The aptly-named Stompers cut one of the wildest rock records of the ’60s, “I Know”. The drummer slams the cymbals while pounding the toms, a great intro that they come back to after each chorus accompanied by intense screams. The rhythm of the guitars is ferocious and the lyrics are delivered in clipped phrases of a few words at a time. “I Know” was released in February 1965, with a cover of Bruce Channel’s “Hey Baby” on the flip.
It took me years to find a copy of “I Know” after hearing it on Root ’66: The Frozen Few where they were mistakenly thought to be a Minnesota band because of the Studio City label. The Stompers were actually from Mount Vernon, Iowa, a town east of Cedar Rapids and 300 miles away from the studio in Minneapolis where they recorded.
It seems like every state in the Midwest has a rock music association to formally recognize the great local acts of the ’50s and ’60s. The Iowa Rock ‘n Roll Music Association Hall of Fame inducted the Stompers in 2006.
The Association’s website gives this intro to the band and is the source for the photo:
Inducted Members: Donald A. Bradford, Steven M. Edwards, Bill Bauman, Greg Harman, Randy Harman, Brian Harman, Michael S. Sexton, Scott Bascom
In 1963 … Steve Edwards exposed southern-oriented R&B to the small-town, upper-Midwest ears of Greg Harman, Randy Harman and Bill Bauman who at that time were immersed in Beach Boys/Surf music. By 1964, the Stompers’ sound had become heavily influenced by British R&R (especially the Beatles and the Rolling Stones). During this time, the Stompers played a regular circuit of ballrooms (Danceland, Dance-Mor, Highway Gardens, The Col) and other eastern Iowa venues. They opened for the Everly Brothers, Buddy Knox and the Rhythm Orchids, the Hondells and backed Chuck Berry at Danceland in Cedar Rapids.
In the fall of 1964, the Stompers recorded their first record in Minneapolis which featured “I Know” b/w “Hey Baby”. “I Know” was an original song written by Greg and Randy Harman which gained a notoriety long outliving the band. “I Know” made it as high as #19 on a number of regional charts.
The summer of 1965 brought the release of a second record “You’re Gone” b/w “I Still Love Her” (two Greg Harman originals). “You’re Gone” peaked at #24 on regional charts. The Edwards, Bauman, Harman, and Harman version of the Stompers ended in the fall of 1965 with the departures of Edwards and Bauman.
The Stompers, the Untouchables with the Animals at Danceland on May 1, 1966, ad from the Cedar Rapids Gazette, April 29 (sent in by Donald Bradford)Version Two of the Stompers included Greg and Randy Harman and the addition of Scott Bascom, Don Bradford and Mike Sexton. The Stompers’ venues expanded to include several Chicago-area clubs. The Stompers opened for Eric Burdon and The Animals at Danceland Ballroom in Cedar Rapids.Later that spring, Randy Harman and Don Bradford made contact with Nathan Weiss. He told Randy and Don to send him a tape and he would give it a listen. The tape was recorded at Fredlo Studios in Davenport and sent to Weiss. He invited the Stompers to come to NYC. Weiss produced a record-company-exec showcase at The Scene in Manhattan with the Stompers featured. Present at the showcase were Brian Hyland, Tiny Tim, The Cyrcle, and The Tokens. Weiss helped the Stompers get a gig as the house band at the Village Purple Onion. In the fall of 1966, version two of the Stompers disbanded.
In 1969, Steve Edwards, Greg and Randy Harman reunited and with Brian Harman opened a show for The Paul Butterfield Blues Band at Vet’s Coliseum in Cedar Rapids. This turned out to be the precursor to a series of annual reunions that continue to this day. In September of 2004, Edwards, Harman, Harman, Harman, Bauman and Kansas City keyboardist Everett DeVan recorded a group of original songs by Steve Edwards for distribution among friends. Individually, many of the Stompers continued their much varied musical interests.
