The Royals, from left to right: Dennis Villanucci, Jim Hideriotis, Joe Villanucci, Rick Krikorian and Robert Krikorian
Dennis Villanucci wrote to me about the Royals who had three singles in the mid-1960s:
This band was formed in Haverhill, Massachusetts during the mid/late 1950s. The original band members were Jim Hideriotis (drums), Rick Krikorian (guitar) Dick Gaiero (guitar), Ted Schiavoni (guitar), Bob Schiavoni (bass) and Joe Villanucci (keyboards).
Around 1961 or so, Dick & Bob left the band, and I (Dennis Villanucci, Joe’s brother) joined as their bass player. Rick’s twin brother (Robert) also joined shortly thereafter as a singer and also played tambourine. Later on I became their lead guitarist. The band card shown was made after Bob had left the band.
Lowell State Lounge poster, May 22, 1965
While the members of the Royals were attending college, we appeared at many fraternity houses and college concert venues (college dance mixers) on campuses throughout New England (mostly in Massachusetts, New Hampshire & Vermont locations). Typical venues were Lowell State College (MA), UNH (Durham NH), Dartmouth College, University of Vermont etc.
We had an agent by the name of Al Long. He handled about 25 bands from the New England area.
We were friends with a few of the bands shown on Al’s list … The Roadrunners (Mike Fedenyszen et. al.) and the Heard (Chuck Buzzell, Eric Mcfadden, Bob Fontaine and Mike Moustafa).
Another band that we were friends with (not on the list) was called Lazy Smoke. John Pollano was their leader. My brother Joe played keyboard on “Sarah Saturday”.
A “rival” band was the Del Phi’s.
While playing a fraternity house for Lowell technological institute, we met a fraternity member who, along with his friend, had a recording studio in Framingham Massachusetts. We accepted a one year recording contract that was offered to us at no cost to us.
The band made three 45 rpm recordings at Continental Recordings Inc. (CORI) in Framingham, Massachusetts. The first recording “The Lady’s Bad” / “I’m All Alone” bears the CORI label and was made in June 1965.
The other two were under the Croydon label; “Summertime in Maine” / “Teenage Dreamer” and “Slow Down Boy” / “Summertime in Maine”.
While recording our music during that year, we were connected with Gene Kilham. Gene presented his music to us, and we agreed to record for him.
1st label for this song, June 1966
June 1967 release
Towards the end of the 1960s we began playing regularly at local night clubs: The Cinnamon Lounge (Lowell), Three Copper Men (Lowell), The Bowery (Salisbury Beach MA) and many others.
When we appeared at the Bowery, the band had added a horn section, (Ralph Bennett – sax, Rick Hammett trumpet and Jerry Bergonzi – tenor sax). We also added a front man, Johnny C (John Colimere). We played eight (4 or 5-hour) shows a week for about 6 weeks during the summer of 1969.
The band broke up around 1970. Joe and Robert are still active in the music industry.
Q. I notice the writing credits on “Teenage Dreamer” read Leo Krikorian and Gene Kilham, and Gene is also sole writer for “Summertime in Maine”. I believe Gene owned the Croydon label. Was Leo another name for your brother?
Leo Krikorian was not related to the two Krikorian brothers that were with the Royals (Rick & Robert). It is just a coincidence that he has the same last name. Leo & Gene wrote “Teenage Dreamer” and Leo played lead guitar on the recording.
June 15, 1966 issue of Billboard
Two notices for “Summertime in Maine” appeared in Billboard, in June and August 1966.
Royals discography:
June 1965: “I’m All Alone” / “The Lady’s Bad”, both by Krikorian – Villanucci, Hyannis Music Co., released on Cori Records CR 31002.
June, 1966: “Summertime in Maine” (Gene Kilham) / “Teenage Dreamer” (Leo Krikorian and Gene Kilham), both Chriskil Music Publ. Co., ASCAP, released on Croydon ZTSP 122492/3, a Columbia custom pressing, probably from their Rockaway plant.
