“Electrified People” is a funky instrumental with a rhythm that kind of follows “Who Do You Love” while an anonymous guitarist throws in repetitive fills with shameless use of the wah pedal. “One Thousand Dimension in Blue” has a more conventional blues structure, the guitar isn’t as wild and there’s a cheesy echo effect placed on the snare drum.
The 45 was mastered at Bell Sound, and issued on Red Lite Records 113. David Gordon commented below “definitely 1971, issued approx. June / July – the label was based in New York and was connected to DeLite (Kool & the Gang, etc).”
I don’t know anything about the group that recorded this, likely assembled in the studio for this session. The Jimmy Peterson credited on both sides seems to be the same Chicago-based songwriter, producer and singer who cut 45s on Limelight (“Half the Time” / “Kathy My Darling” both co-written with Joe DeFrancesco) and Chess (another collaboration with DeFrancesco, “Inside of Me”, b/w “Maria”, arranged by Gary Beisbier of the Mob.)
Sometimes listed as Jim B. Peterson or James Peterson, he wrote or co-wrote many songs, including “Beatle Time” and “This Is the Night” for the Livers (aka the Chicagoans) on Constellation, and as James Butler he did some production work for USA and wrote still more songs, including for the Daughters of Eve (“Symphony of My Soul” and “Social Tragedy”), the Lincoln Park Tragedy, and “Don’t Let It Slip Away” for Ral Donner on StarFire.
James Holvay wrote on Spectropop:
Jimmy Peterson was a singer, entertainer, songwriter and a pretty creative guy in general. He formed the group The Chicagoans along with Gary Beisbier, myself, Bobby Ruffino, Chuck Russell and Larry McCabe. I was the guitar player in the group. We were living in New York in ’63 and performing at various clubs in the city (i.e. Peppermint Lounge, Metropole, etc.)
Peterson being the salesman that he was, convinced Ed Cody/Stereo Sonic Recording in Chicago, into giving us free studio time. In exchange, we would provide the musicians, artists, songs, etc. and become our own Motown and split 50/50 with Ed. We recorded a lot of tracks, most of which I wrote or co-wrote with Peterson.
Unfortunately, depending on Peterson’s greedy mood, the 45’s would come out by “whomever” and sometimes I got credit and sometimes I didn’t. I, along with all the other guys in the band, eventually got fed up and kicked him out of the band, after a 2 week engagement, backing up JoAnn Cambell at a club called the Hollyoak in Indianapolis. The Taylor Brothers were named after Taylor Street (Italian neighborhood) in Chicago. He loved Jerry Butler and that’s why he took his last name. We were also The Livers/”Beatletime”, which I believe Clark Weber (DJ/WLS) came up with, after he heard the acetate. The Kane & Abel singles were produced, after we had severed our relationship with Peterson.
Joe Defrancesco, a local promoter in Chicago, would find a lot of the acts that The Chicagoans produced, even though Peterson would have his name all over the label. Joe found an R&B group in Milwaukee called Little Artie and The Pharoahs. Artie and his brother Al Herrera were Kane & Abel and were the original lead singers when The Mob was formed. Artie got drafted at the peak of the Vietnam war and Al became “Big Al”, the lead singer for The Mob.
Joe Pytel, Jr. sent me many photos and much info on Jim Peterson:
The Mob [had] several personal changes bringing in Jimmy Ford and Mike Sistak from Jimmy Ford & The Executives. Joe DeFrancesco was a promoter & money-man for the Mob as well some other Chicago area bands. He tragically died in a basement fire while still fairly a young man.
According to Carl Bonafede (original manager of The Daughters of Eve), Jimmy Peterson did write under the aliases James Butler and James Dawg as well.
Dan Ferone sent me scans and clips of a 45 by the Invaders on the United label, “With a Tear” (written by Peter Polzak” / “A Song for Squirrel” (by James Butler). Both sides say “orch. arranged and conducted by James Butler” and recorded in Chicago. “With a Tear” lists Butler as producer and credits Polzak with vocal arrangements. It is likely this is Jimmy Peterson under the James Butler pseudonym.
The Electrified People 45 postdates Peterson’s association with James Holvay and Joe DeFrancesco. The closest association I can find is that Jimmy Peterson wrote and produced two 45s for Yvonne Daniels, “I Got to Get Close to You” / “Spread the Word” on De-Lite DE-451 and “Super Soul Music” “I Got to Get Close to You” on Red Lite 117. This is the only other De-Lite or Red Lite 45 that I can find Jimmy’s name on, but my discography is incomplete.
Incomplete Red Lite discography: Any help with this would be appreciated
Red Lite RL 102 – Crystal Ship – Mary Jane Fletcher (Michael Berardi and Richard Berardi) / Lovin’ Stuff (Richard Berardi) (Produced by Bob Yorey)
Red Lite RL 111 – Johnny Desmond with Candullo-Val Blues Band – Red Lips / Jim Webb – Didn’t We (with PS)
Red Lite RL 113 – Electrified People – Electrified People / One Thousand Dimension in Blue Red Lite RL 114 – Dennis Robinson – Hard to Handle / Unchained Melody (prod. by Larry Philips, arranged by Barry Alley) Red Lite RL 115 – Piccolino Pop Strings – Clown Town / Vous Etes Beau (both written by Gladys Shelley) Red Lite RL 116 – Sammy Taylor (and Hot as Hell) – Something the Devil’s Never Done / Send Her Back (Sammy Taylor) Produced by Melting Pots) Red Lite RL 117 – Yvonne Daniels – Super Soul Music / I Got to Get Close to You Red Lite RL 118 – Underground Lite Bulb Co. – Evil Ways (L. Zack) / Happy People (P. Martone) produced by Vince Castellano and Bob Yorey Red Lite RL 119 – Jean Battle – Love Making / When a Woman Loves a Man (both songs written and produced by Sam Dees)
First notice I can find of Birsen, from 1964Ad for Birsen Armağan’s first Melodi single in Hafta Sonu Ilavesi (Weekend Edtion), February 1967. Yurdaer Doğulu is listed as “guitarist with the National Orchestra”.
Here’s a neat single from female vocalist Birsen Armağan with the Yurdaer Doğulu Orchestra, one of a dozen singles from Turkey I found while on vacation in the Florida Keys earlier this month. “Helvaci” has an interesting guitar and bass opening, but I prefer “Gül Ayşe”, with it’s unusual rhythm and long guitar intro.
This 45 dates to early 1967, and though the instrumentation is mainly western (electric guitar and bass, organ, drums) the songs are very much in a Turkish style.
Her 1968 single on Melodi, “Gel Gel Gel” (“Come Come Come”) / “Ah! Yalancilik” (“Cinderella Rockafella” – a song by Mason Williams and Nancy Ames popularized by the Israeli duo Ester and Abi Ofarim) is much different, as “Gel Gel Gel” is straight-up ye ye style pop.
I don’t know much about Birsen. She may have done some film work as well, but her singing career seems to have quieted in the early ’70s. I don’t know of any other records by Birsen though I wouldn’t be surprised to learn of more.
All the news clippings shown here come from the Milliyet newspaper and its weekend edition, Hafta Sonu Ilavesi.
Thanks to Max “King Boogalouie” for the second Melodi 45 scan and transfers.
