The Tempests cut two great original instrumentals for the Dominion Records label of Salem, Virginia, just outside Roanoke.
Dewey Anderson wrote “Midnight” and Anderson – Gordon wrote “Count Down”. Other than the song writing credits, I can’t find any info on the group.
Released in 1961 on Dominion Records 1006 with SO 1064/5 and a Sheldon stamp in dead wax. Both songs published by Powhatan Music Company.
Any info on the group would be appreciated.
The Steps Beyond came from Rosebud, Texas, a small town east of Temple. The group cut one signle on Mark VII D-1021 in late 1967 or early 1968. Their version of “Don’t Let the Sun Catch You Crying” has a relaxed moodiness to it. The flip is an original song, “Go on Your Way, Girl”, by Holtman, Surovik, Holtman, published by Ramsgate Music.
One member of the Steps Beyond was James Holtman, and the other Holtman on the credits may have been his younger brother Tommy Holtman.
Surovik turns out to be Bruce William Surovik who drummed for Kenny & the Kasuals among others, and who passed away in November, 2006.
An April 11, 1968, a Rosebud News page profiling local teens notes James Michael Holtman “now plays second, or rhythm guitar, in the Steps Beyond, who, by the way, recorded a record a few months ago.”
However, almost a year before, in May of ’67, the Rosebud News wrote “Ray Welch, Alan Pelzel, Steve Slovacek and Fred Borden (The Steps Beyond) made the long trip to Lake Texoma last Saturday to play at a dance”.
To make things confusing, a clipping from April 4, 1968 includes Alan Pelzel and Fred Borden among a list of teens who went to hear the Steps Beyond at the Catacomb Teen Club in Cameron. So were Pelzel and Borden out of the band by the time the group recorded their single?
As Mikael points out in his comment below, it seems the Rosebud News made a mistake, and that Welch, Pelzel, Slovacek and Borden were actually in the Gestures, not the Steps Beyond. The only mention of the Gestures comes from a Waco paper, and I don’t believe they recorded.
The earliest mention of the Steps Beyond I can find is from March of ’67, when they play a “Hootenanny” at the Rosebud school gym with Roy Robinson and the Availables, C.J. and the Jewels and the Wullables, Ltd.
I can find several ads for other Steps Beyond appearances, including June 24, 1967 at the Westphalia Hall, at a Christmas Dance on December 23, 1967 on Main St., and on March 1 and 8, 1968 at the D. Brown Library.
If you have any photos or info on the Steps Beyond other local Texas bands of the ’60s, please comment below or contact me.
The Fugitives are a San Antonio band that recorded two singles. Their first, I believe, is “Louie Go Home” backed with an original by Fugitives guitarist David Fisher, “You Know She’s a Woman”, recorded at Alamo Audio and released in the spring of 1967 on Alamo Audio 45-108. “Louie Go Home” made #28 in KTSA’s Top 30 of May 6, 1967.
An article on teens working summer jobs profiled David Fisher as a guitar & banjo teacher at Platter Palace. I don’t know who else was in the group.
The Fugitives had a second single, also from 1967, “Till The End Of The Day” / “Ferry Cross The Mersey” that I haven’t heard yet. Produced by Fisher – Alexander for release on Roun Soun Records 69/70-FK, with the address 5506 Keystone, San Antonio. There was a Roun Soun label out of Houston, but that seems like a different company.
I found an ad for the Fugitives at a “Teen’s Day Dance” at the McCreless Shopping City on May 27, 1967 with the Spidels and Laughing Kind, and also a June ’67 “rock and roll show and dance” at Turner Hall in Yoakum, about 100 miles to the east of San Antonio, with DJ Ricci Ware and a few other bands: the Laughing Kind, the Configurations, the Mad Mods and the Burbons (Bourbons).
More info on the Fugitives or other local bands would be appreciated.
Omnibus came from Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The psychedelic styling on the B-side, “Take Your Only Chance” led me to think this single was from about 1970, but it seems to come a few years later, 1973 or 1974.
