Here’s an obscure one out of Nashville, from the early-70s I would guess. Fire, Rhythm and Smoke do a good hard rock number called “Fire & Rhythm” with very gravely vocals, released on Sissie’s 001.
The flip is “Sissie’s Place”, kind of a ’60s Sam the Sham sound to advertise Sissie’s Uptown Lounge on 125 6th Ave N in Nashville. I can’t find any mention of that lounge in news archives or on the web, and the site may be a parking lot now. For decades it was the address of Rock City Amusement Co. which advertised jukeboxes and pinball machines in Cash Box.
James Snell gets song writing credit on both labels, but BMI lists Dave Sunderland and Gary Turner on both songs, as well as Snell.
Desert Trash published both songs. The only other songs in their catalog are “Lay Me Down By Your Side” & “Cheatin’ on Him” by Ellen Daley, but I can’t find a recording of those.
John Shepherd produced and has his name etched in the runout.
That’s all I can find out. Surely these musicians had some roots in earlier groups.
Dennis Lascelles (keyboards) replaced by Mick Fletcher
Terry Hewitt (bass)
Pete ? (drums)
This short-lived band was called The Rifle and was the brainchild of former Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede guitarist Del Grace, who put together an earlier line up in late 1967 to play a lucrative ski resort gig in Verbier, Switzerland over the Christmas period.
The Rifle, Verbier
Malcolm Magaron had started out fronting Malcolm Magaron & The Blueshealers who were regulars at the Bag O’Nails in late 1966, which is probably where he first met Del Grace as Carl Douglas’ band worked there extensively during the same period.
The original keyboard player Dennis Lascelles went on to play with Fat Daughter but at the time was a member of Herbie & The Royalists who ended up recording a lone LP for Saga Records in 1968.
The Rifle, 1968 with Mick Fletcher (left)
Mick Fletcher, who’d worked with Del Grace in The Epitaph Soul Band during 1963-1965 period, replaced Dennis Lascelles in early 1968 after working with Hamilton & The Hamilton Movement.
When the band split up, Del Grace did some recordings for Liberty Records. Mick Fletcher joined The Amboy Dukes and Malcolm Magaron sang with The Les Humphries Singers.
We’d love to hear from anyone who can add any additional information in the comments section below.
Dave Whittaker (aka Chet Mason) (lead vocals/congas)
Del Grace (lead guitar)
Bruce Duckworth (rhythm guitar)
Mick Kinzett (bass/manager) replaced by Mick Holland (bass)
Mick Fletcher (keyboards)
Dave Rolfick (baritone sax)
Mick Lye (tenor sax)
Rodney Peters (aka Karl Lee) (drums)
Formed as Karl Lee & The Epitaphs in Welling, southeast London in January 1963, they changed name to The Epitaphs in 1964 and then The Epitaph Soul Band in 1965.
Most of the group’s members were from the Sidcup/Bexley area although Lye came from Battersea and Rolfick was from Streatham.
The group often played at the Black Prince Hotel in Bexley. Len Fletcher who ran the club was their manager.
Del Grace says the band’s line-up was fluid with musicians coming and going. The spelling may not be correct for some of the players listed above.
Bruce Duckworth didn’t stay long and they stuck with only one guitarist after he departed.
Mick Holland joined on bass in 1964 so that Mick Kinzett could assume road management duties.
The band’s van was involved in a horrific crash on Rochester Way in October 1964 (see newspaper clipping below) and two of the members were hospitalised. Mick Holland was so badly injured that he couldn’t continue with the group.
Bexley Heath & Welling Observer and Kentish Times, 26 February 1965, page 12
The group was put on hold until early February 1965 when it was reformed with the following musicians:
Dave Whitaker (aka Chet Mason) (lead vocals/congas)
Del Grace (lead guitar)
Mick Fletcher (keyboards)
John James (bass) (possibly also known as John Porter)
Dave Rolfick (baritone sax)
Mick Lye (tenor sax)
Rodney Peters (aka Karl Lee) (drums)
The new formation played at the Black Prince Hotel in Bexley on Sunday, 21 February and began working as the resident band at the Last Chance Club in Oxford Street, central London.
Bexley Heath & Welling Observer and Kentish Times, 26 February 1965, page 12Bexley Heath & Welling Observer and Kentish Times, 26 February 1965, page 12
Towards the end of 1965 Del Grace’s friend Andy Clark came in on baritone sax.
Soon after Mick Fletcher joined The Sound System who backed Jimmy Cliff before working with Hamilton & The Hamilton Movement, The Rifle (reuniting with Del Grace) and The Amboy Dukes.
Around the same time Del Grace joined The Big Wheel, who later recruited Andy Clark and Mick Holland.
Grace joined Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede in 1966 while Andy Clark later worked with The Fenmen, Sam Gopal Dream, VAMP, Clark-Hutchinson and Jeff Beck among many others.
