The Dickens

April 5, 2016 Chris Bishop 7 Comments

The Dickens came from Pensacola, Florida. The members of the band were:

Rick Pierce – keyboards & vocals
Louie Boyleston – guitar
Ron Bowman – rhythm guitar & lead vocals
Jimmy Smith – bass, harmonica & lead vocals
Skip Higgins – drums

A news clipping shows the band as a four piece formed at Pensacola High School before Rick Pierce joined. The article notes the band played dances at Pensacola teen clubs the Place and the Beacon Club, and that they won the St. Ann’s Annual Talent Context.

In September, 1967 they cut two good, quirky versions of Left Banke songs on Format Records F45-5004/5, “I’ve Got Something On My Mind” / “I Haven’t Got The Nerve”. The single was produced by Jerry Ray for Daddy Rabbit Prod.

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“I Haven’t Got the Nerve” is taken at an incredibly fast pace.

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Six months later they kept their Left Banke inspiration but Rick Pierce wrote two excellent original son
gs, “One of a Kind Woman” and “Inside – Outside”.

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Jerry Ray is again listed as producer, but Rick Pierce arranged them and the production is much better than the first single. The band sounds more mature, with better keyboard work and stronger vocals than the first release, and the horns fit in fine on “Inside-Outside”.

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This single had release as Format F-45-5006/7 in March of ’68, with publishing by Tamrof Pub BMI.

I contacted Ron Bowman, the lead vocalist on these songs, who provided this info on the band, plus the photos and sound clips:

The Dickens began forming circa ’62-63. Pensacola, Florida, Gulf Breeze to be precise. Ron Bowman & Louie Boyleston swapped their baseball gloves for acoustic guitars & began playing folk music, until they heard the Beatles. With electric guitars in hand, Winston for Ron & Silvertone for Louie they began scratching up Beatles, Stones, & Hollie records to learn the chords & lyrics. Time for a bass player. We knew a guy who looked the part, but he was too much into surfing, but he auditioned singing “Mrs Brown You’ve Got a Lovely Daughter”. We figured he could learn to play a 4 string instrument. Next a drummer. In West Pensacola we learned of Skip Higgens. He had a drum set. So voila, we had a band.
We’d play the run of the mill soul music all the other Pcola bands were playing, especially because people could dance to them, but our tastes were deep into the British Invasion, especially the vocals. I did most of it, but Jimmy & I were both the lead singers. We managed to get known, won a couple Battle of the Bands, then we heard about an amazing keyboardist (actually he played everything – from drums to pedal guitar) also from West Pensacola, Rick Pierce.
Once he joined the band, we really took off locally. Our early manager was a local disc Jockey, Daddy Rabbit Ray. We recorded our first session in Memphis where we recorded our first single “I’ve Got Something on My Mind” & “I Haven’t Got the Nerve” both Left Bank songs. We sold 90 copies in Albany, NY. We also recorded the first of Rick’s original songs “No One Seems to Know”, but that didn’t make vinyl. I think this was in ’66, I know we attended a Monkeys concert while in Memphis.
Q. What was the connection with Memphis?
Our manager knew of a studio. Why Memphis, beats me.
Q. Were you all fans of the Left Banke or was that mostly Rick’s influence?
Oh yes. They came to Pcola. We were deep into baroque music. Or ‘broke music’. All of us, not just Rick, but because of Rick’s fine piano/harpsichord musicianship, we were able to pull it off. Our main influence, besides the Beatles & Stones, were The Hollies. Damn those boys could sing harmony.
Because of this mild success, we rented out places in small southern towns like the Natl Guard Armory to make a decent wage for high school kids. In ’68 we recorded in New Orleans. All 3 songs were Pierce originals with Ron singing lead. A-Side “One of a Kind Woman”, B-Side “Inside Outside”, & the unreleased “I’ve Been Gone”. We sold far more of these singles & were listed on Billboard’s Hot 100 Charts with a bullet. Later we found out our manager had sent our tapes to MGM. They offered to fly us to LA to record an album & I guess groom us for a national audience. They offered Daddy Ray $40,000 as a finder’s fee. He thought “Gee if they’re that good, I’ll keep them on my label, FORMAT RECORDS. Just as well we didn’t know this at the time…
Q. Are the unreleased songs, “No One Seems to Know” and “I’ve Been Gone” still around?
I have two versions of the New Orleans session of “I’ve Been Gone”, one with & one without the lead. Jimmy Smith remixed this when he worked at Capitol Records. Another Rick Pierce original. Don’t think “No One Seems to Know” from Memphis survived.
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About early ’69 we splintered off & Jimmy, Rick, & I formed a newer ‘Stoned Dickens’ foursome, John Russel played lead guitar, Rick moved to drums. Lots of Cream, Buffalo Springfield, Hendrix.
I did a short stint in the Phaetons as a bass player/ backup singer. Made a ton of money as Charlie Capri, our manager, kept us on the road. But that lasted less than the Stone Dickens, maybe 4 months.
With the narco cops following us around, Jimmy & Ron hightailed it to California. We formed a group called The Alleycats (several versions of members, one including Louie again).
Louie went on to open a mod clothing store, Oz Boutique. He was probably the best rhythm guitarist I’ve ever heard, although I do have one recording of my song “Real Fine Love” where he tears up the lead. He knew the chords to every rock & country song. Unfortunately he died of a heart attack about 2005 in his 50s.
Skip went to New Orleans & kicked around before winding up in Vienna, Austria, where he still lives. We are in touch.
Rick went to Atlanta, got very in with the Atlanta sound. I saw him last playing a solo gig in Marietta, Ga. We are not in touch now, but I’m working on this.
Jimmy’s still in Sherman Oaks. He’s worked a lot in the movie industry & was working at Capitol Records where he had access to their mixing room. This is where our remastered New Orleans session came from.
I stayed based in LA for a total of 17 years. In ’79 I joined the first American band ever to play for Club Med, The Hollywood Party Boys. Mexico, Switzerland, Greece, & always Paris, per diem. When I returned to LA, instead of resuming my music career while working for every record company mail room, including Billboard, I went to LACC & became an Elec tech. Moved back to Pensacola area, where I still live. I’ve always continued to write & record music.