The Studio City label shows “I Know” written by Stonie Beecher and Randy Harman instead of Greg and Randy Harman. I hadn’t heard their second 45 on their own Stomp label, “I Still Love You” / “You’re Gone” until November 2011.
This 45 doesn’t match their name, as both sides are very calm originals by Stonie Beecher. They’re excellent sides, especially “I Still Love You” which reminds me of the Zombies.
I asked Donald Bradford some questions about the band and he kindly provided the following info about the band:
There were two basic compositions of the Stompers over the years. The original foursome included the Harman brothers (Greg and Randy), Bill Bauman and Steve Edwards, all from Mt. Vernon, IA. On most songs, Randy Harman played drums, Greg Harman played bass, Bill Bauman played rhythm guitar and Steve Edwards played lead guitar.
It was this foursome that recorded “I Know” / “Hey Baby”. Greg (under the pen name Stony Beecher) and Randy wrote “I Know”. It peaked at #19 on the local radio charts.
The second record “I Still Love you” peaked at #23 (I think). I still have the newspaper Top 40 listings somewhere.
After Bill and Steve left the band in 1965 to go to college, Scott Bascom, Mike Sexton and myself (all from Cedar Rapids, IA area) joined the band. Randy Harman played drums, Greg Harman sang lead vocals and played rhythm/lead guitar, Scott Bascom played lead guitar, Mike Sexton played rhythm guitar and I played bass.
There was a lot of competition between bands in the area for bookings, appearances, etc. The Untouchables were definitely one of the premiere bands of the era. Really a great group throughout all its permutations. No one from the Stomper group, that I was a part of, had anything but admiration for the many fine bands playing in the area at that time.
After contacting Nathan Weiss (the Beatles US lawyer and manager of the Cyrcle and other bands) he invited us to NY where he featured us at a showcase event at the Scene in Manhattan, NY and subsequently got us a gig as the house band at The Purple Onion located in the village district of NYC.
Q. Were you on the single as “The Group” on Freak 9240 in January, 1967?
I was not part of The Group which put out a record with “5/4 Bathtub” / “Why Does My Head Go Boom?” (both originals). The Group featured the third Harman brother, Brian on vocals and rhythm/lead, Greg Harman on bass and vocals, Craig Chapman on vocals and rhythm/lead and Randy Harman on drums.
Thank you to John Owens for the scans and transfers of the Stompers second 45. Special thanks to Don Bradford for his help with this article.
The Starliners, 1961 from left: Keith Zeller, Rick Forga (drums), Russ Wurst (on bass) and Bill Strandlof (bottom right on guitar)The Starliners in 1962: Russ Wurst (with bass), Bobby Lee (top), Rick Forga (with drumsticks), Keith Zeller (front, seated on bass drum) and Bill Strandlof (guitar on right)
An early version of Keith Zeller & the Starliners had a successful 45 “Yellow Bird” / “Carry Mae” on Agar, a label owned by Ron Gjerde and distributed by Soma in 1961.One member of this first group was Bill Strandlof, the first lead guitarist for the Litter. Bill played on “Action Woman”, “Soul Searchin'” and “A Legal Matter” before leaving that band to be replaced by Zippy Caplan.
With a change of lineup, the Starliners recorded their 1966 LP on LeJac, Live! at Papa Joe’s Northern a Go Go, one of the rarest of all garage LPs. Their last release was a single as the Transplant in 1968.
1961 Keith Zeller – guitar and vocals Billy Strandlof – guitar and vocals Russ Wurst – bass Rick Forga – drums
1962 – 1965 add Bobby Lee – vocals
1965 – mid 70’s Keith Zeller – guitar, piano, vocals Jack Kollodge – bass, harmonica, vocals John Rasnur – drums
Scott Schell, who previously wrote about the More-Tishans for this site, presents the story of Keith Zeller and the Starliners:
Keith graduated from Stillwater High in 1962. He started playing guitar in 1959 after an inspiring lesson from Sonny James of “Young Love” fame.
