The Velvet Haze came from Alexandria, Virginia. The band started out as the Arratics in 1965. Members were Jim Jost vocals, Mike Mullins guitar, Ron Collins guitar, Dave Padgett bass and Steve Larrick drums. In 1966 they changed their name to the Velvet Haze.
The next year they had a major lineup change. Rhythm guitarist Roger Bullock told me that “Mike Mullins started the Velvet Haze and I joined in what could be termed phase II, i.e., Mike Mullins and Jim Jost remained from the original band, and Art Meushaw, Tom Futch and I joined the band — and a short time later we added Butch Martinez as a second vocalist.”
The Haze were known for playing some rough venues and it shows up in the heavy, scuzzy sound of their only 45, from 1968. The gem is the insane psychedelia of “Last Day on Earth”, an original by Mullins & Marty “Butch” Martinez. A drill-to-the-skull fuzz riff, garbled vocals, sharp solo and a cool drum break by Tom Futch, who is thrashing away throughout the song. The other side is a straight blues, “Bad Women”, written by Bullock and Martinez.
Members on the recording were:
Marty “Butch” Martinez – vocals
Jim Jost – vocals
Mike Mullins – lead guitar
Roger Bullock – guitar
Art Meushaw – bass
Tom Futch – drums
Roger Bullock commented below in detail about “Last Day on Earth”, so I’ll repeat some of his comments here:
Mike Mullins wrote and played the lead guitar riff. “Last Day on Earth” was literally composed in Tom Futch’s garage.
Mike Mullins was playing a Gibson ES-335 through a Fender Super Reverb and standard, off-the-shelf, Maestro “Fuzz-Tone”. I played rhythm also using a Gibson ES-335, but played through a Fender Band-Master amp. Art Meushaw played a Gibson EB-0 Bass through a Fender Bassman amp.
The label has producer James Wilson’s Lorton, VA address. I’ve read that this was recorded at Wilson’s home studio in Mount Rainier, MD, however Roger Bullock remembers it differently:
The recording was done at the Roy D. Homer studios in Clinton, Maryland. Roy was a superb engineer in all respects with top end gear. James Wilson, our producer arranged the recording sessions. James was a disc jockey on WPIK/WXRA country radio station from Alexandria, Virginia. We provided the music for his cover release [as James Wilson & the Lorton Boys] of Joe South’s “The Games People Play” b/w the traditional “Worried Man Blues”.
Sometime after the single, Rick Stone took over as drummer until the band broke up in 1971. They reunited around 1975 for a show with Rick Stone on drums, at a local Alexandria, VA community center. Recordings of “Grizzly Bear” and “Let It Be Me” come from that show.
Several members continued in music in various combos right up to today. They had a website at velvethaze.com, but that is now defunct.
Thank you to Mike Mullins for sending in the photo at the top of the page.
Does anyone have photos of the group or one of their posters?
