Categories: Massachusetts, Reed, Winchester

The Landlords

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The Landlords from Winchester, MA released one 45 on the Reed label before disappearing.

Erik Lindgren provided the lineup of the band in a comment below:

Roger Millen – lead vocals and harmonica
John Buzzotta – lead guitar
Bill Brusseau – rhythm guitar
Bobby Mouradian – drums
Jimmy Mouradian – bass

Michael Kelley wrote a comment that I’ll reproduce in part here because it’s informative:

The Landlords were from Winchester, MA. Their one single, pictured above, was released by Jolar/Reed Record owner John J. Sullivan in 1967. The Landlords did back up labelmate Jonna Jaye on some live peformances, but not in the studio. However, she did come with her father to the Landlord’s recording session in New York. Jonna’s last release “Detour On A Dead End Street” was backed by the Maine garage band The Barracudas who recorded on Critique, Flair, and Jolar.

“I’ll Return” is a well-crafted love song, lyrically interesting, with tasty guitar reverb. The quality recording lets you hear an experienced, cohesive band that was probably gigging regularly. “I’ll Return” was written by Richard R. Errico. My copy is inscribed “To Pvt. Rossi – Good Luck – Dick Essio”, poignant given the escalation in the Vietnam War going on in 1967 when this was released.

“I’m Through With You” is as weepy as they get, and I wish I could have made a less noisy transfer of it. This side was written by John Buzzottu and Bid Woods.

Anyone have a photo of the group?

Categories: Amarillo, Ruff, Sully, Texas

The Checkmates

42 Comments

Updated January 2010

For every fuzz-driven garage screamer, there are a dozen records like this one by the Checkmates: competent and upbeat but uncompromised pop music. I didn’t know much about the group until people commented and wrote to me, so I’m adding some of the comments into this article.

Ray Ruff was an Amarillo impresario, owning the Checkmate night club, a recording studio and Ruff Records. He was also a partner in Sully Records, eventually taking it over from Gene Sullivan, who had started it in Oklahoma City in 1959.

A paragraph from Ruff’s obituary gives some background on his early music career:

Ray Ruff befriended Buddy Holly’s record producer Norman Petty and, after Holly’s death, he made several soundalike recordings, deliberately wearing spectacles like Holly’s when he recorded. Ruff often worked with his group the Checkmates, but they became the Executioners and wore hooded masks on stage.

There are at least eight different 45s by Ruff with the Checkmates, mostly on Norman Records, from between 1959 to the early ’60s.

Bobby Hacker commented below:

I was his first drummer and I recorded several records with the Checkmates under the Norman label. Ray was the vocalist along with Chuck Tharp. Tharp was the original vocalist for the Fireballs. Charles McClure was the lead guitarist, Tharp was rhythm guitarist and Tom Beck was bass guitarist. We toured the mid-west U.S., along with two provinces in western Canada. Most of our recordings were done in Clovis, N.M. at Norman Petty studios. While on the road, we. the Checkmates, recorded in St. Louis, Mo. backing a singer, trumpet player named Gabriel.

The year was 1961 and I am the only living survivor of the original Checkmates mentioned here. Ray Ruff went through several musicians during the 1960’s and he passed away a couple of years ago in L.A. He was very sucessful as a record producer but not that good a singer when I worked with him. He supposedly along with Norman Petty, formed the Checkmates.

Tom McCarty of the Page Boys wrote to me:

Ray Ruff had a recording studio in Amarillo at the Trades Fair shopping center at N.E. 24th and Grand. Ray was a Buddy Holly look-alike/wannabe who toured the mid-west with the Checkmates from Scotts Bluff, Nebraska – Minot, Minnesota, etc. If memory serves me right, The Checkmates had pretty well disbanded by 1966 which is about the time I met Ray Ruff. They were really a good group. Larry Marcum, their lead guitarist, was a good musician and a nice fellow.

Jerry Hodges commented:

I played with Bob and Larry Marcum with the Checkmates. I remember a tour to North Dakota with with Ray Ruff. I think we traveled in a Nash Rambler. I can also remember going into the Norman Petty studio and Larry wanted to play bass, so we switched as I was the bass player.