Keith’s dad Laurn (Bud) Zeller worked as a road manager for some of the top groups and singers in the ‘60’s. To mention a few- Bobby Vee, Gene Vincent, The Fireballs, Bill Black’s Combo, Roy Orbison, The Ventures, and many others.
Keith started the Starliners in 1961 as a four-piece band and then added vocalist Bobby Lee in about 1962. Keith played his own “after senior prom dance” in Stillwater.
The Starliners played most all of the local teen clubs in the ’62-’65 years. To name a few, Mr. Lucky’s, The Prom Ballroom, The Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake Ballroom, YES Club in White Bear Lake (a teen club) and various armories.
The Starliners were one of the first bands to play the State Fair in 1963. Keith also played that year with Johnny and the Galaxies filling in for Johnny Caola who had cut his fingers. One Thanksgiving Hop in St. Paul, they backed up Little Eva, Fabian, and Roy Druskie.
The Starliners, 1966, from left: Jack Kollodge, Keith Zeller and John Rasnur
After a few personnel changes, the Starliners became a trio in about 1965, after Keith returned from basic training from the Minnesota Air National Guard. The trio was Keith- guitar and piano, John Rasnur- drums, and Jack Kollodge on bass and harmonica. The trio recorded a live album at Papa Joe’s A-Go-Go in Minneapolis in 1966. This is a rare record as only 280 copies were made. It contains an original song by Keith called “Broken Engagement”.
The Starliners were put to rest in the mid-70’s and Keith started a band called Group Therapy and played the Twin Cities Club scene until 1978.
Keith moved to Hawaii where he had country bands and backed up country Hall of Famers Tennessee Ernie Ford and country legend Hank Thompson and many others.
Keith played in a 50’s group called Paul Flynn and Company till he moved back to Minnesota in 1991. He’s sill active and playing live music weekly- blues, jazz, country, and good old rock and roll. Music has been good to him and he has been good to the music!
Scott Schell is author of Garage Sounds: Bringing Down the House, a pictorial survey of the St. Croix Valley garage bands of the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s published by the Washington County Historical Society.
Back of the Lejac LP
A few days after posting Scott’s article I spoke with Keith Zeller about his career. I asked him about the Transplant single and for some more detail on his early days with the Starliners.Bobby Lee sang “Carry Mae”, though it was the flip “Yellow Bird” that got the airplay. Keith has an unreleased acetate with an instrumental “Joyride” on one side and Bill Strandlof singing “Ubangi Stomp” on the other. Keith didn’t like that LeJac overdubbed laughter and noise on “Joyride”, and felt it ruined the track. Bobby Lee got married and Russ Wurst graduated college about the same time Keith had to serve in the National Guard, so the quintet broke up.
New bass player Jack Kollodge had been half of the Denny & Jack duo who cut “One More For The Road” / “Love You Everyday” on LeJac in 1965.
Using his two-track and one microphone Jack recorded a week’s worth of shows and selected ten for the Live at Papa Joe’s album. The Starliners ordered 500 copies but only about half were shipped. They sold what they had to friends and didn’t bother to inquire about the other copies. On the 40th anniversary of the album Jack sent Keith a 3 CD set that included all the songs they left off the record!
The Starliners trio of Zeller, Kollodge and John Rasnur also made a 1968 single as The Transplant on LeJac, one side being a slower, rerecorded (or at least remixed) version of “Broken Engagement” and the other Jack Kollodge singing a wild take of the bizarre horror-spoof classic “With Her Head Tucked Underneath Her Arm”, probably learned from the Kingston Trio.
In the late ’60s the group expanded to a quartet, with keyboardist John Fritz from St. Cloud joining for a couple years.
John Rasnur left the group and moved to Hawaii where he bacame a top session drummer. Jack didn’t want to work without him, so Keith formed Group Therapy. Keith mentioned jamming with Bill Doggett a couple years before he died in 1996 as being a highlight of his career.
For more info on the LeJac and Agar labels, see the discographies I’ve posted on this site.
