Categories: Bognor Regis, England, West Sussex

The Penny Peepshow (featuring Martin Barre)

February 7, 2012 Nick Warburton 15 Comments

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

Penny Peepshow program bio with photo in Isleworth - Martin Barre, Mike Ketley, Denny Alexander, Malcolm Tomlinson and Bryan Stevens — In Isleworth – Martin Barre, Mike Ketley, Denny Alexander, Malcolm Tomlinson and Bryan Stevens

Above, in Isleworth, left to right: Denny Alexander, Malcolm Tomlinson, Martin Barre (sitting), Bryan Stevens and Mick Ketley

Categories: California, Golden Gate, San Francisco

The Vandals on Golden Gate Records

February 3, 2012 Chris Bishop 30 Comments

The Vandals, San Francisco, January 1966

My friend Derek Taylor sent me this batch of photos of a band that he found last year in San Francisco. Written on the back of the two larger photos is “Vandals – Jan 1966” in neat handwriting, plus the band’s name is shown behind the bassist in one shot.

A photo of the bass guitarist similar to the one below was reproduced in a newsletter or yearbook for the St. Ignatius High School (now St. Ignatius College Prepatory) at 37th Ave and Quintara in the Outer Sunset district of San Francisco.

On the back of this clipping is a list of names sporting and events that took place during the four years of that class of ’66 or ’67 with some names (though not of the band) – Vince Spohn, Jim Nevin, Rich Wilpitz, and Den Carter.

Mike Dugo pointed out this was the same group that recorded for Joe Brattesani’s Golden Gate Records – “I Really Want to Want You” b/w “A Reason” and “It’s Like Now Baby” b/w “Wet & Wild” & “Mustang Georgie”

Cosmo Violante – vocals
Joe Tarantino – guitar and vocals
Nick Paolini – bass and vocals
Ned Bawden – keyboards
Curt Mellegni – drums

Nick Paolini passed away in 1970.

Bassist Nick Paolini of the Vandals — Bassist Nick Paolini

Clipping featuring Nick Paolini from similar photo to the one above

Categories: Arc Records, Canada, Ontario, Toronto

Patrician-Anne

January 26, 2012 Chris Bishop 9 Comments

P.F. Sloan's Blue Lipstick, Patrician-Anne, Billboard, November 13, 1965 — Billboard, November 13, 1965

Ivan Amirault sent in these two great ads for Patrician-Anne, who had a single featuring a P.F. Sloan original “Blue Lipstick” b/w “What About Me” on Arc 1113 from late ’65.She also has the great “Changin’ Time” on the CTV After Four LP that is best known for the song “Four in the Morning” by the Quiet Jungle (as the Scarlet Ribbon).

Patrician-Anne was the stage name of Patrician Anne McKinnon, sister of singer and actress Catherine McKinnon, and wife of Brian Ahern, a long-time producer and musician.

Brian had his own groups, the Offbeats and the Badd Cedes, whose song “Dolly Magic” was released on two singles as the Chapter V: Verve Forecast KF5046 with “The Sun Is Green” and again on Verve Forecast KF5057 with “Headshrinker”, all three songs Ahern originals. Brian also played with 3’s a Crowd. More on the Badd Cedes at Nova Scotia Classic Rock.

Patricia often appeared on Frank Cameron’s TV show, Frank’s Bandstand. An Arc LP Do You “Wanna” Dance (The Best of Frank’s Bandstand) has covers of “I Only Want to Be With You” and “As Tears Go By”, credited to Patricia McKinnon, along with a couple songs by the Offbeats, “Wild Weekend” and “Swingin’ Shepherd Blues”.

Patrician-Anne is also featured on various volumes of CBC-TV’s Singalong Jubilee, which I haven’t heard.

Categories: Vermont

WFMU Record Fair this weekend

October 27, 2011 Chris Bishop Leave a comment

Marc Winokur LP God Fearin' Man — Marc Winokur – anyone know him? God Fearin’ Man, recorded at Jack’s Window Studios in West Wardsboro, Vermont

I’ll be selling records this Saturday and Sunday, October 29 & 30 at the WFMU Record Fairin Manhattan. I’ll be at table C-22, towards the back of the room. I’ll be peddling a few rare garage 45s, plenty of LPs, and even some 78s.Please come by and say hello, I’d like to meet any regular readers of the site. If you haven’t been before, please be advised it’s insanely crowded until late in the day.

Les Jaguars Tournesol LP vol. 2 — Les Jaguars!

Categories: Billings, Montana, Warrior

The various Warrior labels

October 19, 2011 Chris Bishop 13 Comments

Chan Romero’s Warrior label from Montana

Pueblo, Colorado group on a small Montana label!

