Category Archives: Label

The Rockin’ Gibralters of Montgomery, AL

Rockin’ Gibralters, from left: Rusty Crumpton, Ronnie Monroe, Sonny Grier (seated), Ed Sanford, Bobby DuPree and Keith Brewer

Rockin' Gibralters Morgan 45 Go With MeThe Rockin’ Gibralters came out of Montgomery, Alabama, making four singles between 1966 and 1968.

Members were:

Sonny Grier – vocals
Rusty Crumpton – lead guitar
Ed Sanford – keyboards
Keith Brewer – bass guitar
Bobby DuPree – drums
Ronnie Monroe – trumpet (and roadie?)

I haven’t been able to find details about their history yet.

Rockin' Gibralters RG 45 Bug of SoulI’m not sure which was their first single but it may have been “Go With Me” / “Signed, Sealed and Delivered” on Morgan HV-9040 from 1966. Sonny Grier and Keith Brewer wrote “Go With Me”, with publishing by Granny Music. The band’s name is spelled Rockin’ Gibraltars on the labels.

This is their most “garage” single, with harmonica but no trumpet, and some great screams from Sonny Grier on “Signed, Sealed and Delivered”.

The Rockin’ Gibralters next single was probably “It Will Stand” / “I Can’t Help Myself (For Loving You)” on Empire 447. The B-side is another original by Brewer and Grier, which I haven’t heard yet.

The Gibralters released their next two singles on their own RG Records label, fashioning a fine soul sound on each. The different label designs and numbering suggest different studios or pressing plants.

Rockin' Gibralters RG 45 What's Your Hurry“Bug of Soul” is an original by Rusty Crumpton and Ed Sanford, on RG Records 480. The trumpet plays an important part in the sound of the band by this time. I’m not sure if “It Will Stand” is the same version as the Empire single or a new take. Release date was about November 1966.

“What’s Your Hurry” is their most produced single, with what sounds like vibraphone as well as piano. Crumpton, Sanford, and Grier wrote that side, while Crumpton, Sanford and Brewer wrote “The Bare Essential”, the ostensible A-side, though I haven’t yet heard it. Lowery Music Inc. published both songs. Release was December, 1968.

In 1968, Ed Sanford, Keith Brewer and Bobby DuPree would form a group called Heart, with Johnny Townsend and Tippy Armstrong of Tuscaloosa’s Magnificent Seven / Rubber Band. Heart would play the Whisky a Go-Go in Los Angeles and cut one single on Reprise Records 0772, “The Train” (J. Townsend) / “Heartbeat” (Brewer-Sanford-Townsend-Dupree-Crumpton), both Hollytex Music Co. and produced by Bob Hinkle.

I’m not sure what Sonny Grier, Rusty Crumpton or Ronnie Monroe did after the breakup of the Rockin’ Gibralters.

Rockin’ Gibralters discography:

Morgan HV-9040 – “Go With Me” (S. Grier, K. Brewer) / “Signed, Sealed and Delivered” (TK4M-2418/9) 1966

Empire 447 – “It Will Stand” / “I Can’t Help Myself (For Loving You)” (Brewer, Grier, pub Fame Pub. Co BMI) SO 3338/9

RG Records 480 – “Bug of Soul” (Crumpton, Sanford) / “It Will Stand” November 1966

RG Records 1118 – “The Bare Essential” (Crumpton, Sanford, Brewer) / “What’s Your Hurry” (Crumpton, Sanford, Grier) both Lowery Music Inc., BMI

The photo at top came from the very interesting Tuscaloosa Beach Music site which is now unfortunately defunct but available, in part, on the Internet Archive.

The Hey Baby Days site has a few more photos of the Rockin’ Gibralters, including on stage at the City Auditorium.

The Aces Combo from Salisbury, North Carolina

The Aces with go-go dancer and friend. Dig the Sandy Nelson albums behind the drummer!