Special thanks to JP Coumans for the transfers and scans of the Transplant 45.
The Agar label scans taken from the Rockin’ Country Style site.
The Nite Owls had this one 45 on the Top Dog label of Louisville, Kentucky. Both songs sound very different from each other. “Act Your Age” is a good put-down song, written by Robby Burnfin and published by Fall City Music of Louisville.
“Act Your Age” sounds up-to-date for 1966. The flip is definitely from an earlier era, a cover of “Nite Owl”, written by Bernice Williams and originally done by the Dukays (who would later hit with “Duke of Earl” with Gene Chandler on vocals). Featuring a horn section instead of swirling organ, it could have been recorded at an earlier session.
I don’t think there’s any connection to the Illinois-based Nite-Owls who released “Come On Back” / “It’s a Hassle” on Rembrandt. I really don’t have any info on the band or their members.
There were two Top Dog labels. This one, based in Louisville, Kentucky in 1966 and 1967 had nine releases, all with 2300 series catalog numbers. It was owned by Ray Allen (Floyd Lewellyn) and Hardy Martin as were Boss, Bridges, Jam, Rondo and Tilt.
The Louisville Top Dog label had some good releases, like the Keyes “She’s the One”, the Merseybeats U.S.A. “Nobody Loves Me That Way”, and two bands I’ve covered on this site, the Rugbys and the Nite Owls.
Top Dog (Louisville) discography:
2313 – Mersey Beats U.S.A. – You’ll Come Back / Nobody Loves 2314 – The Keyes – Can’t Win For Losing / She’s The One 2315 – The Rugbys – Walking The Streets Tonight / Endlessly 2316 – The Nite Owls – Act Your Age / Nite Owl 2317 – The Scavengers – I Don’t Need Her Now / It’s Only So Long 2318 – Mersey Beats U.S.A. – Does She Or Doesn’t She / Stop Look & Listen 2319 – The Mags – Can’t Get Enough / Go On and Leave Me 2320 – The Premiers – The Ali Shuffle Parts 1 and 2 2322 – Mersey Beats U.S.A. – 30 Second Lover / Nobody Loves Me that Way
The other Top Dog label was based in Detroit Michigan, owned by Artie Fields, with some soul and pop acts. These labels have a bull dog with top hat and cigar. No connection to the Louisville label.
Top Dog (Michigan) discography:
100 – Camel Drivers – The Grass Looks Greener / It’s Gonna Rain 101 – Don Rondo – Just Before The Battle / 102 – Kris Peterson – Just As Much / Unbelievable 103 – Camel Drivers – Sunday Morning Six O’Clock / Give It A Try (also issued on Buddah) 104 – Camel Drivers – Forgive Us / 105 – Joe Towns – Together We Can Make / Down and Out World 106 – Joe Towns – Take Momma Out Of That Shack/ Down And Out World 107 – Joe Towns – You Can’t Hold Me Back / Busy Signal 108 – Joe Towns – Look Around And You’ll Find Me / Down and Out World 109 – The Pushcart – Yo Te Amo / I’ve Got A Ticket To The World 200 – Camel Drivers – Give It A Try / You Made A Believer Of Me
Top Dog Louisville discography from 45rpmrecords.com. Thanks to Jeff Lemlich for help with the Michigan Top Dog discography.
I’d been wondering if there were any great rock 45s on Ty Tex when I found The Sensors “Sen-Sa-Shun” / “Side Tracked” at Rex’s sidewalk sale this spring. As it turns out, the Sensors had four 45s on Ty Tex.
Buddy Henderson would come to be known as Bugs Henderson when he joined Mouse and the Traps. He started the Sensors in his hometown of Tyler, Texas when he was just 16.
On these two Freddy King songs, Buddy articulates every note, making these two of the better r&b instrumentals I’ve heard. “Side Tracked” has a good jazzy organ solo to boot.
