The Unit 4, from left: Ian Gomm, Martin Davis and Frank Kennington
Frank Kennington – lead vocals Ian Gomm – rhythm guitar/lead guitar and vocals Martin Davis – bass Simon Behar – drums
+ Mick Liber – lead guitar
Ian Gomm
The band started around 1962/1963 and was formed by Ian Gomm, Martin Davis and Simon Behar, who were all pupils at Ealing County School for Boys (another student was Lee Brilleaux who later formed Dr Feelgood).
Soon after forming, Frank Kennington, who was older than the others, joined as lead singer and they became Unit 4 (not to be confused with the Unit 4 + 2).
One of the bands Unit 4 opened for around 1963 was Del Angelo & The Detours, which included singer Del Angelo, lead guitarist Roger Daltry, rhythm guitarist Pete Townshend and bass player/horn player John Entwistle. The latter three went on to become The High Numbers and more famously, The Who.
Kennington became a close friend of The Who and would work with that band in later years. Mick Liber, who was playing with Frankie Reid & The Casuals and (and previously) Clay Alison & The Searchers (Ed. Liber had been taught feedback by Pete Townshend), guested with Unit 4 from the summer of 1964.
Simon Behar and Frank KenningtonFrank Kennington
Around October 1964, Kennington left England and moved to Sydney, Australia, and Unit 4 broke up.
Liber subsequently re-joined Frank Kennington in Sydney on 28 January 1965 after leaving Frankie Reid & The Casuals.
The pair formed a new version of Unit 4 (see pic below), who included (at various times) Australians Lloyd Hardy (bass), Roger Homan (rhythm guitar) and John Webber (drums) plus British expat, Shane Duckham (harmonica). However, the revived band was short-lived.
Photo may be subject to copyright: Unit 4 in Sydney, Australia during early 1965. Frank Kennington (second left) and Mick Liber (far right). Photo also shows John Webber (far left) and Roger Homan (second right).
By mid-1965, Kennington had briefly joined Sydney group, The Missing Links and then reunited with Liber in The Denvermen.
They then left to form the original version of Python Lee Jackson in December 1965, named by Liber’s former band leader from Clay Alison & The Searchers – Andre de Moller, who was living in Sydney at the time.
Kennington was subsequently deported and returned to the UK, where he roadied for The Who and eventually moved into rock management. He was Motorhead’s first road manager and moved out to California in the 1970s. He died in 1998.
Liber kept Python Lee Jackson going with various different line ups and recorded a string of singles for CBS. After working with Australian rock legend, Billy Thorpe, he reformed Python Lee Jackson and returned to the UK around October 1968.
After the London-based Unit 4 broke up in late 1964, Ian Gomm and Martin Davis went on to work with local band, The Unknowns.
Gomm subsequently played with West London bands The Triangle, The Generation and The Daisy Showband before joining Brinsley Schwarz in September 1970.
He co-wrote Nick Lowe’s worldwide hit “Cruel to Be Kind” with Lowe when they were both members of Brinsley Schwarz. He also had his own US top twenty hit “Hold On” in 1979 when the Ian Gomm Band supported Dire Straits on their epic “Sultans of Swing” US tour. “Hold On” was Stiff Records’ only US chart success.
Great thanks to Ian Gomm for supplying the photos (apart from the Australian Unit 4) and background information. Also, thanks to Mick Liber for his contributions and putting me in touch with Ian.
The Dae-b-Four, spring 1965, from left to right: Iain Pitwell, Rex Brayley, Bobby Dean, Brian Brayley and Roger SideyThe Dae-b-Four, live, early 1966. From left to right: Rex Brayley, Iain Pitwell and Brian Brayley
Rex Brayley – lead guitar/vocals
Brian Brayley – rhythm guitar
Roger Sidey – bass
Kenny Slade – drums
Jimmy Trimmer – lead vocals
Bob Carpenter – drums
Bobby Dean – drums
Iain Pitwell – lead vocals
Malcolm Randall – drums
John Kerrison – drums
Brothers Rex and Brian Brayley had first come to prominence with Tony Liddle & the Lads, a Hounslow band formed in 1962. The band also comprised singer Tony Liddle, bass player Roger Sidey and drummer Yan Kuttlevasher.
In mid-1964, Sheffield drummer Kenny Slade replaced Kuttlevasher after playing with Dave Berry & The Cruisers. When Tony Liddle left soon after, the group became The Dae-b-Four.
Not long after the name change, the musicians were joined by new lead singer Jimmy Trimmer. Then in early 1965, Bob Carpenter took over from Kenny Slade on drums. Slade joined The Sheffields and later worked with Joe Cocker.
Carpenter didn’t stay very long, however, and Bobby Dean from rival Hounslow band, The Stringbeats took over that spring. Dean introduced his friend, singer Iain Pitwell, who took over from Jimmy Trimmer when he departed.
However, Dean left in August 1965 to work with another local group, The Valkeries. Malcolm Randall from Rey Anton & The Peppermint Men took his place briefly. The line-up remained steady until November 1965 when John Kerrison came in on drums after playing in Germany with The Horizons. Kerrison had previously been a member of Frankie Reid & The Casuals and The Rocking Eccentrics.
Malcolm Randall later reunited with Pitwell in The All Night Workers in October 1967 after working as a freelance drummer and The Missing Links in the interim.
The new line up lasted until about August 1966 when Kerrison departed and subsequently joined Mick Liddell & Gli Atomi in Rome, Italy. The band recorded the track “La Mia Inghilterra”, after which Kerrison returned to the UK. By February 1967, Kerrison had linked up with Johnny Kidd’s former band, The Pirates. He then played with Episode Six and The Beachcombers. The Dae-b-Four carried on with another drummer.
In March 1967, Rex Brayley struck gold when he joined The Love Affair.
Iain Pitwell meanwhile reunited with Malcolm Randall in The All Night Workers in October 1967.
Notable gigs:
30 March 1965 – Elms Club, South Harrow, Middlesex with Distortion
20 April 1965 – Elms Club, South Harrow, Middlesex with Bluesology (featuring future Elton John on piano)
2 July 1965 – London Cavern, Holland Park, west London with The Initial Four (Kensington Post)
6 July 1965 1965 – London Cavern, Holland Park, west London with The Tribe (Kensington Post)
24 August 1965 – Jolly Gardeners, Isleworth, west London
Many thanks to Rex Brayley for the photos and input. Thanks also to Iain Pitwell, John Kerrison and Malcolm Randall. Thanks to Don Hughes too for his help in piecing the story together.
Don Hughes is selling a three-track picture sleeve single, with three previously unreleased tracks. For more information, email: donhughes345@btinternet.com
Kenny Slade lineup, 1964. From left to right: Rex Brayley, Roger Sidey, Kenny Slade and Brian BrayleyNewspaper clipping, 1 October 1965Gig, 25 September 1965
Kevin Longendyke found this excellent band photo in Richmond, Virginia and was trying to determine who the band is. Chandler Edmunds wrote in with information about the group:
The band’s name is The Earthquakes from Virginia Beach. Drummer is Chuck Martak. Middle guitar player is Doug Christdon. Right guitar player named Ric (that’s all I have), and the other guitar player remains unnamed.