Thanks to Ian Kinzett for the clipping
Notable gigs:
2 May 1964 – Beat Group Contest, Wickham Hall, West Wickham, Kent with The Blackhawks, Chris Finn & The Solents, The Sonics, The Melvin Toole Combo, The Original Deltones, The Electrons, The Copains, The Consorts and Paul & The Playboys (Beckenham & Penge Advertiser) Billed as The Epitaphs
February 1965 – Last Chance Club, Oxford Street, central London (Bexley Heath & Welling Observer and Kentish Times)
21 February 1965 – Black Prince Hotel, Bexley, southeast London with The Graham Bond Organisation (Bexley Heath & Welling Observer and Kentish Times)
1 June 1965 – 100 Club, Oxford Street, central London with The Bo Street Runners (Melody Maker)
5 June 1965 – Wimbledon Odeon, Wimbledon, southwest London with Beat Unlimited (Kingston & Malden Borough News) Advert says The Epitaphs are from Streatham so may be another band
17 June 1965 – Bromley Court Hotel, Bromley, southeast London (Melody Maker)
19 June 1965 – Jazz & Blues Festival, Black Prince Hotel, Bexley, southeast London with The Dutch Swing College, Solomon Burke, Zoot Money’s Big Roll Band, Unit 4 Plus 2, The Spencer Davis Group, The Downliners Sect, Alan Elsdon’s Jazzband, Brian Green New-O-Stompers and The Loose Ends (Bexley Heath & Welling Observer and Kentish Times)
Festival review in the same newspaper, 25 June 1965, page 12
30 June 1965 – Bromley Court Hotel, Bromley, southeast London (Melody Maker)
25 July 1965 – Black Prince Hotel, Bexley, southeast London with The Spencer Davis Group (Melody Maker)
Thee Illusion at the Erie Canal Fest, August 1967, from left: Alan, Tommy, Jim and SlateMisfits photo with Slate Raymond on guitar and Alan Farnsworth on drums
Jim Kriss compiled an amazing history of Thee Illusion (later known as Thee Illusion and Brass). There are dozens of great photos, a detailed history, and info on other groups from the area like the Humans and the Cult.
The PDF is available at the link below – a fairly large file, 22 MB.
Below is Jim’s list of musicians in the Misfits and Thee Illusion and Brass:
Tom McNall – (original member of the Misfits and Thee Illusion – Rhythm/Lead guitar and vocals T. Slate Raymond – (original member of the Misfits and Thee Illusion) – Lead Guitar Alan Farnsworth – (original member of the Misfits and Thee Illusion – Drums, Bass Guitar and Vocals Jim Kriss – (original member of Thee Illusion) – Drums and Vocals Mark Heard – (second generation member of Thee Illusion) – Keyboards Ray Colonna – (second generation member of Thee Illusion and Brass) – Percussion and Roadie Steve Rustay – (first generation member of Thee Illusion and Brass) – Trumpet and Percussion Bob Mathes – (first generation, former member of Thee Illusion and Brass) – Trumpet Chuck Lafferty – (second generation member of Thee Illusion and Brass) – Trumpet and Percussion
Mojo-Bone Records first two releases are back from the plant and ready to order.
The Baytovens “My House” / “Luv Look Away” went unreleased until the 2007 CD You Got Yours! (East Bay Garage 1965-1967) from Big Beat Records. This marks the first vinyl release for either song. 8-page color booklet includes the group’s full story by Alec Palao.
This is the first release for the Bummers demo “I Can’t Imagine” / “L.S.D.”, and includes a fold-out insert in purple ink, with artwork, lyrics and a photo.
Each is $14 plus $4.25 1st class postage for up to two singles. Contact me to order directly.
March 5. 1966. The American Teens, from left, front row: Ronnie Stevens and Gene Ponton; back: Jim Stevens, Bobby Stevens and Bill Koontz.
The American Teens came from Frederick, Maryland, about an hour’s drive northwest of Washington, DC. The members were:
Bobby Stevens – guitar and vocals Jim Stevens – guitar Gene Ponton – saxophone Bill Koontz – bass guitar Ronnie Stevens – drums
Ray Vernon signed the band to Swan Records and produced this great single at his studio in Accokeek, Wray’s Shack Three Track.
“Shake Shake Baby” is a danceable original written and arranged by Ray Vernon’s brother, Link Ray (using his common pseudonym, F.L. Wray Sr). I actually prefer the flip, “A Brand New Love”, credited to Bobby Stevens.
The labels list Florentine Music and Palmina Music as publisher of both songs, but I don’t see either in the BMI database or Library of Congress registrations.
The Frederick News-Post covered the band twice. The first article on March 5, 1966 had the most extensive profile of the band:
Local Band Records First Single by Marie Howell
With the release of their first single record this week, five county youths have started keeping tabs on the national and local record ratings.
Known as “The American Teens.” the quintet includes three brothers, Bobby, Ronnie and Jim Stevens, plus Gene Ponton and Bill Koontz.
The group’s original recording, “Shake, Shake Baby,” was released on the Swan Label earlier this week. Words for the rock and roll song were written by Ray Vernon who’s managing the group and the record was taped at Vernon’s studio at Achocokee [Accokeek].
On the flip side of is “One That’s Old,” [sic] written by Bobby and Jim.
The boys, who have performed throughout the state, left Thursday night for Buffalo, N.Y., where they’re scheduled to perform tonight at a radio station’s record hop.
All but two of the youths have graduated from high school and are holding down jobs in addition to their practices and performances.
Bill is a graduate of St. John’s High School and Ronnie and Jim are graduates of Middletown High School. Bobby is a junior at Middletown and Gene’s a senior at Frederick High School.
The band, which practices about twice a week, has signed a contract which calls for them to cut four records a year.
Ronnie, who’s the drummer, admits that “I didn’t realize how much time and hard work it took to get a good recording. We worked week after week, hour upon hour with Ray Vernon to get a good tape,” he explained. “We finally made it and I hope it will go over big.”
… Bobby plays guitar and is the group’s vocalist.
And, Bobby added, “The band as a whole feels that meeting Ray Vernon was the biggest break that we’ve ever had.”
I wonder if the record made any headway in Buffalo. It’s a rare item now.
Ronnie Stevens of the American Teens, June 30, 1966 On June 30, a full page of photos from a Baker Park concert discusses teen trends of the day, with quotes from Kristina Parker, Laurencine Thomas, Mark Nelson, Buster McKenzie, Joyce Stimmel, Brenda Cregger, and also Bill Devilbiss, bassist for the Five Acts, a group I know nothing about. There is also a good photo of Ronnie Stevens on drums.
For whatever reason, the band didn’t last, but their single showed promise, and I hope there are a few unreleased recordings out there.