Omnibus members were:
Dan Glasse – vocals and percussion
Jeff Morrison – lead guitar
Jimmer Pontz – bass, guitar and vocals
Kenny Kaye – keyboards, guitar and vocals
Biair King – drums and vocals
Gail King – vocals and hand percussion
A good summary of the band come from Blair King’s Youtube channel:
Central Pennsylvania’s Omnibus had its origins in 1970, while Jeff Morrison and Jimmer Pontz formed a band called San Juan Hill, playing throughout their sophomore years at Hempfield High School, Kenny Kaye was touring with Store Records’ Geoffrey Stoner Band supporting a regional hit with a reinterpretation of The Bee Gee’s “To Love Somebody” and Blair King, a sophomore at JP McCaskey High, was performing with another local favorite “Exit”.
In February of 1972 the high school musicians were asked to audition for a new band in its infancy. Founded by keyboardist Kaye it also had vocalist Dan Glass, a recent transplant from Nashville, and Gael King, King’s folkie sister.
The band recorded it’s only single “Surprise, Surprise, Surprise” b/w “Take Your Only Chance” on the POT label out of Philadelphia, taping at Virtue Studios under the helm of Central Pennsylvania producer and Pee Vee Records label owner, Pancho Villa.
Omnibus was to be the last act to be signed to the Pee Vee label before the company moved to Delaware in 1974. The 45 single … was a minor regional hit and afforded the band the opportunity to tour in their funky converted delivery truck gigging from Fort Lauderdale, FL to Lowell, MA.
Dan Glass’s name is spelled Glasse on the label of the single. I’ve also seen Blair King as Blaine King, and Gail King instead of Gael, so maybe someone could clear up the correct spellings.
Kaye and Morrison wrote “Surprise, Surprise, Surprise”, which includes harmonica and was designated the A-side. I prefer the flip, “Take Your Only Chance”, written by Glasse and Morrison. Released on Pot Records P-100, a “Farr-Vil Promotion”; it seems to be rare now.
Both songs published by Pan-Vil Music BMI.
Kenny Kaye wrote “Let’s Go Steady” for the Shaynes, who were produced by Pancho Villa (Charles Miller), like Omnibus, but I don’t believe he was ever in the Shaynes.
The Fredericksburg Standard of July 7, 1965 published a photo and profile of the Crossfires, a band that would go on to become the Fountain of Youth.
The Crossfires won seventh place among 78 groups at a battle of the bands at the Surfers A Go Go club in Dallas. They were all students at St. Mary’s School in Fredericksburg.
Gary Itri – bass guitar
Gary Jenschke – lead guitar
Jimmy Panza – drummer and vocalist
Kenneth Molberg – rhythm guitar
Two bands from Dallas won the top prizes: the Green Men, (I believe that would be Johnny and the Green Men) won first place and the Soul Rockers second. The Briks from Denton came in third.
The article notes that the Crossfires were the youngest group in the contest, and placed ahead of the LaVelles. The Crossfires started in March 1964 as the Fugitives, and had guidance from KNAF DJ Johnny Almon.
Although the article states that the Soul Rockers “have cut several best selling records”, I am unaware of any by that group name.
The Crossfires cut a version of Robb London and the Rogue‘s “Who’ll Be the One” / “Making Love Is Fun” on Tower 278 in 1966. I’ve seen a copy with a stamp from the Itri Record Shop in Fredericksburg!
The band relocated to California and with a name change to the Fountain of Youth, had four singles on Colgems. Billboard ran a full-page ad titled “Fountain of Youth has been discovered in Texas” to promote their first Colgems single, “Livin’ Too Fast”.
I’m a big fan of the B-side of their second Colgems single, “Don’t Blame Me (for Trying)” from June of 1968, by a somewhat obscure song writer, Ken Walker. “Day Don’t Come”, the B-side of “Sunshine on a Cold Morning” is also a standout.
Ken Molberg had left the group by the time of their last single. “Witness People” is the only recorded song that the band wrote themselves, by Itri, Panza and Jenschke. It’s one of their best, with a heavier sound than the earlier singles.
The group had a Kickstarter campaign to remaster & reissue their singles on CDR and vinyl, which has some additional info about the group.
Gary Itri passed away in January, 2014.
