Left to right: Harold Scott (Scotty), Terry Childers, Jerry Childers and Bill Traylor
Bill Traylor sent me this photo of the Lovin’ Kind, a four piece from the northeast edge of Kentucky. If anyone has scans or good quality transfers of the 45s, please contact me.
I had a band in the late 60’s from Ashland, KY called “The Lovin’ Kind”. It consisted of Jerry and Terry Childers, Harold Scott (son of Hal Scott of Hal Scott Enterprises) and myself. We made on 45 in ‘69 for, I believe, Plato but I have no copies. Jerry, Terry and myself were former members of The Martels before we broke away and formed the Lovin’ Kind.
The Martels originally formed around 1964 and consisted of Pat Loving, Terry Sanders, and others. I joined the group in 1966 and it was an 8 piece band at that time which consisted of Terry Sanders on drums, John Sturgill vocals, Danny Young on keys, Larry Creech and Larry “Frog” Johnson on sax, a trumpet player whose name I can’t remember, Terry Childers on bass, Jerry Childers on guitar and myself on lead guitar. We made one record in Lexington in 1968 and performed until 1969 when three of us left and formed The Lovin’Kind.
Both groups were booked by Hal Scott and we performed at colleges and in all the clubs in KY, Ohio, and West Virginia.
Bernie Prost, drummer for the British Columbia band 2 x 2, knocked me out when he sent me five unreleased songs the band cut in 1967. If a 45 had been released of Jim Davidson’s originals, “By and By” and “2 x 2 Theme” it would be a major collectible today, and justifiably famous – at least among fans of garage bands! They aren’t slouches with their cover songs, either, as they rip up the Monkees’ “Let’s Dance On” and one of the better versions of “Stepping Stone” I’ve heard. Here’s the story in Bernie’s own words:
“2 By 2”, formed in Kelowna in 1965 and disbanded in 1968. Our band formed because Jim and Barry were playing a lot of parties wanted to take their playing to the next level. So they started looking for a drummer and bass player. My sister, who was friends with them both, mentioned one day that I played the drums, I was 15 at the time and a few years younger but there weren’t too many drummers around. I had a friend, Mel, who played guitar and said he’d give the bass a shot so we had a couple of practice sessions late in the summer of 1965 and we hit it off. As it turned out Mel was an incredible bass player right from the start.
We needed a place to rehearse where we wouldn’t drive people crazy and luckily for us one of Barry’s neighbors owned a trucking company located in the industrial section of Kelowna. He offered to let us practice there in the evenings after the place was closed for business. The place was a warehouse where he garaged his trucks. It was pretty crowded with large trucks and tractor tires etc. Often we would set up our equipment on the flat bed of one of the trucks. In the summers we’d sometimes practice at my parent’s house in the garage. We’d leave the door open on purpose as quite a few girls lived & roamed in the neighborhood. So in that sense we really were a garage band.
We became a popular event in the dance halls of the Okanagan Valley. Our favourite place to play in Kelowna was The Aquatic, headquarters of the Kelowna Regatta. We also watched and were influenced by the bands that played at the Aquatic such as the Shadracks, Kount IV, Jimmy And The Rebounds, the Strange Movies, the Undertakers, and The Nocturnals to name a few. We also played The Okanakan Mission Hall which is still there. Much expanded, it features the same stage we perfomed on (http://www.okmissionhall.com/). The Aquatic burned to the ground in 1969, which was also the year of Altamont and Charles Manson which shook up the west coast scene, so it was a disquieting end to an era.
The Kount IV was another Kelowna band, one of the guitar players was Morris Bishop whom I went to school with. I’m not sure what happened to them. The Undertakers were from Kamloops, B.C. I remember them because they used a hearse to pack their gear in. We all thought that was pretty cool. I think they dressed in black suits. I’m good friends with Don Burnett, drummer of the Strange Movies… he was also the drummer for Jimmy and the Rebounds.
We played gigs at the Kelowna Regatta and the Penticton Peach Festival as well as other halls in Vernon, Kelowna, Peachland, Penticton and Kamloops. The best times were during the summers of 1966 and 1967, where we performed our own music at numerous events and private parties. In those days it was impossible to say no to girls and beer.
