Category Archives: Label

Categories: Canada, Ontario, Quality, Toronto

Just Us

February 21, 2009 Nick Warburton 16 Comments

Neil Lillie (Vocals, Bass) line up A-D

Bill Ross (Guitar) line up A-B

Brian Hughes (Bass) line up A-B

Ed Roth (Keyboards) line up A-D

Bob Ablack (Drums) line up A, C-D

Al Morrison (Drums) line up B

Wayne Davis (Bass) line up C

Jimmy Livingston (Vocals) line up C-D

Stan Endersby (Guitar, Vocals) line up C-D

Ed Roth (b. February 16, 1947, Toronto, Canada), Bob Ablack, Bill Ross (b. Bel Air, California, US) and Brian Hughes started out playing rock instrumentals in a suburban Toronto band known as The XLs, which became Gary & The Reflections with the addition of singer Gary Muir in 1964.

In early 1965, singer Bobby Neilson (b. Robert Neilson Lillie, December 27, 1945, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada) joined and the group parted with Muir. The new line up changed name to The Ookpiks (after a native-designed stuffed toy owl called Ookpik that was being promoted by the Canadian government). As another group was already using the name, the band briefly worked as The Sikusis, after another stuffed toy, but were unable to get permission from the Canadian government to use the name without compensation and settled on The Just Us.

Amid all of this confusion, the group recorded a lone single on Quality, which was issued under the names The Ookpiks, The Just Us and The Sikusis. Soon afterwards, Al Morrison replaced Bob Ablack on drums but the new line up was short-lived. In early 1966, Hughes left to dedicate his full time to school, and Ross and Morrison joined The Bossmen, who subsequently backed singer David-Clayton-Thomas.

Neilson, who now went by the name Neil Lillie, befriended ex-Mynah Birds singer Jimmy Livingston (b. February 28, 1938, Toronto, Canada) in Long and McQuade’s music store where he worked in the backroom as an amp and guitar repairman. At the time, Livingston was singing with a group called The Muddy Yorks but he left when Lillie asked him to join a new line up of The Just Us. To complete the new line up, the band picked up former C. J. Feeney & The Spellbinders members Stan Endersby (b. July 17, 1947, Lachine, Quebec) and Wayne Davis (b. April 28, 1946, Toronto) and convinced Ablack to rejoin.

An album’s worth of material was recorded at Arc Sound during in early 1966, but disappeared with the band’s manager. The Just Us were one of the few bands that could play the clubs on Yonge Street, Toronto high schools and the Yorkville village scene.

In June 1966, Davis left to play with Bobby Kris & The Imperials and Lillie learnt bass in two weeks to fill the spot. Around this time, an American duo with the same name appeared on the charts and the group was forced to adopt a new name, The Group Therapy for one show (opening for The Byrds on June 22). Another local group laid claim to the name, so the band took on a new moniker, The Tripp, in September.

Recordings

45 I Don’t Love You/I Can Tell (Quality 1738) 1965

Advertised gigs

September 6 1965 – Devil’s Den, Toronto
September 10 1965 – Mimacombo’s, Mimacombo, Ontario

November 12 1965 – Club 888, Toronto

December 3 1965 – Gogue Inn, Toronto with Little Caesar & The Consult and Jeff & The Continentals

January 1 1966 – Gogue Inn, Toronto with The Lively Set and Ronnie Lane & The Disciples

February 11 1966 – Gogue Inn, Toronto with Shawne Jackson and The Majestics and The Lively Set
February 12 1966 – The Hawk’s Nest, Toronto
February 25 1966 – Gogue Inn, Toronto with Jack Hardin and The Secrets

March 3 1966 – The Hawk’s Nest, Toronto

April 8-9 1966 – Avenue Road Club, Toronto
April 22 1966 – The Hawk’s Nest, Toronto
April 30 1966 – The Avenue Road Club (billed as The Just Us Group)

May 21 1966 – The Hawk’s Nest, Toronto

June 4 1966 – Avenue Road Club, Toronto
June 22 1966 – Varsity Arena, Toronto with The Byrds (as Group Therapy)

July 8 1966 – Boris’, Toronto
July 16 1966 – The Hawk’s Nest, Toronto
July 20 1966 – North York Veterans Hall, Toronto
July 28 1966 – Don Mills Curling Club, Don Mills, Ontario with The Ugly Ducklings, The London Set and The Del Tones

August 6 1966 – The Hawk’s Nest, Toronto
August 19 1966 – The Hawk’s Nest, Toronto
August 20-21 1966 – El Patio, Toronto
August 28 1966 – Broom and Stone, Scarborough, Ontario with Jon and Lee & The Checkmates and The All Five
August 31 1966 – Don Mills Curling Club, Don Mills, Ontario with The Twilights, A Passing Fancy and Little Diane & The Jades

September 3 1966 – The Hawk’s Nest, Toronto
September 10 1966 – El Patio, Toronto (may be last show before becoming The Tripp)

Many thanks to Stan Endersby, Neil Lillie (aka Neil Merryweather), Ed Roth, Bill Munson, Carny Corbett and Craig Webb.

Thank you Stan for the great photos. The live dates are taken from the “After Four” section in the Toronto Telegram. Label scans courtesy of Ivan Amirault and Wyld Canada.