Jo Jo Gunne, late 1965/early 1966. Left to right: Don Bax, Renwick MacDonald, Alan Townsend, Doug Gordon, Ronny Butterworth and Pete Pennycate. Photo: Ronny Butterworth
Readers will be familiar with the American early 1970s rock band Jo Jo Gunne, helmed by former Spirit members Jay Ferguson and Mark Andes.
However, the first band to use the name Jo Jo Gunne was in fact a little known British R&B outfit, formed at Debrome school in Feltham, Middlesex in early-to-mid 1965.
The original line up comprised:
Ronny Butterworth – lead vocals
Simon Spackman – lead guitar
Don Bax – rhythm guitar
Alan Townsend – bass
Doug Gordon – drums
However, later that year the musicians made the decision to move in a more soul direction and took on a new lead singer, Pete Pennycate, to accommodate the new configuration.
Spackman moved from lead guitar to keyboards to allow newcomer Renwick MacDonald to join from local rivals Themselves. Butterworth and Townsend focused on trumpets and Bax took up the bass.
By early 1966, Jo Jo Gunne comprised:
Pete Pennycate – lead vocals
Renwick MacDonald – lead guitar
Simon Spackman – organ
Don Bax – bass
Alan Townsend – trumpet and trombone
Ronny Butterworth – trumpet
Doug Gordon – drums
During June 1966, the band won Melody Maker’s National Beat Competition, which was held at Brighton’s Regent Ballroom. Also, during August, they took part in the London Palladium competition.
Over the next 18 months, this line up (minus Butterworth who dropped out around November 1966 to play with Twickenham band, The All Night Workers) played the following gigs:
Photo: Middlesex Chronicle. Image may be subject to copyright
5 October 1965 – Nurses Club, Jolly Gardeners, Isleworth, west London with The Road Agents
25 February 1966 – Cavern Club, Burnley, Lancashire with The Fruitdrops May not be the same band
Photo: Melody Maker. Image may be subject to copyright
19 March 1966 – London Cavern, Holland Park, west London with supporting group
25 March 1966 – Cellar Club, Kingston upon Thames, southwest London
2 April 1966 – Cellar Club, Kingston upon Thames, southwest London
12 April 1966 – 100 Club, Oxford Street, central London with The Pretty Things
17 April 1966 – Imperial Ballroom, Nelson, Lancashire with The Generation
14 May 1966 – Cellar Club, Kingston upon Thames, southwest London
28 May 1966 – Zeeta House, Pontiac, Putney, southwest London
11 June 1966 – Cellar Club, Kingston upon Thames, southwest London
Photo: Melody Maker. Image may be subject to copyright
18 June 1966 – Zeeta House, Pontiac, Putney, southwest London with The Roger Harris Show
Photo: Bletchley District Gazette. Image may be subject to copyright
22 July 1966 – Bletchley Young Conservatives, Coronation Hall, Bletchley, Buckinghamshire
Photo: Middlesex Chronicle, 15 July 1966. Image may be subject to copyright
6 August 1966 – Cellar Club, Kingston upon Thames, southwest London
12 August 1966 – Cellar Club, Kingston upon Thames, southwest London
Photo: Bletchley District Gazette. Image may be subject to copyright
13 August 1966 – Bletchley Carnival Week, Bletchley, Buckinghamshire with The Future Set
17 September 1966 – Borough Assembly Hall, Aylesbury, Bucks with The Future Set
10 October 1966 – Borough Assembly Hall, Aylesbury, Bucks with The Future Set and The Choozey Beggars (this needs confirmation as this may be December instead)
11 November 1966 – Chesham Co-op Hall, Chesham, Bucks
Photo: Melody Maker. Image may be subject to copyright
6 January 1967 – Tiles, Oxford Street, central London with Alvin Cash & The Crawlers (billed as Jo Jo Gunn)
13 January 1967 – The Flamingo, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with Derek Savage Foundation (billed as Jo Jo Gunn)
Photo: Brackley Advertiser. Image may be subject to copyright
27 January 1967 – Brackley Town Hall, Brackley, Northamptonshire
Photo: Northampton Chronicle. Image may be subject to copyright
28 January 1967 – White Bicycle, Maple Ballroom, Northampton with The Crew (billed as Jo-Jo-Gunn)
Photo: Newham, East and West Ham, Barking and Stratford Express. Image may be subject to copyright
17 February 1967 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate, east London with The New Pirates and The Afex (billed as Jo-Jo Gunns)
18 February 1967 – Flamingo, Wardour Street, Soho, central London with The All Night Workers
22 February 1967 – St Michael’s Youth Centre, Sydenham, southeast London (billed Jo Jo Gun)
Photo: Melody Maker. Image may be subject to copyright
24 February 1967 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate, east London with David Essex and Mood Indigo (billed as The Jo-Jo Gunns)
25 February 1967 – Rub-a-Dub, Reading, Berkshire
5 March 1967 – New Yorker Discotheque, Swindon, Wiltshire with The Iveys and The Inspiration
Photo: Melody Maker. Image may be subject to copyright
10 March 1967 – The New All Star Club, 9a Artillery Passage, E1, east London
According to an article in the Hounslow, Brentford and Chiswick Post, dated 5 May, Jo Jo Gunne split up in late April with Simon Spackman joining McDonald’s former band Themselves in early May while Pete Pennycate went solo.
The newspaper’s 16 June issue adds more information. It notes that bass player Don Bax was working with The Penny Blacks, the same band that would feature soon-to-be-joining members Alan Barratt, Paul Maher and Tom Marshall.
In late August 1967, Jo Jo Gunne reformed with Alan Barratt replacing Pete Pennycate on lead vocals.
The Penny Blacks, 1967. Alan Barratt (second left), Paul Maher (second right) and Tom Marshall (far right).
