Categories: La Crosse, Teen Town, Wisconsin

Today’s Tomorrow “Wanton Forest”

February 7, 2020 Chris Bishop 1 Comment

From 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,” 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.

Categories: California, Los Angeles, Not garage, Orfeon, Unknown

J.P. Company “Gozar Asi”

February 5, 2020 Chris Bishop Leave a comment

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

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

Categories: Gateway Custom, McKeesport, Mon Valley, Pennsylvania, Turtle Creek

The Oncomers “You Let Me Down” on Gateway

February 4, 2020 Chris Bishop 4 Comments

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.

Categories: Band Box, Colorado, Denver, Rite Record Productions custom pressings

Sab Florence E. on Band Box

February 4, 2020 Chris Bishop 3 Comments

The 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.

Categories: Audiotek (Minneapolis), Minneapolis, Minnesota, St. Cloud

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

February 2, 2020 Chris Bishop 6 Comments

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.

Members 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.

Peter 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/.

Categories: Baytown, Texas

The Descendants of Baytown, TX

February 2, 2020 Chris Bishop Leave a comment

The 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.

Categories: Houston, Nashville Sound (Houston), Not garage, Texas

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

January 30, 2020 Chris Bishop 1 Comment

I 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.

The 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.

Categories: Oregon, Panorama, Washington, Westland

Buck & The Hunters / The Tragedy

January 28, 2020 Chris Bishop 3 Comments

The Blue Mountain Playboys – aunts and uncles of Buck played in this group

Jeffrey Harvey provides the story of Buck and the Hunters, who cut original songs for singles on Westland Records 15829/30 and Panorama 1004. “Without Your Love I’m A Nobody” has a wild desperate sound to it, unfortunately the youtube video is made from an off-center copy.

Buck Hunter was born into a musical family in Beaverton, Oregon in 1946. His aunts and uncles on his mother’s side played in a western swing group called The Blue Mountain Playboys, who at one time toured with The Sons Of The Pioneers.

Buck started playing music at age 13 and after a stint in the U.S. Navy, he formed Buck & The Hunters in Cove, Oregon in 1965 at the age of 19.

After winning a local battle of the bands competition, Buck & The Hunters were signed to cut a spec record for the local Westland label.

“The Train Is Leaving Me Behind” b/w “Without Your Love I’m A Nobody” was recorded in a basement studio in the Kennewick, Washington area and achieved significant airplay in the Washington, Wyoming, Oregon, and Idaho radio markets.

The band members at the time of recording were:

Buck Hunter – lead vocals / guitar / songwriter
Dan Aguilar – lead guitar
John McClay – bass
Dan Ross – drums

After the release of “Train” on Christmas Day 1965, the band spent 18 months touring the Pacific Northwest, playing armory dances, state fairs, high schools, and clubs, and opening for such Northwest luminaries as Paul Revere & The Raiders, The Wailers, The Kingsmen, and more.

A fun story Buck shared with me about the Hunters’ touring days goes like this: The band was booked to play a high school dance in John Day, Oregon on a Friday night. Buck and the boys were traveling to the gig in two separate vehicles, when they came upon an active blasting zone on the interstate.

The state was using dynamite in the area for construction purposes, and after the first car carrying half the band made it through the blast zone “We all hear this big boom! Sure enough, we look back and saw a landslide had cut off all the traffic – including the second car with the rest of the band in it!”

Buck and two other band mates continued on to John Day High School to find that the dance they were booked to play was the school’s prom. “We ended up playing with three guys that night, and were asked to come back the next night with the full band. They held two proms so our entire band could play!” recalls Hunter.

Buck & The Hunters disbanded in 1967 when a few members went off to college and Buck moved to Everett, Washington. It was there he met his wife in the same year, and the two were married within months.

Buck took a nightclub residency gig as a solo folk act, doing a supper club show at a local restaurant/lounge called Kay’s Rice n’ Bowl. Here he opened for such artists as Pat Suzuki and The Four Freshman.

After putting in his time at the club, Buck and his new bride formed The Tragedy with four other players. The group went on to win a “contemporary folk music battle of the bands” put on by The Pat O’Day Show, broadcast on KJR radio in Seattle at the time.

An A&R man from the Pacific Northwest stalwart label Panorama signed the group to a one-disc deal and “The Entertainer” b/w “Unfaithful Love” was recorded. The Tragedy then toured, opening for such acts as Merrilee Rush & the Turnabouts and The Turtles.