If anyone has photos or info on any of these groups please contact me. This photo from the Fredericksburg Standard is not bad by microfilm standards, but better quality photos must be out there.
The Gatesville Messenger and Star Forum ran this profile of four groups who competed at a battle of the bands at the Gatesville National Guard armory on January, 26,1968.
The Slow Motions won the event. Members were Ronnie Bond, Marshall Brown, Johnny Moore, Larry Bruton and Larry Hughes.
Marshall Brown, who played drums with the Slow Motions wrote to me with the photo below and the better-quality news clipping at top:
The Slow Motions played in about a 60-80 mile radius of Gatesville in 1967-1968. Usually on Friday or Saturday night we would be playing in Copperas Cove, Belton, McGregor, Hico, Hamilton, Waco, Gatesville or other surrounding small towns.
The Slow Motions played in about a 60-80 mile radius of Gatesville in 1967-1968. Usually on Friday or Saturday night we would be playing in Copperas Cove, Belton, McGregor, Hico, Hamilton, Waco, Gatesville or other surrounding small towns.
Ronnie Bond – Singer
Larry Bruton – Rhythm/Lead Guitar
Penny Spencer Massingill – Organ
Marshall Brown – Drums
Larry Humes – Lead Guitar
Johnny Moore – Bass GuitarMost of us moved on after graduating from Gatesville High School. I went onto college and played the drums.
Johnny Moore played around in some C&W bands. Larry Humes went into the Army. He was a great guitarist back in the day. He lives in the greater LA area now.
The Rebellions won second place, they were Bob West, Tom Easley, Ernest Ochoa and Bobby Thrasher.
The Wanderers won third, members included Glen Henderson, Richard Schcrimsure (Richard Schrimsher ?), Bruce Arnold and Paul Street.
This was the same Wanderers who recorded “Higher Education” / “I Feel So Blue” on T.R.C. Texas Record Company 2067 in 1966. The record added Ronnie Cole as vocalist and song writer. The Wanderers came from Waco, 35 miles east of Gatesville.
Fourth place went to the Creatives: Jerry Ochoa, Monte Bush, Abel Ochoa, Randal Haferkamp and Nicky Ochoa.
An article announcing the event doesn’t mention the Wanderers, but lists another group, the Relations (Ernest Ochoa, Nicky Ochoa and Jerry Ochoa – no wonder the band name), and notes that the groups are all local.
I don’t believe any of the Creatives, the Rebellions or the Slow Motions recorded.
If anyone has more photos or info on any of these groups, please contact me.
Ray Gibbons – harmonica/vocals
Wayne King – sax/vocals
Michael King – guitar
James King – bass/vocals
George Anthony – organ
Winston Bailey – drums
1964
25 October 1964 – The Blue Lagoon, Newquay, Cornwall (Cornish Guardian)
1965
11 September 1965 – Cellar Club, Kingston upon Thames, southwest London with The Valkeries and Right Track (Surrey Comet)
September/October 1965 – Star Hotel, Croydon, south London (Melody Maker)
24 December 1965 – New All Star Club, 9a Artillery Passage, London, E1 (Melody Maker)
25 December 1965 – New All Star Club, 9a Artillery Passage, east London (Melody Maker)
1966
9 March 1966 – Eel Pie Island, Twickenham, west London (website: www.eelpiemuseum.co.uk/roll-call/1966-roll-call)
1 April 1966 – Target, High Wycombe, Bucks (Melody Maker)
2 April 1966 – London Welsh Rugby Football Ground, Richmond, west London (Melody Maker)
2 April 1966 – New All-Star Club, near Liverpool Street, east London (Melody Maker)
21 July 1966 – New All-Star Club, near Liverpool Street, east London (Melody Maker)
10 August 1966 – Oscar’s Grotto, Ilford, east London (Redbridge & Ilford Recorder)
15 October 1966 – New Central Ballroom, Aldershot, Hampshire with The Total (Camberley News)
