and peaks of a lump of raspberry jello one into a dream of all worldly objects and abstract concepts merging into one single sound which becomes dust, spirals, and creates a new being. Then the drums and guitars pick up the poet’s rhythm and “Gloria” crashes in in full orchestra.
In “Suzi Creamcheez, What’s Got Into You” the female member of the band expresses a trip experience in which for twenty minutes, with wailing guitars, computer sounds, and aggressive band members, throw her absurd world into supersonic gear, and pathetically enough she screams frantically throughout the drama.
The Austin Daily Texan writer Merry Clark had a more sober account, and named the other bands on the bill:
The Jackels from Dallas began the afternoon playing a new sound for the group formerly known as the Chessmen. They were followed by the Austin Conqueroo …. then a newer Austin band composed mostly of University architecture students, Shiva’s Head Band … A group of men from Bergstrom Air Force Base called the Afro-Caravan [with] Robert King, the leader of the group.
The evening program began and ended with a light show, “Mothers of Invention” sound, and freak out of the Thingies band from Miami.
Austin Love-In with the Jackals, the Conqueroo, Shiva’s Headband, Afro-Caravan, and the Thingies, Austin Daily Texan, Sept. 26, 1967 Over the next six months, the Thingies would play many live shows at the Matchbox, the Vulcan Gas Company, the Pleasure Dome and other venues. Their manager (Night Productions) owned the 11th Street Folk Club, and the group recorded some live shows but the tapes have apparently been lost.
The band signed with Sonobeat, who recorded them at the Swinger’s Club during the club’s off hours, and did overdubs at KAZZ-FM studios. The single featured Gordon Marcellus and Larry Miller’s original “Mass Confusion” backed with Phil Weaver and Bob Cole’s “Rainy Sunday Morning”. Recorded in December, 1967, Sonobeat didn’t release it until the spring of 1968, by which time the Thingies had split up.
Unreleased songs from the Sonobeat sessions include “I Died”, “Mrs. Baker”, “Richard’s Song”, all without finished vocal tracks. You can hear “Mrs. Baker” on the Sonobeat page for the Thingies.
Gordon Marcellus passed away in 2004, Phil Weaver passed in 2014, and Larry Miller passed away at 74 in 2017.
Thingies at the Match Box, Austin Daily Texan, Nov 29, 1967
An additional source was Mojo Mills’ interview with Larry Miller in Shindig.
Night Productions: the Thingies management in Austin
The Thingies, partial gig list:
September 3, 1966 – at the Skyline Club, Manhattan, Kansas
November 12, 1966 – The Fabulous Thingies at the Emporia Civic Auditorium
June 30, 1967 – Atchison, KS Memorial Auditorium
September 24, 1967 – Zilker Hillside Theater, Austin, TX, Love-In with the Jackals, the Conqueroo, Shiva’s Headband and the Afro-Caravan.
September 29 and September 30, 1967 – the IL Club, Austin, TX
October 3, 1967 – New Orleans Club, Austin October 20 and October 21, 1967 – The IL Club, Austin (“After Hours 1 a.m. – 4 a.m.”) October 31, 1967 – New Orleans Club, Austin (“Halloween Ball … wear mask”)
November 29, 1967 – The Match Box, Austin
December 15 and December 16, 1967 – The Pleasure Dome, Austin
December 29 and December 30, 1967 – Hilltop Club, Atchison, KS “The Thingies out of Austin … Just back from the Bahama Islands” ?!
Notorious even in distant Fort Stockton, TX, reported in the Pioneer, Nov. 30, 1967
The Bourbons are something of a mystery group. I have never seen a photo of the band and don’t know most of the names of the group.
Lee Poundstone is the Lee credited with writing the songs on their only single.
Ricky Jones left a comment below saying he played keyboards with the group.
I’ve found two notices for one of the Bourbons rare live shows, at Teen Town on 3524 S. New Braunfels in San Antonio on October 21, 1966. Their single on Royal Family 45-267 dates to March, 1967 according to Teen Beat Mayhem. I suppose the 267 release number must fit into Bob Tanner’s TNT pressing plant list, as TNT Music published the songs.
At The Casket in Kerrville – same band?Both sides are classic Texas garage, “A Dark Corner” having a guitar line something like the Elevators’ “Roller Coaster” but with more menace to it.
“Of Old Approximately (A Time for a Change)” has a great sound, from the wailing harp to the buzzsaw guitar.
I found another notice for the Bourbons playing at The Casket in Kerrville, an hour’s drive north west of San Antonio in July, 1967. It’s possible this is not the same group.
If anyone has a photo of the group or knows something about the Bourbons, or the other groups on these listings: the Gothics, the Aggressors, the Catalinas, the Spidels, Mods and the Sound, please contact me.
Ricky Jones told me “the Aggressors morphed into Band Ayd after Terrell O’Neill (of the former Cave Dwellers) joined the band as lead singer.” I am hoping Ricky will provide more info and some photos of the band.
Lee Poundstone has a credit for playing bass on Rosalie Sorrels LP on Sire, Travelin’ Lady, though I don’t know if this is the same person.
Here is a truly unknown single by the Odyssey, “Just to Be” b/w “Sunday Time” on Yorkshire Records YO 154. I’m not sure of the pressing date, but Leonard Novarro registered “Sunday Time” with the Library of Congress in July, 1968.
