The Novells recorded a great lament “Go Now” for Dale Menten’s Westchester label of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Other than a writing credit to Steve Johnson, the Novells are a mystery to me.
“Go Now” was released on Westchester DR-271, as the B-side to a version of “Billy Boy”. The DR-271 number on the label indicates this was recorded at Dove Recording Studios in Bloomington.
Producer Dale Menten is most famous as guitarist of the Gestures, and writer of “Run, Run, Run”.
The Minneapolis Tribune on Sunday, June 2, 1968 ran an overview of the local rock business that included this paragraph:
Candyfrost Productions is a two-year-old firm that manages about 16 bands and does promotion for them as well. The firm did about $400,000 worth of business last year. Dale Menten and Peter Steinberg, the owners, are both 23. Steinberg is also a major stockholder in Dove Recording, a 3 1/2-year-old rock recording compoany that grossed more than $50,000 last year.
The Titans came from the Denver area, releasing only one single, the very cool “Don’t Cry Girl” b/w “”Don’t Miss the Boat” on Amber 218-DCG in 1968 as the Teeny Titans.
The Titans were about 14 years old at the time of the single and had been together about two years with this lineup:
Dave Feager – guitar Mark Siegert – guitar Cheryl Justice – keyboards Greg Schriener – bass John Justice – drums
Mark Siegert wrote “Don’t Cry Girl” with two names I’m not familiar with, Wyant and Tarvin.
I’m not sure how they ended up on the New York City based Amber Records label, but their B-side “Don’t Miss the Boat” had been the A-side of one Amber singles by the Zephyrs. Writing credits for “Don’t Miss the Boat” go to Fuller and Bruce.
Last Exit came from western Ohio, perhaps Montgomery County, near Dayton. The only name I have is K.K. Petty, who wrote both sides.
“The Fast One” gives the lead guitarist plenty of time to solo. “The Slow One” is, as the title suggests, a ballad, with lines like “The best foundation for true love is simply a little trust / But the whole thing can be shattered, with a sudden burst of lust”!
The band cut their single at Wildwood Sound Productions in Brookville, where the Centrees, and Captain Crunch and the Crew also recorded.
Gene Turner’s Gene O Music published the songs but I cannot find registration for either. It is a Rite pressing, account # 1850, from 1967.
Best-known lineup of the Downbeats: Marty Ford, Dave Gaston, John Bowman, Don Sailing, Gary Bolen, and Lann Gaston
The Downbeats came from Wichita, Kansas, and released one single “1-2-3” / “Trying to Get Through” on Kanwic HFCS-137 in early 1968
The Downbeats were active from 1964 until 1970, with the horns added in 1966. Members were:
Gary Bolen – lead guitar and lead vocals Marty Ford – bass Don Sailing – organ John Bowman – drums Dave Gaston – sax Lanny Gaston – trumpet
Gary Bolen and Marty Ford composed “Trying to Get Through”. It’s a stomping soul performance, with a steady beat, funky rhythm guitar and bursts of horns. A scratched copy is audible on youtube:
Early lineup of the Downbeats, from left: Marty Ford, Jim Holmes, John Bowman, Gary Bolen, and Barry Sigars
Early members included guitarist Barry Sigars, vocalist Jim Holmes, John Clampitt on organ and Mike Brittain on bass. Later members included Wayne Avery, Mike Musick and Gary Heitz
Rob McKnight managed the band, and co-produced the single with Don Clyne.
The Downbeats with their 1937 Cadillac La Salle hearseThe Downbeats in the Beacon, February 14, 1968
While looking into the Kanwic label, I found the news feature on the band above, Downbeats Pick Up Pace by Cathy Henkel, from the Wichita Beacon of February 14, 1968:
Working at High Fidelity Recording, Inc., the band has done radio jingles, and acted as a studio band for other singers.
For more info on Kanwic, an item from the Wichita Eagle & Beacon Magazine on December 12, 1965:
A Wichita recording firm, High Fidelity Recording, Inc, at 445 N. Oliver, has issued its first album under the Kanwic label…
High Fidelity has been in operation for about a year. It is owned and operated by Raymond Creely and Jim Strattan, both natives of Wichita.