You can hear Ron’s songs since The Dickens era on his Youtube channel.

Thank you to Ron Bowman for answering my questions and his help with this article.

Categories: McAllen, Mission, Pharaoh, Rio Grande Valley, Texas

The Stowaways

March 29, 2016 Chris Bishop 2 Comments

The Stowaways were:

Arturo Longoria – vocals
Pat Buckley – vocals
Norma Longoria – keyboards
Romolo Montalvo – lead guitar
James Buckley – rhythm guitar
Wendall Maloy – drums

Wendall Maloy sent in the clipping above and wrote to me about the Stowaways:

This is the first “garage band” to play the Grapefruit Bowl in Sharyland, TX. The photo is from The McAllen Monitor and mentions our parking lot dances in front of Carl’s Minimax in Mission. The photo was taken before the Pharaoh record we cut where the name of the group was changed.
Mr. Longoria paid for the record. On the record, we were listed as Arturo and Pat with the Stowaways. I don’t have a copy of the record. The title might have been, “Turn Your Light On Me.” It got lots of air play on KRIO because we were local. Jimmy Nichols, owner of Pharaoh Records, never signed a group and paid for their recording. He always got paid for studio time and pressing, in other words … he never invested in an artist or group. Anyone could cut a record with Pharaoh if they had the money. If I remember, it was about $500 for 500 records turnkey.
That was our only record with Arturo and Pat. They later were backed by The Invaders. [Arturo & Pat with the Invaders – “Oh Yes Tonight” / “So Tenderly & Faithfully” on Pharaoh 134]
Romolo Montalvo was a great lead guitar player. I played with Romolo, Juan Guerrero (bass guitar) and Oscar Villareall (vocals) at the Grapefruit Bowl after Romolo and I left Arturo and Pat. I soon left the Valley to attend college in Victoria, TX.
Oscar got a record deal with Falcon Records and had a successful career. He was killed in an accident while touring and his records started selling like crazy. I know that Juan played with Oscar’s band. I lost touch with most everyone, except Juan. He played with several Tejano groups like Los Fabulosos Quatro and later had his own group Los Sheekanos. He is in the Tejano Music Hall of Fame.
The best group from the Valley was the Playboy’s of Edinburg. They had a top 40 hit with “Look At Me Girl.” The song was recorded at Pharaoh and later released on Columbia. Bobby Vee covered the song, had it out at the same time on Liberty Records and kind of screwed them out of having a bigger hit.
I got drafted in 1967 and while serving as NCOIC of the Radio-TV Section at the Ft Hood Information Office, got the Playboys assigned to me when they came for summer camp with the National Guard. We are still close today.
Wendall Maloy