I understand these guys were in a bad car accident in 1966 and one may have died. Doug got seriously hurt in the accident but survived. I don’t think they were together long enough to get a record out.
Stamped on the back is “Clifton Guthrie”, who was a fine photojournalist in the South Norfolk, Virginia area (see this link for a few of his images).
Thanks to Chandler for finding out about the Earthquakes.
The Wanted released eight songs on six different singles, four on The Detroit Sound and two national releases on A&M.
The names of the band are well-known: they put them on the labels of their 45s. Other information is not easy to come by and I don’t find them mentioned in any detail in my usual sources.
Arnie DeClark – rhythm guitar Dave Fermstrum – organ Bill Montgomery – bass Tim Shea – lead Chip Steiner – drums
All their releases have excellent songs. “Here to Stay” is an amazingly mature ballad, with a great nasal lead vocal, written by Tim Shea and Chip Steiner. The flip “Teen World” is their most basic song, sounding much like “California Sun” with new lyrics, but it’s a fine party song of the mid-60s and probably their rarest release. It was written by C. Shermetaro.
The Detroit Sound Recording Co. was located at 12730 E. Warren. I’ve read that Chip Steiner’s father Irv Steiner owned the Detroit Sound label, which usually featured soul acts.
The label changed the graphics and re-released “Here to Stay”, backed with a good version of “In the Midnight Hour” that reached #1 on WKNR in Detroit & Dearborn in March of ’67, and #3 on CKLW in Windsor, Ontario. They appeared on Robin Seymour’s TV show Swingin’ Time, probably several times. I don’t know which song was originally featured in the clip below as the audio is dubbed in.
Billboard, April 29, 1967
A&M picked this up for national release in April, 1967 and bought a full page ad in Billboard for it with a neat watch graphic. As far as I can tell, the furthest it reached in the national charts was “bubbling under” at #128, with Michael & the Messengers’ version of the song on the U.S.A. label at #121. Too many competing versions kept these from breaking out nationally, although each has a distinct style.
They had one further release on A&M, a fine pop number with horns called “Big Town Girl” backed with “Don’t Worry Baby”. Despite being a Detroit Sound production I believe this single was only released on A&M.
Their next single was the tough “Lots More Where You Came From”, with the lyric “girl I’m picking up on your bad vibrations”! It was written and produced by Dugg Brown (aka Doug Brown of the Omens and producer of Bob Seger, Del Shannon, Southwind, etc), backed with a version of “Knock on Wood”. Their last on the Detroit Sound label was a good take on Bob Seger’s “East Side Story” backed “Sad Situation”, which is simply “Lots More Where You Came From” with a different title.
An email from a friend of the band was the inspiration for this post:
My name is Michael Surarez Thompson. In the 60’s I was a close friend of the Detroit garage band The Wanted. The guys all came from the Grosse Point area. Chip Steiner’s dad Irvin bought an old Detroit city bus and had it converted to a motor home if you will. The bus took us to gigs in and around Detroit and came with a chauffeur I believe his name was Walker.
I was a bit older then the boys and I left to serve in the Marine Corps. Through the years we lost contact. I have been searching for my former friends but they seem to have vanished from face of earth. I am from Port Huron, Michigan, retired Marriott executive chef living in Eugene, Oregon.
45 releases:
The Detroit Sound 222 (plain red label) – Here to Stay (Shea – Steiner) / Teen World (C. Shermetaro) The Detroit Sound 222A/223A (red and blue label with instrument graphics) – Here to Stay / In the Midnight Hour (February, 1967) The Detroit Sound 230 – Lots More Where You Came From (Dugg Brown) / Knock On Wood The Detroit Sound 232 – East Side Story / Sad Situation A&M 844 – Here to Stay / Midnight Hour (March, 1967) A&M 856 – Big Town Girl (Dugg Brown) / Don’t Worry Baby (produced by Doug Brown) (May, 1967)
Source: WKNR chart info from ARSA. Thank you to Jim Heddle for the clean scan of the chart.
#1 on WKNR, March 13, 1967Billboard, April 8, 1967
The Untouchables, 1966 from left: Bruce Nunamaker, Ron Bressler, Tom Hankins and Dick Douglas
Al’s Untouchables’ “Come On Baby” / “Stick Around” is one of long-time classics of 60s garage rock. Original copies are rare and when they do sell, go for well over $1,000. The G45 Central site described “Come On Baby” as “raw energy that may never be equaled”, all within two minutes of playing time. After the band establishes the pounding rhythm, lead guitarist Dick Douglas solos for nearly half a minute, and continues whenever there’s a break in the lead vocals.
Though overshadowed by “Come On Baby”, the flip “Stick Around” is excellent bluesy r&b. The label for “Stick Around” has “Douglas” in parentheses, referring to Dick Douglas on lead vocals.There were actually two different groups on Hunt Records called the Untouchables. The first group consisted of Al Huntziner (drums), Larry Fountain (guitar), Ernie Dvorak (saxophone), Ron Hamad (guitar), Bob Keith (keyboards), Bill Alley (bass), Mel Winder (guitar), Frank Glaser (guitar) and Bob Gaston. This Al & the Untouchables released one 45 on Hunt, “Church Key” / “Danny Boy”.
Then came an all-new Untouchables – but that story is best told by bassist and vocalist Tom Hankins. Tom also sent in the photos seen here.
In 1962, 14 year old Tom Hankins (bass and vocals) started a rock band with Scott Bascom (guitar and vocals), Mike Sexton (guitar and vocals) and Mike Curley (drums). The band was formed in Cedar Rapids, IA and named themselves The Belvederes.
Personnel changes were made at various points and the final version was Hankins on bass, keyboards, guitar and vocals, Dick Douglas on lead guitar and vocals, Bruce Nunamaker on rhythm guitar, Eddy Hood on 12 string guitar, bass and rhythm guitars and vocals and Ron Bressler on drums.
The Untouchables billed with Sam the Sham and the Everly Brothers, among others
They were having moderate success when area manager Al Huntzinger called Tom and asked him if his band would become Al’s Untouchables, as Al’s band of that name had all quit over money issues with Al. Hankins accepted and The Untouchables were born. Al still insisted on putting his name on the band, but they were just known to their fans as The Untouchables and Al no longer performed with them, as Hankins made that part of the deal [which is why “Hankin’s” is included in parentheses underneath the band’s name on the second Hunt single – ed.].They quickly became Iowa’s top group with the backing of Darlowe Olsen, owner of Danceland Ballroom in Cedar Rapids, where The Untouchables became the house band and backing band for touring acts like Sam The Sham, Ike & Tina Turner, The Hullaballoos and dozens more top national and British Invasion acts. They also toured on Olsen’s circuit of venues in the Midwest with Chuck Berry, The Dave Clark Five, The Animals, Johnny Tillotson and others.
In 1965 The Untouchables recorded what turned out to be a double-sided hit in the upper Midwest in 1966 with the songs “Come On Baby” and “Stick Around”, both penned by Hankins and Douglas writing under the name of Thomas Richards.