The company, which has issued previous recordings under other labels, makes its own tapes and handles promotion and distribution for its recording artists. The pressing of the albums and jacket production is done by other companies. There are no pressing firms in this part of the country.
First photo of the Downbeats after Don Sailing joined: Marty Ford, Don Sailing, Mike Brittain, John Bowman, and Gary Bolen
In July, 2022, Don Sailing wrote to me with an update, and sent photos of the group:
We weren’t able to make any other recordings, but I remember making several commercial jingles … one really good one for Uhlik Music.
In 1999, after almost thirty years after we disbanded, we had a wonderful reunion at Marty Ford’s place in Lampe, Missouri. To have all six of us “brothers” together again was surreal!
After a great weekend of playing music again, and thinking we were getting “old” at around 50 years of age, we made the decision to get the band back together. After many months of rehearsals and hard work in Missouri and Wichita, we booked a two night debut show at Ahoys in Kimberling City, Missouri in August of 2000. It was an unbelievably awesome gig!
After a few more gigs in Missouri, we all decided we had reached a pinnacle that few old bands are blessed to experience, and we decided to hang it up.
Sadly, only four of us remain today. We lost Marty Ford about nine years ago, and we lost Lanny about five years ago. The four of us remaining have all been married to our first wives, and we all have grown kids and growing grandkids!
Downbeats reunion, from left: Gary Bolen, Lanny Gaston, Dave Gaston, Marty Ford, Don Sailing and John Bowman.
The Rain, from left: Owen Evans, Jim Bond, Ron Hall and Steve Croucher
Rain was a quartet from Osage City, Kansas. The members were:
Steve Croucher – lead guitar and vocals Owen Evans – keyboards and vocals Ron Hall – bass Jim Bond – drums and vocals
In August 1967 they traveled about a half hour southwest to Emporia to cut a record in the basement of 15 year old engineer Tom Webb.
“Love Me and Be Glad” is a great soulful number with lead vocals by Owen Evans and Steve Croucher. “Little Boy Blue” is a gentle song sung by Steve Croucher. Both are originals by the group.
The single was released on Webb Records No. 5667A, with dead wax L-270-1/2.
From right to left: Steve Croucher with headphones, Tom Webb “fingering the control panel”, Jim Bond seated next to him, Owen Evans, Bill James and Ron Hall.
Amazingly one of their recording sessions was documented by the Emporia Gazette on Thursday August 31, 1967:
Young Emporians Doing Record Business
Webb Records, named for the senior partner, Tom Webb. Fifteen years old. A student at Roosevelt Junior High School … Tom has been playing around with tape recording as a hobby for about a year…
Headquarters for him and for Webb Records is the basement of his family’s home…
…the truly impressive sight lines fully half of one wall. It is a large handmade electronics control panel, sporting built-in tape recorder, gauges, flashing lights, tone controls and several trays of toggle switches. On one side of the control panel is a work table, buried beneath an avalanche of printed order forms, contracts and information sheets … On either side of the whole squat huge speakers.
Tom’s partner in Webb Records is Bill James … Bill keeps a sharp eye on the company finances while Tom wears the earphones and flips toggles at the control panel…
Here recently a rock-and-roll band from Osage City came to set up its equipment for a recording session.
The band goes by the moniker, “The Rain.” All four members are young, in their teens, not unusual for today’s rock combos. “The Rain,” however, is no ordinary back-yard garage band … Last spring, when they still went under the name, “The Imperials,” they carried off top honors from a marathon “battle of the bands” held in Topeka. Just before their last recording session with Tom Webb, they had completed their first extended tour, a three-week trip that included Garden City, Pratt, Hutchinson, Dighton and a thrust on up into Nebraska.
Although Tom has done recording work with a number of young bands – the “Red Dogs” from Lawrence, the “Ides of March” from Kansas City, the “Coachmen” from Oklahoma City, the “Intruders and the “Esquires” in Emporia, for example, he has spent most of the summer concentrating on “The Rain.”