May, 1967: “Summertime in Maine” (Gene Kilham) / “Slow Down, Boy” (Robert Krikorian and Joe Villanucci), released on Croydon U4KM-6776/7, an RCA custom pressing probably from their Pittman, New Jersey plant.
Chriskil Music Publ. Co., ASCAP published all three songs on the Croydon singles, named for the company’s street address.
Kilham has written and produced a single by Barry Wilson & the Camelots “The Bug” / “Gonna Put You Down” Dot 45-16462, both by B. Wilson and Gene Kilham, that received notice in Billboard in September 1963.
Al Long agency booking list – any info on the bands listed here would be appreciated:
Name Groups: The Harlem Playboys (with Randy Madison) The King Cobras – “Maine’s No. 1 band” The Nickel Bag of Soul (“New Hampshire’s best) The Catharsis The Embers John Tropea and the Spendors (“Boston’s great band”)
Girl Groups: The Fabulous Frauleins (recorded “Practice Of Evil” / “Days Gone By” on Onyx 8601) The Ever Lovin’s What’s this Madness
Popular Groups: The Given Word The Crescendos The Royals The Tel-stars The Avengers The Blue Cloud The Jinx The Del Phi’s The Roadrunners The Deltas Annie and the Orphans (from the Lakes region) The Heard Underground Conspiracy Gray Shade of Blue
This single on Top-Notch is an excellent 1966 release by two different soul groups.
One side has the Highlights doing a great up-tempo number with swirling organ, “Orbit”, featuring a lead vocal backed by harmonies. The flip is credited to Carroll & London with a different harmony style altogether.
I’m posting as it is currently almost unknown and has some intriguing credits.
Joann Longenberger wrote both songs, published by Knorr Music Pub. and Oasis Music. Released as Top-Notch IMK-2, it has a Columbia pressing code of ZTSP-12677/8.
Top-Notch had at least two other singles. The first may be Herb and His Cronies with “The Phantom” / “In the Middle of a Love”. It was released on Personality A-700 in July of 1966, with an IMK Productions credit that links it to the Top-Notch singles. 45cat lists this same single as being released on Top Notch 700, however I cannot find a scan of that to confirm – anyone have one?
The other two singles that definitely had release on Top-Notch were IMK-1, J. Salvemini’s “La Salles” doing “Why Oh Why” / “Wanarupu” (both have words by Ernest Barlbeault, and music by Joseph Salvemini); and IMK-3, an artist named Coye doing “Hop Scotch” / “Sweet I Know” (both by C. Boatner).
All were registered with the Library of Congress on August 29, 1966, with the Coye songs listed as words by Mary Boatner and music by Coye Boatner. The pressing code on the Cove is ZTSP 122680, which shows these were sent together to be mastered and pressed in one batch.
I presume a New York location for Top-Notch but I don’t have any definite proof of that. There was a Coye Boatner living in the Bronx in the early 1970s, but also indications Coye and Mary Boatner lived in Louisiana at some point.
Watermelon Man MP3, thanks to Tertius Louw for sharing the recording.
John E Sharpe (guitar/vocals)
Les Goode (bass)
Nic Martens (Hammond organ)
John Elliott (sax)
Albert Rossi (drums)
This fascinating, yet short-lived, South African group recorded a hopelessly rare 45 for the US Scepter label in 1968, which was produced by Billy Forrest and distributed in South Africa by Troubadour Records.
The musicians collectively had an impressive history.
Guitarist John E Sharpe had previously played with The Deans (where he met Les Goode) and then worked with The G-Men before fronting his own group, John E Sharpe & The Squires (who also included Goode at one point).
Goode meanwhile had started out with Les Beats and then The Nitwits before joining forces with Sharpe in The Deans and subsequently John E Sharpe & The Squires. After working with The A-Cads during late 1965-mid 1966, including a short spell in the UK, Goode returned to South Africa in September that year and reunited with Sharpe in a new formation.