Barratt had started out singing with The Penny Blacks, which also included lead guitarist Tom Marshall; rhythm guitarist John Day; bass player Dave Arnold; and drummer Paul Maher.
When Barratt joined Jo Jo Gunne that summer he also brought Paul Maher with him (who took over from Doug Gordon) and recent recruit Don Bax.
Simon Spackman and Renwick MacDonald joined the new version (presumably both from Themselves, who soon changed name to Virgin Sleep). Original member Alan Townsend also rejoined.
According to Alan Barratt, the new version debuted on 8 September 1967 at the California Ballroom in Dunstable, Bedfordshire.
In late 1967, Jo Jo Gunne signed a deal with Don Arden’s Starlight Agency after Amen Corner’s singer Andy Fairweather-Low recommended the band to the infamous promoter.
Amen Corner and Jo Jo Gunne had shared a billing at the California Ballroom in Dunstable on 29 September 1967 alongside rival west London band, The All Night Workers.
The All Night Workers would maintain a close link with Jo Jo Gunne and several musicians would play with both bands.
The first of these was original member, trumpet player Ronny Butterworth, who re-joined Jo Jo Gunne from The All Night Workers around late September/early October 1967.
The revamped line up now comprised:
Alan Barratt – lead vocals
Renwick MacDonald – lead guitar
Simon Spackman – organ
Don Bax – bass
Alan Townsend – trumpet and trombone
Ronny Butterworth – trumpet
Paul Maher – drums
However, around late October lead guitar player Renwick MacDonald left and another former Penny Blacks member, lead guitarist Tom Marshall joined the line up for the rest of 1967 and into spring 1968.
Jo Jo Gunne, Hampton Court Palace, circa October 1967. Left to right: Tom Marshall, Alan Barratt, Alan Townsend, Ronny Butterworth, Paul Maher, Simon Spackman and Don Bax. Photo: Tom Marshall
When Marshall left around February/March 1968 to join The Playground (and subsequently Harmony Grass and Capability Brown), Spackman moved from organ to lead guitar and keyboard player Ken Carroll joined Jo Jo Gunne.
Carroll had spent the past few months playing with a band called Deep Purple, which had been formed in late 1967, some six months before the more famous version (although there were a few other local groups across England that used the name before 1968).
The following concert dates are taken from this period:
8 September 1967 – California Ballroom, Dunstable, Bedfordshire with James and Bobby Purify and The Yum Yum Band
Photo: Berkhamsted Gazette and Tring and District News. Image may be subject to copyright
23 September 1967 – Hemel Hempstead Pavilion, Hemel Hempstead, Herts with The Chris Allen Band
29 September 1967 – California Ballroom, Dunstable, Bedfordshire with Amen Corner and The All Night Workers
Photo: Crawley Advertiser. Image may be subject to copyright
1 October 1967 – Starlight Ballroom, Crawley, West Sussex with The Move (spelt Jo Jo Gun)
14 October 1967 – Luton Boys Club, Luton, Bedfordshire with The Vistas (spelt Jo Jo Gunn)
15 October 1967 – Starlight Ballroom, Crawley, West Sussex with The Jimi Hendrix Experience (they may have been replaced by The Doves at short notice)
20 October 1967 – Pavilion, Southend, Essex with The Mindbenders and Tiles Big Band (Southend Standardlists this gig as 21 October 1967)
21 October 1967 – Wimbledon Palais, Wimbledon, southwest London with Tony Rivers and The Castaways (possibly one of MacDonald’s final gigs)
27 October 1967 – London School of Economics, central London with Elmer Gantry’s Velvet Opera (possibly one of Marshall’s first gigs)
Photo: Northamptonshire Evening Telegraph. Image may be subject to copyright
5 November 1967 – Kettering Working Men’s Club, Kettering, Northamptonshire with The Barry Lee Show (billed as Jo Jo Gunn)
11 November 1967 – California Ballroom, Dunstable, Bedfordshire with The Symbols and The Fifth Dynasty (spelt Jo Jo Gunn)
12 November 1967 – Starlight Ballroom, Crawley, West Sussex with Modes Mode
17 November 1967 – Southlands College, Roehampton, southwest London with The Nashville Teens
Photo: Eastbourne Herald Gazette. Image may be subject to copyright
18 November 1967 – The Catacombe, Eastbourne, East Sussex
24 November 1967 – California Ballroom, Dunstable, Bedfordshire with The Shevelles and The Crew
Photo: Stratford upon Avon Herald. Image may be subject to copyright
25 November 1967 – Bagatelle Club, Ettington Park Hotel, Alderminster, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire
8 December 1967 – Boston Gliderdrome, Lincolnshire with Jimmy James & The Vagabonds and Reformation (billed as Jo-Jo Gun Band)
Photo: Woking Herald. Image may be subject to copyright
16 December 1967 – Walton Hop, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey
19 December 1967 – Boston Gliderdrome, Lincolnshire with Jimmy James & The Vagabonds, Reformation and Ray Bones (billed as Jo Jo Gunn)
Photo: Crawley Advertiser. Image may be subject to copyright
24 December 1967 – Starlight Ballroom, Crawley, West Sussex with The Exits
31 December 1967 – Starlight Ballroom, Crawley, West Sussex with Precisely This
Photo: Woking Herald. Image may be subject to copyright
9 January 1968 – Walton Hop, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey
21 January 1968 – Starlite Ballroom, Greenford, west London with Ronnie Jones & The Q Set
26 January 1968 – Elbow Room, Aston, West Midlands
28 January 1968 – Carlton Club, Erdington, West Midlands with Chris Farlowe & The Thunderbirds
Photo: Crawley Advertiser. Image may be subject to copyright
10 February 1968 – Starlight Ballroom, Crawley, West Sussex with The Doves
11 February 1968 – Starlight Ballroom, Crawley, West Sussex with The Who
13 February 1968 – Walton Hop, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey
24 February 1968 – Cliffs Pavilion, Southend, Essex with The Human Instinct and Almond Marizpan (billed as Jo Jo Gunn)
25 February 1968 – Starlight Ballroom, Crawley, West Sussex with The Human Instinct
28 February 1968 – Hemel Hempstead Pavilion, Hemel Hempstead, Herts with The Herd
Photo: Possibly Northamptonshire Evening Telegraph. Image may be subject to copyright
