I wonder how a fast, wah-heavy version of the Rokes “Che Colpa Abbiamo Noi” got its only release on a Philadelphia label known for a handful of local pop artists.
Whoever put the label together changed Gli Angeli to Gil’ Angeli, and misspelled the Italian title (as “Che Colba Abbia Mo Noi”), as well as several songwriter names.
Although there is an English title, “What Faults Do We Have?”, the song is sung in Italian. “Che Colpa Abbiamo Noi” was an Italian version of Bob Lind’s “Cheryl’s Goin’ Home”, and was a hit for the Rokes in 1966. The Mogol song credit is Giulio Rapetti Mogol who often adapted English lyrics into Italian.
I put together a video of the song for youtube, but as I was uploading it, an automatic copyright claim popped up. Some faceless company would “allow” the upload but monetize it for their own profit. There’s a good chance this company doesn’t even have the rights to claim copyright, and I never monetize my uploads. So I decided not to upload it at all. The world will do without.
The flip also gets an English title, “Don’t Cry Tonight”, but it’s sung in Italian too, and is a cover of Don Backy’s 1967 ballad, “Non Piangere Stasera”. Mainstay Music Inc. is listed as publisher.
Usually a record like this would have been released in Italy or somewhere else first, but as far as I can tell, this was not released in any other country. The Bats did a version of “Che Colpa Abbiamo Noi” but it does not sound like this one.
It’s possible this was recorded in Philadelphia, and was not taken from a demo or international release. The label says produced by Ricky Layne, who produced at least a couple other releases on Star-Line Records, on S. Eleventh St. in Philadelphia, PA. Possibly an Italian group was touring the US, and cut this 45 in a quick session to sell at their shows.
The dead wax FC-1A/B F/W indicates Frankford-Wayne mastering.
There was a Gli Angeli from Abruzzo who did “Butta La Corda” backed with an Italian version of the Who’s “I’m a Boy” as “Dove Vuoi”, but they didn’t have a vocalist named Franco. Gli Angeli Di Trieste are another possibility, but the recording I heard of them is much more polished pop than this.
I’d appreciate any leads on who this Gil Angeli & Franco could be.
The Straitjackets in the Star-Telegram, February 10, 1961
Straitjackets at the Red Devil Lounge, January 17, 1958Delbert McClinton formed the Straitjackets in sometime in 1957. Early members included Art Holland on lead guitar, Robert Harwell on guitar, Billy Cox on sax, Ralph Dixon on bass, and Ray Clark on drums.
The first printed notice I’ve found in the Fort Worth Star Telegram was from January 17, 1958, an ad for the group’s appearance at the Red Devil Lounge at 2541 N.E. 28th.
The ad also notes “The Straightjackets are appearing on Teenage Downbeat – WBAP-TV, Channel 5, Tuesday, Jan. 21.”
Another one on February 28, 1958 calls the group “recording stars” though I don’t believe they had made any records yet. Early ads through 1960 give a different spelling for the group, the Straightjackets, and sometimes list Delbert as featured vocalist. He had turned seventeen years old a few months before.
On February 25, 1960, the Straightjackets played a battle-of-the-bands with the Twisters at Crystal Springs Ballroom. They regularly played at Jack’s Place on Mansfield Road.
The Star Telegram ran items on March 26 and April 10, 1960 with the first lineup I can find for the group in print:
Talent Hunt Ends in Tie for 2 Combos
Two five-man combos, one from Fort Worth and the other from Victoria, finished in a tie for first in the area finals of the Talentsville, U.S.A. contest Saturday afternoon at Casa Manana.
The Fort Worth entry, “The Straitjackets,” was composed of Billy Cox, Delbert McClinton and Ronnie Kelly, Technical High School Students, Jim Dinsmore [Jimmy Densmore] of Arlington Heights and Bob Jones of Paschal.
The Victoria entry, billed as “Dads of Dixie” …
The two groups won trophies and the right to compete in the division finals in Houston May 7.
The Dads of Dixie would win the regionals in Houston along with the Blue Notes of Witchita, KS, winning spots for the finals in New York.