Concert ad, February 1967Ad for a concert engagement in 1971December 1968Solo artist, 1969
“A picture of the Sting Rays when we were at the top of our game.” From left: Cecil DeHart, Tom Pittman, “Butch” Schodt, Randy Vaughn, Tom Parker and Vince Screeney
For the 500th story I’ve done on US artists and labels since starting this site, I’m featuring a couple records that are very obscure and rarely heard, but both excellent examples of the sound of bands in the Tidewater region in the mid-60s.
The Sting Rays came from Portsmouth, Virginia. They had two 45s, one on Lawn and another on Vermillion. Both 45s feature an r&b influenced vocal number on one side, and an instrumental on the other.
Their first record is quite a rocker, featuring the swinging horn-led instro “Ele-Phink” backed with the fine, tough vocal “Hey Girl, Watcha Gonna Do” on the flip. Both songs written by R. Vaughn and published through Palmina Music and Florentine, BMI.
“I Need Her”, the vocal side of their second 45 might be their best track. The soulful singing is strong and the horns work perfectly with the driving rhythm section. “Calhoon-a”, the instrumental side, featured piano with bursts of horns (sorry about the warbled sound on this transfer). “Cahoon-A” was written by Tommy Parker, while “I Need Her” was by Tommy Pitman. Both sides produced by F.W. Singleton and published by Florentine Music, BMI. Released on Vermillion 107, the RCA custom press number S4KM-8478/9 indicates that this was pressed in the first half of 1965.
Their lead guitarist Vince Screeney took over on bass for the Swinging Machine when Evan Pierce was in the army.
Vince wrote to me that his time with the Machine, as he calls them, “started with me playing lead guitar for a rival band, The Sting Rays.” Vince gave me some background on the group and sent in the photo at top:
The Sting Rays were:
Cecil DeHart – bass Tom Pittman – lead sax and vocals “Butch” Schodt – drums Randy Vaughn – sax, vocals Tom Parker – organ Vince Screeney – guitar, vocals
These were the members in the group that made the records and we were in top form before we had to break up so that three of our guys could go to college. This is the same group that shared the stage and alternated sets and jam sessions with the Rhondels at the Top Hat club in Virginia Beach.
We certainly weren’t any slouches and recorded twice at a studio in Accokeek, MD. It’s hard to read on the Vermillion label but if you look closely you’ll see that they were recorded by Ray Vernon Productions. His real name was Vernon Ray and he was the brother of Link Wray. Yes, he spelled it differently and I guess he had his reasons. He joked with us that he called his little basement studio “Ray’s Three Track Chicken Shack”. We got to meet Link Wray at our final recording session and I can tell you it was a real charge for me to meet the rockabilly legend.
The Sting Rays had a manager, a retired Portsmouth cop named Woody Singleton who was responsible for getting us recorded. I believe he must have met Vernon during the time Vernon was driving taxis in Portsmouth.
By the way, in case you’re curious, those were yellow shirts, white pants, burgundy jackets and ascots! and of course… Weejuns!
Sadly, we lost Randy on Dec. 23, 2010. The rest of us are hoping for a reunion soon. Thanks to all who remember us and wish us well.
Vince Screeney
I’m sorry to report Vince Screeney passed away on May 25, 2013. Last time I heard from Vince in 2011 he said the remaining Sting Rays were planning a reunion. Vince helped me put this page on the Sting Rays together, and also wrote to me about his next group, the Swinging Machine. He lived in a golden age for music generally and Portsmouth especially.
The Sting Rays with Elsie Strong top row, L-R: Brent Brower, Cecil Dehart, Tommy Parker Middle row, L-R: Bob Watkins, Randy Boone Bottom row, L-R: Roger Thacker, Elsie Strong, Terry Legum
Randy Boone sent in the photo above with a later lineup of the Sting Rays that included:
Elsie Strong – lead vocals Roger Thacker – lead vocals Terry Legum – lead guitar Cecil Dehart – bass Tommy Parker – Hammond organ Randy Boone – drums Brent Brower – horns David Todd – horns Bob Watkins – trumpet
Thank you to Vince Screeney for the scans of both records and the photo of the group, to Chris Beisel for help with an ID in the second photo, and to Mop Top Mike.
Vermillion (Ver-Million, get it?) had some cool 45s, most notably the Executioners “You Won’t Find Me” / “Haunting My Mind”, the top side of which is a fantastic garage number with a cool guitar intro. The band is still something of a mystery, so if anyone hears of an Executioners from Virginia, Maryland or even PA, please let me know!
Site of the Ealing Jazz Club, photo taken December 2010
The Ealing Jazz Club (or the Ealing Club as it was more commonly known) was one of London’s most historically important music venues during the 1960s. Situated below the ABC bakery, opposite Ealing Broadway station, in the leafy West London suburb of Ealing, the club became renowned as London’s first significant R&B venue when blues enthusiasts Alexis Korner and Cyril Davies’s band Blues Incorporated debuted in March 1962.
Nicknamed the “Moist Hoist” because of the condensation that used to drip down the walls, the club hosted many of London’s most distinguished R&B acts, and in April of that year provided the setting for the first meeting between Messrs.’ Jagger and Richard and Brian Jones, who formed the nucleus of The Rolling Stones, a club regular during 1962 and 1963.
A virtual who’s who of famous British R&B enthusiasts appeared on the club’s tiny stage over the next three years, most notably Blues Incorporated members Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker (who went on to Cream among others); Eric Clapton; Graham Bond; John Mayall; Long John Baldry; Eric Burdon; and Paul Jones, Manfred Mann’s lead singer, to mention just a few names.
Another of London’s top R&B acts The Who performed their first advertised show at the club in November 1964 and played regularly there during the early part of 1965. Jeff Beck’s band The Tridents also graced the club’s stage and, according to Melody Maker, appeared regularly on the Wednesday and Friday night slots during the summer of 1964.
And let’s not forget Dick Taylor, who left an early incarnation of The Rolling Stones to form his own pioneering R&B band, The Pretty Things. Incidentally, future Rolling Stone, Ron Wood was another famous musician who frequented the club with his band, the unforgettable Birds. His brother, the late Art Wood also appeared there, playing with Blues Incorporated and fronting his own band, The Artwoods.
As an R&B hotbed, the club became a magnet for London’s music crowd, drawing in the likes of Rod Stewart; future Jimi Hendrix drummer Mitch Mitchell; Don Craine and the rest of The Downliners Sect; future Faces keys man Ian McLagan, who was working with Twickenham band, The Muleskinners; and future Deep Purple founder Nick Simper, whose early Sixties outfit, The Delta Five were one of the many acts to appear.
Many of the British musicians that either played at the club or witnessed the burgeoning R&B scene emerging from it, took what they had learnt and/or seen to overseas markets as part of the British invasion.
Locals, the late Frank Kennington, who later managed Motorhead, and lead guitarist Mick Liber, whose band Frankie Reid and The Casuals (with future Episode Six drummer John Kerrison among others) had played at the Ealing Club, headed Down Under and formed one of Australia’s finest R&B groups, the original Python Lee Jackson.
Singer Andy Keiller caught many of the acts, including an embryonic Rolling Stones with Carlo Little on drums and Ricky Brown on bass and was so inspired that he headed off to South Africa and subsequently formed The Upsetters in late 1965.
Keiller’s soon-to-be collaborator, Irish guitarist Louis McKelvey and his friend, drummer Malcolm Tomlinson, meanwhile, had played with Jeff Curtis & The Flames, who frequently played at the Ealing Club during its formative years.