Later lineup, l-r: Stan Endersby, Bob Ablack, Ed Roth, Jimmy Livingston, Neil Lillie and Wayne Davis

Categories: New York, Ossining, Ren-Vell, Trutone, Westchester

Westchester Rivals: The Reptiles, the End, and the Aliens

February 16, 2009 Chris Bishop 18 Comments

The Reptiles, 1967, photo by Robin Leach

Ren-Vell Battle of the Bands vol. 1 Side A

The Reptiles have one cut on the Ren-Vell Battle of the Bands LP, “The Glass Toy”. It could have been a fine pop single with more polish, but the Ren-Vell studio wasn’t prepared to offer that kind of guidance or production quality.

Steve Worthy related the story of the Reptiles recording of Glass Toy to Bassman Bobb Brown:

Ron Macera was the drummer, Paul Slavin on bass, Mark Worthy on rhythm guitar and high harmony vocal on the chorus (a reversal of how we usually worked-me high harmony, him low). I played upper register rhythm guitar, because if I was doing the singing I couldn’t do any leads on guitar.
I wrote the song (probably my 3rd or 4th song ever written), full of teenage angst, and having to rhyme the works criticize, minimize and brutalize in the one bridge, shows my poetic and English major leanings. Subconsciously, I imitated my heroes the Beatles by doing something I heard said later about their songs – sad lyrics with happy music!
The only other recording session for the Reptiles was with a friend of my father named Bert Haber, who worked with Famous Music Publishing, and they were looking to get some young bands on one of their record company rosters. Bert gave us this song called “Come Take A Taste” to learn, and we so despised it, but really wanted to get in on the ground floor so we did it. I was so depressed learning it, that I wrote a song called “The Moustache Song” as a joke (“Please little girl with the moustache, blah blahh, Please don’t shave your little moustache, You’re only girl I kissed with one before”), which went on the 45 b-side. No one else had a song, so I had to sing that one as well.
Needless to say, their Broadway-type song was like a Spanky and Our Gang type tune, and our hearts weren’t in it, so it went nowhere further. The chorus sounded like “Sunday Will Never Be The Same”.
The Reptiles prided itself on always being true to the song and getting all the chords right! One of our pet peeves would be songs by bands who couldn’t get the bridge right- on “For Your Love” for example- the last two chords –they would do “A followed by Am” at the end of it, instead of C#m to B. Most bands were a little lazy that way. We used sharps and flats and major seventh chords because of our Beatle training. Me and my brother would listen to records over and over until every chord was perfect, especially with the Beatles stuff, which was our supreme role model. We even did Sgt. Pepper Stuff live like “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds”, “It’s Getting Better”, “A Day In The Life”, “Lovely Rita”.

Steve also wrote about the Reptiles’ rival bands, The End and The Aliens:

“The End” had Allen Spink and guitar and lead vocals, Jimmy Indusi on Guitar, Timmy Smith on console organ-sounded almost like a Hammond, Rick Selby on left-handed drums, and Pat Giordano on bass guitar. They were the second most ferocious competitors to the Reptiles after “The Aliens”. We made a comeback and beat them in a Battle of the Bands at St. Augustine’s High School finally, after a humiliating defeat at St. Ann’s when Spink stacked the deck with all of his friends. One reason the rivalry was so raw, even though personally I was great friends with the leader Allen Spink, was young testosterone when the nine of us were in a room together. We were like the Jets and the Sharks circling each other, I swear!
The Aliens were composed of Ray Marion on lead guitar and lead vocals (playing a Gibson cherry red ES335), Curt Meinel, bass (Hagstrom?), Glen Kane on drums, and a guy named Howie on Farfisa organ. They were very popular because they could be counted on to play all the standard rock ‘n’ roll songs like “Louie, Louie”, “Wipe Out”, “Bang Bang” (Joe Cuba, not Sonny and Cher), and were not adventurous at all, which is why the Reptiles and Aliens were sworn mortal enemies. Ray would do this swagger like he was so cool and shake his ass, which drove us crazy, because our impression of music at the time did not include ass shaking! Maybe he thought he was Elvis, who I both appreciate and love now, but at the time he was kind of old news to us in 1967.

Thanks to Bassman Bobb Brown for forwarding me the comments of Steve Worthy, along with the photo and the scans and transfers of the Aliens 45.

Categories: ABC, Canada, Montreal, Quebec

Influence

February 15, 2009 Nick Warburton 12 Comments

Andrew Keiller, Bob Parkins and Jack Geisinger on stage

Influence:

Louis McKelvey (Guitar, Vocals) line up A-D
Andy Keiller (Vocals) line up A-C
Dave Wynne (Drums) line up A-B
Jack Geisinger (Bass, Vocals) all line ups
Walter Rossi (Guitar, Vocals) line up B-E
Bob Parkins (aka Bobo Island) (Keyboards, Vocals) line up B-E
Frank LoRusso (Drums) line up C-E

The Influence was one of the most fascinating bands to emerge from Canada during the ‘60s. The group’s rich diversity of styles was a result of the group members’ wide range of musical backgrounds and geographical origins.

The band’s driving force was Louis Campbell McKelvey (b. October 31, 1943, Killorglin, County Kerry, Eire), who had spent the early ‘60s playing with London bands, The Persuaders and Jeff Curtis & The Flames (frequent residents at the Ealing Jazz club).