A short profile in the Star Telegram from February 10, 1961 announced their first record and included a photo of the band. Jim Densmore was no longer with the group, while Ray Clark and Ralph Dixon had joined. It also listed Delbert as “Mac Clinton”, a pseudonym that would appear on their first single, “Wake Up Baby” / “That Cat” on Le Cam Records 714.
Six graduates of Fort Worth high schools who work together as a band – The Straitjackets – this week have released their first record.
The disk presents a Straitjacket arrangement of “Wake Up, Baby,” a 1955 tune by Sonny Boy Williams.
On the reverse side, also arranged by the group, is “That Cat.” The release is on the Le Cam label.
“We think ‘Wake Up, Baby’ will sell readily,” said Mac Clinton, leader of the group and former Arlington Heights High School student.
The band was last year’s city competition winner in the Talentsville U.S.A. contest. However, the group was defeated in state competition.
Band members include Ronnie Kelley, Bob Jones and Ray Clark, who were graduated from Paschal High School; Ralph Dixon from Polytechnic, and Billy Cox from Heights.
On the Le Cam label, “That Cat” shows owner Major Bill Smith as writer. In 1962, “That Cat” would appear again on the flip side to versions of “Gigolo” / “I Ain’t Got Nobody” on United Artists UA 453, with the Straitjackets listed as the artist this time.
The Straitjackets and Ray Sharpe at the Skyliner, February 1962
The Straitjackets kept busy in 1962 with shows at the Skyliner Ballroom with Ray Sharpe and the Trebles, and a June 3 show at the Stork Club following the John Griffin, Jr. Band.
In June 1962, Del McClinton toured the UK with Bruce Channel, to reprise his harmonica playing on Channel’s smash “Hey! Baby”. There he famously met the Beatles.
While in London, Delbert cut four songs. “Dunkirk” / “Angel Eyes” came out only in the U.S. on London 45-LON 9544 with Del McClinton listed as the artist. “Hully Gully” / “Baby Heartbreak” came out in the UK on Decca F.11541, using his full name Delbert McClinton, with later issues in Italy and Greece. Earl Guest was music director, and Mike Smith did production.
By 1963, Delbert had formed the Ron-Dels with Ronnie Kelley, and would go on to cut a number of singles on Bill Smith’s labels like Shalimar, Brownfield, Le Cam and Shah, as well as a couple on Smash. Members of the Rondels would include Dahrell Norris on drums, Jimmie Rodgers on guitar and bass, and Billy Wade Sanders on guitar, piano and vocals.
December 1962 shows with the Capris
The Straitjackets continued, possibly without Delbert. Ray Torres was drummer on “Hey! Baby” and mentioned being a drummer with the Straitjackets, but other than him, I don’t know who was in later lineups. They had shows at the Skyliner Ballroom in December 1962, and New Year’s Eve with the Capris at the Ridglea Palladium Ballroom.
I find two later notices, one for Sonny and the Straightjackets at the Stork Club in August 1966, and another for the Straight-Jackets at the Tropicana Club in January 1967, but these may be different groups altogether.
In the ’80s, Le Cam released two LPs released titled Very Early Delbert McClinton with the Ron-Dels that may contain some recordings done with the Straitjackets as early as 1960. (I would like to hear these records if anyone has them for a reasonable price.)
Further reading: Lee Cotten’s interviews with Delbert and Major Bill Smith in Discoveries October 1996 issue.
The Tyme of Day, from left: Robert Anderson, Chris Rogers and Shelby Rogers
The Tyme of Day came from Irving, Texas, northwest of Dallas.
Members were:
Shelby Rogers – lead vocals and guitar Bob Anderson – bass Chris Rogers – drums
I found this photo of the group in the April 7, 1968 Irving Daily News, announcing their appearance at the Irving Teen-a-Go-Go with the Phase V, the Glenda Harris Dancers and emcee Ralph Baker.
The group traveled to Norman Petty’s studio in Clovis, New Mexico several times, cutting Shelby’s original songs “I Wanna Know” and “Persuade Me” in March of 1968, In June they cut another original, “Listen to What Is Never Said”.
Norman Petty added keyboards, and “Listen to What Is Never Said” / “I Wanna Know” saw release on Mercury 72861 in November, 1968. Besides the Rogers brothers, session notes from https://www.norvajakmusic.com/t-v.html list Larry Shaw on bass, though it appears Robert Anderson played bass at some sessions.