Categories: Edinburg, Mission, Pharr, Rio Grande Valley, Texas

The Haustofs

March 24, 2016 Chris Bishop 2 Comments

Gary Thorson sent in the news clippings and wrote to me about the Haustofs:

I grew up in Pharr, TX during the 60s and was a member of a garage band there known as “The Haustofs” (supposedly named after a German beer known for its strength). We never cut a record, but played all the popular venues (the Valley Bowl was one of our favorites), sock-hops and private parties. We even shared the stage with some of them, like the Headstones and the Playboys of Edinburg. The Souls‘ David Lott and I were good friends.
Our band was primarily know as being from Mission, TX because that’s where our lead singer Pat Buckley (of the former Arturo and Pat hit record), our drummer, Doug Gahan, and our keyboard player, Bob Doty were from. Stephen Roelofs our bass player, Delon Wright our manager, and myself were all from Pharr, TX and Randy Clark our lead player was from Edinburg, TX.

Pat Buckley has released a single with another Mission student, Arturo Longoria as Arturo & Pat with the Invaders on the Pharaoh label, “Oh Yes Tonight” / “So Tenderly & Faithfully”.

The Bobcat News profiled the band on November 23, 1966, saying the band “was assembled by Doug Gahan, a senior at Mission High.”

An article in the Mission Eagle has many interesting quotes, such as Dough Gahan saying he was “‘an ardent admirer of Bill Reed,’ who plays drums in the Kavaliers.” Another is “As far as the other groups that the Haustofs admire are concerned, the Headstones are their favorite Valley group. They like the Kinks best of world-famous groups, although they also like the Beau Brummels and the Yardbirds.” It also mentions that Randy Clark of Edinburg High School had played rhythm guitar in the Tempests.

Gary Thorson adds the status of the individual band members as of today is:

Pat Buckley – Retired and living in southern Colorado
Stephen Roelofs- School teacher living in the Dallas, TX area
Bob Doty – Works for a large tool company living in Arkansas
Gary Thorson – President of a computer consulting firm living in Fairhope, Al.
Randy Clark – still pursuing his musical career in San Antonio, TX
Doug Gahan – unknown

Categories: Eastchester, New Rochelle, New York, Scarsdale, Senate, Tuckahoe, Westchester

The Savage Generation

March 21, 2016 Chris Bishop 29 Comments

The Savage Generation came from Westchester, NY. Members were Roger Alther of Tuckahoe, Ronnie Fruscianti of New Rochelle, Tom Scarcello and Ray De Angelis of Scarsdale, and Paul Montclare of Eastchester.

They had one single on Senate Record Corp 2113 from October 1968, both sides original songs by band members. Ray De Angelis wrote the A-side, “You’re Not Going to Change My World”, which is heavy on the phasing and has great rhythm section. I haven’t heard the flip, “Mr. Sun”, written by Tom Scarcello and Ron Frusciante.

Both songs published by Pocket Full of Tunes, Inc / Egavas Music BMI, produced by Wes Farrell, and distributed by ABC Records, NY.

The Herald Statesman profiled the Savage Generation on March 23, 1968 for a gig the following Saturday at Westchester County Center. Besides giving the names of the group, it mentions their manager, Frank Garofaola of New Rochelle, and Brother Darby Ruane of Iona College who help the band get high profile live shows. It also says the group evolved out of a duo, The Hangmen, and a trio, The Savages.

