The Tikis and the Talismen had bassist and song writer Bill Schereck in common. Both bands formed at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, first the Tikis in the spring of 1965, then the Talismen in the fall of 1966.
The Tikis included Hugh Pearl on lead guitar, Bill Schereck on bass, Dale Dechstein (or is it Dale Chiusano?) on rhythm guitar and Bob Brethorst on drums.
They cut their great “We’re on the Move” / “Rick-O-Shay” at Cuca in Sauk City in April, 1966, released on Sara J-6641.
Bill Schereck wrote “We’re on the Move” (misspelled Scherek on the label), and Hugh Pearl wrote the deft instrumental “Rick-O-Shay”. The Tikis toured in the summer of ’66 then broke up. Supposedly there’s an unreleased recording engineered by the Legends Sam McCue.
The Talismen (formerly the Tikis) at the Westside Business Man’s Association, Friday September 23, 1966
Bill Schereck formed the Talismen with Paul Beneke on guitar, John Javorsky on bass and Russ Loniello on drums. They released their only record, “Glitter and Gold” / “She Belongs to Me” on Rampro Records R-115 in October 1966.
I believe this may be the first release on Ken Adamany’s Rampro label out of Janesville (and is possibly an extension of the numbering on his Feature Records). Dick Campbell produced the session and also played guitar. Russ joined group only a few days before making the record.
Schereck went on to booking, managing Axis (with members Ann Probert, Steve Paris, Gary Huebing, Don Davis and John Beth), writing the B-side of their single on Earth “I Can’t Wait”. Schereck would make a record as the Roadcrew on Mercury 73631 in 1975.
Sources: Gary E. Myers’ invaluable books Do You Hear That Beat and On That Wisconsin Beat.
“Voyagers Greet Nixon and Schadeberg”, from left: Jay Sieger, Lance Davenport and Marc Peterson. Photo courtesy of Eddy Hauser.
The Voyagers came from Racine, Wisconsin, cutting two 45s for the Feature Records label out of Janesville.
The band first recorded as a quintet with:
Mark Peterson – vocals Jay Sieger – lead guitar Ed Hauser – rhythm guitar Lance Davenport – bass Steve Porter – drums
Their first 45 was the excellent “Away” backed with “I’m So Lonely”, both songs written by Sieger and Davenport, from August 1966 on Feature Records 817R-111, an RCA custom press. Spad Music would publish all their original songs.
The band met Richard Nixon at a political rally in October, 1966, and another photo from this event ran in Newsweek on October 10, 1966, with the caption “Nixon stumping Wisconsin: Always a gracious thank you for the band” (tip of the hat to Chas G.).
Voyagers appearing weekly at the Racine YMCA, with special shows by the Delights, Five Emprees, Crying Shames, and Buckinghams. Poster photo courtesy of Eddy Hauser.
By the time of their second single, in 1967, Marc Peterson and Ed Hauser had left, replaced by Joey Carrion (Tino Gonzales) on lead vocals and rhythm guitar. This lineup recorded two more originals, “Can’t Save This Heart” by Sieger / Davenport, and “I Want You Back” by Carrion. It was released as Feature Records F-101, and produced by RAM Prod. After the single, Jay Sieger left and was replaced on lead guitar by Bob Spock.
Steve Sperry in Chicago, 1966Voyagers photo, with Ed Hauser on Gibson Firebird (photo courtesy of Eddy Hauser)
Arthur Sullivan sent me Stephen Sperry’s photo and business card, and wrote to me with some information:
This group, The Voyagers was produced by Steve Sperry who operated Ram Productions during the 1960s. This group was probably managed for bookings by Ken Adamany who lived in Janesville during that time. Steve lived in Janesville WI and also managed Dick Campbell of Monroe WI for a while. I don’t know where it was recorded but it has a very good clean sound. There was Leaf Studio in Janesville or Cuca at Sauk City.
Stephen Sperry & Ram Productions card, Janesville
Steve Sperry had an early 45 on Cuca J-1008 “That Ain’t So” / “Our Summer Love” before starting Ram Productions artist management and the Rampro label.
Arthur Sullivan had his own release on Swan Records S-4153 as Artie Sullivan with the Rhythm Beats – “It’s Time” / “Suzanne”, and produced singles with vocalist Dick Campbell on Camsul Records out of Worcester, MA (The Wild Ones “Surfin’ Time Again” for example), and CineVista Records out of Monroe, Wisconsin, among many others.
Thank you to Eddy Hauser for some of the photos in this article.