“Come on Baby” is now being called “The Holy Grail of Garage Punk”. This was recorded in Chicago at Sound Studios, the same studio used by The Stones and also with their engineer Stu Black. Hankins and Douglas produced the songs, but manager Huntzinger listed himself as producer when the record was pressed.
The Untouchables at the Spider Web, a youth club managed by Mom Uffelman
They began drawing packed venues. In 1966 the entire band was kicked out of high school because the school board deemed their hair as “unfit”, as it covered the top of their ears and almost went over their collars.It turned out that Jefferson Senior High School principal William Paxton found out that the boys in the band were making more money than he was and he developed a grudge against them, doing his best to make sure the boys wouldn’t get their diplomas, but he failed. This put The Untouchable’s name in the headlines nationwide and they drew record crowds at all of the big ballrooms in the Midwest.
Once they were out of school they immediately headed to Hollywood. They had been there during Spring Break when Liberty Records asked them to come out and sign a contract. Liberty, however, wanted The Untouchables to clean up their image and cut their hair, to which the band refused, ripped up the contract and walked out the door.
The Orphans, 1967 from left: Ron Bressler, Dick Douglas, Jimmy Carroll, Tom Hankins and Eddy Hood
They dumped their manager Huntzinger and changed the band name to The Orphans at this point after finding out he had been pocketing up to 80% of the band’s pay before dividing the rest up with the musicians. Famed producer Phil Spector listened to “Come On Baby” and “Stick Around” and helped them get a production deal with producer Marshall Leib. Herb Alpert was just starting A&M records with Jerry Moss and he wanted to sign The Orphans, but they lacked enough original material and Alpert needed someone immediately.They met The Doors and toured California with them. This was before The Doors were known outside California and were not even signed yet. Dissension broke The Orphans up.
The band returned to Iowa where Hankins and Douglas took over the operation of Danceland Ballroom from Olsen and ran it until it was closed for good, to be ripped down to make room for a parking garage and events center. They also put The Orphans back together. The duo also promoted concerts in The Midwest with The Orphans generally headlining, but other groups like The Byrds and Beau Brummels headlined some of these shows.
Douglas and Hankins returned to Hollywood and formed a new group with vocalist Aaron Brownstone and world-famous drummer Sandy Konikoff, who also played with Taj Mahal and George Harrison, among others. They record a 12 song album of original material for ABC Records, but upon completion of the LP, Brownstone was killed in a motorcycle accident, thus negating the contract.
Douglas and Hankins returned to Iowa where Douglas formed Enoch Smokey and they became one of the top Eastern Iowa groups. Hankins former a power blues trio with Dan Daniels and became the house band at the all-African American club called The Cougar Lounge in Cedar Rapids. In 1969 both Hankins and Daniels started training to become professional wrestlers and became known nationwide as “The World’s Most Dangerous Wrestlers”.
CAC 2004, from left: Verne Gagne, Jack Brisco and Tom Hankins
During this period they were both offered a berth playing with Charlie Daniels after participating in a jam session in Nashville, where they happened to be wrestling, but they had to turn him down as their wrestling career was just taking off.Dick Douglas still plays in Iowa and is recording a new CD as this is being written. Coincidentally, Hankins is currently recording and producing a new CD with The Powerhouse Blues Band in Los Angeles. Nunamaker lives in Colorado and continues to be one of the state’s top guitarists. Bressler left the music business completely and Eddy Hood is currently an artist living in Northern California, and still plays with his own group around the San Francisco area.
The band was inducted into the Iowa Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2007, with Douglas and Nunamaker accepting the awards for the band, while Hood and Hankins went to San Francisco for a musical reunion of their own and jammed for two days.
Tom Hankins, Eric Burdon and Dick Douglas, April 1966
Tom kindly answered some of my questions about the Untouchables and also about the unreleased recordings of the Orphans:
Q. What was the connection with the Legends?
The Legends were the top drawing band in Cedar Rapids until The Untouchables hired Douglas out from under them. They did release a song that Eddy Hood and I wrote called “Sunshine Daydream” and the flip side was a cover of “Back in the USSR”. It received airplay in Cedar Rapids only however and their popularity was mainly around Cedar Rapids itself.
Q. Is that you playing organ on “Come On Baby”?
Yes, I’m playing organ on both sides of the single and Eddy Hood played bass.
Q. Do you remember where the show with the Left Banke took place?
The Left Banke show was at Danceland Ballroom when Dick Douglas & I were running it and was the last major act to play there in 1967. They no-showed twice and this third time when they finally did show, the fans didn’t and they drew less than 200 people.
Q. The Orphans was at least pressed to vinyl – what happened to all the copies of the 45?
“Without You”, written by Dick Douglas and me and recorded as The Orphans in 1966 in Hollywood at Gold Star Studios. It was never released as the, engineering, production, mixing and mastering was so terrible and the quality of the recording is so bad that we refused to let them release it. This is what broke up The Orphans.
The flip side of “Without You” was “Hey Gyp”. written by Donovan and obtained from him for The Orphans to record before anyone else did. The Animals did a much better version.
Our “manager” and all-around thief Al Huntzinger stole the 45’s when we quit, even though we’d paid for them and for the recording session ourselves, and he must have destroyed them. I only have two myself.
I run into Eric Burdon at times as he lives here in Los Angeles too. He remembered Cedar Rapids and being hungover badly while playing there. We had just come off the road and were really hung over too.
Tom Hankins May 2012
Despite the muddy sound, the Orphans’ “Without You” is an excellent cut and deserves to be heard. As far as I can tell it’s never been comped or featured before now. Norman Goodman engineered it and Larry Herbst and Dick Michaels are listed as producers. I can’t find much further info about Herbst or Michaels as far as the music biz goes.
Hunt Records discography: Any additional info would be appreciated
Hunt 450 – Al and the Untouchables – Church Key / Danny Boy Hunt 1401 – Al’s Untouchables – Come On Baby / Stick Around Hunt 1201 – Corruption, Inc – She’s Gone (Logel – McCleary) / Somewhere (produced by Jim Logel) Hunt 270 – Uncle ‘na Anteaters – Kathy Ran Around / I Can’t Go On (formerly the Countdowns)
Jimmy Nichols ran a recording studio in McAllen, Texas and owned the Pharaoh label. The Zakary Thaks and Bad Seeds used Nichol’s studio for their early singles. I’ve read that the studio burned down years ago with whatever stock and master tapes was left in it.
Pharaoh discography:
Any help with this would be appreciated
LP: 1001 – Ray Wray Quartet – Yes Indeed!