The article has many interesting quotes from the band’s members, and also lists two songs that weren’t released, “A Dream Walks Amongst Us” written by Paul Montclare, and “Birth of a Savage”.

Savage Generation Photo Bermuda — “Taken in Bermuda on Spring Break we played the Buccaneer Club” – Tommy

Tommy Scarcello wrote a personal history of his time in the ’60s for the Tony Alamo ministry. He describes performing with the Savage Generation:

We wrote a song called “Birth of a Savage.” I would come on stage wearing a priest’s white robe with a long afro and beard and would light myself on fire with lighter fluid and the stage as well. We would sing our song, and then as things were burning, I would pick up a large empty shell that looked like a mini bomb, and I would scream, “Peace, peace, or destruction!” and then fling it out into the audience … We went on and recorded an album at the first 24-track studio owned by Jimmy [sic] Hendrix in New York City.

I think it’s likely the group did record more than just the single, but nothing else has been released to my knowledge. After writing this article, Tommy contacted me and sent the photos seen here.

A belated thank you to transoniq for finding this article, and special thanks to Tommy Scarcello for the photos of the group and fan club card.

The Savage Generation, profiled in the Herald Statesman, March 23, 1968

Categories: Bay City, Deltron, Michigan, Sebewaing

The Deltrons

March 18, 2016 Chris Bishop 2 Comments

The Deltrons recorded in Sebewaing, Michigan a town about halfway between Bad Axe, the town of the A-side title, and Bay City, the location of the Deltron label and Delta Promotions.

Members were:

Dan Richards – vocals and lead guitar
Bob Power – guitar
Craig Young – bass
Greg Young – drums

When I covered the Jayhawkers and Deltron Records, I didn’t believe this single was related to the Bay City Deltron label. The label design is different, and this one is a Chicago pressing by Stereo Sound from April of 1966. But Max Waller found this comment that Daniel Richards wrote on youtube:

It was Craig Young (bass), Bob Power (guitar), Dan Richards, and Greg Young (drums) recorded in Sebewaing, MI in January of 1966 at a cold warehouse. Dan (me) did the singing and lead guitar. Chet Hey wanted it recorded again after Arthur Godfrey sang it on his TV show in the 50s. He wanted a more modern version and we were just 16 to 18 years old at the time and still in high school.

Chet Hay and Ted Shunk wrote “I Found My Baby in Bad Axe” in 1949. “Bad Axe sounds like a funny name, it’s a durn good city just the same” go the lyrics. I wonder what he thought of the Deltrons version of his song!

The B-side “Tonya”, written by Dan Richards and Greg Young is wild, and has this for a chorus: “her name is Tonya, she’s really cool / the day I win her, I’ll blow up the school”!

Anyone have a photo of the group?

Categories: Covington, Kentucky

The De Blus

March 18, 2016 Chris Bishop Leave a comment

The Cincinnati Enquirer profiled many local bands, including The De’ Blu or De Blus, as they appeared in ads for the Mod Room at the Cabana restaurant in Erlanger, Kentucky.

De’ Blu was comprised of three students of Covington Catholic High in Park Hills, plus one member each from St. Xavier and the University of Kentucky.

Members were:
Mike White – organ
Greg Barker – lead guitar
Tom Bertke – rhythm guitar
Jim Nordmeyer – harmonica
Mark Gehring – drums.

“One of the most popular local bands appearing regularly at “Granny’s” these days is “The De’ Blu.” All of the boys live in Northern Kentucky and just recently they were offered a recording contract with Capitol Records.”

I have to wonder if anything ever became of the recording contract.

Categories: Fort Thomas, Kentucky

The Marc IV from Fort Thomas, Kentucky

March 18, 2016 Chris Bishop 7 Comments

The Marc IV of Fort Thomas, Kentucky got a profile in the Enquirer on January 28, 1967. Members were:

Mike Reilly – lead singer and bass
Rick Schmidt – organ
Ken Steggeman – drums
Steve Schiller – lead guitar

The news clipping says the group “banded together six months ago … have appeared at Granny’s, WSAI hops, school dances and every Sunday afternoon at the Avenue Club in Bellevue, Kentucky.”