The group made two further sessions at the Petty studio, cutting “Am I Really Me” / “The Word ‘Because'” in August, 1968, / “You Don’t Want Me” and “The Game” in March of 1969. All of these have remained unreleased.
The Paper Fortress, from left: Sam Chirico, Evan Zang, Joey Campo, and Jim Whittle
The Paper Fortress started out as the Royal Teens, making one single for the Rev Records label, “Tears in My Eyes” (Chirico) / “Chicanery” (Chirico, Whittle) in 1967.
Members were:
Sam Chirico – rhythm guitar, lead vocals Jim Whittle – lead guitar, vocals Joey Campo – bass, vocals Evan Zang – drums, vocals
The following year, they went into the studio with Tandyn Almer and Eddie Hodges to make “Butterfly High” / “Sleepy Hollow People”, released on VMC V719 at the Paper Fortress. Although the single used studio musicians, Sam Chirico sang lead vocals, with Evan Zang harmonizing, and Jim Whittle and Joey Campo adding backing vocals.
Evan Zang sent in the photos seen here and wrote to me about the group:
We were all from Redondo Beach. For various reasons the band went through three name changes in four years. We were initially The Royal Teens [but] learned there was another vocal group called the Royal Teens. Then the Candy Company, and finally the Paper Fortress.
From 1967 and on, and with many thanks to a local DJ, Casey Kasem, who managed us, we were one of the very rare South Bay pop bands that graduated from playing high school dances to the more lucrative and prestigious Hollywood scene. The other South Bay local band that cracked the Hollywood market were the Indescribably Delicious (who were also friends of ours. The Indescribably Delicious were like The Rolling Stones, while we were more like the Beatles).
We always played our originals in our live performances. We had an actual show, with routines and dialogue built into our sets. We also had revolving costume changes depending on the gig.
The venues where we were booked were the typically the hottest clubs in Hollywood, like the Whiskey A Go-Go, Pandora’s Box, the Hullabaloo (the club and the TV show), Arthur, the Roxy, Blue Law, and the Pendulum Club.
We also were fortunate enough to play at the Ice House and the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, both located in Pasadena. At the Pasadena Civic, we were the opening act for The Strawberry Alarm Clock, Electric Flag, Iron Butterfly, Standells, and The Merry-Go-Round.
Our center of the universe was Hollywood, and we felt we’d made it when the money started pouring in. In 1968-69 while my friends were working at McDonald’s and driving used VW Bugs, Sam had a new Corvette and I had a new Lotus Europa! We definitely were grateful for the good timing and fortune to have experienced so much, in such a great period of music.
The Candy Company, aka the Paper Fortress
We did appear on Felony Squad as a band called The Candy Company. We were on screen about 4 minutes but it took all day to film. Several years ago Dennis Cole, the star of Felony Squad, sent me a DVD of that episode which also guest starred Roddy McDowall who played the role of our manager. It was called “The Flip Side of Fear.” Cole’s beautiful wife at the time was Jacklyn Smith, and she was on the set that day. Like Roddy, and Dennis, she was very nice and talkative with us.
Again using the name, The Candy Company, we performed 2 songs on the Woody Woodbury Show. Woody was a very gracious host to us. I believe I have the ONLY existing recording of that performance. After we performed our songs we were invited to sit with the other talk show guests. I sat next to the late Red Foxx. He was outrageously funny.
We were recording our own original songs at several Hollywood studios, but nothing really hit. At one point we were then approached by VMC who introduced us to song writer, Tandyn Almer. Tandyn already had a huge hit with “Along Comes Mary” by The Association, and “Sail On Sailor”, which he co-wrote with Brian Wilson for The Beach Boys. Tandyn offered us two wonderful songs, “Butterfly High”, and “Sleepy Hollow People”.
Jim Whittle, vocalist and lead guitar, got married, which swiftly became the demise of the band. We were at our peak with recordings and gigs, but Jim didn’t think it’d make for a good marriage. He was undoubtedly right. Sadly, Jim passed away from a heart attack only five years after leaving the band. Jim taught me how to drive even before I had my license.
Sam Chirico, the lead vocalist and rhythm guitar has never stopped playing professionally. He lives in Las Vegas and gigs when the mood suits him. Sam often performs under the name, Sam Walker.