The band’s lineup had changed considerably since Ruff fronted the group, and by the time of the 45 I’m featuring here the band included Galen Ray (Galen Ray Englebrick) on bass. Galen Ray wrote both sides of this 45. There’s another 45 on Ruff by the Charming Checkmates – Just to Make Me Cry, that I haven’t heard.

Also see the Ruff and Sully discographies I’ve posted here.

Anyone have a photo of the group?

Categories: Apex, Canada, Saskatchewan, Saskatoon

The Witness Inc.

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The early Witness, Inc. (l-r): Craig Kaleal, Les Bateman, Kenny Shields, Ed Clynton and Dennis Tremeer
The early Witness, Inc. (l-r): Craig Kaleal, Les Bateman, Kenny Shields, Ed Clynton and Dennis Tremeer

Witness Inc, second and longest-lasting lineup, l-r: Ed Clynton, Dave Tupper, Kenny Shields, Allen Ayers and Les Bateman (kneeling).
Second and longest-lasting lineup, l-r: Ed Clynton, Dave Tupper, Kenny Shields, Allen Ayers and Les Bateman (kneeling)
The Witness Inc. came out of Saskatoon in the central Canadian province of Saskatchewan and immediately became a touring sensation in the western provinces. They released a series of 45s which became increasingly pop after the second. The band finally caught on in Ontario after several years and many personnel changes.The original band consisted of Kenny Shields vocals, Ed Clynton guitar, Dennis Tremeer bass, Les Bateman organ and piano, and Craig Kaleal on drums. I was surprised to learn that the band traveled to New Mexico to record their first 45, probably at Norman Petty’s studio in Clovis.

“I’ll Forget Her Tomorrow”, is a fine pop song, backed with “Girl Before You Go”, an original by Dennis Tremeer (listed as Doug Tremeer in the BMI database). The picture sleeve features a different band lineup than the group on the recording, with new members Dave Tupper on drums and Allen Ayers on bass.

The Witness Inc. (Witnesses) and the Guess Who at the ManhattanThe A-side of their second record, “Jezebel”, is a cover of the old Frankie Laine standard. As good as the Teddy Boys version, it was probably their biggest hit, reaching #1 on CKXL in Calgary in February, 1968.

Younger fans like myself generally prefer the flip side, “Not You Girl”, an original by Ed Clynton and Les Bateman, which speeds by in a hasty 1:46 with a great scream from Shields and an nifty organ solo by Bateman.

The January 13, 1969 issue of RPM Weekly announces that the band had dropped the ‘Inc.’ from their name for their fifth single, “So Come With Me”, recorded at Sound Canada studios in Toronto. Surprisingly the article says this was their first Canadian session!

The Witness Inc. Apex 45 Not You Girl

45 releases:

I’ll Forget Her Tomorrow/Girl Before You Go (Apex 77044) Sleeve
Jezebel/Not You Girl (Apex 77063) Sleeve
Harlem Lady/I Put A Spell On You (Apex 77077, & in U.S., Decca 32328) Sleeve
Visions Of Vanessa/Another Side Of Her (Apex 77087) Sleeve / Reverse
So Come With Me/I’ve Got To Go (Apex 77093)

Saskatooon Musician's Association Annual Social 1967
Thank you to Ivan Amirault for providing scans of the sleeves, and to Peter Studer for the clip of I’ll Forget Her. Very special thanks to Cory for the photos and clippings of the original lineup from his father Dennis Tremeer’s scrapbook.

