The London Cavern, Holland Park

Melody Maker. May/June 1965

Located at 120 Holland Park Avenue, the London Cavern was a short-lived club in West London that operated during the mid-1960s.

Melody Maker lists The Dukehounds as regular Thursday band during May/June 1965.  The following dates are all from Melody Maker unless otherwise noted.

18 May 1965 – Initial 4 (every Tuesday)

25 May 1965 – Initial 4 (every Tuesday)

 

1 June 1965 – Initial 4 (every Tuesday)

3 June 1965 – Dukehounds (every Thursday)

8 June 1965 – Initial 4 (every Tuesday)

15 June 1965 – Initial 4 (every Tuesday)

22 June 1965 – Initial 4 (every Tuesday) Not listed after this date for a while

2 July 1965 – Initial 4 Kensington Post also lists The Dae ‘B’ Four

3 July 1965 – The Cardinals (Kensington Post)

4 July 1965 – Top group (Kensington Post)

5 July 1965 – Themselves and The Effect (Kensington Post)

6 July 1965 – Dae ‘B’ Four and The Tribe (Kensington Post)

9 July 1965 – Initial 4

12 July 1965 – Bern Elliott & The Klan with Initial 4

16 July 1965 – Initial 4

18 July 1965 – Dave Whittling & Uncalled Four plus John Spencer and Guest Artists

19 July 1965 – The Five Dimensions and Initial 4

20 July 1965 – Group Survival  

 

According to the Kensington Post, 3 September issue, Marshall Scott Etc played every Sunday, so presumably that includes 5 September 1965.

The Middlesex County Times on 24 September and 1 October both list The Eyes as resident band on Tuesdays. That would include 28 September 1965 and 5 October 1965.

According to Boyfriend magazine, The Four Pennies played at the club on 11 October 1965.

I’d be really grateful if anyone can add their own confirmed shows at this club plus any memories. Please get in touch as well if you know any local papers that advertised shows here as Melody Maker didn’t advertise the gigs very often. The following (incomplete list) is from 1966 and was taken from Melody Maker:

3 March 1966 – Blues Ad-Lib

4 March 1966 – The Lincolns with supporting group

5 March 1966 – Marshall Scott Etc with supporting group

6 March 1966 – Fives Company

10 March 1966 – Blues Ad-Lib

11 March 1966 – Hamilton King & The Blues Messengers with supporting group

12 March 1966 – The Pieces Fit and Blues Ad Lib

13 March 1966 – Fives Company

17 March 1966 – C-Jam Blues

18 March 1966 – Five’s Company with supporting group

19 March 1966 – Jo Jo Gunne with supporting group

20 March 1966 – The Peasants

24 March 1966 – C-Jam Blues

25 March 1966 – The Lincolns

26 March 1966 – Hamilton King & The Blues Messengers

27 March 1966 – The Peasants

29 March 1966 – The Syn

30 March 1966 – The Pieces Fit

 

1 April 1966 – The Pieces Fit and The JRS

3 April 1966 – The Syn

7 April 1966 – The Herd

8 April 1966 – Sky Fever

9 April 1966 – Norman St John Show and Hamilton King & The Blues Messengers

10 April 1966 – Marshall Scott Etc

11 April 1966 – Jo Jo Gunne

22 April 1966 – Dee Dee Warwick and The Sloane Squares

23 April 1966 – The Rouges

24 April 1966 – The Sloane Squares

The Gay Lords of Victoria, Texas

Gay Lords Zakary Thaks Victoria Advocate September 18, 1966
The Victoria Advocate featured a photo of the Gay Lords on September 18, 1966. The Gay Lords won second in a battle of the bands in Corpus Christi, losing to local legends the Zakary Thaks.

Members were:

Don Halk
Glen Christian
Jerry Cockerham – drums
Mike Rippamonti
Kenny Lange

The microfilm quality makes it impossible for me to be sure who is playing guitar and who is on bass. I don’t believe the Gay Lords recorded.

If you have any photos or info on any local Texas bands of the ’60s, please comment below or contact me.

The Deacons of Burnet, Texas

Deacons Burnet Bulletin May 25, 1967The May 25, 1967 Burnet Bulletin gave a description of the Deacons, a local group invited to a battle of the bands in Colorado City, TX, 230 miles to the northwest, on June 3.

Members were:

Eddie Fariss (Farris?) – drummer and lead singer
Larry Boyd – lead guitar
Joel Mann – lead and rhythm guitar
Don Baker – rhythm guitar
Larry Dunlap – bass guitar

All were students at Burnet High School. I don’t believe the Deacons recorded.