After travelling to South Africa in the summer of 1965, he met singer Andy Keiller (b. August 16, 1941, Bodmin, Cornwall, England), who had already recorded a solo single, ‘Find My Baby/Elaine (Continental PD7-8936), and an album entitled ‘Round About Midnight’ after moving to South Africa in March 1964. Together they formed The Who-inspired band The Upsetters, named by McKelvey after Little Richard’s first support group. The Upsetters recorded a lone single, ‘Daddy Rolling Stone/Pain In My Heart’ (Continental PD7-9012), issued by the small Trutone label later that year. When Keiller left to return to London in November, McKelvey subsequently joined The A-Cads.

McKelvey was only a member of The A-Cads for a few months, but did appear on the single ‘Fool, Fool, Fool/Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah’ (RCA Victor 41-827) and helped finish off the band’s lone album. The A-Cads spent the early part of 1966 travelling with the Boswell-Wilkie circus before splitting up in April. Together with former A-Cads, Hank Squires and Les Goode, McKelvey returned to England and together they hatched plans to move to India. The project, however, never materialised and McKelvey (later joined by Squires) moved to Montreal in October 1966.

McKelvey played with Les Sinners for a few weeks then joined Our Generation in time to appear on their second single.

During his time with the latter band, he co-produced (with Hank Squires) The Haunted’s single ‘Searching For My Baby’ and through the group met former member Wynne (b. May 17, 1947, Stockport, England). McKelvey subsequently invited him to join the new group he was planning.

Around the same time, McKelvey met bass player Geisinger (b. Jakob August Geisinger, March 1945, Czechoslovakia), who had recently been playing with The Buddy Miles Quartet and before that The Soul Mates.

When Buddy Miles and the group’s guitarist and organist, Rossi (b. Rossignuoli Rossi, May 29, 1947, Naples, Italy) and Island (b. Bob Parkins, Montreal, Canada), were picked up by Wilson Pickett for a US tour, Geisinger accepted McKelvey’s offer to join the new group.

Shortly afterwards, McKelvey spotted an ad in the paper by Keiller (who had moved out to Montreal the previous spring and had tried to contact McKelvey after seeing him playing with Our Generation on TV), and invited him to join as the band’s lead singer.

Formed in late May, the quartet, named The Influence, immediately made its presence felt and became regulars at Montreal’s Barrel during the summer of 1967. In June, Rossi and Island returned to Montreal and, after catching the band’s set, joined the line-up. The new line-up became more musically adventurous, adopting a style that was influenced by jazz musicians Sonny Murray and Archie Shepp, and with Island adding a second lead voice. After tightening up their act, The Influence moved to Toronto and became a regular sight at Boris’ Red Gas Room throughout September-December.

Influence photo on stage in Toronto, 1967 — On stage in Toronto, 1967.

Andy Keiller singing and Dave Wynne on drumsIn October 1967, the band sent demos to ABC Records in New York and with producer Dennis Minogue recorded a lone album on 4-track that was issued in January 1968.

The record is a startling piece of music and clearly shows how unique the band was. However, it didn’t sell well and is now something of a collector’s item. The highlights are the chanson styled ‘I Don’t Know Why’, composed by Rossi and Island, and heavier pieces like McKelvey’s ‘Natural Impulse’ and ‘Pieces of Me’, co-written with Andy Keiller.

Shortly after the album’s release, former Soul Mates’ drummer Frank LoRusso (aka Yum Yum) replaced Wynne. The new line-up toured extensively in the US Midwest and the New York area throughout the first half of 1968. A live album, captured in Chicago on a bill with Steppenwolf, was recorded on a rough tape during May but immediately afterwards, Keiller left to return to Montreal (he eventually returned to the UK briefly before emigrating to Australia).

The band continued but internal differences led to McKelvey’s departure in September 1968. The remaining members carried on as a heavy rock, blues band into 1969, but broke up when Rossi joined The Buddy Miles Express and Geisinger left for McKelvey’s new group Milkwood. LoRusso later rejoined McKelvey in Damage. McKelvey lives in Toronto and plays with his own band.

Island was subsequently killed in a highway accident in late 1969. Wynne joined the diplomatic service and is working in Singapore, while Keiller currently runs a fibreglass business making racing cars in Melbourne. Rossi has established a successful solo career and lives in Quebec while Geisinger was last heard of living in Montreal.

Recordings

LP Influence (Sparton 630) 1968 (Canada)
LP Influence (ABC 630) 1968 (US)

Advertised gigs

1 June 1967 – Barrel, Montreal

3 June 1967 – Bonaventure, Montreal

June-August 1967 – Barrel, Montreal (nightly)