“Love Me and Be Glad”
The hit record that has been Webb Records’ main claim to fame so far was cut by “The Rain.” The 45-rpm disc features a big beat song called “Love Me and Be Glad,” with “Little Boy Blue” on the flip side. The record has been plugged on several radio stations … in Topeka, Osage City and Emporia. Tom has a list of 16 stations he has been working with.
The manager and lead guitarist for “The Rain” is Steve Croucher, a quiet, reserved chap who even wears his brown hair short. Even more reticent is the bass guitarist, Ron Hall. Owen Evans, the heavy-set, long-locked organist, pounds out chords and beams all over … The fourth band member … is Jim Bond, a short mop-topped extrovert who lays into his drums like they were going out of style. Owen, Steve and Jim handle most of the vocal roles.
The system Tom and Bill have set up is simple and efficient. Occasionally Tom moves his recording equipment to the band, as he did with the “Red Dogs” (their organ was too large to squeeze into the Webb basement)…
When the jam session finally chruns out a good tape, Tom takes it to Audio House in Lawrence. There the tape is used as a master to cut a record on a metal disc covered with acetate. Up to 25 copies are made this way, Tom says, but because acetate records are expensive – $4 each – larger quantities are pressed.
Up to Listeners
After the records are cut, Audio House ships them to Tom, who then makes the rounds of radio stations, leaving a free record at each station…
Once the song goes out on the air, Tom’s fortunes rest with the listeners. If they like the song, they will go downtown to their friendly local record store – where they will be told the disc is not stocked … The retail dealer then contacts the distributor, who in turn contacts Tom. Webb Records then ships the disc directly from Tom’s basement…
“I sure would like to get my own cutting machine,” Tom remarks, adding with a crestfallen expression, “but they cost around $40,000 … But say, if I had my own equipment, I could turn out records for only about two cents each.”
Circa early 1969, the Kanwic label out of Wichita would release a single by Rain, “I’m Free” / “London” on Kanwic HFCS-151. Publishing was by Doree, Johnny & Bill Music.
I believe this may be an entirely different band. The two songwriters, Larry Ulin and Mike Carney, were not in the Rain who recorded on Webb. Also, the sound is much different on “I’m Free”, featuring driving lead guitar without the organ and sweetness of the earlier single.
Wichita is about 100 miles from Emporia, and further from Osage City, though it was not unusual for bands to travel long distances to record.
As for Webb Records, in 1968 Tom Webb would produce a single by Friar Tuck & the Monks on Webb 5668, featuring an original song “Escape” (by Ron Bowell) with a slowed-down cover of “Help”, vocals by Ron Bowell and Rich France. I don’t know if Tom Webb and Bill James continued in music after that.
Business card for Psycho, from Chico, with Guy Williamson and Marty Howard’s contact info
Arvey Andrews headed two record labels in 1965 and 1966, Frantic Records and Vardan Records. He was also part of Management By Martin, Inc., with George Martin and Robert Clark. George Martin co-produced some of these singles and handled bookings for the groups.
In 2020 I bought a collection of records and 1/4″ tapes that belonged to a previously unknown investor in Management By Martin. I am not disclosing his name at this time, but he is now in his mid-90s. He was a colonel in the Air Force, and obviously a music enthusiast. One could map his likely military postings from his record collection: Ty & Johnny on Red Wing suggests Eglin Air Force Base near Pensacola, FL, and Wailers & Sonics records obtained while stationed at McChord Field near Tacoma.