2 March 1968 – Nags Head, Motown Club, Wollaston, Northamptonshire with Mick’s Soulotek (billed as Jo Jo Gunn)
9 March 1968 – Locarno Ballroom, Swindon, Wiltshire (billed as Jo Jo Gunn)
9 March 1968 – Starlight Ballroom, Crawley, West Sussex with Modes Mode
10 March 1968 – Starlight Ballroom, Crawley, West Sussex with The Fabulous Temptations (this is The Fantastics)
23 March 1968 – Feltham R&B Club, Feltham, Middlesex
Photo: Northamptonshire Evening Telegraph. Image may be subject to copyright
25 March 1968 – Kettering Working Men’s Club, Kettering, Northamptonshire with The Crusaders (billed as Jo Jo Gunn)
Photo: Derby Evening Telegraph. Image may be subject to copyright
30 March 1968 – Clouds, Derby (billed as Jo-Jo Gunn Group)
30 March 1968 – Walton Hop, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey
31 March 1968 – Starlight Ballroom, Crawley, West Sussex with The Original Drifters (Paul Maher filled in for The Original Drifters’ ill drummer)
11 April 1968 – Walton Hop, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey
Photo: Derby Evening Telegraph. Image may be subject to copyright
13 April 1968 – Clouds, Derby (billed as Jo Jo Gunn)
Photo: Woking Herald. Image may be subject to copyright
15 April 1968 – Ship Hotel, Weybridge, Surrey
Photo: Berkhamsted Gazette and Tring and District News. Image may be subject to copyright
8 May 1968 – Hemel Hempstead Pavilion, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire with Captain Beefheart & The Magic Band
Photo: Greenford Post. Image may be subject to copyright
25 May 1968 – Starlite Ballroom, Greenford, west London
1 June 1968 – Walton Hop, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey
3 June 1968 – Hatchetts Playround, Piccadilly, central London
Having signed to Decca Records, Jo Jo Gunne recorded their debut single, R & H Barter’s “Every Story Has An End” c/w Don Bax and Alan Townsend’s “Should Live Like That” (Decca F 12807), which was released on 12 July 1968 but failed to chart.
Just after the recording, Carroll introduced a second singer in to the band, Mick Wheeler, who’d previously worked with Ronny Butterworth in The All Night Workers during 1966-1967 and then in Carroll’s short-lived Deep Purple in late 1967-early 1968. When Wheeler joined, he also doubled up on congas.
Jo Jo Gunne, spring 1968, just before Mick Wheeler joined. Left to right: Simon Spackman, Alan Barratt, Ronny Butterworth, Ken Carroll, Alan Townsend, Paul Maher and Don Bax
The revised line up comprised:
Alan Barratt – lead vocals
Mick Wheeler – lead vocals, congas
Simon Spackman – lead guitar
Ken Carroll – organ
Don Bax – bass
Alan Townsend – trumpet and trombone
Ronny Butterworth – trumpet
Paul Maher – drums
Around mid-July, Jo Jo Gunne were offered the opportunity to play some gigs in Saint-Tropez in France but Ronny Butterworth didn’t participate and dropped out just before the continental trip.
The line-up on the band’s debut single before Mick Wheeler joined. Photo: Record Mirror. Image may be subject to copyright
From 2 August to 5 September 1968, the band (minus Butterworth who has since died) played a nightly residency at the Club St Hilaire de la Mer in Saint-Tropez before returning to the UK.
On their return Ken Carroll left the band and went on to play with Johnny Johnson & The Bandwagon. He currently works with Samtana.
The following gigs were advertised with the above line up:
12 June 1968 – Samantha’s, Bournemouth, Dorset (possibly one of Wheeler’s first gigs)
15 June 1968 – Clouds, Derby (billed as Jo-Jo Gunn Group)
22 June 1968 – Locarno Ballroom, Swindon, Wiltshire with Hoffman’s Biscuits (billed as Jo Jo Gunn)
28 June 1968 – Hatchetts Playground, Piccadilly, central London
29 June 1968 – Broken Wheel, Retford, Nottinghamshire
Image may be subject to copyright
6 July 1968 – St Albans City Hall, St Albans, Hertfordshire with The Rocky
Photo: Possibly East Kent Times & Mail. Image may be subject to copyright
12 July 1968 – Supreme Ballroom, Ramsgate, Kent (billed as Jo Jo Gunn)
Photo: Possibly Newbury Weekly News. Image may be subject to copyright
19 July 1968 – Soul Club, Plaza, Newbury, Berkshire with J J Bender & SOS
Photo: Eastbourne Herald Chronicle. Image may be subject to copyright
20 July 1968 – Eastbourne Town Hall, Eastbourne, East Sussex with The Soul Stars
27 July 1968 – Red Cross Hall, East Grinstead, West Sussex
28 July 1968 – Beau Brummel Club, Nantwich, Cheshire with The Scorpions (billed as Jo Jo Gunn) (one of Butterworth’s final gigs)
3 August 1968 – Walton Hop, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey (unlikely to have happened if they went to France)
Photo: Chester Chronicle. Image may be subject to copyright
10 August 1968 – Clockwork Orange, Chester, Cheshire with Headline News (billed as Jo Jo Gunn) (unlikely to have happened if they went to France)
11 August 1968 – Victorian Club, Liverpool (unlikely to have happened if they went to France)
31 August 1968 – Walton Hop, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey (unlikely to have happened if they went to France)
7 September 1968 – Walton Hop, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey (one of Carroll’s final gigs)
Photo: Redbridge & Ilford Recorder. Image may be subject to copyright
12 September 1968 – El Grotto, Ilford, east London (billed as Jo Jo Gunn)
13 September 1968 – El Grotto, Ilford, east London (billed as Jo Jo Gunn)
18 September 1968 – Samantha’s, New Burlington Street, central London (billed as Jo Jo Gunn)
20 September 1968 – Victoria Hall, Falkirk, Scotland (billed as Jo Jo Gunn)
22 September 1968 – Kinema Ballroom, Dunfermline, Scotland (this needs confirmation) (billed as Jo Jo Gunn)
2 October 1968 – Hatchetts Playground, Piccadilly, central London
6 October 1968 – Drokiweeney, Manchester (billed as Jo Jo Gunn)
12 October 1968 – St Albans City Hall, St Albans, Hertfordshire
26 October 1968 – Hermitage Ballroom, Hitchin, Herts
Around mid-November 1968, Simon Spackman also left (and has since died) and west London guitar hero Dave Wendels (ex-Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers, Lulu’s backing band, The Luvvers, Tom Jones’s backing band, The Squires and The Krew) joined the band.