I’m trying to clear up some of the confusion about the various Warrior labels that existed in Texas, Montana, Louisiana and California.

Let’s start with Chan Romero’s Warrior label from Billings, Montana:

I’ve read that Chan, a one-time Pueblo, Colorado resident best known for writing and recording “Hippy Hippy Shake” owned the Warrior label that released the great single “I Don’t Recall” by the Trolls (also from Pueblo). I was uncertain of this, as a notice in Billboard announcing the formation of Romero’s Warrior label in Billings, Montana came much later – 1971. However, Lisa Wheeler of Pueblo City Limits related that Chan told her he was indeed the owner of Warrior, starting it in Billings as early as 1962.

Billings, Montana. Chan Romero, owner, circa 1962-1966:

likely incomplete – any help with this would be appreciated
Warrior L-128 – Kostas – “Something We Call Love” (C. Romero) / “Jane” (Kostas Lazarides) ( Crooked Rock Music, BMI, 1962 or later)
Warrior L-140-1- The Wanderers – “Don’t Pity Me” / “Give Me All You Got”
Warrior L-173 – Trolls – “I Don’t Recall” (Richard Gonzales, Warrior Tunes BMI) / “Stupid Girl” (November 1966)
Warrior L-219 – Chan Romero – “Lost In Love” / “Billie” (can anyone provide a label scan?)
Warrior OV-105 – Stan Campbell – “Any Time” (Happy Lawson) / “Just One More Dance” (Stan Campbell) (date?)
Warrior WS-106 – Faith, Hope & Charity – “That’s What the People Said” / “Hey, Hey World” (1971),
Warrior WS-114 – Lonnie Bell and the Yellowstone Dudes “The Last Mile” / “Montana Song”
Warrior NRF-542 – Chan Romero – “The Best Thing I Ever Had” / “The Fire in My Light” (“recorded in Canada”)

For more info see also:
Chan Romero discography at WangDangDula.com.
Interview with Chan Romero at Rockabilly N Blues Records.

Other Warrior discographies:
Any help with these would be appreciated:

same Texas company as the Dayton Smith 45, but moved 30 miles north to San Antonio with different label design

Pleasanton, Texas and San Antonio. E.J. Henke, owner, 1957-1959. Emil J. Henke would go on to own the Satin label also covered on this site.

Warrior WA 501 – Dayton Smith & the Roving Warriors – “What Will the Answer Be” / “Standing by a Seashore”
Warrior WA 502 – Red Hilburn – “Three Words” / “The Rambling Blues”
Warrior WA 503 – Opal Jean – “I’ll Never Forget My Kind of Boy” / “I Heard His Heart Break Last Night” (reviewed in Billboard Sept. 30, 1957)
Warrior WA 504 – Franklin Smith with Roving Warriors Band – “No Wonder I Wonder” / “A Golden Dream of You” (1957, blue ‘Chief’ label with Pleasanton address)
Warrior WA 505 – Jerry Smith – “I Don’t Care What They Say” / “I Couldn’t Win Your Love” (1958)
Warrior WA 506 – Al Dean & His All Stars – “Fragile Heart” / “Blue Sky Waltz”
Warrior WA 507 – Doug Sahm & the Pharoahs – “Crazy Daisy” / “If I Ever Need You”
Warrior WA 508 – Al Dean – “I Shot Billy” / ? (1959)

Hollywood rockabilly label from late ’50s

Hollywood, California, 1959:

Warrior W-1554 – Bobby Lee Trammell – “Open Up Your Heart” / “Woe Is Me” (May 1959)
Warrior W-1555 – Curtis Lee – “Pure Love” / “With All My Heart (I Love You)” (1959)
Warrior W-1556 – Joey Norman – “King of Fools” / “Heart of Mine”
Warrior W-1557 – ?
Warrior W-1558 – ?
Warrior W-1559 – ?
Warrior W-1560 – Frankie Knight – “Unchained Melody” / “Call Me”

North Hollywood, owned by Tom Sawyer, 1966

Only one release I know of:
Warrior W-166 – Our Gang – “Careless Love” (D. Duvall, Huckleberry Music, BMI) / Heartbeat (1966, prod. by Tom Sawyer)

Doesn’t seem to be connected to the earlier Warrior label from Hollywood. Tom Sawyer also had the Trident label. Our Gang were from Buena Park by Los Angeles (info from Mike Markesich). This band Our Gang is not the Colorado Springs group who cut “Rapunzel” / “Here Today, Gone Tomorrow”.