At Beale AFB in Yuba County he met Arvey Andrews, who would involve this officer in his Frantic and Vardan operations. It would be a fruitful but one-sided association. This investor would describe his dealings with Andrews in an Air Force Statement of Witness dated March 2, 1970:
… while stationed at Beale AFB, California I became a stockholder in a corporation known as “Management by Martin, Inc.,” a firm which handles bookings and recordings by “rock and roll” groups. Other members of this corporation at its inception were Captain Arvey I. Andrews (hereafter called Subject), George Martin and a Robert Clark. I contracted a law firm known as Athearn, Chandler and Hoffman, 593 Market Street, San Francisco California to represent me and to establish the corporate structure of Management by Martin Inc. I am the Secretary-Treasurer of this corporation …
I noted that shortly after Management by Martin began to move forward that certain high expenses at Ikon Recorders … as well as fees paid to Lance Associates, a “public relations outfit,” might cause the business to fold… I told the other partners of the corporation that I would remain as a corporation officer but would no longer make financial contributions to the corporation’s support. Also, at this time, I told Subject [Andrews] that he must commence paying back the indebtedness. At that time, I believe it was the spring of 1967, Subject repaid me $100.00 a month for three consecutive months and stopped shortly thereafter. I told Subject that if he did not continue with the monthly payments, I would resort to legal action to recoup the loaned monies. Shortly after this, I became knowledgeable of Subject’s filing for bankruptcy.
These unfortunate transactions seem to have ended this investor’s involvement in the music business, though he continued to collect records and radio shows into the ’70s.
This Management By Martin, Inc ad ran in Billboard every week from April 30 – July 30, 1966The bankruptcy probably harmed Arvey Andrews as well. He remained involved with the Lovers as they changed their name to the Pacesetters and signed to Liberty / Minit, but I don’t believe he produced or released music again. Andrews would reach the rank of major by 1970, before retiring from the Air Force. On May 12, 1982 Andrews incorporated the Vardan Recording Institute of America at 1108 Black Knight Drive in Valrico, Florida, but I know of no releases from this company. Arvey Isaacs Andrews died on April 5, 1994, aged 59.
In the collection were at least one copy of every Vardan and Frantic single except Sonny Oliver & the Statics on Vardan, and the Boy Blues “Coming Down to You” / “Living Child” on Frantic. Most of these were promo copies, and there were multiple stock and promo copies of the Boy Blues “Living Child” / “Think About It Baby” on Vardan. There were Emotions singles on Gate and Philips as well as the Vardan issue.
There were also a couple 45s on Ikon. Along with Golden State Recorders in San Francisco and Sountronic Recording Studios in Lodi, Arvey Andrews used the Ikon studio, but I do not believe he was involved in any releases on that label.
Many of the records have warping and/or insect damage from years stored in an attic.
The Lovers “Leave Her” test pressing
Below is a description of the unique items:
The Lovers unreleased test pressing
Most notable among the 7″s was a styrene test pressing of two unreleased songs by the Lovers, “Leave Her” / “The E.T.”, numbered 2125 / 2126. For some reason Andrews did not release that single, and those numbers appear on the Styx single “My Girl” / “Stay Away” on Frantic Records CR-2125/CR-2126.
Test pressing for Psycho’s “You Think You’ve Got Me” / “Need Me”, released on vinyl as Frantic Records CR-2127/CR-2128
Psycho test pressing
There was also a styrene test pressing for Psycho’s “You Think You’ve Got Me” / “Need Me”, released on vinyl as Frantic Records CR-2127/CR-2128. The dead wax codes are in a different hand than the released version, though the versions sound identical.
Both test pressings are stamped June 13, 1966.
Also included were two test pressings of Custer and the Survivers, “I Saw Her Walking” / “Flapjacks”, which saw release on Golden State and Ascot. Production was by Shower Of Stars, another company of George Martin and Arvey Andrews with a Yuba City address.
Golden State acetate 45 of Psycho “Need Me”
Psycho acetate, and “What’s in the Bag, Goose” demo
Also in the collection were two acetates. One is a Golden State Recorders acetate 45 of Psycho “You Think You’ve Got Me” / “Need Me”; same versions as the released single. The Psycho business card at top was found in a tape box.
Audiodisc acetate 45 of “What’s in the Bag Goose”
The other was an unlabeled Audiodisc acetate with one song, “What’s in the Bag, Goose”. This cut also appears on two other 1/4″ tapes, one dated January 22, 1966. Apparently Drusalee and the Dead cut “What’s in the Bag, Goose”, however, there is no organ on the cut, and it doesn’t sound much like their Vardan single. Hear an excerpt.
