Vic Livingston wrote to me about two bands he played with in Wilmington, the Star Blazers and the Stairways. What follows is a snapshot of the Wilmington teen scene from 1965 to 1967 in Vic’s own words:
I learned guitar from Frank Baldo of Wilmington, whose son of the same name is a guitarist and band leader now. Baldo played like Django Reinhardt, lots of chord melody and rippin’ solos, and sang pop songs like a young Tony Bennett. He taught many of the town’s up and coming rock ‘n’ rollers, including Chuck Aarons, whom I replaced when I joined the Stairways in 1966. But first, let’s go back a year or so earlier:
The Star Blazers
“You Better Change” was a song I authored at the tender age of 15 while a student at Mt. Pleasant Junior High. It was recorded it at the old Ken-Del Studios in Wilmington. (Anyone know what happened to their masters?). I convinced our eighth grade class to make the record a class project, and we sold copies in school to raise money for the class. The lyrics went like this:
“I thought you loved me / But you put me down / Because you thought I was the kind to be led around / But I told you / that wouldn’t do / You better change / your mind / about me.”
Instead of singing the vocal myself, I recruited Dickie Roseman, who was the BMOC in those days, to sing the lead, which he did in a “bosso profundo” voice that sounded, well, pseudo-operatic and out-of-this-worldly at the same time. I figured Roseman had the “star power” to move more records. I wonder what would have happened if I had sung it myself. Maybe if it was just blandly mediocre and not really, really strange, maybe no one would have taken a second listen…
The Star Blazers featured a guy named Tim Isaacs on sax; Charlie Topkis on drums; myself on guitar; a keyboardist named Rusty (forget his last name, but he had red hair, of course – I think he went on to play with Johnny Neal and the Shapes of Soul) and an upright bass player whose father was a bone doctor in town (show me a list of osteopaths of that era and I’ll tell you).
The flip side, “Starchant,” was a weird instrumental that was half voodoo-rock and half Klezmer rock (we didn’t realize at the time we were inventing a “genre”!).
A few hundred copies were sold, but not in stores. It was strictly “private label” – a bake sale with grooves. The label’s name, “Galaxie,” was my invention… there was no such record label, no such company. It was just a name printed on the records to sound “cool.” I did copyright the song in my name, however.
The record was NEVER played on the radio. In fact, DJ Roger Holmes of WAMS-AM personally rejected it, to my face! I couldn’t blame him, because vocally, it sounded like bad opera set to a rock ‘n’ roll beat.
We were so disappointed at the poor sales and the rejection by the radio station that we went upstairs in a two-story house and hurled some of the 45s out the window like Frisbees.
Another more famous group to record at Ken-Del was “Alex, Ola Belle and the New River Boys and Girls,” an old-timey group that used to hold court in Campbell’s Corner, Kennett Square, PA and at Sunset Park near Kennett Square. I loved that old-timey music, too – even played in a bluegrass band.
But soul-tinged rock ‘n’ roll was my first musical love. My first band, the Nouvelles, played songs like “Chains” by the Cookies and the requisite “Roll Over Beethoven” by Chuck Berry. This was in, like, 1962-63, pre-Beatles. Then the Beatles’ first albums come out and what’s on them, but “Chains” and “Roll Over Beethoven.” It didn’t take long before the Nouvelles and later, the Star Blazers, were doing American versions of the British Beatles doing American versions of the originals. But let the record show that even before the Beatles, we were turning American rhythm ‘n’ soul into American pop; not really our fault that they were just a little bit better than we were!
The Stairways, fall 1967, l-r: Nino Puglisi; Rick Nardo on bass (replaced George Curtin); Paul Stratton drums (replaced Martel Day); Vic Livingston on vocals & lead guitar (replaced Chuck Aarons); and Rick Puglisi on vocals, sax.
The Stairways
The Stairways were begun by Eddie Stair in 1965 with George Curtin on bass, Martel Day on drums, Bob Bowersox & Chuck Aarons on lead guitar. They were joined by Anthony “Nino” Puglisi on lead vocals and saxophone, and his younger brother, Rick on vocals and sax. The original lineup changed as members went off to college, or fell victim to band politics. Their 45 “Don’t You Care” is a garage classic, while the instrumental flipside is making waves on the UK northern soul scene. They also recorded another song, “All Souled Out,” that may or may not have survived on acetate.
I was lead guitarist of “Nino (Puglisi) and the Stairways” from around 1966-68. I was Chuck Aaron’s replacement in the band. I bought his cherry-red Gibson Les Paul SG and then sold it to a guy named Norm Lewis and I’ve been trying to find him for years and buy it back! I then bought a Fender Jaguar, the hot “axe” back then, which is featured in the 1968 Mt. Pleasant H.S. yearbook in a picture of the Stairways. (Never did care for how it played — very buzzy and the strings would pop out of those bridge “grubs.” Now in my middle age I learn that all I had to do was replace it with a Mustang bridge. Who knew.)
The Stairways cut “Don’t You Care” early in ’66, before I was with the band. The song was written by Eddie Stair. The Stairways record was sold in stores and did get radio play on Willmington’s WAMS-AM.
The flip side of “Don’t You Care” was an instrumental version, tenor and alto saxes. A pretty screamin’ side, too. It was Chuck who taught me the lead lick he used on the record. George Curtin was our bass player, and I haven’t seen him for years. Martel Day was on drums, and Bob Bowersox, now a star presenter on the QVC shopping network, was second rhythm guitar after Eddie. A bit of over-staffing on the guitars, but that would soon end and the original six-man lineup would become five. More on that in a moment.Eddie Stair’s original band also had an instrumental called “Castaway.” Eddie, a trusting soul, sent it to a record company, unsolicited and uncopyrighted. The tape was returned some time later. Then after that, a group called “The Castaways” came out with the song, “Liar, Liar,” a garage band classic. Eddie always claims it was his song, with words added. Martel and George vouched for him, and I believe the story is true. So there you are, another alleged ’60s rock band ripoff story.
Then one day I got a call from Nino, telling me that Eddie was out of the group. I remember saying something like, “But the band’s named after him.” And Nino says, “Not anymore. It’s Nino and the Stairways now.” Very heavy.
After Eddie was fired, Vince Rago of Richie Records took us back into the studio to cut two more sides. It was at Frank Virtue’s studio on North Broad St. in Philly. Virtue had a big hit in the late ’50s with “Guitar Boogie Shuffle.” We went into his studios and cut a new song called “All Souled Out,” which was a pretty good record. But it never came out. Vince Rago wanted upfront money, I forget how much, for “promotion” of the record. I remember Nino saying that such expenses should be borne by the record company, and he refused to pay.
Rago held firm: No promo money and the record sits in the vault. Nino called his bluff on behalf of the band; no dinero. Guess what? The record never did hit the stores, or the radio. Rago meant business. As I remember it, the original tape did sit in Frank Virtue’s vault. Some years later, I called Virtue studios to inquire about the tape’s fate. I remember being told, perhaps by Frank Virtue himself, “Oh, we just got rid of a lot of old stuff that was sitting around.” So here’s the upshot: If Nino had agreed to pay the “promo” money, maybe our second record would be a cult classic, too… and if I had called Virtue sooner, perhaps I could have salvaged the tape and brought the record out as a “from the crypt” special! Ah, what could have been!