This new line up transformed the group and played dozens of successful gigs around the UK, including Mr Smiths in Manchester, Bournemouth Winter Gardens, Pantiles in Bagshot, Surrey plus London venues like Hatchetts Playground in Piccadilly, the Valbonne Club, Samantha’s, the Scotch of St James and Sibylla’s.
They also supported Three Dog Night on a Scottish tour. In Scotland they supported Geno Washington and the Ram Jam Band, as well as playing The Electric Garden (Radio 1 club) in Glasgow.
The new line up played the following:
3 November 1968 – Cosmo, Carlisle, Cumbria with Pete Kelly Solution (Paul Maher says it was cancelled)
5 November 1968 – Sibylla’s, central London (billed as Jo Jo Gunn)
Photo: Melody Maker. Image may be subject to copyright
7 November 1968 – 100 Club, Oxford Street, central London with PP Arnold (billed as Jo Jo Gunn)
7 November 1968 – Willesden College of Technology, Willesden, northwest London with PP Arnold (possibly one of Spackman’s final gigs)
9 November 1968 – Clouds, Derby
11 November 1968 – Bamboo Club, Wilmslow, Cheshire (billed as Jo-Jo Gunn)
16 November 1968 – Fellowship Inn, Eltham, southeast London (possibly one of Wendels’ first gigs)
Photo: Redbridge & Ilford Recorder. Image may be subject to copyright
22 November 1968 – El Grotto, Ilford, east London
Photo: Eastern Evening News. Image may be subject to copyright
23 November 1968 – Cromer Links Pavilion, Cromer, Norfolk with Kiss (billed as Jo Jo Gunn)
Re: North Norfolk News. Image may be subject to copyright
24 November 1968 – Crystal Palace Hotel, Crystal Palace, south London
25 November 1968 – Sibylla’s, central London (billed as Jo Jo Gunn)
8 December 1968 – Mr Smith’s, Manchester (billed as Jo Jo Gunn)
14 December 1968 – Walton Hop, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey
16 December 1968 – Hatchetts Playground, Piccadilly, central London
Photo: Possibly Northamptonshire Evening Telegraph. Image may be subject to copyright
23 December 1968 – Corby Civic Centre, Corby, Northamptonshire with Size Seven and State Express (billed as Jo Jo Gunn)
Photo: Woking Herald. Image may be subject to copyright
24 December 1968 – Walton Hop, Walton on Thames, Surrey (billed as Jo Jo Gunn)
29 December 1968 – Bull’s Head, Yardley, West Midlands (billed as Jo Jo Gunn)
However, around January 1969 longstanding member Alan Townsend departed (and has since died) and Dennis Fisher came in on trumpet from the group, Mothers Ruin.
Townsend spent several months working with The All Night Workers before subsequently working with The Roy Young Band later in the year and doing a multitude of sessions.
Clockwise from top left: Dennis Fisher, Dave Wendels, Paul Maher, Mick Wheeler, Alan Barratt, Don Bax.
By now, the line up comprised:
Alan Barratt – lead vocals
Mick Wheeler – lead vocals, congas
Dave Wendels – lead guitar
Don Bax – bass
Dennis Fisher – trumpet
Paul Maher – drums
This configuration recorded the band’s second single – Potter and Dee’s “Beggin’ You Baby” c/w “Bad Penny” (Decca F 12906), which was released on 25 April 1969.
The band played the following dates:
4 January 1969 – Clouds, Derby
7 January 1969 – Whisky a Go Go, Wardour Street, Soho, London (billed as Jo Jo Gunn)
11 January 1969 – Royal Lido Ballroom, Prestatyn, Wales with Strawberry Cartoon (billed as Jo Jo Gunn Soul Band)
15-16 January 1969 – Hatchetts Playground, Piccadilly, central London
25 January 1969 – St Albans City Hall, St Albans, Hertfordshire
27-28 January 1969 – Hatchetts Playground, Piccadilly central London
1 February 1969 – Blue Lagoon, Newquay, Cornwall with The Vigilantes
17 February 1969 – Hatchetts Playground, Piccadilly central London
18 March 1969 – Alex’s Disco, Salisbury, Wiltshire
27 March 1969 – Hatchetts Playground, Piccadilly central London
5 April 1969 – Le Metro, Birmingham (billed as Jo Jo Gunn Soul Show)
5 April 1969 – St Albans City Hall, St Albans, Hertfordshire
When “Beggin’ You Baby” flopped, Jo Jo Gunne split with Don Arden. According to Barratt, the singles were too poppy and did not represent the band’s live set, which was funkier/soul orientated material.