Another Warrior label from California

Warrior SM-1007/SM-1008 – Simon T. Stokes “Big City Blues” (Clifton) / “Pow! Zap! (I’m the Bat)” (Murray-Clifton) January 1966, produced by John Herring, Sawtell & Herring Music, ASCAP

Simon Stokes would record several different versions of “Big City Blues”. After the Warrior release, he would cut it for the HBR label (HBR 487) in July of ’66, with new flip “Truth Is Stranger Than Fiction” (Simon Stokes) and arrangement credited to Harold R. Battiste, Jr., and A&R by Larry Goldberg. He made a third version b/w “Cobwebs” on the In-Sound label in 1967, and also released it on MGM K14135 as by Simon Stokes and the Night Hawks, prod. by Michael Lloyd for Voodoo Prod. Stokes was also a member of the Perpetual Motion Workshop (“Infiltrate Your Mind” / “Won’t Come Down” on Rally), the Flower Children (“Mini Skirt Blues” on Castil and Allied) and recorded as Simon T. Stokes & the Nite Hawks on Elektra.

Louisiana:
1001 – Guy Spitale – “Who’s That Woman” (W-101) / “It’s Over Forever” (W-102)

1002 – Guy Spitale – “Returning Your Letters” (W-103 )/ “Scroungy” (W-104) (white label w/ red printing)

Unknown locations:
RFF 777 – Ivan X – “Edge of Night” / “Tell Tale Heart”

Special thanks to Westex of Lone Star Stomp, Drunkenhobo, Bob of Dead Wax, Collin Pruit of Inkmathematics, Dave Martens, Kurt Rokitta and Andy for their contributions to these discographies. Thank you to Dominic Welhouse for the Simon T. Stokes scans.

Check out Dave Marten’s page on Montana bands at Long Time Comin’ – Lost Sounds from the Treasure State.

Thank you also to Lisa Wheeler for scans, info and continued updates regarding Chan Romero.

Categories: Dallas, Texas, US

The Kavemen

October 8, 2011 Chris Bishop 49 Comments

The Kavemen, Dallas 1965 from left to right: Roland Allen, Jimmy Allen, Rodney Vinyard, Tommy Fonseca, Bill Walden & Jerry Colwell

Roland Allen – vocals
Jimmy Allen – vocals
Rodney Vineyard – lead guitar
Tommy Fonseca – rhythm guitar
Jerry Colwell – bass
Bill Walden – drums

The Kavemen came from the southeastern section of Dallas, Texas. Jerry Colwell had discussed the Kavemen in a longer interview about his career with Kit and the Outlaws and other bands:

Later joined the #1 Dallas band The Cavemen [sic] and played battle of the bands against Jimmy Vaughan and his band, and the Royals and others. In 1965 the Cavemen was the home band for a Night club “Surfers A Go Go” in Dallas, where we played with Chuck Berry, Roy Head, the original Drifters, Jimmy Velvet and Johnny Green and the Greenmen. We played at clubs all over Texas, my favorites were the “Bamboo Hut” in Galveston, and “Panther Hall” in Fort Worth, a televised event every week. We also played at Louanns many times.

As it turns out, they recorded four songs at Sumet Sound Studios which were never released. Carlene Fonseca sent me the songs from their unreleased acetate and passed along this info from her ex-husband Tommy Fonseca:

The band got together first as an instrumental group playing at Twilight Time Skating Rink, in Dallas, TX and playing for high school dances at H. Grady Spruce High School and E. B. Comstock Junior High. Jimmy and Roland Allen were singers and they went to Spruce Hi and heard the band and offered to sing for them.
The recording was done at Summit [Sumet] in Dallas. The recordings were not released. The jumps & skips are because of a defect in the master dub. Tommy said somebody dropped it and it was chipped at the spot where the 1st song was on the 1st side and the 1st song on the flip side.
Rodney Vineyard, the lead guitar, left the group to play with Sunny Satin and the Mysterians. The Kavemen couldn’t find another lead guitar so they broke up. When the studio was ready to release it they declined since the group was no longer together.
Tommy recently spoke to Roland Allen. He lives in Gun Barrel City and he told Tommy that Jimmy had passed away the just the week before. We cannot locate Bill. He was the drummer. Rodney lives in Balch Springs, TX and he still plays for VFW Posts occasionally.

Because of the chip in the lacquer, my favorite song “Can’t You See” suffers from skips and drop-outs for the first thirty seconds. Same with the first song on the second side, “Why”. The other two, “Without You”, and “I Feel the Same” are fine. I’m hoping to get a photo or scan of the acetate labels. Despite the flaws, these are fantastic examples of mid-60s Texas rock ‘n roll!