Rago’s son, Vinnie Jr., just recently told me that the masters from his father’s company were either lost or tossed by family members who didn’t recognize their potential value. As for the fate of “All Souled Out (backed with an instrumental version, as was our custom), I never saw any vinyl on it, or even an acetate. But Chris of garagehangover.com told me that some collector in the UK thought he saw an acetate of “Souled” for sale over there. I’m trying to run that down; if it’s found, it’s another garage band fairy tale come true!
I’m pretty sure the Stairways played on the same bill as the Enfields and, of course, George Thorogood and Wayne Watson; they were “The Turfs” back then. The Stairways beat them at a Battle of the Bands, I think it was at the Elsmere Fire Hall. What a night that was! I remember that we all went back to the Charcoal Pit, a popular local eatery, and announced that there would be an “after-party” at my house in Green Acres (since my parents were away visiting my sister at college). About a hundred kids jammed our house, broke a window or two, and then the folks came home early and the party was over.
I think there’s a chance we once played on the same bill as the Castiles, Bruce Springsteen’s band, maybe at that same Battle of the Bands. But it could be that popular mythology is merging with my teenage band memories! If anyone reading this is close to the Boss, ask him if he remembers the Stairways when he was playing the Wilmington circuit (which history shows that he most definitely did).
Nino, our lead singer and alto sax player, was tragically murdered in 1998, almost exactly ten years ago this spring. When Nino died, I was so upset that I couldn’t bring myself to go to the funeral. The Wilmington News-Journal ran huge news stories about his murder, and accompanying one piece was a photo of the Stairways with Nino, Ricky, and me in the middle (listed by the paper as “unidentified”).
In a real sense, Rago was/is an unsung hero of Wilmington’s cultural history. He was a tough, no-nonsense guy who sometimes demanded that his groups cede control to him (he owned the publishing company as well as the record label). And we didn’t like that side of him. But he also professed a real love for the music; many of his biggest acts, such as Teddy and the Continentals back in the late ’50s, were blacks, and Rago was a tireless promoter of black music as well as garage band rock ranging from soul and avant garde / psychedelic to proto-punk. His legacy deserves to be memorialized.
Vic Livingston
Special thanks to MopTop Mike for the scan of the Stairways 45. If anyone has a copy, scan or transfer of the Richie version of “All Souled Out”, please get in touch!
The Symbols, circa early ’67. L-R: Ken Johnson, Rich Judkins, Ron Pearson, Bob Wyman and Arthur Herman
Arthur Herman presents the history of his group the Symbols, creators of the minimalist garage classic, “What You’ve Shown”. All photos are from Ken Johnson’s collection.
In the mid ‘60s the Symbols rode out of St. Louis and settled in Elsah, Illinois. Tax exiles.
The five of us were all actually out of Principia College in Elsah, just across the river from St. Louis. The nucleus of the group did actually start off in St. Louis [as the Squires]. The name The Symbols wasn’t used until Elsah and 1965, but the record was cut in St. Louis so maybe that’s why we were identified with that city.
The classic Symbols lineup is the one that recorded their 1967 single. Well-known for its obscurity, “What You’ve Shown”, re-surfaced on a number of 21st century garage compilation CDs.
The single was recorded and pressed at Technisonic Studios in St. Louis in spring ’67. Technisonic was the site of many noteworthy rock n’ roll recordings including Ike and Tina Turner’s early hit “A Fool in Love.”
We certainly paid for the recording and pressing of the 45. For my money “What You’ve Shown”, an uptempo fuzz extravaganza, beats hands down “I Know That I”, which is kind of an Everly Bros. type ballad.
The 1966-68 lineup was Richard Judkins (lead guitar, vocals) Ron Pearson (drums, vocals), Kenneth Johnson (bass, vocals), Bob Wyman (guitar, vocals) and Arthur Herman (Farfisa, later Vox organ). Judkins, Pearson and Wyman were from St. Louis, Johnson from Cincinnati and Herman from Ada, Oklahoma.
l-r: Kenneth Johnson, Ron Pearson, Arthur Herman, Bob Wyman and Richard Judkins
l-r: Ken Johnson and Rich JudkinsSince Richard Judkins is the only band member who remembers the early 60s here’s his take on the group’s beginnings:
In the 1962-63 timeframe, Rich, Bob, Ron, Bill Hibreider (Sp?) and Rick Alt put together a group called “The Squires” and played at various Principia Upper School [in St. Louis] functions until Rich and Rick graduated in 1964. In 1963 or early 1964, The Squires recorded a 45 on Anaconda Records containing a vocal entitled “Wonderin” and an instrumental entitled “Stratford on Avon.” During the 1964-65 school year, Bob, Ron and Bill played in another upper school group called “Buddha and the Idols.” You may also recall that Rick Alt was a vocalist for The Symbols at Principia College during the 1965-66 school year.
Little did we know at the time that 1965 would be the beginning of the mega-group now simply known to rock historians as “The Symbols.”
The ’67 single is also on the Anaconda label. Judkins wrote “What You’ve Shown” and sings lead. Pearson supplies the backing grunts. The two of them shared writing credits on “I Know That I”. Judkins remembers:
The Anaconda label – yes, we used the same label in ’67 for continuity sake and it was a made up label (no real entity except I thought the name sounded neat). By the way, the colors (blue and silver) were inspired by the similar colors used on the Chess label in the 50s/60s (i.e., I remembered it from the colors on my 45 rpm copy of Chuck Berry’s Rock n’ Roll Music).
Ron PearsonLabel problems – the labels on our 45s were reversed and this fact is noted in the liner notes to the Australian compilation Teen Blast U.S.A. Vol. 2.
At the time, I got Terry Bell, a DJ and celebrated Oklahoma garage band drummer, to play the single on KADA in Ada, OK. He was and is with The Monuments and remains a friend. I imagine my colleagues in the Symbols took similar stabs at promotion. But I don’t remember us doing any really hard sell. We divided the 500 copies up and I think a number were just given away to friends.
The photo of Pearson is at a college dance. He must have just been wanting to power up his sound with that microphone. That I remember, we just played pretty much for college events. Everyone had a pretty full schedule, Judkins played varsity baseball, and that limited the time dedicated to music.
The Symbols broke up in May 1968 when Judkins and Johnson graduated from Principia College.
Interest in The Symbols may have been fanned by their 30th anniversary tour in 1998. It consisted of a single performance back in Elsah at Principia College. Pearson could not be lured backed from California for the 1998 reunion tour and was replaced by hot-shot St. Louis drummer Greg Grattan. He got the job through his daughter who played on the same soccer team as Wyman’s daughter. CDs and even DVDs of this event do exist, and I understand they change hands for extremely large sums of money!
Arthur Herman
Also check out Arthur’s band before the Symbols, the Fanatics of Ada, Oklahoma.
The Symbols l-r: Arthur Herman, Kenneth Johnson, Richard Judkins and Bob Wyman
Before the Symbols, Arthur Herman was in the Fanatics of Ada High School in Ada, Oklahoma, 1965.
Can garage bands wear matching outfits and turtlenecks? The correct answer is no in 1968 but yes in 1965. Under the influence of the early British bands, if you wanted to get hired for dances you did want to wear matching outfits and Beatle boots. That’s me on the Farfisa organ, the same one I used two years later on the recording with The Symbols.
Huey Meaux and Doyle Jones behind the console, the Dawgs in front, from right to left: Bobby Sharp, Freddy Arechiga, Gaylan Latimer (in the striped shirt) and Jimmy Rogers filling in on bass. “This photo was taken at 2 AM, at Gold Star Studios in the summer of 1965” – Freddy Arechiga
Updated and rewritten, January 2011
Fred “Freddy” Arechiga wrote to me about the origins of the Dawgs:
I met Bobby Sharp in Waco, TX (1963-4). Bobby was dating my cousin Paula, and she put Bobby and me in touch, so we could form a new band for him.