Their version of “Rumble” is also cool, even if it doesn’t have the menace of Link Wray’s original. The organ provides an eerie background. Buddy gets a shimmering tone out of his guitar chords with a ferocious slicing sound towards the end of the song
I haven’t heard the flip side, a version of “Caravan”, but Not Fade Away #2 says guitarist on that side was Levi Garrett. I assume these were recorded at Robin Hood Brians’ studio in Tyler, but I could be mistaken.
The A-side of their third single, “Bat Man” is credited to Henderson and Pittman. The flip is a cover of Jack McDuff’s “Light Blues”.
TT-112 – Sen-Sa-Shun / Side Tracked TT-115 – Rumble / Caravan TT-117 – Bat Man / Light Blues TT-120 – Honest I Do (vocal) / Honest I Do (instrumental)
Thanks to Rich for the transfer of “Rumble” and to Greg Reyes for the scan of “Bat Man”. Thank you to Martin Hancock for finding the scan of “Rumble”.
As the Ty Tex label was winding down in late 1967, The Revolvers were responsible for four of the last six releases that I know of (#s 127, 128, 129 and 131). None of these are essential listening in my opinion, though the band came close on a few occasions.
Their first 45 is probably the best, with finely-picked guitar on the pop “Like Me” on the A-side, and “When You Were Mine”, a moody original based on “House of the Rising Sun” on the flip. Both were originals by Stan Gorman and Mike Goodrich.
Their second is quite different, featuring two uptempo soul numbers with horns, another Gorman-Goodrich original “Good Lovin’ Woman” backed with a version of “Land of 1,000 Dances.” This release had a notice in Billboard from June of 1967.
On their third, they back singer Dana Black on an unnecessary version of “As Tears Go By”. I haven’t heard the flip, “Your Love’s For Me”, done by just the Revolvers without Dana Black. The label notes “A product of Eula Anton, arranged by Mike Goodrich”.
Their last is credited to their vocalist Stan Gorman and the Revolvers. I have to agree with the note written on the sleeve of my copy: “I Love Lovin’ You” is a good blue-eyed soul number and I could see it being a northern soul hit with a different vocalist. Stan does a good job of the song but doesn’t have the right voice to put it over. Both songs written by Hammond and Gorman. “Green Unicycle” is a wretched pastiche of psychedelia and vaudeville.
Any help with this discography would be appreciated:
TT-100 – Ron Williams and the Customs – Sue Sue Baby / Empty Feeling (both by Ron Williams) TT-101 – Guy Goodwin – Roll Out the Red Carpet / Nobody Going Nowhere TT-102 – Ron Williams – I’ll Miss You So / I Guarantee You Baby (October 1961) TT-103 – ? TT-104 – The Antons – Larry’s Tune (Larry Stanley) / Green Eyes (1962) (N8OW-2631/2) TT-105 – Zeroes – Flossie Mae / Twisting With Crazee Babee TT-106 – Ron Williams – Wine, Wine, Wine / So Long, My Love (Ron Williams) TT-107 – The Tonettes – Gee Baby (J. Joseph, A. Tyler) / Friendship Ring (late 1962) (NO9W-2713/4) TT-108 – Guy Goodwin – Wheels a Hummin’ / You’re Right I Will TT-7599 – Ron Williams – If I Could Stay Away From You (Ron Williams) / On Top of Old Smokey (also released on Imperial 5729)
The above feature an early label design with outline of state of Texas and roses. See Rockin’ Country Style for more info.