Witness Inc., first lineup at the Saskatoon Musicians Social, l-r: Craig Kaleal, Kenny Shields, Dennis Tremeer, Les Bateman and Ed Clynton
First lineup at the Saskatoon Musicians Social, l-r: Craig Kaleal, Kenny Shields, Dennis Tremeer, Les Bateman and Ed Clynton
RPM Weekly, January 13, 1969, now simply 'The Witness'.
RPM Weekly, January 13, 1969, now simply ‘The Witness’. Thanks to Chris Smith of the Factree for the clipping
Witness Inc. news item from Jan. 13, 1969 RPM Weekly
news item from Jan. 13, 1969 RPM Weekly
Categories: Bermuda, Duane, New York, Stony Brook, Suffolk County

The Weads “Don’t Call My Name” / “Today” on Duane Records

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The Weads Duane 45 Don't Call My NameThe Weads were the first rock band to release a record on the Duane label in Bermuda. I wondered, how did a band from Stony Brook, New York end up on a label from Bermuda? That question was answered when I spoke to Rodger Jackson, bass player for the Weads, who generously provided a lot of information about this great band.

Rodger Jackson started a band called the Statics with Allan Varela at their high school in Garden City, Long Island, Rodger playing bass and Allan lead guitar. Allan was 14 at the time and Rodger a little older. The next year, Allan moved to Stony Brook, where he attended the Stony Brook Boys School, though he continued playing music with Rodger. They recruited Dick Turano from Northport to play drums and Myron MacLeod McCloud to play rhythm guitar. Myron was from Texas but was attending the Stony Brook Boys School at the time.

The Weads distinguished themselves from other groups by playing only original songs, most of them written by Allan Varela (listed as Varella II on 45 label). They outfitted themselves in suits, and played through Vox Super Beatle amps. Allan Varela played a Stratocaster, Rodger a Precision bass, and Myron a Vox Teardrop guitar.

Also at the school was a student from Bermuda, Alan Dowdy, who took a demo tape of the Weads back home with him and played it for Eddy DeMello, owner of the The Music Box in Hamilton. DeMello liked what he heard, and in short order he contacted the Weads and signed them to 3 year, 10 song contract. The Weads recorded at least four songs at National Recording in Long Island. DeMello then took the masters back to Bermuda and pressed records there.

DeMello stocked them in his record shop and DJ Bryan Lodge got them played on the local radio station ZBM, sending “Today” to #2 in Bermuda. Allan Doughty from Bermuda became their manager. All the college students there for vacation knew the songs from the local radio play, so when the Weads arrived for College Week, they already had a good audience. Like the Savages, they played for college audiences around the island and at the Princess Hotel. It’s likely that the success of their 45, “Today” / “Don’t Call My Name”, led to the recording and release of records by the Savages and the Gents.

Back in the states, the flip side “Don’t Call My Name” went top 10 on Long Island. The Weads did an hour-long radio interview that may still exist on tape somewhere. They played shows at local Hullabaloo clubs and in Pt. Jefferson. They also started recording commercial jingles and may have recorded new material at Ultrasonic in Hempsted.

About a year after signing with DeMello the Weads decided they wanted to get out of contract in order to concentrate on breaking into the national scene. DeMello fought this and made it difficult for them to find another label. Columbia passed on them in late ’66/early ’67 and with members going to college, the Weads called it quits.

During college, Rodger joined a club band, playing the Hamptons and Lake George. He fondly remembers late night jam sessions with members of other Long Island bands at the Afterhours.

Master tapes of the Weads sessions should still be in existence. One of the unreleased songs has a title like “Her Name Was Lynn”. Until those tapes surface, we’ll have to wonder what else this talented group was capable of. Given the quality of their original material on the Duane 45, they could have done well if they had the backing of a major label.

Anyone have a photo of the group?

Categories: Dallas, HBR, Josie, Knight (Dallas), Robin Hood Studios (Tyler), Southern Sound, Texas

Jimmy Rabbit and Positively 13 O’Clock

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Jimmy Rabbit cuts Chuck Dunaway's call letters off his shirt
Jimmy Rabbit cuts Chuck Dunaway’s call letters off his shirt after winning a boat race between the stations. Photo from The History of KLIF Radio (http://1650oldiesradio.com/pgone.html – now defunct).

Jimmy Rabbit Knight 45 PushoverJimmy Rabbit was a prominent DJ at Dallas station KLIF AM 1190 with a show that mixed British Invasion sounds with Texas acts like Mouse and the Traps, Sir Douglas Quintet and the Five Americans. Having tried his hand at singing as a young rockabilly under his real name, Eddy Payne (Dale Payne), he decided to make another attempt in 1965. With help from friends, Rabbit released three good garage 45s from ’65 to ’67.