Scotsmen John Elliott and Albert Rossi met in South Africa when they were both employed as session players at Troubadour Records. Rossi appeared on Quentin E Klopjaeger’s LP Sad Simon Lives Again.
The drummer had worked with Chris Lamb & The Universals in the UK before emigrating to South Africa in 1964/1965.
Elliott meanwhile had worked in John E Sharpe’s short-lived group, New Order during 1967.
John Elliott in New Order. Thanks to Alan Shane for the photo
Nic Martens had worked with Durban groups The Navarones and The Lehman Limited alongside future Freedom Children’s drummer Colin Pratley before later working with The Noel McDermott Group.
The five musicians came together around September 1967 and worked under producer Billy Forrest, who landed the recording deal for a lone 45 which coupled covers of Booker T & The MGs “Green Onions” with Herbie Hancock’s “Watermelon Man”.
Green Onions MP3, thanks to Tertius Louw for sharing the recording.
The single is extremely rare and I am very grateful to South African music writer and collector Tertius Louw for sharing scans of both sides of the record.
Around August 1968, the group broke up and while Martens later worked with Freedom’s Children, Sharpe and Goode formed another band called John E Sharpe & His Board of Directors who issued another rare 45 on Parlophone which coupled “Way Down Yonder in New Orleans” with “Legend of a Big Toe”.
Both musicians then hooked up with former Freedom’s Children guitarist Julian Laxton in the short-lived Crystal Drive.
I’d be interested to hear from anyone who can add more information.
Huge thanks to Albert Rossi and Tertius Louw for background info. Thanks to Tertius also for providing the MP3 recordings.
Left to right: Craig Ross, Colin Knott, Hugh Mackrell, Geral Knott and Dave Ridgeway
Craig Ross (lead vocals)
Geral Knott (lead guitar)
Hugh Mackrell (rhythm guitar/vocals)
Dave Ridgeway (bass)
Colin Knott (drums)
A Durban band formed in late 1968 after former Gonks lead singer Craig Ross had left South African rock legends, Freedom’s Children.
The group also comprised siblings Colin and Geral Knott who had previously played with The Alouettes; bass player Dave Ridgeway and former Mods rhythm guitarist Hugh Mackrell.
During 1969, the band recorded four tracks in Johannesburg with producer Brian Pretorius and engineer Dave Pollcutt. These comprised three covers: John Lennon’s “Ballad of John & Yoko”, Lee Dorsey’s “Love Machine”, Oz’s “King Croesus” and one original, Hugh Mackrell’s “Down”. The four tracks are issued over two singles for the Uptight label.
When the group split up in 1970, Craig Ross later recorded a lone one-off single, “Ginger Man” c/w “Dear Prudence” in 1975.
Huge thanks to Hugh Mackrell and Brian Pretorius for helping piece this story together and for providing the single scans and newspaper clippings.
A short-lived band formed by former Paul Butterfield Blues Band and Howlin’ Wolf bass player Jerome Arnold after he briefly moved to the UK in late 1968.
Arnold had initially gigged with Dogs Blues, who changed name to Clark-Hutchinson in February 1969, so this is when Jerome Arnold most likely formed this quartet.
Cowell and Toomey had recently worked with The Warren Davis Monday Band after playing together in Still Life and Jon. Both would go on to form Titus Groan.
Holland had previously worked with Long John Baldry’s band Bluesology after Elton John had left.