45s:
101 – Ray Wray Quartet – “A Song Is Born” / “When Your Love Has Gone” (with picture sleeve – see above) 102 – Robert Burnie – “My Twistin’ Mexicali Baby” / “Come Just a Little Bit Closer to Me” (J. Nicholls) Division of Alki Alki Music Pub. BMI 103 – Johnny Jay & the Pompadors – “You Drive Me Crazy (You Drive Me Wild)” (Johnny Mendez) / “I Feel So Lonely” (Benny Mendez) 104 – Billy Myers Combo – “Oso” / “Ten Little Indians” (some copies on red vinyl) 105 – Johnny Jay & The Pompadors – “She’s Gone And I’m All Alone” / “I Want You So I Need You So” 106 ? 107 ? 108 ? 109 – Don Blakey – “Mona Lisa” / “Danny Boy” 110 – Marvin Nash and the “K” Sisters – “I’ll Cry” / “Happiness” 111 ? 112 ? 113 – Davis Brothers – “I Don’t Hear You” / ? 114 – Noe Pro & The Blue Valiants – “Hit Me With The Stroll” / “My Love Is Real” 115 – Marvin Nash and the Chevelles – “Darling” / “Dina” (1961) 116 – Don Bennett And His Orchestra – “That’s All” / The Balladiers with Don Bennett And His Orchestra - “Texas A & M Waltz” 117 – Don Bennett & Orchestra – “Jersey Bounce” / “Only A Dream” 118 – Noe Pro and the Blue Valiants – “I Know” / “Reina de mi Vida” 119 – Little Joe Parker and the Vikings – “Straight Jacket” / “Feed the Chickens” (both by Joe Gonzales) 120 ? 121 – Noe Pro & the Blue Valiants – “Come Along My Baby” / ?? (1964) 122 – Little Joe Parker and the Tigers – “Is That A Tiger In My Tank” / “Movin’ On” 123 – Ronnie Dale – “You’ve Learned How To Cry” 124 – Noe Pro and the Semitones – “I Know What’s Been Going On” / “I Love You My Darling” 125 – The Cruisers – “An Angel Like You” / “The Lonely” 126 – Jeanne Hatfield – “My Babe” / “Summertime” (March 1965) 127 ? 128 – The Cruisers – “Another Lonely Night” / “Please Let Me Be (The One For You)” (with picture sleeve) 129 – Simon Reyes & the Outerlimits – “My Baby Hurts Me” / “Mistake Number Three” 130 ? 131 – Billy D. Nash – “This Little Light Of Mine” / “There Is A Balm In Gilead” (with picture sleeve) 132 ? 133 – George and the Lion’s Den Trio Here’s George – “The Swinger” / “Crazy Ideas” (with picture sleeve) 134 – Arturo & Pat with the Invaders – “Oh Yes Tonight” / “So Tenderly & Faithfully” 135 – Jim Roberts – “Jukebox for Company” / “Hay for My Donkey” 136 – George and the Lion’s Den Trio – “Tequila Sour” / “Como Prima” 137 – The Cavaliers – “Pride” (Billy Rowe) / “Sea Weed” 138 – Danny Mata & the Pathfinders – “Looking Around” / “Iolavay” 139 – The Cruisers – “My Place” (E.J. Ledesma) / “Walkin’ and a Ridin'” 140 – Eddie & the Emeralds – “Preparation X” / “If You Only Knew” 141 – The Playboys of Edinburg – “Wish You Had A Heart” (James Williams) / “Understand Me” 142 – The Playboys of Edinburg – “Look at Me Girl” / “News Sure Travels Fast” (James Williams) 143 – Simon Reyes – “Broken Hearted Fool” / “What Now My Love” 144 – Jeanne Hatfield – “Wowie, Pretty Scary” / “If You Want Me” 145 – Don Pierce – “Take Another Drink” / “One Man Band” 146 – Thee Kavaliers – “That Hurts” / “Symbols of Sin” ( both by Javier Rios) 147 – The Headstones – “24 Hours (Everyday)” / “Wish She Were Mine” (both composed by Dave Williams) 148 – The Cruisers – “The Fire’s Gone” / “Oh! Sweetness” 149 – George Garza & the Lion’s Den Trio – “Watermelon Man” / “Blue Moon Of Kentucky” (1966) 150 – Thee Kavaliers – “The Last Four Words” / “Ballad Of Thee Kavaliers” 151 – Christopher & the Souls – “Diamonds, Rats and Gum” / “Broken Hearted Lady” (both composed by Chris Voss) 152 – The Headstones – “Bad Day Blues” (Williams-Palmer) / “My Kind of Girl” (Dave Williams) 153 – Brother & Sister – “See What Tomorrow Brings” (Arturo Longoria) / “The Answer Is Love” [flower-power folk!] 154 – Thee Kavaliers (Cavaliers) – “Congregation for Anti-Flirts, Inc” / “Back to You” 155 – The Cruisers – “Celina” / “Baby Doll”
I had erroneously listed 141 and 142 as by the Playboys of Edinburgh, but they were not named after the Scottish city, but rather after Edinburg, TX, a small town northeast of McAllen.
Chicago: Pharaoh Records 7707 – Hot Coke – “Make This Love Last” / “All By My Self”
Massachusetts: (pressed either in NY or Hollywood): Pharaoh SA-327 – Roy Victor – “Hot Dog” / “You Are My Wish” (ZTSP-94713, arranged and cond. by Fran Devino, Harvest Hill publishing, ASCAP) Pharaoh 339 – Scavengers – “You Do It Too” / “Speed Trap”
Tulsa, OK:
Pharaoh 1006 – Paragons – “Who Am I” / “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow” (also released on BTR 1006)
Pharaoh 1235 – Dynamics – ” Lucy Part I” / “Lucy Part II”
Pharaoh 1236 – Roger Wayne & the Clic – “Ballad Of Sara Lee” / “I Gotta Lotta Time”
Pharaoh 1239 – Mike Catron & the Avanties – “Donna” / “Bass Beat”
Thank you to Gilbert Rodriguez for his help with this discography and to Ed Nadorozny for the Ron Wray sleeve scan. Thank’s also to Bob, Drunken Hobo, Jason Chronis, Max Waller and Tommy for the additional entries. Thanks also to Fred Hoyt for the Jeanne Hatfield sleeve scan.
I haven’t seen any concrete info on the Solid State. I’ve read the band was from Bandera, Texas, but the Elpa label was located at 5214 Beautonne in El Paso. El Paso is close to eight hours’ drive from Bandera, while San Antonio is within an hour, Austin two hours drive, and even Dallas is closer.
The A-side is the very moody “Wait and See”, written by Jerry Walker and Sam Lott.
The flip is “The Lynching”, a fascinating original by Jerry Walker with an upbeat rhythm and a catchy six-note guitar line, plus good soloing on the outro. The harmonies are cheery, but the words are most definitely not!
What is the matter in the street, I hear the clattering of feet, Here comes an angry bunch, They’ve had a little too much, You’d better not get in their way.
I hear a bandit’s on the loose, They meant to fit him with a noose, They are looking for a man, He has gotten out of hand, And they are going to string him up.
Looks like it’s lynching time again, And there’s no mercy to be shown, You’d better hide your head from the electric wind, (?) Destruction marks where where it has blown,
Sundown has set the scene for hate, Come ’round let’s all participate, Don’t be late for a party tonight, Celebrate for a triumph of right, The lynching mob knows where it’s at.
Look out, here they come your way, Watch out, you may hear them say, We are looking for a man, He has gotten out of hand, This man we’re looking for is you!
Looks like it’s lynching time again, And there’s no mercy to be shown, You’d better hide your head from the electric wind, (?) Destruction marks where where it has blown.
