Categories: Coronado, El Paso, Exeter, Texas

David Hayes and the Pawns

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Mike Kelly of the Renegades, David Hayes of the Pawns, Rod Crosby of the Intruders and Anita Moskal for the Chapparals receiving trophies for the Bassett Center 2nd Annual Battle of the Bands, August 1964
Mike Kelly of the Renegades, David Hayes of the Pawns, Rod Crosby of the Intruders and Anita Moskal for the Chapparals receiving trophies for the Bassett Center 2nd Annual Battle of the Bands, August 1964

Pawns Exeter 45 South BayThe Pawns had two releases on Bobby Fuller’s Exeter label. First was Exeter 125, featurin, two good surf type instrumentals, “South Bay” / “The Pawn”, released about August, 1964.

Just a month later they released their next 45 on Exeter 127. The top side has David Hayes, the leader and vocalist with the Pawns, listed as the artist, with his original “Meet Me Here (In New Orleans)”. The Pawns are listed on the flip for the sleepy instrumental “Lonely”.

Pawns Exeter 45 The PawnInterestingly, both sides were re-released as the first record on the Coronado label, but given the same release number, 127, as the Exeter 45. Credits are the same, including “A Fuller Production”, Todd Music BMI, and the RCA custom master code RK4M-3630/1. Since 127 was the last of seven 45 releases on Exeter, I assume Fuller gave up the label when he moved to California and let the Pawns take record and/or contract to Coronado.

David Hayes and the Pawns were one of only three 45 rpm artists on Exeter, the others being Bill Taylor & the Sherwoods and Bobby Fuller himself. Exeter also had an LP by Los Paisanos.

David Hayes Exeter 45 Meet Me Here
original release on Exeter
David Hayes Coronado 45 Meet Me Here
re-release on Coronado

The Pawns Exeter 45 Lonely
original release on Exeter
The Pawns Coronado 45 Lonely
re-release on Coronado

David Hayes and the Pawns Coronado 45 What Do the Voices SayTheir last 45 came out as David Hayes and the Pawns and featured two vocals, a cover of Charlie Rich’s “Lonely Weekends” backed with a strange original by Hayes, “What Do the Voices Say”. Produced by Calvin Bowls, it saw release sometime in 1965 on Coronado 132.

I know David Hayes was in the group, but the other members are unclear. Songwriting credits on “The Pawn” and “South Bay” are Doize’, Paz and Hayes. Since these are instrumentals and Hayes was definitely part of the group, I assume Doize’ and Paz were the other two members of the group.

David Hayes & the Pawns Coronado 45 Lonely WeekendsHowever a post by Patrick Lundborg from 2012 on the Acid Archives Updates states “Jack Duncan (bass) and Gary Davis (drums) [I think this should be Barry Davis] learned their chops … in surf-band the Pawns. The leader of this group was one David Hayes, who presumably took on vocal duties on the later 45s, at least he receives separate billing. The two would-be Dragonflies Duncan and Davis did not contribute any songwriting from what I can tell, but were definitely present for the Pawns’ 1964 debut 45 … Duncan and Davis left the Pawns to join a more experienced musician friend in a band called Lords Of London, based in Durango, Colorado. After some time they recruited their old El Paso friend Randy Russ who left the Infants Of Soul to join them, and the band also changed its name to Legend around this time (1967).” Legend had three 45s and two LPs on the Megaphone label, the second and better of the two as Dragonfly.

Info on Legend from Klemen’s interview with Randy Russ. Exeter discography info from the Bobby Fuller – Never to Be Forgotten site.

Thank you to Sam Stephenson for scans of the Coronado 45s and Exeter 127.

Categories: Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Montel-Michelle, Stephanie

Ronnie and the Crowns

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Ronnie and the Crowns Stephanie 45 Love You SoRonnie and the Crowns formed as early as 1962 at Westdale Junior High in Baton Rouge. Members on the single may include:

Ronnie Sherlock – vocals
Jimmy Rogers – lead guitar
Cal Arnold – bass
A.J. Miceli – drums

Although not audible on the single, the band also included a full horn section at some point:

Charlie Spinoza – trumpet
Ivan Bergeron – trumpet
Tommy Berthelo – tenor saxophone
Richard Sherlock – baritone saxophone

Ronnie and the Crowns Stephanie 45 Cotton CandyIn 1966 they recorded their one excellent single on Stephanie Records of Baton Rouge #MX-957. One side is “Love You So” written by James M. Rogers, lead guitarist in the group and featuring his super-trebley and reverbed guitar. The flip is a cover of Lenny Capello’s New Orleans classic “Cotton Candy” (“I know my Candy is always handy”).

Ronnie Sherlock produced the Ronnie & the Crowns single. My copy is pretty rough, but it’s inscribed “from Richard & Ronnie” on the “Cotton Candy” label.

I don’t know much about Stephanie Records, other than seeing a list of 10 or so singles released on the label. Sam Montel (S.J. Montalbano) must have owned the label as two early releases have his name as producer. Also, the MX- prefix is present on all releases on the label, and shows up on many releases on the Montel and Michelle labels, as does the Red Stick Music publishing, used for “Love You So”.

Categories: Baytown, Hitt, Texas

The Runaways of Baytown, TX

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The Runaways Baytown TX, August 1966
The Runaways Baytown TX, August 1966

The Runaways Hitt 45 LoveThe Runaways came from Baytown, across the San Jacinto River and about 25 miles east of Houston. The band formed in June of ’65; most of them were students at Ross Sterling High School. They cut one fine 45, notable for the rockin’ harmony cut “Love”, released in May, 1966.