If you have any photos or info on any local Texas bands of the ’60s, please comment below or contact me.

Today’s Tomorrow “Wanton Forest”

Today's Tomorrow Teen Town 45 Wanton ForestFrom La Crosse, Wisconsin, the Ladds had three singles on Transaction, Universal Audio and Teen Town between 1967 and 1969. In 1970, they changed their name to Today’s Tomorrow and had a minor hit with “Bring Back The Days” / “Witchi Tai To ” on Bang Records.

As the Silver Bullets they made an instrumental single for Teen Town, “The Lone Ranger” / “No Name Boogie”.

Members were:

Chuck Holzer – vocals
Ralph Russell – guitar
Alex Campbell – keyboards
Eric Melby – bass, also Randy Taylor, and Clare Troyanek (of the Unchained Mynds)
Mark Melby – drums

This is their next single, “Wanton Forest” / “You’ve Gone Away” as Today’s Tomorrow, on Teen Town TT-118, from about mid-1970. “Wanton Forest” is fine light psychedelia, and “You’ve Gone Away” is well-crafted and commercial. Alex Campbell wrote both songs, published by Jab Music BMI.

John Hall produced. Hall later started the Blue Ribbon label and released a great punk single, the Ones “Short Dress / Tight Rope ”

The July 11, 1970, La Crosse Tribune had a note about the recording of this single. I like how they call them “old hands” when most of the group were still teenagers:

Today's Tomorrow Teen Town 45 You've Gone Away

“Today’s Tomorrow,” who are old hands at making records and working in recording studios, seemed a little shook up as they entered the RCA Victor Studios in Chicago a couple of weeks ago to put their vocal tracks on their latest 45 single. Looking at the big-star albums hanging on the walls, one of the members of the group asked the recording engineer who had recorded in just the past couple of days. He replied in a very mild mood, The “Guess Who” were in the other day and cut their new single, “Hand Me Down World.” That was enough to give any young band the winks. The session pulled off great. It’s the best job of composing thus far for Alex Campbell. The two new sides are entitled, “You’ve Gone Away” and “Wanton Forest.” The tapes have already been sent in to the Bang record office in New York.

It didn’t get a release on Bang, but Cash Box listed “Wanton Forest” on the playlist of WOKY in Milwaukee on October 24, 1970.

Today’s Tomorrow would have one final single, a version of Paul McCartney’s “Smile Away” that I haven’t heard yet, backed with another Alex Campbell original, “Lifeless”, which has a ’70s funky hard-rock sound.

Alex Campbell had an early single with the Fax in August, 1966 when he was just 14, “Just Walking In The Rain” / “Not Too Long Ago” on Transaction 702, produced by Lindy Shannon.

If anyone has the picture sleeves for the Ladds first two singles, “Keep On Running” / “‘Wild Angels’ Theme” on Transaction or “I Found The Girl” / “Survival” on Universal Audio, please contact me. Also if anyone has photos of the band other than those on the Ladds picture sleeves, please write in.

Source: Do You Hear That Beat: Wisconsin Pop/Rock in the 50’s & 60’s by Gary E. Myers has extensive information that was vital to this post.

J.P. Company “Gozar Asi”

J. P. Company Orfeon 45 Gozar Asi

I didn’t expect this 45 by J.P. Company to be almost unknown, but it appears that way. “Gozar Asi” has many of the elements you might expect from early ’70s funky psych, including organ, wah wah rhythm, harmony vocals, a good guitar break and more. It’s a fine song, written by Jaymenoll Hernandez.

The flip is a more conventional ballad, “Fue” by Alfonso Ortiz.

Released on Orfeon 45-15056 in 1971, I thought this could have been a group from Mexico. I had a Los Locos del Ritmo single on the same Orfeon label with a Los Angeles address which turned out to be a reissue of two different sides originally issued in Mexico years before.

As it turns out, this J.P. Company release is an original Billy Cardenas Production out of Los Angeles. Cardenas was famous for his involvement with the ’60s Eastside Sound, including the Romancers, the Premiers, the Blendells, Cannibal & The Headhunters, Ronnie & The Pomona Casuals, Mark & The Escorts and many more. For Orfeon he would produce Jr. & the Preludes, La Tribu and others.