I’ve also found an ad for the group from June of ’67 for an appearance at Capt. Al’s Ballroom in the Trolley Tavern at Anderson Fery Road with the Rambunctions.

Although the article continues “the boys have copyrighted several songs and plan to record them this spring in Lexington”, so far I haven’t found any record or copyrights by the group.

Categories: Bay City, Deltron, Grand Rapids, Lucky 11, Michigan

The Jayhawkers and the Deltron label of Bay City

March 16, 2016 Chris Bishop 6 Comments

The Jay Hawkers came out of Bay City, Michigan and were led by Jay Walker, who was later a DJ on WKNX (1210 AM) in Saginaw, Michigan and WGRD, eventually changing his name as Sonny Fox.

Discographies tend to list the Jayhawkers as the backing band for a single by Dwight Douglas and the Jayhawkers on Astra 3008 – “Interstate ’45′” (L. Drake, J. Stokes) / “Mr. Big” (Lenny Drake). This is a pseudonym for Lenny & the Thundertones, who were based out of Detroit. Certainly the songs were cut several years prior to the Deltron records, so I have to believe this is a different band.

I’ve sometimes seen them listed as a Grand Rapids band, but the promo photo above comes from Delta Promotions in Bay City, which also (I believe) ran Deltron records label. Bill Kehoe and Jim Atherton owned Delta Promotions, which managed Question Mark and the Mysterians, and was the company that created several fraudulent bands to tour the US, including a bogus Zombies featuring two future members of ZZ Top and a made-up Archies group that led to a devastating lawsuit from Don Kirshner.

Deltron 21 (1227) – The Jayhawkers – “Dawn Of Instruction” (Trusdale Music, BMI) / “Searchin'”

As I wrote in an article about certain topical songs of the mid-60s, the Jayhawkers’ “Dawn of Instruction” is a straightforward inversion of P.F. Sloan’s “Eve of Destruction”. With over-the-top lyrics like “even the Jordan River has bodies floatin’ … my blood’s so mad feels like coagulatin”, “Eve of Destruction” was an easy target. The Jayhawkers made the most of the hyperbole in their answer song, singing lines like “step aside, Mister Doom Peddler” and “[we’re] not old enough to vote, but ain’t young enough for runnin”.

The Jayhawkers version came out in October 1965, just a month after Barry McGuire’s recording hit #1 in Billboard. Interestingly there’s no song writing credit for this side, only Trusdale Music publishing, which, as Max Waller pointed out, is probably a dig at “Eve of Destruction” publisher Trousdale.

The Jayhawkers opened for Simon and Garfunkel on Wednesday, December 29, 1965 at the Saginaw YMCA.

Deltron 1228 – The Jay Hawkers – “To Have A Love (As Sweet As You)” (T. Saputo, B. Kirener) / “Send Her Back” (Walker, Huntleigh)

Their second single came out in April, 1966, this time Jay Hawkers listed as two separate words. Both sides show a very different side to the band, and for me this is the best of their singles. “To Have A Love (As Sweet As You)” is catchy and very commercial. The song seems to be original to the band, though I don’t think the writers were members of the group.

“Send Her Back” is a slow and very affecting ballad. It may be the only song they recorded that was written by people in the band, namely Walker and Huntleigh.

The Jay Hawkers continued with two more singles, all cover songs in different styles:

Lucky Eleven 232 – “Come On (Children)” / “A Certain Girl” (produced by “Terry Nnight” aka Terry Knight, October 1966)

Lyke Til 4147 – “Love Have Mercy” / “Baby Blue” (Produced by Jay Walker, June, 1967)

The Deltron label

I can find three, maybe four, additional releases on this Deltron label out of Bay City:

Deltron 812 – The One Way Pedestrians – “I’d Like to Say (I Love You)” (Rod Clowthier) / “Hey Miss Sally” (I haven’t heard either side yet)
Deltron 813 – The Bed of Roses – “Hate” / “I Don’t Believe You” (August 1967)

Deltron AR895 – Dick Rabbit “Take Me to L.A.” / “You Come on Like a Train” (both by The Thayber Brothers, produced by James Atherton, Package Music BMI)

Dick Rabbit also had “Love” (Phil Gordon, Rich Thayer) / “Trip” (Donavan) on Great Lakes GL-103, both published by Rabbit Music Co.