When we formed the band we were mostly influenced by the sounds of the British Invasion, of course, as they were the reason for the explosion of garage bands across North America, in the mid to late sixties. We were also influenced by the people who influenced the Brits: Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly and Elvis Presley. We were known for a cover of Elvis’ ‘One Night With You’, with Barry on killer lead vocals, which would have made The King himself proud. Unfortunately we no longer have a recording of that track. Later on we became more influenced by other west coast bands such as Paul Revere and The Raiders; The Youngbloods and The Buckinghams.
The tracks we have included here were recorded in the sound studios of radio station CKOV in Kelowna, 1967. There are only 5 songs, 2 are original material written and sung by Jim Davidson, Barry Green on harmonies. The others are Grizzly Bear….Youngbloods, I’m Not Your Stepping Stone….Paul Revere and The Raiders and Let’s Dance On…The Monkees.
Jim Davidson was singing the lead vocal on most of it. Barry Green sang on Let’s Dance On and Steppin Stone, and on Grizzly Bear it was a team effort between Jim & Barry. Barry’s voice is the high one while Jim’s was a bit lower with that nice unique quality. Mel and I sang the odd back up harmonies.
The instrumental tracks were played live to the floor back to back in one take for each. We then actually ran into the sound booth to record the vocals. We had to do the whole thing in one hour as that was all we could afford, so there wasn’t much room for error.
The original tape is long gone. I salvaged what I could from a cassette tape and burned them onto a CD. We’re still looking for photographs and I’ll send them if I find any.
Later Jim started another garage rock band in Toronto, in 1977, called The Membrains playing a mixture of original tunes and covers of primarily sixties rock. Jim and I occasionally got together to do some recording at my place in Toronto. Mel started a group with his brothers in Kelowna that became quite popular and they are still playing today. As of this date the band members are alive & well, doing their own things. We keep in touch…. with great memories for sure.
The 2 x 2:
Barry Green – lead guitar Jim Davidson – rhythm guitar Mel Kunz – bass guitar Bernie Prost – drums
A special thanks to Bernie Prost for sharing the music and story of his band. If anyone reading this has a photo of the group please contact me.
This single was a Hank Squires production and featured Montreal singer Brian Redmond on lead vocals. The A-side of the single features ex-Influence member, Irishman Louis McKelvey (see entry on this website), who had played with Squires in South African group The A-Cads in early 1966.
McKelvey co-wrote the A-side with Englishman Roger Gomes, who had joined McKelvey in Canada after working as a DJ and as American singer Millie’s road manager. The track in fact had originally been recorded in demo form by Influence in 1967.
Issued in June 1970, the single was reportedly a minor hit, and is a fascinating piece of music.
The B-side was composed by a certain Martin Martin, who later composed a single for Brian Redmond, also produced by Squires. The track features Brian Redmond and his group Soundbox, who had previously recorded a single (see www.marcdenis.com/ckgm-soundbox.html).
Recordings: 45 Marble Hall/Get Your Things Together (Aquarius 5003) 1970
Many thanks to Hank Squires for his input. Marble Hall sleeve and CFCF scans courtesy of Ivan Amirault.
Copyright (C) Nick Warburton, 2009, All Rights Reserved
From CFCF’s weekly for February 14, 1970From CFCF’s weekly for February 27, 1970
Original lineup, l-r: Brian Hughes, Bob Ablack, Neil Lillie, Ed Roth and Bill Ross
Neil Lillie (Vocals, Bass) line up A-D
Bill Ross (Guitar) line up A-B
Brian Hughes (Bass) line up A-B
Ed Roth (Keyboards) line up A-D
Bob Ablack (Drums) line up A, C-D
Al Morrison (Drums) line up B
Wayne Davis (Bass) line up C
Jimmy Livingston (Vocals) line up C-D
Stan Endersby (Guitar, Vocals) line up C-D
Ed Roth (b. February 16, 1947, Toronto, Canada), Bob Ablack, Bill Ross (b. Bel Air, California, US) and Brian Hughes started out playing rock instrumentals in a suburban Toronto band known as The XLs, which became Gary & The Reflections with the addition of singer Gary Muir in 1964.
In early 1965, singer Bobby Neilson (b. Robert Neilson Lillie, December 27, 1945, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada) joined and the group parted with Muir. The new line up changed name to The Ookpiks (after a native-designed stuffed toy owl called Ookpik that was being promoted by the Canadian government). As another group was already using the name, the band briefly worked as The Sikusis, after another stuffed toy, but were unable to get permission from the Canadian government to use the name without compensation and settled on The Just Us.