After the band proposed an album of its own material and Decca turned the opportunity down, Jo Jo Gunne split from the label.
Around Easter, Jo Jo Gunne signed with Laurie O’Leary who landed them a three-month residency in Freeport, Grand Bahamas, where they played nightly in the House of Lords club, returning in July. Wheeler has kept the outgoing flight from England, which was on the 10 April.
The following dates were advertised but were not possible as they weren’t in the UK:
9 May 1969 – Rush Common House, Abingdon, Oxfordshire with Status Quo and Fire (billed as Jo Jo Gunn)
24 May 1969 – Il Rondo, Leicester
25 May 1969 – Railway, Wealdstone, northwest London
26 May 1969 – Hatchetts Playground, Piccadilly, London
5 June 1969 – Blaises, Kensington, west London (billed as Jo Jo Gunn)
11 June 1969 – Revolution, central London (billed as Jo Jo Gunn)
21 June 1969 – Pavilion Ballroom, Bournemouth, Dorset with Finnians Fogg
3 July 1969 – Revolution, central London
Photo: Redbridge & Ilford Recorder. Image may be subject to copyright
6 July 1969 – El Grotto, Ilford, east London
10 July 1969 – Blaises, Kensington, west London
Left to right: Dave Wendels, Alan Barratt, Dave Booker and Mick Wheeler, summer 1969
On their return in early-to-mid July, Dennis Fisher and Don Bax departed and the remaining quartet of Alan Barratt, Mick Wheeler, Paul Maher and Dave Wendels formed a short-lived version with Manchester bass player Dave Bowker (now David Booker) who’d previously worked with Ivan Meads, The Richard Kent Style, Kirk St James and Sponge among others. Booker had met the musicians in the Bahamas while playing with Sponge.
Left to right: Mick Wheeler, Alan Barratt, Dave Wendels and Dave Booker
The group travelled to Cologne in July/August and played the Storyville Club but on their return, Wendels and Booker both left and played with Billy J Kramer, a week-long engagement at Batley Variety Club.
Left to right: Dave Booker, Dave Wendels and Mick Wheeler, Cologne, summer ’69. Photo: Mick Wheeler
Wendels then joined The Roy Young Band while Booker joined O’Hara’s Playboys after auditioning unsuccessfully for Badfinger (Joey Molland got the job).
The short-lived line-up played the following dates:
23 August 1969 – Marine Court, St Leonards, East Sussex with Sunshine Sky
Photo: Surrey Advertiser. Image may be subject to copyright
6 September 1969 – Civic Hall, Guildford, Surrey with Marshall Hammond
Photo: Redbridge & Ilford Recorder. Image may be subject to copyright
12 September 1969 – El Grotto, Ilford, east London
19 September 1969 – Winter Gardens, Penzance, Cornwall
Longstanding lead singer Alan Barratt was offered a backing vocal spot with The Roy Young Band but declined. He also departed around this time and later went on to sing with The Good Old Boys with Nick Simper from the original Deep Purple.
Mick Wheeler and Paul Maher then put together an entirely new version of Jo Jo Gunne.
Mick Wheeler – lead vocals
George Williams – lead guitar
Barney Barnes – organ
Billy Ball – bass
Paul Maher – drums
In early 1970, Wheeler’s former band mate from The All Night Workers, Malcolm Randall briefly took over the drum stool before Phil Chesterton came in full-time.
This new line up continued into the early 1970s and returned to Saint-Tropez for a residency. The group subsequently morphed into a later version of The Love Affair, long after its lead singer Steve Ellis had left.
Pantiles, Bagshot, Surrey, 1971. Photo: Martin H Samuel
Huge thanks to Alan Barratt, Paul Maher, Mick Wheeler, Ken Carroll, Tom Marshall, Ronny Butterworth, David Booker and Dave Wendels for their help in piecing the story together.
I’d like to thank Alan Barratt, Tom Marshall, Mick Wheeler and Paul Maher for providing photos.
Thanks also to Jason Barnard at Strange Brew who originally posted this article. This is a substantially revised and updated version.
Concert dates were taken from a number of sources, mainly local and regional newspapers. Thanks to Alan Barratt for providing some live dates from late 1967-early 1968 from his personal diary. Most of the London dates were taken from Melody Maker.
Sleepy Hollow released their only single on ECI (Entertainment Consultants Inc.), probably in 1969. “Feelin’ Glad” / “Missed You So” are originals by Alan Quinlan. Both sides are good rock performances with commercial pop touches.
The single is a Wakefield pressing, SJW-11238. Alan Quinlan registered these songs with the Library of Congress in February, 1969, using his full name, William Alan Quinlan.
Sleepy Hollow included at least one member of the Pheonix group Thackeray Rocke, bassist Al Quinlan.
Thackeray Rocke included:
Frank Lacey – lead vocals Mike Kessler – lead guitar (spelled Keslar on copyright registration) Sheldon Skinkle (aka Bunker Huddle/Jr. Ellis) – guitar Al Quinlan – bass and vocals Paul Buys – drums and vocals Vince Welnick – keyboards
Quinlan co-wrote “Bawling” with lead guitarist Michael Keslar, recorded by Thackeray Rocke on Castalia Productions ARA 10671, and “Can’t You See” with Paul Buys, released on Castalia Prod., ARA 268. Both of those were cut at Audio Recorders in Phoenix and produced by Michael Wood, and Renda Music, Inc shows up in the publishing.
I suppose Thackeray Rocke split and some of the members continued as Sleepy Hollow.
Alan Quinlan has a number of other registered copyrights. From May of 1969, there are “It’s Wonderful to Love Her”, “Miss Merriwether”, and “Puzzles”, then “Good John” registered in November. In October, 1970 he registered an album’s worth of songs, including “Bottle of Wine”, “Gilted Quean” (sic – also registered as “Jilted Queen (Have You Seen My Love?)”, “Merry-Go-Round” and “Seasons”, among other titles. As far as I can tell, none of these songs saw release; perhaps demos still exist.