See my follow-up post for more detail on the Bed of Roses.

Deltron SS-6518 – The Deltrons (Craig, Bob, Dan, Greg) – “I Found My Baby in Bad Axe” / “Tonya” (Dan Richards, Greg Young) from April 1966

The Deltrons single is crude and great garage single on “Tonya”. I doubted it was related to the Deltron label from Bay City but the group recorded in nearby Sebewaing, so it likely is. I cover the Deltrons in more depth here.

Photo at top from the West Michigan Music Hysterical Society.

Thank you to Gary Rappaport for providing detailed background on the Simon and Garfunkel appearance with the Jayhawkers.

Categories: Middletown, Ohio, Style

The Cavaliers of Middletown

March 16, 2016 Chris Bishop 5 Comments

The Cavaliers, in front: Ted Lovelace (with drumsticks) and Jim Brandon; in back from left: Jim Wenzel, Roger McIntosh and Walter Johnson

The Cavaliers, often listed as from Tennessee, were actually from Middletown, Ohio, a town roughly halfway between Dayton and Cincinnati.

Members were:

Roger McIntosh – lead guitar
Jim Wenzel – rhythm guitar
Jim Brandon – organ
Walter Johnson – bass
Ted Lovelace – drums

Two of the band were students at Middletown High, one was a freshman at Miami University, while the Cavaliers’ drummer and rhythm guitarist were in Junior High!

The group won a battle of the bands at Fantasy Farm, a kids amusement park next to the larger Americana Amusement Park in Middletown, that led to their recording their single on Style.

The Cincinnati Enquirer profiled the band on the same day they were in a Memphis studio, Saturday, September 16, 1967:

“The boys are in Memphis, Tenn. today to cut their first record for Style Productions.”

“Turn Your Leaf” is excellent pop, I’ve only heard it on a youtube video which has since been taken down. If anyone has a good quality recording, please contact me.

I haven’t heard the flip, “W.F. 67” described by Teenbeat Mayhem as a “military tempo instro”. Roger McIntosh wrote both songs.

Style Record Productions was one of Style Wooten’s many labels, and Pretty Girl Music BMI was one of his publishing companies. Mellow’s Log Cabin has an interesting biography of Style Wooten, along with extensive discographies for his record labels.

The Cavaliers from Middletown do not sound quite like the group of that name from Washington Court House, Ohio, who cut “You Are My Sunshine” b/w “Unchained Melody” for the Sound label.

The Enquirer article mentioned a few groups also competing at Fantasy Farm:

“Other bands reaching the finals of the contest were The Endeavors of Forest Park, The Crickets from Hamilton, The Guardian Angels of Urbana, The Mice and the English Gentlemen, both from Dayton.”

I’m not aware of any recordings by those groups, though given the Memphis connection, it’s possible the Mice are the same group that recorded “Think It Over” / “Norweigan Wood” for Bootheel Records, part of Fernwood.

Categories: Muza, Poland, Pronit, Veriton

Chochoły

March 15, 2016 Pete Kowalski Leave a comment

This is the second of Pete Kowalski’s articles on ’60s rock groups from Poland. In February, he wrote about Romuald i Roman:

Chochoły (The Straw Men) were one of the most noteworthy Polish amateur rock groups, founded in Warsaw in 1962. The initial lineup featured: Jan Goethel (guitar), Bogusław Poniatowski (guitar), Mieczysław Salecki (guitar) and Tomasz Butowtt (drums).

The early period of the band’s activity was packed with frequent lineup changes. Notably, Jan Goethel left Chochoły in late 1963 to form another beat group that merits a listen: Dzikusy.