I found five color snapshots of the Aces from Salisbury, North Carolina, as well as a news clipping from Statesville. Introducing the Aces Combo is one of the better LPs on the Justice label of Winston, North Carolina, or at least, one of the more consistent.

Salisbury is located about 40 miles southwest of Winston-Salem, on the way to Charlotte. Members included:

Tim Ervin – lead guitar, vocals
Johnny Yarbrough – rhythm guitar, vocals
Johnny Nance – rhythm guitar
Michael Earnhardt – bass, vocals, tambourine
Howard Caywood – drums and management

In the color photos the band has a keyboard player, who is not listed in the album credits. Some other personnel may also be different.

The go-go dancers in waist-high cages are a cool addition, as are the signs reading The Aces.

Aces Salibury NC Photo 1

Aces Salibury NC Photo 2

Go-go dancer for the Aces

Aces Salibury NC Photo 5
Salisbury a Go Go – what building was this?
Photo from the front of the Justice LP, Introducing the Aces Combo
The Aces in the Statesville Record And Landmark, January 15, 1966
Aces Combo Introducing Photo 2
Another photo from the Justice LP

The Tyrods “She Said, He Said” on Mark Records

Tyrods promo photo

Tyrods Mark 45 She Said, He SaidThe Tyrods formed in high school in Chino, California in 1965. Chino is in San Bernadino County, just east of Los Angeles.

Members were:

Herkie Alves – guitar
John Alves – guitar
Alex Kizanis – keyboards
Tim Thomas – bass
Jerry Sagouspe – drums

Winning a battle of the bands at the Hollywood Palladium in 1967, earned them recording time to produce a single on Mark Records MR-202.

Brothers John and Herkie Alves wrote both sides of the single. “She Said, He Said” has lyrics worth puzzling out:

She said he said it’s all wrong,
But I don’t believe her at all.
She said he said it’s all wrong
But I said …. (?)

She says that I look like I’m dead,
’cause I never smile any more.
I say that I can’t …. (?)
There’s so many things in my head.

There’s so many things in my head.
Everything around I can’t see.
Head’s to the sky,
Eyes to the floor.

(?) …. all that riches and fame.

“Girl Don’t Know” includes harmonies that the group would develop in their later recordings.

Sunrays, Renegades and Tyrods at the D.E.S. Ballroom in Chino, February 25, 1966

Tyrods Mark 45 Girl Don't Know

Young Californians Flick City 45 Hey GirlAbout the beginning of 1969 the band made a second single, “Hey Girl” / “In a Garden” this time on Flick City. The label changed the band’s name on the single to the Young Californians, but for live shows they continued to use the Tyrods name, as seen on posters opening for the Strawberry Alarm Clock, Giant Crab, and the Sunrays.

Once again Herkie and John Alves wrote both songs. Released in February, 1969 on Flick City FC-3006, the record did not hit, despite a very favorable review from Cash Box on February 22. The band had developed their sound, and both sides are well-made songs.

Young Californians Cash Box Feb. 22, 1969

Adam Sean Music, BMI published both songs. The brothers registered another song with Adam Sean Music in November, 1968, “Everyone Loves a Sunday Morning”, which has not been released to my knowledge.

The litigious side of the record business
David Rolnick owned both Adam Sean Music and Flick City, as well as Take 6, which was known for packaging hits into albums for local radio stations. In 1967, Take 6 had a number of interesting releases by the Nervous Breakdown (Rusty Evans), the Giant Sunflower and others. Rolnick may have started Flick City to distinguish original releases from the repackaged Take 6 product.

A Billboard article from April 1969, shows Rolnick being sued for over $47,700 by Rainbo Record Manufacturing.

I’ve seen mention that Creed Bratton, guitarist with the Grass Roots, was in this group, but I believe that must have been a different Young Californians.