2 September 1967 – Boris’ Red Gas Room, Toronto

8 September 1967 – Boris’ Red Gas Room, Toronto with The Sky

10 September 1967 – Boris’ Red Gas Room, Toronto with The Sky

15 September 1967 – Boris’ Red Gas Room, Toronto

16 September 1967 – Boris’ Red Gas Room, Toronto with The Sky

22 September 1967 – Boris’ Red Gas Room, Toronto

23 September 1967 – Boris’ Red Gas Room, Toronto with The Sky

29 September 1967 – Boris’ Red Gas Room, Toronto

30 September 1967 – Boris’ Red Gas Room, Toronto with The Fringe

7-9 October 1967 – Boris’ Red Gas Room, Toronto

15 October 1967 – Boris’ Red Gas Room, Toronto

22 October 1967 – Boris’ Red Gas Room, Toronto

27 October 1967 – Boris’ Red Gas Room, Toronto

2-3 December 1967 – Boris’, Toronto

9 December 1967 – Boris’, Toronto

15 December 1967 – Boris’, Toronto

25-31 December 1967 – Steve Paul’s The Scene, New York with Blood, Sweat & Tears

17-18 February 1968 – Boris’, Toronto

2 March 1968 – Boris, Toronto

4-9 March 1968 – Penny Farthing, Toronto

15 March 1968 – Boris’, Toronto

22 March 1968 – Boris’, Toronto

29-30 March 1968 – Boris’, Toronto

5-7 April 1968 – The Static Journey, Toronto

13 April 1968 – Boris’, Toronto

20 April 1968 – CNE Hall, Toronto with The Doors, Earth Opera and City Muffin Boys

10-12 May 1968 – Chessmate, Detroit

17-19 May 1968 – Grande Ballroom, Detroit with Procol Harum, Nirvana, The Nickle Pulte Express, The Soul Remains and Muff

24-26 May 1968 – Electric Ballroom, Chicago with Steppenwolf

31 August-1 September 1968 – El Patio, Toronto

Live dates are largely taken from the Toronto Telegram’s “After Four” section. Thanks also to Andy Keiller for some concert details.

Thanks to Louis McKelvey, Walter Rossi, Andy Keiller, Dave Wynne and Jack Geisinger. Grande Ballroom concert poster from Walter Rossi’s site. LP front cover scan courtesy of Ivan Amirault.

To contact the author, email: Warchive@aol.com

Influence, Music Trend, May 26, 1967. Click for larger version. Scan courtesy of Dave Wynne

This ad appeared in the March 9, 1968 issue of the great KRLA Beat newspaper!

Categories: Dansville, Hornell, Lee, New York, Upstate New York

P.B. & the Staunchmen

February 8, 2009 Chris Bishop 60 Comments

Early photo of the Staunchmen with Silvertone Bobkat guitars, from left: Paul Nagle, Don Cox, George Harvey (drums), Paul Beecher (with tambourine), Barry McLean, and Doug Smith (sax)

P.B. & the Staunchmen cut this rare 45 on Lee, the same label as the Ascendors “I Won’t Be Home” in 1966. The label was located out of Hornell, New York, 40 miles south of Rochester but the band was from Dansville, another 20 miles south/southeast.

P.B. is Paul Beecher, credited along with the Staunchmen for writing both sides of the 45. Members were:

Paul Beecher – lead vocals
Doug Smith – sax
Paul Nagle – lead guitar
Barry McLean – rhythm guitar
Eric Young – organ
Don Cox – rhythm and bass guitar
George Harvey – drums

“Mean Willy” is a driving track with some wild guitar breaks and screams between repetitive lyrics and droning saxophone.

All the girls they can’t sympathize,
They know that he goes around telling ’em lies,
When he looks into their big brown eyes.

The flip, “Lost Generation”, sounds like it has roots in “Eve of Destruction” (though it actually came out earlier – see Don Cox’s comment below). The lyrics are defeatist and downright depressing, if I am reading them right:

This poor war is here to say,
There’s nothing you can do to keep it away,
My brother’s dead, there’s no denying,
This lost generation has me cryin’.
‘Cause it’s lost, this generation, it’s gone away,
It’s lost no matter what you say.
The kids are turnin’, their cards are burnin’,
Trying to escape this war,
The game they’ve lost and now they’ve found,
It doesn’t matter anymore.
Left to right: Barry McLean, Paul Nagle, Paul Beecher, Eric Young, Don Cox, and George Harvey. Not pictured: Doug Smith. Photo courtesy of George Harvey.

Thanks to Don Cox for the lyric correction. Band photos courtesy of George Harvey, and Don Cox (top photo).

If anyone has more photos of the group, please contact me.

P.B.and the Staunchmen photo — from left: Paul Beecher, Paul Nagle, George Harvey, Barry McLean, Don Cox, and Doug Smith. Eric Young absent.

Categories: Canada, Montreal, Polydor, Quebec

Life

February 5, 2009 Nick Warburton 2 Comments

Life Polydor 45 Hands of the Clock, U.S. release — U.S. release

Neil Sheppard (Producer) line up AB
Michael Ship (Keyboards, Vocals) line up AB
Marty Simon (Drums, Keyboards, Vocals) line up AB
Danny Zimmerman (Bass) line up AB
Jean Pierre Lauzon (Guitar) line up AB
Barry Albert (Guitar) line up AB

Clockwise from top: Danny Zimmerman, Marty Simon, Mike Ship and Barry Albert

Neil Sheppard (real name Neil Ship) was a Brill Building songwriter who was trying to get his songs promoted with a group. Sheppard wrote all of the songs and produced Life’s lone album, released in spring 1970.In the early 1960s, Simon and Zimmerman had worked together in Montreal group, Marty Simon and The Capris and The Humdingers before forming The Scene.

Formed from the ashes of The Scene, the original line up was completed with Sheppard’s brother Michael Ship on keyboards and lead vocals, guitarist J P Lauzon (ex-Carnival Connection) and former Bartholomew Plus Three guitarist Barry Albert. Lauzon and Albert alternated lead guitar and rhythm on the band’s recordings.