I have to wonder what inspired this song – perhaps the photos of lynchings that took place in the 40s and 50s where the crowd looks ebullient.
Both songs were published by Linjo Music. BMI’s database lists the song as one of Jerry Jeff Walker’s compositions, but it’s unlikely, as his usual publisher is Grouper Music, and by the time the Solid State released their 45 in October, 1968 Jerry Jeff was part of Circus Maximus and hadn’t made a name for himself as a songwriter yet. Though from upstate New York, Jerry Jeff busked through Texas in the mid-60s, so it is possible he was a member of this group or gave some songs to them.
Hamilton & The Hamilton Movement, clockwise from front: Ron Thomas, Mick Fletcher, Gary Hamilton, Tony Sinclair, Mel Wayne, Dave Mahoney and (sitting down) Phil Wainman. All except Gary Hamilton (and John Droy, not in photo) were in The New Generation (version 2) backing Jimmy Cliff.
Jamaican reggae singer Jimmy Cliff is best known to international audiences for the songs “Sitting in Limbo”, “You Can Get It If You Really Want” and “Many Rivers to Cross”, taken from the 1972 soundtrack album The Harder They Come. One of the first artists to introduce reggae to a wider audience, Cliff started performing in his native Jamaica during the early 1960s where he was spotted by Island Records founder Chris Blackwell, who brought him to England in October/November 1965.
Over the next four years, Cliff worked the UK club scene with a series of backing groups – The New Generation, The Sound System, Dave Anthony’s Moods, The Soul System (aka The Attack), The Shakedown Sound (December 1966-February 1968) and The Wynder K Frog Band, playing a mixture of soul and R&B.
Jimmy Cliff & The New Generation
(November 1965-February 1966)
Jimmy Cliff – lead vocals Dave Pegg – lead guitar Graham Gallery – bass Dave Brown – organ Frank Devine – drums Ayshea Brough – vocals Pete Hodge(s) – vocals
Cliff’s first band, The New Generation, was a Birmingham group known as Roy Everett’s Blueshounds, whose most notable member was future Fairport Convention bass player Dave Pegg.
Photo: Blueshounds
The Blueshounds were good mates of The Spencer Davis Group, who put in a good word for the band when Chris Blackwell was looking for musicians to support Cliff on the road. In November 1965, Blackwell released The Spencer Davis Group’s “Keep on Running”, the band’s first number one single.
Photo: Melody Maker, April 1966
Around the same time, Blackwell signed The Blueshounds to the agency he co-ran, West End Promotions Ltd, which also represented The Steampacket, Hedgehoppers Anonymous, The Alex Harvey Go Soul Show, Millie Small, Ayshea Brough and the newly arrived Jimmy Cliff.
With Pete Hodge(s) taking over from Roy Everett, The Blueshounds attended an “audition” recording session at Cecil Sharpe House in London on 23 November 1965 with promoter George Webb (The Spencer Davis Group’s agent) and DJ Alan Freeman.
Also in attendance that day were Jimmy Cliff and Ayshea Brough, a young singer that George Webb was trying to launch on the scene, who’d been working with future Hedgehoppers Anonymous drummer Glenn Martin.
Passing the audition, The Blueshounds were renamed The New Generation and Cliff travelled up to Birmingham to stay with Dave Pegg’s family for about two weeks while rehearsals took place to ready the band for the road. Singers Ayshea Brough and Pete Hodge(s) were also added to the touring band and had their own vocal spots in the show.
The (incomplete) gig listing below, which is taken from Dave Pegg’s scrap book unless otherwise noted), shows that the band’s debut took place at the Ritz Ballroom in King’s Heath, West Midlands in mid-December.
For most of these gigs, the band was billed as The New Generation, although the Marquee gigs list them as The Jimmy Cliff Big Sound. The only exception is a show at the Cue Club in Paddington, central London on 28 January where the band was billed as The Sound System, which may originally have been assigned for Cliff’s second support group (see below), although Dave Pegg’s version did honour this gig.
Notable gigs (from Dave Pegg’s diary unless noted)
15 December 1965 – The Ritz Ballroom, King’s Heath, West Midlands
17 December 1965 – The Carlton Ballroom, Erdington, West Midlands with Steampacket and Graham Bond
17 December 1965 – Birmingham Town Hall, Birmingham with Steampacket and Graham Bond
23 December 1965 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Steampacket (billed as Jimmy Cliff Big Sound)
24 December 1965 – Jigsaw, Manchester with Jimmy Powell 5 Dimensions (Manchester Evening News & Chronicle) (Billed as Explosive Jimmy Cliff, The New Generation, Ayshea and Pete Hodges)
26 December 1965 – The Place, Hanley, Staffordshire with Chris Farlowe & The Thunderbirds and The Tribe (Evening Sentinel) (billed as Jimmy Cliffe, Ayshea, Peter Hodges and The New Generation). This is missing from Dave Pegg’s list
31 December 1965 – Dungeon, Nottingham with Ayshea and Pete Hodges (Nottingham Evening Post)
3 January 1966 – Cooks Ferry Inn, Edmonton, north London (Tottenham Weekly Herald)
6 January 1966 – The Village, Cleethorpes with Ayshea and Pete Hodges (Grimsby Evening Telegraph)
8 January 1966 – The Village, Cleethorpes with Ayshea and Pete Hodges (Grimsby Evening Telegraph) Says back by demand
14 January 1966 – Il Rondo, Leicester (Leicester Mercury)
15 January 1966 – Jigsaw, Manchester (Manchester Evening News) (billed as Jimmy Cliff plus New Generations Plus Ashea Plus Pete Hodges)
16 January 1966 – Black Prince Hotel, Bexley, south east London (Melody Maker) (billed as Jimmy Cliff & The New Generation with Ayshea and Pete Hodges)
22 January 1966 – Mr McCoys, Middlesbrough (Middlesbrough Evening Gazette) (billed as Jimmy Cliff & The New Generation)
23 January 1966 – Jigsaw, Manchester (Manchester Evening News) (billed as the Explosive Jimmy Cliff with New Generation, Pete Hodges and Ayshea) Replaced Manfred Mann
27 January 1966 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with The Steampacket
28 January 1966 – The Cue Club, central Paddington (billed as Jimmy Cliff, Owen Gray, Ayshea and The Sound System)
29 January 1966 – The Ricky Tick, Clewer Mead, Windsor, Berkshire
30 January 1966 – The Village, Cleethorpes with Ayshea and Pete Hodges (Grimsby Evening Telegraph)
4 February 1966 – Bluesville R&B Club, Manor House, Finsbury Park, north London (billed as Jimmy Cliff & The New Generation featuring Ayesha and Pete Hodge)
5 February 1966 – Chelsea College, south west London with The Spencer Davis Group
It’s not entirely clear why Jimmy Cliff & The New Generation went their separate ways in early February 1966. Dave Pegg’s diary shows that a gig planned for 6 February was cancelled and on 13 February he was back in Birmingham working with a new band – The Uglys.
Aldershot News does list Jimmy Cliff playing at Farnborough Town Hall on 9 February but this may not have happened.
The decision to find a second band to back Cliff on the road was probably made in mid-late January and Chris Blackwell already knew who he wanted for the job.