The Tyrods Band opening for the Strawberry Alarm Clock and Giant Crab at Espris Car Club New Years Dance at the Des Hall, December 28, 1968

Young Californians Flick City 45 In a Garden

Buffalo Nickel Dome 45 Hard to Be Without YouIn 1969 they had their last single, this time as Buffalo Nickel on Dome Records 507. The sound is even more polished than the Young Californians single, but this time they didn’t use their original songs.

Tony Powers and George Fischoff wrote “Hard to Be Without You”, and this may be the original version, as copyright registration shows February 1969. The more well-known versions are by the Book of Matches on Bell in June, 1969, and by Joey Powers Flower on RCA in December.

Jack Nitzsche and Greg Dempsey wrote “I Could Be So Good to You”, which was originally done (I think) by Don & the Goodtimes in 1967. Don McGinnis arranged the songs and Kingstreet Productions has a credit on the label.

I believe the group broke up shortly after this release.

Jerry Sagouspe would join Merrell Fankhauser, appearing on a number of albums beginning in the 1990s.

There was a Johnny Alves who was in Manuel & the Renegades with Manuel Rodriguez, Corky Ballinger, Roger Anderson and Mike Le Doux but I don’t believe this is the same person as the John Alves in the Tyrods.

Info & images on the group forwarded to me, originally from Jerry Sagouspe.

Info on Take 6 from Billboard and also Lisa Wheeler’s Radio Use Only.

The Carousel “Girl Maybe You” on It’s a Lemon

Carousel It's a Lemon 45 Girl Maybe YouThe Carousel recorded in Birmingham, Alabama in 1969. Members were:

Carl Williams – lead vocals
Richard Studdard – vocals, keyboards
Ronald Naramore – vocals, guitar
Donny Grace – vocals, bass
Mike Patton – vocals, drums

“Girl Maybe You” and “Gonna Hide My Face” are fast-paced pop originals by Donny Grace. Bob Grove and Unity produced for It’s a Lemon 1002.

Bob Grove ran Prestige Recording Studio in Birmingham, where he had recorded artists for his own Unity Record Company label with its beautiful logo of black and white fists with a dove.

Carousel It's a Lemon 45 Gonna Hide My FaceI know of two releases on Unity, Candy Stanton’s “Now You’ve Got the Upper Hand” / “You Can’t Stop Me” (both written by Bo Fowler and produced by Bob Grove and Richard Dingler), and Underground Euphoria featuring Keisa Brown “What Can I Do About You” / “Let’s Go Back (To Our Little World)”.

The Carousel single came a couple years after these. I assume it was also recorded at Prestige. The Carousel 45 was preceded on the It’s a Lemon label by a hard rock single by The Brood “Virginia Neal” / “The Roach”. The Brood was Dale Aston of the Torquays along with Steve Salord, George Landman and Bobby Marlin.

I suppose there’s another release on It’s a Lemon between the Brood and the Carousel, but so far I haven’t found it.

Anyone have a copy of the It’s a Lemon singles, or a photo of The Brood?

The Coachmen from Memphis, Tennessee

The Coachmen, from left: Sam Brough, Glen Cammack, Tommy Burnett (sitting) and Rick Allen, “backstage at the Mid-South Coliseum after a Sam the Sham & the Pharoahs gig.”
Photo from Ron Hall’s essential “The Memphis Garage Rock Yearbook 1960-1975”

Coachmen Gold Standard 45 I'll Never Leave You

The Coachmen are not well-remembered now, but were a significant band in Memphis in 1965. They played at the premier of Help at the Loews Palace Theatre with the WMPS Good Guys. They had one single on Gold Standard 155, “I’ll Never Leave You” / “Possibility”.

Members were:

Tommy Burnett – vocals
Sam Brough
Glen Cammack
Rick Allen

“I’ll Never Leave You” is good upbeat pop. Copyright registration from August, 1965 shows Larry Hill and Rusty Taylor (as Roland Parker Taylor) as co-writers. Rusty Taylor was vocalist with the Yo-Yo’s (the Swingin’ Yo-Yo’s) and later had two solo singles on the M.O.C. label. The Coachmen single preceded the Yo-Yo’s singles on Goldwax.