The group’s debut single, a cover of The Beatles’ “Strawberry Fields Forever”, with an arrangement by Marty Simon, was a fascinating record with jazzy feel and featured Lauzon’s exquisite flamenco guitar solo. However, it did not do much chart wise (entered RPM on May 9, 1970, reached number 83 and charted for 5 weeks). Its follow up, “Hands of The Clock”, featuring Albert’s lead guitar intro, was the band’s only hit, reaching #19 on the RPM chart in August 1969, and charted for 12 weeks.

Life played at the First Montreal Bi-Cultural Pop Festival in June 1969, which was held at the Montreal Forum and featured Triangle, Robert Charlebois and headliner Steppenwolf.

The group’s lone album, which features contributions from Englishman Malcolm Tomlinson on flute from Milkwood, was recorded on four-track and then transferred to the first eight track in Canada by Andre Perry.

Towards the end of 1969, Simon left Life and moved to Los Angeles to work with a new group. The rest of the band carried on as After Life but split up in early 1970.

Simon and Lauzon reunited in Mylon Le Fevre. Simon later moved to the UK and formed Sharks with former Free bass player Andy Fraser.

Recordings
45 Strawberry Fields Forever/Come Into My Life (Polydor 540-005) 1969
45 Hands of The Clock/Ain’t I Told You Before (Polydor 540-009) 1969
45 Sweet Lovin’/Desire (Polydor 540-013) 1970
45 Needing You/Loving Time (Polydor 540-017) 1970
LP Life (Polydor 2424-001) 1970

Many thanks to Marty Simon for his contributions. Hands of the Clock sleeve, RPM and CFCF scans courtesy of Ivan Amirault.

Photo of the band from Marc Denis’ Rock Radio Scrapbook

Categories: Century Custom, Richmond, Virginia

The Chantells

January 23, 2009 Chris Bishop 12 Comments

Chantells Century Custom 45 Break-Down The Chantells came from Richmond, Virginia, where they attended Manchester High School. I love records like this but I didn’t know a thing about these guys until some comments came in below.

Their first single was the instrumental, “I Thought You Would” backed with a cool vocal original, “Who Meant The World To Me”, released in January 1965 on Century Custom 20135.

Their second single came later that year on Century Custom 20445. “I’m Leavin’ Here Today” was the slow top-side, written by Tommy Woodcock. More to my taste is the flip, “Break-Down”, a cool bluesy rocker with sax, organ and a fine guitar solo. The singer’s got the right voice for this kind of song, and the drummer really stands out. This side was written by Deets, Tom Woodcock and Long.

Rex Hawley managed the Century Custom Recording Service franchise in Richmond.

Categories: D-Rea, Rice Lake, Spooner, Wisconsin

Jim Curran with the Lonely Ones

January 19, 2009 Chris Bishop 8 Comments

Here’s a contribution from JP Coumans, who writes:

Here’s an over-the-top-as-garage-music-should-be record: Jim Curran with the Lonely Ones – “Aren’t You Happy” – on the super obscure D-Rea records!
Probably dating from ’65 – ’66 and besides the incredible crude production it’s got great kinda “girl put me down” or is it “put the girl down” lyrics! And they definitely listened very well to “Twist and Shout”… since they took it over and changed it into their own song … with an incredible cool loud break!!!!!
This Jim Curran probably was a rich man’s son who invited the Lonely Ones to release a record together with him. While looking at Jim he’s probably some university dude who really wanted to make a record.
The B-side is something completely different … instead of “Let there be drums” it’s “Drums Send Me” … with only Jim Curran credits. Is this drum instro music? Definitely Jim hasn’t drummed before because that’s how it sounds … completely off rhythm and it sounds more like a space filler!

I’ll repeat Edward Scalzo’s comment about this release, as it gives the most information about it:

This record was recorded in 1966 in the basment of Jim Curran’s home is Rice Lake, Wisconsin. It is correct that he was a rich man’s son that wanted to make a record and asked the band to take part.
The Lonely Ones were a very popular band from Spooner, WI that played gigs all around northern Wisconsin 1965-66 and a little bit in ’67. Originally known as The Epitaphs the band loved doing Rolling Stones and the like. This song is not typical of the band. I played bass with the band ’65-66. The guys had a bit of a bad boy image, but not me. I am the young gentlemen wearing glasses upper right.
I do not have a copy but would like to have one. The flip side is Jim trying to learn to drum, it was just filler.

Categories: Canada, Jet, Montreal, Quebec

The Mike Jones Group “Funny Feeling” on Jet

January 19, 2009 Chris Bishop 31 Comments

The Mike Jones Group at the Jail — Original lineup of the Mike Jones Group circa 1965, from left: Earl Kimble, Bob Panetta, Mike Jones, Roger Rodier and Richard Dupuis. Photo courtesy of Louise D.

The Mike Jones Group’s “Funny Feeling” on Jet Recordsne of the very top Canadian records of the 60’s. Its origins were somewhat obscure until I heard from Bob Panetta and George Legrady in 2010 and 2011.

The A-side is a good cover of “Each and Every Day”, recorded by Manfred Mann and written by Mike Hugg. The flip, “Funny Feeling”, is something else altogether, blending a heavy fuzz riff, pounding drums, swirling organ and a first-rate vocal, with a ripping guitar solo to top it all off. It was written by the group’s bassist, Joey Campelone.