The Kavemen – Can’t You See
The Kavemen – Without You
The Kavemen – Why
The Kavemen – I Feel the Same

Categories: Barvis, Candi, Chavis, Delaware, Wilmington

Chavis, Candi and Barvis discographies

October 7, 2011 Chris Bishop 23 Comments

When updating the page on the State of Mind, I started compiling a list of Chavis releases, looking for more garage type singles.

As it turns out, the State of Mind’s two 45s and the Tree’s “No Good Woman” may have been the only rock singles put out by James Chavis on his Candi, Chavis and Barvis labels out of Wilmington, Delaware. The others listed here are gospel, r&b, doo wop or soul.

Since I haven’t seen a complete discography anywhere else, I’m including what I’ve compiled here:

Candi:

1020: Grand Prees – Jungle Fever (featuring Douglass Pettijohn) / Sit and Cry (featuring Bernice Marsh)

1021: Christian Harmonizers – The Day Has Passed and Gone / The Lord Will Make a Way

1022: Mighty Wonders – God Called Moses / All My Troubles Will Be Over

1023: Silas Phifer & the Mellow Fellows* – Gotta Find My Baby / Edwin Johnson & the Mellow Fellows – You Gave Me Love

1024: Santio’s Premiers and Nat. Miller – She’s Still My Baby / Doggin’ the Twine

1025: Vibra-Tones and George Johnson – I’m Begging You Baby / Willie’s Dream

1026: Empires – Love You So Bad / Come Home Girl (Candi)

1027: Evangelist Mattie Lewis & Travelling Gospelettes – The Lord Is My Shepherd / The Rest of My Days

1028: Eddie Johnson – Mis-Ter Night / I Lost My Linda

1029: Ruth White & the Continentals – Give Us Your Blessings / Dog Time

1030: Humble Gospel Singers – Long Way to the City / The Rest of My Days

1031: Maurice Williams & the Inspirations – The Day Has Come / Never Leave You Again

1032: ?

1033: Empires – You’re On Top Girl

* Mellow Fellows – I’ve read some speculation that this is the same group known as the Mello Souls behind the soul classic “We Can Make It” on the Mello label. Anyone have a scan of that?

Chavis:

1034: Matadors – Say Yes Baby / Carmen I Wish You Were Here

1035: Spidels – Like a Bee / You Know I Need You (1965)

1036: ?

1037: Mighty Wonders – Good News / He Heard Me Cry

1038: State of Mind – Move / If He Comes Back (1966) (CH-2076/7)

1039: ?

1040: ?

1041: State of Mind – Make You Cry / Goin’ Away (1967) (CH-2083)

709: Southern Gate Singers – Somebody’s Always Talking About Me / Laugh Laugh Laugh

710: Miller Family – He Cares for You / I Believe in Jesus (arr. Lee Miller) (CH-1420/1)

730: Mighty Kings of Harmony – I Know a Man / Better World (CH 1460)

7011: Rising Stars – You Need This

7012: Sensational Mighty Wonders – Live On High / A Friend in Jesus (CH 3506/7)

7013: Specializers – Rock of Ages / Oh How I Love Jesus

Barvis:

7010: The Tree – No Good Woman / Man From Nowhere (1967)

125: The Superiors Band and Their Soul Singers – Darling I Love You / Amateur Love

319: The Superiors Band and Their Soul Singers – The Lady Part 1 / The Lady Part 2

Most of the gospel releases were produced by Lee Skinner. James Chavis’ publishing was usually listed with Vandever Music, BMI. Though located in Delaware, Chavis seems to have had some connections in North Carolina, the home of some of his gospel acts, like the Mighty Wonders.

Categories: Best, California, Cedwicke, Long Beach, Wickwire

Best, Wickwire and Cedwicke Records

September 30, 2011 Chris Bishop 8 Comments

Pyramids Best 45 Pyramid's Stomp
Wee Willie and the Pals Cedwicke 45 We're Gonna Dance

I tried to assemble a discography of Wickwire Records out of Long Beach, California. I quickly came up short until Bob pointed out that Cedwicke and Best were related labels.

Does anyone have scans of the Steve and the Emperors “The Breeze & I” on Best?