Joey Campo, Sam’s cousin, vocalist and bass player, stopped playing professionally. He recently retired as a Firefighter Captain.
Evan Zang of the Paper Fortress
I went off to UC Berkeley after the band broke up. While in college, I continued to play drums for several well established country singers in Northern California, and began writing songs on my own having taught myself to play piano and guitar. I’ve actually sold a handful of original tunes to be used for commercials.
In the 80’s I found myself on the ground floor of a start up Arizona based company called PET FOOD WAREHOUSE. Prior to taking our rapidly growing chain of stores public, we changed our name to PETsMART.
One of the Founders, Tye Smith, and I had previously worked together at another company. We became tight friends, especially since both of us had also been drummers in different California bands when we were teenagers. Playing music again was inevitable, and he and I, plus a local doctor, Tom Moss, formed a 3-piece combo band, humorously calling ourselves “The Barking Geezers.” Tye played drums, Tom manned the rhythm guitar, and I played bass guitar and piano.
“The Barking Geezers” unique (and then untested) niche was “live Karaoke,” and audience members could join us onstage to sing with a “real rock and roll band.” Initially I didn’t think the concept would get very far. I was dead wrong!
Apparently EVERYONE (especially after a few beers) wanted to experience their own 5 minutes of “rock and roll fame!” The concept was very well received and The Barking Geezers continued to gig in Arizona, California and Oregon for the next 14 years.
I still write and record in my home studio.
Our road manager, Al Taylor, passed away a few weeks ago. Al was a wonderful friend and asset to our band. He lived in Hermosa Beach.
Sam and I have remained in close touch, like brothers. I felt very fortunate to be a teenager in a band that had records playing on the radio, and very loyal fans.
Unreleased songs by the Royal Teens include “Run”, “The Beginning, and “Everybody Knows”. Evan added:
“Run” was the most popular song we played, and teenagers asked for it repeatedly. Jim Whittle, the lead guitarist, does some very nice riffs on “Run.”
Thank you to Evan Zang for contributing the photos and information for this article.
The Paper Fortress, from left: Joe Campo, Evan Zang, Sam Chirico, Jim Whittle
Paper Fortress’s 2nd appearance at the Alphabet Fairs at Devonshire Downs. March, 1968 Paper Fortress appearing with Hunger, Giant Crab and Wedge in Santa Maria, May 1968
The Silver Byke at Arthur’s, photo courtesy of Reggie WardThe Silver Byke released only one single, “I’ve Got Time” / “Who Needs Tomorrow” on Bang Records B-557.
Charly Cazalet wrote “I’ve Got Time”, while “Who Needs Tomorrow” is credited to Cazalet, Nelson, Platania, and Ward.
Cash Box gave it a favorable review in April, 1968. It was also released in the UK on London Records.
Supposedly the group had more songs completed for an album when Bert Berns of Bang Records passed away on December 30, 1967. If they still exist, I’d love to hear them!
Members were:
Reggie Ward – lead vocals and rhythm guitar John Platania – lead guitar Charly Cazalet – bass guitar Michael Nelson – drums
An unsigned profile of the Silver Byke appeared in the May 4, 1968 edition of the Kingston Daily Freeman:
Silver Byke Rolls Along Sporting Guitar and Song
The Silver Byke is a recording group out of Poughkeepsie …
The Silver Byke was the last group to be signed to a recording contract and become proteges of the late great Bert Burns [sic] of Bang Records. Two of their recent releases on this label are “I’ve Got Time” and “Who Needs Tomorrow”.
Among the many successful college concerts where the Silver Byke has made its sound are Vassar, Harvard, Bard and Finch…
Founder of the group is Michael Nelson, a drummer who began his career several years ago with the Lost Souls. He later recorded with Bobby Dylan. After a stretch on the New York music scene he returned to the Hudson Valley where he had spent most of his life after coming over from his native England.
Charlie Cazalet [sic], bass guitarist, immigrated here from France and stepped right into the music scene at 17. After accompanying well known groups here and in Canada, he joined Mike in The Silver Byke, then under the name of The Meek and Obscure.
Most recent member of the Byke brigade is 20-year-old John Platania, lead guitarist. A well known instructor in upstate New York, John gained fame as lead singer and guitarist with the big city group, Love’s Body.