13 November 1966 – El Grotto, Ilford, east London (Redbridge & Ilford Recorder) Played every Sunday
20 November 1966 – El Grotto, Ilford, east London (Redbridge & Ilford Recorder)
26 November 1966 – Starlight Ballroom, Boston Gliderdrome, Boston, Lincolnshire with The Original Coasters, Motivation and Ronnie Jones & The Blue Jays (Lincolnshire Standard)
27 November 1966 – El Grotto, Ilford, east London (Redbridge & Ilford Recorder)
24 December 1966 – El Grotto, Ilford, east London with The Worrying Kynd (Redbridge & Ilford Recorder)
26 December 1966 – Toft’s, Folkestone, Kent with The Kingpins (Folkestone, Hythe & District Herald/Melody Maker)
1967
1 January 1967 – El Grotto, Ilford, east London (Redbridge & Ilford Recorder)
8 January 1967 – El Grotto, Ilford, east London (Redbridge & Ilford Recorder)
15 January 1967 – El Grotto, Ilford, east London (Redbridge & Ilford Recorder)
22 January 1967 – El Grotto, Ilford, east London (Redbridge & Ilford Recorder)
11 February 1967 – The Catacombe, Eastbourne, East Sussex (Eastbourne Herald Chronicle)
18 February 1967 – Blue Lagoon, Newquay, Cornwall with The Jaguars (Cornish Guardian)
25 February 1967 – Royal Lido, Prestatyn, Clwyd, Wales with The Raynes (Rhyl & Prestayn Gazette)
18 March 1967 – Steering Wheel Club, Dorchester, Dorset (Western Gazette)
18 March 1967 – Blake Hall, South Petherton, Somerset (Western Gazette)
19 March 1967 – 2 ‘B’s Club, Ashford, Kent (Kentish Express)
31 March 1967 – Bluesette Club, Leatherhead, Surrey (Caterham Weekly Press)
8 April 1967 – 400 Ballroom, Torquay, Devon (Herald Express)
12 April 1967 – Stonehouse Church Hall, Stonehouse, Gloucestershire with The Mystics (Gloucester Citizen)
28 April 1967 – Carlton Club, Warrington, Cheshire with The Up-Town Go-Go Band (Warrington Guardian)
3 May 1967 – Eel Pie Island, Twickenham, west London (website: www.eelpiemuseum.co.uk/roll-call/1967-roll-call)
12 May 1967 – Slipper, West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire (Nottingham Evening Post)
14 May 1967 – Westcliff Hotel, Clacton, Essex (Essex County Standard)
20 May 1967 – The Polytechnic, Little Titchfield Street, W1 with The Brian Auger Trinity wth Julie Driscoll (Melody Maker)
21 May 1967 – Le Metro, Birmingham (Birmingham Evening Mail)
26 May 1967 – Torquay Town Hall, Torquay, Devon with Soul Set and The Package Deal (Herald Express/Torquay Times)
26 May 1967 – Apex Club, Brookfield Hall, South Ashford, Kent with The Concords (Kentish Express) This may be another band
27 May 1967 – Afan Lido, Port Talbot, Wales with The In Thing (Port Talbot Guardian)
11 July 1967 – Royalty Ballroom, Southgate, north London (Melody Maker)
16 July 1967 – Eel Pie Island, Twickenham, west London (website: www.eelpiemuseum.co.uk/roll-call/1967-roll-call)
22 July 1967 – Steering Wheel Club, Dorchester, Dorset (Western Gazette)
2 August 1967 – Eel Pie Island, Twickenham, west London (website: www.eelpiemuseum.co.uk/roll-call/1967-roll-call)
5-11 August 1967 – 400 Ballroom, Torquay, Devon (Herald Express)
13 August 1967 – Sunday Club, Addlestone, Surrey (Woking Herald)
18 August 1967 – Apex Club, Brookfield Hall, South Ashford, Kent with Tales of Mafekin (replaced by The Couriers) (Kentish Express)
20 August 1967 – Le Metro Club, Birmingham (Birmingham Evening Mail)
25 August 1967 – Pavilion, Newtown, Shropshire with The Bee Gees (Shropshire Star)
27 August 1967 – Riverside Club, Cricketers Hotel, Chertsey, Surrey (Woking Herald)
6 September 1967 – Eel Pie Island, Twickenham, west London (website: www.eelpiemuseum.co.uk/roll-call/1967-roll-call)