At the time, I was 14 years old and playing drums with Ramsey Horton and the Silvertones. Ramsey Horton formed the original Silvertones, while he was attending Baylor University, in 1961. Horton had put together a big band, with a horn section, and black lead singer, Bobby Bradshaw. We were playing that new stuff called, Motown, and that other stuff called, Soul Music, ala James Brown.
I had a close friend, Tommy Nash who played bass, he was only 13 years old and sounded like he had been playing for 20 years. He was also one of the best jazz guitar players I’d ever run across in my life (and I’m old). Tommy became the third Dawg. Bobby, Tommy, and I began rehearsals of Bobby’s original songs. The three of us immediately knew we had something worth pursuing. However, Tommy and I didn’t sing, so we needed on more singing Dawg. Later, when we went into the studio, Tommy Nash could not make it; the fourth person behind the console in the photo was a bass player that the record producer brought in the night we recorded our album.
It was during this time that I had first started growing my hair long, and every time I looked at myself in the mirror, I thought I looked like a long-haired dog. I told Bobby this story and he said, “I like it!” I asked, “You like what?” “The name of our band.” At first, Bobby wanted the band to be called, “A Band of Dogs.” After some discussions and some time had past, I wanted to call the band, Bobby Sharp and the Dawgs; I originated the spelling of Dawgs; some how this spelling didn’t make me think of the animal, when I read it in print. Bobby agreed.
After playing a frat party one night, (I was still gigging with the Silvertones as well) I stopped by a Waco beer joint called the Branding Iron, on the edge of town, to hear a childhood friend, who was singing and playing guitar in a rock band there. I walked in and saw Gaylan Latimer and his small cover band. Mickey Sharp (no relation to Bobby), was on drums, Wallace Pelton on bass/keyboards/vocals, and Gaylan Latimer, lead vocal/rhythm guitar/lighting director.
The first thing I noticed was Gaylan had rigged up his own lighting system. He had taken colored, flood lights, and put them on to the end of their boom microphone stands, operated by a footswitch. When I walked in they were between songs, and were on a dark stage. When Gaylan started singing, he would turn on the flood light and it would only light up his face, and while the solo was being played, he switched it off, then back on when he started singing again. Gaylan looked like he was getting a tan, while he was singing.
I left before the break, the light show made me feel like I was on acid, and drunk.
Bob and Gaylon from the Houston Varsity Tattler, 1965I thought Gaylan would be a good back up singer for Bobby; another plus was that he sang kill’n harmony. The next day, I told Bobby about Gaylan, and his light show, and we went to see him the next night, but didn’t let Gaylan know we were there. After Bobby heard half a song, he said, “Call him tomorrow,” and we slipped out. The next day, Gaylan said, he’d be interested in being a Dawg. Gaylan became the fourth Dawg.
Bob Gumm, Bobby’s manager, booked The Dawgs into the Westview Rollercade, a huge, modern, roller skating rink in Waco. We played to an almost empty house the first night we played there. The second night they sold out of skates, within an hour. The crowd began to get so large, the owner’s, Syd and Claire, stopped the skating altogether, and turned the rink into a dance party, whenever The Dawgs played there.
The next thing that came along for The Dawgs was the 7-11 stores contracted us to introduce the Icee at each one of its Waco stores. W-A-C-O Radio set up a live broadcast of every one of our shows. They had us playing on a flat-bed trailer of an 18 wheeler, in front of the stores. People would call in and request to have songs dedicated to their boyfriends, or their girlfriends.
At one point, our girl fans were having Dawg parties; we were typically picked up by some DJ, in a big rented car, and he took us around making appearances at these Dawg parties.
We were noticed by a DJ, Gene Kelly, of W-A-C-O, who approached us to make an album. Kelly was connected to Huey P. Meaux (Crazy Cajun Records) and thought that Meaux might be interested in producing The Dawgs. The next thing I know, we were in Gold Star Recording Studios – now Sugar Hill Studios — in Houston, TX recording an album of Bobby’s songs. Meaux signed Bobby Sharp after we had recorded the third song. Bobby was a natural in the studio; he was an excellent arranger as well.
We finished and headed back to Waco for more Dawg stuff; KBGO, and W-A-C-O Radio kept us busy, and W-A-C-O Radio put two Dawg songs in their top ten list; “It Belongs To You” and “I Don’t Want To See You Again,” were the titles.
Gaylan Latimer (Gaylon Ladd) adds:
Definitely before the Dawgs there were bands. Even early on at Chuck Harding Studios in Waco on Franklin Ave, at a very young age (around 7 or 8 yrs old) Chuck would split us into small combos, maybe 4 or 5 kids – we would get to come up with our own band name and play pre-teen/early teen dances that he would have on the weekends. I would compare it now to a sort of “School of Rock”. We would actually make a little money from the door.
A little later on (6th or 7th grade). I was playing VFW Halls, etc… In Jr. High, I was with a group called the Convertibles. That was the band that Freddie had mentioned he saw us play. The light thing was actually a Chuck Harding and the Confederates concept (they even used black lights, way before they became popular also). Wallace Pelton took the idea and made some for us. It was an electrical nightmare!!
That particular band played private parties and clubs – pretty much, a dance band. The night Fred mentioned that he saw us play, the club was called the Branding Room – a small Waco bar on LaSalle Ave. I remember them coming out to the club for a short while. I had seen Bobby perform with a group at a place outside of Waco called Geneva Hall (can’t remember the name of the band – they had horns,keyboards, the whole works – very impressive back in that day).
Bobby and that band had a demo of a song called “White Roses” – great song. It was later recorded by Gene Thomas along with another song called “The Picture” – Bobby and I played on that recording session. Anyway, I think he and Fred came over to the house the next day. Bobby was quite the talker. He wanted to do this English thing – accent and all, trying to convince everyone he was from England. He was from a little town in Oklahoma actually. Bobby ended up living with my family for about five months before moving to Houston. We became a small town sensation – screaming girls, fan club, the whole mess – it was a first for Waco.
A dj named Gene Kelly, along with another dj (can’t remember his name) picked up on us and became our managers. They came in contact with a man named Charlie Booth who drove down from Houston and signed us to a recording/split management contract. I’ll never forget him driving up in his brand new, bright red, ’65 Implala convertible.
He went back to Houston to set up recording session time – that’s when Huey found out about us. Huey called our managers, had the contract null and voided with Charlie Booth – then signed us to a recording, publishing, production, and management contract – all within 24 hours. Crazy, yes it was, but that’s how we got connected with Huey. He never even saw us play, until we walked in Goldstar studios. I don’t think he ever heard the demo that we cut at KBGO studios (it used to be on the 2nd or 3rd floor above Walgreens on Austin Ave. I have a tape of that I need to get baked before copying.)
As Gaylan explains on his excellent web, gaylanladd.com, Meaux released songs cut by the Dawgs at Gold Star on three different labels and under three different artist names, hoping one would break out in the charts.
First out was the Dawgs release on Pic 1 (#119), “Won’t You Cry for Me” / “Shy”, both songs written and sung by Gaylan and pressed in June of ’65. Hear these and other songs on Gaylan Latimer’s site.