Formerly a member of the Dirty Elbows recording group, Reginald Wald [sic], also 20, does honors as lead singer and rhythm guitarist for the Bykes. He also switches from guitar to trumpet and does a good deal of horn dubbing for the Bykes recording sessions.
Recent engagements have been two weeks at the Discotheque Arthur in New York City and weekend performances at the Dew Drop Inn, Eddyville.
from the Daily Freeman, October 17 1969I can find listings for the band around the Poughkeepsie area from December 1967 until April 1969, including at the Dew Drop Inn on Route 213 in Eddyville, and at the “Us” teen club at Roosevelt High School in Hyde Park.
Then in October 1969, an ad for the Pleasure Yacht in Eddyville announces the Bak Steppe, “including members of the Famous Silver Byke”.
Charly Cazalet wrote a partial history of his career for his release Rough Mix-NYC, which I’ll excerpt here:
The Silver Byke, photos courtesy of Reggie Ward
My first professional performance was with my first band ‘The Outsiders’ at the Steve Paul Scene nightclub in New York City, the fall of 1964. I was sixteen years old and the band had already recorded two songs at Mirror Sound for a couple of writers from the infamous Brill Building. Soon after we signed with Audio Fidelity Records. Over the next few years I continued to perform in NYC clubs, The El Mio, Ondine’s, The Phone Booth, Arthur’s, The Bitter End and The Salvation to name a few.
In May 1966 after a four month tour in Quebec with French Canadian rock star Tony Roman I came home to NYC and met the band ‘The Left Banke’. They had just recorded “Walk Away Rene” and were looking for a guitarist to join the band. I didn’t join the band but maintained a professional and personal relationship with some of the band members until today. I played bass guitar on most of the tracks for The Left Banke’s third and last album ‘Voices Calling’ around 1978 that was released in Britain in 1988.
The Left Banke lead singer Steve Martin Caro co-wrote and sings lead on track 1 and 4 and sings harmony vocal on track 8 [on Rough Mix-NYC]. The Left Banke drummer George Cameron plays on track 5, 6, and 8. These five songs were recorded between 1978 and 1979. Reginald Ward sings lead on Track 5.
Reggie and I performed in a four piece band called The Silver Byke with John Platania and Mike Nelson between 1967-1970. We signed with legendary music producer Bert Berns, but Bert passed away before we recorded and released a 45 rpm for his label Bang Records. Chris Houston from the British rock band The Undertakers produced the session.
I asked Charly about how he joined the Silver Byke and he wrote to me:
I met Mike Nelson around early 1965 at a club called Ondine in midtown Manhattan. He was playing there with his band The Lost Souls. When they finished the set I went up to him and started talking with him.
At the time I was in a band called The Outsiders and we were the house-band at the El Mio club not to far away from Ondine. A short time later he quit his band and started spinning records at El Mio for a while. My band left El Mio and broke up soon after and some time after that I ran into Mike and he didn’t have a place to stay so, I took him to my parents and they said he could stay with us. To make a long story short, he got a recording gig with Bob Dylan and made a bunch of money $500, so we got an apartment together.
After playing in a number of bands together we formed The Sliver Byke. When the lead guitarist quit we got John Platania to fill in. We broke up in Jan. 1969. I played with John for a while, until he sent on to play with Van Morrison. Mike and I parted ways.
John Platania would go on to play on albums by Van Morrison, Chip Taylor and Genya Ravan, among many others. See www.johnplatania.com for more info on his career.
The Los Angeles Times profiled Mike Nelson in January, 1987, describing his move to California while playing fusion jazz, then leaving music to become a sculptor.
Thank you to Reggie Ward for sending in the photos of the group seen here. Reggie was in a group called Easy Street in the 1970s.
The Restrictions came from Sioux City and cut one single on IGL 147, “Down on the Corner” / “She’s Gone Away” in September, 1967. Russell Gill wrote “Down on the Corner” and co-wrote “She’s Gone Away” with Rob Molden.
The Restrictions members were:
Russell Gill Rob Molden Donald Pinney Dave Mettleton George Lauresen
The Sioux City Journal ran a notice about the August, 1967 River-Cade Festival of Music band competition, and listed the members of the top three groups.