9 September 1967 – Tiles, Oxford Street, central London with Winston G & Happy Magazine (Melody Maker)
15 September 1967 – Carlton Club, Warrington, Cheshire with Chapter 6 (Warrington Guardian)
17 September 1967 – Sunday Club, Addlestone, Surrey (Woking Herald)
19 September 1967 – Royalty Ballroom, Southgate, north London (Melody Maker)
30 September 1967 – The Catacombe, Eastbourne, East Sussex (Eastbourne Herald Chronicle)
16 December 1967 – The Catacombe, Eastbourne, East Sussex (Eastbourne Herald Chronicle)
1968
10 January 1968 – Industrial Club, Norwich (Eastern Evening News)
14 January 1968 – Sunday Club, Addlestone, Surrey (Woking Herald)
3 February 1968 – 400 Ballroom, Torquay, Devon (Herald Express)
10 February 1968 – Wilton Hall, Bletchley, Bucks with Earl Richmond and The Associates (Bedfordshire Times)
18 February 1968 – Le Metro, Birmingham (Birmingham Evening Mail)
24 February 1968 – Steering Wheel, Dorchester, Dorset (Western Gazette)
1 March 1968 – Rugby Town Hall, Rugby, Warwickshire (Leicester Daily Mercury)
2 March 1968 – Catacombe, Eastbourne, East Sussex (Eastbourne Herald)
15 March 1968 – Shotgun Discotheque, Stork Club, Derby (Derby Evening Telegraph)
23 March 1968 – Eastbourne Suite, Eastbourne, East Sussex (Eastbourne Herald)
13 April 1968 – Catacombe, Eastbourne, East Sussex (Eastbourne Herald)
27 April 1968 – Clouds, Derby (Derby Evening Telegraph)
4 May 1968 – Catacombe, Eastbourne, East Sussex (Eastbourne Herald)
1 June 1968 – Coral-A-Go-Go Diskotek, Newquay, Cornwall (Cornish Guardian)
23 August 1968 – Drill Hall, Dumfries, Scotland (Dumfries and Galloway Standard)
1 November 1968 – King’s College, Strand, central London with The Move and Lemon Tree (Melody Maker)
24 December 1968 – Rawmarsh Baths Hall, Rawmarsh, South Yorkshire with Jackson’s Union and The Shy Ones (South Yorkshire & Rotherham Advertiser)
Please leave a comment if you can add more information about this band
Here is a very early photo of the First State Bank, a band that would last into the 70s and record three highly-regarded hard rock singles. The article comes from the April 27, 1969 Gladewater Mirror.
Members at this early stage were:
Terry Clayton – keyboards
Randy Nunnally – guitar
Harvey Hanson – drums
Don Wilson – bass
The article lists Glen Sheridan as manager and Raymond Murray as stage manager.
The First State Bank won battle of the bands competitions in Tyler and Longview, and would be traveling to Shreveport, LA hoping for a chance to win a “paid trip to California to appear with Paul Revere and the Raiders on the Happening ’69 show.” I haven’t found the results of that contest yet.
The First State Bank originated in Gladewater, a town near Longview and Tyler, but moved to Dallas where they appeared on the club circuit, along with regular shows in Arlington and Houston.
Randy Nunnally wrote all six songs on their records. He seems to have been the only constant in the group, whose membership also included at times:
Donny Hyles
Terry Salyer
Shannon Day
Kirk Brewster – guitar
Michael Williams – bass
David Eppes – drums
Marty Warren
Rabbitt Scruggs
Brian Johnson
Kelly Kemp
John Windle
Discography:
Music Mill 1012 – “Coming Home to You” / “Mr. Sun”
Banke RHB 714 – “It’s Not Easy to Say” / “King Snake” (Sunnybrook Music BMI), recorded at Robin Hood Brians Studio in Tyler
Banke 91321 – “A Long Long Time” / “Before You Leave” Mockingbird Music Pub., “A Steve Wright Production”
The Reasons Why cut one of the top Texas records in the ’60s, “Don’t Be That Way” on Sound Track ST-2000. I don’t own a copy, but I found this article on the group from the Waco, and since I don’t remember seeing this photo of the group before.
