The Cords in the Pulaski monastery dining room From left: Matthew Gawlik, Ignatius Kacprowicz, James Kendzierski, Jim Bertler and Bertin Bedia
The Cords were a group of Franciscan monks based in Pulaski, Wisconsin, northwest of Green Bay. Most of the group came from Wisconsin, but a couple members were from Buffalo and one from North Chicago. Jim Bertler and James Brojek started the group in 1961, and the band’s lineup and styles evolved over the next decade. They played their first public show at the Pulaski Polish Sausage Day Festival in 1964.
The band didn’t record until 1969, when they traveled to Sauk City to record an album The Franciscan Cords – Spiritual Troubadours and two 45s for release on the Cuca label.
Members on the album and 45s are:
Jim (Bonaventure) Bertler – Vox Jaguar organ, also saxophone, bass and occasional vocal Kevin Schroder – rhythm guitar Bertin Bieda – electric accordion and vocals James Francis Kendzierski – tambourine, vocals, screams, turkey calls Matthew Gawlik – bass and 12-string guitar Sebastian Nocinski – drums (polka numbers only) and maracas Earl Hylok – drums (for rock numbers) and percussion Kenneth Mach – vocals
The Cords, photo from the back cover of their LP From left: Jim Bertler, Matthew Gawlik, Earl Hylok, James Kendzierski, Kevin Schroder and Bertin Bedia
The Cords had two different drummers, Sebastian Nocinski for the polka numbers, and for the rock numbers first Tim Ryan and then Earl Hylok, who was not a Franciscan Brother but played with a local Pulaski rock band.
The LP was released first, in 1969, followed by the singles the following year. The album demonstrates they were mainly a polka and pop band, and includes a gentle version of “The Letter”. Jim Bertler produced the recordings, taking a more experimental approach with the singles to include sound effects, percussion and distortion. “Ghost Power” was chosen for the first volume of Back from the Grave for this wild instrumental sound.
The version of “Cords, Inc” on the album has the same backing track as the 45, but the album version doesn’t have the heavy fuzz guitar that distinguishes the single. The album version also has many more shouts and calls from Jim Kendzierski, especially on the drum break at a minute in. I like hearing the accordion upfront too.
Cords 45s label scans courtesy of Jim Bertler. Thank you to Oktay Gürbüz for providing the scans, transfers and information he received from Jim Bertler and and Jim Kirchstein.
When Jim Lewallen sent me scans of a 45 by his group the Goldenaires on Angelus Records, I started looking into the label’s discography. I really didn’t know what I was getting into!
Angelus Records was the in-house label for Whitney Recording Studio in Glendale, California. Lorin Whitney owned and operated the studio and played organ or piano on many of Angelus albums. Les Roberts described the studio to me, “the main studio was almost 50’ x 50’. Great acoustics!”
The label was either named for, or connected to the Angelus Temple of the Foursquare Church, the Pentecostal sect founded by Aimee Semple McPherson. the studio and label were in Glendale, five miles north of the temple.
All kinds of artists used Whitney for recording, but Angelus Records tended towards Christian inspirational music, but not African-American gospel music. It was a big operation, putting out hundreds of LPs from the early ’60s into the ’70s. Most Angelus releases were custom pressings: the artists paid for the recording and pressing of their records. However, Lorin Whitney had at least one release of his own, so Angelus may have marketed some of these albums. The acts came from all over the west, from Montana and Colorado all the way to Alaska, with many from Seattle and the state of Washington.
Within the Angelus catalog there are a handful of interesting releases in genres other than Christian spiritual music, but even the few heavy rock exceptions such as Stone Garden and Faction have religious overtones. The only truly secular recordings may be the Goldenaires and the Xanadus singles.
Like the Word label, it had some of the best album covers ever.
7″ singles on Angelus:
There seem to be relatively few 45s on Angelus, but the single by the Stone Garden “Stop My Thinking” / “Oceans Inside Me” stands out.
There’s also a 45 I’ve never heard by a group called The Acid Test, supposedly recorded at Sound Recording in Spokane. Anyone have a transfer of that one? Craig (MojoCools) sent in the scans seen here and wrote:
I believe [one copy] was unearthed in the Spokane area, while I found mine in NW Montana and always thought they were from Spokane/Couer d’Alene area. No SRC info on the trail off as it is only etched with WR-4803-A/ WR-4803-B and the “(copyright pending)” statement on the label doesn’t shed much light.
These guys sound like high school kids and can’t manage to pull of a lead break on the A side, and only barely at the end of the flip. A-side “What Do I Love” is almost heavy as Stone Garden but very inept and instead of a break they just modulate. Flip “Make Her Mine” is actually the Rascals “I’ve Been Lonely Too Long” and has a simple crude break towards the end.
Craig also sent the scan of the Foundation sleeve (above) and wrote:
Picture sleeve is a slick glued to a 7″ inner. It sounds pretty much like the sleeve looks. Acoustic guitar and electric bass. “The Man” = folky original that borrows from “All Along the Watchtower” a bit but adds some female scat vocals / harmony vocals giving it a sunshine pop sound. Flip is more soft folk sunshine which is a weird/happy way to sing about dying on the cross! This is not typical acoustic Christian folk.
First names are listed (Jim, Lou Ann, Jeanette and Mike), and a quote from Corinthians (“I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it”) but no other info on who group was.
Angelus LPs:
Of the albums, the most famous by far is Jim Beach’s group Fraction, with their very desirable psych LP Moon Blood. Even this record, it should be said, has Christian theology behind it.
Other interesting releases that I haven’t heard yet are two jazz LPs by Ron Pittner recorded in France, another by Bill Maldonado, a country or folk rock album by an act known as Sierra, and the intriguing Joe Jim Paul’s Sings Song from Alaska with song titles like “The Midget Wildwood Little Girl” and “Pop the Magic Dragon”
I’ve included what I could find from the usual record selling sources, so please write if you have good scans or can help with the discography. This is obviously very incomplete – only about 100 records out of what could be as many as 1,000 Angelus releases.
Engineers on the albums include Doug Smith, Paul Elmore and Frank Kejmar.
Angelus Records discography:
45 rpm / 7″ records: Angelus 45-1012 – Jack Moore – Goodby, World, Goodby (Mosie Lister, with Frances Moore organ and Cathy Bragg piano) / How Great Thou Art (with the Calvary Temple Teen Chorale) Angelus WR-4342 – The Goldenaires – “What He Said” / “The Mad Hatter” Angelus WR-4346 – The Music of Dick Charles and the Boys (no song titles, small center hole so probably 33 1/3 rpm) Angelus WR-4442 – Xanadus – “Before the Dawn” (Boyd & Adams) / “Little Girl” (Wray) (reissued on Encore 4442) Angelus WR 4446-45 – Elsie & Gene Jaggers – Train Song / Hilo March Angelus WR-4749 – Rick and Dennis – “Redeemed” / “The Love Come a Tricklin’ Down” / “Where Will You Be When That First Trumpet Sounds” / “Let Me Fly” Angelus WR-4803 – Acid Test – “What Do I Love” / “Make Her Mine” Angelus WR-4819 – The Stone Garden – “Stop My Thinking” / “Oceans Inside Me” (Gary Speer) Angelus WR-4942 – Foundation – “The Man” / “Can You Live” (with picture sheet glued on plain sleeve) Angelus WR-5015 – Redwood Chapel Community Church – Sunday Night Sing! (33 1/3 7″ LP) Angelus WR-5047 – Tom Keene and the Contemporaries – “What a Song” / “May I Introduce You to a Friend” Angelus WR 5075 – Mr. Lucky and the Good Vibes – “Streak Around In Your Bones” (Tom Thorne) / “Barefoot in the Rain” Angelus WR-5095 – Blue James – “Fairytales, Fishermen, and Fools” / “Sweet And True” Angelus KO-794881 – Brian Michaels – “Twenty Nine Miles from Boston” / ?