Next came a release as Bob and Gaylon on Ventural V-722, both songs by Sharp, released in September of ’65. On the A-side, “Don’t Go in My Room Girl”, the singer is warning a girl who “laughed at me” not to go into his room because he has another ex-girlfriend in his room?! The tearjerker on the flip, “It Belongs To You” features some nice acoustic guitar.
Billboard announces Epic’s release of Bobby Sharp’s 45, November 5, 1965That same month Meaux placed two more of Bobby Sharp’s originals on Epic: “Walk, Think & Cry” / “I Don’t Want to See You Again”, receiving notice in Billboard in November, 1965.
The band toured as Bob and Gaylon, until Bob Sharp had a nervous breakdown, smashing a Gibson 12-string and pawning his Birdland and Gibson amplifiers.
Many of these 1965 recordings turned up on two LPs credited to Bobby Sharp and released on Crazy Cajun in 1978, Walk, Think, and Cry and Autumn Leaves Must Fall.
The first of these leads off with both songs from Bobby Sharp’s Epic single, contains seven other songs that went unreleased at the time, and finishes with “Won’t You Cry for Me” – the same version as on the Pic 1 single, but with drums and bass low in the mix. The sound on the album isn’t great, with occasional dips in volume from mishandling the tape. The cover just shows some clouds and sky and has Bobby’s name and the title on it. There are no notes, or a listing of musicians or recording info on the back.
The unreleased songs are “Baby We Got a Good Thing Going”, “I’ve Done It Again”, “Please Not Again”, “Bring It to Me”, “Down Home Girl”, “Something’s “Wrong” and “This Reminds Me”. “Something’s Wrong” really shows Bobby’s fake English accent and Beatles affectation.
Gaylan is listed as writer of “Please Not Again” and “Won’t You Cry for Me”. Bobby Sharp has the credits for all the rest of the songs except “Baby We Got a Good Thing Going” which lists Meaux. I expected the Barbara Lynn song, but it’s altogether different, and works well. “Down Home Girl” should not be listed as a Bobby Sharp song, it was written by Leiber-Butler for Alvin Robinson, then covered by the Stones.
I haven’t yet heard the second Crazy Cajun LP by Bobby Sharp, Autumn Leaves Must Fall. These are all Gold Star cuts from ’65 as well, and none were released prior to this album. The titles are: “Autumn Leaves Must Fall”, “How Many Times”, “That’s All”, “Naughty Girl”. “Find Me Another”, “Love Is Gone”, “The Picture”, “As The World Turns”, “Greenie Meanie” and “Please Lie To Me”. If anyone has a copy or a CD transfer of this, please let me know.
Gaylan Latimer again:
I on all of Bobby’s recordings. All of those tunes were recorded at Goldstar in 65′. We never finished a lot of those songs in the studio (especially the Autumn Leaves one). Bobby just disappeared in ’66. The last time I saw him, he was heading to a hospital (looked like a nervous breakdown). It was like he just disappeared after that -no one ever saw or heard from him since that time.
During ’75-’77, maybe into ’78, Huey and Mickey Moody were recording many acts, myself included. Huey would get the pictures for the covers, songs (had publishing rights of course), got Joe Nick Potoski to do liner notes – the whole package. He then would sell the albums to corporations and individuals for tax right offs. Never intended to release any of them, – the artists never getting anything. Most of the songs were demo form.
I was part of the studio band and also recorded six albums of my material in June and July of ’76. Like the so many other artists, never getting anything from them. The recordings are still in Sugar Hill’s vault. Funny thing though, I just received last week a royalty statement that had a song called “Deep Water” – it was in that batch of songs that I had recorded then. 17 cents by the way. I never actually saw the LP’s of Bobby [until recently].
The “Greenie Meanie” song was inspired by Frog Man Henry who was at that session that night in Goldstar (’65). I still have some of the original lyrics/ paper copies of some of those songs. “As the World Turns” doesn’t ring a bell. “The Picture” was recorded later by Gene Thomas – that was one of the very few recordings that I played keyboard. We recorded that version at the Pasadena studio.
Around this time Huey Meaux opened up Pasadena Teen Town, with an office and studio in a building nearby. At this location Gaylan recorded three solo 45s, starting with “Smokey Places” / “Think About Me” on Ventural in September of 1965, then “Think About Me” / “Her Loving Way” for national release on MGM in December, and another 45 on Ventural “I Better Go Now” / “Painted Lady” released in 1966. This was a different band than the Dawgs, and included Dennis “Crash” Collins on bass, Wallace Pelton on bass and keyboard, and a drummer named Tommy. They really rock on some of these songs, notably “Her Loving Way”.
Gaylan wrote all of the songs he performed as a solo artist. Later on, for the Heather Black band he would collaborate with Tommy Christian on most of their material.
In 1966 Huey Meaux and Charlie Booth were arrested and eventually convicted for violating the Mann Act, bringing a 15 year old girl to Nashville for purposes of courting favor with DJs attending the NATRA convention. While fighting the case he moved between Texas and Clinton, Mississippi where he started the Grits and Gravy studio. Gaylan moved back to Waco, writing and recording at Chuck Harding studio, including two songs for an obscure release, Glennis Annette and the Confederates “You Better Find Your Way” / “Sadness Is” for Harding’s TRC (Texas Recording Co.) label (read about it on Lone Star Stomp).
In the spring of ’67, Gaylan came back to Houston to record with Meaux, cutting Gaylan’s originals “Repulsive Situation” / “My Life, My Love” for release on Meaux’s Pacemaker label in May of 1967. His band for this record was the East Life Transfer with Tommy Christian on guitar, Vernon Womack on organ and Sammie Piazza on drums, while Gaylan sang and played bass. “Repulsive Situation”, is a lament against distrust and alienation.
The Pacemaker label had other good releases, including Johnny Winter’s psychedelic number, “Birds Can’t Row Boats”, the Triumphs “Better Come Get Her” and Yesterday’s Obsession “The Phycle” / “Complicated Mind”.
In May of 1968 Huey went into prison to serve a 14 month sentence for the Mann Act violation. Gaylan returned to Waco where he cut a 45 with the Silvertones “Something Is Strange” / “Get Out of Town” for TRC (without the Confederate flag now) at Chuck Harding’s studio.
Gaylan writes, “As far as the Silvertones, after Ramsey and Bobby Bradshaw, there were quite a few different personnel changes. I was in Houston when a lot of the early Silvertones were playing together. When I started playing with them, they had a singer named Little Anthony (not the famous one). I believe Dennis Black was the leader at the time, Jim Shanks, another sax player and another horn player that I can’t remember. When I started, I was playing bass and singing. Mickey Sharp was playing drums–I don’t remember who was playing guitar at the time.”
Gaylan formed Heather Black with members of the Silvertones, Mickey Sharp, Ted Richardson and Tommy Christian. They would record again with Meaux, first a single on Meaux’s American Playboy label, and then an LP on Double Bayou, produced by Meaux and distributed through his new deal with Shelby Singleton in 1970. For more on this period of Gaylan’s career, check his website.
