Ken Taylor gave me the history and photos of his first group, Mike and the Dimensions, also known as the simply the Dimensions, or the Fabulous Dimensions:
I was blown away to listen to “Little Latin Lupe Lu”. I haven’t heard it in 45 years! That is me singing and playing drums. We recorded it in one take with everyone playing live. No overdubs in those days! The guitars are horribly out of tune!
We recorded it at Frederick’s music store in Goldsboro before Doug [Farwig] joined the group. We only had 500 copies pressed and gave away most of those. We did manage to sell a few and they played it a few times on the local radio station WGBR.
We were called Mike and the Dimensions then and had a guy named Mike Malloney [Malonee] on guitar. The song “Why” was actually written by Mike with input from the rest of the band. Mike was moody and hard to work with. We replaced him with Doug after Mike broke a friend’s guitar at rehearsal one day.
Doug had been playing with another group called the Cobras at the time. They were more of a “surf” band and we were more “beach music” and R&B. We opened the first rock club in the area in an old abandoned county jail and called it “the Bastille”. I was still in high school at the time and we had studied Bastille Day which is where we got the name. We were the house band and also booked all the top Beach music groups to play there. The Embers performed there many times. We were just kids and had our own club! Pretty amazing at the time!
Doug Farwig’s Dad was our manager. He was so cool, he loaned us the money ($200.00) to buy our ’51 Cadillac hearse which was a party on wheels!
We used to go see the Counts IV at the teen club on Seymour Johnson Air Force base and wanted to be just like them. They wore black turtle neck shirts, tight jeans and Beatle boots and we thought they were the coolest thing we had ever seen! We started to play more rock and would go to their rehearsals to learn from them. I was the drummer and Chico taught me a lot!
We got Doug in the band and had a guy named Bill Stroud from a band called “The Spectaculars” on piano for a while. He was one of the most talented musicians I’ve ever known but … he would show up late or sometimes not at all so we had to let him go too.
We hired a local singer named Scotty Todd and started getting real popular, playing fraternity parties and other venues across the state. Meanwhile, Joe Booher quit the Counts IV and they broke up. Al and Chico went back to N.Y. We hooked up with Don Roof who had a bunch of gigs already booked to form the new Counts IV which later became the Inexpensive Handmade Look.
Ken Taylor
Click here for more on the Count IV and their later incarnation as the Inexpensive Handmade Look.
Thanks to Debbie Daniels for correcting the ID of the top photo above with David Kitts’ name.
I like the photo. Great 45 too.
I remember the Dimensions well. Ken Taylor grew up in the same church as my family and Jim Phifer lived on the same street. I remember them practicing under the carport at Jim’s house and all the neigbors young and old bringing lawn chairs to sit and listen. The day they showed up with the ’51 Cadillac hearse at Jim Phifer’s house we initially thought Jim’s dad had passed away. Forturnately, Mr. Phifer was very much alive and kicking.
A couple of years ago I struck up a conversation with a talented singer/guitar player at a club in North Scottsdale, Arizona. We did not know each other. Turns out it was Ken Taylor. Ken is a top musician in Scottsdale/Phoenix. He combines a soulful voice with some very serious guitar work. My wife and I catch him whenever we are in the area.
OMG I just stumbled upon this page while looking to see if my Daddy’s old record just “happened” to be on youtube…. This is great; I just showed my Daddy, Foster Braswell the bass player, this page and he is so happy now….I have copies of this record and used to play it all the time as a kid…He is interested in the other members and where they may be… Thank you so much for this important part of history in my family..
I just found this site yesterday and could not believe it.Foster Braswell is an old friend of mine. I hope we can reconnect. I hope we can find the other guys.John Kitts
Was this your copy of the record?
http://poppacool.blogspot.com/search/label/Mike%20And%20The%20Dimensions
And who is Bill?
I was married to Foster during this time and what an adventure it was…especially in the hearse…
Wow, what a flood of memories these pictures bring. Foster Braswell is my brother. I remember the band rehearsing inside our house at Seymour Johnson. I was only 8 or 9 at the time. My brother was a star!! Well, he still is, his baby sister thinks. I appreciate the time someone put into this research.
Just talking with Mike Malonee from when I knew Him when we attended Goldsboro High, Goldsboro, NC. and played with The Chosen Few. We were writing back and forth about our high school years and he led to this site to see The Counts 1V who were from that area as well. Didn`t find Counts but scrolled and came across the band Mike joined after Graduation in 68. Just thinking about old times.
I am posting this for my daddy Foster Braswell. If there are any band members out there and you would like to pass a word or a message please let me know. My daddy would love to know how you all are. He sends his best.
If you have anymore pictures to share please do. I am trying to put a memory albums together for him and would love more to add. Thank you again for this wonderful memory!!
I did it over so it would be right in
I hope Ken Taylor hears from me phifer
I worked at WGBR while stationed at Seymour Johnson in ’65-’68. Booked Sam the Sham and the Pharoahs into the base theater. Had a local group..”The Chosen Few” open for them. Anybody know what happened to those guys??
I was shared an apartment in 65-66 with Foster and Scotty. Still in touch with Doug. Wasn’t in the band but traveled with them a lot – in the hearse. Great days. Saw Ken in Scottsdale about 10 years ago, 2014?
Great days. College campuses and the beach mostly. Remember the Counts IV well too. Especially a trip to UVA.