“Pushover” is distinguished by a popping rhythm and sharp guitar. It was released with three variations in the name. First as Jimmy Rabbit with Ron and Dea on the yellow Knight label, on a blue Knight label as simply Jimmy Rabbit, and then picked up for national release on Southern Sound as Jimmy Rabbit and the Karats (ha ha).

Jimmy Rabbit Knight 45 Wishy-Washy WomanThe b-side “Wait and See” is dark and less catchy, but pretty good too. Both of these were written by Lindsey-Kirkland-Rambo, arranged by Bob Rambo and produced by Bob Sanders.

Next came the bluesy “Wishy Washy Woman” from July of 1965, written by Ron Price. “Wishy-Washy Woman” reached #31 on the KLIF charts thanks to Jimmy’s connection with the station. It’s a formulaic blues, but gains momentum a little over halfway through as Jimmy sings just over the drums, with the other instruments coming in at the end of each measure.

The flip side is “My Girl”, credited as a Price original but really more a version of Willie Dixon’s “My Babe” with some different lyrics.

Jimmy Rabbit Southern Sound 45 PushoverJimmy Rabbit Josie 45 Wishy-Washy Woman

Positively 13 O'Clock photo
Positively 13 O’Clock lineup, from left: Dave Stanley, Bugs Henderson, Jimmy Rabbit and Jerry Howell Jimmy Rabbit: “The picture of Positively 13 O’Clock was taken while we were playing at the world famous Lou Ann’s Teen Club.”

Positively Thirteen O'Clock HBR 45 Psychotic ReactionHis biggest hit came in 1966, with a buzzy cover of “Psychotic Reaction” under the name Positively Thirteen O’Clock, recorded at Robin Hood Brians studio in Tyler, Texas with members of Mouse and the Traps: “Bugs” Henderson and Ronnie “Mouse” Weiss on guitars, Ken “Nardo” Murray drums, David Stanley bass, and Jerry Howell organ.

The solo has a frantic, trebly quality that’s a trademark Texas sound. The band ends the song with a final burst of fuzz rather than coming back into the verse as in the Count Five’s original, itself an imitation of the Yardbirds’ raveups. This abbreviated version clocks at a tidy 1:59!

High Yellow film still photo

Mr. Rabbit wrote to me:

The Dallas records [“Pushover” & “Wishy Washy Woman”] were a totally different thing than the Tyler recordings [“Psychotic Reaction”]. When Bobby Rambo and I teamed up in late ’64 we were a part of a new kind of music “thing” in Dallas-Ft. Worth.

We all came out of rockabilly music and we all used to hang out at the Sand-Lin Recording Studio (Bob Sanders and Lewis Lindsey) and played at, among other places: LouAnn’s and The Cellar in Dallas. This was right when the change from American to English music was taking place. We really tried to become/sound English! (like my friends in The Sir Douglas Quintet).

High Yellow promo bookI was a teenager with a Beatle haircut who was the number-one d.j. on KLIF Radio. I had brought the Beatles on stage when they played Dallas [fascinating write up was at http://www.radiodailynews.com/rabbittchapter12.htm but can now be found at https://web.archive.org/web/20120329141938/http://www.radiodailynews.com/rabbittchapter12.htm] and played in several bands, so we all got record deals at different times. There were several bands that hung out and listened to and recorded music. At any given time, there could be a band called ‘Jimmy Rabbit and the Karats’, ‘Jimmy Rabbitt with Ron (Boston) and Dea’ (Kirkland), ‘The Rowdies’, ‘The Bobby Rambo Rock-Kings’ and on and on.

The songs “Pushover” and “Wait and See” were recorded in 1965 and were featured in the movie, High Yellow. The band included Bobby Rambo, Lewis Lindsey, Dea Kirkland, Rex Ludwick, Ron Boston, and others who have been long forgotten!