7 February 1969 – Blues Loft, Nags Head, High Wycombe, Bucks (Bucks Free Press/Melody Maker)
14 February 1969 – Fishmonger Arms, Wood Green, north London with Jody Grind (Wood Green & Southgate Weekly Herald/Melody Maker)
18 February 1969 – 100 Club, Oxford Street, central London (Melody Maker)
1 March 1969 – Evolution of the Blues, Town Hall, High Wycombe, Bucks with Mississippi Fred McDowell, Duster Bennett, The New Black Cat Bones, Jo-Ann Kelly, Mike Cooper, Bob Hall and Ian Anderson (Bucks Free Press)
28 March 1969 – Blues Loft, Nags Head, High Wycombe, Bucks (Bucks Free Press)
11 April 1969 – Lyceum, the Strand, central London with T-Rex, Eire Apparent and Wallace Collection (Melody Maker)
13 April 1969 – Farx Club, Northcote Arms, Southall, west London with Egg (Time Out)
13 April 1969 – Whisky A Go Go, Wardour Street, central London (Melody Maker)
21 April 1969 – Blaises, Imperial Hotel, Queen’s Gate, west London (Hounslow Post)
27 April 1969 – Whisky A Go Go, Wardour Street, Soho, central London (Melody Maker)
29 April 1969 – Fishmongers Arms, Wood Green, north London (Time Out)
10 May 1969 – Blues Scene, Crown, Twickenham, west London with Levee Camp Moan (Kingston & Malden Borough News/Melody Maker)
13 May 1969 – Whisky A Go Go, Wardour Street, Soho, central London (Melody Maker)
22 May 1969 – Whisky A Go Go, Wardour Street, Soho, central London (Melody Maker)
This group of Missing Links recorded on Rosco Records out of Hollywood. According to a paragraph that popped up on Wikipedia before being removed, the band’s members were Larry Duncan, Jim Stanley, Mike Swain and Danny DeLacey.
The controversy over that paragraph derives from whether the Missing Links backed Micky Dolenz for a brief time as Mickey and the One Nighters, at the instigation of Eddie Hodges. The Cool Cherry Cream site has the best summary of this crucial morsel of music history.
That site quotes Andrew Sandoval’s The Monkees: Day-By-Day, including that the Missing Links appeared at a spot called La Pitcher in Denver (anyone know more about this club?)
Regardless, the Missing Links did cut one great 45 without Micky, a cover of a recent Al Dowling song “Heartbreak Hill” b/w an original “I Cried Goodbye” on Rosco Records 418.
D. DeLacey and C. Stevens wrote “I Cried Goodbye” for Misslink Music, production through Rosco’s Chartmaker Productions, Inc. at N. Vine St. in Hollywood. I’m not sure who C. Stevens is.
The correct spelling of Danny DeLacey’s name is Danny DeLacy, at least that’s how it appears in a Cash Box artist directory and a very interesting item in the July 18, 1964 issue of Cash Box that describes him as an Australian and mentions his current DeVille Records single.
That single did see release on DeVille Records DE 118, but with the artist credited as “The One” through a paste-over label. It features “All the Time” and “You Got That Love”, both by Danny DeLacy and Jonny Baron for Charlin Music and Fabulous Music (ASCAP).
I haven’t heard either side – if you have audio files please contact me!
Production by Jay Colonna; he also receives production credit on a Danny Welton single “Julie” / “Stroblights” from the movie “Girl in Gold Boots” (1968), one of the worst rated flicks on IMDB, and Elroy Peace’s funk 45 on Jo-Jo, “Whirlybird” / “Mama Sho-Nuff Is Psyche” (intriguing title!)
At some point, Danny DeLacy returned to Australia. When bassist Kim Lynch left the Australian group The Loved Ones in 1967, Rob Lovett switched to bass and Danny DeLacy joined on lead guitar. Interestingly, Australian rock history site Miles Ago describes DeLacy as an American!
Elroy Peace also had a number of Australian releases, I wonder if there’s some connection.
One other intriguing side-note: Rosco Records 417, just before the Missing Links features the Nova-Tones “Walk on the Surf Side”, a song by Bill Lincoln and Mike Dood for Beaver Music. Likely this is the same Bill Lincoln who recorded with the Bushmen, the War-Babies and Euphoria! I haven’t heard the Nova-Tones single either, so if anyone has a copy please let me know.
Not much info here, the Catalinas “rock and roll band” at the Oasis Club at 1300 S. Barnes in Pampa, Texas in March of 1964. I’ve covered three other Catalinas from Texas, one from San Antonio and the others from the Dallas area, but I bet this was a different group.