I couldn’t find a Library of Congress registration for “Just to Be”, but BMI lists the song as “Just to Be the Way I Want to Be” with Warner-Tamerlane.
Leonard Novarro, Vincent Leary and Richard Nusser co-composed the song.
Richard Nusser may have been the columnist for the Village Voice.
Vincent Leary may be the same Vinny Leary who played guitar with the Fugs on their earliest albums, and again in the mid-80s. Vinny Leary was also an engineer at Variety Recording Studio. This was one of only two song-writing credits he has on BMI, the other being co-composer of “Virgin Forest” with Ted Berrigan and Lee Soren Crabtree; there is also a “Benson Leary” credited on the Fugs’ “Doin’ All Right”.
David Gornston’s name appears as publisher. Ten years prior Gornston published a number of Big Bob Dougherty’s songs on Golden Crest: including “Honky”, “Squeezer”, “Lover’s Love” and “Lorelei”.
Golden Crest was based in Huntington, NY. I’m not sure where Yorkshire Records was located, but the label produced other good singles by the Dolphins, from Larchmont, and the Saxons, from West Palm Beach.
Leonard A. Novarro registered many other copyrights. Although the Odyssey labels spell his name as L. Navarro, it seems Novarro is correct. So far I haven’t discovered if any of the following were recorded:
In August 1967, Novarro registered “Don’t Disturb the Artist” and “Gypsy Man”.
In January 1969, using the pseudonym Gideon, Novarro registered “Candy Buttons”, “Dusty Shoes”, The Homecoming”, “Lady Liar”, “Sweet-Talkin’ Child”.
In May of 1970, he registered “Baby’s Sleeping”, “Sunny Day Woman” and “Time Again”, and in August “Hear My Warning” and “Legend of a Love Child, Linda” (echoes of Donovan on this title).
Thank you to J.W. Honeycutt for alerting me to the Odyssey single. Some info on Vinny Leary came from Mr. Smith, the Sybarite Who Also Was a Teacher by Warren Allen Smith.
Here’s an odd single by The Pottery Outfit, which seems to be Randy Fuller collaborating with Howard Steele on one side and Johnny Daniel on the other.
“Captain Zig-Zag” is an unabashed tribute to rolling papers: “the happy paper maker, makes the paper to make you merry, accompany you to the land of mari…” and “this paper will help you ease your mind”.
The R. Fuller – H. Steele credit suggests Randy Fuller and bassist Howard Steele. Publishing through Brave New World, but I can’t find any record of copyright registration.
The music backing is excellent, possibly featuring Mike Ciccarelli on lead guitar and DeWayne Quirico on drums.
Between the suggestive lyrics and trademark issues, it’s no surprise this was not released beyond a few white label 45s with a blank label B-side.
In 1966, Randy released his first single under his own name, “It’s Love Come What May” / “Wolfman” on Mustang Records 3020. He recorded two songs for a follow-up single on Mustang 3023, which never saw release. One of these, “Things You Do” showed up as the B-side of the 1967 UK release of “It’s Love Come What May” on President Records PT 111.
Blank label plays Randy Fuller’s “Now She’s Gone” The other song from that unreleased Mustang single, “Now She’s Gone”, appears on the blank-label B-side of the Pottery Outfit. Randy Fuller and John Daniel co-wrote both “Things You Do” and “Now She’s Gone”. John Daniel’s full name appears in BMI as John Calvin Daniel.
Released on Edsel 777, the Pottery Outfit has Δ69864 in the run-out of both sides, dating it to January or February 1968 (possibly December 1967).
I’ve read that “Now She’s Gone” is on the B-side of his second single on Showtown, “1,000 Miles into Space”, but I haven’t actually seen a label with that song. I’ve only seen promo versions that have “1,000 Miles into Space” on both sides – can anyone confirm this?
The Four of Us came from Queens, NY, though I’m not sure which neighborhood.
“I Don’t Need No One” is good tough garage with sax, written by Joseph Guido, Stephen Guido, and Jose Maldonado, all probably members of the group.
“I Don’t Need No One” was reviewed as the top side in Cash Box in January, 1966: “Raunchy funky shouting tune based on an everpresent solid beat. Strong guitar and hard vocal work could start this one off toward being a biggie.”
The flip is the more pop “Iga Diga Doo”, technically the A-side, written by Harold Onderdonk, George Bonetti, Tom Cox, and Jim Carrick. Merrimac Music Corp. published both sides. This team also wrote “Stomp ‘Em Out” for the Exterminators on Chancellor CHC 1148, the flip to “The Beetle Bomb”, but were not credited on the label. Ding Dong Music Corp published “Stomp ‘Em Out”, registering copyright in April, 1964 (March, 1964 for “The Beetle Bomb”).
The Four of Us was released on Brunswick 55288. Producer Harry Goodman was Benny Goodman’s brother.
I would appreciate more info or photos of the group.
Joey Guido and Jose Maldonado (as Jose Mala) formed the Koala with Anthony Wesley, Joe Alexander and Louis Caine, releasing an album & single on Capitol in 1969 featuring all original songs by Guido and Maldonado. In 1974, Jose Mala replaced Eric Emerson in the Magic Tramps.
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In May of 1968 they registered copyright on “City Where I Once Lived” and “Many’s the Time”. Allan Breed produced the songs with Steve Clark for release on their own label Treswood TW 101.