The song is a novelty take on a Granny Goose potato chip commercial, with song writing credits to Nick DeCaro, Dave Pell, and Joe Saraceno. I like this performance more than the only released version I know of, from the T-Bones LP, No Matter What Shape (Your Stomach’s In).
Sountronic Recording Studios sheet in tape box compiling Frantic masters by the Lovers, Mystic, Boy Blues and D. Witherspoon
Sountronic Recording Studio tape
One of the tapes had ten songs compiled from the master recordings in either mono or 2 track stereo, according to an info sheet from Sountronic Recording Studios at 880 East Pine St., Lodi, CA. Dated September 22, 1966. Included are the A and B sides of four singles from the Frantic label: The Mystic’s “Weekend People” / “I Get So Disgusted”, the Boy Blues “Coming Down to You” / “Living Child”, and D. Witherspoon and the Future, and the Lovers “Without a Doubt” / “One Way to Love”. Also included are two songs by the Lovers with the Harlem Brass that never saw release: “She’s Supreme” / “Truly Truly”.
“She’s Supreme” has only been known on acetate. “Truly Truly” is a backing track without vocals. Alec Palao tells me it is the same backing track used on a rare single by the Kashos on Work Records 45-827, which I haven’t heard. Stanley and Archie Casher wrote that song, and possibly the backing track was reused from the Lovers session.
Joey D. told me that this is the first documentation from the Sountronic Studio that he has ever seen. This tape may be the only tape source for these songs in existence.
Tape box with unreleased cuts by Boy Blues, Psycho, and Drusalee & the Dead
Tape of unreleased songs
Another interesting tape was faintly labeled in pencil with only band names, but contains unreleased songs by the Boy Blues, Psycho and Drusalee & the Dead.
The Boy Blues cuts are both originals. The best, titled possibly “Baby Doll”, has a fuzz riff, tasteful use of horns, an extended guitar break and double-time ending. “Little Red Rooster” is not the Howlin’ Wolf standard but a light original with a more prominent horn arrangement.
The Psycho cut is “That Girl”, a good jangly original song with excellent harmonies.
The last two cuts are “What’s in the Bag, Goose”, as discussed on the Audiodisc acetate above, and a ballad. Although the tape box suggests Drusalee and the Dead, neither song sounds like the Vardan single.
Audio quality and occasional drop-outs suggest this tape is a later generation copy.
Stereo rehearsal tape by PsychoMono rehearsal tape by Psycho, the two original songs are early versions of “That Girl” and “You Think You’ve Got Me”
Psycho rehearsal tapes
There are two rehearsal tapes by Psycho. The first contains all cover songs, and is recorded in stereo. Two songs featured on the Up From the Grave CD were taken from a cassette in mono, so this tape is an upgrade.
The second tape is in mono, but includes a couple of originals as well as more cover songs. There are two takes of “You Think You’ve Got Me” titled “Why Can’t You Say” on the tape box. The vocals are upfront; the band’s harmonies are very good at times. I appreciate hearing these early versions, even with some rushed tempo changes.
The other original is “My Girl” perhaps more appropriately titled “Without That Girl”, which did not appear on their Frantic single.
They do a good job on many of the cover songs, and it’s cool to hear them try “It’s No Use.” The singers forget a line in the last verse of “Turn Turn Turn”.
Lastly, there’s a tape of a folk group with vocalist Sandy Knox, recorded at Ikon.