After their brief stint together in South Africa, Andy Keiller and Louis McKelvey amazingly reunited in Canada in the late 1960s, founding the experimental band, Influence.
McKelvey subsequently returned to the UK to pick up Malcolm Tomlinson, who’d been working with a pre-Jethro Tull Martin Barre and then headed back to Toronto to form Milkwood, authors of a soon-to-be released LP, recorded with the legendary Jerry Ragovoy at the NYC’s Hit Factory in summer of 1969.
Likewise, many other not so famous musicians who played the Ealing Club went on to produce fascinating music in the burgeoning psychedelic scene. Locals Chris Jackson and Tom Newman fronted R&B band The Tomcats (who also worked as The Thoughts) and later formed one of Britain’s more interesting psych ventures, July, after a stint in Spain.
Jon Field and Tony Duhig were also members of July and had earlier worked with another Ealing Club regular – The Second Thoughts, alongside future Thunderclap Newman, drummer/vocalist Speedy Keen and Patrick Campbell Lyons, who later formed the core of another top psych act, Nirvana.
Jimmy Royal, yet another local talent, was a club regular and fronted one of the area’s most respected bands, The Hawks, which featured former Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers (the recently deceased) guitarist Mick King (real name Mick Borer) and drummer Terry Mabey among others.
And let’s not forget the many obscure bands that got to play at this prestigious club – groups like The Fairlanes, The Four Sounds, Johnnie Harris and The Shades and The Fantastic Soul Messengers.
With many of these great musicians already gone, Garagehangover would like to use this space to encourage musicians, club regulars, promoters and any others with any memories, memorabilia, photos and details of live dates to share this on the site in the comment box below.
Unless otherwise stated, the following (incomplete) gigs listing is from the Middlesex County Times & West Middlesex Gazette, which advertised who played at the Ealing Club in its “Coming Events” section towards the back.
The main exception is 1963 where Melody Maker was the main source for gigs unless otherwise noted.
Thanks to Paul Lucas for The Tridents’ gigs, taken from his diary.
January 1963 (only part of this month has listings)
Friday 11 – The London City Stompers (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Friday 18 – The Ken Stuart Seven
Tuesday 22 – The Colne Valley Six
Saturday 26 – The Rolling Stones
February 1963 (only part of this month has listings)
Keith Gardiner, rhythm guitar player with Jeff Curtis & The Flames, says his band played the Ealing Club a few times during the early months of 1963
Tuesday 5 – The Rolling Stones
Friday 8 – Blue Cedar Jazzmen (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Saturday 9 – The Rolling Stones
Friday 15 – Johnny Toogood’s Jazzband (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Saturday 16 – The Rolling Stones
Friday 22 – Colne Valley Six (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Saturday 23 – The Rolling Stones
March 1963 (only part of this month has listings)
Friday 1 – Eric Johnson’s Junction Jazz Band
Saturday 2 – The Rolling Stones
According to John Kerrison’s autobiography It Ain’t Rock ‘N’ Roll, The Rolling Stones had a regular Thursday night residency, which Kerrison’s band, Frankie Reid & The Casuals took over. Judging by the dates, it looks more likely that it was a Saturday rather than Thursday night residency.
Friday 8 – Kid Martyn’s Ragtime Band
Monday 11 – The Rockets (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Saturday 16 – The Rolling Stones (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Monday 18 – The Rocket Men (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Friday 22 – Thames City Jazzmen
Saturday 23 – Blues By Six (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Sunday 24 – Sonny Morris Veterans Jazz Band
Monday 25 – The Rocket Men (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Friday 29 – Bob Woolley’s Jazz Band
Saturday 30 – The Rolling Stones (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Sunday 31 – Micky Ashman’s Ragtime Jazz Band
April 1963 (only part of this month has listings)
Monday 1 – The Rocket Men (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Saturday 13 – The Rolling Stones (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Monday 15 – The Rocket Men (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Thursday 18 – Jimmy Royal & The Hawks (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Saturday 20 – The Rolling Stones (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Monday 22 – The Rocket Men (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Thursday 25 – Jimmy Royal & The Hawks (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Friday 26 – Bob Woolley’s Jazzmen
Saturday 27 – The Rolling Stones (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Sunday 28 – Mann-Hugg Blues Band (This was the first Ealing Club show by the band that became Manfred Mann)
Monday 29 – The Rocket Men (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
May 1963 (only part of this month has listings)
Friday 3 – The Sidewalk Six and The Phoenix Thumpers
Sunday 5 – The Mann-Hugg Blues Band
Thursday 9 – Jimmy Royal & The Hawks (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Friday 10 – The Cardinal Jazzmen
Saturday 11 – The Rolling Stones (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Sunday 12 – The Mann-Hugg Blues Band
Monday 13 – Rock ‘N’ Roll (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Friday 17 – The Dauphine Street Six
Sunday 19 – The Mann-Hugg Blues Band
Thursday 23 – Frankie Reid & The Casuals (Harrow Observer & Gazette) (Members at this time went on to Python Lee Jackson and Episode Six)
Friday 24 – Douggie Richford’s Jazzmen
Saturday 25 – The Rolling Stones (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Sunday 26 – The Mann-Hugg Blues Band
Monday 27 – The Running Gate (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Friday 31 – The Dolphin Jazz Band
June 1963 (only part of this month has listings)
Sunday 2 – The Mann-Hugg Blues Band
Sunday 9 – The Mann-Hugg Blues Band
Tuesday 11 – The Boys and The Henchman (Harrow Observer) (The Boys became The Action; The Henchmen evolved into The Rockin’ Eccentrics – see below)
Thursday 13 – Frankie Reid & The Casuals and Jimmy Royal & The Hawks (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Friday 14 – The Cardinal Jazzmen
Saturday 15 – Graham Bond (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Sunday 16 – The Mann-Hugg Blues Band (Harrow Observer & Gazette has them billed as The Blues Brothers but also lists The Chinese Blues and Manhogs)