Members of the Reasons Why were:
Frank Kalenda – rhythm guitar and vocals
John Inmon – lead guitar and vocals
Johnny Schwertner – organ and vocals
Ronnie Miller – bass, vocals – replaced by Tommy Langford
Donny Dolon – drums and vocals
The article is very informative, noting “The group has just completed a session at the Delta recording studios in Fort Worth” [Delta Recording Center].
“W.F. Temple, president of Sound Track Records, was in Waco recently to audition this popular group and was so impressed that he immediately offered The Reasons Why, a recording contract.
The group is from Temple, and has been playing together for seven months. Their name comes from the first three words of “I’ll Feel a Whole Lot Better”, a recording by the Byrds.”
Most of the group attended Temple Junior College, except John Inmon: “Before joining the group John had played with bands on the west coast. He is a student at Temple High School.”
Carl Sachs managed the band and brought them to the Sound Track label. Bill Temple and Mickey Moody produced the single, released on Sound Track in late 1966 with a SoN 39531/2 mastering code.
“Melinda” was the A-side, written by Denis Jones who does not appear to have been a band member. Dennis Jones seems to have been a song-writer published through Sound-Age or Soundage, Bigtop and Le Bill Music. I suppose Bill Temple had publishing on “Melinda” and had the Reasons Why do the song. Luckily the Reasons Why were allowed to put their own song on the flip side.
Bassist and vocalist Ronald Miller wrote “Don’t Be That Way”. He seems to have left the group shortly after the single’s release, as most photos I’ve seen show Tommy Langford instead.
Not Fade Away #3 had an interview with John Schwertner:
“The Reasons Why played … Fat City in Kilgore, Catacombs in Houston, LouAnn’s in Dallas, Pussy Cat a Go Go in San Antonio, and the New Orleans Club, Swingers a-Go-Go and Jade Room in Austin.”
John Schwertner is quoted:
The Beyersville SPJST was a great club, all the bands from Austin and Temple would play there: the Wig, Baby Cakes, Elevators … and all these kids from all the little towns in the area would pack the place.
John described the Baby Cakes:
We had always looked up to them ’cause they were the first band I remember to play English style rock and roll. A real scruffy looking band, sort of the Texas Rolling Stones I guess. They helped us get some bookings and they’d come to our shows and tell us how to improve our band, really helped us alot.
1967 recordings at Robin Hood Brian’s studio in Tyler have never been released.
In the fall of 1967 Frank Kalenda left the band and John Schwertner joined the Lavender Hill Express as vocalist. Other members of the Reasons Why changed their name to the Feast of Stephen. Not Fade Away states that others joined the South Canadian Overflow, a band I’ve found notices for as early as November, 1967.
Schwertner, Donnie Dolan and John Inmon would later form Plymouth Rock.
In the 1970s, Inmon joined the Lost Gonzo Band.
Sound/Age Music published both songs on their Sound Track single. The only other single I know of with Dennis Jones’ credit is the Industrial Image “Living in the Middle Ages” by D.A. Jones on Epic 5-10096, published by Bigtop Records & Soundage Music. The Industrial Age were from the Glen Rose, Texas area, and had been known as the Heartbeats. One member may have been Larry Witt.
Thank you to Matthew B. for helping me access the news clipping, and to Enrico Benassi for scans of the Not Fade Away article.
The Sensations were 12 and 13 year-olds from Middlesboro, Kentucky, a rural town in Ball County, close to the Tennessee border and about 60 miles northeast of Knoxville. Members were: Mark Steele, Lee Cochran, Stephen Moody, Joe Willis and Brown Carr.
They did not record as far as I know, but the article in the Middlesboro Daily News from January, 1965 notes that “Mark has written two of the groups songs: ‘Stay Away from Me’ and ‘I’m in Love.'”
If the group did record or if the members went on to other bands, I would be interested in hearing about it.
Once again, thank you to Matthew B. for helping me access this news clipping.