Best 101 The Pyramids – Pyramid’s Stomp / Paul (1962)
Best 102 The Pyramids – Penetration (Steve Leonard) / Here Comes Marsha (prod. John Hodge, Nov. 1963)
Best 103 Steve & The Emperors – The Breeze And I (Lecuona-Stillman) / Great Balls of Fire (1963)

Best 13001 The Pyramids – Pyramid’s Stomp (Alfred Mercier) / Paul (Feb. 1964, re-release of Best 101 with London distribution)
Best 13002 The Pyramids – Penetration / Here Comes Marsha (Feb. 1964, re-release of Best 102 with London distribution)
Wickwire 13003 The Emperors – A Fool For You I’ve Been / Searchin’ Around the World (both written by Bill Hughes for Dorothy Music, ASCAP)
Cedwicke 13004 Wee Willie & The Pals – We’re Gonna Dance (Powell-Greek) / Teardrop Strawberry Soda
Cedwicke 13005 The Pyramids – Midnight Run (Usher-Berns-Christian) / Custom Caravan (April 1964)
Cedwicke 13006 The Pyramids – Pressure (Hodge-Wilson) / Contact (Steve Leonard) (June 1964)
Wickwire 13007 The Emperors – Blue Day / Laughin’ Linda (written by Cameron-Watts, arranged by William F. Williams) (with picture sleeve)
Wickwire 13008 Dave Myers and His Surftones – Gear! / Let the Good Times Roll (arranged by Rodney Barken, pub. by Number One Music, BMI)
Wickwire 13009 The Montclairs – It’s Gonna Work Out Fine / If You Need Me
Wickwire 13010 The Lady Birds – To Know Him Is to Love Him / A Girl without a Boy

John Hodge & Larry Wilson produced most of these.

The Pyramids also had an LP The Pyramids Play The Original Penetration! on Best (LPM-1001, reissued with London distribution as BR-16501, BRS-36501).

The Cedwicke 45s also had distribution by London Records.

See the Emperors page for more info on their records.

I’ve seen two pressings of Wickwire 13008 by Dave Myers and His Surftones – most have Gary Usher as songwriter of “Gear!” but some have Hodge-Wilson listed as songwriter for that song.

Wickwire may have had a publishing connection to the Mod label which had a release by the Menn, “Things To Come” / “What Ever Happened To” (Mod 1013, pub. by Wickwire Music BMI). The Menn had a previous 45 on the Two + Two label, as did the Emperors (see the Whigs for a little more info).

Thanks to Bob and Max Myndblown for their help with this discography and to Wangdangdula.com for info on the Pyramids releases.

Pyramids Cedwicke 45 Contact

Dave Myers and His Surftones Wickwire 45 Gear!

Categories: Champaign, Illinois, Rofran, Urbana

The Rofran Studio & Labels

September 23, 2011 Chris Bishop 12 Comments

In the mid 1960’s the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana became a center for innovative jazz and avant-garde electronic and computer music. Starting in 1967, the Red Herring Coffeehouse just off the main quad on W Oregon became a center for folk artists. And of course there was a thriving band scene at the Illini Brown Jug and other student beer joints. For those not familiar with that area’s geography, the school is located in eastern-central Illinois, roughly equidistant from Chicago, St. Louis and Indianapolis.

Roger Francisco began recording out of a home studio to the east of campus in Urbana, Illinois circa 1964. Rofran (a combination of the first syllables of his first and last names) was the name he gave to his studio, one of his labels, and also the name of his production and publishing companies. It’s an open question as to how prominent the studio was in that area, as many bands recorded at other studios: Dean Carter, the One Eyed Jacks and the Bacardis for example.

I’ve only heard a few of these records. The Cliques has had the most exposure, showing up on Back From the Grave vol. 7. I’ve heard one side of the Keepers, which is good harmony pop, and the first Prodigies 45, “Kysmyph (KIS-MIF)” a bluesy instrumental with sax and some odd organ sounds, backed with “Don’t Look Back”, which starts out with a hip bossa groove but the vocals are square, mimicking the complex harmonies on brazilian groups from the time.

Mike Markesich filled me in on some Rofran releases:

The Sound Studio Production (Rofran 1010) was a label printing goof – the real group is the Prodigies, university guys from Champaign IL. I have the 45 crediting the Prodigies. They have a second 45 on Rofran 1013 “I Want To Do It” / “What I’d Say”, both released in ’66.
Quarternotes “My Baby Left Me” crude thumpin’ garage rocker with a kinda ‘rural’ vocal vibe.
There are other Rofran releases on different-named labels. One that comes to mind is the Ravins “Andy” on the Syndicate label (#1028). Very cool, moody organ swinger with a crisp guitar break. Flipside is “I Had a Feeling”, which is more aligned to a pop sounding jangle ballad. This was their only recording. One of the songwriters on the 45 made a solo Rofran record.
The Cliques “So Hard” / “Ballad Of A Destitute Man” on Custom 1020 (Jan ’67) is a Rofran release. Ditto the Keepers “Why Have You Changed” / “Tiny Teardrops” on Custom 1021 (Jan ’67).

