The Majestic Five have this one obscure single on Santa Records out of Phoenix, Arizona in 1965.

The A-side, “Jerk Like Me” is a cover of Rudy Gonzalez & the Reno Bops “Do the Jerk Like Me”. The drummer lays down a rock-solid beat up front in the recording, while the rest of the group sounds somewhat distant. The singer does a good job but the record has a sparse sound.

The flip is a ballad, “Queen of Fools” written by Saenz and Escobedo who were members of the Majestic Five. Santa Records was located at 506 W. Cocopah in Phoenix, I haven’t seen any other releases on this label.

According to a comment below by Joseph Saenz, members included:

Albert Escobedo – guitar
Benny Dimas – rhythm guitar
Joe Saenz – keyboards
Arturo Borquez – bass
Albert Rodriguez – drums
Jerry Cruz – vocalist

Benny Dimas was the older brother of Eddie Dimas of Eddy and the Upsets.

In June of ’65 I find several ads for their week-long engagements as the Majestics 5 at the Can Can on 3rd St. and E. Roosevelt in Phoenix and then in September at the Grand Canyon Bar and Lounge at 119 4th NW at Copper in Albuquerque, but no mentions of the group after that. Joseph Saenz explains in a comment below that the group relocated to Los Angeles for a number of years.

Tedd Thomey’s In Person column from the Long Beach Independent / Press-Telegram on June 27, 1968 profiled the Majestic 4 during their time in California:

… the best-liked band ever to appear at the Purple Bunny, 11311 Imperial Highway, Norwalk …

The Majestic 4 are lead guitarist Albert Cardoza, 25, born near Albuquerque, N.M.; bass guitarist Arthur Borquez, 23, of Nogalez, Ariz.; drummer Albert Rodriguez, 23, of Tamalpais, Mexico, and organist Joe Saenz, of Globe, Ariz.

By the time they were teen-agers, the two Alberts, Arthur and Joe were all living in Phoenix …

In 1965, a “battle of the bands” was held at the Phoenix fairgrounds featuring Sonny and Cher. Thirty-five bands, amateurs and pros, competed for prizes, including an electronic organ. The Majestic 5 decided to enter, hoping to win the organ for one of their singers, Joe, who lacked an instrument. During the contest, they played their theme song, “Hello, Everybody,” which they wrote …

When the judges announced that they had won, the boys were so astounded and overjoyed that they could hardly speak. They had their choice of the organ or a recording contract with VeeJay Records. They chose the organ. It was a good decision, because the recording company decided to sign them anyway. Through no fault of the band’s, the recording deal later fell through, largely because of legal complications.

… Then the group decided to come to California. They dropped one musician … and changed their name to the Majestic 4.

Joe, their spokesman, walked up to Stan Rossi, owner of the Purple Bunny, handed him the band’s business card and asked politely: “Sir, we’d like to play for you tonight while your regular band is on its rest break.” Rossi agreed. The Majestic 4 made such a hit with the crowd that Rossi hired them on the spot. They started work three weeks later and stayed eight months. Last April, after playing at clubs in Nevada and elsewhere in California, they returned for another smash engagement at the Bunny.

… Their star singer, Mary Lee Whitney, is another natural …

Born in Portland, Ore., she sang for seven years with a Baptist Church choir … She was the seventh of the nine children in her family. An older brother, Jimmy, a singer who had his own band, inspired her to become a professional.

She became so good that a church friend, Henry Moore, asked her to join his professional group, the Harlequins. She came to California with them in 1966 and sang with them at the Purple Bunny and elsewhere.

Mary Lee Whitney released one 45 in 1966 on Loma 2044, “Don’t Come a’Knockin'” (produced and arranged by Bobby Paris with Doug Best, supervised by Russ Regan) / “This Could Have Been Mine” (produced by Larry Shayne).

As Mary Lee Whitney Evans, she sang backing vocals to three Stevie Wonder songs on Songs in the Key of Life and Hotter than July.

Thank you to Francisco Candia for sending me the clippings of the Majestic Four’s time in California.