Gaylan Latimer’s recording releases (pre-Heather Black only):
The Dawgs – Won’t You Cry for Me / Shy (Pic 1 119, June 1965) Bob and Gaylon – Don’t Go in My Room Girl / It Belongs to You (Ventural V-722, September, 1965) Bobby Sharp – Walk, Think and Cry / I Don’t Want to See You Again (Epic 5-9849, September 1965) Gaylon Ladd – Smokey Places / Think About Me (Ventural V-723, October, 1965) Gaylon Ladd – Think About Me / Her Loving Way (MGM 13435, November, 1965) Gaylon Ladd – I Better Go Now / Painted Lady (Ventural V-731, 1966) Silvertones – Something Is Strange / Get Out of Town (Texas Record Co. TRC 2099, 1966?) Gaylon Ladd – Repulsive Situation / My Life, My Love (Pacemaker PM-257, May 1967)
Sources include: the SugarHill Studios site (http://www.sugarhillstudios.com/news/news_doylejones.html – link now dead) and background on Huey’s conviction from The B-Side.
Thanks to Larry Nichols and Freddy Arechiga for help with identifying the band in the photo, and to Mike Markesich for accurate record release dates. Thank you to Gaylan Latimer for answering my questions. Special thanks to Fred Arechiga whose comment below I’ve added to the main text.
This EP by Indonesian singer Christina is on the light side – garage fans may find this to sound like lounge music. It has grown on me as I’ve played it more, especially the last song, Hanja Bintang Bintang. I’m presenting this for those who dig obscure Asian pop of the ’60s.
I knew next to nothing about her so I asked Steven Farram to fill us in:
Christina was a young singer from the city of Surakarta (also known as Solo) in Central Java, Indonesia. She is supposed to have made only a handful of records before she disappeared from the scene, but I have only ever seen this one, which probably dates from 1966 or 1967. Why Christina did not have a longer career, I do not know, as she shows on this EP that she was a fine singer. She is said to be a cousin of the much more famous Tetty Kadi, but I do not know if that is true. The Irama (Rhythm) label that this record appears on carried many popular Indonesian artists during the 1960s, including Kus Bersaudaura (as Koes Bersaudara was originally known) and Lilis Surjani. Irama was already putting out records in the 1950s as 78 rpm discs.
On this EP Christina is backed by Orkes Variata (Variata Orchestra) led by Ido Sigarlaki. The first song is Bintang Tjitaku (My Star of Hope) in which Christina chooses one of the stars in the night sky to by her guide to help her find ‘the star of her heart’. The following song, Indahnja Panorama (Beautiful Panorama), has Christina telling us of the beauty of flowers, birds, mountains, the sea, rice fields and people working joyfully in the fields and fishing. Sounds like she is in love! Indahnja Panorama was also covered in the early 1970s by Singapore’s living legend, Anita Sarawak. The flip side begins with Dewi Purnama (Goddess of the Full Moon) where Christina tells how looking at the full moon gives her hope and makes her forget all her restlessness and feelings of dejection. She asks the moon to never leave her and tells her that if she had wings she would fly up and caress the Goddess of the Night. The last song, Hanja Bintang-Bintang (Only Stars), begins with Christina sitting alone on a rainy morning waiting for someone to arrive. By the afternoon she is worried that her lover has given her up. At last the rain stops, but the night is quiet and lonely. All night she couldn’t sleep and had only the stars for company.
Ellis Starkey wrote in about two Shreveport-based bands he played drums and sang with, The Back Alley and The Rogue Show. The Back Alley didn’t release any records at the time, but I hope some unreleased tapes surface so we can hear what they sounded like. Here are the bands’ stories in Ellis’s own words:
The Back Alley
In 1966 “The Back Alley” was formed with Ellis Starkey – drummer, vocalist; John Barlish – guitar, vocalist; Bob “Fist” Raley – Hammond organ, trumpet; Kenneth Nealy – trumpet, vocalist; and Gary Rhineheart – bass, vocalist.
We rehearsed where ever we could, sometimes in Mr. Barlish’s barber shop, sometimes the Musician’s Union Hall, sometimes at Fist’s house, sometimes a laundromat, but most of our practice came from OTJT- on the job training!
We played soul music. In October 1968 we played a black club in Shreveport, La., called The Hollywood Palace. We were the first white band to ever play there. The billed us as “The Back Alley – the Blue-eyed Soul Brothers”. We had a packed house! When we started playing no one danced. We had a light show, strobes, black lights, and flashing color lights. I had the strobes turned on the crowd and during the next song the dance filled up! They loved the strobe lights. John played the guitar behind his head, his back, and with his teeth! He was one of the best soul-type singers around. We also performed at the Afro-American Scene, on Texas Street, Shreveport.
The Tau Kappa Epsilon, at Centenary College in Shreveport, La. “adopted” the band and we were able to play all of their dances. They had the BEST “weekend” parties at a private camp on Lake ‘O the Pines, in East Texas. We would bring our camping and fishing gear along with a ski boat and stay all weekend. What a life!
Fist, the organ player, on guitar; Ellis on drums and John, the guitar player on organ at LSU, Baton RougeThe Back AlleyEllis Starkey on drums
Whenever we needed a date to fill our calendar, I would call Charlie Winn,”The Working Girl’s Friend”, he owned the Bayou Club in Shreveport. We played there alternating with Eddie G. & the Jive Five [who recorded 45s like “Losin’ Boy”, “Go Go Train” and “Soul Feelin'” as Eddy “G” Giles.]
Eddie G, his drummer was nicknamed “Caveman”…he was a tall, big man. One night a fight broke out and one guy told Caveman, “You better watch it…I know karate”. Caveman snarled and said, “I know “ka-38”. Caveman won without a punch!
Eddie G. had a black girl that was his go go dancer, “China Doll”. The night we played the Afro-American Scene, Eddie G. and all his entourage came to see us play. About the 3rd set Eddie sent China Doll up on the bandstand and she started dancing with us. After several songs she flipped off her top. It landed on Gary the bass player…he cracked up when he realized what had happened. He turned every shade of red!
“The Back Alley” performed at fraternity and sorority parties at all of the surrounding colleges in Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Mississippi until 1969. The Back Alley recorded several original songs but didn’t put anything out, we basically played gigs.
The Rogue Show, 1974
The Rogue Show
Dino and Gordo
In April 1969, I received a call from Jerry Hawkins, President of Musicians Local 116 in Shreveport. He said a full-time band needed a drummer and for me to go play with them. I told him that I didn’t feel I was good enough to play with them. He said yes you are…get on out to the club. The band was The Rogue Show and they were in their third year playing at the Shindig. Very rehearsed.
When we started we sounded like we had been together forever…on the first break Dino Zimmerman, guitar player, came over to me, put his arm around my neck and said you are our new drummer. My band The Back Alley had a gig at La. Tech the next night. David Shelton, another drummer, came in and said he wasn’t playng in his band anymore, so I called John Barlish and set it up for David to play with them.
The Rogue Show was Larry Gordy bass guitar, vocalist; Dino Zimmerman guitar, vocalist; David Rowe organ, vocalist; and Ellis Starkey drummer, vocalist.
David and Ellis
Another reason the band was so good was because we kept the same four members for the five years the band was together. We played six nights a week and rehearsed twice a week, learning at least two new songs a week for the duration of our band.
When I joined the Rogue Show they had been playing at the same club, The Shindig, for three years. I handled all the bookings in my other bands so I started booking college and high school jobs. We left The Shindig and started playing one nighters, we never did go back to the Shindig. That summer I booked the Bayou Club so we could stay rehearsed and learn new songs for the upcoming “fall school season” Sept. – December.
On October 30, 1969, The Rogue Show opened for the Grassroots at Stephen F. Austin College, in Nacogdoches, Texas. We played 30 minutes before they started. They played 30 minutes and then took a 20 minute break. The Rogue Show played those 20 minutes. Then the Grassroots got back up and played for 45 minutes. It was a big night, it was a pillow and blanket concert in the gym. The place was packed. I signed 5 contracts for school dances before I could pack up my drums!