Jimmy Cliff & The Sound System/New Generation
(February-July 1966)
Jimmy Cliff – lead vocals Tony Sinclair – lead guitar Ron Thomas – bass Mick Fletcher – organ John Droy – trumpet Mel Wayne – sax Dave Mahoney – sax Pete Hodges – vocals Ayshea Brough – vocals Phil Wainman – drums
The next group to back Jimmy Cliff on the road was also, somewhat confusingly, initially billed as The New Generation, although they also used the name The Sound System. Promoters added to the confusion by sometimes billing the band as The Jimmy Cliff Big Sound and The Jimmy Cliff Sound.
The Sound System, as they became around early January, had originally been called The Phil Wainman Band/Set. Phil Wainman, who years later found fame as a noted producer among other things, had first started out as a drummer in the early 1960s, working with The Hi Grades in Sweden and The Paramounts before linking up with the remnants of west London band, The All-Nite Workers around October 1965.
Ron Thomas, Mel Wayne and Dave Mahoney had all been members of this group, which had morphed out of Mike Dee & The Prophets in early-mid 1965. Mick Fletcher joined from The Epitaph Soul Band when it became The Phil Wainman Band/Set around October 1965 after briefly playing in The Herd while Tony Sinclair and John Droy came in soon after, the former from Johnny Halliday’s band in France.
According to David Katz’s excellent book, Jimmy Cliff – An Unauthorised Biography, The Phil Wainman Band/Set secured a residency at Dolly’s Club in Jermyn Street in central London around November of that year. One night Chris Blackwell dropped in and introduced himself.
After be-friending Wainman, he kept the musicians in mind as a support band for the Jamaican acts on Island Records’ roster, including Jackie Edwards, Millie Small and Owen Gray.
Changing name to The Sound System, Wainman’s band started rehearsing with these acts in late January and one early gig, backing Owen Gray, took place at the New All Star Club in Artillery Passage near Liverpool Street station, London on 5 February 1966.
Around this time, it became clear that Cliff and the original New Generation would be separating so Wainman’s band started rehearsing with the singer when he wasn’t gigging with Dave Pegg’s group. After a few weeks’ rehearsals, Jimmy Cliff & The Sound System/New Generation debuted at the Marquee on 10 February, billed as The Jimmy Cliff Big Sound.
Over the next four and half months, Wainman’s band backed Cliff on the road, which included a package tour with The Who and The Spencer Davis Group in April 1966. It was during this time that Keith Moon spotted Wainman’s Red Sparkle Premier drum kit with two bass drums and decided to switch to the same set up two months later.
According to Wainman, Jimmy Cliff & The Sound System/New Generation were particularly popular in Grimsby and played there at least once a month. They also played four nights at the Penthouse.
However, some time in late July 1966, Jimmy Cliff and The Sound System/New Generation went their separate ways.
It’s not clear who backed Jimmy Cliff for a series of gigs that took place at London’s Whisky A Go Go on 9, 16 and 23 August as no support band is listed in Melody Maker, but he was joined by Dave Anthony’s Moods and The Soul System (aka The Attack) at some point during this period.
In December 1966, Jimmy Cliff hooked up with his next group, The Shakedown Sound with whom he worked with until February 1968. He then joined forces with Wynder K Frog.
As for The Sound System, the musicians joined forces with singer Gary Hamilton who was putting together a new version of Hamilton & The Movement (see future entry).
Notable gigs:
10 February 1966 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Steampacket (Melody Maker) (billed as Jimmy Cliff Big Sound)
13 February 1966 – Nottingham Boat Club, Nottingham (Nottingham Evening Post) (billed as Jimmy Cliff & The New Generation)
15 February 1966 – Jigsaw, Manchester (Manchester Evening News & Chronicle) (billed as Explosive Jimmy Cliff, The New Generation, Pete Hodges and Ayshea)
19 February 1966 – Klooks Kleek, West Hampstead, north London (Melody Maker) (billed as Jimmy Cliff & The New Generation, with Ayshea and Pete Hodge)
20 February 1966 – Kirklevington Country Club, Kirklevington, North Yorkshire (billed as Jimmy Cliff & The New Generation)
21 February 1966 – Wall City Jazz Club, Quaintways, Chester, Cheshire with Lee, Eddie Showgroup, The Wall City Jazzmen and The Style (Cheshire Observer) (billed as Jimmy Cliff & The New Generation with Ayshea and Pete Hodges)
24 February 1966 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Steampacket (Melody Maker) (billed as Jimmy Cliff Big Sound)
25 February 1966 – Southall Community Centre, Southall, west London (Hayes Gazette)
3 March 1966 – Blue Moon, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire (Gloucester Citizen)
4 March 1966 – Adelphi Ballroom, West Bromwich, West Midlands with The Ugly and The Craig (Birmingham Evening Mail) Dave Pegg from the first New Generation was on bass with The Uglys
8 March 1966 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with The Spencer Davis Group (Melody Maker) (billed as Jimmy Cliff & The New Generation)
11 March 1966 – Rialto, Derby (Derby Evening Telegraph)
12 March 1966 – Club A Go Go, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear (Newcastle Evening Chronicle) (billed as Jimmy Cliff & The New Generation with Ayshea)
20 March 1966 – King Mojo, Sheffield, South Yorkshire (Sheffield Star) (billed as Jimmy Cliff, Aysha and The New Generation)
25 March 1966 – Mr McCoys, Middlesbrough with The Warriors (Middlesbrough Evening Gazette) (billed as Jimmy Cliff & The New Generation)
26 March 1966 – Klooks Kleek, West Hampstead, north London (Melody Maker) (billed as Jimmy Cliff & The New Generation and Pete Hodge)
27 March 1966 – Shakespeare Hotel, Woolwich, south east London (South East London Mercury) (billed as Jimmy Cliff)
3 April 1966 – Kirklevington Country Club, Kirklevington, North Yorkshire (billed as Jimmy Cliff & The Sound System)
4 April 1966 – The Village, Cleethorpes with Ayshea and Pete Hodges (Grimsby Evening Telegraph)
8 April 1966 – El Partido, Lewisham, south east London with The Raisons (South East London Mercury)
10 April 1966 – Eel Pie Island, Twickenham, west London (Pete Watt’s research) (billed as The Jimmy Cliff Show)
11 April 1966 – The Catacombe, Eastbourne, East Sussex (Eastbourne Herald Chronicle) Billed as Jimmy Cliff & The Sound System
14 April 1966 – Gaumont Theatre, Southampton, Hants with The Who, The Spencer Davis Group, The Band of Angels and Hamilton & The Hamilton Movement (billed as Jimmy Cliff & The Sound System)
15 April 1966 – Fairfield Hall, Croydon, south London with The Who, The Spencer Davis Group, The Band of Angels and Hamilton & The Hamilton Movement (billed as Jimmy Cliff & The Sound System)