The Xanadus Angelus single WR-4442 reissued on the Encore label
Albums: Angelus WR-4105 – Kaufman Family Radio Missionaries (cover reads Angelus, labels have Whitney Records) Angelus WR-4193 – Bud Garmo – Songs Of Comfort Angelus WR-4216 – Ray Kaady – Amazing Grace Angelus WR-4227 – Moore Evangelistic Party (Marrles Moore, Frances Moore, Jack Moore & Merv Moore, piano by Loren Whitney) Angelus WR-4332 – Vincent and Virginia Gizzi ~ Missionaries To Japan Angelus WR-4342 – see 45 / 7″ list above Angelus WR-4346 – see 45 / 7″ list above Angelus WR-4362 – Don & Norma Tanner – The Tanner Team Angelus WR-4365 – Lex Ellesin – Yugoslav Songs and Dances Angelus WR-4368 – Bill Notehelfer – Forward to Christ, with Charles Magnuson & Lorin Whitney Angelus WR-4371 – Jimmie McDonald – Sings From His Heart to You Angelus WR-4379 – Bill White – Gentle Hands, with Sue Magnuson and Pattie Stiles, prod. by Wesley Tuttle Angelus WR-4381 – Malcolm Fry – Overshadowed Angelus WR-4393 – Woodlandaires – Spring Concert Angelus WR-4394 – Polly Prieto, Lorene Null, Elizabeth Null & Hilarion S. Raymundo – Melodies From The Mission Field (Philippine Islands) Angelus WR-4396 – Calvary Temple, Seattle, Bud Tutmarc dir. – My Heart Is Glad Angelus WR-4409 – Ronald Drye – Balm in Gilead Angelus WR-4419 – Dale Crowley – From My Heart to Your Heart Angelus WR-4422 – Marian Estep – The News in Revelation Angelus WR-4425 – Ron Schloss – Memorial Album Angelus WR-4437 – Wilbur and Norman Nelson – Sing Praises
Angelus WR-4441 – Lorene Booth Koltovich – Sacred Requests Angelus WR-4442 – see 45 / 7″ list above Angelus WR-4443 – Bud Garmo – Songs of Challenge
Angelus WR 4446 – see 45 / 7″ list above Angelus WR-4447 – Bud Garmo – I Never Walk Alone
Angelus WR-4458 – Roger Crymes – God Understands Angelus WR-4479 – Marriage, Divorce and Sex (Message by Dr. Joseph Murphy) Angelus WR-4497 – Marian Estep – Songs of Heaven Angelus WR-4503 – Cass Schreib My Wonderful Lord Angelus WR-4520 – First Baptist Church, Crescenta, Calif. – Organ-Music Dedication Angelus WR-4529 – Donna Reed – Fill My Cup Lord
Angelus WR 4538 – Northwest College Concert Choir – “How Big Is God” Also “It Took A Miracle” (need confirmation of this one) Angelus WR 4539 – Tom Keene and the Contemporaries – The New Sound In Motion
Angelus WR 4542 – Northwest District Youth Choir of the Assemblies of God, Seattle – I Have Christ Angelus WR-4551 – Nelson & Jester – Good News Favorites, with Helen Nelson and Mary Jester Angelus WR-4557 – Korean Blind Quartet – Songs of Another World Angelus WR-4557 – Fairview Heights (Inglewood Ca) Baptist Church Angelus WR-4559 – Gilbert Hynes – Heart Songs Of The Spirit (need confirmation of this one) Angelus WR-4569 – Berl Thomas – Hymns of Hope Angelus WR-4561 – Fairview Heights (Inglewood, CA) Baptist Church Choir – In His Glory (need confirmation of this one) Angelus WR-4572 – Harbor-Lites – Girls Trio Angelus WR-4573 – Witnesses Trio – Nearer My God Angelus WR-4591 – Don Calhoun – Sacred Songs Angelus WR-4592 – David F. Webber – Mark of the Beast Angelus WR-4597 – R. Norheim & Lutheran Gospel Hour Singers – Lamplighter Songs Angelus WR-4600 – Roy & Arlene Brewer – He Is Everything to Me Angelus WR-4602 – Marian Estep – Old Favorites of the Church Angelus WR-4616 – The Singing Servants, directed by Dean Schield Angelus WR-4619 – Harold Holt – It’s In My Heart Angelus WR-4638 – Judy Koenig – No Other Song Angelus WR-4654 – Dr. Joseph Murphy – The Secret Of I Am That I Am Angelus WR-4659 – Treble Heirs – No Other Song (Jane Fowler, Cherie Miller, Linda Morse) Angelus WR-4663 – Brandts – No Other Name Angelus WR-4677 – Wilbur and Norman Nelson – New Life in Christ Angelus WR-4684 – The Proclaimers Angelus WR-4701 – Elmer and Lee Bruno – Sonata Sagrada Angelus WR-4705 – Alma Louise Shurte – Songs from the Heart Angelus WR-4722 – The Singing Servants – Day By Day Angelus WR-4732 – Jane Nellis – Songs from the Heart Angelus WR-4742 – The Lacys – Hallelujah! Unique Gospel Songs & Spirituals Angelus WR-4749 – see 45 / 7″ list above Angelus WR-4771 – Bethany Park Presents ’68 Camp Meeting – Melodies of Praise Angelus WR-4778 – Marian Estep – Sing Unto the Lord Angelus WR-4779 – Linda Baker – Paul Speaks to You Angelus WR-4781 – Antanas Pavasaris – Dainu Ir Ariju Recitalis Angelus WR-4789 – Taiwan Men’s Choir – Free China Sings Angelus WR-4793 – The Hart Family – Paul, Connie & David Hart – Hart To Heart Angelus WR-4802 – The Faith Tones – Jesus Use Me Angelus WR-4803 – see 45 / 7″ list above Angelus WR-4811 – Marian Rieth – Moments of Meditation
Angelus WR-4817 – Wilbur and Norman Nelson – More Gospel Favorites Angelus WR-4818 – Bill Maldonado – … This Dream Angelus WR-4819 – see 45 / 7″ list above
Angelus AR-4823 – Temple-Tones – For His Glory Angelus WR-4827 – Marian Estep with Lorene Kealy, Paul Kealy & Lorin Whitney – Songs of the Holy Land Angelus WR-4833 – Ben Lippen School, Ralph Parker, Director – Music Angelus WR-4842 – Jim Bergthold – Personal Peace Angelus WR-4847 – Rodger Hall – Where Do I Go From Here Angelus WR-4849 – Roy & Arlene Brewer – This Is the Life Angelus WR-4853 – King’s Choralons & Northwest College Ladies’s Ensemble, Kirkland WA – God Is Alive Angelus WR-4858 – Ray Kaady – Volume 2, Tell It Again Angelus WR-4867 – Cymanfa Ganu & Welsh Church, Los Angeles – I Will Sing Hosanna Angelus WR-4869 – Donald Rick with Dick Bolks and Lorin Whitney – In Sacred Concert Angelus WR-4870 – Marian Rieth – Hallowed Moments Angelus WR-4877 – Rise Up O Church – Sanctuary Choir, First Church Of The Nazarene, Whittier CA Angelus WR-4885 – Marian Estep – Songs You Love Angelus WR-4891 – Barbara Lowman, Soprano with Morris Mosby – I Asked the Lord Angelus WR-4893 – Doris Beaulieu – Doris Sings Out in Sacred Concert, acc. by Coral Baerg Angelus WR-4894 – Malcolm Fry – Grace So Amazing Angelus WR-4898 – Harbor Masters – The Harbor Masters Sing Angelus WR-4916 – United Community Church Glendale – 10th Anniversary 1961 to 1971 Angelus WR-4926 – Bibleaires Trio – I Shall Be At Home Angelus WR-4933 – Ada Mouw Groen – Lord Is My Light Angelus WR-4936 – Mizpah Singers (Barruel Bros) – The Living Rock Angelus WR-4937 – Church of the Open Door – His People Angelus WR-4942 – see 45 / 7″ list above Angelus WR-4944 – artist? – What Color is Love (blank cover? I need a scan or confirmation of this one) Angelus WR-4951 – Tom and Rachel Thorne – “Golden Kona” / “Magic in the Air” (R.T. Thompson Music Co., ASCAP – need confirmation of this one) Angelus WR-4954 – Wilbur Nelson – Sings “These Are a Few of My Favorite Songs” Angelus WR-4957 – Lutheran Gospel Hour – Anchored in Jesus / Anniversary Album Angelus WR-4964 – Arnie Hartman – In Concert Angelus WR-4982 – Kathryn Kuhlman presents Jimmie McDonald Angelus WR-4990 – Neal Higgins – Fill My Cup, Lord Angelus WR-4984 – The Sound Impressions – Presents … a Reason for Being (Otis Skillings, orch; Al Reis, photography; Chuck Hernandez, art design; Frank Kejmar, engineer; Jerry Lindsay, director) Angelus WR-4989 – John and Linnie Olson – Radio Favorites Angelus WR-4994 – Paul and Louise Greisen – I’m His to Command Angelus WR-4996 – New Life – Giver Of Joy
Angelus WR-5003 – The King’s Envoys – For Him Angelus WR-5005 – Fraction – Moon Blood Angelus WR-5009 – Dick Zeller – He Loves Us More Angelus WR-5015 – see 45 / 7″ list above Angelus WR-5024 – Vere Raley with John Lundberg Singers – Baritone Soloist Angelus WR-5031 – Marian Estep – God Is Our Refuge Angelus WR-5032 – Chuck Kisner & Rose Parenti – Don’t Let a Day Go By Angelus WR-5041 – The Brotherhood III and The New Life – A Reason to Sing Angelus WR-5042 – Tact Singers (Teen Action for Christ Today) – Jesus Is (dir. Roger Clay, First Church of the Nazarene, Denver, Colorado) Angelus WR-5047 – see 45 / 7″ list above Angelus WR-5051 – Sierra Angelus WR-5057 – F.X. McDonald, Jr. – Peace My Friends Angelus WR-5059 – Robert Bowman – Songs of Enduring Faith Angelus WR-5060 – Westmont College Choir Angelus WR-5067 – Ken Hyde – If God Angelus WR-5068 – Modesto Christian School Choir And The Children Of Modesto Christian School – Good News! (need confirmation of this one) Angelus WR-5069 – Master Design – Get All Excited with Master Design Angelus WR-5074 – Mark Greer – Searching Angelus WR-5082 – Pastor R. Norheim & Lutheran Gospel Singers – Gospel in Song Angelus WR-5083 – Joyce Okert – Something Worth Living For Angelus WR-5086 – The Jesters – Messages In Music Angelus WR-5087 – Tom & Shelly (1974) Angelus WR-5088 – Mark Greer – Resolutions Angelus WR-5091 – Bill White – Reaching Out Angelus WR-5095 – see 45 / 7″ list above Angelus WR-5099 – The Dick Anthony Family – More Out of Life Angelus WR-5102 – The Inspirationals and Lawrence Foley – Sacred Songs from the Crystal Fountain Angelus WR-5108 – Jamie Burghardt – Jamie Sings For God And Country Angelus WR-5111 – Chuck Kisner – In His Name Angelus WR-5113 – George Sanchez – Songs of the Shepherd Angelus WR-5115 – Barruel Brothers – Born to Be King Angelus WR-5117 – Tim & Roger – At the Twin Pianos Angelus WR-5120 – F.X. McDonald – F.X. & the Boys Angelus WR-5121 – Ken Finley – God Is Much Fairer Angelus WR-5123 – Westmont College Choir Angelus WR-5126 – John Steele – Closing Night Angelus WR-5127 – Linnie J. Olson – Linnie (Rufus Harvey Jr. conducting) Angelus WR-5128 – Clara Shannon – Singing Missionary Angelus WR-5130 – Daybreak with Dick Anthony & the Orchestra Angelus WR-5142 – Ron Pittner – Out from the Edge: Recorded in Concert, Paris, France, with Kent Carter (cello), Mototeru Takagi (saxophone), Takashi Kako (electric piano), recorded March 1974 Angelus WR-5143 (?) – Covenant Gospelaires present It’s A True Story Angelus WR-5152 – Jim Bergthold First Tenor With The Haven Of Rest Quartet – The King Is Coming Angelus WR-5154 – The Ascensions – Playing Around with Jazz Angelus WR-5156 – Neal Higgins – To God Be The Glory Angelus WR-5158 – Pierce Family – A Song About Life Angelus WR-5165 – F.X. McDonald, Jr. Soloist – Jesus Thou Art Coming w. Laurindo Almeida and Louise de Tullio Angelus WR-5169 – Larry Vannucci – Anything Goes Angelus WR-5174 – Freedom Ringers II (handbell music recorded during 1978 European tour) Angelus WR-5183 – Joe Jim Paul – Sing “Song From Alaska” (with Son Gary Paul and John Angaiak) Angelus WR-8081 – Jaggers Family – Across the Sea Angelus WR-1943 – Ron Pittner – The Indigo Mirror and the Ivory Dot, Recorded in Concert, Orly, France, Angelus WRLW-1981 – Lorin Whitney – Gospel Organ Favorites vol. 1
? – Christmas Time with Linnie ? – Riverside Professional Jazz Workshop
Master Design cover from Observatory. Thanks to Max Waller for the titles to the Blue James 45, to Dan Peterson for the Xanadus scans and to Jack for the Jack Moore 45 scans, to Gee K. for scans of 4877, and to John for the Elsie & Gene Jaggers info.