“Possibility” is a Stan Vincent composition which had been done by the Crowns on Old Town Records in 1964.

Gold Standard owner Zeke Clements produced, and the labels credit “The Coachmen (from Memphis, Tenn)” and “vocal by Tommy Burnett”.

Rusty Taylor and Larry Hill registered another composition “I Know”, in October, 1965, also with Blazon Music.

The Combustibles “Watch Her” from Bombay, India

Combustibles Polydor 45 Watch HerThe Combustibles came from Bombay, India, and recorded “Watch Her” / “Some Peace of Mind” in 1970. Vocalist Everett Perry wrote both songs. “Watch Her” has vocals and rhythm that reminds me somewhat of the Velvet Underground. The songs saw release as Polydor 2067 020 in 1971.

Members on the single were Everett Perry on lead vocals, brothers George Taylor on bass and Lionel Taylor on lead guitar, Nissim Ezekiel on rhythm, and Bobby Furtado on drums.

The group participated in the Simla Beat contests in 1968 and 1969 and did well, but unfortunately those years did not see LP releases like the ’70 and ’71 contests. I would like to have heard that band at that stage, as the group had a partly different lineup, which included Christopher Valles on lead guitar and Croyden Maben on drums.

The Combustibles have a great website, www.thecombustiblesband.com with lots of photos and information on the band and the Bombay music scene. I highly recommend taking a look.

Thank you to Jörgen Johansson for providing this copy of the single.

Combustibles Polydor 45 Some Peace of Mind

Betty Simpson “Weeping Willow” and “What Is Love” on Zundak

Betty Simpson and the Argos news clipping

Betty Simpson Zundak 45 What Is Love

Betty Simpson wrote both songs on this teen record on the Zundak label out of Alexandria, Louisiana, northwest of Baton Rouge. “What Is Love” is upbeat, while “Weeping Willow” is a ballad, as you’d expect from the title.

Betty was a teenager when she cut this in 1965. She worked with a band called the Argos, who were Billy Spillman (bass), Steve Smith (drums), Robert Rachel and Stan Rachel (both on guitar). They performed at the La Paloma Lounge south of Alexandria, and Betty also appeared at the Louisiana Bandstand TV show.

Photos and info come from the youtube video below, which has a few more news clippings of Betty:

They recorded the single at La Louisianne studios in Lafayette. Zundak was the label for one of my all-time favorite Louisiana garage 45s, “Baby Get Lost” by the Barracudas.

Epic red, blue, green, and yellow vinyl promo 45s – list of singles

Remains Epic 45 Diddy Wah DiddyRedA list of red vinyl, promotional 45 rpm singles on the Epic label from 1962-1966.

Followed by other colored vinyl: blue, green, yellow.

Unlike colored vinyl on Columbia (see previous post), only about half of these have the same song on both sides.

Any additions or corrections would be appreciated.

Red vinyl:

5-9509 – Bobby Vinton ‎- “Roses Are Red (My Love)” / “You and I ”
5-9561- Bobby Vinton ‎- “Trouble Is My Middle Name” / “Let’s Kiss and Make Up”
5-9632 – Bobby Vinton ‎- “O Holy Night” / “The Christmas Song” (Canada only)
JZSP 76370 (other releases on 5-9640) – Linda Brannon – “Don’t Cross Over (to My Side of the Street)” / JZSP 76387 (other releases on 5-9643) – Kerri Downs – “4,003,221 Tears from Now”
5-9705 – Bobby Vinton ‎- “Clinging Vine”
5-9730 – Bobby Vinton ‎- “Mr. Lonely”
5-9741 – Bobby Vinton ‎- “Dearest Santa” / “Mr. Lonely”
5-9863 – Dave Clark Five ‎- “Over and Over”
5-9869 – Bobby Vinton – “Satin Pillows”
5-9877 – Joe Sherman and the Arena Brass – “Feeling Good”
5-10001 – The Remains – “Diddy Wah Diddy”
5-10025 – David Houston – “Almost Persuaded”
5-10045 – Donovan ‎- “Sunshine Superman” / “The Trip”
5-10110 – Keith Relf ‎- “Shapes in My Mind”
5-10134 – Tammy Wynette ‎- “Your Good Girl’s Gonna Go Bad”
5-10180 – The Hollies – “Carrie-Anne” / 5-10184 – The Tremeloes ‎- “Silence Is Golden”