Amid all of this confusion, the group recorded a lone single on Quality, which was issued under the names The Ookpiks, The Just Us and The Sikusis. Soon afterwards, Al Morrison replaced Bob Ablack on drums but the new line up was short-lived. In early 1966, Hughes left to dedicate his full time to school, and Ross and Morrison joined The Bossmen, who subsequently backed singer David-Clayton-Thomas.
Neilson, who now went by the name Neil Lillie, befriended ex-Mynah Birds singer Jimmy Livingston (b. February 28, 1938, Toronto, Canada) in Long and McQuade’s music store where he worked in the backroom as an amp and guitar repairman. At the time, Livingston was singing with a group called The Muddy Yorks but he left when Lillie asked him to join a new line up of The Just Us. To complete the new line up, the band picked up former C. J. Feeney & The Spellbinders members Stan Endersby (b. July 17, 1947, Lachine, Quebec) and Wayne Davis (b. April 28, 1946, Toronto) and convinced Ablack to rejoin.
An album’s worth of material was recorded at Arc Sound during in early 1966, but disappeared with the band’s manager. The Just Us were one of the few bands that could play the clubs on Yonge Street, Toronto high schools and the Yorkville village scene.
In June 1966, Davis left to play with Bobby Kris & The Imperials and Lillie learnt bass in two weeks to fill the spot. Around this time, an American duo with the same name appeared on the charts and the group was forced to adopt a new name, The Group Therapy for one show (opening for The Byrds on June 22). Another local group laid claim to the name, so the band took on a new moniker, The Tripp, in September.
Recordings
45 I Don’t Love You/I Can Tell (Quality 1738) 1965
Opening for the Byrds as Group Therapy
Advertised gigs
September 6 1965 – Devil’s Den, Toronto September 10 1965 – Mimacombo’s, Mimacombo, Ontario
November 12 1965 – Club 888, Toronto
December 3 1965 – Gogue Inn, Toronto with Little Caesar & The Consult and Jeff & The Continentals
January 1 1966 – Gogue Inn, Toronto with The Lively Set and Ronnie Lane & The Disciples
February 11 1966 – Gogue Inn, Toronto with Shawne Jackson and The Majestics and The Lively Set February 12 1966 – The Hawk’s Nest, Toronto February 25 1966 – Gogue Inn, Toronto with Jack Hardin and The Secrets
March 3 1966 – The Hawk’s Nest, Toronto
April 8-9 1966 – Avenue Road Club, Toronto April 22 1966 – The Hawk’s Nest, Toronto April 30 1966 – The Avenue Road Club (billed as The Just Us Group)
May 21 1966 – The Hawk’s Nest, Toronto
June 4 1966 – Avenue Road Club, Toronto June 22 1966 – Varsity Arena, Toronto with The Byrds (as Group Therapy)
July 8 1966 – Boris’, Toronto July 16 1966 – The Hawk’s Nest, Toronto July 20 1966 – North York Veterans Hall, Toronto July 28 1966 – Don Mills Curling Club, Don Mills, Ontario with The Ugly Ducklings, The London Set and The Del Tones
August 6 1966 – The Hawk’s Nest, Toronto August 19 1966 – The Hawk’s Nest, Toronto August 20-21 1966 – El Patio, Toronto August 28 1966 – Broom and Stone, Scarborough, Ontario with Jon and Lee & The Checkmates and The All Five August 31 1966 – Don Mills Curling Club, Don Mills, Ontario with The Twilights, A Passing Fancy and Little Diane & The Jades
September 3 1966 – The Hawk’s Nest, Toronto September 10 1966 – El Patio, Toronto (may be last show before becoming The Tripp)
Many thanks to Stan Endersby, Neil Lillie (aka Neil Merryweather), Ed Roth, Bill Munson, Carny Corbett and Craig Webb.
Thank you Stan for the great photos. The live dates are taken from the “After Four” section in the Toronto Telegram. Label scans courtesy of Ivan Amirault and Wyld Canada.
The Reptiles, 1967, photo by Robin LeachRen-Vell Battle of the Bands vol. 1 Side A
The Reptiles have one cut on the Ren-Vell Battle of the Bands LP, “The Glass Toy”. It could have been a fine pop single with more polish, but the Ren-Vell studio wasn’t prepared to offer that kind of guidance or production quality.