In February, 1970, Kenny Rogers and the First Edition were booked to play SFA. I contacted the lady that had booked us with the Grassroots. She said that we would not be hired because we were too good! She said we don’t want to make concert bands mad by having a local group show them up. First time I ever lost a job for being too good! We ended up playing just about every dance over the next couple years but we never opened for anybody again!
Dale Hawkins (co-writer and singer of Susie Q) came out to hear us perform. He was working for Bell Records at that time. That next week he had us in the studio at Steve Wright’s in Tyler, Texas. Dale said he would shop it around and let us know.
Robin Hood Brians, studio owner, Tyler TX
Jerry Hawkins (Dale’s brother and president of Musicians Local 116) called us and said he wanted to take us to the studio. We went to Robin Hood’s and recorded several songs. Jerry said he would shop it around and let us know.
Jerry called about a week after that and wanted to have a meeting with the band. He told us he had two labels interested, Paula Records and RCA, Nashville. WOW!!! We all talked it over and asked whatever questions we could come up with. It came down to how many cents we received per record sold. Paula Records offered 5 cents and RCA offered 2 cents. Well needless to say went with the higher figure . Major mistake! Knowing what I know now, we should have gone with the major label regardless.
We signed a four record deal over two years. The releases were:
1) Make Me Over Again / Nadine 2) Come Back Baby / Can’t Judge a Book 3) Gretta / Put On Some Love
The “Make Me Over Again” record label shows the writer as Roman Gorky. Ro from David Rowe, man from Dino Zimmerman, Gor from Larry Gordy, and ky (misspelled) key from Ellis Starkey.
Gretta was released one week when it was a “Newcomer Pick of the Week” in Cash Box, Billboard, and Record World, the week of March 25, 1972. The next week no one would play the song, seemed like someone was trying to kill it. In a couple of days Jerry Hawkins resigned as our producer and said that from now on we would have to go through Gene Kent at Paula. I called Gene and set up a meeting.
Gene Kent and I have never gotten along and things didn’t improve this time. There was a time he wanted to be our manager and wanted us to pay him 25%. We said No. I guess this is how he got us back. He said he would handle our selections of songs from now on. I reminded him that we had 1 more release according to our contract. He said OK, but I want you to pick out one of our music tracks of the Uniques and y’all decide on who you want to sing over the track. I said do you mean for one of us to sing over a music bed already recorded by the Uniques? He said that’s it exactly what I mean, like a smart ass. I told him we would not do that and to stick the “Biggest little record shop” up his ass! They sent us a release of contract by mail.
Meanwhile, we were making more money that we ever had. We went to the Orbit Lounge in Bossier City, playing 6 nights per week. In the contract, I stated that we could be off at the club as long as we had a replacement band. I booked the colleges and high schools. We stayed there 2 years and 2 months. When we played at the schools we told everyone to come out and see us whenever they came home. We had big crowds all around.
We played at Hawks Lounge in Shreveport, La. for 8 months. We held the attendance record there with 975 customers paying cover charge of $1.00 per person.
Ellis Starkey
In 1973 we went to the Landmark Club in west Shreveport. We had the same type contract as with the Orbit but at twice the price. We played the Landmark through December 1974. We continued to book all of the best college and high school dances. We performed in Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Mississippi. After five strong years of playing almost every night the Rogue Show hung it up on New Year’s 1975.
Ellis Starkey, 2008
Update: I’m very sad to report that Ellis Starkey passed away on June 1, 2009.
The Rogue Show’s first single, on N-Joy RecordsFor more Rogue Show photos, memorabilia and music, check out their videos of Come Back Baby and Can’t Judge a Book and Make Me Over Again. Special thanks to Ellis for sending in the history and photos of his bands.
The Rogue Show had a 45 prior to Ellis joining the band, “Look to Me” (Larry Jefferson) / “Little Lonely Summer Girl”. It seems to have been the last release on the N-Joy Records label. If anyone has sound clips of this record, please contact me.
The late, great Dirceu Glaeser was a singer, songwriter and radio presenter from the city of Curitiba.
This little concise (one-and-a-half minute long) gem, “Pura Asneira” (“sheer rubbish”), was co-written with Antonio Aguilar, one of the most important record producers, managers and radio & TV hosts in the history of Brazilian rock (oh for Elvis to have met someone like him instead of Tom Parker). The record (credited simply as by Dirceu) was released on the Rozenblit label in 1967.
So far I have not yet discovered who played on the record, but special mention goes for the guitar solo (while most 1960s guitar players followed the Jimmy Reed and Chuck Berry leads – no pun intended -, some, like the one on this recording, went for the James Burton school of virtuosity, like Tony Hicks, Dave Davies and Jimmy Page).
The Scholars (white sweaters) with vocal trio the Perennials, plus manager Nat Segal Cameo Parkway Studio, Philadelphia, January 28, 1967
The Scholars were a quintet of Drexel and Temple University students from the Bridesburg, Port Richmond and Mayfair sections of Philadelphia.
Members were:
Bernie Winski – lead vocals and cordovox Joe Macie aka Joe Macijewski (spelling?) – guitar Bob Wilkowski – bass Tony Tokarczyk (spelling?) – drums Richie Dombrowski – saxophone
Bernie Winski wrote both songs on the 45, “I Need Your Lovin” and “Please Please”.
Opening with a pounding snare, “I Need Your Lovin'” is intense garage. The sound is dense, with background vocals by the Perenials [sic] and heavy swirling organ. A sax solo is followed by some great surf-type runs on the guitar. A remastering from the original tape, if it exists, might really bring out all the elements.
“Please Please” is competent but less exciting, I’m including it for the completists out there. They also cut one unreleased song, “I’m Gonna Make It”, that really shows doo-wop influence. “I’m Gonna Make It” originally appeared on the Crude PA compilation.
The 45 was released in February, 1967 on the Ruby Ray label out of Cornwell Heights (northeast of Philadelphia, I believe) and distributed by David Rosen Inc. Mastering by Frankford/Wayne.
Be sure to read the comment below from Bernie Winski’s brother Edward for more information on the Scholars.
The Perennials at Cameo Parkway Studios, Philadelphia, January 28, 1967
Update, June 2011
The Perennials, from left: Jack Donadio, Gene (surname?) and Jim Tucker Backing vocalist Jack Donadio wrote to me about the session with the fine photos seen here:
I am one of the Perennials who recorded the songs featured on your website: “I Need Your Lovin'”, “Please Please”, and “I’m Gonna Make It”.
The Perennials (background vocals) consisted of three doo wop singers from Philadelphia who answered a newspaper ad and auditioned to provide the background vocals for the Scholars who had recently signed a recording contract with Nat Segal. Nat was the group’s manager and contract holder, who also produced the master tape and subsequent recording under the Ruby Ray label.
Gathered around the microphone is me (Jack Donadio), Gene (don’t know his last name) and Jim Tucker (my brother-in-law). With regard to Gene, we only met him for the first and last time at the recording session. All that I remember about Gene is that he resided in Philly and sang with various doo wop groups, as we did.
Shortly following the release of the record, the Scholars appeared on the local TV show, “Summertime on the Pier”.