Goldberg-Miller Blues Band 45 The Mother SongBlue vinyl:

5-9593 – Bobby Vinton ‎– “Blue on Blue” / “Those Little Things ”
9-9865 – The Goldberg-Miller Blues Band – “The Mother Song” / “More Soul, Than Soulful”

Green vinyl:

5-9631 – Bobby Vinton ‎- “White Christmas” / “Silver Bells” (Canada only)

Yellow vinyl:

JZSP 79537 (b-side released on 5-9821) – Damita Jo – “Love Is Here to Stay” / “Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out” (possibly green vinyl too)
5-9885 – Nancy Ames ‎- “Friends and Lovers Forever” / “Dear Hearts and Gentle People” (JZSP 112662)
JZSP 113610 (other releases on 5-10032) – Jane Morgan ‎- “1-2-3” / “Kiss Away”
5-10061 – Damita Jo ‎- “If You Go Away”
5-10162 – The Marmalade ‎- “Can’t Stop Now”

Columbia red vinyl promo 45s – list of singles

Byrds Columbia 45 Turn Turn Turn WLP red vinylA list of red vinyl, promotional 45 rpm singles on the Columbia label from 1962-1966.

Followed by other colored vinyl: purple, blue, green, yellow, orange.

Almost all of these have the same song on both sides, but there are a few exceptions (two by Tony Bennett, promo-only singles by Steve Lawrence and Robert Horton, and Dylan’s “Like a Rolling Stone” which is separated into parts I and II).

For a list of colored vinyl on Epic, see the following post.

Any additions or corrections would be appreciated.

Red vinyl:

4-42417 – Jerry Reed & the Hully Girlies – “Goodnight Irene” (July, 1962)
4-42582 – Johnny Mathis – “Gina”
4-42592 – The New Christy Minstrels – “This Land Is Your Land”
4-42593 – Carl Butler – “Don’t Let Me Cross Over”
4-42601 – Steve Lawrence – “Go Away Little Girl”
4-42606 – Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs – “The Ballad of Jed Clampett”
4-42661 – Eydie Gormé – “Blame it on the Bossa Nova”
JZSP 58841 (other versions use 4-42662) – Dion – “Ruby Baby”
4-42666 – Johnny Mathis – “What Will My Mary Say”
4-42699 – Steve Lawrence – “Don’t Be Afraid Little Darlin’”
4-42674 – Andy Williams – “Can’t Get Used to Losing You”
4-42776 – Dion – “This Little Girl”
4-42779 – Tony Bennett – “The Good Life” / “Spring in Manhattan”
4-42788 – Johnny Cash – “Ring of Fire”
4-42791 – Patti Page – “Say Wonderful Things”
4-42815 – Steve & Eydie – “I Want to Stay Here”
4-42827 – Ray Price – “Make The World Go Away”
4-42852 – Dion Di Muci – “Donna the Prima Donna”
4-42865 – Steve Lawrence – “Walking Proud”
4-42880 – Johnny Cash – “The Matador”
4-42888 – The Brothers Four – “The John B. Sails” (Canada only)
4-42950 – Andy Williams – “A Fool Never Learns”
4-42964 – Johnny Cash – “Understand Your Man”
4-42996 – Tony Bennett – “When Joanna Loved Me”
4-43035 – Rip Chords – “Three Window Coupe”
4-43037 – Anita Bryant – “The World of Lonely People”
4-43045 – Rene & Rene – “Angelito”
4-43067 – Linda Hall – “Hugo”
4-43082 – Eydie Gormé – “I Want You to Meet My Baby”
4-43113 – Aretha Franklin – “Runnin’ Out of Fools”
4-43120 – Billy Walker – “Cross the Brazos at Waco”
4-43128 – Andy Williams – “On the Street Where You Live”
4-43131 – Robert Goulet – “My Love, Forgive Me (Amore, Scusami)”
4-43141 – Tony Bennett – “Who Can I Turn To” / “If I Ruled the World”
4-43145 – Johnny Cash – “It Ain’t Me, Babe”
4-43171 – Mongo Santamaria – “El Pussy Cat”
4-43242 – Bob Dylan – “Subterranean Homesick Blues”
4-43271 – The Byrds – “Mr. Tambourine Man”
4-43277 – Chad and Jeremy – “Before and After”
4-43301 – Robert Goulet – “Summer Sounds”
4-43305 – Billy Joe Royal – “Down in the Boondocks”
4-43315 – Statler Brothers – “Flowers on the Wall”
4-43332 – The Byrds – “All I Really Want to Do”
JZSP 110939 / JZSP 110940 – Bob Dylan – “Like a Rolling Stone” (Part I b/w Part II) – there is also a black styrene of Part I b/w Part II using the JZSP matrix #s on the white promo labels, but other promo and stock US versions use catalog # 4-43346 and have the full six minute version on A-side, with “Gates of Eden” on flip.
4-43351 – The Liverpool Set – “Must I Tell You (I Love You)” (Canada only)
4-43375 – Paul Revere & the Raiders – “Steppin’ Out”
4-43389 – Bob Dylan – “Positively 4th Street”
4-43390 – Billy Joe Royal – “I Knew You When”
4-43396 – Simon & Garfunkel – “The Sounds of Silence”
4-43424 – The Byrds – “Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is a Season)”
4-43437 – Pozo-Seco Singers – “Time”
4-43461 – Paul Revere & the Raiders – “Just Like Me”
4-43465 – Billy Joe Royal – “I’ve Got to Be Somebody”
4-43469 – Barbra Streisand – “Second Hand Rose”
4-43556 – Paul Revere & the Raiders – “Kicks”
4-43589 – The Cyrkle – “Red Rubber Ball”
4-43592 – Bob Dylan – “Rainy Day Women #12 & 35”
4-43595 – Susan Christie – “I Love Onions”
4-43617 – Simon & Garfunkel – “I Am a Rock”
4-43626 – Ray Conniff and the Singers – “Somewhere, My Love”
4-43648 – Tim Rose – “Hey Joe (You Shot Your Woman Down)”
4-43660 – Eydie Gormé – “If He Walked into My Life”
4-43673 – Johnny Cash – “Everybody Loves a Nut”
Paul Revere and the RaidersColumbia 45 Hungry red vinyl4-43678 – Paul Revere & the Raiders – “Hungry”
4-43728 – Simon & Garfunkel – “The Dangling Conversation”
4-43729 – The Cyrkle – “Turn-Down Day”
4-43774 – Jerry Vale – “Dommage, Dommage (Too Bad, Too Bad)”
4-43784 – Pozo-Seco Singers – “I Can Make it With You”
4-43792 – Bob Dylan – “Just Like a Woman”
4-43794 – Patti Page – “Almost Persuaded”
4-43907 – Paul Revere & the Raiders – “Good Thing”

JZSP 78856 / JZSP 78857 (no stock or other promo copies)- Steve Lawrence – “Bluesette / People”

————
Other 1960s colored vinyl Columbia 45s:

Purple vinyl:

4-42952 – Steve Lawrence – “Room Without Windows”
4-42965 – Barbra Streisand – “People”
4-43225 – Eydie Gormé – “Do I Hear a Waltz?”