Mike Jones was an alias for Michael LaChance, a recording engineer from Montreal. I’d read that he put a studio band together with musicians from other groups for this 45, but the band was actually a working group. Roger Rodier described recording an acetate with the Mike Jones Group and traveling to New York to try for a record deal which didn’t materialize.

The original group, who recorded demos in New York that have yet to be released:

Mike Jones – lead vocals
Bob Panetta – lead guitar
Richard Dupuis – rhythm guitar
Roger Rodier – bass
Earl Kimble – drums

Later lineup:

Mike Jones – lead vocals
Bob Panetta – lead guitar (replaced by Richard Lasnier)
Billy Smith – rhythm guitar
George Legrady – keyboards
Joe Campelone – bass
Earl Kimble – drums

Jet Records was run by Don Wayne Patterson and distributed by London Records. Rumor had it there is a whole LP’s worth of material in the Jet vaults, but that seems to be an exaggeration.

Mike Jones Group Photo — The Mike Jones Group, from left: Bob Panetta, George Legrady, Billy Smith, Joe Campelone, Earl Kimble and Mike Jones

Recently founding member Bob Panetta contacted me with the photos and some early history of the band:

I unearthed this rare photo of a later version of the Mike Jones Group. An old friend of the band, Louise D. had kept it in an old shoebox. From left to right: Bob Panetta lead guitar, George Legrady keyboards, Billy Smith rhythm guitar, Joe Camplone bass and vocals, Earl Kimble drums and Mike lead vocals.
When I met Mike at the St-Germain high school in Ville St-Laurent, I was already playing guitar for a few years. He was a great pop music aficionado. He had all the recent albums by Manfred Mann, The Animals, Stones, Beatles and the rest. We’d get together and learn all of the more obscure songs of these groups. We didn’t want people to tag us as a cover band.
We formed our first group The Forgotten, but it was just a garage band. I don’t think we ever played anywhere. Then we auditioned for Mel Younger who was to be our manager (he was also The Rabbles’ manager). We reformed the band with different musicians and changed our name to The Mike Jones Group with Earl Kimble on drums and Roger Rodier on bass. There was also a guy called Richard Dupuis on rhythm guitar. That’s the original band who went to New York to record a few demos.
We started at the Jail, a pretty hip little joint in the north-end of Montreal. We started getting a pretty good following of fans. As time went on we were playing bigger and bigger dance halls around Montreal. In those days there were literally hundreds of places you could play.
One of the more memorable places was the Bonaventure Curling Club in Dorval. That hall could contain thousands of people. If you were booked there, it meant that you had made it big in Montreal. There was also a place called the Hullabaloo but it’s kind of vague in my mind.
I was in the band for most of the journey and when I quit Richard Lasnier replaced me. They went on to record a single but the band broke up not long after that. I used to have a copy of the demos we recorded in New York but I lent them to some friends and never got them back.
I’ve been a musician all my life and still play to this day. In the ’60’s I played with a group called The Oven with Gary Marcus, a great guitarist and friend. We were the opening act for The Young Rascals at the Paul Sauvé arena if I recall. Then went on to backup French artists like Nicole Martin, Steve Fiset and Claire Lepage. Today I’m more into jazz & blues.
Bob Panetta

St-Germain high school in Ville St-Laurent, circa 1962. Mike Lachance (Jones) is in the second row, third from the right. Bob Panetta in the last row, fifth from the right.

Keyboardist George Legrady wrote to me with some information about the band and also his later experience with the Haunted:

The Mike Jones group in Montreal consisted of Mike Jones (Michel Lachance) on vocals, Earl Kimble on drums, Joey Campelone on bass, Ricky on lead guitar, I think Bill Smith on rhythm guitar, (he and I later played in the Haunted with Bob Bosak, Johnny Monk, Gary Marcus) and I on keyboards. I was the last to join the band in January 1966. We rehearsed in the basement of a suburban house out in north Montreal – I think Pierre Dumouchel was the name of the roadie and it was his parents’ house.
We were together for about 1.5 years and played all the time. There was a lot of youthful “lets conquer the world” energy. I was the youngest at 16 as most of the others were between 18-19 which at that time seemed to make a big difference. We played week-ends mostly french Canadian dance halls. I remember competition were “The Sinners” but then we crossed paths with the Rabble, and did see and admire the Haunted. We began with Animals songs, and moved on to Kinks, and other top music of the time. It was a great experience to be part of this group as for me, I was still in high school and it definitely gave me a boost in the “getting out into the world” scheme of things.
The group was very eager to get Don Wayne as manager.
“Funny Felling” was recorded in a Montreal studio near Cotes-des-Neiges Blvd. The song was written right near the end of the band’s existence, in fact. I played a Hammond B3 with Leslie speaker, but on gigs I normally used a Hohner keyboard and Fender amplifier. I don’t have any photos, nor have kept in touch with anyone, but I do have a tape with three other songs. We used to play at a club called the “Jail” in east end Montreal and one of the songs begins with an intro by Don Wayne…I have to find it…
Mike Jones Group stayed together from 1966 to about 1968. The band broke up because Mike got the offer to become a recording engineer at the studio where we recorded “Funny Feeling” [and] reverted back to Michel Lachance. I knew Roger Rodier but don’t remember when he was with the band. I think before I was in it. I don’t know what happened to the players.
Q. I asked Jurgen Peter of the Haunted if any members were involved in the Mike Jones Group, and he said no, but maybe he just didn’t know about it?
Jurgen does not list me at his website: http://www.thehaunted.com/ and he may have a block about keyboard players as there were others who are not listed either. I was part of the last group consisting of Johnny Monk, Joey Toplay, Gary Marcus, Bill Smith. The original mythic power of the early “1-2-5” rock band Haunted was gone. Jurgen continued to rebuild the band, and I was in the last one which was more Doors/Hendrix/LCD/hippie direction. Our lead guitarist wore a long Japanese robe and sword and went barefoot on Trois-Rivieres TV.
Jurgen did not play anymore but was the manager. He would travel with Hank Squires in front of the truck. I was also the youngest in this band. Jurgen and I had some email exchanges a few years ago about the fact I am not listed, and he was not that receptive to my request to list me as keyboard player. In fact, the exchange could have been a bit more constructive.
Q. How long did you play with the Haunted?
I think it may have been about 8-9 months. My father was pressuring me to go to college, and I had to drop around May 1969. I remember this as I chose to stop playing the night when the Haunted opened for the Who at the Forum who were on their highly successful “Tommy” tour.
Q. I’m curious as to how separate the French and English music scenes were in Montreal, and if it changed between the mid and late 60s. Did the Mike Jones Group sing only in English?
Mike Jones and also the Haunted played at a lot of French gigs. The odd thing was that the French were crazy about R & B. With the Mike Jones group at the Jail, I remember the minute we would break in-between sets Wilson Picket’s “Midnight Hour” would be received with total joy by everyone. We would make jokes about it.
Q. The flip of the Haunted’s 45 “Vapeur Mauve” was a cover of Talk Talk in French called ‘Porquoi’. I’ve read this was a different group and the Haunted were not pleased about it showing up on the b-side of their record. Any idea who the band was and why this was done?
I am playing the keyboards on “Vapeur Mauve” but there was a previous keyboardist I met who played on “Out of Time” the Rolling Stones song and some other recordings…I forget his name…nice person. Jurgen Peter was the business manager and so he was the one negotiating all of this. We were all surprised about the fact that someone else was put on the back.
George Legrady

The Mike Jones Group in Rag Pot vol. 1 no. 1, (Montreal' s Latest Teenage Journal) Feb. 24, 1967 — The Mike Jones Group in Rag Pot vol. 1 no. 1, (Montreal’ s Latest Teenage Journal) Feb. 24, 1967 (click to see full cover)

Don Wayne Patterson sent to me the photo above from the cover of Rag Pot no. 1 and wrote to me:

Managed and recorded Mike Jones Group – have an album in the vault and a 45 RPM one-sided French version of “Each and Every Day”. Also put out a lot of other Garage bands on my Jet Label. Have a full album in the can from King Beezz (Edmonton). And have several master tapes of Louis McKelvey bought at a garage sale in Montreal.
Published seven issues of RagPot promoting Canadian groups … missing vol. 1 no. 3 and hope to reprint all issues (book form) along with several columns I wrote for Hollywood’s Teen Screen magazine and a small Rosemere newspaper.

Sources include: Roger Rodier’s notes in the reissue of his 1972 LP Upon Velveatur (thanks to Ivan for pointing that out). Thank you to George Legrady and Bob Panetta for their help.

Categories: California, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, Sara, Tide, Wisconsin

The Darnells

January 18, 2009 Gary E. Myers 15 Comments

These Darnells (unrelated to the ones on Gordy) began in Milwaukee as Denny & the Darnells circa 1959, with various musicians (including future Legends drummer Jim Sessody) passing through the band. The line-up that went into the Cuca studios to record the first single consisted of lead guitarist Denny King, tenor saxophonist Tom Fabre, singer Gary Lane, Bruce Wells on piano, Norm Sherian on rhythm guitar, and Jerry Sworske on drums. The A-side is their remake of Gene Vincent’s “Little Sheila”, while the instrumental flip is a Latin standard, featuring the jazz oriented sax-man Fabre.

Mike Blattner eventually replaced Sworske on drums, and singer Kim Marie was a member when they played off-night gigs at the Spa on 5th & Wisconsin in September 1962. Our Florida band, the Nightbeats, was touring through Milwaukee’s ACA agency, and they had booked us into the Spa for two weeks. We were looking for a different guitar man and King was looking for steady work, so he joined our band, putting a temporary end to the Darnells. However, five months later King and I left the Nightbeats to reform the Darnells as a trio, with bassist Tom Hahn. Hahn had already been out to Southern California with the Bonnevilles and he wanted to make another trip in order to obtain a Mexican divorce from his estranged wife. A SoCal trip sounded great to Denny and me, so in May 1963 we headed west and landed a gig for the summer at the Firehouse, a beer bar on 17th Street in Costa Mesa.

On the referral of the Nightbeats’ bass player, we connected with the Tide label in L.A. and recorded eight sides – two instrumentals and a pair of vocals by each of us. “Spooner”, the first instrumental, is an up-tempo, surfy, 12-bar blues guitar rocker. The flip is another 12-bar blues, this time a slightly jazzy mid-tempo swing. Denny King’s “She’s My Girlfriend” is teenish, while the flip has the flavor of Troy Shondell’s “This Time”. My own release is teen pop with added strings and voices. To my knowledge, Hahn’s vocals were the only cuts not released from those sessions.