16 April 1966 – Odeon, Watford, Herts with The Who, The Spencer Davis Group, The Band of Angels and Hamilton & The Hamilton Movement (billed as Jimmy Cliff & The Sound System)
17 April 1966 – Regal Theatre, Edmonton, north London with The Who, The Spencer Davis Group, The Band of Angels and Hamilton & The Hamilton Movement (billed as Jimmy Cliff & The Sound System)
10 May 1966 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Spencer Davis Group (Melody Maker) (billed as Jimmy Cliff Sound)
13 May 1966 – Club A Go Go, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear (Newcastle Evening Chronicle)
15 May 1966 – The Village, Cleethorpes (Grimsby Evening Telegraph) (billed as Jimmy Cliff & Package Show)
16 May 1966 – The Beachcomber, Preston, Lancashire (Lancashire Evening Post) Billed as Jimmy Cliff & The Sound Systems
20 May 1966 – Il Rondo, Leicester (Leicester Mercury)
21 May 1966 – Marcam Hall, March, Cambridgeshire (Cambridgeshire Times) (billed as Jimmy Cliff & The New Generation and straight from the Flamingo, central London)
22 May 1966 – Eel Pie Island, Twickenham, west London (Pete Watt’s research) (billed as The Jimmy Cliff Show)
2 June 1966 – Black Horse, Northfield, West Midlands (Birmingham Evening Mail) (Billed as Jimmy Cliff & The Sound System)
4 June 1966 – Jigsaw, Manchester (Manchester Evening News & Chronicle) (billed as Jimmy Cliff Show)
6 June 1966 – Wall City Jazz Club, Quaintways, Chester, Cheshire with The Max Colley Jazzband, The Wall City Jazzmen and The Connoisseurs (Cheshire Observer) (billed as Jimmy Cliff & Group)
8-11 June 1966 – Penthouse, Birmingham (Birmingham Evening Mail) (billed as Jimmy Cliff Show) Says direct from Tiles
12 June 1966 – Hotel Leofric, Coventry (Coventry Evening Telegraph) (billed as the Explosive Jimmy Cliff)
14 June 1966 – Marquee, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Spencer Davis Group (Melody Maker) (billed as Jimmy Cliff Sound)
18 June 1966 – Stamford Hotel, Stamford, Lincolnshire (Stamford Mercury) (billed as Jimmy Cliff & The Sound System)
19 June 1966 – Eel Pie Island, Twickenham, west London (Pete Watt’s research) (billed as The Jimmy Cliff Show)
25 June 1966 – The Catacombe, Eastbourne, East Sussex (Eastbourne Herald Chronicle) (billed as Jimmy Cliff & The New Generations)
26 June 1966 – Le Metro Club, Birmingham (Birmingham Evening Mail) (billed as Jimmy Cliff & The Sound System with Pete Hodges)
1 July 1966 – California Ballroom, Dunstable, Bedfordshire with Him & The Others (website: https://www.california-ballroom.info/gigs/) (billed as Jimmy Cliff & The Sound System)
2 July 1966 – The Village, Cleethorpes with Pete Hodges (Grimsby Evening Telegraph)
8 July 1966 – Hull College of Technology Students’ Union, Skyline Ballroom, Hull with The Small Faces, The Mike Cotton Sound, Herbie Goins & The Night-Timers, The Mode and Eddie Gray & His Band (Hull Daily Mail) (Billed as Jimmy Cliff & The Sound System)
17 July 1966 – Central R&B Club, Central Hotel, Gillingham, Kent (billed as Jimmy Cliff & The New Generations)
22 July 1966 – Royal Oak, Hockley Heath, West Midlands (Birmingham Evening Mail)
23 July 1966 – Dungeon, Nottingham (Nottingham Evening Post) Says with New Generation
23 July 1966 – Klooks Kleek, West Hampstead, north London (Melody Maker)
30 July 1966 – The Beachcomber, Preston, Lancashire (Lancashire Evening Post) Possibly the band’s final gig before split with Cliff and teaming up with Gary Hamilton
I’d like to thank the following for their help in piecing this story together: Dave Pegg, David Katz, Laurie Hornsby, Andy Neill, Ron Thomas, Phil Wainman, Mel Wayne and Brian Hosking.
The De’Vells from Irving, Texas, from left: Joel Reiner, Rick Surratt, Dicky McDonald, John Tincher, Carl Lowe and Little David.
To the long list of great 45s out of Dallas, add The Tortians’ “Red Cadillac”. The band lays down a chunky groove that never sounds rushed, as John Tincher shouts out the lyrics and plays some fantastic harmonica.
The band was actually from Oak Cliff, but this rare single was released on Karry Way Records, with an address of 4339 Jaffee, Dallas, 75216. The RCA custom pressing code, T4KM-9629/30 indicates it was mastered in the first half of 1966. Woodrow Pearson Baker wrote both “Red Cadillac” and the flip “Vibrations” (which I haven’t heard yet), published by Rightway Pub., BMI.
Guitarist Richard McDonald sent me a photo of his next group, the De’Vells, based in Irving but with some of the same members as the Tortians. Richard has a full bio on the bands at his site SpiritSteelGuitar.com, but I asked him some specifics about the Tortians and he kindly answered my questions.
My name is Richard (Dicky) McDonald. I was born and raised in a little suburb in Dallas, Texas called Oak Cliff. A lot of fine musicians and bands came from that area of Dallas like the Mystics, Kempy and the Guardians, the Jokers, Ray Wylie Hubbard, B.W. Stevenson, Jimmy and Stevie Ray Vaughan, Micheal Martin Murphey and others.
The band formed in Adamson High School in Oak Cliff around 1965, our freshman year. I played lead guitar. The Tortians were James King (rhythm guitar), Johnny Congleton (drums), Carl Lowe (bass), Dick McDonald (lead guitar), Gary McDonald (backup vocals) and John Tincher (lead vocals and sax).
We all played what ever was being played on the radio and some older stuff that we grew up with: Ventures, Chuck Berry, Jimmy Reed, Fats Domino. Duane Eddy. Most bands in Oak Cliff played pretty much the same stuff. That’s all we had besides country, big band, classical. Whatever band listened to the radio and figured out the songs first was the top band. It was Robert Farris of The Mystics who could figure stuff out fast.
How the record came to be. We were playing a gig at a roller rink I think the Shamrock in Lancastor, TX. Woody P. Baker was out listening to bands and asked if we would record some of his songs and we said yes. Woody set up and paid for the studio time. The Tortians were not signed by Kerry Way Records. I don’t remember the name of the studio but, it was the same studio where “Wine Wine Wine” was recorded by the Night Caps. Woody P. Baker wrote both “Red Cadillac” and “Vibrations”.
There are no pictures of the Tortians and I hope someone sees your website and has some.
I also played in a very hot band called the De’vells and I do have a picture of them. Most of the De’Vells played in the Tortians. The De’vells were Joel Reiner (drums), Rick Surratt (lead guitar), Dicky McDonald (lead guitar), John Tincher (lead vocals/sax), Carl Lowe (bass/vocals), and Little David (keyboards/vocals). This band won 2nd place in the 1967 Battle of the Bands at the State Fair of Texas, and got a trophy which We still have. I am surprised that we were not listed in the newspaper clipping on the website [see this page]. We were booked by an booking agency called Showco in Dallas.
Most of the original members still live very close to Oak Cliff. I have a pedal steel guitar shop in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.