Initially the band performed cover versions of popular instrumental rock and roll tunes including the works of The Shadows and The Ventures who were rather well known by the Polish teenage audience thanks to the omnipresent waves of Radio Luxembourg.

Having gained some recognition and applause, the band participated in the second National Song Contest held in Opole ever since 1963, representing the Veriton record plant (owned by the Polish Catholic Association “PAX”) and backing a group of young pop singers, none of whom had much success. This, however, allowed Chochoły to release their first 7” EP (the most common pop record format in 1960s Poland) with songs from the festival.

1965 would see the band working as session musicians on several pop, easy listening, gypsy records that are simply uninteresting with the music being often compromised by artless vocals, doltish lyrics and unconvincing arrangements. Apart from their studio work, the band still played numerous dance gigs filled with energetic yet primitive guitar music.

Chochoły’s live nature, so different from what was heard on their past recordings, was captured in the 1965 movie “Sam pośród miasta” (“Alone in the City”) starring Zbigniew Cybulski (often called the Polish James Dean). The film’s entire dance club scene, backed with a simple, repeating guitar riff played by the group on their cheaply made (by western standards) and hard-earned instruments is available on YouTube and worth watching as it gives an idea of how would a typical youngster rock and roll dance party look like in mid-1960s communist Poland.

The breakthrough came in 1966, as far as Polish garage rock history is concerned. Polskie Nagrania (the biggest and in fact the only record company in Poland in the 1960s) decided to issue a series of 7” EPs with uncensored recordings of several most important amateur rock bands including Chochoły, Kawalerowie and Pięć Linii. Until then, Polskie Nagrania relegated groups who were possibly deemed unprofessional, or their music not serious enough for the major Muza label, to the Veriton label. Veriton records were low quality pressings, made in small numbers from contaminated vinyl with old machinery.

Chochoły issued their two best and most notable extended-plays in May 1966:

Pronit N-0410: “Kocham ją” (“I Love Her”)/ “Zaimki” (“Pronouns”) / “Nowa gra” (“New Game”)/ “Uwierz mi” (“Believe Me”) – issued in a generic company sleeve

Muza N-0411: “Naście lat” (“Teenage”) / “Szpilki” (“High Heels”) / “Amor a kysz” (“Get Lost, Cupid”)/ “Nadążyć chcę” (“I Want to Keep Up”) – issued in a semi-dedicated sleeve bearing the name of the group and a song list

The recordings were probably taped during a single session and are among the best examples of Polish garage rock. Packed with rocking organ riffs, stomping rhythm and exuberant solos, those 7-inchers are a must-have or at least a must-listen for anybody interested in teenage garage rock from behind the Iron Curtain.

The lyrics of two of these songs (“Szpilki” and “Amor a kysz”) contain what would probably be unthinkable in most of the Western world of the era: the word “sex” which in Polish has only one meaning and it’s not “gender”. Add to that the “frivolous” music and you have material whose 1966 release seems improbable to a Polish listener 50 years later. There’s not a single weak number on these records though “Nadążyć chcę” definitely steps out with its guitar riff borrowed from The Kinks’ “I Need You” and “Naście lat” features great organ licks and a vigorous rave-up solo.

Several months after releasing the two extended-plays, Chochoły broke up and their last lineup: Tomasz Jaśkiewicz (guitar), Marian Zimiński (organ), Paweł Brodowski (bass) and Tomasz Butowtt (drums) went on to found Akwarele – Czesław Niemen’s backing band active between 1966 and 1969.

Most of Chochoły recordings are available on a CD compilation “Gwiazdy polskiego big beatu: Chochoły” released on Polskie Nagrania Muza, catalogue number PNCD 1467. Two of songs that originally appeared on Muza N-0411 EP are available on a highly recommendable vinyl compilation “Warszawski rock and roll lat 60.” released on Polskie Nagrania Muza, catalogue number SX 4009. There’s also a CD version (PNCD 1262) that contains four bonus tracks.

Garage Hangover