Rogues Rofran 45 Gone to Stay Rogues Rofran 45 Wait Till the Summer

Although early releases seem commercially-minded, Rofran became a studio for more adventurous music sessions towards 1968 and 1969. Some of those musicians, like James Cuomo and Howie Smith, came out of the jazz and experimental music programs at UICU.I asked Howie Smith about his time with the Prodigies at Rofran studio:

The studio, indeed, started in the basement of Roger’s home in Urbana, and at some point he leased a much larger space in a building on Race Street for the studio.
At the time I enrolled at the University of Illinois, the band with Roger Francisco, Gordy Wilson and Bill Steffen was looking for a sax player and I got the job. I played with them on a nightly gig at The Beacon (a bar/roadhouse located just south of Rantoul Air Base) for about 2 years. Roger played guitar and electric bass, Gordy played some sort of electronic keyboard (my memory is that it was an early Farfisa, but I could be totally wrong about that), Bill was the drummer, I played tenor sax and electric bass, and we all sang.
I don’t remember whether the band went under the name of The Prodigies at that time or not, but it was under that name that we recorded “Don’t Look Back” and “KYSMYPH.” At some point the name of the band was changed to Sound Studio One, but I’m almost positive that didn’t happen until later.
As The Prodigies (a name that always made me cringe) we also released a Christmas recording of “Rudolph, the Red-nosed Reindeer” backed with “Sleigh Ride.”
As Sound Studio One we recorded “Never Tell” backed with a very strange “Never Marry a Woman Who is Taller Than You” that richly deserves (and should maintain) its status as unknown by virtually everyone.
The Prodigies/Sound Studio One was also used as the band behind various singers who recorded at rofran. One of those was Al Ierardi, who I believe had some success with “Drifter” backed with “Dureen.”
I was also doing some writing and arranging for other groups in the area and remember recording horn parts at rofran for at least one song by Feather Train.
At Rofran we were also writing and recording music and voice-overs for some ad agencies in the area. “Oh Boy, Tom Boy” was a commercial jingle written for a short-lived drive-in restaurant a-la McDonald’s.
At some point after leaving Sound Studio One I worked for a time with The Nickel Bag. The band at that time consisted of T.T. Coleman singing lead vocal, Bob Crownover on guitar, Rick Raines on organ, Pat Hammond on bass, John Phillips on drums, Rick Bendel and Ron Meng on trumpets, and Ron Dewar and me on tenor saxes). The group was very popular and quite busy in the Illinois-Indiana-Wisconsin area, but we never released a commercial recording.
I haven’t been in touch with Roger or Bill for quite a long time, but I get back to Champaign-Urbana a couple of times a year to do a jazz gig, and Gordon showed up at one of then a couple of years ago.

Shades of Blue Shades Rofran 45 Not The Way Love Should Be Impalas Rofran 45 Lost Beat

Roger Francisco wrote to me:

I still have file copies of most of the singles we released on RoFran (which I backed and promoted) and the Custom label (for which I was just studio for hire and processed the pressings for). I remember our ongoing special was a few hours of studio time and a hundred 45 RPM pressings for $100.
As we moved into the 70’s, I got involved with the annual Red Herring Coffee House folk festivals, location recording and producing their LPs, and ultimately got involved co-managing and publishing The Ship, running sound for their live gigs and mixing their Elektra album in LA, and also recording the early efforts of Dan Fogelburg.
I sold the studio operation to Al Ierardi (the Drifter single) around 1974-75 and ultimately became chief engineer at Creative Audio, home to Columbia artist Champaign. I eventually transitioned into commercials and industrial sound track production, and ultimately to Human Kinetics where I put together a corporate recording studio and produce all their DVD and web streaming soundtracks.

The Spoils of War consisted of James Cuomo, Roger Francisco, Frank Garvey, Al Ierardi, Anne Whitefish-Williams and James Stroud. They made a seven-inch, 33 1/3 rpm EP (sometimes listed as You’re Invited to Hear the Spoils of War) in 1969, running over seventeen minutes with five songs: “What Happend Now”, “Now Is Made in America”, “Henry T. Joseph”, “Void of Mystery” and “The Greyness Moves in Quietly”.

In 1999 the Shadoks label released recordings made in 1968 without Anne, and a second CD, The Spoils of War II unearthed further live and studio material from James Cuomo’s archives.