T.A.C.T. (Teen Action for Christ Today!) Singers – Jesus Is!
The Others, circa 1964, from left to right Pete Hammerton, Geoff Coxon, Bob Freeman (Rob Tolchard), Paul Stewart and Ian McLintock.
The Others, 1963-64
By Rob Tolchard
Formed in the summer of 1963 in the rural riverside south-west London suburb of Hampton, The Others were originally a bunch of rebellious schoolmates. Fired up by the Richmond Sound, spearheaded by the likes of the Rolling Stones and the Yardbirds – the south’s answer to the Liverpool Sound – The Others picked up the baton and ran with it, swiftly building a devoted fan-base of their own and a circuit of regular gigs, hot on the heels of the slightly more senior bands who had inspired them before leaving town for international acclaim.
The look was long-haired bohemian, the music was Chicago rhythm’n’blues and the interest from local and national media secured them a London management/agency contract, a record deal and teen-magazine features by the fistfull as they tore up and down the length of Britain in a van covered in adoring messages written in lipstick. They were still not even old enough to drive legally.
In the summer of 1964, they recorded their one and only record, Bo Diddley’s “Oh Yeah”, on Polydor (TF 501) but by the time of its release, parental pressure had forced two of their number, John Standley (lead guitar) and Nigel Baldwin (drums) to quit the band and return to school to study for their “A”-level exams. They were replaced by Peter Hammerton on guitar and Geoff Coxon on drums, who feature in the promotional shots for the record. The band attained a new excellence, “very much in the same class as the Yardbirds” according to Brian May of Queen, a former schoolmate and the record was a turntable hit on the rock radio programmes of the day and was highly praised by Jimmy Saville in his national press pop column.
But it wasn’t to last. Paul Stewart, their charismatic lead singer and mouth-harp player was also under extreme parental pressure to return to academic endeavours and, tired of living in a car in a rented garage, he gave in, cut his hair, was allowed back home and returned to Hampton Grammar School in late October 1964.
That was effectively the end of The Others, who should have achieved so much more. Their record has become a collectors’ item and Brian May’s early band, “1984” (later “Smile”) used to include The Others’ self-penned “B”-side, “I’m Taking Her Home” in their own repertoire. The other two original members of The Others, Bob Freeman (rhythm guitar/harp) and Ian McLintock (bass) remained in the industry and continued to make music, but never again came as close to stardom as did their first band.
Pete Hammerton, Geoff Coxon, Bob Freeman (now re-named Rob Tolchard to avoid confusion with the Beatles’ photographer) and Paul Stewart remained in touch and have reformed The Others, in order to perform heavily re-arranged revisitations of the old classic repertoire. What a vintage.
1964 gig (see comments below)1965 gig (see comments below)
Miramar Records of Hollywood, famous for its releases by the Road Runners and the Dovers.
Tony Cary produced all the Dovers 45s as well as the Road Runners, Jimmy Burton, Nick Hoffman and Fellowship records. He went on to produce the Alexander’s Timeless Bloozband LP on UNI, released 1968 and Charles Lamont’s solo LP from 1969, A Legend In His Own Time. Mike Markesich tells me Tony’s real name was Tony Luton, whose family was involved in radio or TV in Santa Barbara.
Tony Cary had two singles on Miramar. The first, “Dream World” / “One of These Days” was from August, 1965 (Monarch delta # 55804). Both songs are by Jones-Osborn and published by Alborn Music. The label reads “Produced by Miramar Prod.”
As far as Tony’s vocal talents go, I think he eventually took his own song’s advice to “stop living in a dream world”! Still, one can’t help but admire the impressive series of singles he produced on this label. His second is a countrified version of “She Belongs to Me” that was only released as a one-sided white label promo.
Alborn is the other producer name on many of these 45s. Alborn seems to be a mix of Alton Leo Jones (Al Jones) and Joe Osborn. They wrote a number of songs together, the most notable of which may be “Johnny Come Lately” for Billie Jean Horton. Joe Osborn also wrote with Dorsey Burnette and Dale Hawkins.
Other Miramar records have “a C/A production” on the label. The publishing info is usually on of these three: Alborn Music BMI, Carjone Music BMI, Fabyan Music ASCAP. Labels read “Miramar Records of Hollywood” up through the Dovers’ “The Third Eye”.
Jimmy Burton is of course James Burton, and Jimmy’s Blues” is an excellent piece of fuzzy riffing. It’s possible that’s him playing the lead guitar on Tony Cary’s “One of These Days”.
The Spellbinders version of “Casting My Spell” features a rough lead vocal with clipped lead guitar lines. I haven’t heard “To Take a Heart” yet. That 45 was produced by Joe Osborn, and this is not the same Spellbinders who recorded for Columbia (“Chain Reaction”).
Incomplete discography (any help would be appreciated!)
45s:
Note that releases 101 and 103 come from the end of Miramar’s run, in 1967 or later.
Miramar 107 – Tony Cary – “Dream World” / “One of These Days” (August 1965) Miramar 108 – Jimmy Burton – “Jimmy’s Blues” (J. Burton, M. Jones, J. Osborn) / “Love Lost” (James Burton) (a Cary-Alborn Production) Miramar 109 – Memphis Men – “Act Naturally” / “Oh What A Night” (Jones-Osborn) (Produced by AFC Enterprises Inc.) Miramar 110 – Glenn and the Good Guys – “Party a Go Go” (Burton, Jones, Osborn) / “Only In My Heart” (J. Seals, G. Adams)
Miramar 112 – Tony Cary – “She Belongs To Me” (one-sided promo)
Miramar 115 – The Spellbinders – “Casting My Spell” / “To Take a Heart” (produced by Joe Osborn)
The Road Runners’ first single
The following have the guitar label design:
Miramar 116 – Road Runners – “I’ll Make It Up To You” / “Take Me” (released in Aug. ’65, also released on Reprise 0418, Sept. ’65) Miramar 117 – ? Miramar 118 – Dovers – “She’s Gone” / “What Am I Going To Do?” (Sept. 1965) Miramar 119 – Nick Hoffman – “King of The Moon” / “Blind and Leaving Blues” (Nov. 1965) Miramar 120 – ? Miramar 121 – Dovers – “I Could Be Happy” / “People Ask Me Why” (Nov, 1965, also released on Reprise 0439) Miramar 122 – ? Miramar 123 – Dovers – “The Third Eye” / “Your Love” (April 1966)
Another great song by Timmy Granada
Miramar 124 – Dovers – “She’s Not Just Anybody” / “About Me” (May 1966) (plain label without guitar logo) I’ve seen an acetate demo of this 45 from Western Recorders, 6000 Sunset Boulevard, Hollywood 28
The following have the winged angel type logo:
Miramar 125 – Fellowship – “Just Like A Woman” / “Palace of the King” (Sept. 1966), also released in stock copy with older guitar logo Miramar 126 – ? Miramar 127 – Miramar Soul Band – “Mr. Tambourine Man” / Friends of the Miramar Soul Band – “Party a Go Go” (this side has master #111-B) Miramar 128 – Sonny Firmature – “Love Lost” / “Mr. Tambourine Man” (could this be the same version of Mr. Tambourine Man as above by the Miramar Soul Band?) Miramar 129 – ? Miramar 130 – Zebra – “Helter-Skelter” / “Wasted” (produced by Fabyan Enterprises, 1969 or later)
Miramar 101 – Alexander’s Timeless Bloozband – “Horn Song” / “Love So Strong (Guitar Song)” (Charles Lamont, A&R by Tony Cary & Fritz Ashauer) 1967 Max Waller writes, “This is the same pairing that would appear on their 1st 45 for UNI (in December 1967) so, despite the number, came after the other Miramar 45s.”