Releases below have a simpler design with Ty Tex at the top:
TT-110 – Donnie Carl – Love and Learn / Do the Wiggle Wobble (D. Kight) TT-111 – Guy Goodwin- Where Sweethearts Never Part / ? (1962) TT-112 – The Sensors featuring Buddy Henderson – Sen-Sa-Shun / The Sensors – Side Tracked TT-113 – Donnie Carl with the Donnells – It Happened to Me Parts 1 & 2 TT-114 – Joe Baby and the Donnells – Little Sally Walker (Doing the Camel Walk) (D. Kight) / I’m Gonna Move to the Outskirts of Town TT-115 – The Sensors – Rumble TT-116 – Guy Goodwin – A Taste Of Her Loving / ?? TT-117 – The Sensors – Bat Man – supposed to be scarce. TT-118 – Donnie Carl – You’ve Got It / Getting Over You (both by D. Kight, December 1964) TT-119 – Donnie Carl – Heart Attack / If You Want It That Way TT-120 – The Sensors – Honest I Do (vocal) / Honest I Do (instrumental) TT-121 – Linda Burns – And That Reminds Me / The Reason Why (October 1965) TT-122 – The Derbys – A Different Woman Every Day (Taylor-Gadson-Darnell) / The Crow TT-123 – Ron Williams and the Trebles – So Fine / Let’s Stop Wasting Time (Ron Williams) TT-124 – Ron Williams – Please Come Back / I’m Sending You A Pencil TT-125 – One Eyed Jacks – Hang It Up (Robert Leslie Allen) / Down On My Knees TT-126 – Larry Mack – Last Day of the Dragon (Larry Stanley) / Can’t You See Me Crying TT-127 – The Revolvers – Like Me / When You Were Mine TT-128 – The Revolvers – Good Lovin’ Woman / Land of 1,000 Dances (June 1967) TT-129 – Dana Black and the Revolvers – As Tears Go By b/w The Revolvers – Your Love’s for Me TT-130 – Floyd Jones – My Mother’s Prayer / Hero’s Welcome Home TT-131 – Stan Gorman and the Revolvers – I Love Lovin’ You / Green Unicycle
Many of the later releases show “A product of Eula Anton” on the label. At least some of these records were cut at Robin Hood Brians studio in Tyler.
Donnie Carl is Donnie Carlton Kight, a soul singer. He wrote most of his songs, sometimes with Mike Goodrich.
Ronny Williams’ Gold Standard sleeve could this be the same person recording for Ty Tex as far back as 1961?
Ron Williams
Ron Williams wrote most of the songs he recorded, here are some other 45s he cut:
Pastel 404, “Poor Little Lamb” / “Hey! Little Pearl” – the A-side is excellent garage. I don’t have the record, but have short clips of both sides here. Arvel Stricklin played lead guitar and Hammond organ on both tracks (source). Pastel Records owned by Maj. Bill Smith.
Vee Jay 675 “Angel Girl” / She Ran Away” (1965)
Austin A-321, “Big Boy Pete” / “Runaway” (despite its name, Austin Records was a Ft. Worth based label. I haven’t heard this one)
Le Cam LC 331 – Ron Williams with Major Bill’s Texans – “Lady Diana” / “Somewhere Between”
A release by Ronny Williams “Move Up a Little Closer Baby” on the Gold Standard label may also be his – but once I saw the photo of him on the sleeve I decided it’s not possible, do you agree? The flip is sung by his brother Larry Williams, “When You Grow Tired Of Him”.
Larry Mack
One of the best vocals that I’ve heard on the label is Larry Mack’s “Last Day of the Dragon”. Songwriting credit goes to Larry Stanley. This is a track I’d definitely like to know more about. I don’t own it yet and haven’t heard the flip.
Thanks to Martin Hancock, Steve Munger and DrunkenHobo for their additions to this discography and the scans seen here. Thank you to Janis Hellard for the scan of Ty Tex TT 114, Joe Baby and the Donnells.
There were plenty of bands called the Wild Ones in the ’60s, but this group doesn’t seem to be related to any of them. A Massachusetts location is possible. The “200,608” number on the label refers to a Decca custom pressing, usually, but not always used by bands in New England. There was a group called the Wild Ones from Shrewsbury/Worchester MA with the single “Number One Girl” / “Surfin’ Time Again” on Camsul.
Mike Markesich wrote: “September, 1965 release. They are not related to the NYC discotheque performing group on United Artists & the Sears label, even tho I’ve seen that mentioned somewhere before. Nothing in copyright matches the titles, songwriters or producer name.”