Steve Worthy related the story of the Reptiles recording of Glass Toy to Bassman Bobb Brown:
Ron Macera was the drummer, Paul Slavin on bass, Mark Worthy on rhythm guitar and high harmony vocal on the chorus (a reversal of how we usually worked-me high harmony, him low). I played upper register rhythm guitar, because if I was doing the singing I couldn’t do any leads on guitar.
I wrote the song (probably my 3rd or 4th song ever written), full of teenage angst, and having to rhyme the works criticize, minimize and brutalize in the one bridge, shows my poetic and English major leanings. Subconsciously, I imitated my heroes the Beatles by doing something I heard said later about their songs – sad lyrics with happy music!
The only other recording session for the Reptiles was with a friend of my father named Bert Haber, who worked with Famous Music Publishing, and they were looking to get some young bands on one of their record company rosters. Bert gave us this song called “Come Take A Taste” to learn, and we so despised it, but really wanted to get in on the ground floor so we did it. I was so depressed learning it, that I wrote a song called “The Moustache Song” as a joke (“Please little girl with the moustache, blah blahh, Please don’t shave your little moustache, You’re only girl I kissed with one before”), which went on the 45 b-side. No one else had a song, so I had to sing that one as well.
Needless to say, their Broadway-type song was like a Spanky and Our Gang type tune, and our hearts weren’t in it, so it went nowhere further. The chorus sounded like “Sunday Will Never Be The Same”.
The Reptiles prided itself on always being true to the song and getting all the chords right! One of our pet peeves would be songs by bands who couldn’t get the bridge right- on “For Your Love” for example- the last two chords –they would do “A followed by Am” at the end of it, instead of C#m to B. Most bands were a little lazy that way. We used sharps and flats and major seventh chords because of our Beatle training. Me and my brother would listen to records over and over until every chord was perfect, especially with the Beatles stuff, which was our supreme role model. We even did Sgt. Pepper Stuff live like “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds”, “It’s Getting Better”, “A Day In The Life”, “Lovely Rita”.
Steve also wrote about the Reptiles’ rival bands, The End and The Aliens:
“The End” had Allen Spink and guitar and lead vocals, Jimmy Indusi on Guitar, Timmy Smith on console organ-sounded almost like a Hammond, Rick Selby on left-handed drums, and Pat Giordano on bass guitar. They were the second most ferocious competitors to the Reptiles after “The Aliens”. We made a comeback and beat them in a Battle of the Bands at St. Augustine’s High School finally, after a humiliating defeat at St. Ann’s when Spink stacked the deck with all of his friends. One reason the rivalry was so raw, even though personally I was great friends with the leader Allen Spink, was young testosterone when the nine of us were in a room together. We were like the Jets and the Sharks circling each other, I swear!
The Aliens were composed of Ray Marion on lead guitar and lead vocals (playing a Gibson cherry red ES335), Curt Meinel, bass (Hagstrom?), Glen Kane on drums, and a guy named Howie on Farfisa organ. They were very popular because they could be counted on to play all the standard rock ‘n’ roll songs like “Louie, Louie”, “Wipe Out”, “Bang Bang” (Joe Cuba, not Sonny and Cher), and were not adventurous at all, which is why the Reptiles and Aliens were sworn mortal enemies. Ray would do this swagger like he was so cool and shake his ass, which drove us crazy, because our impression of music at the time did not include ass shaking! Maybe he thought he was Elvis, who I both appreciate and love now, but at the time he was kind of old news to us in 1967.
Thanks to Bassman Bobb Brown for forwarding me the comments of Steve Worthy, along with the photo and the scans and transfers of the Aliens 45.
L-R: Andy, Louis and WalterAndrew Keiller, Bob Parkins and Jack Geisinger on stage
Influence:
Louis McKelvey (Guitar, Vocals) line up A-D Andy Keiller (Vocals) line up A-C Dave Wynne (Drums) line up A-B Jack Geisinger (Bass, Vocals) all line ups Walter Rossi (Guitar, Vocals) line up B-E Bob Parkins (aka Bobo Island) (Keyboards, Vocals) line up B-E Frank LoRusso (Drums) line up C-E
The Influence was one of the most fascinating bands to emerge from Canada during the ‘60s. The group’s rich diversity of styles was a result of the group members’ wide range of musical backgrounds and geographical origins.