We returned to Milwaukee that fall and, in January 1964, Hahn and I left to join the Cashmeres, bringing a final end to the Darnells. The Cashmeres metamorphosized into the Mojo Men (who later evolved into the Portraits with releases on Sidewalk). Hahn left the Mojo Men and did some work in Memphis with Ace Cannon (“Tuff,” 1962) before leaving the music business and settling in Michigan. After doing some club work with country singer Johnny Carver, Denny King returned to California and teamed up with the Canadian Beadles (sic), whom we had previously met in Ishpeming, Michigan. That combination recorded one single for Tide as the Mojo Men, but they had no connection with the Milwaukee Mojo Men. (It seems that Tide Records, having had their only national chart appearance with Larry Bright’s “Mojo Workout” in 1960, tried to capitalize on the “Mojo” name in every possible way).

After his solo recording for Specialty in 1972, King moved to the Sacramento area and formed a booking agency. He later imported medical supplies from Korea and had other business involvements before he died in 2000; Mike Blattner died in 2004. Gary Lane had gone on to work with the Mad Lads and the Saints Five, and later owned a club in Milwaukee. Besides the Darnells, Jerry Sworske had drummed with several other Milwaukee bands, including the Noblemen and Junior & the Classics. He later became a police officer. Tom Fabre moved to Los Angeles and continued in music until his death in 2007. Kim Marie has organized frequent oldies shows in Milwaukee since 2000. This writer has lived in the greater L.A. area since 1965, played full-time until 1982, and part-time since then.

Darnells releases:

Sara 1055: Little Sheila/Besame Mucho, 11/61
Tide 1090: Spooner/Sleepy, 9/63

Tide 1091: She’s My Girlfriend/Long Lonely Night (Denny King), /63
Edit 2005: Poor Little Baby/If (You’d Only Be Mine) (Gary Myers), 11/63
Tide 2000: Surfin’ Fat Man/Paula (Mojo Men), 2/64
Tide 2001: Mojo Workout/I Got A Woman (Tommy Hahn & the Mojo Men), 5/64
Specialty 726: Bessie Mae/Go Down Moses (Denny King), /72
Specialty LP 5003: Evil Wind Is Blowing (Denny King), /72

Gary E. Myers is author of two histories of Wisconsin music of the 50’s & 60’s, “Do You Hear That Beat” and “On That Wisconsin Beat”, as well as two instructional books, “Understanding and Using Chords and Chord Progressions” and “Understanding and Using Scales and Modes”. Check Gary’s website for more information.

Darnells in Appleton: Tom Hahn, Gary Myers, Denny King

Darnells 1963: Tom Hahn, Gary Myers, Denny King

Categories: Dellwood, Hackensack, Hampton Bays, New Jersey, Saddle Brook, Suffolk County

The Yorkshire Puddin on Dellwood Records

January 11, 2009 Chris Bishop 7 Comments

Yorkshire Puddin Photo Dellwood — The Yorkshire Puddin, from left: R. Ponce de Leon, Danny Jolin, Bob Heinich, and Bob Cotherin

The Yorkshire Puddin cut two 45s on Dellwood Records in ’67 and ’68. Their first 45 is the fine “Good Night Day” backed with “Ain’t Gonna Love Ya No More”. They updated their sound for the second release, “Keep Me In Mind”.

“Keep Me in Mind”, like both sides of their first 45 were written by Cotharin – De Leon and produced by Woody Gardella. “Black Jacket Woman”, the flip of “Keep Me in Mind”, is the same moody pop number also done by the Zone V and the Tropics (the original?). I hear a female voice on the harmonies on this song only.

Dellwood was based in first Hackensack then nearby Saddle Brook, New Jersey.

Rhythm guitarist and vocalist Frank DePauw left a detailed comment about the band below, that I’ll repeat here:

Bob Cotharin, left hand Hofner bass player, and head singer and spokesman of the group.
Reynold Ponce De Leon, keyboards, (harpsichord), rhythm guitar, and harmonies.
Robert Heinick, lead guitar, and vocalist.
Gail Koennemann did some backup singing, and wed Bob Cotharin in ’69 or ’70. No longer together.
Daniel Jollen, drummer, drafted into the Army in the summer of ’68
Frank DePauw, second guitar, harmonies, backup keyboards, and in spare time, light show producer.
The group was the “house band” for the “Castaway” in Hampton Bay, Long Island, N.Y. in the summer of “68, when the drummer was drafted. A mad search went out, but no one could fill Dan’s job, and the group, after trying to get the “sound” back, broke up.

The photo of the group gives Danny Jollen’s name as Danny Jolin, I’m not sure which is correct. Also it’s hard to read the hand writing, but is it Bob Heinick or Bob Heinich? The photo also has what may be a manager’s name, George Appleyard, as well as a second address for Dellwood at 10 Banta Place in Hackensack.

Can anyone fill in more history on how they came to record for Dellwood and play at the Castaway?

Thanks once again to JP Coumans for the scan of “Keep Me in Mind” and transfer of “Black Jacket Woman”.

Special thank you to Harvey Kornbluth for sending the photo of the group.

Yorkshire Puddin Photo Dellwood Back — Back of 8 x 12 glossy photo of the band with Dellwood Music info

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