The obscure group Teachers Pet cut this one single on the equally obscure B-Rod Records. “Trying to Get Back to You” is crude swampy boogie. The A-side was the comparatively sleepy “Say You Love Me”. Both songs were originals by Larry Sims and Mike Zimmerman.
BMI lists Sims’ full name as Larry Clifton Sims, but it may be confusing him with the bassist and vocalist with the Sunshine Company and Loggins & Messina. BMI also lists two other original songs by the duo, “Seven Days a Week” and “Yes I Do”. I’m not sure either song was recorded.
Kingsbury-Wilson published the songs, now listed as Kingsbury-Wilson Enterprise of Louisville in BMI’s database. Mountain Music did the production. Released on B-Rod Records, without a catalog number on the label. The runout has “1269 – 1948”, I suspect the 1269 could mean December of 1969, but it’s just a guess.
I know of two other releases on B-Rod Records. Don Woolett’s “Rock to Kentucky” / “Ballad of Abraham Lincoln” is on a blue label similar to the Teachers Pet single, released in May, 1971.
A different red label design has Robin Kay Waggoner’s “We’ve Got to Try” / “Your Friend”, with “product of MMP in Lebanon Junction, KY”. Music Mountain Productions also recorded the Sound of the Zounds 45, covered previously on Garage Hangover.
Teachers Pet may have been from Lebanon Junction, Kentucky, or possibly Louisville, a half-hour’s drive north.
Gold label, no Atco distribution, D-116 AOne of the most famous ‘garage’ singles has to be the Shadows of Knight’s version of “Gloria”. As a national hit distributed by Atlantic Records (Atco), the 45 rpm single exists in over 15 U.S. variations pressed at plants around the country.
My post today concerns two of those, the original pressings on Dunwich from January and February 1966, without any Atco credit on the labels.
General agreement is that the first release has a gold label with the outlined lettering, a box around “A Dunwich Production” and “D-116”.
Teen Beat Mayhem notes that total quantity pressed is only several hundred. This pressing quantity has been repeated in online sources, but I feel it is incorrect. A pressing of a few hundred would have quickly sold out, and been worn out, but I’ve found two VG+ copies without much effort or expense.
The liner notes to If You’re Ready! The Best Of Dunwich Records…Volume 2 state that Bill Traut put together that first gold label design and ordered 4000 copies. He also used the cheapest local pressing plant he could find. Thank you to Jeff Jarema for looking that up for me. I suspect that the initial order may have been for less, and that 4,000 was the total pressed at that small plant over the first couple weeks of release. The Dunwich lettering is similar to other Chicago releases.
Yellow label, no Atco credit, DX-116 AThe first yellow label without Atco has the same credits as the gold, but a different label design, and has the release code DX-116, a number which would be used on most of the subsequent national releases. Since the small unknown Chicago plant couldn’t do the quantity needed, Traut ordered from Plastic Products in Nashville.
I asked people on the Chicago Rock Bands 1960s and 1970s Facebook group which label they had first, and by far most remembered the yellow label version. Later gold and yellow label versions exist that include Atco distribution credit, so this survey is not definitive.
I constructed this early 1966 timeline for “Gloria”:
February 18: 1st appearance on the WLS “Silver Dollar Survey. Chicago’s Official Radio Record Survey” at #18, having been played for three weeks on the station, which would put its first WLS airplay in very late January or early February.
February 25: reaches #7 on WLS
March 4: reaches #6 on WLS
March 5: Billboard reviews it and lists it as a breakout single. Enters Billboard’s Chicago singles chart at #15
March 12: rises to #8 in Billboard’s Chicago singles chart. Billboard notes 40,000 sold in Chicago and additional sales in other cities. “Kent Beauchamp acted as a kind of co-ordinator in getting the first record out and has been handling local distribution.” [ Kent Beauchamp owned Big Town Distributors and, along with Ed Yalowitz, Royal Disc Distributing.] Cash Box reports that it is “a recent master purchase” by Atlantic”. Dunwich co-owner George Badonsky had been working for Atlantic and Atco as a Midwest sales and promotion rep since February, 1965, which may explain the connection with Atlantic.
March 19: rises to #4 in Billboard’s Chicago singles chart and enters Billboard’s Hot 100 national chart at #78. In a detailed article, Billboard reported:
… the single has sold 60,000 legitimately in Chicago to date …
Local distribution by Royal Disc Distributing …
The group is managed by suburban record store and teen nightclub owner Paul Sampson, who found the quintet singing in a Veterans of Foreign Wars Club. He installed the group in his own spot, The Cellar, where they were heard by Royal Disc’s Kent Beauchamp, who recommended them to Dunwich Records.
The group is comprised of Joe Kelley, lead guitar; Gerald McGeorge, rhythm guitar; Warren Rogers, bass guitar; Tom Schiffour, drums, and lead singer Jim Sohns.
“Gloria” is getting played and starting to sell in Milwaukee, Detroit, Cleveland, St. Louis, Cincinnati and Atlanta …
“They are a super-tight group,” said Sampson. “They have everything live they have on record and they are competent musicians.”
March 26: rises to #2 in Billboard’s Chicago singles chart and #10 in Detroit. Full page ad (shared with George Edwards) in Billboard on page 7.
April 1: reaches #1 on WLS
May 7: “Gloria” reaches its peak Billboard national chart position at #10. It would remain at 10 the following week before dropping off.
High-quality scans of WLS surveys can be found here.
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
Here’s an obscure one out of Nashville, from the early-70s I would guess. Fire, Rhythm and Smoke do a good hard rock number called “Fire & Rhythm” with very gravely vocals, released on Sissie’s 001.