Miramar 103 – Charles Lamont – “Poems of Carole Ann” / “Maybe Baby” (soul, also a later release)
LPs:
Miramar 1002 – Sonny Firmature – Love Lost (blue winged logo)
Sonny Firmature was a tenor saxophonist from Omaha, NE, who played with Harry James.
Nick Hoffman had another 45 produced by Tony Cary, “Santa Claus Is Back in Town” / “Christmas Party” on Roman Records 101, issued on half-green half-red vinyl. There also seems to be a connection to a 45 on Shindigogo Records 777 by Ron Roman and the Livin’ End with a song written by Steve Hoffman (any relation to Nick Hoffman?) “Won’t Have a Merry Little Xmas” b/w “A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall”. The address on this one is 6201 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood. I don’t know of any other releases on Shindigogo. I’d like to know more about Ron Roman, he had a 1963 release on Daani “Tell Me” (Kenny Williams) / “Love of My Life” (Dave Aerni and Frank Zappa).
“Party a Go Go” by Glenn & the Good Guys shows up again (or a part B, I’m not sure yet) on the Friends of the Miramar Soul Band on Miramar 127. More on that release including sound clips can be found on this page of my site.
I still need good scans and transfers of the 45s by the Memphis Men, Tony Cary’s “She Belongs to Me”, Nick Hoffman’s “Blind and Leaving Blues” and Glenn & the Good Guys “Only In My Heart”. I also need scans of the Sonny Firmature and Alexander’s Timeless Bloozband 45s. If you can help with any of these, please contact me.
I notice as of September 2012 the Spellbinders has been bootlegged in a nearly identical reproduction.
Thank you to Jason Sweitzer for help with the discography and Tony Cary info. Thanks to Todd, Dudley, Mike Markesich and Max Waller for additions to the discography. Thanks to John Hagelston and Mikael for transfers of the Tony Cary and Jimmy Burton 45s, respectively.
The original Mike Dee & The Jaywalkers, 1961 Left to right: Brian Mansell, Brian Sell, Terry Mabey, Mick Wheeler and Dave Tippler (photo from Brian Mansell).
Mike Dee – lead vocals Brian Sell – lead guitar Brian Mansell – rhythm guitar Dave Tippler –bass Terry Mabey – drums
Mike Dee & The Jaywalkers was formed in February 1961 but had been active for several years before Dee (real name Mick Wheeler) was invited to join as lead singer. Wheeler had known Brian Sell from his childhood in Twickenham, Middlesex. Around 1957, while in their early teens, they had played skiffle together at Kneller School in Twickenham. Brian Mansell and Terry Mabey had also attended Kneller School and like Brian Sell were in the year below Wheeler. When Kneller shut, all of the musicians went to Whitton Secondary in Whitton, Middlesex.
Brian Sell had come up with the band name after seeing a sign for jaywalking while on the bus in Twickenham. The original band, comprising Brian Sell, Brian Mansell and Terry Mabey, was formed in 1959 and initially also included future Animals guitarist Vic Briggs. The Jaywalkers debuted at Zeeta’s in Putney but soon after Briggs left and the band took on lead singer Denny De Banks, who was two years older than the rest of the group.
According to Brian Mansell’s diary from this period, two of Denny & The Jaywalkers’ earliest gigs were a show at Whitton Secondary School on 16 December 1960 and a wedding at the Railway Tavern in Feltham, Middlesex on 31 December 1960. On 4 February 1961, Denny & The Jaywalkers came second at the Borough of Twickenham Rhythm Group contest, held at St Mary’s Hall, Twickenham. However, well-known DJ Phil Jay, one of the judges on the panel, was impressed and offered to be their manager.
Not long after Dave Tippler from Feltham, Middlesex joined on bass and may have been present when the group played at the Fountain Public House in Twickenham on 8 February 1961. Around this time Denny De Banks, who had a well-paid job and could not commit to going professional, departed leaving a vacant spot for a new lead singer. It was at this point that Brian Mansell ran into Mick Wheeler in Whitton and invited him to audition. Previous to joining Wheeler had played rhythm guitar in Twickenham band The Paragons, who also included singer Jeff Rolfe, lead guitarist Jimmy Johnson and drummer John Seddon.
According to Brian Mansell’s diary, the band attended an audition at the Carlton Ballroom in Slough on the morning of 19 February 1961 before playing a show at the Southall Community Centre in Southall, Middlesex that evening. Mike Dee & The Jaywalkers passed the audition and got a weekly gig at the Carlton, kicking off with a show on 26 February.
Confirmed gigs:
26 February 1961 – Carlton Ballroom, Slough, Berkshire 5 March 1961 – Carlton Ballroom, Slough, Berkshire 12 March 1961 – Carlton Ballroom, Slough, Berkshire 19 March 1961 – Carlton Ballroom, Slough, Berkshire 20 March 1961 – Carlton Ballroom, Slough, Berkshire 22 March 1961 – Carlton Ballroom, Slough, Berkshire 25 March 1961 – Isleworth Polytechnic, Isleworth, Middlesex 3 April 1961 – Carlton Ballroom, Slough, Berkshire 5 April 1961 – Carlton Ballroom, Slough, Berkshire with The Dreamers 15 April 1961 – Essoldo, Slough, Berkshire with Sean Dudley & The Wildcats 17 April 1961 – Carlton Ballroom, Slough, Berkshire with The Fleereckers 23 April 1961 – Carlton Ballroom, Slough, Berkshire 24 April 1961 – Carlton Ballroom, Slough, Berkshire 26 April 1961 – Carlton Ballroom, Slough, Berkshire 30 April 1961 – Carlton Ballroom, Slough, Berkshire
Mike Dee & The Jaywalkers underwent a significant personnel change with future Deep Purple axe man Ritchie Blackmore replacing Brian Sell around May 1961. Sell had met Blackmore at Dawe Instruments electronics factory in Brentford, Middlesex around 1959 where the latter worked as a trainee electronic wireman. The pair briefly rehearsed together in a trio with drummer Mick Underwood before Sell formed The Jaywalkers and Blackmore and (later) Underwood joined Bobbie & The Dominators. Sell introduced Blackmore to The Jaywalkers but it cost him his place in the band.
Brian Mansell’s diary notes that Mike Dee & The Jaywalkers were due to record for EMI on 14 April 1961 but the session was postponed. A record test for EMI did take place on 21 April, nearly a week after the show at the Essoldo in Slough with Sean Dudley & The Wildcats. It’s quite possible that the recording session did not go well and the band started to look for a replacement for Brian Sell. According to Jerry Bloom in his excellent book “Ritchie Blackmore – Black Knight”, Phil Jay wanted the band to sign with the George Cooper Agency. The band’s manager compered a lot of the Larry Parnes tours and many of the artists that appeared were booked through the agency, which wanted to sign The Jaywalkers up but not with Brian Sell as the guitarist. As a result, Blackmore was recruited as his replacement.
After leaving The Jaywalkers, Sell joined The Bandits. He then played and recorded with Rey Anton & The Peppermint Men before reuniting with Mick Wheeler in The All Night Workers in 1966. Jerry Bloom’s book on Ritchie Blackmore also notes that the new line up got the opportunity to record two tracks for Decca Records for a proposed single – “Stolen Hours” c/w “My Blue Heaven” at the label’s West Hampstead studios but they were subsequently shelved. Brian Mansell’s diary notes that the band recorded in the morning on 27 September 1961 before playing a show at the Carlton Ballroom in Slough in that evening.
Left to right: Terry Mabey, Billy Fury, Brian Mansell, Mick Wheeler, Ritchie Blackmore and Dave Tippler at Portsmouth Guild Hall, 21 November 1961
Shortly after a gig in Hemel Hempstead on 18 November 1961, Phil Jay got Mike Dee & The Jaywalkers on to a package tour headlined by Billy Fury and also including Eden Kane, Karl Denver and Shirley Douglas. When Douglas fell ill, Mike Dee & The Jaywalkers got the opportunity to fill in until she got better. However, there was some confusion because Peter Jay & The Jaywalkers, who were backing Eden Kane, were also on the tour. Mike Dee & The Jaywalkers’ involvement was cut short after playing two gigs – the first at the Granada in Dartford on 20 November and the second at the Guild Hall in Portsmouth on 21 November (where a photo was taken of the band with Billy Fury) when Douglas returned to the bill. The next day, Mike Dee & The Jaywalkers played in Doncaster supporting Johnny Gentle.