Monday 17 – The Boys and The Henchmen (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Thursday 20 – Frankie Reid & The Casuals and Jimmy Royal & The Hawks (Harrow Observer)
Friday 21 – Charlie Gall’s Jazz Band
Saturday 22 – The Graham Bond Quartet
Sunday 23 – The Mann-Hugg Blues Band (Harrow Observer & Gazette bill them as fabulous Rolling Blues Brothers)
Monday 24 – The Henchmen (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Friday 28 – Bob Wooley’s Jazz Band
Sunday 30 – The Mann-Hugg Blues Band
July 1963 (only part of this month has listings)
Friday 5 – The Renegades (Harrow Observer & Gazette has The Limelights)
Sunday 7 – The Mann-Hugg Blues Band (This was the final gig under this name before switching to Manfred Mann)
Wednesday 10 – The Soundsmen (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Friday 12 – The Limelights (this band became The Legends)
Wednesday 17 – Mike Forde & The Fortunes (Drummer Lindsay Bex joined The Tridents in January 1964 but left soon after Jeff Beck joined)
Friday 19 – The Limelights
Wednesday 24 – The International Monarchs
August 1963 (only part of this month has listings)
Friday 2 – The Limelights
Wednesday 7 – Alexis Korner’s Blues Incorporated
Wednesday 28 – Blues by Six
September 1963 (only part of this month has listings)
Wednesday 4 – The Graham Bond Quartet
October 1963 (only part of this month has listings)
Saturday 5 – Manfred Mann (First Ealing gig under their new name)
Wednesday 16 – The Bluenotes
November 1963 (only part of this month has listings)
Saturday 9 – Manfred Mann
Saturday 30 – Manfred Mann
December 1963 (only part of this month has listings)
Sunday 1 – The Fantastic Soul Messengers (billed as every Sunday) (Mitch Mitchell played drums at the start alongside sax player Terry Marshall, who was Jim Marshall’s son)
Sunday 8 – The Fantastic Soul Messengers
Saturday 14 – Manfred Mann
Sunday 15 – The Fantastic Soul Messengers
Saturday 21 – Manfred Mann
Sunday 22 – The Fantastic Soul Messengers
Sunday 29 – The Fantastic Soul Messengers
January 1964 (only part of this month has listings)
Saturday 4 – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers (billed as playing every Saturday)
Friday 10 – The Tridents (Guitarist Leslie Jones joined Four Plus One in August 1964 with former Tridents drummer Ken Lawrence; they became The In Crowd who subsequently morphed into Tomorrow)
Saturday 11 – Possibly John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers (needs confirmation)
Monday 13 – The Tridents
Saturday 18 – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers
Monday 20 – Mitz Mitton New Orleans Jazz Band (billed as every Monday)
Wednesday 22 – The Tridents
Thursday 23 – Jimmy Royal & The Hawks (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Saturday 25 – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers
Sunday 26 – The Soul Messengers (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Monday 27 – Mitz Mitton New Orleans Jazz Band
Wednesday 29 – The Tridents
Thursday 30 – The Chessmen (Harrow Observer & Gazette) (aka Tony Knight’s Chessmen)
February 1964 (only part of this month has listings)
Saturday 1 – The Soul Messengers (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Saturday 8 – The Soul Messengers (Melody Maker however lists John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers)
Sunday 9 – Frankie Reid & The Casuals
Monday 10 – Mitz Mitton New Orleans Jazz Band
Wednesday 12 – The Tridents
Wednesday 19 – The Tridents
Wednesday 26 – The Tridents
March 1964 (only part of this month has listings)
Wednesday 4 – The Tridents
Friday 6 – R&B group
Photo: Harrow Observer & Gazette
Wednesday 11 – The Tridents
Friday 13 – R&B group
Wednesday 18 – The Tridents
Thursday 19 – Top West London groups (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Saturday 21 – Jimmy Williamson Trio (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Sunday 22 – The Soul Messengers (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Monday 23 – Mitz Mitton New Orleans Jazz Band (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Wednesday 25 – The Tridents
Thursday 26 – Jeff Curtis & The Flames (Ruislip & Northwood Gazette) (Members at this point went on to The Manchester Playboys, Influence and The Penny Peeps among others)
Friday 27 – The Tridents
Saturday 28 – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers (Ruislip & Northwood Gazette)
Sunday 29 – The Soul Messengers (Ruislip & Northwood Gazette)
Monday 30 – Mitz Mitton New Orleans Jazz Band
April 1964
Wednesday 1 – The Tridents
Thursday 2 – Jeff Curtis & The Flames
Friday 3
Saturday 4 – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers
Sunday 5 – The Soul Messengers
Monday 6
Tuesday 7
Wednesday 8 – The Tridents
Thursday 9 – Geoff Cortez & The Flame (This is Jeff Curtis & The Flames) (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Friday 10 – R&B group
Saturday 11 – The Soul Messengers (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Sunday 12 – The Second Thoughts (Harrow Observer & Gazette) (Members went on to Nirvana, Thunderclap Newman, July and Jade Warrior)
Monday 13 – Mitz Mitton New Orleans Jazz Band
Tuesday 14
Wednesday 15
Thursday 16 – Geoff Cortez & The Flame (sic) (this is Jeff Curtis & The Flames)
Friday 17
Saturday 18 – The Mark Leeman Five (Harrow Observer & Gazette) (Members went on to The Nice, Gass and Herbie Goins & The Night-Timers among others)
Sunday 19 – The Second Thoughts
Monday 20 – The Casuals (Most likely Frankie Reid & The Casuals) (Melody Maker lists Mitz Mitton New Orleans Jazz Band on Monday, 20 April)
Tuesday 21
Wednesday 22
Photo: Harrow Observer & Gazette
Thursday 23 – Jeff Curtis & The Flames (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Friday 24
Saturday 25 – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Sunday 26 – The Second Thoughts
Monday 27 – The Casuals (Most likely Frankie Reid & The Casuals)
Tuesday 28
Wednesday 29 – The Tridents
Thursday 30 – Jeff Curtis & The Flames
May 1964
Friday 1
Saturday 2 – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers
Sunday 3 – The Fabulous Second Thoughts (This is The Second Thoughts)
Monday 4
Tuesday 5
Wednesday 6 – The Tridents
Thursday 7 – Jimmy Royal & The Hawks (aka James Royal & The Hawks)
Friday 8 – R&B group
Saturday 9 – The Mark Leemen Five
Sunday 10 – The Second Thoughts
Monday 11 – The Soul Messengers (Mitch Mitchell left before the band became The Next 5 in the summer. After playing a gig with The Rockin’ Eccentrics in Portsmouth, he formed The Riot Squad)
Tuesday 12