After Buck’s father was diagnosed with cancer in 1969, he and his wife became born again Christians. They went on to write, record, and tour as a duo, preaching the gospel in churches around the country until 1985.

In 1992 Buck began hosting a nightly radio show that was broadcast from the floor of The Gold Coast Casino in Las Vegas. The program lasted until 2002, and in that time Buck met and interviewed thousands of artists including James Brown, Little Richard, Willie Nelson, Martha Reeves, and more. He also told me that the actress Betty White was an avid listener to his program and would call in on numerous occasions to co-host the show with him!

To say that Buck has lived an interesting and full life would be an understatement. He is still active in the business space and currently resides in Kuna, Idaho with his wife of 50+ years.

I asked him about the psychedelic sound of his two 45rpm releases, and if that was an intentional artistic choice or not. His response? “I was always looking for my own original sound.”

Article by Jeffrey Harvey.

Categories: Alexandria, Arlington, McLean, Springfield, Virginia, Washington DC

Unidentified photos by Charles Parry

January 27, 2020 Chris Bishop 7 Comments

Charles Parry documented over a dozen local bands and some national acts in a series of 3.5″ x 3.5″ photos in 1965. I am trying to locate him to find out more about his career.

He labeled many of the bands and photos, but some were not identified. I am posting them here, hoping people who knew these bands and fans can comment and identify them.

Any help would be appreciated!

Thank you to Craig Mossman of the Roaches for help with the IDs of several people in these photos.

Unidentified Band 1 Photo 3 – Wes Thacker of the Mark 4

Unidentified Band 1 Photo 4 - ID as Dave Tuno, later of the Roaches — Unidentified Band 1 Photo 4 – ID as Dave Tuno, later of the Roaches

Unidentified Band 1 Photo 5 - ID as Gill Batts, later of the Roaches — Unidentified Band 1 Photo 5 – ID as Gill Batts, later of the Roaches

Unidentified Band 1 Photo 6 - ID as Gill Batts, later of the Roaches — Unidentified Band 1 Photo 6 – ID as Gill Batts, later of the Roaches

Unidentified Band 1 Photo 7 - ID as Gill Batts, later of the Roaches — Unidentified Band 1 Photo 7 – ID as Gill Batts, later of the Roaches

Unidentified Band 2 Photo 1 Malibus Maybe — Unidentified Band 2 (maybe the Malibu’s?) Photo 1

Unidentified Band 2 (maybe the Malibu's?) Photo 2 — Unidentified Band 2 (maybe the Malibu’s?) Photo 2

Unidentified Band 2 (maybe the Malibu's?) Photo 3 — Unidentified Band 2 (maybe the Malibu’s?) Photo 3

Unidentified drummer, maybe from the Londoners

Unidentified singer maybe from the Chancellors

Categories: Detroit, Malibu Records, Michigan, Unknown
You and Me on Malibu Records “She’s One of a Kind” / “I’ll Find a Way”
January 24, 2020 Chris Bishop Leave a comment
You and Me seems to be a studio production from two song writers, Ken Phillips and Gordon Goodman. The songs on this single are innocent pop with some definite English influences: “She’s One of a Kind” is uptempo and catchy; “I’ll Find a Way” slower and moody.
The labels list arrangement by Ken Phillips and Gordon Goodman, and produced by Ken Phillips.
I found six songs registered with the Library of Congress: “You’re Gone”, “She’s Over There” and “I’d Feel Better With You Around” in 1965, “I’ll Find a Way” in February, 1966 and “Keep On With Me” in June of ’66, and “Anywhere” in 1967. All their compositions list Kenneth Phillips as writing words and music, and arrangement by Gordon Goodman.
I don’t have specific info on Phillips and Goodman, but this was released on the Detroit, Michigan label Malibu Records. The catalog number M-6801 suggests a 1968 release. This is on the same Malibu Records label as the crunching “Times Passed” by the Beaubiens from February, 1967. That record was a Joe Doll production with different arrangers, and likely no personnel in common with this single by You and Me. See my article on Tortoise Records for information on Joe Doll’s early production work.
I asked Joe Doll about this record and he responded:
I remember Ken Phllips. I engineered the recording of these two tunes in the same WCBN studio (at University of Michigan) where I recorded “Times Passed” by the Beaubiens and “Messin’ with the Kid” by the aftermath (they liked their name with no capitals.)
I believe Ken was a U of M student. He was hoping to find traction for “an old-fashioned love song” and thought this record might help. Ken lined up the musicians. I had the impression they were all U of M students within his circle of friends.
Malibu was my label. I considered it an upgrade from the earlier Tortoise label.

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