Jerry Ashley photo courtesy of Bruce Allen Jerry Ashley recorded for two related Atlanta, Georgia labels, Rose and Gaye.
The Dynamics Unlimited backed Jerry Ashley for his single on Rose 2091, “Don’t Tell Me Why” / “Come to Me”, two originals by Ashley also published by Margie Music.
The Dynamics Unlimited had their own 45 on the Rose Records label, “The Tide Rises” / “Baby Let’s Wait” on Rose 2890.
Jerry Ashley had a second single on Gaye Records 3044 from late ’67 or 1968, an upbeat party record with sing-along vocals, shouts and screams called “Come On”, backed with an instrumental version of the same song. This too was a Jerry Ashley composition for Margie Music and though the PO Box on the label is slightly different, there’s a striking similarity to the Rose label design.
I’d appreciate any additional info about Jerry Ashley or the Rose and Gaye Records labels.
Thank you to Mark Taylor for the scans of the Jerry Ashley 45s on Rose and Gaye.
Lee DeHart – lead vocals Doug Cochrane – lead guitar Brad DeHart – rhythm guitar, vocals Tommy Ranson – bass and vocals Doug Begneaud – organ Keith Thibodeaux – drums Joe Stein – percussion and vocals
The Persian Market came from Lafayette, Louisiana. In May of 1967, the band recorded four songs at La Louisianne’s studio in Lafayette. Two of these, “Flash in the Pan” and “The Wind Is Ours” were released on Lightning Records LR 103. They also recorded versions of “Sometimes Good Guys Don’t Wear White” and “The Gamma Gooce”, which eventually saw release on Cicadelic. “Flash In the Pan” is a driving garage number, led by the organ playing and with a good vocal delivery. It was written by Lee Dehart and Tom Ranson. The flip is the softer “The Wind Is Ours” (written by Brad Dehart for Lightening Pub, BMI).
The single was produced by Eddy Raven and Ben Skolnick, 104 Brighton, Lafayette, LA; the address is a house not far from the Vermilion River. Ben Skolnick managed the group.
Keith Thibodeaux had acted the part of “Little Ricky” on the TV series I Love Lucy and also played in another group, Little David and The Giants.
Anyone have a photo of the band?
May 1967 ad for the Cave on Ryan Street in Lake Charles, featuring the Persian Market (Fri. May 12) & the Gravel Road (Sat. May 13)
The first 45 on the label was Lightning LR-101, the Roamin’ Togas “Bar the Door” (Person, Adams, Prust) / “You Must Believe Me” from June of 1967, with the same production and publishing credits as the Persian Market. The Adams in the credits seems to be Pete Adams, according to BMI. I’m not sure of any other releases on Lightning, but the Togas and Persian Market are now very rare, fetching about $200 nowadays.
Morgan Records had its base in Montgomery, Alabama. Some artists, like the Rockin’ Gibraltars recorded at Cloverland Studio in Montgomery. Publishing was often with Granny Music BMI.
Morgan discography (incomplete – any help with this would be appreciated)
Morgan 674H-3947 – Kavaliers – “Get Your Feet Off Me” / “If You Loved Her” (SK4M-3947/8) (November 1965) Morgan 5965 – Doug Hughes – “Reno Blues” (Mitchell Bush, Granny Music BMI) / “Two People I Know” (SK4M-5966) Morgan HR 9018 – Charlena & the Rockettes – “Ramrod” / “Last Night” Morgan HV-9026 – Joe & Harold – “Rag Mop” / “That’s What’s the Matter with Me” Morgan HV-9040 – Rockin’ Gibraltars – “Go With Me” (S. Grier, K. Brewer) / “Signed, Sealed and Delivered” (TK4M-2418/9) 1966 Morgan HV-9041 – The Mustangs – “Hitch Hike” / “Daddy’s Home” (T4KM-5005/6) 1966 Morgan HV-9044 – The Bankrupts, vocal Jimmy Wood – “Bankrupt” (J. Segrest) / “Why Can’t I Change” (T4KM-5107) Morgan HV-9049 – Fabulous Checkmates – “Safari ‘Jungle Trip'” (Bush, Jones, Helms, Windham, Dean) / “My Sin and My Pride” (TK4M-5243/4) Morgan HV-9059/9053 – Kavaliers – “Hot Cha” (Woods) / “Hey Baby” (TK4M-9707/8) (1966) Morgan HV-9060 – The Seeds of Time – “She’s Been Travelin’ ‘Round the World” / “Gina” (TK4M-9674/5)
The Kavaliers were Wayne Neuendorf, Jack Boutwell, Mike Morris, Larry Hughes, Tim Nix and Mike Walters.