In early 1962, the band dispensed with Phil Jay and signed with the Rudy Stanton Agency. According to Mansell, The Jaywalkers rehearsed with Gene Vincent in a recording studio in London around this time in anticipation for a UK tour. However, the tour was cancelled at the last minute and Vincent returned to the US. During this period, Derek Sirmon, another former Kneller pupil, subbed for Terry Mabey on several occasions when he wasn’t well enough to perform. However, the band’s career was about to come to a halt.
While playing at Southall Community Centre (the most plausible date according to Mansell’s diary is 1 April 1962), Screaming Lord Sutch dropped in and offered Blackmore £40 a week to play with his backing band The Savages. Blackmore jumped at the chance but with a short tour lined up, he asked his friend Dave Wendels to fill in until he could join in mid-May.
A package tour headlined by Gary U.S. Bonds, Johnny Burnette and Gene McDaniel had been booked for April-May 1962. Johnny Milton & The Condors were also lined up to appear with The Condors backing support acts, Rolly Daniels, Danny Rivers and Mark Wynter. However, with all the publicity already made up, Johnny Milton & The Condors split up. With the confusion over the two Jaywalkers, Mike Dee & The Jaywalkers were asked to change name to The Condors and took their place. Mick Wheeler was not invited to participate so he sat out while the others backed the support acts on the 21-date package tour. With the tour winding up on 13 May 1962, Ritchie Blackmore departed for Screaming Lord Sutch’s band and The Jaywalkers disbanded.
In the months that followed, Mick Wheeler abandoned a music career and joined the parachute regiment in the Territorial Army. The singer did his training and gained his wings before returning to the live scene in late 1963 with Mike Dee & The Prophets. In 1966, however, Dee reverted to his real name, Mick Wheeler and formed The All Night Workers before later recording with the UK version of Jo Jo Gunne and fronting a latter day version of The Love Affair.
Brian Mansell and Terry Mabey both worked with Frankie Reid & The Casuals after The Jaywalkers broke up. While Mabey subsequently joined James Royal & The Hawks, Mansell later played with The Missing Links before reuniting with Mick Wheeler in The All Night Workers during spring 1968.
The All Night Workers in late 1966 with Mick Wheeler (aka Mike Dee) centre and Brian Sell (second right). Photo thanks to Mick Wheeler
The following is a list of selected gigs from Mansell’s diary when Ritchie Blackmore was a member:
6 May 1961 – Essoldo, Slough, Berkshire 10 May 1961 – Carlton Ballroom, Slough, Berkshire 13 May 1961 – White Hart, Southall, Middlesex 17 May 1961 – Carlton Ballroom, Slough, Berkshire 21 May 1961 – Carlton Ballroom, Slough, Berkshire 27 May 1961 – Essoldo, Slough, Berkshire 31 May 1961 – Carlton Ballroom, Slough, Berkshire 3 June 1961 – Staines Town Hall, Staines, Middlesex 4 June 1961 – Carlton Ballroom, Slough, Berkshire 7 June 1961 – Carlton Ballroom, Slough, Berkshire 12 June 1961 – Carlton Ballroom, Slough, Berkshire 17 June 1961 – Essoldo, Slough, Berkshire 18 June 1961 – Southall Community Centre, Southall, Middlesex 21 June 1961 – Carlton Ballroom, Slough, Berkshire 24 June 1961 – Rugby Football Ground, Twickenham (open air concert) 26 June 1961 – Carlton Ballroom, Slough, Berkshire 28 June 1961 – Carlton Ballroom, Slough, Berkshire 2 July 1961 – Southall Community Centre, Southall, Middlesex 5 July 1961 – High Wycombe Town Hall, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire 8 July 1961 – Gaumont Pier, Southampton, Hampshire 19 July 1961 – High Wycombe Town Hall, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire 29 July 1961 – Essoldo, Slough, Berkshire 30 July 1961 – Carlton Ballroom, Slough, Berkshire 1 August 1961 – Walton Hop, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey 2 August 1961 – Carlton Ballroom, Slough, Berkshire 5 August 1961 – Southampton Pier, Southampton, Hampshire 7 August 1961 – Carlton Ballroom, Slough, Berkshire 13 August 1961 – Carlton Ballroom, Slough, Berkshire 16 August 1961 – High Wycombe Town Hall, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire 19 August 1961 – Southampton Gaumont, Southampton, Hampshire (morning) 19 August 1961 – Southampton Pier, Southampton, Hampshire (evening) 2 September 1961 – Agincourt Ballroom, Camberley, Surrey 3 September 1961 – Southall Community Centre, Southall, Middlesex 9 September 1961 – Mental hospital in Basingstoke with Screaming Lord Sutch & The Savages 13 September 1961 – Carlton Ballroom, Slough, Berkshire 23 September 1961 – Essoldo, Slough, Berkshire 27 September 1961 – Carlton Ballroom, Slough, Berkshire 30 September 1961 – Staines Town Hall, Staines, Middlesex 1 October 1961 – Southall Community Centre, Southall, Middlesex 4 October 1961 – Carlton Ballroom, Slough, Berkshire 5 October 1961 – Crown Ballroom, Banbury, Oxfordshire 14 October 1961 – Agincourt Ballroom, Camberley, Surrey 15 October 1961 – Carlton Ballroom, Slough, Berkshire 21 October 1961 – Essoldo, Slough, Berkshire 24 October 1961 – Walton Hop, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey 28 October 1961 – Southampton Gaumont, Southampton, Hampshire (morning) 28 October 1961 – Southampton Pier, Southampton, Hampshire (evening) 1 November 1961 – Carlton Ballroom, Slough, Berkshire 4 November 1961 – Park Ballroom, Southampton, Southampton, Hampshire 7 November 1961 – Walton Hop, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey 8 November 1961 – Agincourt Ballroom, Camberley, Surrey 17 November 1961 – USAF, Bushy Park, Middlesex 24 November 1961 – Essoldo, Paddington 25 November 1961 – Crawley (possibly Starlight Ballroom), West Sussex 29 November 1961 – Adelphi, Slough, Berkshire 30 November 1961 – Agincourt Ballroom, Camberley, Surrey 10 December 1961 – Carlton Ballroom, Slough, Berkshire (last gig of the year)
I’d especially like to thank Brian Mansell for sharing his diaries with me and for his hospitality. Thanks also to Mick Wheeler, Brian Sell and Jerry Bloom.
I have tried to ensure the accuracy of this article but I appreciate that there are likely to be errors and omissions. I would appreciate any feedback from anyone who can provide any additions or corrections. Email:Warchive@aol.com
Here’s a 45 by a group called Soulbody that I’m curious about. I don’t own a copy, but was alerted to this by Mike Hadenfeldt who found one with an address label from a suburb of Los Angeles. Mike reports the following info on the labels:
Vintage Records (A Chess Recording) WJZ 51147 “I See You Crying” / “Then Came The Winter” Both songs written by Bill Zurowski Both sides have a date of 1966 under “BMI”
Deadwax info:
“I See You Crying”: F1191 WJZ 51147-2 (no dashes [just spaces] between groups of digits except the last one)
“Then Came The Winter”: F1190-WJZ-51477-1 (dashes between all groups of digits)
Band member Bill Zurowski put the video on Youtube (listing the band name as two words, “Soul Body”) and gave me some background on the band:
We were a band made up of Milwaukee and Chicago musicians in the mid 60’s. We recorded 2 songs at Chess Records in Nov 1966. We recorded in the historic studio where all the hits of the Chess artist were recorded, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Muddy Water, Howlin Wolf, Little Walter and Willie Dixon etc. Doug Brand was the engineer. Doug was Chess’s main engineer. We used Fender black faced amps and a Gibson fuzz tone (that’s what Richards used on Satisfaction); my guitar was an ES 335.
I asked Bill if the band ever had their original tape or demo pressed to 7″ 45 vinyl, but have not heard from him yet.
The song sounds like a ’60s recording, but I’m almost certain this is not a ’60s pressing. The fonts on the label point to a graphic style from a later period, and the label name “Vintage” also suggests a later issue. Not to mention a stereo pressing for a private 45 would be extreme unlikely in 1966. Mike Markesich suggested the five digit number code could be a 70s Universal pressing.
Also, despite the labels saying “BMI” and “1966”, Mike Markesich could not find a copyright listing for the writer or song titles from 1964-1972.
The second version of the Blue Crystals, with vocalist Baron Thomas from left: Douglas Maas, George Anderson, Baron Thomas (front center), Don Harris and Don Hite
Baron Thomas & the Blue Crystal’s “Tension” is a song that I never get tired of. The bass gives the song a great propulsion, the drumming sounds fantastic with all the reverb on it, and Baron Thomas’ vocals cut through the hiss of the ride cymbal and the compression of the recording. The two guitars have distinct sounds and roles in the song, and everything comes together so nicely on the chorus, as the finger-picked rhythm switches to slashing chords.
I started looking into the story of the band and found band leader George Anderson’s website, which features a history of the group written by George Gell, which I’ll summarize here.
The Blue Crystals came from Bowling Green, Ohio. They had been the Citations until a new manager, James Farringer had the idea to spray their hair blue and change their name to the Blue Crystals in 1964. The blue hair didn’t last, but the name stuck and they would remain the Blue Crystals for the next four years.