The band’s driving force was Louis Campbell McKelvey (b. October 31, 1943, Killorglin, County Kerry, Eire), who had spent the early ‘60s playing with London bands, The Persuaders and Jeff Curtis & The Flames (frequent residents at the Ealing Jazz club).
After travelling to South Africa in the summer of 1965, he met singer Andy Keiller (b. August 16, 1941, Bodmin, Cornwall, England), who had already recorded a solo single, ‘Find My Baby/Elaine (Continental PD7-8936), and an album entitled ‘Round About Midnight’ after moving to South Africa in March 1964. Together they formed The Who-inspired band The Upsetters, named by McKelvey after Little Richard’s first support group. The Upsetters recorded a lone single, ‘Daddy Rolling Stone/Pain In My Heart’ (Continental PD7-9012), issued by the small Trutone label later that year. When Keiller left to return to London in November, McKelvey subsequently joined The A-Cads.
McKelvey was only a member of The A-Cads for a few months, but did appear on the single ‘Fool, Fool, Fool/Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah’ (RCA Victor 41-827) and helped finish off the band’s lone album. The A-Cads spent the early part of 1966 travelling with the Boswell-Wilkie circus before splitting up in April. Together with former A-Cads, Hank Squires and Les Goode, McKelvey returned to England and together they hatched plans to move to India. The project, however, never materialised and McKelvey (later joined by Squires) moved to Montreal in October 1966.
McKelvey played with Les Sinners for a few weeks then joined Our Generation in time to appear on their second single.
During his time with the latter band, he co-produced (with Hank Squires) The Haunted’s single ‘Searching For My Baby’ and through the group met former member Wynne (b. May 17, 1947, Stockport, England). McKelvey subsequently invited him to join the new group he was planning.
Around the same time, McKelvey met bass player Geisinger (b. Jakob August Geisinger, March 1945, Czechoslovakia), who had recently been playing with The Buddy Miles Quartet and before that The Soul Mates.
When Buddy Miles and the group’s guitarist and organist, Rossi (b. Rossignuoli Rossi, May 29, 1947, Naples, Italy) and Island (b. Bob Parkins, Montreal, Canada), were picked up by Wilson Pickett for a US tour, Geisinger accepted McKelvey’s offer to join the new group.
Shortly afterwards, McKelvey spotted an ad in the paper by Keiller (who had moved out to Montreal the previous spring and had tried to contact McKelvey after seeing him playing with Our Generation on TV), and invited him to join as the band’s lead singer.
Formed in late May, the quartet, named The Influence, immediately made its presence felt and became regulars at Montreal’s Barrel during the summer of 1967. In June, Rossi and Island returned to Montreal and, after catching the band’s set, joined the line-up. The new line-up became more musically adventurous, adopting a style that was influenced by jazz musicians Sonny Murray and Archie Shepp, and with Island adding a second lead voice. After tightening up their act, The Influence moved to Toronto and became a regular sight at Boris’ Red Gas Room throughout September-December.
On stage in Toronto, 1967.
Andy Keiller singing and Dave Wynne on drumsIn October 1967, the band sent demos to ABC Records in New York and with producer Dennis Minogue recorded a lone album on 4-track that was issued in January 1968.
The record is a startling piece of music and clearly shows how unique the band was. However, it didn’t sell well and is now something of a collector’s item. The highlights are the chanson styled ‘I Don’t Know Why’, composed by Rossi and Island, and heavier pieces like McKelvey’s ‘Natural Impulse’ and ‘Pieces of Me’, co-written with Andy Keiller.
Shortly after the album’s release, former Soul Mates’ drummer Frank LoRusso (aka Yum Yum) replaced Wynne. The new line-up toured extensively in the US Midwest and the New York area throughout the first half of 1968. A live album, captured in Chicago on a bill with Steppenwolf, was recorded on a rough tape during May but immediately afterwards, Keiller left to return to Montreal (he eventually returned to the UK briefly before emigrating to Australia).
The band continued but internal differences led to McKelvey’s departure in September 1968. The remaining members carried on as a heavy rock, blues band into 1969, but broke up when Rossi joined The Buddy Miles Express and Geisinger left for McKelvey’s new group Milkwood. LoRusso later rejoined McKelvey in Damage. McKelvey lives in Toronto and plays with his own band.