The winner of the competition was the Shags, who would receive a session at Sears Recording Studio in Omaha. Russell Gill of the Restrictions wrote the song that would be the top side of the Shags’ single, “You’re a Loser”.
The Restrictions would cut their own record, traveling the hundred miles northeast to IGL Recording Studios in Milford, Iowa. I actually haven’t heard “She’s Gone Away” yet.
The other finalist was the Psychedelic Hangmen, with members Jame Polimeni, Phil Polimeni, Dave Stokes, Larry Means, and Stanley Sawienski. I’m not sure if they ever recorded.
The Runabouts, photo taken November 17, 1967The Runabouts came from Havre de Grace, Maryland, about 40 miles northeast of Baltimore. The two sides of their single have very different sounds. “Way of Life” is fast-paced with horn arrangements. I’m partial to the slow, moody flip, “All Is All”.
The Runabouts formed in 1966 and expanded into an octet by the time they broke up in 1968.
Members included:
Jim Skrivanek – guitar Joe Pascuzzi – guitar Dennis Trimble – keyboards
Don Laye Lew Rothlisberger Mike Lynch Ed Kelly Tom Vincenti
The Baltimore Sun gave a short history of the group when the Runabouts had a reunion on May 19, 2012:
The Runabouts was originally formed by Havre de Grace area high school students as a five-piece guitar, bass and drum combo in 1966. The Runabouts played local teen dances at venues such as Teen Town at Aberdeen Proving Ground and Fiddler’s Green at the old Bainbridge Naval Training Center.
After a couple of lineup changes and the addition of horn, sax and keyboard players, the eight-piece version of the Runabouts was active in 1967 and 1968 playing local dances and events and even cutting one 45 rpm record: “Way of Life,” written by guitarist Jim Skrivanek, backed by “All in All,” written by guitarist Joe Pascuzzi and keyboardist Dennis Trimble, on the independent CEI label out of Ohio.
With graduation, military service and work commitments taking members to far flung locations, the band split up after two years but then got back together for a successful reunion concert in Havre de Grace in 2006.
Robert T. Brown came from Fremont, Ohio, where he had a recording studio, releasing records on his Courier label. From 1966 to 1968 he was in the Army, stationed in Aberdeen. He continued to record bands, changing the name of the label to CEI Records.
Released on CEI Records CE127, the code RI2521 indicates Recordings, Incorporated in Baltimore pressed the single, published through Bro-Nik. Nashville Matrix did the plating.
The Runabouts had a website that is long defunct, but parts of it are available on the Wayback Machine, where I found the photo at top.
Harold Horn was born March 6, 1933 on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation in Lame Deer, MT. He served in the Army from 1950 until 1953, including ten months in Korea. Returning to Spokane, he became a professional musician around Spokane and in Coeur d’Alene.
He played guitar with Bobby Wayne and the Warriors, appearing on their only single on the LJV label, “Sally Ann” / “War Paint”. He also sang a fine lead vocal with the group on “Long Lean Baby”, which was only released in 2005 on the Sundazed EP ’55 Spokane Rockabilly!
Bobby Wayne would produce Harold Horn’s only solo release, “Dew B. Dewey”, a pop song set to a thumping beat with horns and cooing female backup vocals. The flip was the Little Richard standard, “Miss Ann”, a simpler production of acoustic guitar backed by another pounding drum beat.
Bobby Wayne (Robert Wayne Snyder) and Don Weise wrote “Dew B. Dewey”, published byBurdette Music Co. and released on Jerden 750 in 1965.
Harold Horn would lead his own bands during this time. One notice in the Spokesman-Review from June 13, 1964 gives the name of the other musicians in his trio:
Patients at the Shrine Hospital for Crippled Children were entertained Friday with a two-hour concert of music donated by a Spokane band.
The three-piece musical group of Harold Horn played for the children in the hospital’s auditorium. Other members of the band were Jimmy Mitten on drums and LaCharlie Cook on guitar.
Harold Horn left music around 1966, not long after the Jerden single.
The Spokane Daily Chronicle profiled Harold on June 22, 1968, when he was social service coordinator with the American Indian Community Center. Headlined “Indian Aide Recalls Frustration and Depression: Now Helping His People” it is well worth a read.