Wednesday 13 – The Tridents
Thursday 14 – Jimmy Royal & The Hawks (aka James Royal & The Hawks)
Friday 15
Saturday 16 – The Mark Leemen’s Five (aka Mark Leemen Five)
Sunday 17 – Fabulous Second Thoughts (This is The Second Thoughts)
Monday 18 – The Hobos
Tuesday 19
Wednesday 20
Thursday 21 – Jimmy Royal & The Hawks (aka James Royal & The Hawks)
Friday 22
Saturday 23 – The Mark Leemen Five
Sunday 24 – The Second Thoughts
Monday 25 – The Hobos
Tuesday 26
Wednesday 27
Thursday 28 – Jimmy Royal & The Hawks (aka James Royal & The Hawks
Friday 29 – The Tridents
Saturday 30 – The Mark Leemen Five
Sunday 31 – The Second Thoughts
June 1964
Monday 1 – The Hobos
Tuesday 2
Wednesday 3 – The Tridents
Thursday 4 – Manfred Mann
Friday 5 – The Tridents
Photo: Harrow Observer & Gazette
Saturday 6 – The Mark Leemen Five
Sunday 7 – The Second Thoughts
Monday 8 – The Hobos
Tuesday 9
Wednesday 10 – The Tridents
Thursday 11 – Manfred Mann (Harrow Observer & Gazette has Frankie Reid & The Casuals)
Friday 12 – The Preachers (Terry Clark and Andy Bown went on to original line up of The Herd)
Saturday 13 – The Mark Leemen Five (This might have been The Tridents; Harrow Observer & Gazette lists the latter)
Sunday 14 – The Second Thoughts
Monday 15 – The Hobos
Tuesday 16
Wednesday 17 – The Tridents
Thursday 18 – Frankie Reid & The Casuals (Members at this point went on to Python Lee Jackson and Episode Six among others)
Friday 19 – The Fairlanes
Saturday 20 – The Tridents (Harrow Observer & Gazette lists The Mark Leeman Five)
Sunday 21 – The Second Thoughts
Monday 22 – The Hobos
Tuesday 23
Wednesday 24 – The Tridents
Thursday 25 – Frankie Reid & The Casuals
Friday 26 – Gene & The Cossacks
Saturday 27– The Mark Leemen Five
Sunday 28 – The Second Thoughts
Monday 29 – The Hobos
Tuesday 30
July 1964
Wednesday 1 – The Tridents
Thursday 2 – Frankie Reid & The Casuals
Friday 3 – R&B group
Saturday 4 – The Mark Leemen Five
Sunday 5 – The Second Thoughts
Monday 6 – The Hobos
Tuesday 7
Wednesday 8
Thursday 9 – Frankie Reid & The Casuals
Friday 10 – The Tridents
Saturday 11 – Mark Lemon (sic) – (This is The Mark Leeman Five)
Sunday 12 – The Second Thoughts
Monday 13 – The Hobos
Tuesday 14
Wednesday 15 – The Tridents
Thursday 16 – Frankie Reid & The Casuals
Friday 17 – R&B
Saturday 18 – Mark Lemon (sic) – (This is The Mark Leemen Five) (Harrow Observer & Gazette has The Second Thoughts)
Sunday 19 – The Second Thoughts
Monday 20 – Gerry Hart & The Heartbeats (This group became The Eyes)
Tuesday 21
Wednesday 22
Thursday 23 – Frankie Reid & The Casuals
Friday 24
Saturday 25 – The Second Thoughts (Harrow Observer & Gazette has The Mark Leeman Five)
Photo: Harrow Observer & Gazette
Sunday 26 – The Second Thoughts (Harrow Observer & Gazette has The Macabre)
Monday 27 – The Hobos
Tuesday 28
Wednesday 29 – The Tridents
Thursday 30 – Frankie Reid & The Casuals
Friday 31 – R&B
August 1964
Saturday 1 – The Mark Leemen Five
Sunday 2 – The Macabre (Guitarist Peter Vernon-Kell had been a very early member of The Who when they were called The Detours. He would go to become an original member of The Hamilton Movement)
Monday 3 – R&B (possibly The Hobos)
Tuesday 4
Wednesday 5 – The Tridents
Thursday 6 – R&B
Friday 7 – Group Four
Saturday 8 – R&B (possibly The Mark Leemen Five)
Sunday 9 – R&B (possibly The Macabre)
Monday 10 – R&B (possibly The Hobos)
Tuesday 11
Wednesday 12 – The Tridents
Thursday 13 – R&B
Friday 14 – The Koalas
Saturday 15 – R&B (possibly The Mark Leemen Five)
Sunday 16 – R&B (possibly The Macabre)
Monday 17 – R&B (possibly The Hobos)
Tuesday 18
Wednesday 19 – The Tridents (Shortly after this gig, the band’s guitarist Leslie Jones left to join Four Plus One/The In Crowd and Mike Jopp covered until Jeff Beck joined in early September)
Thursday 20 – R&B
Friday 21 – The Preachers
Saturday 22 – R&B (possibly The Mark Leemen Five)
Sunday 23 – R&B (possibly The Macabre)
Monday 24 – R&B (possibly The Hobos)
Tuesday 25
Wednesday 26 – R&B
Thursday 27 – R&B
Friday 28 – R&B
Saturday 29 – R&B (possibly The Mark Leemen Five)
Sunday 30 – R&B (possibly The Macabre)
Monday 31 – R&B (possibly The Hobos)
September 1964
Tuesday 1
Wednesday 2 – R&B
Thursday 3 – R&B
Friday 4 – R&B
Saturday 5 – R&B (possibly The Mark Leemen Five)
Sunday 6 – R&B (possibly The Macabre)
Monday 7 – R&B (possibly The Hobos)
Tuesday 8
Wednesday 9 – R&B
Thursday 10 – Frankie Reid & The Casuals (guest star Jimmy Royal) (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Friday 11 – R&B
Saturday 12 – The Mark Leemen Five (Saturdays)
Sunday 13 – The Macabre (Sundays)
Monday 14 – The Hobos (Mondays)
Tuesday 15
Wednesday 16 – Buddy Britten & The Regents (every Wednesday)
Thursday 17 – Frankie Reid & The Casuals (guest star Jimmy Royal)
Friday 18 – The Preachers
Photo: Ruislip & Northwood Gazette
Saturday 19 – The Mark Leemen Five
Sunday 20 – The Macabre
Monday 21 – The Hobos
Tuesday 22
Wednesday 23 – Buddy Britten & The Regents
Thursday 24 – Jimmy Royal & The Hawks and Frankie Reid & The Casuals
Friday 25 – The Vincents
Photo: Harrow Observer & Gazette
Saturday 26 – The Mark Leemen Five (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Sunday 27 – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers and The Mokes (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Monday 28 – The Macabre (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Thursday 31 – The Rockin’ Eccentrics and The South West Five
January 1965
Friday 1
Saturday 2 – The Who
Sunday 3 – The Hobos
Monday 4 – The Dee Lobs
Tuesday 5
Wednesday 6 – Alexis Korner
Thursday 7 – The Rockin’ Eccentrics (Ruislip & Northwood Gazette)
Friday 8 – The Heart & Souls (According to Ken Samuels, this was possibly with Flight One)
Saturday 9 – The Who
Sunday 10 – The Mark Leemen Five
Monday 11 – The Dee Lobs
Tuesday 12
Wednesday 13 – Alexis Korner
Thursday 14 – The Rockin’ Eccentrics
Friday 15 – Beau & The Odd Lot
Saturday 16 – The Ray Martin Group (Terry Marshall, Jim’s Marshall’s son was a member)
Sunday 17 – The Mark Leemen Five
Monday 18 – The Dee Lobs
Tuesday 19
Wednesday 20 – Alexis Korner
Thursday 21 – The Rockin’ Eccentrics
Friday 22 – Just Memphis
Saturday 23 – The Ray Martin Group
Sunday 24 – The Mark Leemen Five
Monday 25 – The Dee Lobs
Tuesday 26
Wednesday 27 – Alexis Korner
Thursday 28 – The Rockin’ Eccentrics
Friday 29 – The Nature Boys
Saturday 30 – The Who
Sunday 31 – The Ray Martin Group
February 1965
Monday 1 – The Dee Lobs
Tuesday 2
Wednesday 3
Thursday 4 – The Rockin’ Eccentrics (and Jimmy Royal & The Hawks?)
Friday 5 – Wainwright’s Gentlemen (Ian Gillan on lead vocals) and The Unit 5
Saturday 6 – The Ray Martin Group
Sunday 7 – Group Competition – 5 Top Groups!