———-
Members of the bands mentioned in this post (sources include notes to Up From the Grave and 60sgaragebands.com):
The Emotions & Lovers (Beale AFB): James Gregory (Greg), Daniel Saunders, Melvin Williams, McHenry Otis (Mike), and Bob Coleman
Psycho (Chico): Bob Williamson, Marty Howard, Jim Conley, Ron Murphy and Randy Reaves
Boy Blues (Chico): Jim Conley, Randy Reaves, Rick Wagner, Bob Brien, Mark Cipolla, Chris Howard, John Palmer, and Jeff Gadbois
Drusalee & the Dead (Marysville): Drew Sallee, Ernie Apodaca, Bob Covic, Bob Rathbun, Gordon McCollum, and John Piper
Statics (Marysville): Sonny Oliver, Freddie Bidasha, Johnny Rollins, Frank Lester
Custer & the Survivors (Oroville): Gary Gibson, Jodell Bruce Payseno (Jody Payseno), Mike McLoughlin, Bob Blade, Martin Blade, Richard Daugherty, and Claire Hinton
Mystics (Boise, Idaho): Tim Woodward, Vance Shirley, John Hynes, Rich Smith, and Dennis Schaffner
Thank you to Gary Gibson Jr. for sending in the photos of his father’s band, Custer and the Survivors. The group cut two unreleased songs at the same Los Angeles session as “I Saw Her Walking” and “Flapjacks”, including “With Love in Her Eyes”.
Custer and the Survivors, Custer with the goatee, second from left. Other personnel unknown.
The Velours cut this one single, “She’s My Girl” / “Woman For Me” on Rona R-010. Both sides sound like they were recorded with a studio audience. “She’s My Girl” is uptempo r&b that only lacks a guitar break. I’d like to know who was the vocal group doing the background vocals, which really help the sound. I’ve seen December 1964 as the release date. The group was based in either Dallas or Fort Worth, Texas.
St. Romain wrote the songs, with Rona Pub. Co. handling the publishing. I believe this is Mike St. Romain, who was related to Kirby St. Romain, possibly his brother?
I can tie Michael St. Romain to the Velours from Jerry Zenick’s Disc ‘n’ Data column on November 23, 1972 in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, which profiled the band Saint Romain:
Romain’s Club Style Is Conducive to Success
Formerly known as Quest, the group [Saint Romain] recently completed a stint at Dallas’ Club Climax, where the name switch was announced.
The new handle is very apropos because the driving force of the quintet is Mike St. Romain. A dynamic singer, forceful guitarist and consummate impersonator, the Dallas native has been a professional for over a decade. After touring with the Dick Caravan of Stars at 14, Romain formed his own group, The Velours. Long stints in the Virgin Islands and on the West Coast greatly widened and polished his style. After the unit disbanded in 1968, Romain put together Quest.
Present band members are bassist Phil James … drummer Gary Talbert, who played with the Human Beings when they released “Nobody Can”; pianist George Christopher, and side [sic] guitarist Michael Marchman, who handles the arranging tasks.
An early version of Quest included Darrel Howard of the Chants, and John Broberg and Neal St. John of the Upper Class.
This is not the same Velours as the group who cut singles on Onyx and Cub, among other labels.
The Vibrasonics came from Meadville in northwest Pennsylvania, east of Cleveland and north of Pittsburgh. They recorded two good original songs, “Don’t Go” / “Send Her to Me”, on Marjon Records MJ-511, in July 1965.
Bud Pendolino wrote both songs. He registered copyright under Leonard James Pendolino in May and July 1966.
Pete Simonetta produced the single, I am not sure of his connection with the Vibrasonics.
Five years later, Buddy Pendolino’s name shows up on the writer’s credit for “Way Out West”, the A-side of a single by Fairchild (also known as Stonewall) on Marjon Records. The B-side was “I’d Like to Make You Mine”, written by B. Kurt, D. Miller, J. Crecraft and N. Dasovich.
Johnny and Martha Krizancic owned Marjon Records in Sharon PA, recording mainly polka and country music.
This is not the same band as the Vibra-Sonics from Johnstown, Pennsylvania, that made one 45, “Thunder Storm” / “Drag Race” on the Ideal label in 1964. That band included George Tweedy on lead guitar, Bob Tweedy rhythm guitar, Bill Sabo on 2nd lead and rhythm guitar, Joe Colner bass, and Joey Michno (later known as Joey Covington) on drums. These Vibra-Sonics often played Conneaut Lake, very close to the Vibrasonics hometown of Meadville.