The was no further musical collaboration of the Perennials and Scholars following the recording session. There was not much of a musical career for me and Jim. We sang with a lot of different groups (Frankie and the Fashions, among others). We both eventually became law enforcement officers. Jim was a Sergeant in charge of the Homicide Division in Philly and retired from there about five years ago. I became the Police Chief of New Hope Pennsylvania for seven years, then Oneonta, NY (retired from there after 25 years) and finally Hawthorne, Florida for two years. I am presently retired and living in Gainesville, Florida.
Jack Donadio, 2011
Thank you to Jack for providing the photos and information on the recording session.
Nat Segal was a clarinet player who owned the Downbeat Club in Philadelphia and booked jazz shows into the Academy of Music in the ’40s and ’50s. In the early 1960’s he went into personal management for Danny & the Juniors, the Orlons, the Dovells and DJs Bob Horn and Jerry Blavat before working with the Scholars.
Sources on Nat Segal: Jersey Jazz’s December 2009 issue (PDF document) and “To the Geator, Bob Was Horn of Plenty. To this Day, Jerry Blavat Feels Debt of Gratitude to the Show’s Founder … and its Biggest Victim” by Jonathan Takiff, Philadelphia Daily News, August 5, 1997, accessed through Philly.com.
The Perennials at Cameo Parkway Studio, Philadelphia, January 28, 1967
The Counts IV circa early 1966, from left: Al Peluso, Rick Turner, Joe Booher, Don Roof.
There’s more to the Counts IV than I originally thought. Don Roof was sixteen when he started his first band The Little Boppers in Goldsboro, NC, southeast of Raleigh. Don was stocking vending machines at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base just outside Goldsboro when he met three musicians stationed at the base: Rick Turner, Joe Booher, and Al Peluso and together they formed the Counts IV.
The original Counts IV were Don Roof – vocals, rhythm guitar, harmonica; Joe Booher – lead guitar, vocals; Al Peluso – bass, vocals; and Rick Turner – drums. Their competition around the Goldsboro area came from the Spectaculars, with Bill Stroud on sax.
They were regarded as having the British invasion sound down, which is apparent on “Lost Love”, the breezy B-side of their first 45. The A-side, “Listen to Me” stands out with its vocal trills and purposefully dissonant harmonies. Melodically it sounds sort of like an adaption of Larry Williams’ “Slow Down”. “Listen to Me” was written by Joseph Booher, and “Lost Love” by Albert A. Peluso.
This is one of the earlier releases on Raleigh DJ Jimmy Capps’ JCP label, which would date it to approximately late 1965 or early 1966. It came with a picture sleeve, occasionally done for JCP releases like the Invaders’ “(You Really) Tear Me Up” and a Dayv Butler 45. The group is listed as the Counts Four on the sleeve, but the JCP label and their next 45 both refer to them as the Counts IV.
The band replaced Rick Turner with Enrique Pacheco (‘Chico’), and toured from South Carolina up to New York. They played many shows at the Round Table in Washington D.C. and for a time were the house band at the Cavalier Club in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Their second 45, “Spoonful” / “Where Are You” was recorded in New York and came out on the CBS subsidiary Date in 1966. “Spoonful” is an adaption of the Willie Dixon song, while “Where Are You” is an upbeat original by Donald Roof with some odd female backing vocals.
Around late ’66 or early ’67 the Counts IV recorded two songs at a D.C. studio that went unreleased at the time and are now available on a Sundazed 7″. One is a cover of “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue”, but the other is a very interesting original by Don Roof called “Discussion Of The Unorthodox Council”.
This turns out to be the same song as “What Good Is Up”, a great track released under the name The Inexpensive Handmade Look on Brunswick in August of 1968. In fact I’m almost positive it’s the same take, though the Brunswick 45 has serious amounts of echo and effects added to the performance. I wonder if someone at Brunswick retitled the song, which doesn’t quite match up with the lyrics. The Brunswick label lists Ben Mullarkey, Mike Divilion and Mike Kelly as producers. It’s backed with “Ice Cream Man”, another Donald Roof composition.
What place is up if fate has no eyes? What smile is happiness if hate lingers on? What word is truth if evil holds on? What lives are lived if this […?]
What motion is man if Satan holds on? What is right? – ah, who can tell?
But I know the truth is written … if you look for it.
What cries are heard if people can’t see? What sins are left if everything’s wrong? What skies are up if all roads lead down? What ships can sail if seas have all dried?
What left is death if people don’t live? What are we, if the world does not turn?
But I know the truth is written … if you look for it!
There were personnel changes around this time, as Doug Farwig replaced Al Peluso.
Bassist Doug Farwig wrote in about his time with the group:
I was a member of The Inexpensive Hand Made Look. Ha! What a name.
I was very good friends with the Counts IV. I actually joined the Counts IV in Washington DC after their bass player Al left the band during a fight at one of their rehearsals. I had just left my North Carolina band “The Fabulous Dimensions”, also out of Goldsboro, NC and had gone to DC to visit The Counts IV who were playing in a Georgetown club called “The Round Table” when their little spat happened and I just so happened to be there.
They all turned to me at once and said “Doug, how would you like to play bass in our band”. I didn’t know what to say at first because I was a guitar player. I didn’t have any bass type equipment or anything. They talked me into it and off we went to Washington Music to make my big purchase. The rest is history so to speak, because I’ve been a bass player ever since.
I now live just outside of Orlando, Fl in one of the suburbs called Longwood and have been here since 1970. During that time, I have played in many bands the best of which was a group called “The Gatton Gang” in the mid 1970’s. That was a very good band and we toured with it thoughout most of the easten part of the country.
I still see and am now recording with the keyboard player (Kibby Gary) and the guitar player (Rick Warsing). Both are excellent palyers and they both have remained active in the business while I only play part time. I started my own construction conpany which is still active now.
Why no mention of “The Embers” from Raleigh? They were fabulous and even had their own strings of dinner clubs through out the state. We would run into them all over the place. Sometimes in Virginia at some frat house were they would be playing next door or as openers for some of the big shows that would come though our area from time to time.
Another one is “The Villagers”. They had their own Saturday morning TV show based out of Charlotte. They were a big band with about 9 pieces and had a guy and a gal out front that were very good. The Inexpensive Hand Made Look actually played on one of their TV shows.
Ken Taylor, drummer for Mike and the Dimensions, told me the story of how he joined the Counts IV:
Doug Farwig and I had played together in The Dimensions … We used to go see the Counts IV at the teen club on Seymour Johnson Air Force base and wanted to be just like them. They wore black turtle neck shirts, tight jeans and “Beatle boots” and we thought they were the coolest thing we had ever seen! We idolized the Counts IV and traveled with them as roadies when they opened for the Dave Clark 5. They also opened for the Zombies and I’ll never forget Chico teaching me how the drummer played the opening lick on “She’s Not There”.
Joe Booher quit the Counts IV and they broke up. Al and Chico went back to New York. We hooked up with Don Roof who had a bunch of gigs already booked to form the new Counts IV which later became the Inexpensive Handmade Look. Joe joined us for a while and we called ourselves the Counts IV but changed the name after Joe quit again.
Chico came to play with us and I was the front man. Chico quit after a while to return to his family in N.Y. and I went back on drums. I am the guy singing on “Ice Cream Man” with Inexpensive Handmade Look. When we went to N.Y. to record “Ice Cream Man” I’m pretty sure the producer was the same guy that the Counts IV had worked with and he decided to put their song on the flip side. I think they added the effects to try to make it more psychedelic.
We added another guitarist named Bill Collins also known as Mojo Collins who is still playing around North Carolina to this day.