Monday 8 – The Dee Lobs
Tuesday 9
Wednesday 10 – Unit 5 (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Photo: Melody Maker
Thursday 11 – The Who (Billed as “The Who London 1965” for next four Thursdays)
Friday 12 – The Miston Tuac
Saturday 13
Sunday 14 – The Mark Leemen Five
Monday 15 – The Rockin’ Eccentrics
Tuesday 16
Wednesday 17 – The Blue Ravens
Photo: Melody Maker
Thursday 18 – The Who
Friday 19 – The Beaux Oddlot (aka Beau & The Odd Lot)
Saturday 20 – The Ray Martin Group
Sunday 21 – The Mark Leemen Five
Monday 22 – The Rockin’ Eccentrics
Tuesday 23
Wednesday 24 – The Blue Ravens
Photo: Harrow Observer & Gazette
Thursday 25 – The Who
Friday 26 – Just Memphis
Saturday 27 – The Ray Martin Group
Sunday 28 – The Mark Leemen Five
March 1965
Monday 1 – The Birds
Tuesday 2
Wednesday 3 – The Blue Ravens
Thursday 4 – The Who
Friday 5 – The Nature Boys
Saturday 6 – The Mark Leemen Five
Sunday 7 – The Ray Martin Group
Monday 8 – The Birds
Tuesday 9
Wednesday 10 – The Blue Ravens
Photo: Harrow Observer & Gazette
Thursday 11 – The Birds
Friday 12 – The Blue Ravens
Saturday 13 – The Ray Martin Group
Sunday 14 – The Fetish Crowd
Monday 15 – The Birds
Tuesday 16
Wednesday 17 – The Who
Thursday 18 – The Birds (Harrow Observer & Gazette) (Confirmed by Ron Woods’ book)
Friday 19 – The Clique
Saturday 20 – The Five Dimension (The Stormsville Shakers are also listed for this date)
Sunday 21 – The Mark Leemen Five
Monday 22 – The Just Four
Tuesday 23
Wednesday 24 – The Who
Thursday 25 – The Birds
Photo: Harrow Observer & Gazette
Friday 26 – The Who and The Fetish Crowd
Saturday 27 – The Ray Martin Group
Sunday 28 – The Mark Leemen Five
Monday 29 – The Just Four
Tuesday 30
Wednesday 31 – The Maroons (This band may have backed Wilson Pickett on a British tour)
April 1965
Thursday 1 – The Maroons (Harrow Observer & Gazette)
Friday 2 – The Clique
Saturday 3 – The Mark Leemen Five
Sunday 4 – The Ray Martin Group
Monday 5 – The Just Four
Tuesday 6
Wednesday 7 – The Fetish Crowd
Thursday 8 – The Maroons
Friday 9 – The Clique
Saturday 10 – The Mark Leemen Five
Sunday 11 – The Shondells
Monday 12 – The Dee Lobs and Mike Dee & The Prophets
Tuesday 13
Wednesday 14 – The Fetish Crowd
Thursday 15 – The Maroons
Friday 16 – The Clique
Saturday 17 – The Footprints
Sunday 18 – The Ray Martin Group
Monday 19 – The Rakes
Tuesday 20
Wednesday 21 – The Fetish Crowd
Thursday 22 – The Birds
Photo: Harrow Observer & Gazette
Friday 23 – The Clique
Saturday 24 – Mark Leemen Five
Sunday 25 – The Ray Martin Group
Monday 26 – The Tramps
Tuesday 27
Wednesday 28 – The Fetish Crowd
Photo: Harrow Observer & Gazette
Thursday 29 – The Birds
Friday 30 – The Eccentrics
May 1965
Saturday 1 – The Mark Leemen Five
Sunday 2 – The Tribe (Guitarist Frank Torpey became the original guitarist in The Sweet; bass player Dennis Cowan joined The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band)
Monday 3 – The Tramps
Tuesday 4
Wednesday 5 – The Fetish Crowd
Thursday 6
Friday 7 – The Maroons
Saturday 8 – The Ray Martin Group
Sunday 9 – The Rakes
Monday 10 – The Tramps
Tuesday 11
Wednesday 12 – The Fetish Crowd
Thursday 13 – The Tribe (Harrow Observer & Gazette has The Fetish Crowd)
Friday 14 – The Birds
Saturday 15 – The Ray Martin Group
Sunday 16 – The Rakes
Monday 17 – The Tramps
Tuesday 18
Wednesday 19 – The C C Riders
Thursday 20 – The Fetish Crowd
Friday 21 – The Eccentrics
Saturday 22 – The Ray Martin Group
Sunday 23 – The Tribe
Monday 24 – The Rakes
Tuesday 25
Wednesday 26 – The C C Riders
Thursday 27 – The Fetish Crowd
Friday 28 – The Birds
Photo: Harrow Observer & Gazette
Saturday 29 – The Ray Martin Group
Sunday 30 – The Initial Four
Monday 31 – The Tribe
June 1965 (only part of this month has listings)
Tuesday 1
Wednesday 2 – The C C Riders
Thursday 3 – The Fetish Crowd
Friday 4 – The Senate IV
Saturday 5 – The Ray Martin Group
Sunday 6 – The Initial Four
Monday 7 – The Blues Dynasty
Tuesday 8
Wednesday 9 – The C C Riders
Thursday 10 – The Fetish Crowd
Friday 11 – The Senate IV
Saturday 12 – The Ray Martin Group
Sunday 13 – The Initial Four
Monday 14 – The Blues Dynasty
Tuesday 15
Wednesday 16 – The C C Riders
Thursday 17 – The Fetish Crowd
Friday 18 – The Tramps
July 1965 (only part of this month has listings)
Thursday 1 – Jeff Curtis & The Flames
Sunday 4 – Initial 4
Saturday 10 – Initial 4
Friday 16 – Rock’ n Breckers (This is The Rick ‘n’ Beckers)
Saturday 17 – Initial 4
Saturday 24 – The Mark Leemen Five
Saturday 31 – The Ray Martin Group
August 1965 (only part of this month has listings)
Friday 6 – The Mark Leemen Five
Saturday 7 – The Ray Martin Group
Friday 13 – James Royal & The Hawks
Saturday 14 – The Ray Martin Group
Sunday 15 – The Rick ‘n’ Beckers (Sundays)
Friday 20 – James Royal & The Hawks
Saturday 21 – The Ray Martin Group
Sunday 22 – The Rick ‘n’ Beckers
Friday 27 – Ricken Beckers (This is The Rick ‘n’ Beckers)
Saturday 28 – The Fab 5
September 1965 (only part of this month has listings)
Friday 3 – The Rick ‘n’ Beckers
Friday 10 – The Rick ‘n’ Beckers
Saturday 11 – The Ray Martin Group
Harrow Observer & Gazette (16 September) says live music every night except Tuesdays
Friday 17 – The Rick ‘n’ Beckers
Saturday 18 – The Ray Martin Group
Harrow Observer & Gazette (23 September) says live music every night except Tuesdays
October 1965 (only part of this month has listings)
Photo: Melody Maker
Wednesday 27 – Brian Green & His Band
Thursday 28 – R&B
Friday 29 – Cabaret Showband
Saturday 30 – The Ray Martin Group
November 1965 (only part of this month has listings)
Wednesday 3 – Brian Green & His Band
Friday 19 – Cabaret Showband
Saturday 20 – The Ray Martin Group
Sunday 21 – Jazz Blues Big Band
Wednesday 24 – Brian Green & His Jazz Band
Thursday 25 – R&B Group
December 1965 (only part of this month has listings)
Photo: Melody Maker
Thursday 9 – The Tribe
Ruislip and Northwood Gazette (10 December) says live music six nights a week
Friday 10 – The Ray Martin Group
Saturday 11 – The Rick ‘n’ Beckers
Sunday 12 – 2/3 Left Jazz Blues
Monday 13 – The Mixed Feelings
Wednesday 15 – The Midnight Blues (or possibly John Hart Quartet)
Thursday 16 – Jeff Curtis & The Flames
Friday 17 – The Ray Martin Group
Photo: Melody Maker
Saturday 18 – The Rick ‘n’ Beckers
Sunday 19 – 2/3 Left Jazz Blues
Friday 24 – The Ray Martin Group
Saturday 25 – The Rick ‘n’ Beckers
Sunday 26 – 2/3 Left Jazz Blues
Friday 31 – The Ray Martin Group
Thank you to Andy Neill for some of the background information on the Ealing Club.