The band at this time were Joe Dill (lead vocals), George Anderson (lead guitar), Don Hite (rhythm guitar), Roger Rauch (bass) and Don Harris (drums). They cut their first record in 1965, “Be Bop a Lula” / ” Hey Baby” at Courier Studios in Fremont, owned by Bob Brown.
By 1966 Joe Dill and Roger Rauch had left, to be replaced by Doug Mass on bass and Byron Thomas, from Toledo, as new lead vocalist.
They went back to Courier in late ’66, recording two originals by George Anderson, a ballad “We’ll Be Thru For Ever” b/w “Tension,” “inspired by a certain girl friend from that time” says George. The band pressed 1,000 copies in January, 1967, selling most of them.
Later that year Don Hite switched to bass after Doug Mass left the band and Dave Brown came in on keyboards and sax. The group continued until the draft broke them up in 1968.
George Anderson continued in music, playing part-time in bands, giving lessons on guitar and performing solo with MIDI backing.
Thank you to Mark Taylor for the great transfer and scan of his autographed copy of the 45. Special thanks to George Anderson for the scans of the clippings and photo.
The original lineup of the Blue Crystals at the Metropole, with vocalist Joe Dill and bassist Roger Rauchleft to right, top: Don Harris, Roger Rauch and Joe Dill; bottom: Don Hite and George Anderson
The What’s New have always fascinated record collectors: mistakenly listed as a Florida band, they released two EPs in France but nothing in the U.S.
Spike Priggen found some great videos of the What’s New performing on French TV and suggested we collaborate on a post, which I put up at Bedazzled last month.
Their story starts with the Yachtsmen, a folk group founded by students at Long Beach City College in 1959. The Yachtsmen became regulars at Disneyland in Anaheim, releasing an LP on Disney’s Buena Vista label (BV-3310), High and Dry with The Yachtsmen in 1961.
On the LP the group were Carl Berg (vocals, guitar), Ray Jordan (vocals, banjo, string bass), Jay Huling (aka Jay Hulingpart, vocals, guitar, bongos), and Bill Reed (vocals, bass). Other members included Kevin Shipman and Mickey Elley.
The Yachtsmen continued performing at Disneyland for the next several years, appearing on another LP, Jack Linkeletter Presents a Folk Festival.
Bud Hedrick and Colin Scot at Coke Corner, photo courtesy Bud Hedrick.
Meanwhile Scot Thistlewaite (stage name Colin Scot) had been playing banjo and guitar with a ragtime duo called Bud and Scotty at Coke Corner in Disneyland, with Bud Hedrick on piano.
Scot was born in the UK, moved to Canada in the late ’50s where he went to Sir Adam Beck Collegiate High School in London, Ontario, then moved to California where he attended Cal State University at Long Beach.
In October, 1965, French chanteuse Line Renaud and her husband Louis “Loulou” Gasté saw the Yatchsmen at Disneyland and brought the group over to Paris in January, 1966.
Kevin Shipman wrote to me about how Scot joined the group:
Scotty was a friend of our folk group The Yachtsmen when we were all at Disneyland. As you have noted in your piece, he and Bud Hedrick played ragtime at Coke Corner.
Some time in December 1965, Line Renaud, the star of the Casino de Paris in Las Vegas, toured Disneyland and saw us performing. Shortly after that we received a call from her representative saying that she wanted us to come to Paris to be second billing in her new show at the original Casino de Paris. We talked about it and decided it would be a great opportunity to live in an amazing place and to re-charge our creative batteries.
One of our guys was finishing up his master’s degree and had just been engaged to be married and he declined to make the trip. We immediately went to Scotty to see if he might be interested. He jumped a foot off the ground and yelled “YES”. Scot had just been called up by the draft board and there was no way he could have been a soldier. He was barely an American having arrived from Canada only a few years earlier and he was a committed pacifist. This would be his way out of that and into a new and exciting chapter.
Scotty was the perfect addition to our group. He spoke French with near fluency – something we were not aware of when we approached him – and he brought a lot of energy and heart to what was to become a folk-rock band. We wanted to break out of the folk music constraints and do original music with power and finesse. All the members were strong musicians with great harmony sensibilities and we could all sing solo. I like to think that we were predecessors of bands like Crosby, Stills and Nash and the Eagles.
The band changed their name to the What’s New though they still look very collegiate performing “Des mots d’amor” with Line Renaud on French TV. [Unfortunately all the excellent videos of the band on French TV have been taken down from Youtube since I first posted this article.]
The What’s New: from left: Jay Huling, Colin Scot, Kevin Shipman and Carl Berg
They recorded their first EP in July, ’66 at Gasté’s own studio in Paris, scoring a French hit with a single version of Gordon Lightfoot’s “Early Morning Rain”. Their first EP also has their version of Tom Paxton’s “The Last Thing on My Mind” and two songs by Randy Sparks of the New Christy Minstrels, “Huckleberry Finn” and “Driving Wheels”.
Kevin Shipman told me:
We had a hit in France (number one or two depending on who you talk to) with “Early Morning Rain” but we did not have the management we needed. Line Renaud’s husband Lou Lou Gaste liked to think that he was performing those tasks and fended off other true management people who approached him.
One of our best moments was one of our last. We played the premiere music venue in Paris – the Olympia – opening for Michel Polnareff and the Beach Boys [October 25, 1966]. Everyone one who saw the show said that we blew the Beach Boys off the stage. They had great hits but they were weak in live performance.
Their second EP
Their second EP showcases four original songs by Colin Scot, putting a sharp folk-rock sound behind Scot’s plaintive lead vocal and the group’s harmonies. It includes the now-famous “Up So High” (“Got no use for LSD, every time you look at me I’m up so high”) and the excellent “Get Away” which moves from dreamy verse to tough chorus.
The What’s New disbanded in early 1967.
Kevin Shipman explains:
I had decided that I needed to go back and finish my college studies. I was one year away from graduation and I felt that goal slipping away after a year and a half in Paris. Another member was having marital troubles and his wife insisted on returning to the US and her church group. So, we reluctantly parted ways as friends having come very close to the prize but not at the right time.
Scot could not go back to the US having eluded the military and chose to go to England where the music scene was far more vibrant than in France.
Colin Scot became part owner of a nightclub called Kahuna’s Cave in Cala Mayor, Palma de Majorca, and toured the folk circuit in the UK in the late ’60s. In the 1970s he released LPs on United Artists and Warner Bros, with a final single “Mandolin Man” / “Boris” on RCA in 1977. He died in Amsterdam in 1999.
Kevin Shipman:
My wife and I remained close to Scotty over the years and visited him twice in Amsterdam. He came twice to our home at Lake Tahoe and we found all our visits to be both rich in friendship and yet agonizing witnessing his descent in ever-deeper and more virulent alcoholism. I never saw him pass out which was amazing considering how much he drank.
Our last visit from him was in winter of 1999 and he would die a few months later. During that last visit he was not drinking for the first time in his adult life but he was having liver failure. He resumed drinking when he returned home.
Scotty was a beacon and a natural Pied Piper. Everyone loved him and he seemed to love everyone. I can tell you from reading his poetry that he came to view life in a fundamentally dark way. He trusted everyone and was taken advantage of by many. He had no concept of money management and it vaporized in his possession.
Ultimately, his life was very difficult with bright chapters – Disneyland and Paris in particular – and many dark ones. In reflection, it could not have gone any other way. This was Scotty and there was no other life option for him. Music and entertaining was his passion and alcohol was a demon none of us could exorcise from him. Interventions were planned but failed.
Scot’s writing was always a reflection of his life circumstances. The music he wrote during the What’s New period was mostly upbeat. He intensely disliked the dreariness of London and addressed that directly in one of his solo songs. His writing became darker as his circumstances deteriorated and that diminished the appeal of his music for many. I repeatedly encouraged him to lighten up and inject some humor or irony, as he used to do, into his writing rather than hitting us on the nose with what he didn’t like. He preferred the direct approach. Regardless, he was a great talent and a wonderful, sensitive person.
In the end, he should be remembered as a loving, caring, zany bundle of gifts and excesses. His was the life of the clown. Happy on the outside and often tortured within. The day his father Cy called to inform me of his passing I cried. I knew Cy would call with that message before too long so I was prepared for it. But it pained me greatly and it still does. He was one of a kind and he is missed.
Martin Barre (lead guitar, flute) Mick Ketley (keyboards, lead vocals) Bryan Stevens (bass) Malcolm Tomlinson (drums, flute, lead vocals)
1968
August After backing visiting US soul acts as The Noblemen (July-November 1966); working as stax/soul band, The Motivation (November 1966-August 1967); and Mod/psych outfit The Penny Peep Show/Penny Peeps (August 1967-August 1968), the group changes its name to Gethsemane to reflect the burgeoning British blues scene. Soon after, the band’s singer Denny Alexander drops out and keyboard player Mike Ketley and drummer Malcolm Tomlinson assume joint lead vocals.
(11) Barre attends the 8th National Jazz and Blues Festival at Kempton Park, Sunbury, Surrey and catches Jethro Tull, who really impress him. He will audition for the band on a couple of occasions later in the year.
(24) Gethsemane Soul Band play at the Royal Lido in Prestatyn, Wales with The Informers.