Thanks to Gary Wise and Max Waller for help with the discography.
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.
When this 45 by the Kaleidoscope Machine came up for auction this summer, I threw a bid out for about a third of its reputed value. To my surprise, and subsequent financial distress, I won it. The band had only 200 copies pressed in October, 1967, distributing them to local radio stations. Those copies are mostly lost and this is considered a very rare single now.
According to Buckeye Beat, Dennis Anthony was a student at Toledo University and wrote original songs. He formed a band with his wife’s younger brother and a couple other high school students from the small town of Petersburg, MI, about 30 miles from Toledo. The Kaleidoscope Machine did some shows in Petersburg and Toledo. The band stayed together only a short time, but it was enough to record two of Dennis Anthony’s songs at a radio studio.
The band rocks behind Dennis on “Why”, while “We Can’t Wait” is more subdued. The lyrics to both songs are simple and impassioned, but the performances have a confidence that elevates them above many other singles in this vein. The rarity of this 45 has kept these songs from being compiled and few people have heard either.
Anthony wrote both songs for Barthmare Music, BMI, though I can’t find any trace of them in BMI’s online database. The label is DAB Records, which I assume was short for Dennis Anthony Barthmare. Master #s are 20577/8. Anyone have a photo of the group?
Can’t find much about this group who did this one 45 in 1970. The Cross Tie Walkers included brothers Tony Goggans and Mike Goggans. From a signed copy I saw online, other members includes Patrick Stephens and Roger McDaniels (not sure I have Roger’s surname correct).
I’ve read Valley was an Alabama label, and apparently the Goggans came from Fort Payne, Alabama but Vance Pollack tells me they were often billed as “the Malabous Ron, aka Malibus / Malibous, etc. of Fayetteville” in North Carolina.
“Days I Recollect” is the standout, sounding much like Creedence, but with something original to it. Mike Goggans wrote both that and the flip, “Girl We Got a While Yet”, for Clay Music BMI.
Tony Goggans produced the 45, engineered by Jerry K. Black and arranged by Michael Goggans. The PRP 21841/PRP 21842 code indicates Precision Record Press in Nashville.
Any additional information about the group would be appreciated. Anyone have a photo of the group?
The Sleepers, from left to right, top row: Kim Murray and Tom Zinser; bottom row: Bob First, Jim Krause and Chris Davis
The Sleepers were from Mansfield, Ohio, located in the northern part of the state about halfway between Columbus and Cleveland.
Tom Zinser lead the band so they were usually referred to as Tommy Z and the Sleepers, though not on the record label which simply says The Sleepers. The label lists the members by last name, but misspells more than half of them: Murry [sic], Crause [sic], Davis, and First. Tommy Zinser’s name is spelled Zinzer on the labels.
Tom Zinser wrote to me in 2016 with more info about the band:
Tommy Z and The Sleepers was the first band I was in that played out. We played some at a club in Ashland, Ohio called the Dugout. We also played fraternity parties at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. In the picture, that’s me on the top right. Next to me is Kim Murray, our lead singer, who went on to become an attorney in Mansfield. To the right of Kim on the first row is Bob First, our drummer from Mansfield who at the time was recently out of the Navy. In the center is Jim Krause, misspelled on the record label, played guitar and did some backup vocals. He went on to become a recording engineer in Cincinnati. Next to Jim and below me is Chris Davis, who played bass. Chris, Jim and I went to Mansfield Senior High together and graduated in 1963.
“I Want a Love” combines a fuzz riff with a jangly guitar sound and unison vocals. There’s a short drum break and the fuzz repeats its riffs without trying for anything ambitious. “Time Will Tell” features hypnotic picked guitar and fine harmonies in backup and on the chorus.
Zinser and Davis wrote both songs. The single was recorded at Audio Recording in Cleveland, produced by E.R. Thomas and E.R. Garnes, and released on the Marvy label in 1966.
After the Sleepers broke up in 1967, Zinser went into the Wildlife with guitarist and vocalist Terry Van Auker. The Wildlife released one 45 on Columbia, 4-44369, “Time Will Tell” / “Hard, Hard, Year”.
Tom Zinser adds:
“Time Will Tell” and “I Want A Love” B-side, were my first efforts in songwriting and later on “Time Will Tell” was rerecorded in the Wildlife.
About 2011 we gave an interview to a guy in the United Kingdom who publishes a magazine called Fantastic Expedition. If you go to fantasticexpedition.com, we are in issue 5. That is the most complete story of the Wildlife and the subsequent band, Owen B.