Sources: Gary E. MyersCan You Hear That Beat and On That Wisconsin Beat, and 45 cat
The Converts were seminary students, I believe at the Holy Name Seminary in Madison, Wisconsin, though two sources (Lost and Found & Teen Beat Mayhem) give Beloit, Wisconsin as their base. Beloit is a town of 35,000 just across the Illinois state line, just south of Janesville where Ken Adamany ran the Rampro and Feature labels, and an hour southeast of Madison.
According to Gary E. Myers’ On That Wisconsin Beat, the band consisted of Bob Henneman (lead guitar); Duane Millard (guitar, keyboard and bass); Charles Millard (bass and guitar), replaced by Terry Johnson (bass); and Robert Fixmer on drums. Gary writes “None of the converts joined the ministry”!
In early 1967 the band released their only 45, the ballad “A Guy Without a Girl”. Listeners these days prefer the b-side, the excellent “Don’t Leave Me”. Hear it on Teenage Shutdown Vol. 15, She’s a Pest. The singer tries to convince his girl not to go by saying she’s “not so hot”, and threatening she’ll never “get another man” or “hold another hand”. Both songs were written by Fixmer & Hanneman for Spad Music, BMI.
Rob Fixmer played percussion with Jim Spencer for his albums previous to the Major Arcana LP, Landscape (1973, on Thoth) and 2nd Look (1974, on Akashic). Fixmer became a journalist whose credits include publishing an interesting interview with Frank Zappa in Milwaukee’s alternative newspaper, the Bugle American.
Terry Johnson was in the Southbound Band, who released an LP in 1985.
The Inpirations, from left: Mike Murphy, Keith Newell, Bruce Jensen, Kenny Newell and Dennis Milby
Updated February 2011 with info from comments below and Gary E. Myers book On That Wisconsin Beat
The original lineup of the Inspirations included Keith Newell on guitar, his identical twin Ken Newell on bass, Dennis Milby on drums and Michael Murphy on keyboards. The band was from Rock Falls and Sterling, Illinois, two hours drive west of Chicago.
Bruce Jensen joined on guitar by the time of their 45 on the Feature label. At some point the Newell brothers left the band and Don Dowd came in on bass.
Both songs on their August, 1966 single were written by Jensen and Murphy, with (I believe) Murphy singing lead vocals. “That Girl” has a brittle guitar sound and a loping bass line, with good lead and backing vocals. The organ takes a fine, trebly solo before the last chorus. “Baby Please Come Home” has a moodier sound that works well.
This is possibly the Inspirations without the Newell brothers. Top left is Keith Pratt and bottom right with drum sticks is Steve King. Any help identifying the other members would be appreciated.
Feature Records was owned by Ken Adamany, a legend in the Madison area. Janesville, Wisconsin is about 25 miles southeast of Madison, just short of the Illinois border. Adamany also ran Rampro Records, then became a major promoter of bands in lower Wisconsin and owner of the Factory club in Madison, but he’s best known now as the first manager of Cheap Trick. In an interview with the band back in the 70’s, Rolling Stone described him as “the son of Lebanese immigrants …. a slight, swarthy fellow … with the cool, disinterested air of a camel trader.” Nice profiling RS!
Ken had himself played in a band callled the Nigh Tranes who had one release, “Hangover” (aka “Swamp Fever” / “Rockin’ Abe” on Cuca. That band included Boz Scaggs, Tim Davis, Ben Sidran and Steve Miller in later lineups (as the Ardells?).
The 13th Precinct from left: Mike Murphy, Bruce Jensen, Down Dowd and Tom Kurtz
Image from The Meadow site.In 1967 the group changed it’s name to the 13th Precinct, with a lineup of Mike Murphy, Bruce Jensen, Don Dowd and Dennis Milby, and cut some demos in Chicago.
Gary Myers wrote in On That Wisconsin Beat, “These caught the ear of New York producer Paul Tannen who took them to Nashville for sessions that resulted in the TRX release [“Junk Yard” / “You Gotta Be Mine”, January, 1968]. The 13th Precinct worked often in Oshkosh and Appleton, and as the house band at The Barn outside Sterling. Drummer Dennis Milby was forced to leave with an injury shortly before the band appeared on ABC-TV’s Happening ’68 with Paul Revere & the Raiders in Los Angeles.”
Michael Bryan Murphy left the band in 1969 to join the One-Eyed Jacks in Champaign, Illinois, and then went on to sang with REO Speedwagon on their third, fourth and fifth albums.
Tom Kurtz replaced Dennis Milby on drums, and then Tim Dowd joined on guitar and vocals as the 13th Precinct continued into the 1970s.
Thank you to Kevin McLaughlin for the top photo and to Heidi Dowd for the second photo.
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
Bill Schereck formed the Talismen with Paul Beneke on guitar, John Javorsky on bass and Russ Loniello on drums.