Island was subsequently killed in a highway accident in late 1969. Wynne joined the diplomatic service and is working in Singapore, while Keiller currently runs a fibreglass business making racing cars in Melbourne. Rossi has established a successful solo career and lives in Quebec while Geisinger was last heard of living in Montreal.
8 September 1967 – Boris’ Red Gas Room, Toronto with The Sky
10 September 1967 – Boris’ Red Gas Room, Toronto with The Sky
15 September 1967 – Boris’ Red Gas Room, Toronto
16 September 1967 – Boris’ Red Gas Room, Toronto with The Sky
22 September 1967 – Boris’ Red Gas Room, Toronto
23 September 1967 – Boris’ Red Gas Room, Toronto with The Sky
29 September 1967 – Boris’ Red Gas Room, Toronto
30 September 1967 – Boris’ Red Gas Room, Toronto with The Fringe
7-9 October 1967 – Boris’ Red Gas Room, Toronto
15 October 1967 – Boris’ Red Gas Room, Toronto
22 October 1967 – Boris’ Red Gas Room, Toronto
27 October 1967 – Boris’ Red Gas Room, Toronto
2-3 December 1967 – Boris’, Toronto
9 December 1967 – Boris’, Toronto
15 December 1967 – Boris’, Toronto
25-31 December 1967 – Steve Paul’s The Scene, New York with Blood, Sweat & Tears
17-18 February 1968 – Boris’, Toronto
2 March 1968 – Boris, Toronto
4-9 March 1968 – Penny Farthing, Toronto
15 March 1968 – Boris’, Toronto
22 March 1968 – Boris’, Toronto
29-30 March 1968 – Boris’, Toronto
5-7 April 1968 – The Static Journey, Toronto
13 April 1968 – Boris’, Toronto
20 April 1968 – CNE Hall, Toronto with The Doors, Earth Opera and City Muffin Boys
10-12 May 1968 – Chessmate, Detroit
17-19 May 1968 – Grande Ballroom, Detroit with Procol Harum, Nirvana, The Nickle Pulte Express, The Soul Remains and Muff
24-26 May 1968 – Electric Ballroom, Chicago with Steppenwolf
31 August-1 September 1968 – El Patio, Toronto
Live dates are largely taken from the Toronto Telegram’s “After Four” section. Thanks also to Andy Keiller for some concert details.
Thanks to Louis McKelvey, Walter Rossi, Andy Keiller, Dave Wynne and Jack Geisinger. Grande Ballroom concert poster from Walter Rossi’s site. LP front cover scan courtesy of Ivan Amirault.
The Tremolos of Shreveport, L-R across the back is Rocky Chalmiers, Richard White, Mike Tinsley and Don MacMurray. Tom Durr on drums.
Drummer Tom Durr tells the story of the Tremolos, a band that never released a record but whose name is probably familiar to club goers in the Shreveport area in the mid 1960s.
My name is Tom Durr. In 1964 Bob Fell, Mike Tinsley and I formed the first garage band in Bossier City and possibly Shreveport too. The band was called The Tremolos with Bob and Mike on guitar and me on drums. We played pep rallies and dances at Bossier High School, the Teen Club and Elks Club, dances at Barksdale AFB, the Shriner’s and VA hospitals and later when I was at La. Tech, we played fraternity and sorority parties. We started out doing only instrumentals, mostly The Ventures, then later started doing vocal covers of hit songs.
When Bob Fell left to play the N.Y. World’s Fair for the summer we got Sonny Williams to replace him. When Bob came back he formed The Group with Noel Odom. Bob asked me to play drums for The Group, but I decided to stay with The Tremolos. This is one of my regrets in life. As a result, he got Fred Engelke on drums.
When Sonny left The Tremolos he joined The Group on bass. The Tremolos went through a lot of personnel changes including Rocky Chalmiers, Pat Huddleston, Richard White and Don MacMurray with only Mike and I remaining constant. Rocky was several years younger than us, it prevented us from playing places where alcohol was sold. He was very talented and I heard he went on to study classical guitar. The Tremolos did record once in a small studio in Bossier City, but no records were ever made. We were also on a TV talent show in Monroe, LA.