This is a Chicago 45 featuring Sons of Adam with Ron Steele on “Sleep in Public Places” backed with an instrumental, “I’m All Through with Her”.
It was released on Flop Records, a subsidiary of Jim-Ko Inc. In fact, “Sleep in Public Places” was also the A-side of Cole Steele and the Steele Drivers on Jim-Ko Inc. JK-41095.
I’m not sure if it’s the identical recording to the Sons of Adam version, but given both are Jim-Ko productions and include an artist named Steele, I would think it’s likely.
The flip is a fine instrumental in a different style, “I’m All Through with Her”, which doesn’t include horns, backing vocals or sound effects like “Sleep in Public Places”. Ron Steele is not credited on this side.
Jim Kolb produced the Sons of Adam 45, and Jim-Ko Pub published the songs. The dead wax includes “For Jeanette” on the A-side and “J. Kolb” on the flip, plus 41095 which was the Jim-Ko release number of the Cole Steele 45.
The Sons of Adam were a real group, including Bill Zimmerman and Joe Estok on drums, who was replaced by Marcus David in 1967. There was a well-known session guitarist in Chicago named Ron Steele, but I don’t know if this is the same person.
I couldn’t find publishing info on “Sleep in Public Places”, which was written by Zimmerman and Failla.
The July 12, 1966 registration for “I’m All Through with Her” lists Bill Stewart, pseudonym of William A. Zimmerman.
There’s another Stewart/Zimmerman registration on that date, for a song called “I Can’t Stand It”, words by Jim Dee, pseudonym of James N. Skarzynski, and words and music by Bill Stewart aka William Zimmerman. I’m not sure if this song exists on record.
Additional info on the Sons of Adam or Jim Kolb would be appreciated.
The Apostol brothers, Eddie, John, and Paul, formed the Pulsating Heartbeats in their home town of Anchorage Alaska.
The Pulsating Heartbeats were:
Eddie Apostol – guitar, vocals John Apostol (Raphael Apostol) – guitar, vocals Paul Apostol (Raul Apostol) – drums Frank “Skip” Konte – keyboards, vocals
Originally known as simply the Heartbeats, the group rehearsed in Betty Poeschel’s garage, and recorded in Betty’s Record Den.
As the Pulsating Heartbeats they made one very rare record, “Anne” / “Talkin’ Bout You” on Pace Setters Internationale 007 1/2.
John Apostol wrote “Anne” and co-wrote “Talkin’ Bout You” with Eddie. A local DJ, Ron Moore produced. I believe Pacesetters was a booking agency run by Poeschel and Ron Moore. The address on the record was 425 East 5th Avenue in Anchorage.
The group toured throughout Alaska, and also performed at rallies for Mike Gravel’s failed run as Congressman in ’66.
Heartbeats join union to play Mike Gravel’s campaign rally in Fairbanks, July 1966
Skip Konte left the group. He would move all the way to Tampa, Florida, joining the Blues Image in 1967 and co-writing their hit “Ride Captain Ride”.
Emerson Crivillo took Skip’s place on the keyboards. Eddie Apostol was drafted, leaving the band as a trio.
The group played in Hawaii and probably California as well.
In 1967 they went to Leo Kulka’s Golden State Recorders in San Francisco to cut a single as the Hartbeet Band. John and Paul Apostol wrote “Wait ‘Till Then” while “Run Around Kind” is credited to Apostol – Crivell [sic].
The Hartbeet Band single saw release on Golden Gate Records GG-1263 in small quantities, and is very rare now. The labels list Golden Gate’s publishing wing Guard Music Co. but I cannot find copyright registration for either, or for “Anne” / “Talkin’ Bout You”.
Lisa Wheeler found a demo of “Wait ‘Till Then” and wrote about the group for her site Elk Bugles.
The demo lists Pacesetters Custom Recording Studio.
I believe the Heartbeats / Hartbeet Band ended their touring around this time and returned to Anchorage. Eddie Apostol returned from service and the band would continue to play locally.
Most of the above videos above were made by one of the Apostol’s sons, and feature cool photos and info.
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
I wonder how a fast, wah-heavy version of the Rokes “Che Colpa Abbiamo Noi” got its only release on a Philadelphia label known for a handful of local pop artists.