The highlight is the A-side’s “Please”, a sharp rocker with a desperate singer and a very simple guitar break. “Just Me” is faster, with an even simpler, but effective guitar solo. Good, spare production with a booming sounds to the drums and clearly audible descending bass lines.
Both songs were written by Pratt and Scheurer, and produced by M.A. LaGrotte for the Tiger Productions label.
Info on the Camsul release from Till the Stroke of Dawn by Aram Heller. Thanks to Mike Markesich for the info and label scans, and to Davie Gordon for pointing out the connection to AAA in his comment below. Thanks also to the Eggman for bringing this subject up!
Lord Alan and Sir Richard were Richard Tyson and Alan Abrahams, who co-wrote both songs on this 45. I’m not sure who the band is on this record.
“Run in the Dark” is a pretty sharp copy of the peppy English sounds of the time, something like the Dave Clark Five. “Little Things” has more substance, beginning with the arresting bend on the opening guitar chord that starts the melancholy first verse.
The ‘Slay Cannon’ production credit refers to Frank Slay and Freddy Cannon. Frank Slay had Claridge publishing going since 1963 or earlier. In 1965 he started the Claridge record label. Previously he wrote songs with Bob Crewe, and the two of them helped Freddie Cannon get his song “Tallahassie Lassie” to Swan Records. Slay became Cannon’s producer for the duration of Freddy’s Swan years.
Cannon brought his sometime backing band, the Rockin’ Ramrods to Claridge for its first 45, “Don’t Fool with Fu Manchu”, and also co-produced this 45 on the one-off Cannon label, also probably in late 1965 or early ’66.
Slay managed to get a German release for the single on Ariola, which is why “Little Things” showed up on volume 15 of Prae-Kraut Pandemonium.
Claridge lasted through 1966, releasing approximately 20 singles, including Scotty McKay’s “Here Comes Batman” and another by the Ramrods, “Play It” / “Got My Mojo Working”. Frank Slay revived the label after moving to Los Angeles in the 1970s.
Sources include: Both Sides Now for background on the Claridge label.
Mark Dalley – vocals, guitar, keyboards Robert Coulter – rhythm guitar Greg Cobb – bass Mark Hansen – drums
“Sally I Do” is a great New Zealand freakbeat single and rare too, I would think. The flip is a good ballad, “Silver Ship”, which they dedicate to “those Services active in Vietnam” (New Zealand sent nearly 4,000 troops there).
Both sides were written and produced by Mark Dalley. I was a little disappointed to find out this was a studio band, from New Zealand Music of the 60’s and 70’s:
Abdullah’s Regime was a Wellington group, put together only to record the first single for the launching of the newly formed independent label, Ode Records in November 1968. It was one of the first independent labels to challenge the monopoly that the major labels had on the local recording scene. They never played or recorded together again. Robert Coulter later played in Risk in 1973 and Mark Hansen was in the original Mammal line-up in 1970.
This site is a work in progress on 1960s garage rock bands. All entries can be updated, corrected and expanded. If you have information on a band featured here, please let me know and I will update the site and credit you accordingly.
I am dedicated to making this site a center for research about '60s music scenes. Please consider donating archival materials such as photos, records, news clippings, scrapbooks or other material from the '60s. Please contact me at rchrisbishop@gmail.com if you can loan or donate original materials
The aptly-named Stompers cut one of the wildest rock records of the ’60s, “I Know”. The drummer slams the cymbals while pounding the toms, a great intro that they come back to after each chorus accompanied by intense screams. The rhythm of the guitars is ferocious and the lyrics are delivered in clipped phrases of a few words at a time. “I Know” was released in February 1965, with a cover of Bruce Channel’s “Hey Baby” on the flip.