Fox and the Huntah’s “Funny Kinda Day” is an obscure single, a full production with piano and backup singers, and a 12-string guitar break with a couple minor flubs. It was an original song by Tom Fox and Mike Davis, who seem to have been members of the band. Other possible members include Joe Ardovino and Hal McDonald.
Ed Boutwell engineered the session. “Scotty” produced the B-side, a cover of “Love Minus Zero/No Limit”. Released as Malcolm Z. Dirge 45004 in November, 1966. The oddly-named Birmingham, Alabama label also put out three singles by the Distortions, and one by the Daze of the Week.
More info on Fox and the Huntah’s would be appreciated.
The S.O.S. Unlimited seem to have been a short-lived group. They made only one single but it’s a good one, “Come On, Come On” / “Girl, You Don’t Know” on Whittier W-510, released in December, 1967 according to Teen Beat Mayhem.
Eddie Torres produced, and published the songs through Tormid Music, which also published many of Thee Midniters’ originals. Eddie Torres owned the Whittier label, and also managed and produced Thee Midniters. Eddie passed away on October 17, 2019.
Almost all Whittier releases were by Thee Midnighters, the only exceptions being Thee Impalas, the S.O.S. Unlimited, and a single with Godfrey backed by Thee Midniters, making it interesting that this single is so obscure.
B. Velasquez and S. Herrera wrote both sides.
Benjamin “Spider” Velasquez had been in the Desires who had a great 45 as Ricky René & the Fabulous Desires “Dance with Me” / “Ouch” on ERA Records 3138, from 1964. Ben Velasquez and Ricky Sanchez wrote both songs. The Blendells and Mark & the Escorts would record versions of “Dance with Me”.
I asked Mark Guerrero, formerly of Mark & the Escorts about Ben “Spider” Velasquez. Mark kindly called Albert Martinez, rhythm guitarist with the Desires, who confirmed with Spider Velasquez’s son that Spider was a member of S.O.S. Unlimited. I do not know the full name of S. Herrera, or any other members of the band.
Perhaps that is Spider playing the catchy guitar riff that opens “Come On, Come On” and the piercing guitar break later on in the song. “Girl, You Don’t Know” is slower and has a touch of psychedelic style to it.
SOS Unlimited and Thee Midniters mentioned in the Citizen News, March 1, 1968The first mention of S.O.S. Unlimited I can find is an item in a Hollywood newspaper, the Citizen News on March 1, 1968.
Three young men … are in trouble with the law today over a house on Rexford Dr. they allegedly rented to hold public dances.
Police got wind of the “social” when a crowd between 1500 and 2000 gathered at the house at 714 N. Rexford Dr. where two pop bands “The Midnighters,” and “SOS Unlimited” played for dancing.
Two weeks later on Friday, March 15, S.O.S Unlimited played a Vietnam benefit dance at Carpenters Union Hall, 7500 Van Nuys Blvd., sharing the bill with the Casuals, the Elegants, the Excessions, the Young Ideas, the Lights, the Classics, the Jems, and Leather Syrup.
The Saturnians Girls Club of the San Fernando CYO sponsored the show. “The president of the club is Irene Gomez. Jim Montoya will direct the show.”
The last mention of the group I can find comes from a flyer from Mark Guerrero’s essential website. “The Magnificent S.O.S. Unlimited” appeared at an Easter dance at Kennedy Hall, 451 South Atlantic Blvd on April 14, 1968, with Evergreen Blues, the Righteous Rhythms, The Exciting Men from Sound, and the American Fuzz Society. The show was produced “in cooperation with the Pace Setter & Foxetts Club”.
The Men From S.O.U.N.D. were a later version of Mark and the Escorts, and in 1968 changed their name to 1984, with two singles for Kapp Records as Nineteen Eighty-Four.
More info on S.O.S. Unlimited or a photo of the group would be appreciated.
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 Novells recorded a great lament “Go Now” for Dale Menten’s Westchester label of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Other than a writing credit to Steve Johnson, the Novells are a mystery to me.