Bobby Rambo, Rex Ludwick and I (and others) became Jimmy Rabbitt and Texas (on Atco Records) and later Jimmy Rabbitt and Renegade who recorded an album for Capitol with Waylon Jennings producing in 1977. Of all the records that I have made over the years, the only song that Bobby Rambo didn’t play on was “Psychotic Reaction”.

Check out Jimmy Rabbit’s website at www.jimmyrabbitt.com.(defunct)

Categories: Bay City, Cameo, Cameo-Parkway, DJ and Radio gigs, Michigan, Pa-Go-Go, Tangerine

? and the Mysterians

6 Comments

Saturday, Feb 24, 2007, there’s a benefit in Brooklyn for Rudy Martinez aka “Question Mark” the singer and songwriter of 96 Tears. His house burned down on January 9, and he lost all of his memorabilia, including the actual Farfisa on which Mysterians’ organist Frank Rodriguez played the famous 96 Tears riff. There’s a moving video of Question Mark walking through the wreckage at http://96tears.net/ and if you want to donate something to Rudy, you can do it there.

Come out to the Laila Lounge, 113 N. 7th St. (near the L train at Bedford) in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. There will be bands from 8 pm until 11, then djs including Phast Phreddie, Mike Lynch and myself, and a raffle of rare 60’s movie posters. Only $5, and all proceeds will go to Question Mark.

Most people familiar with garage will know their famous songs “96 Tears”, “I Need Somebody”, “‘8’ Teen”, so I’m including just a few lesser-known tracks as samples of their sound.

The version of “96 Tears” here is an earlier, slower take. It’s good, but I don’t think this version would have gotten them to #1 on the charts. “Ten O’Clock” is one of the best songs from their first lp, and was never released on 45. The soulful “Ain’t It a Shame” is from a 1969 single on the Tangerine label (? has a thing for the color orange, supposedly signing with Cameo-Parkway and Tangerine because of the color of their labels!)

? and the Mysterians cut plenty of good garage songs, and I definitely can recommend either of their original lps or the ‘Best of’ compilaton for those who want to hear more.

Categories: Germany, Polydor International

The German Bonds

5 Comments

German Bonds Polydor International PS We Are Out of Sight

German Bonds photo
German Bonds photo

The German Bonds started out in 1962, soon acquiring a top spot in the Star Club lineup of german beat groups. A few early r&b performances are preserved on the album Rock and Beat Bands Competition, recorded in December of ’63. Their first 45 was the horrendous mock-classical “Sonata Facile”, redeemed by a fine version of “So Mystifying” on the flip.

Sweet Beat Star-Club LP

German Bonds International 45 We Are Out of SightIn 1965 they contributed a good version of a song I’m not a fan of, “Remember” (aka “Walkin’ in the Sand”) to a couple Star-Club various artists lps of the time, Scene ’65 and Sweet Beat.

The line-up changed from time to time, but by 1966 consisted of Rainer Degner lead guitar and vocals, Peter Hecht keyboards, Jurgen Bock rhythm guitar, Dieter Horns bass and vocals, and Peter ‘Peet’ Becker drums. This line-up recorded their strongest record, “We’re Out of Sight”, backed with a great adaption of the traditional “Sing Hallelujah”, released in September of ’66 on Polydor International. It took me nearly three years to track down this one!

Their last recording was for Fontana in 1968, the awful pop tune “Skinny Eleanor” with a somewhat better freakbeat-ish song called “Birthday Is Today” on the b-side.

The Bonds have some connection to obscure Star-Club artists like the Fixx (supposedly the Rattles) and Our Gang. Check out the best song from the Fixx’s only release, “Looking for the Right Girl”.

German Bonds promo card signed to Jimmy Ward and the Tropicals
Promo card signed to Jimmy Ward and the Tropicals
Categories: Dallas, Texas

Johnny Green and the Green Men – early days in Dallas

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Johnny Green and the Green Men Grand Prairie Daily News-Texan Aug 29, -1965

Johnny Green at Surfers A Go Go club in Dallas
Two members of Johnny Green and the Greenmen at Surfers A Go Go club in Dallas
Johnny Green and the Green Men at Surfers A Go Go club in Dallas

Johnny Green was raised near Green Bay WI, then moved to California in the early ’60s, and eventually settled in Bismark, North Dakota. Johnny and the Green Men toured constantly, and ads I’ve found cite the band as from California or Las Vegas.