(25) Working as a quartet, the band plays one of its first shows as Gethsemane at Eel Pie Island in Twickenham, west London. The band gets an early copy of The Band’s Music From The Big Pink, which is a major influence on Gethesmane’s members. Tomlinson will handle lead vocals on covers of “The Weight” and “Chest Fever”.
(28) Gethsemane play at Eel Pie Island with The Nice and this is the most plausible date.
(31) Billed as Gethsemanie, the band opens the Van Dike Club in Plymouth, Devon with Jethro Tull.
September (9) Geth Semane play at the Aurora Hotel in Gillingham, Kent.
(14) Billed as Geth Semane, the band makes an appearance at the Roundhouse in Chalk Farm, London on a star-studded bill that also includes The Scaffold, David Bowie and Junior’s Eyes. DJ John Peel, who is allegedly a huge fan, records the band’s set and plays it on his radio show the following week.
(18) Gethsemane are hired to participate in a studio session with guitarist Jeff Beck (which most likely takes place on this date) but the session does not go well and is aborted.
(22) Billed as Geth And Semane, the quartet play at the Linden Sports Club in Bournemouth, Dorset.
(28) Gethsemane play at the Stage Club in Oxford.
October (5) Gethsemane support Fleetwood Mac at the Links, Boreham Wood, Hertfordshire.
(7) Billed as Gethsemaney, the quartet appear at Samantha’s in the Langland Bay Hotel in Swansea, South Wales with The Liquid Umbrella.
(16) Billed as Geth Semane, they replace The Keef Hartley Band at Rambling Jack’s Blues Club at the Railway Hotel in Bishop’s Stortford, Herts.
(21) They appear at the Blue Horizon club in the Nag’s Head in Battersea, southwest London.
(23) Billed as Geth Semane, they open for Alan Bown at Eel Pie Island in Twickenham, Middlesex.
(28) Malcolm Tomlinson is hired to back Elton John on a BBC radio session at Agolin Hall. Joined by bass player Boots Slade and guitarist Caleb Quaye, the band records “Lady Samantha”, “Across The Havens” and “Skyline Pigeon”. The three songs are played on BBC radio’s Stuart Henry Show the following week.
November Gethsemane pique the interest of Bee Gees producer Robert Stigwood, who signs them to Dick James Music. The plan is to record an album and the band cuts a version of Elton John’s “Lady Samantha”. They also cut a version of Jack McDuff’s “Grease Monkey” but it is shelved after the album sessions are brought to a close following a disagreement over direction with Stigwood. Incidentally, Alan Gorey from flat mates Hopscotch plays bass and sings on one of the recordings.
(6) Billed as Geth Semane, they return to the Railway Hotel in Bishop’s Stortford, Herts for a show supported by White Mule.
(8) Gethsemane appear at the Industrial Club in Norwich. The advert says that the group has played the Marquee and the Middle Earth in Covent Garden
(11) Billed as Geth Semane, the band appear at the Staffordshire Yeoman, Stafford, Staffordshire
(13) The quartet plays at the Thing-A-Me-Jig in Reading, Berkshire.
(14) Billed as Gethsemany, the band appears at the Club Lafayatte in Wolverhampton, West Midlands with Barmy Barry.
(15) Gethsemane support Jethro Tull at the Hornsey Wood Tavern in Finsbury Park, London. Guitarist Martin Barre will audition unsuccessfully for the guitar spot in Jethro Tull shortly afterwards.
(26) Gethsemane appear at the Crown Hotel, Birmingham with The Redhouse Blues Band.
December (12) Gethsemane open for Pink Floyd at the Dundee College of Art in Dundee, Scotland.
(20) Westminster & Pimlico News‘ 20 December issue reports that Gethsemane have played at the Pheasantry on Kings Road recently. Around this time, the band plays its final show at a college in Brook Green, Hammersmith, having already decided to split up. Terry Ellis from Island Records attends the show and tries in vain to sign the band, but no one is interested. Ellis suggests that Barre audition for the lead guitar spot in Jethro Tull. Stevens sells his bass and uses the money to help finance his studies. He returns to college and later becomes a surveyor. Stevens currently lives in Chiswick. Ketley switches from keyboards to bass and reunites with Tomlinson’s predecessor Bernie Smith in the Southcoast band The Concords. He later becomes senior director at Yamaha Kemble Music UK Limited.
(24) Barre joins Jethro Tull after successfully auditioning a second time. His former band mate Malcolm Tomlinson allegedly also tries out on guitar as does his friend Louis McKelvey, who returned from Canada in July 1968 after playing in Influence. Barre and Tomlinson have visited McKelvey at his Colville Square home near Portobello Market.
(30) Barre makes his debut with Jethro Tull at the Winter Gardens in Penzance, Cornwall.
1969
January After reuniting with Louis McKelvey, who had worked with Tomlinson in the early 1960s Ealing band, Jeff Curtis & The Flames, the drummer leaves the UK with McKelvey and moves to Toronto where they form Milkwood. The band appears at the famous Rock ‘N’ Roll Revival show in September 1969 and record an unreleased LP for Polydor with Jerry Ragavoy producing. Tomlinson will go on to appear on recordings by Jay Telfer, Life, JFC Heartbeat, Rick James & The Stone City Band and Bearfoot among others before issuing two solo albums for A&M in 1977 and 1979 – Coming Outta Nowhere and Rock ‘N’ Roll Hermit. He later sings with The Cameo Blues Band but dies in April 2016.
Sources: The Day Before Yesterday – Rock, Rythmn and Jazz in the Bishop’s Stortford area from 1957-1969 by Steve Ingless, Scila Productions, 1999. Flying Colours by Greg Russo, Crossfire Publications, 2009. The South Coast Beat Scene of the 1960s by Mike Read, Woodfield Publishing, 2001.
Many thanks to Bryan Stevens, Mick Ketley, Malcolm Tomlinson, Denny Alexander, Louis McKelvey, Greg Russo and Rosemary White.
Disclaimer: Concert adverts have been sourced from a number of music magazines and regional newspapers listed below. They have been reproduced fairly for research purposes and are not to be copied for any other use.
Live dates sourced from a number of sources including: Melody Maker, Western Evening Herald, Oxford Mail, Wrexham Leader. See other newspapers sources in the comments below.
The Penny Peepshow in 1968, clockwise from centre: Martin Barre, Denny Alexander, Malcolm Tomlinson, Mike Ketley and Bryan Stevens
Denny Alexander (lead vocals) Martin Barre (lead guitar) Mick Ketley (keyboards, vocals) Bryan Stevens (bass) Malcolm Tomlinson (drums, vocals)
1967
August Having worked as The Motivation since November 1966, the latest line up returns from London to Bognor Regis to reinvent themselves. Eschewing their stax/soul sound and covers material, the band embraces the burgeoning psychedelic scene while singer Denny Alexander starts to write a batch of strong original material for the band. Initially, The Motivation work under the name The Penny Peepshow.
September (15-16) Having rehearsed the new material at the Shoreline Club in Bognor Regis, The Penny Peep Show begin to gig nationally. One of their first shows takes place at the Gala Ballroom in Norwich, Norfolk with Alex Wilson’s Sect and Chances of Life.
(17) The group travels across to the West Midlands for a concert at the Swan in Yardley with Jigsaw.
(23) The band plays at the Royal Ballrooms, Boscombe Royal Arcade, Boscombe, Dorset.
(25) The Penny Peep Show appear at the Belfry, Wishaw, West Midlands with Sight and Sound.
(29) The group plays at the Blue Powder Discotheque in Bilston Town Hall, Bilston, West Midlands.
October (7) The band returns to the Birmingham area to play a show at the Penthouse in the city centre with New Zealand band, The Human Instinct.
(14) The Penny Peep Show appears at the Flamingo Ballroom, Penzance in Cornwall with The Circuit Five.
(21) The group appears at the Steering Wheel in Weymouth, Dorset.
(22) The band plays at the Indigo Vat, Southsea, Hampshire.
(26) Billed as The Penny Peeps they play at the Concorde in the Basset Hotel, Southampton, Hampshire.
November (3) Returning to the West Midlands, they play at the Penthouse in Birmingham.
(4) The Penny Peep Show perform at the Ringway Club in Birmingham. Around this time they also play the freshers’ ball at Birmingham University where Bryan Stevens meets his future wife.
(9) The group appears at Carnival Hall, Basingstoke, Hampshire with The Wrong Direction.
(10) Originally booked to play at the Royal Ballrooms in the Boscombe Royal Arcade, Boscombe, Dorset, The Just Us is listed on the day the Bournemouth Evening Echo is printed. However, they may have played the day before after or before the Basingstoke gig.
(11) The group appears at St Nicholas Chamberlaine School in Bedworth, Warwickshire with The Matadors.
(19) Direct from London The Penny Peep Show appear at the Tudor Club, Mercers Arms in Coventry.
(24) One night at the 76 Club in Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire.
December (1) The Penny Peep Show play at the Steering Wheel in Weymouth, Dorset.
(2) The band appears at Willenhall Baths Assembly Hall, Willenhall, West Midlands with The Bostons.
(3) The musicians return to the south coast and play at the Indigo Vat in Southsea, Hampshire.
(8) The Penny Peep Show play at the Boscombe Royal Arcade, Boscombe, Dorset.
(10) Another show takes place in the West Midlands with the band appearing at the Swan, Yardley with Magazine.