Rofran produced another lengthy seven-inch, 33 1/3 rpm, five song EP in 1970 for James Cuomo, known as Cuomo’s Record and featuring Al Ierardi, Charlie Braugham, Bob Witmer, Cal Drake, Larry Dwyer and Steve Larner. Side A: Suzan Never Smiles”, “Remembering”, “Ring, Magic Telephone, Ring”, and “Victoria Falls”; Side B: “Crimson Uniform”.

Rofran productions and discography (incomplete, any help would be appreciated):

Early 45s on Rofran, Custom and Syndicate seem to follow a 10xx numbering system:

Rofran 1001 – The Intruders “Deception” / “Intrudin'”
Rofran 1002 – The Rogues “Gone To Stay” / “Wait Till the Summer”
Rofran 1003 – Lee Rust “Scramble” / “Do You Ever Kinda Wonder?”
Rofran 1004 – Lee Rust “Mystery House” / “Come on Back”
Rofran 1005 – Lee Rust “Try, Try to Leave” (W.L. Rust) / “I’m Spoken For”
Rofran 1006 – Lee Rust “She’s Gone Tonight” / “World Made of Romance”
1007 – ?
1008 – ?
1009 – ?
Rofran 1010 – Sound Studio One “Kysmyph (KIS-MIF)” (Instrumental by Wilson-Smith-Steffen) / “Don’t Look Back” (H.A. Smith) (1966)
Rofran 1010 – The Prodigies “Kysmyph (KIS-MIF)” (Instrumental by Wilson-Smith-Steffen) / “Don’t Look Back” (H.A. Smith)
1011 – ?
Rofran 1012 – The Impalas “Kristina” / “Lost Beat” (both by R. Dilling)
Rofran 1013 – The Prodigies “I Want To Do It” / “What’d I Say” (1966)
Rofran 1014 – The Quaternotes “My Baby Left Me” / “You And I (Are In Love)”
1015 – ?
1016 – ?
1017 – ?
Rofran 1018 – The Lindsey Triplets “Tomorrow’s Another Day” (C.F. & R.E. Francisco) / “Terry”
Rofran 1019 – Al Ieradi – “Drifter” / “Dureen”
Custom 1020 – The Cliques “So Hard” (J.D. Vance, J.S. Walbillig) / “Ballad of a Destitute Man” (Jan. ’67, produced by Tim Abel)
Custom 1021 – The Keepers “Why Have You Changed” (S. J. Beresford) / “Tiny Teardrops” (Jan. ’67)
Star Record and Recording P-1022 – Count Demon and His Four Members – “(I Got To) Work With It” / “C-C Rider” (836R-1022, U4KM-9165/6)
1023 – ?
Custom 1024 – The Dearly Beloved “Cindy” (M. Gallivan) one-sided record
1025 – ?
Psychedelic 1026 – Puppet, Dingbat & Odie – “Transcontinental Balloon Ride” / “Julie” (836R-1026, U4KM-3650/1)
1027 – ?
Syndicate 1028 – The Ravins “Andy” / “I Had a Feeling”
1029 – ?
Shades 836R-1030 – The Shades of Blue “Not the Way Love Should Be” / “You Must Believe Me”
1031 – ?
1032 – ?
1033 – ?
1034 – ?
Custom 1035 – The Camaros “I Need You No More” / “Just For The Love Of A Man” (836R-1034)
Psychedelic Sounds 1035 – Howie Thayer and his Psycho-Electric Happening “Movin’, Groovin’ Fairy Tale” / “If Death Don’t Get You (Then the Government Will)” – 1968 -“A Custom Product of Rofran Enteprises”
1036 – ?
1037 – ?
1038 – ?
1039 – ?
1040 – ?
1041 – ?

Folksound 836R-1042 – K. Sandra Wyman (Spud Baldwin, guitar) “Until It’s Time For You To Go” / “Where Does It Lead” (W4KM-5157) with picture sleeve
1043 – ?
Psychedelic Sounds 1044 – Howie Thayer and his Psycho-Electric Happening – “Bazap!” / “Side 2”
Soul 1045 – Soul Brothers – “Twinkle Twinkle” / Miss Delores” (W4KM-5880, 836R-1045)
1046 – ?
Custom 836R-1047 – Linda Fanakos “Candyland Town” / “Let’s Make It Clear” (both by Linda Fanakos). Yellow label with RCA custom press X4KM-2636/2637, which indicates this was mastered in the second half of 1969. (label reads -“A Custom Product of Rofran Enteprises”)
Soul Sounds 1048 – Leroy Knox and the Gaypoppers – “The Mistakes I Made” / “Here I Am” (X4KM-3311)