It took me years to find a copy of “I Know” after hearing it on Root ’66: The Frozen Few where they were mistakenly thought to be a Minnesota band because of the Studio City label. The Stompers were actually from Mount Vernon, Iowa, a town east of Cedar Rapids and 300 miles away from the studio in Minneapolis where they recorded.The summer of 1965 brought the release of a second record “You’re Gone” b/w “I Still Love Her” (two Greg Harman originals). “You’re Gone” peaked at #24 on regional charts. The Edwards, Bauman, Harman, and Harman version of the Stompers ended in the fall of 1965 with the departures of Edwards and Bauman.
In 1969, Steve Edwards, Greg and Randy Harman reunited and with Brian Harman opened a show for The Paul Butterfield Blues Band at Vet’s Coliseum in Cedar Rapids. This turned out to be the precursor to a series of annual reunions that continue to this day. In September of 2004, Edwards, Harman, Harman, Harman, Bauman and Kansas City keyboardist Everett DeVan recorded a group of original songs by Steve Edwards for distribution among friends. Individually, many of the Stompers continued their much varied musical interests.
After Bill and Steve left the band in 1965 to go to college, Scott Bascom, Mike Sexton and myself (all from Cedar Rapids, IA area) joined the band. Randy Harman played drums, Greg Harman sang lead vocals and played rhythm/lead guitar, Scott Bascom played lead guitar, Mike Sexton played rhythm guitar and I played bass.
Q. Were you on the single as “The Group” on Freak 9240 in January, 1967?
Scott Schell, who previously wrote about the 
After a few personnel changes, the Starliners became a trio in about 1965, after Keith returned from basic training from the Minnesota Air National Guard. The trio was Keith- guitar and piano, John Rasnur- drums, and Jack Kollodge on bass and harmonica. The trio recorded a live album at Papa Joe’s A-Go-Go in Minneapolis in 1966. This is a rare record as only 280 copies were made. It contains an original song by Keith called “Broken Engagement”.
Keith moved to Hawaii where he had country bands and backed up country Hall of Famers Tennessee Ernie Ford and country legend Hank Thompson and many others.
A few days after posting Scott’s article I spoke with Keith Zeller about his career. I asked him about the Transplant single and for some more detail on his early days with the Starliners.Bobby Lee sang “Carry Mae”, though it was the flip “Yellow Bird” that got the airplay. Keith has an unreleased acetate with an instrumental “Joyride” on one side and Bill Strandlof singing “Ubangi Stomp” on the other. Keith didn’t like that LeJac overdubbed laughter and noise on “Joyride”, and felt it ruined the track. Bobby Lee got married and Russ Wurst graduated college about the same time Keith had to serve in the National Guard, so the quintet broke up.
The Starliners trio of Zeller, Kollodge and John Rasnur also made a 1968 single as The Transplant on LeJac, one side being a slower, rerecorded (or at least remixed) version of “Broken Engagement” and the other Jack Kollodge singing a wild take of the bizarre horror-spoof classic “With Her Head Tucked Underneath Her Arm”, probably learned from the Kingston Trio.
Owls had this one 45 on the Top Dog label of Louisville, Kentucky. Both songs sound very different from each other. “Act Your Age” is a good put-down song, written by Robby Burnfin and published by Fall City Music of Louisville.
I’d been wondering if there were any great rock 45s on Ty Tex when I found The Sensors “Sen-Sa-Shun” / “Side Tracked” at Rex’s sidewalk sale this spring. As it turns out, the Sensors had four 45s on Ty Tex.
I haven’t heard the flip side, a version of “Caravan”, but Not Fade Away #2 says guitarist on that side was Levi Garrett. I assume these were recorded at Robin Hood Brians’ studio in Tyler, but I could be mistaken.
There were plenty of bands called the Wild Ones in the ’60s, but this group doesn’t seem to be related to any of them. A Massachusetts location is possible. The “200,608” number on the label refers to a Decca custom pressing, usually, but not always used by bands in New England. There was a group called the Wild Ones from Shrewsbury/Worchester MA with the single “Number One Girl” / “Surfin’ Time Again” on Camsul.