My sophomore year of college, the band broke up. I quit school, joined the musician’s union and started playing with a trio at The Stork’s Club on the Bossier strip. Then I got drafted and had to join the Navy. Meanwhile, The Group went on to do everything I had wanted to do.
The Sonset were a major group in Puerto Rico during the mid-60’s. Their ’67 LP Discoteca has some real surprises. At the time of the LP, members were:
William Soto, aka Billy de Soto, Billy Sonset: lead guitar and vocals Félix Guy Casiano, aka Dino Sonset: bassist and vocals Rafael Ojeda, aka “El Indio” Sonset: organ and vocals on “Tema Sonset ’67” José González, aka Cuco Sonset: drums.
Billy Soto and Dino both helped compose and arrange the original songs on the LP. I believe Billy sings the rougher r&b parts on “Oh! Look What You’ve Done” and “Turn on Your Lovelight”, while Dino handles the pop numbers like “Dulce Ayer” and “Mad de Amor”.
The liner notes state the band’s name is specifically the ‘Sonset’, singular, after having originally been the Sunsets. The band had been together three years when this LP was released, though Billy had just joined the year before.
The first side is sung in Spanish, the second in English. Recorded at Trans-Recording Studios, the sound quality is very good overall, with deep echo on many cuts.
The Spanish side starts out with some light pop, “Dulce Ayer” and “Mal de Amor” which is a decent cover of “Good Lovin'”. “Flamenco” is interesting, and sounds like it could be a parody. “El Indio” Sonset really cuts loose on “Tema Sonset ’67”, surely the highlight of the first side. It starts out as an instrumental akin to Thee Midniter’s “Whittier Boulevard” with slamming drums, a bass hook and tremelo guitar while the band makes various ‘jungle’ sounds. Nearly three minutes in the band segues into Everybody Needs Somebody for a verse and chorus before returning to the theme and fading out.
Dulce Ayer Mal de Amor Guantanamera Cual Tempestad (Thunderball) Flamenco Tema Sonset ’67
In my opinion, the band chose better songs to cover for the English side, and they do a fantastic version of “Turn On Your Lovelight”. The final cut “Oh! Look What You’ve Done” is the standout original on the LP.
Hold On! I’m Coming Turn on Your Lovelight Get Out of My Life, Woman A Change Is Gonna Come 99 1/2 (Ninety Nine and a Half) Oh! Look What You’ve Done
The name of the LP derives from a television show “Discoteca Pepsi” where the Sonset were regular guests. They were also in a film, the title of which i’ve seen listed as “Una mujer sin precio” and “Millionaire a Go Go”. Orlando (Orly) Vuez gave yet another title for the movie in the comments section on another band from Puerto Rico on this site, the Challenger’s:
The movie was called “Virgenes De La Nueva Ola”… I joined the band after Billy Soto left, when they were at the top of their game in 1967-68… lucky me. I saw it for the 1st time in LA television many years later… I got paid $60 for being in it, even though I was in quite a few scenes, yet I loved the chums. After me, they had one more lead guitar…
The LP was produced by Alfred D. Herger, who seems to have been something of an impresario in Puerto Rico at the time. Manny Pagán was road manager of the group. The first and last songs on the LP also were released on 45, though I believe the single version of “Oh! Look What You’ve Done” lacks the second fadeout of the LP.
The band also had an earlier 45 “The Sunsets Theme” b/w “Please Come Back” that I haven’t heard. It was released on the Teenagers Dance Show label, and produced by Ruben Perez at San Juan’s Soni-Lab Corp. studio.
Early photo of the Staunchmen with Silvertone Bobkat guitars, from left: Paul Nagle, Don Cox, George Harvey (drums), Paul Beecher (with tambourine), Barry McLean, and Doug Smith (sax)
P.B. & the Staunchmen cut this rare 45 on Lee, the same label as the Ascendors “I Won’t Be Home” in 1966. The label was located out of Hornell, New York, 40 miles south of Rochester but the band was from Dansville, another 20 miles south/southeast.
P.B. is Paul Beecher, credited along with the Staunchmen for writing both sides of the 45. Members were:
Paul Beecher – lead vocals Doug Smith – sax Paul Nagle – lead guitar Barry McLean – rhythm guitar Eric Young – organ Don Cox – rhythm and bass guitar George Harvey – drums
“Mean Willy” is a driving track with some wild guitar breaks and screams between repetitive lyrics and droning saxophone.