Robert Campbell – lead vocals and guitar
John Govro – lead and rhythm guitar, vocals
Ray Hayden – lead guitar
Eddie Norris – bass
Glenn Dew – drums

An article in the Baytown Sun from August 14, 1966 mentions their 45 on Hitt, stating that “What’s Happening Baby” (good vocal harmony pop, written by Robert Campbell) reached #21 on KEYS in Corpus Christi and #29 on KOLE in Port Arthur, and “Love” (written by John Govro) made #24 on KLVI in Beaumont.

Jack Sims managed the group and produced the single. Bobby Bon was equipment manager with Jack Conway and Steve Shrier.

There was another Texas group called the Runaways, from San Antonio, with the legendary single on Alamo Audio, “18th Floor Girl” / “Your Foolish Ways”.

Categories: Baytown, Highlands, Texas

The Impacs of Highlands, TX

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The Impacs, March, 1966
The Impacs, March, 1966

The Impacs came from Highlands, about 15 miles east of Houston, across the San Jacinto River and just north of Baytown. The Baytown Sun featured this sharp photo of the group in March 1966.

Band members were Audie Morgan, guitar; Tim Franks, drums; Garry Wicker lead guitar; and Gary Norris, bass.

They did not record to my knowledge.

Categories: Baytown, Texas

The Invertebrates

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The Invertebrates, Baytown Sun, Friday, April 7, 1967
The Invertebrates, April, 1967

I like this photo of the Invertebrates (or Inverebrates, but I think the Baytown Sun spelled the name wrong) in their early psychedelic shirts. This article ran in April, 1967.

Members were Colby Tipton, lead guitar; Rickey Glover, drums; and Bill Badeaux on bass, students at Cedar Bayou Junior School in Baytown, Texas, and managed by Larry Snderli.

Another group with no recordings that I know of.

Categories: Brazosport, Sweeny, Texas, West Columbia

The Downbeats of Sweeny, TX

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The Downbeats, March 15, 1965
The Downbeats, March 15, 1965

The Downbeats came from Sweeny and West Columbia, two small towns just inland of Brazosport. The Brazosport Facts paper ran this photo of the group in March, 1965, and had another short article on the group in July.

Members were Cleston King, vocals; Bobby Maxey, guitar; Randy Tolbirt guitar; Mickey Duke, drums; David Smith, trumpet; and Jackie Benet, trumpet.

They did not record to my knowledge.

Categories: Denton, Texas, Young Generations

The G’s “There’s a Time”

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The G's of Denton, December, 1964
The G’s of Denton, December, 1964
The G' s Young Generations 45 There's A Time
The G’ s Young Generations 45 There’s A Time

The G’s have a great 45 on Young Generations Records featuring two originals, “There’s a Time” / “Cause She’s My Girl”. I haven’t been able to find a copy unfortunately, but I did find this poor reproduction of a photo of the band posting with Santa Claus, and an additional article on the group. It’s quaint how Texas newspapers often list the names of the parents of the teen combos they cover.

The band came from Denton, Texas, about 40 miles northwest of Dallas, the same town where the Chessmen and the Briks had their start. In a December, 1964 news clip they’re called the 4G’s.

Members were:

Randy Ford, lead guitar
Bobby Keith Jr., guitar and vocals
Mike Green, drums
Don Hansel, bass guitar.

The band made their first appearance in July of ’64 at the Sanger Hootenanny. They were 14 and 15 years old.

G's article in the Denton-record-chronicle-jan-02-1966-p-23
The G’s open “The Place”, January 1966.

An article in the Denton January 2, 1966 features a photo of Don Hansel and Bobby Keith. Bobby Keith’s father R.V Keith acted as their manager and even opened a teen club called “The Place” on Fort Worth Highway in Denton so the G’s could have a place to play every Saturday.

By this time, Mike Smith had replaced Randy Ford.

The G' s at the North Texas State Fair, Sept. 16, 1966
The G’ s at the North Texas State Fair, Sept. 16, 1966

In September, 1966 they released their only single, and on September 16, 1966 they played at the North Texas State Fair. Smith and Bobby Keith would write both sides of their 45. The article calls them “the G’s Combo”. It also states that they have made 22 recordings, and that their single would be out that week. I would like to hear the other 20 songs!

Categories: Grand Prairie, Texas

The Mysterians of Grand Prairie, TX

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The Mysterians of Grand Prairie, Texas, July 1966
The Mysterians of Grand Prairie, Texas, July 1966

Talk about your all ages shows. Here’s another Texas group that didn’t record to my knowledge.

The Mysterians came from Grand Prairie, just west of Dallas, east of Arlington. Members were Kenneth Rachels on drums, Johnny Atchley lead guitar, Terry Potter rhythm guitar and Richard Presley.

There’s a Mysterions who had a record on Jox in 1965, but they were from San Antonio, 4 hours drive away.

Again, sorry for the lousy photo quality (due to the microfilm transfer). Sometimes members of unknown bands like this made demo recordings or joined other groups that did record, or can shed light on other groups from the period.

Categories: San Antonio, Texas

The Avantes of Fort Sam Houston

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Avantes of Fort Sam Houston, June 1965
Avantes of Fort Sam Houston, June 1965

The Avantes of San Antonio formed in November 1964 at Robert G. Cole High School. Members were Chuck Klein (guitar), R.V. Brinkerhoff (lead guitar), Woody Brinkerhoff (drums, violin) and Randy Wilson (guitar and trumpet). All but Chuck Klein were sons of army officers at Ft. Sam Houston.

I don’t believe they recorded, at least under this name. For every combo that recorded a single or demo, there must have been 50 that did not.

I came across the photo by accident when looking for info on another group. There’s a half-page write-up of the band in the society pages that accompanies this photo.

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