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
The Deuce Is Wilde in front of the Catacombs. Photo from Not Fade Away #4The Deuce Is Wilde on film
Updated December 2010
The Deuces Wild (who became the Deuce Is Wilde) performed “You’re All Around Me” with footage from the Catacombs and Love Street in a short 1968 film directed by Charles Burwell, titled Deuce Is Wild.
From people’s comments it seems the band included these members:
Charles Webb – lead guitar Paul Viviano – rhythm guitar Harold Bailey – keyboards Gordon Barnette – bass guitar Rick Slaydon – drums
One early member of the Deuces Wild was Clark Clem, who also played guitar in the Chancellors Ltd. Charles Burwell contacted me to say that Clark Clem recently told him he’d left the band a year before the film was made.
In December, 2010 James Donnelly, who was in Jim Henley & the Thymes, wrote to me about the band:
I always knew them as the Deuces Wild. I went to high school and played in the HS band with two of the members, drummer Ricky Slayden and bassist Gordon ‘Boo Boo’ Barnett. They also had an guitarist named Charlie Webb. Also Harold Baily (keyboards), I think he left the group in ’68 or ’69 and moved to Las Vegas to become a blackjack dealer! Lost track of them years and years ago, although I know the Gordon passed away in the 70’s.
The Deuces were one of the best cover bands around, and covered everybody from James Brown to Paul Revere and the Raiders to the Music Machine. They played the Catacombs on a regular basis. Boo Boo was the comedian of the group, and the bass he played was almost as big as he was, Ricky was one of the best drummers I ever played with.
Margaret Jackson Graeff commented below with information I’ll repeat here:
The Deuces Wild changed their name to the Deuce Is Wilde around 1967. The rhythm guitar player in the picture, who is also doing vocals, is Paul Viviano. The bass player in the photo is Gordon Barnette. Contrary to what was said previously, Gordon did not die in the 1970s. He died in April, 1992. In the early 1970s, their roadie, Howard Lehman died. He lived down the street from Gordon when they were in their teens. I think that is where the confusion is. I knew the Deuces very well.
Charles Webb was their lead guitar player, but left the band when he was a freshman at Rice University. He now has a PhD and is a professor at California State University at Long Beach. He also goes by the name Charles Harper Webb and is a published author. Charles also played in the Houston based band, Saturnalia. Rick Slaydon played drums. Rick also played drums for the Houston-based band, The Starvation Army Band. James Lucas was the lead singer. Harold Bailey was the keyboard player. Paul Viviano, in 1969, formed the band ICE, with Stacy Sutherland, of the 13th Floor Elevators.
Thanks to Charles Burwell for info on Deuce Is Wild and the frame image from the film, and to James Donnelly for the info about the group.
The Surprize, from left: Roger Fuentes, James Marvell and Buddy Good. (Paul Paris not shown)
You can hardly find a better intro than the one to the Surprize’s “I Will Make History”, with an immortal fuzz riff that hooks the listener immediately. I find the lyrics don’t match the intensity of the music, and that hokey interlude just doesn’t make sense to me, cutting the momentum in the middle of the song.
The flip “Too Bad” is more consistent, if more conventional, and is the side I play the most these days. I’ve seen this listed as from the summer of ’67 but I would speculate it was cut a little later.
Members of the band included:
James Marvell (Carlos Zayas) – lead vocals Paul Paris – lead guitar Buddy Good – bass and vocals Roger Fuentes – drums
Roger Fuentes came from the Early Americans who have a great single on Paris Tower, “Night After Night” / “It’s So Cold Outside” where his drumming stands out. Carlos Zayas wrote “Too Bad” and co-wrote “I Will Make History” with Centinaro.
John Centinaro managed and produced the band on his own Cent Record label out of Tampa, Florida. Centinaro he also managed the Robbs and the Mysterians for a time.
Prior to the Surprize, Good and Marvell collaborated with Centinaro as the Skopes with “She’s Got Bad Breath” / “Tears In Your Eyes” on the USA label in the summer of ’67.
In 1968 Good and Marvell released one single with lead guitarist Eddie Wasenberg as ‘Together’, with “I Loved You” (credited to Centinaro, Wonderbuna and Zayas) / “Don’t Laugh at Me” on Cent Records, recorded at Charles Fuller Studios in Tampa. Both sides are poppy productions, and “Don’t Laugh at Me” seems to feature some zippy speeded-up guitar runs.
Marvell, Fuentes and Good went on to join Mercy (“Love Can Make You Happy” on Warner Bros), another band managed by Centinaro. After Mercy, Marvell and Good formed the gospel country music duo the Country Cavaleers, again with Centinaro managing, then went solo in 1976.
James Marvell wrote to me:
The Surprize was originally a 1966 three piece Tampa, Florida band.
Before their days as The Surprize, James Marvell and Buddy Good were singing and writing songs together. It was during those teen years that James and Buddy formed The Scopes. They released a song co-written by their manager John Centinaro titled “She’s Got Bad Breath.” Scope mouthwash banned the song and the duo changed their group name to The Surprize.
Around 1968 Surprize members James Marvell, Buddy Good with their drummer Roger Fuentes joined Mercy and recorded the million seller “Love Can Make You Happy” written by Mercy founder Jack Sigler Jr.
James & Buddy wrote many songs during their teenage years in Florida and even had songs published by The Isley Brothers’ publishing company in New York. James hopes to dig up those recordings from the middle to late 60s.
After Mercy, Marvell & Good went on to form The Country Cavaleers. Today, James Marvell is still traveling and reliving the the music of the 60s. Joining Marvell is his wife Faye.
While vacationing in the Florida Keys last week I hit a couple of the local thrift shops. One had some good LPs including an unplayed promo copy of Elmer Gantry’s Velvet Opera (mono US issue on Epic) – not a bad thrift find in this day and age. A second shop seemed like a bust and I was about to leave when, on top of a box of VHS tapes, I found a stack of a dozen Turkish 45s circa 1967. Some of the records looked as if they’d never been played, and one was even in the original small paper shop bag it had been put into when it was purchased over 40 years ago.
From this batch, here’s Berkant with the Vasfi Uçaroğlu Orkestrasi: Turgut Dalar (piano), Nevzat Yalaz (saxophone), Erol Sidal (trumpet), Jean Sirap (guitar) and Erdoğan Serdar (bass). Vasfi Uçaroğlu is the drummer; his frisky fills and fast tapping are the highlights of these songs.
Berkant sang with this group from about 1965 until 1968, when they added a female vocalist, Kamuran Akkor. In fact, Vasfi Uçaroğlu’s Orchestra is the group backing her on “Sevgi Nedir Hiç Bilmedim”, which I featured a few years back. For much of 1968 both singers performed with the group, as shown in many listings and ads in newspapers from the time.
“Şu Aydinin Uşaği” reminds me of “Jaan Pechechaan Ho”. “Dere Geliyor Dere” draws from some of the atmospheric effects of Italian soundtrack music from the time, plus it has some fine stop and start passages. This was released on Sahibinin Sesi, which I believe translates to “His Master’s Voice”, thus the logo on the right of the label. Turgut Dalar arranged both sides.