Johnny Green & the Green Men may not have started in Dallas, but they seem to have been regulars on the live music scene in the area, so I’m including them in the Dallas section for the time being.

The Grand Prairie Daily News-Texan published a photo of the group on August 29, 1965, noting that the Green Men would be playing at the Hi-Ho Ballroom on W. Jefferson would be playing at its “Shabang” with a battle of the bands and go-go girls.

The photos on the right are from the Surfers a Go Go club in Dallas and were sent to me by Jerry Colwell of Kit and the Outlaws. Howard Wales may have been the keyboardist in the Green Men when these photos were taken. I don’t know the names of any other group members from this time.

As far as I know, Johnny Green & The Green Men’s first single was “Something You Got” / “Green Thumb” on Emerald 2001 and picked up by Tou-Sea. Ken Elliott produced and Mickey Miller sang lead vocal. They later recorded for Ranwood, Edmar and Barak labels.

Johnny Green would become one of the Joker’s Henchmen on the Batman TV series. He kept touring as Johnny Green and the Green Men throughout the years, as far as I know, he may still be at it.

Info from an interview on Batmania.com.

Johnny Green and the Green Men Emerald 45 Something You Got
Johnny Green & the Green Men’s 1st single?
Categories: Detroit, Michigan, Ocean-Side, Sidra, Sound Patterns, United Artists

Chris Carpenter

12 Comments

This is a bizarre pop-psychedelic gem of a 45 by Chris Carpenter of Detroit, Michigan.

“This World (Is Closing In on Me) (written by L. Drake) is full of paranoid lyrics. “Waterfalls” (songwriting credits by Parsons, Toma, and Carnes) features a harmonium, thunder sound effects, rattles and yet more obsessive lyrics. Both sides were produced by P. Carnes for Sidra Records, and arranged by L. Drake. Not sure if this is the same Chris Carpenter now involved in sound mixing for Hollywood.

This was originally released on Ocean-Side, a subsidiary of the Sidra label of Detroit in October 1966, then on Sidra itself a month later, and then picked up for national release by United Artists in February 1968, over a year after the original release.

Someone named Jim wrote to me to say that this 45 exists without the sound effects, dampening the impact. Same label, but it’s less common than the 45s with these tricked-out versions.

To make matters more confusing, both sides were remixed with heavy fuzz guitar overdubs and released under the artist name ‘Preston’ on yellow vinyl on the Sound Patterns label in 1969.

Anyone have a photo of the man?

Categories: Germany, Munich, Yugoslavia

Daniela

9 Comments

Daniela released two EPs in Yugoslavia singing in Serbian. She made the one pictured above with the band Plamenih Pet (The Flaming Five) around 1967. This low-fi EP has competent covers of I Got You Babe and These Boots Are Made for Walking sung in English.

The real gems are on the b-side, Dan Je Divan Dan (on web translators the title comes up as “Presently Had Wondrous Light”!), written by G. Aber and V. Olear, and Ja Nekog Želim (“I Someone Desires”), written by V. Olear and Daniela herself.

I haven’t heard the other Yugoslavian EP, pictured to the right, but the track list is Hippy Hippy Shake, Things We Said Today, Detroit City, and O Flamingo.

I knew almost nothing about Daniela, but after posting this last week, a very nice person named Freddy sent me some information along with scans and other mp3s of her career in Germany.

Daniela’s real name was Danica Milatovic. She was born in Munich, Germany on December 13th, 1949, and her parents had come from Yugoslavia some years before. In 1960 she recorded her first 45. Between 1965 and 1973 there were 12 more 45s and two LPs with German songs. Her biggest hit was “Im Jahre 2002” (“In the Year 2002”).

Most of her German work is very pop oriented ( visual example here) but I’ll post a couple of the more uptempo numbers, Sag mir nicht Good Night (Don’t Say Good Night) and Ich bin wie Wachs in deiner Handen (I’m Like Putty in Your Hands).

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