(20) The band performs at the Steering Wheel in Weymouth, Dorset.
(23) The Penny Peep Show play at the Indigo Vat in Southsea, Hampshire.
(25) Through Pete Hockham, formely an agent at Bob Gaitley’s Beat Ballad and Blues Agency in Worthing and now working for the recently deceased Brian Epstein’s North End Music Stores (NEMS) agency, The Penny Peep Show sign to NEMS. They start to perform on the London scene with a show at the popular nightclub, Hatchettes on Piccadilly.
(30) The group appears at the Wellington Club in Dereham, Norfolk with The Special Offer.
1968
January The Penny Peep Show sign a deal with Liberty Records and begin recording over an album’s worth of original material, most of which comprise demos. Alexander has acquired a songwriting contract with Metric Music, which requires him to produce a certain amount of songs in a given period. The band are paid as session musicians to record the demos in a studio behind the Marquee in Wardour Street. A couple of Alexander’s strongest numbers – “Helen Doesn’t Care” and “Into My Life She Came”, the latter featuring Barre on flute, will surface decades later on Rev-Ola’s compilation CD Psychedelic Jumble Volume One in 2007.
(2) Billed as The Penny Peeps, the musicians appear at the Concorde in the Basset Hotel, Southampton, Hampshire.
(5) The band returns to play at the Royal Ballrooms, Boscombe Royal Arcade, Boscombe, Dorset.
(28) The Penny Peep Show play at the Castaways Discotheque in Birmingham with The Stretch Wilcox Limbo Dancers.
February (2) The Penny Peep Show appear at the Steering Wheel in Weymouth, Dorset.
(8) Billed as The Penny Peeps, the band makes a notable appearance at the 100 Club on London’s Oxford Street with The Mike Stuart Span.
(9) Reverting back to The Penny Peep Show, they travel to Nottingham to play at the Nottingham Boat Club.
(11) The next day, the band appears at the Blue Ball Hotel in Risley, Derby.
(16) Liberty Records releases The Penny Peeps’ debut single, a cover of Les Reed and Barry Mason’s “Little Man With A Stick” backed by Alexander’s mod rocker “Model Village”, which becomes a cult classic and is picked up for various compilation albums over the years, most notably the Rubble CD Acid Drops, Spacedust and Flying Saucers. The band, however, is not happy about the decision to release “Little Man With A Stick”. The musicians had lobbied for “Model Village” to be the A-side, backed by another one of Alexander’s numbers, “Meet Me At The Fair”. The latter track remains unreleased until being picked up by Rev-Ola for Psychedelic Jumble Volume One. Tony Blackburn opens his Radio 1 show every morning with “Model Village” for a week but the single fails to chart.
(17) The Penny Peep Show appears at Framlingham Assembly Hall, Framlingham in Suffolk.
(22) Having changed name to The Penny Peeps, the band is invited to back The Scaffold and perform in its own right at the Dome in Brighton on a bill that also features The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band.
(25) The band (billed as The Penny Peep Show) play at the Cellar Club, the County, in Blaby, Leicestershire.
(28) Returning to London, the band appears at the Speakeasy on Margaret Street.
(29) The Penny Peeps appear at the Concorde in the Basset Hotel, Southampton.
March(8) The Penny Peeps perform at the Nottingham Boat Club.
(17) The Penny Peeps perform with the Way of Life at the Crown and Cushion Club in Birmingham.
(22) Billed as The Penny Peep Show, they play at the Fiesta Hall, Andover, Hampshire.
(23) The Penny Peeps return to Nottingham for a show at the Beachcomber Club.
(31) The band plays at the Linden Sports Club, Bournemouth, Dorset.
April (3) The Penny Peep Show appear at the Steering Wheel in Weymouth, Dorset.
(20) The Penny Peeps play at the Cobweb, Marine Court, St Leonards, East Sussex, with Tony Rivers & the Castaways.
(25) Billed as The Penny Peep Show, the band appears at Hatchetts Playground in Piccadilly, central London.
May (3) Billed as The Penny Peeps, they perform at the Nottingham Boat Club.
(12) Billed as The Penny Peep Show, they appear at the Forty Thieves, Swinging Discotheque in Coventry.
(18) The Penny Peeps perform at the Walton Hop in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey
(31) The Penny Peep Show appear at the 400 Ballroom in Torquay, Devon
June(6) The group appears at the Summer House, the Portway, Kingswinford, West Midlands.
(15) The Penny Peeps play at the Beachcomber Club in Nottingham.
(16) The band returns to Linden Sports Club, Bournemouth, Dorset.
(21) Liberty Records releases The Penny Peeps’ second single, coupling Alexander’s “I See The Morning” with “Curly, The Knight of The Road” but it fails to chart.
July(2) The Penny Peeps appear at the Concorde in the Basset Hotel, Southampton, Hampshire.
(13) Another show takes place at the Beachcomber Club.
(18) The Penny Peeps appear at Liberal Hall, Yeovil, Somerset with The Knock-Out.
(25) Billed as The Penny Peep Show, the band returns to London for a show at the Hatchetts Playground.
(27) Billed again as The Penny Peep Show, they appear at Leicester Rowing Club with The Trendmen.
(28) Reverting back to The Penny Peeps, they return to the Linden Sports Club in Bournemouth.
August (2) The group are billed to play at the Bag O’ Nails in Kingley Street, Soho, central London around this time (see below) but it’s not certain they appear.
(3) Billed again as The Penny Peep Show, the band appears at the Swan, Yardley, West Midlands with Gilt Edge. Soon after this gig, The Penny Peep Show are playing at a venue where their current set list meets an icy response. Alexander suggests that they play some blues, which goes down a storm. The band decides to move in a blues rock direction and changes name to Gethsemane. Within a week or so, Alexander opts to leave and Ketley and Tomlinson assume joint lead vocals. Alexander will retire from professional playing and try his hand as a trainee publican. Back in Liverpool, he gathers together some friends and records six tracks during 1972. The songs – “Don’t Let It Rain (Wedding Day)”, “Crossroads of Life”, “My Last Goodbye To You”, “I’d Like To Get To Know You Girl”, “Your Alive” and “Babe I Love You” remain unreleased to this day. He subsequently turns his back on the music industry and works in the financial services industry, retiring in the early 2000s.
(4) The Penny Peep Show play at the Walgrave, Coventry.
September (7) Billed as The Penny Peeps they perform (with St John’s Wood) at the Cobweb, Marine Court, St Leonards, East Sussex.
The Penny Peepshow in 1968, clockwise from bottom left: Martin Barre, Denny Alexander, Malcolm Tomlinson, Bryan Stevens and Mike Ketley
Sources: Flying Colours by Greg Russo, Crossfire Publications, 2009. The South Coast Beat Scene of the 1960s by Mike Read, Woodfield Publishing, 2001. The Tapestry of Delights Revisited by Vernon Joynson, Borderline Productions, 2006.
Many thanks to Bryan Stevens, Mick Ketley, Denny Alexander, Malcolm Tomlinson and Mick Capewell.
Disclaimer: Concert adverts have been sourced from a number of music magazines and regional newspapers listed below. They have been reproduced fairly for research purposes and are not to be copied for any other use.
Live dates sourced from various sources, including: Melody Maker, Nottingham Evening Post, Birmingham Evening Mail, Evening Argus (Brighton), Eastern Evening News (Norwich), Ipswich Evening Star. Other newspapers sources are listed in the comments below.
I have tried to ensure the accuracy of this article but I appreciate that there are likely to be errors and omissions. I would appreciate any feedback from anyone who can provide any additions or corrections. Email: Warchive@aol.com
In Isleworth – Martin Barre, Mike Ketley, Denny Alexander, Malcolm Tomlinson and Bryan StevensAbove, in Isleworth, left to right: Denny Alexander, Malcolm Tomlinson, Martin Barre (sitting), Bryan Stevens and Mick Ketley
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The Cords were a group of Franciscan monks based in Pulaski, Wisconsin, northwest of Green Bay. Most of the group came from Wisconsin, but a couple members were from Buffalo and one from North Chicago. Jim Bertler and James Brojek started the group in 1961, and the band’s lineup and styles evolved over the next decade. They played their first public show at the Pulaski Polish Sausage Day Festival in 1964.
The Cords had two different drummers, Sebastian Nocinski for the polka numbers, and for the rock numbers first Tim Ryan and then Earl Hylok, who was not a Franciscan Brother but played with a local Pulaski rock band.
When Jim Lewallen sent me scans of a 45 by his group 
The Spellbinders version of “Casting My Spell” features a rough lead vocal with clipped lead guitar lines. I haven’t heard “To Take a Heart” yet. That 45 was produced by Joe Osborn, and this is not the same Spellbinders who recorded for Columbia (“Chain Reaction”).
Baron Thomas & the Blue Crystal’s “Tension” is a song that I never get tired of. The bass gives the song a great propulsion, the drumming sounds fantastic with all the reverb on it, and Baron Thomas’ vocals cut through the hiss of the ride cymbal and the compression of the recording. The two guitars have distinct sounds and roles in the song, and everything comes together so nicely on the chorus, as the finger-picked rhythm switches to slashing chords.
The What’s New have always fascinated record collectors: mistakenly listed as a Florida band, they released two EPs in France but nothing in the U.S.
(26) Gethsemane appear at the Crown Hotel, Birmingham with The Redhouse Blues Band.