Blue vinyl:

4-42810 – Dion – “Be Careful of Stones that You Throw”
4-42812 – Rip Chords – “Gone”
4-42924 – Lefty Frizzell – “Saginaw, Michigan”
4-42967 – Ray Conniff and his Orchestra And Chorus – “Honeycomb” / “Blue Moon”
4-43138 – Randy Sparks – “Julie Knows”
4-43248 – Barbra Streisand – “Why Did I Choose You”

Green vinyl:

4-42932 – Steve & Eydie – “I Can’t Stop Talking About You”
4-42805 – The New Christy Minstrels – “Green, Green”
4-43000 – The New Christy Minstrels – “Today”
4-43167 – Mel Torme – “Ev’ry Day’s a Holiday” / “One Little Snowflake”
4-43448 – Ray Conniff and the Singers – “The Real Meaning of Christmas”

Yellow vinyl:

4-42784 – Andy Williams – “Hopeless”
4-42921 – Rip Chords – Hey Little Cobra”
4-43015 – Andy Williams – Wrong For Each Other”
4-43215 – The New Christy Minstrels – Chim, Chim, Cheree”
4-43257 – Andy Williams – “‘…. And Roses and Roses'” / “Red Roses For A Blue Lady”
4-43431 – Tony Bennett – “Love Theme From ‘The Sandpiper’ (The Shadow Of Your Smile)”
JZSP 117536/7 – Lotte Lenya, Jack Gilford – “It Couldn’t Please Me More” / “Married”

Orange vinyl:

4-43954 – Tony Bennett – “What Makes It Happen”
JZSP 78864 / JZSP 78865 – Robert Horton – “The Very Thought of You” / “Hey There”

Black vinyl promos with same song on both sides:

4-42928 – Guitar Ramblers – “Surf Beat”
4-42971 – Ray Price – “That’s All that Matters”
4-43302 – Eydie Gorme – “Where Are You Now”
4-43666 – Black Sheep – “It’s My Mind”
4-43903 – Gene Clark – “Echoes”

The last single-sided colored vinyl release I have found is 4-43907 – Paul Revere & the Raiders – “Good Thing”

The Twilighters “Spellbound” on Red Flame Records

Twilighters Red Flame 45 SpellboundThe Twilighters came from Kirksville, Missouri, a small city about 165 miles from Kansas City and 200 miles from St. Louis. In 1967 they cut two originals, “Spellbound” / “My Little Angel” at Technisonic Studios in St. Louis.

“Spellbound” is a fast-paced rocker, driven by Dave Daniels’s fantastic drumming. There’s a great guitar break and a double-time ending, and it’s over in less than two minutes.

The chant of “Spellbound” has a distinctive sound that may come from some other song but if so, I can’t think of it. It reminds me of a later cut, Steve Miller Band’s “Living in the U.S.A.” where the group chants “Stand Back”. I’d be interested if anyone has heard something very similar in another song from the era.

The B-side, “My Little Angel” is a ballad with fine vocals, and good recording production.

Released on Red Flame Records 45-1005, the labels show a 1966 copyright date, but the U4KM indicates a pressing date in the first half of 1967.

The Twilighters, from left: Everett Cassidy, Gary Blurton, David Daniels on drums, Bob Harbur, and Randy Elmore. Photo courtesy of David Daniels.

David Daniels wrote to me:

The Twilighters band began in 1963 with Gary Blurton (rhythm guitar and vocals), David Daniels (drums), Everett Cassidy (bass), and Bob Harbur (lead guitar). Randy Elmore joined the band in 1964 because Gary was leaving to join the National Guard and the band would be needing a lead vocalist. Randy played lead guitar as well.

Eventually Bob moved to the St Louis area and Everett also moved away from the Kirksville area. At that point Richard Hudson, also a local boy and friend of Randy and David, came on to play rhythm guitar.