Rofran 836R-2005 – Sound Studio One – “Never Tell” (Roger Francisco, H.A. Smith) / Never Marry (A Woman Who Is Taller Than You) prod. by Howie Smith, W4KM-4773, 1968

Marvin Lee Midwesterners Century Rofran 45 I've Made My Mind Up Other Rofran productions:

Rofran XALS-2605 – The Spoils of War “What Happend Now”, “Now Is Made in America”, “Henry T. Joseph”, “Void of Mystery”, and “The Greyness Moves in Quietly”

Depot Records (RoFran 0608) – James Cuomo (Cuomo’s Record) – “Suzan Never Smiles”, “Remembering”, “Ring”, “Magic Telephone”, Ring”, “Victoria Falls”, and “Crimson Uniform” 1970

Century 44090 – Mad John Fever “Breath & Thunder” / “One World Lost To Another” (1971?)

Century 35921 – Marvin Lee & the Midwesterners “I’ve Made My Mind Up (To Leave Today)” / “Until My Dream Come True”

Marvin Lee & the Midwesterners – album featuring Sandy Kay, Wil Wilson, Don Markham and Cousin Hi

Lindsey Triplets Rofran 45 Tomorrow's Another Day Notes:

The names on the Prodigies 45 are Howard A. Smith, Frederick W. Steffen III, and James Gordon Wilson. BMI listings show Wilson and Smith wrote a song I haven’t heard, “Oh Boy Tom Boy” with Roger Francisco.

The Keepers is not related to the New York group who cut “She Understands” on the Bravura label, nor do I believe it’s the same group that recorded “Now She’s Gone” for the Mystic label of Hazen, North Dakota.

Lindsey Triplets From a reader:

The “Lindsey Triplets” are identical triplets and were a very popular singing group at the time. They traveled the tri-state area performing at various venues. They also traveled on various U.S.O. tours to entertain the troops and made a few guest appearances on then popular variety shows on national television. For a short time they also were ‘fashion’ models (not Playboy Bunnies) for Playboy.
The group went by two different stage names “The Lindsey Triplets” and “The ABC Triplets (Their first names were Anita, Becky and Cathy). The song ‘Terry’ was sung by Becky with accompaniment from her sisters. While they looked alike their voices were distinctive and each triplet sang their own solos when performing.
They actually did a number of demo tapes of their songs. The group was very talented but did reach the notoriety they deserved due to poor management and not being adequately promoted.

The Lindsey Triplets had one commercial release, “Jiminy Jum Jum” / “Fallin’ in Love” on Top Rank 2010.

Thank you to Adam Lore for the loan of the Sound Studio One 45, to Mike Markesich for much information, to Myskatonic, Bob of Dead Wax, Jeff LaSee, Tim Adams, Ryan Luellwitz, Laurent Bigot, and Downstate Sounds for help with the discography.

Categories: England, London, Twickenham

The Legend (UK)

September 12, 2011 Chris Bishop 3 Comments

The Legend photo — from left: Doug Ayris, John Sergeant (hidden) and Brian Hoskins

The Legend were a Twickenham band that never recorded. Their members were bassist Brian Hoskins, lead guitarist Doug Ayris, Nigel Kingswell on lead vocals and John Sergeant on drums. Hoskins later joined the Kool. John Sergeant sent in the photos here and wrote to me about the band:

As promised here are some photos of myself and the Legend at Firestone’s tyre factory on the Great West Road, at Isleworth, near Heathrow. I look so young I can’t believe that it really is me. Doug Ayris is the one walking off the stage. Brian Hoskins is the one pointing at me! The buggers left me to do a 15 minute drum solo while they went for a pint and to chat up the girls.
We did lots of gigs in and around Twickenham area which took in Isleworth, Feltham R & B Club, Heatham House in Twickenham was one of our regular spots. They still have music and youth work there even now in 2011. Amazing! We must have deafened everybody because we played in a very small room.
All the bands at that time were doing R & B, all Howling Wolf and that sort of thing. We had been doing that stuff too but we discovered Zoot Money, Georgie Fame, plus some soul and out and out rock and roll and that was where we wanted to be. We played a wide range of stuff but NOT the R & B that everybody else was doing. We had Cliff Bennett, Johnny Kidd, the Drifters, the Impressions plus the best stuff of our own groups like the Hollies etc. It was a two guitar, drums and vocals line up and (we were told) was pretty damn good! Loved it anyway.
I am still very friendly with all the other guys in the band and we see each other quite regularly. However, I have lost touch with Brian and have been trying for years to find him. Last time I saw him was at a jam session above his battery business in Slough circa 1970.
John Sergeant

Garage Hangover