After Doug Farwig left IHL, Don Roof and I formed a new band called Strange Brew with some guys we had met in Atlanta, GA and started playing in clubs down there. We met this guy named Jeff Lee who was a local pot dealer with connections in L.A. He supposedly got us booked at the Whiskey A Go Go and we pooled our meager funds and headed West.
We drove across the country in a Chevy van with five guys and all our equipment. When we got to L.A. we quickly found out there was no gig. We managed to find a job three doors down from the Whiskey at a bar called the Galaxy. One night this guy came in and invited us to an after hours party at the Hollywood Landmark hotel. He turned out to be Shep Gordon and offered to manage our band. He said he had a group from Phoenix that he was handling who were starving but that he believed were going to be very successful. That band turned out to be Alice Cooper and Shep is still Alice’s manager today.
We decided not to take him up on the offer (big mistake!) and a few days later we broke up after someone stole our lead player’s guitars. His name is Spencer Kirkpatrick and he was so bummed he flew back to Atlanta the next day. He later signed with Capricorn records and formed a band named Hydra.
Don went back to Atlanta and I went to D.C. where I literally ran into Doug Farwig walking down the street. That’s when he offered me the job with Wild Honey. Their drummer had left so they hired me and we had a house gig at the Bayou in Georgetown, six hours a night, six nights a week making $200.00 a week. That was a really good band with great vocals but a lot of ego problems. Once again the band broke up and I went to London, England to play and record with Denny Laine (Moody Blues, Wings).
After freezing and starving in England, I returned to D.C. and worked with some local bands before moving to San Francisco and hooking back up with Mojo and his band Initial Shock. We played at the famous Fillmore and Avalon ballrooms and opened for Santana, Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane and many other bands.
Ken Taylor
Ken’s stories of his time in London and San Francisco will be continued in a later article.
The Counts IV in 1969, from left to right, top: Mike Fowler, Don Roof and Mike Malonee bottom: Billy Merritt and Danny (surname?)
I presumed the group broke up sometime after the Inexpensive Handmade Look 45 but in fact Don Roof continued the band as the Counts IV with different musicians. Mike Malonee wrote to me about this lineup and sent in the photo above:
I first saw the Counts IV at the Teen Club on Seymour Johnson AFB in 1965. I was totally impressed with their look and the great British sound they were producing. I can clearly remember hearing Don Roof knock out “Twist & Shout” and thinking, that’s as good or better than The Beatles! They were very professional and an extremely tight group. I followed this group throughout the mid to late 60’s.
I was 15 years old when I formed a band call “Mike and the Dimensions” in 1965, which included Ken Taylor on drums and lead vocals. I had only been playing guitar for a year and [was] very immature. I was later replaced by Doug Farwig who I considered to be a solid guitar player and later became an even better bassist with the Counts IV.
I played in rather good band that I’d formed in Goldsboro called The Chosen Few and we won the local battle of the bands in 1968. We also opened for Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs in 1967. We were all just teenagers then and were living large. Then I grew up and tried to make a living at playing in a band. Big surprise! You can starve doing that!
In 1969, long after the original Counts IV had broken up, Don Roof replaced the original members with some younger, less talented musicians and performed under the name Counts IV. I was asked to join the group as second guitar and lead vocalist.
Don Roof was playing keyboard during this period. The other three [were] Mike Fowler (Blues), Billy Merrit, and the black dude I only remember as Danny. This version of the Counts IV lasted less than one year.
W. Michael Malonee
Rick Turner (Robert Ward Turner) passed away some years ago in Tampa, Florida. Tragically, lead guitarist Joe Booher committed suicide in 1971. Enrique Pacheco (Chico) passed away in July 2007. Don Roof currently plays with The Back Alley Band in the Manassas and Fairfax area of Virginia.
One request – if anyone has photos of the group please contact me.
Update: I’m sorry to report that Don Roof passed away on April 8, 2016 at the age of 73. Don was the primary song writer for the band.
The Originals recorded at least five 45s on the Van Recording label out of Angleton, Texas. Members were Gary King on lead guitar, Tommy King on bass, Ronnie Ellis rhythm guitar and George Shelton on drums. Larry Weathers took over on bass not long after the group formed.
Anyone have a photo of the group?
The Originals first 45 is “Scatter-Shot”, a good instrumental written by lead guitarist Gary King, with a cover of Little Richard’s “Lucille” on the flip. It was released in 1964.
Their second (that I know of) is “Honey Blonde”, released in December of 1964 with the artist listed as Ronnie Ellis and the Originals. The b-side is a ballad, “One Little Raindrop”. Both songs were written by Monte Angell and produced by Wallace Schlemmer.
The third 45 features two rockin’ instrumentals. “Stick Shift” ’65 was written by Terry Simpson and Jessie Castor, lead guitarist and bassist, respectively, for the Raiders, who had scored a big local hit on Van with “Stick Shift” back in 1962. Gary King’s original “Blast-Off!” is just as good as the top side.
Their next had two more great instrumentals, “Night Flight” and “Comanche!”:
Another ballad “Searching for Your Love” is the A-side of their last 45 that I’m aware of, written by Wayne Gust with vocals by Ronnie Ellis and George Shelton.
I prefer the flip, another Monte Angell composition, “How Much of Your Heart”. Ronnie Ellis sings in a rough style while the guitars use heavy tremolo instead of the sharp sound on their earlier 45s. This one was recorded by Billy Snow and also recorded in 1965.
The Originals releases:
“Scatter-Shot” / “Lucille” – Van V-01464 “Honey Blonde” / “One Little Raindrop” – Van V-01864, as “Ronnie Ellis and the Originals” “Stick Shift ’65” / “Blast-Off!” – Van V-02165 “Night Flight” / “Comanche!” – Van V-03065 “Searching for Love” / “How Much of Your Heart” – Van V-03565 “Goodnight Little Sweetheart” / “The Right Way of Doing Things Wrong” – Van V-02865, credited to simply “Ronnie Ellis” “Hop, Skip and Jump” / “No Love for Me” – Van V-04066 “I Can’t Forget” / “Old Enough to Break a Heart” (D. McBride) – Van V-04166 “Each Night at Nine” / “Only Want a Buddy (Not a Sweetheart)” – Van V-04266, as “Lonny Roberts & the Originals”
“Old Enough to Break a Heart” features vocals by Larry Weathers and Ronnie Ellis.
Gulf Coast Records compiled five of these songs on the LP Texas Guitars back in the ’80s. Distortion during the first seconds of “Scatter Shot” seems to be present on original 45s and that LP.
For more on the Van label see the article I’ve posted here.
George Shelton sent in the poster seen at top, showing Larry Roberts did bookings for the band. I’d like to see a better quality version of this poster or any other photos of the group. In 2017, George wrote to me: “Nowadays I’m doing private parties as ‘G Entertainment’ DJ-Vocalist, Jokes, Pokes & Karaoke and having a blast!”
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 Stairways cut “Don’t You Care” early in ’66, before I was with the band. The song was written by Eddie Stair. The Stairways record was sold in stores and did get radio play on Willmington’s WAMS-AM.
They were regarded as having the British invasion sound down, which is apparent on “Lost Love”, the breezy B-side of their first 45. The A-side, “Listen to Me” stands out with its vocal trills and purposefully dissonant harmonies. Melodically it sounds sort of like an adaption of Larry Williams’ “Slow Down”. “Listen to Me” was written by Joseph Booher, and “Lost Love” by Albert A. Peluso.