Billy Cardenas producing for Orfeon, Record World, November 20, 1971
Billy Cardenas producing for Orfeon, Record World, November 20, 1971

A December 23, 1972 notice in Billboard notes Orfeon General Manager Oswaldo Benzor would be recording J.P. Company bilingually. If it happened, I haven’t heard or seen it. From the quality of “Gozar Asi”, this is a group that deserves more attention.

J. P. Company Orfeon 45 Fue

J.P. Company Orfeon Billboard, Dec. 23, 19721972
Orfeon promoting J.P. Company as a bilingual act in Billboard, Dec. 23, 19721972

The Oncomers “You Let Me Down” on Gateway

Oncomers Gateway Custom 45 You Let Me Down

The Oncomers came from the Mon Valley (Monongahela River) region south and east of Pittsburgh. Turtle Creek and McKeesport seem to be the main locations for the band members or where they played live.

The group members were:

Wayne Schillinger – guitar
Billy Capranica – bass
Jack O’Neill – drums

The Oncomers started in the early ’60s and often played live with a slightly younger act, the Arondies. This is their only release, on the Gateway Custom label. Wayne Schillinger wrote both songs, published by Telldell Music. Teen Beat Mayhem dates the 45 to 1967 but I’ve read the group had broken up in 1965.

“Every Day Now” is something of a throwback to early styles. “You Let Me Down” is a classic moody song, with a fine lead vocal and guitar work.

I’ve read there are more studio recordings and even a live tape from the Cove nightclub in the town of Large, PA, but I haven’t heard these yet.

The Oncomers later became Grant Street Exit with some lineup changes. Wayne Schillinger wrote both sides of the Grant Street Exit’s 1968 single on Del-la single (and re-released on Millage) “I Got Soul” b/w “That’s Why I Love You”, which I haven’t heard yet. Telldell Music is the publisher and distributor for that release.

Jack O’Neill joined Jim Pavlack and Gary Pittman of the Arondies to form the Soul Congress.

Source: the Tube City Almanac has some remembrances of the band & the local scene at that time.

Oncomers Gateway Custom 45 Every Day Now

Sab Florence E. on Band Box

Sab Florence E. Band Box 45 Why Must It BeThe typically murky Band Box production enhances the strange outsider effect of this 1969 single from Florence S. Espinoza, credited on the label as Sab Florence E.

“Why Must It Be” has a gloomy guitar riff and a female chorus cooing the title. “I Need Your Love” adds harmonies over another leaden rhythm from the guitar, drums and very distant bass. Both songs are originals by Florence Espinoza, with copyright registration in October 1968.

Released on Band Box 389 during that label’s last year or two of production. This is a Rite pressing, 22737/8.

Florence S. Espinoza Patent diagram
Florence S. Espinoza’s patent diagram, from the Official Gazette of the US Patent Office, volume 855

A quick search turns up Espinoza was awarded a patent in March, 1967 for an “Acoustical Baffling Cove System: A method and apparatus for soundproofing the head space in drop ceiling construction … barricades space above the room dividing walls with a V-shaped sound baffling cove for deflecting sounds…” The patent gives his address as 1021 S. Patton Court, Denver, internet records suggest he or his family may still be living there.

An obviously creative person, I wonder if he did more in music besides this solitary release.

Sab Florence E. Band Box 45 I Need Your Love

Cure of Ares from St. Cloud: “Oval Portrait” and “Sunshine”

Cure of Ares came from St. Cloud, Minnesota and cut two excellent singles in 1969, but I’m surprised to find very little information on the group, and had to draw on many sources to assemble this post.

Cure of Ares 45 Oval PortraitMembers included:

Duane Korte – lead vocals
Reynold Philipsek – lead guitar
John Waverek- bass
Mark Wenner – drums
Steve Hoffman – original drummer

and possibly:

Doug Nelson – bass
Michael McGlynn – organ (?)

Their first 45 from May included “Oval Portrait” an original by Reynold Philipsek and Michael McGlynn according to a Library of Congress copyright registration in March, 1969, although not credited on the label. On the flip is “Stepping Stone”, not the hit song but a cut from Steve Miller Band album Children of the Future.

Cure of Ares 45 SunshinePeter Steinberg produced Cure of Ares’ second release which included the excellent original song “Sunshine”, featuring plenty of wah-wah, vocal harmonies, stops and starts, and even cowbell.

No song writing credits appear on the label for “Sunshine”, but I found a July 1969 registration for “Sunshine Road” with words and music by Reynold Philipsek and music by Michael McGlynn. Registered at the same time was another song, “What About the People?” which may have not been recorded.