Richard McDonald Spirit Steel Guitar Broken Arrow, OK
The DeVells to play at the Olney High School Homecoming, October 25, 1968
The Wanderers “with Chan Romero and Kostas right after the recording session for ‘Don’t Pity Me'” – David Day
Collin Pruit sent in scans and transfers of a very obscure 45 on Chan Romero’s Warrior label, Warrior L-140, The Wanderers “Don’t Pity Me” / “Give Me All You Got”. It sounds like 1965 or 1966. Collin and I agree that “Don’t Pity Me” is fine, low-key garage. The pressing is noisy even though the record Collin found was near mint.
“Don’t Pity Me” was written by D. Day, and the flip by Day and J. Newstrom.
In June 2013, drummer Jan Cahill wrote to me:
The Wanderers got together in the early fall of 1965. All of us were high school students (seniors) and I was contacted by David Day (he attended Billings West with me although I did not know him) as he heard I was a drummer and he wanted to put together a rock band. I cannot remember how he knew Danny Barnhart (Danny was our bass player and he lived in Laurel and attended high school in Laurel). Jerry Newstrom was a guitar player that I had heard of but really did not know all that well until we started practicing in … you guessed it … Danny’s garage.
We practiced for about two, maybe three months, and then began playing various weekends in and around Billings. We almost always had two nights a week which included the following places in Billings: What’s Happening, Lake Hills Golf (teen center in basement of club house), Shrine Auditorium, the Pub … and quite a few teen dances in Red Lodge, Laurel, Bozeman, Roundup, Lewistown, Deer Lodge, Butte, Great Falls, Plentywood (once 30 below zero when we played there), Columbia Falls, Powell, Wyoming, Thermompolis, Wyoming, Casper, Wyoming, Miles City, Montana. For the most part we barely made enough money to pay the rent on the halls, security, and gas for travel. A “good” night would provide each of us $20-$30 each after all expenses. A “bad” night and we had to chip in a few dollars to cover costs. BUT WE HAD A BLAST PLAYING!!
We were one Billings’ top teenage rock bands along with other bands such as the Frantics, Peter & the Wolves, Sound Establishment, Imperials. I am sure there other bands but I cannot remember their names.
“This one is at Teen Town “66” with Kip Sherman (Kim’s Brother) in the line up.” – David Day
Our major claim to “fame” as a teenage rock band was the fact the we won the “State Battle of the Bands” at the Yellowstone County Fair in the summer of 1966. I believe we beat out fifteen other bands from all over the state to be #1. I still have the plaque presented to the band from Governor Tim Babcock that evening. Each band played two songs and if my memory serves me correctly we played “Paint it Black” and “Ticket to Ride”. After we won we were then able to play one more song and I think it was “Walk Away Renee”. The grand finale was for all bands to perform “Gloria” which was the loudest (up to that time) I had ever heard bands play. There were several thousand spectators who watched all of the bands play throughout the early afternoon until the final performances in the early evening. It was one of the most exciting times (probably the MOST exciting) of the Wanderers.
The record was recorded in a local studio which explains the rather tin quality. I think we had 500 copies pressed. We recorded the songs in the thought that the Wanderers would be the next “Beatles or Rolling Stones”. Obviously that did not happen.
I have recorded several other 45’s with two different bands and those recordings were done in professional studios in Vancouver, Washington and Lubbock, Texas. I still have one of the records (Bobby Dann & the Generation Gap) but the other record has long ago disappeared (Gary Mundon Band). Unfortunately I do not have any pictures or posters from the Wanderers. Those that I had have long ago disappeared and the only reason I still have the plaque is that I somehow was smart enough to give it to my parents after the Battle of the Bands and my mother kept it all these years. I found it when I was going though her stuff after she passed away three years ago.
Eventually I left the Wanderers in early 1967 to join a road band that was on the Nevada circuit and make more money … a whopping $110.00 per week plus motel room. David Day moved to California and he eventually split up with Rick Mars and stayed with Whitehorse while several other band members formed Motley Crue. You can see their history by going to the Motley Crue website and you will see pictures of David Day.
Jerry got married and I think stopped playing and I have no clue what happened to Danny and Dennis Devlin. I talked with David Day about a half dozen years and he was still playing and was also a producer.
I played music professionally for another fifteen years on a steady basis in the area of country-rock and continue to play about two – four times a month. I had the pleasure/honor of playing with Wynn Stewart, Rex Allen Jr., and one night with Ray Price (his drummer was sick and Ray needed a drummer to play a concert in Great Falls, Montana, in the summer of 1975).
Bobby Dann and the Generation Gap performed at the J Bar T (Great Falls, Montana) between 1970-1976 and we always took three months off to perform in Nevada, Washington, Oregon and Canada. We played the Calgary Stampede, Edmonton Klondike Days, Carson City, Lake Tahoe, Reno, Fallon, Ely, Winnimucca, Gardenerville, (all in Nevada) but never in Las Vegas. We (Bobby Dann) also had our own nationally syndicated television show (1972) that ran for eighteen weeks.
It was a great time for all of us and one that I will always remember with great affection.
Thank you to David Day for the photos seen here, which Dave Martens forwarded to me in October, 2014. Final lineup of the Wanderers, 1967 “The final lineup with me doing what I still do, guitar and keyboards. Dennis Devlin and I are just weeks from joining up with the Frantics.” – David Day
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
The Wanted released eight songs on six different singles, four on The Detroit Sound and two national releases on A&M.
Al’s Untouchables’ “Come On Baby” / “Stick Around” is one of long-time classics of 60s garage rock. Original copies are rare and when they do sell, go for well over $1,000. The G45 Central site described “Come On Baby” as “raw energy that may never be equaled”, all within two minutes of playing time. After the band establishes the pounding rhythm, lead guitarist Dick Douglas solos for nearly half a minute, and continues whenever there’s a break in the lead vocals.
Then came an all-new Untouchables – but that story is best told by bassist and vocalist Tom Hankins. Tom also sent in the photos seen here.
The band returned to Iowa where Hankins and Douglas took over the operation of Danceland Ballroom from Olsen and ran it until it was closed for good, to be ripped down to make room for a parking garage and events center. They also put The Orphans back together. The duo also promoted concerts in The Midwest with The Orphans generally headlining, but other groups like The Byrds and Beau Brummels headlined some of these shows.
Jimmy Nichols ran a recording studio in McAllen, Texas and owned the Pharaoh label. The Zakary Thaks and Bad Seeds used Nichol’s studio for their early singles. I’ve read that the studio burned down years ago with whatever stock and master tapes was left in it.
118 – Noe Pro and the Blue Valiants – “I Know” / “Reina de mi Vida”
I had erroneously listed 141 and 142 as by the Playboys of Edinburgh, but they were not named after the Scottish city, but rather after Edinburg, TX, a small town northeast of McAllen.
I haven’t seen any concrete info on the Solid State. I’ve read the band was from Bandera, Texas, but the Elpa label was located at 5214 Beautonne in El Paso. El Paso is close to eight hours’ drive from Bandera, while San Antonio is within an hour, Austin two hours drive, and even Dallas is closer.