The Twilighters, from left: Everett Cassidy on bass, Randy Elmore on guitar, David Daniels with drumsticks, and Gary Blurton, guitar. Photo courtesy of David Daniels.

This configuration of The Twilighters (Randy, David, and Richard) placed an ad in the local paper seeking a keyboard player, to which Carl Foultz responded and that was the group that made the record “Spellbound” / “My Little Angel”. Carl Foultz was the song writer and organ player, and the bass was covered by the bass pedals on the organ.

Randy Elmore – lead guitar and lead vocal
Richard Hudson – rhythm guitar
Carl Foultz – organ (and bass pedals)
David Daniels – drums (background vocals for “My Little Angel”)

There were no headphones to monitor in the recording room and “Spellbound” was recorded in one live take. The band could not hear the vocal work at all until listening to the playback in the control room. Likewise for “My Little Angel.” It was the first recording the band had made and their first experience in a recording studio.

Randy, Richard, and David were local boys, born and raised in the Kirksville area. Carl was from Pennsylvania and came to Kirksville to attend university at Northeast Missouri Teachers College (now Truman State University).

The band members changed off and on over subsequent years with a total of about 20 different players having done some time with The Twilighters during their run (1963 – 1971).

Randy and David continued to play in many other bands in the NE Missouri area from 1971 – 2011, often times together, other times not, under the names: Country Flavor, Fox, Survival, Loose Louie, Twilighter’s Rockin’ Reunion, BJ Allen Band, and Blue Voodoo.

These photos are of the original players. There are no pics with Richard or Carl, so neither of these are the exact group of players that were on the recording.

David went on to buy Circle M Music in Kirksville in 1974 and operated the music store and built his own recording studio where he recorded many local musicians and vocal groups. David mentored many young kids over the years, sharing his love of music and recording. He retired in 2014 after serving the NE Missouri music community for 42 years. As an honor to his Grandpa David, Black Daniels & The Bears did a cover of “Spellbound” live at David’s retirement party in 2014, the 3rd generation of musicians in the Daniels family, carrying on the tradition.

Randy retired from SW Bell and now lives in Columbia, MO.

Richard did not continue with music but went on to other employment, was a private business owner, and has retired to Lake of the Ozarks.

Carl graduated from NE Missouri Teachers College and moved away, the other band members having lost touch with him.

Gary is retired from local employment in the Kirksville area.

Bob and Everett are now both deceased.

Dick Lawrence (deceased) was owner of Red Flame Records and was an avid music promoter throughout the NE Missouri area his entire life.

Twilighters Red Flame 45 My Little AngelCarl Foultz was also a member of an r&b group called the Del-Fis or Del-Phis with Ed Corte, Frank Gantt, T.J. Jackson, Mac Pendelton, Nick Romanetz and Gary Smyth, some of whom were students at Northeast Missouri State Teachers College (now known as Truman State University).

After Carl Foultz left the Twilighters, Bill Daniels joined on guitar and Ray Beets on bass, as Ray states in his comment below.

Bob Harbur moved to St. Charles, just outside of St. Louis, where he formed a new band called the Twilighters with his brother John.

Dick Lowrance owned Red Flame Records which released three singles by the group he was a member of, the Red Blazers, usually with Ike Haley as leader.

In 1966 Lowrance released a single by Friar Tuck and the Merrymen’s “Peanut Butter” / “Try Me” (Mike Barger) on his Sherwood Forest Records subsidiary. That band may have been from western Illinois though I’m not sure which town. I’ve found newspaper ads for a “new Friar Tuck and the Merrymen” playing at the Wayside Inn in Moberly, Missouri, about an hour south of Kirksville; not sure if this is the same group.

Sources: A research paper by Dylan Pyles has more info and a couple small photos of the group: download the Word doc, and Sweatshirts and Rock ‘n’ Roll by Nicholas Romanetz in the Truman Review.