On the flip was a version of “Twenty Years Ago (in Speedy’s Kitchen)”, a song recently done by T.C. Atlantic and written by Steinberg with Barry Goldberg, Gary Paulak and Dale Menten. All of those writers were active in the Minneapolis music scene: Dale Menten had been in the Gestures and wrote “Run, Run, Run”, and produced the C.A. Quintet’s single on Falcon, “Mickey’s Monkey” / “I Want You to Love Me Girl”. Peter Steinberg had engineered at Dove Recording Studios in Minneapolis.

Cure of Ares recorded both records at Audiotek Studios in Minneapolis. Audiotek Systems Inc went out of business in 1979, but in 2016 the contents of the studio were offered for sale, including hundreds of records and master tapes. I do not know what became of the tapes, or if they included any Cure of Ares material.

Neither single had a label name, but “Oval Portrait” shows release number 69-99 while “Sunshine” has CPO-106.

Reynold Philipsek’s Wikipedia page continues,

Oval Portrait received enough mid-west regional radio airplay to garner an invitation to perform on the ABC Television show THE HAPPENING ’69, produced by Dick Clark Productions … Cure of Ares taped on Sunday, April 20, 1969, for the Season 2, Episode 24 installment, which aired on May 17, 1969. The telecast included performances by Three Dog Night, and The Peppermint Rainbow.

In 1970, Cure of Ares was chosen from over 15,000 entries as one of 50 semi-finalists in a national music competition, “Iced Tea’s Big Search for the New Sound”[5] presented by the Tea Council of the U.S.A., Billboard Magazine and over 200 radio stations.

The Wiki page has a link to a letter from Dick Clark to Tom Roman, who may have been the Cure of Ares’ manager.

After the Cure of Ares broke up, Philipsek made a 1973 single I haven’t heard under the name “reynold”: “Change (Not the Same)” / “Wordless Wonder” both original songs, produced by S. Gasner and Philipsek. His solo career continues to this day. Reynold Philipsek’s website is https://reynold.com/.

The Descendants of Baytown, TX

Descendants Baytown Sun August 23, 1968The Baytown Sun profiled the Descendants a young group that traveled to Houston for a Teen Fair band competition at the Astrohall. Members were:

Cleon Carraway – lead guitar
C.A. Williams – rhythm guitar
Victor Whitsell – organ
Troy M. Hart – saxophone
Tommy Davis – bass guitar
Tommy Hale – drums

I don’t believe the Descendants recorded.

If you have any photos or info on any local Texas bands of the ’60s, please comment below or contact me.

I.P. Sweat, David Kealy, Tom Lunar – The Exorcism on Pot

Pot 45 The ExorcismI often find records that are not garage rock, but are interesting enough to warrant research. The Pot label, the Texas location, & the title “The Exorcism” might raise one’s expectations, but this 45 by Isaac Sweat, David Kealy and Tom Lunar is conventional ’70s rock with a little horror in the lyrics. There is a cool backwards track version on the flip side.

Still, it’s obscure as can be: this is the only copy I know of, and have found no mention of it elsewhere. Some of members had their roots in the Houston garage band scene, though exactly how is murky at this point.

I found a copyright entry for “The Exorcism” from February, 1974, along with one for “A Love That Will Never Die” by David Kealey, Tom Lunar and Harold Fulton.

Pot 45 Msicroxe EhtThe address of 9717 Jensen Drive in Houston points to the Nashville Sound Studio (soon to be renamed Sound Masters) and the release number fits into other singles from that studio.

I thought Pot was the band name, because I.P. Sweat, David Kealy, Tom Lunar seems awkward for a group. But there are releases on the International Mod label that looks very much like this one, by Just Us, the Walkers, and Rocky Rhoades, all cut at Nashville Sound Studios.

I’ve read Isaac Payton Sweat played bass with Johnny Winter, I assume in the early days in Beaumont before Tommy Shannon joined in ’68 or ’69. Isaac died in 1990 after achieving some success with a rocking version of square dance and country music.

David Kealy has a credit as engineer on Kenny Cordray’s version of “Francene” from 1987. As David Kealey, he appears as a bassist on a Bill Nash LP and has many more engineering credits.

Tony Braunagel joined Paul Kossoff of Free in Back Street Crawler, and later became a studio drummer. Braunagel and David Kealey were both members of Bloontz who had an LP on Evolution in 1973.

Tom Lunar I have no additional info on.

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