Zinser and Van Auker went into Owen-B which had a self-produced LP recorded at Mus-i-col Studios in Columbus. Another member of Owen-B was Jim Krause on vocals and harmonica.
Confusingly there was another group with two earlier 45s on Columbia who are listed as the Wild Life (two words instead of Wildlife) which have similar credits, arranged by Chuck Sagle and produced by John Walsh:
“This Is What I Was Made For” / “Somes Times I’m Up (Sometimes I’m Down”) (Columbia 4-44213) “New Games to Play” / “Where Do You Go” (Columbia 4-44285)
The Sugar Beats formed in Tampa, Florida and had the first release on the Knight label, which is much better known for 45s by the Outsiders, the Tropics and the Mods. The band members were:
Roland Kent LaVoie – guitar Bill Ellington – guitar Bill Denman – bass Rick Emmert – drums
Both sides are upbeat pop cover songs, which may be why it was not included in Teen Beat Mayhem. Produced by Phil Gernhard and recorded at H & H Studios, though I’ve also read this was recorded at Charles Fuller’s studio – some overlap there? It dates from approximately 1964, with SoN #s 22541/2 in the matrix.
Roland LaVoie went into Me & the Other Guys who had two 45s, “Skinny Minnie” / “Crazy” on Hit Cat and “Runaround Girl” / “Everybody Knew But Me” on Boss.
The Citations at Central Catholic High School in Lawrence, 1966 From left: John Grasso, Mike Messineo Bob Oreal, Gene DiMaio, John Fichera and Michael DiResta
There were several groups called the Citations recording in the ’60s including ones from Alabama, Maine, Ohio and, most famously, the band from Milwaukee who cut “Moon Race” / “Slippin’ and Slidin'”.
The Citations I’m featuring today were from Lawrence and Methuen, Massachusetts. Though obscure, their July, 1966 release on Pre-Sav Enterprises has two excellent original songs.
“Long Time Wanderin'” was the A-side, a good upbeat cut, but most garage fans prefer the flip, “The Day That She’ll Go”, a good example of the New England sound – moody and with a dense, almost murky production but plenty of atmosphere and emotion.
I had almost no info on the group until I heard from James DiResta, the brother of guitarist Mike DiResta. He sent in the photo seen at top and gave me the names of the band members.
Gino DiMaio – bass and lead vocals John Grasso – lead guitar Mike DiResta – rhythm guitar John Fichera – keyboards Bob Oreal, Mike Messineo – drums
James wrote to me, “My brother Mike is on the right playing the single cut-away Guild guitar, and wrote the songs on the record. The Vox amps were the original tube amps from England with adapters to play in USA. The club that they use to practice out of, and were the house band for, was the Raven on the Methuen – Haverhill line in Massachusetts. The record had its debut at Turn-Style in South Lawrence and later they showcased at the Hampton Casino.”
Mickey Ward – keyboards Dan Walker – guitar Glen Mikaland – bass and saxophone George Neuhoff – drums
This is a 45 I’d been trying to track down for a few years, and finally found a copy through Buckeye Beat, whose website has the full story on this Lorain, Ohio band.
“Turning to Stone” has a sharp fuzz riff and gloomy vocals, with a shift to a bright chorus with tambourine. The flip, “I Need You” comes from a doo wop or vocal group era, it sounds like a different group entirely, though it is well done. “I Need You” is an original by Mickey Ward, “Turning to Stone” was a group original.
The Gladiators name was only used for this one single from September, 1966 on the Donnie label run by Donnie Barden. The group was actually known as Mickey & the Clean Cuts in live shows and on their first 45 from October, 1965, “Soapy” / “Static Electricity”, also on Donnie and picked up by Wand. I’m not sure why they changed their name for the release of “Turning to Stone”. They had a good sound on that song and I wish they cut more in that style.
Anyone have a photo of the group?
The band continued as Mickey & the Clean Cuts, and backed the other two artists on the Donnie label for their releases: Dave Charles’ excellent soul 45 “Ain’t Gonna Cry No More” / “My Love”, and Tillie Wow’s “I Wanna Tell You A Thing Or Two” / “The Sway”, but had no other releases under their own name. Mickey Ward kept the Clean Cuts act going with different members into the ’80s.
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
Jerry Ashley recorded for two related Atlanta, Georgia labels, Rose and Gaye.
Jerry Ashley had a second single on Gaye Records 3044 from late ’67 or 1968, an upbeat party record with sing-along vocals, shouts and screams called “Come On”, backed with an instrumental version of the same song. This too was a Jerry Ashley composition for Margie Music and though the PO Box on the label is slightly different, there’s a striking similarity to the Rose label design.