Also seems to be a few years too late to be the Catalinas out of Dallas who had a 1958 single on Back Beat, “Speechless” / “Flying Formation With You”, that band included C.B. Oliver, Happy Bond, Mickey Jones, Vince Murphy, and Jack Schell.
Sam the Sham’s entire backing band quit towards the end of 1965, supposedly over financial disagreements. David Martin, Jerry Patterson, Ray Stinnett and Paul Gibson could not keep the Pharaohs name, and Sam recruited an entirely new Pharaohs lineup.
The remaining group cut one single as the Violations on Dot 45-16866, with Sam the Sham’s producer Stan Kesler, released in April, 1966.
Paul Gibson wrote the fast-moving r&b top side, “You Sure Have Changed” and collaborated with Ray Stinnett on “The Hanging”. The drumming is especially noticeable on both sides. I’ve read that “The Hanging” is a comment on the breakup with Samudio, but the lyrics are either oblique, like “People offer many persuasions/ Some offer gold as a prize / But they lie …”, or simply hard to comprehend over the slamming drums!
Cash Box reviewed the single in early May, 1966, giving it positive B+/B reviews, but the single faded without making any charts that I’m aware of.
Paul Gibson copyrighted two other songs in 1966, “A Long, Long Way” which was the B-side to Sam the Sham’s January 1966 single “Red Hot”, and “Like You Use To” which I’m not sure if anyone recorded.
I read Paul “Butch” Gibson left the music business after this single.
Ray Stinnett formed the 1st Century and released one 445 on Capitol produced by Don Nix featuring two of his original songs, “Looking Down” / “Dancing Girl”. He would work with Booker T. Jones and in 1971 cut his own album that would wait 40 years to be released with the title A Fire Somewhere.
I hadn’t heard the Innocence single “Quit Buggin’ Me” on Zap Records 2331, but I bought a copy because the titles were promising and it shares a label with a favorite garage 45, the Starlites‘ “Wait For Me”.
“Quit Buggin’ Me” turns out to be a fairly hilarious song-poem type vocal over a rock backing track (with flute, why not).
Quit buggin’ me, I don’t want to be bothered, Can’t you see, You’re wasting your time.
Besides the singer’s off-time interjections of “Quit buggin’ me”, I like lyrics such as “keep fishin’ round, you got the bait”! plus the chorus chanting “You’ve had your way” and “I’m off the hook”.
“Jungle of Love” is more countrified and the lyrics a bit hackneyed.
Rozella Staples and Joan Hager wrote both songs, published through Top Talent Music BMI. They registered the songs with the Library of Congress in September 1970, but from the pressing code ZAFX-6805217, I believe this was actually recorded and released in 1968.
Zap Records was part of Belle Meade Records in Nashville, also known for song-poem releases.
The Magnums had one release of R&B sounds dense with echo, both originals by Charles Collins. “One of These Days” is the uptempo side, while “Two People Against the World” is the slow ballad. Can’t tell you anything more about the band at this time.
Released as Centennial 45-1863-2, the King pressing dates it to 1964. Panhandle Pub. Co. handled the publishing, as it did for the New Mason Dixons’ single “Back Up” / “Totaled” (both by Sam Follo) on Centennial 45-1863-1. Centennial’s address was 217 Blackwell St., Bridgeport, West Virginia.
There’s also a Centennial 45-1863-3, Pee Wee & the Prophets “Let’s Work” / “Tell Me”, with the address changed to Clarksburg.
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
Around 1961 or so, Dick & Bob left the band, and I (Dennis Villanucci, Joe’s brother) joined as their bass player. Rick’s twin brother (Robert) also joined shortly thereafter as a singer and also played tambourine. Later on I became their lead guitarist. The band card shown was made after Bob had left the band.
Chriskil Music Publ. Co., ASCAP published all three songs on the Croydon singles, named for the company’s street address.