All the girls they can’t sympathize, They know that he goes around telling ’em lies, When he looks into their big brown eyes.
The flip, “Lost Generation”, sounds like it has roots in “Eve of Destruction” (though it actually came out earlier – see Don Cox’s comment below). The lyrics are defeatist and downright depressing, if I am reading them right:
This poor war is here to say, There’s nothing you can do to keep it away, My brother’s dead, there’s no denying, This lost generation has me cryin’. ‘Cause it’s lost, this generation, it’s gone away, It’s lost no matter what you say.
The kids are turnin’, their cards are burnin’, Trying to escape this war, The game they’ve lost and now they’ve found, It doesn’t matter anymore.
Left to right: Barry McLean, Paul Nagle, Paul Beecher, Eric Young, Don Cox, and George Harvey. Not pictured: Doug Smith. Photo courtesy of George Harvey.
Thanks to Don Cox for the lyric correction. Band photos courtesy of George Harvey, and Don Cox (top photo).
If anyone has more photos of the group, please contact me.
from left: Paul Beecher, Paul Nagle, George Harvey, Barry McLean, Don Cox, and Doug Smith. Eric Young absent.
Neil Sheppard (Producer) line up AB Michael Ship (Keyboards, Vocals) line up AB Marty Simon (Drums, Keyboards, Vocals) line up AB Danny Zimmerman (Bass) line up AB Jean Pierre Lauzon (Guitar) line up AB Barry Albert (Guitar) line up AB
Clockwise from top: Danny Zimmerman, Marty Simon, Mike Ship and Barry Albert
Neil Sheppard (real name Neil Ship) was a Brill Building songwriter who was trying to get his songs promoted with a group. Sheppard wrote all of the songs and produced Life’s lone album, released in spring 1970.In the early 1960s, Simon and Zimmerman had worked together in Montreal group, Marty Simon and The Capris and The Humdingers before forming The Scene.
Formed from the ashes of The Scene, the original line up was completed with Sheppard’s brother Michael Ship on keyboards and lead vocals, guitarist J P Lauzon (ex-Carnival Connection) and former Bartholomew Plus Three guitarist Barry Albert. Lauzon and Albert alternated lead guitar and rhythm on the band’s recordings.
The group’s debut single, a cover of The Beatles’ “Strawberry Fields Forever”, with an arrangement by Marty Simon, was a fascinating record with jazzy feel and featured Lauzon’s exquisite flamenco guitar solo. However, it did not do much chart wise (entered RPM on May 9, 1970, reached number 83 and charted for 5 weeks). Its follow up, “Hands of The Clock”, featuring Albert’s lead guitar intro, was the band’s only hit, reaching #19 on the RPM chart in August 1969, and charted for 12 weeks.
Life played at the First Montreal Bi-Cultural Pop Festival in June 1969, which was held at the Montreal Forum and featured Triangle, Robert Charlebois and headliner Steppenwolf.
The group’s lone album, which features contributions from Englishman Malcolm Tomlinson on flute from Milkwood, was recorded on four-track and then transferred to the first eight track in Canada by Andre Perry.
Towards the end of 1969, Simon left Life and moved to Los Angeles to work with a new group. The rest of the band carried on as After Life but split up in early 1970.
Simon and Lauzon reunited in Mylon Le Fevre. Simon later moved to the UK and formed Sharks with former Free bass player Andy Fraser.
Recordings 45 Strawberry Fields Forever/Come Into My Life (Polydor 540-005) 1969 45 Hands of The Clock/Ain’t I Told You Before (Polydor 540-009) 1969 45 Sweet Lovin’/Desire (Polydor 540-013) 1970 45 Needing You/Loving Time (Polydor 540-017) 1970 LP Life (Polydor 2424-001) 1970
RPM, April 14, 1969RPM, April 21, 1969RPM, May 5, 1969CFCF, April 25, 1969CFCF, May 9, 1969CFCF, July 4, 1969CFCF, July 11, 1969Life on the cover of RPM, July 14, 1969CFCF, August 8, 1969CFCF, November 7, 1969RPM, November 29, 1969
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
P.B. & the Staunchmen cut this rare 45 on Lee, the same label as the Ascendors “I Won’t Be Home” in 1966. The label was located out of Hornell, New York, 40 miles south of Rochester but the band was from Dansville, another 20 miles south/southeast.