I can’t find any detailed information on Berkant, but some info on Vasfi Uçaroğlu is here, though in Turkish, and I haven’t found a good automatic online translator for Turkish to English yet.
Muzik Ve Genclik (Music and Youth), November 2, 1968. Inset is Kamuran Akkor, another vocalist with Vasfi Uçaroğlu’s group.Milliyet, May 24, 1969Milliyet, June 7, 1969I’m not sure what this clipping is about! Kadin (Women), October 10, 1968
The Iguana were a Melbourne group that formed from the Sands of Time and the Contours in 1967. Members were Gary Sweetman on vocals, Mike McGuire guitar and vocals, Cleve Littlewood guitar, Garry Littlewood guitar, Graham Jones bass and Peter Saunders on drums, later replaced by Russell McGregor.
They had four singles, plus an EP that combined two of their 45s.
I’ve always loved their first single, “Imagine This”. Produced by Pat Aulton on Festival’s four track, it still sounds fantastic! The combination of vocal harmonies with a strong rhythmic backing reminds me of later work by the English group the Action, especially their single “Never Ever” / “Twenty-Fourth Hour”.
Very few have heard the b-side “Dreaming Away to Myself” which is also very good, if not as arresting as “Imagine This”. Garry and Cleve Littlewood wrote both songs, causing some radio station to mark my copy “Aust comp” – I wonder if that helped get them some airplay.
Given the high quality of their first single I think Festival should have encouraged more original songs by the Littlewood brothers. Despite the later reliance on cover songs, I dig their second single, a great version of “California My Way” which I prefer to the original recording by the Committee. I am less enthusiastic with their heavy take on “Ticket to Ride”, the A-side of their third 45.
I still haven’t heard the B-sides to these, “Mary Go Round” and “Sunshine People”, respectively, or their fourth single, “Good News” / “Requiem: 820 Latham”.
This unknown group recorded one of the strangest versions of Jessie Hill’s “Ooh Poh Pah Doo” I’ve ever heard, titled “Oop-Oop-a-Doo”. Unfortunately there is no name listed under the song writing credits for “Floatin'”, a cool instrumental with sax, piano and some sharp guitar.
Jim Gordon of USA Records started the Destination label to cover bands from the area around his Chicago base, though this group may be from Indiana.
The was a group called the Trade Winds that eventually morphed into Styx, but I think it’s likely a different group. Nor were they the Tradewinds from New York who recorded for Kama Sutra. Anyone know for sure?
Thanks to Geoff Brittingham for the scans and transfers of this 45.
Dave Kossy – guitar / vocals Kirk Brower – guitar / vocals Pete Kaplan – bass Stu Leviton – drums
This single by Zendik shows a promising direction for hard rock in 1970, like the MC5, It’s All Meat or even some early Alice Cooper. Zendik’s “Is There No Peace” and “Aesop” share these bands’ punk, anti-establishment attitude, without succumbing to the dull trends of boogie, soul or progressive pretensions of the time. Music with that kind of edge nearly disappeared from radio in the early 1970s, but is getting the attention it deserves now.
The band is really together on both songs, with lead guitar like a siren on “Is There No Peace” and cutting on “Aesop”, backed with rolling drums and aggressive bass runs. The singing is confident, and the lyrics pointed:
Is there no peace in this world? Well you hide your fine hate and bigotry. What does it all mean to me, I just cannot see what’s the purpose of it all.
Old dress, depress, fornicators, people … [?] In that desert only sick and [?] to pretend to be high. But they just can’t win, Never overcoming this situation that they’re in.
Is there no peace in this world? Each day birds fly, men die, women cry, it ain’t right. Why must people fight and die, never knowing why, Guess we’ll never know the answer.
Do you think you would like to find a way out of here? Do you think you’d like to look at your mind through a kaleidoscope mirror? Well it just might be the answer even though you’ll die faster here, ‘Cause God was dead a long long time ago.
God is dead, God is dead, GOD IS DEAD
Dave Kossy wrote “Is There No Peace” and Kirk Brower wrote “Aesop”.
They were from the suburbs of Chicago and not a part of Wulf Zendik’s Farm in Austin, Texas.
The mastering number “TM 4274” indicates Ter-Mar Studios manufacturing plant in Chicago, owned by Chess Records.
As the label states, these songs were “Recorded in America” and released on Pslhrtz (I can’t figure out the pun there) in 1970. Bob Ambos and Mike Lima produced it, with publishing originally with Into Now Unlimited, BMI, though both songs are now registered with Tim Brophy and Kilkenny Music of Sussex, Wisconsin, outside of Milwaukee. I tried to reach Tim by phone but the number was out of date.
There was very little info about the band out there until I posted this article and heard from Dave Kossy.
There were at least two other songs recorded during the same session as the single. “Mom’s Apple Pie Boy” is so good it definitely could have been the A-side, and “Pink Grapefruit” is fine too. In my opinion these deserve to be released, and I would try to finance a 45 release if the band would agree to it (and the masters or transfers were good quality).
This site is a work in progress on 1960s garage rock bands. All entries can be updated, corrected and expanded. If you have information on a band featured here, please let me know and I will update the site and credit you accordingly.
I am dedicated to making this site a center for research about '60s music scenes. Please consider donating archival materials such as photos, records, news clippings, scrapbooks or other material from the '60s. Please contact me at rchrisbishop@gmail.com if you can loan or donate original materials
“Electrified People” is a funky instrumental with a rhythm that kind of follows “Who Do You Love” while an anonymous guitarist throws in repetitive fills with shameless use of the wah pedal. “One Thousand Dimension in Blue” has a more conventional blues structure, the guitar isn’t as wild and there’s a cheesy echo effect placed on the snare drum.
Sometimes listed as Jim B. Peterson or James Peterson, he wrote or co-wrote many songs, including “Beatle Time” and “This Is the Night” for the Livers (aka the Chicagoans) on Constellation, and as James Butler he did some production work for USA and wrote still more songs, including for the Daughters of Eve (“Symphony of My Soul” and “Social Tragedy”), the Lincoln Park Tragedy, and “Don’t Let It Slip Away” for Ral Donner on StarFire.Unfortunately, depending on Peterson’s greedy mood, the 45’s would come out by “whomever” and sometimes I got credit and sometimes I didn’t. I, along with all the other guys in the band, eventually got fed up and kicked him out of the band, after a 2 week engagement, backing up JoAnn Cambell at a club called the Hollyoak in Indianapolis. The Taylor Brothers were named after Taylor Street (Italian neighborhood) in Chicago. He loved Jerry Butler and that’s why he took his last name. We were also The Livers/”Beatletime”, which I believe Clark Weber (DJ/WLS) came up with, after he heard the acetate. The Kane & Abel singles were produced, after we had severed our relationship with Peterson.
Likewise, many other not so famous musicians who played the Ealing Club went on to produce fascinating music in the burgeoning psychedelic scene. Locals Chris Jackson and Tom Newman fronted R&B band The Tomcats (who also worked as The Thoughts) and later formed one of Britain’s more interesting psych ventures, July, after a stint in Spain.
This unknown group recorded one of the strangest versions of Jessie Hill’s “Ooh Poh Pah Doo” I’ve ever heard, titled “Oop-Oop-a-Doo”. Unfortunately there is no name listed under the song writing credits for “Floatin'”, a cool instrumental with sax, piano and some sharp guitar.
