The Carl Douglas Set, circa September 1966, from left: Carl Douglas, Del Grace, Danny McCulloch, Ray Beresford and Tony Webb. Photo courtesy of Ken Baxter and Tony Charman.
Jamaican-born singer Carl Douglas is best known for the 1970s international hit “Kung Fu Fighting”. During the 1960s, however, he led a series of south London groups, starting with The Charmers and culminating with The Big Stampede.
Multi-instrumentalist Tony Charman (aka Tony Webb) began his career with West Dulwich outfit Sounds Five in 1963. The band changed name to The Charmers when Carl Douglas joined them in mid-1965.
By year’s end, the group’s line up comprised Carl Douglas (lead vocals), Mick Patel (lead guitar), Tony Charman (organ), Lee Hall (bass) and Nick Baxter (drums). This formation cut six tracks with Nick Baxter’s cousin, Ken Baxter, who subsequently became the group’s manager. The tracks have been picked up by UK collectors’ label Acid Jazz for a compilation that will be released in late June.
In early 1966, the band’s personnel changed when Ron Bryer (aka Ron Spence) from The Loose Ends and The Revellos replaced Mick Patel on lead guitar and Ray Beresford succeeded Nick Baxter on drums and cut two more tracks, “You Don’t Know” and “I (Who Have Nothing)”, which will also appear on the Acid Jazz compilation album.
The Carl Douglas Set #1:
Carl Douglas – lead vocals Tony Charman (aka Webb) – organ Ron Bryer (aka Ron Spence) – lead guitar Lee Hall – bass Ray Beresford – drums
Selected gigs:
5 May 1966 – Pontiac, Putney, southwest London
The Carl Douglas Set at the Pontiac Club, Putney, May 1966
13 May 1966 – Goldhawk Social Club, Shepherd’s Bush, west London
22 May 1966 – El Partido, Lewisham, southeast London (billed as The Charmers)
Photo: Tony Charman
29 May 1966 – Seven Eleven Go Go Club, Kennington, south London
1 June 1966 – Tiles, Oxford Street, central London
4 June 1966 – Goldhawk Social Club, Shepherd’s Bush, west London
11 June 1966 – El Partido, Lewisham, southeast London (billed as Carl Douglas & The Charmers)
12 June 1966 – Tiles, Oxford Street, central London with The Creation
19 June 1966 – Glenlyn Ballroom, Forest Hill, southeast London
25 June 1966 – Tiles, Oxford Street, central London with The New York Public Library and The End
The Carl Douglas Set #2:
Carl Douglas – lead vocals Del Grace – lead guitar Tony Charman (aka Tony Webb) – organ Lee Hall – bass Ray Beresford – drums
Around early July, Beresford introduced his neighbour, guitarist Del Grace, who had recently returned from a Swiss tour with his group Big Wheel, after Ron Bryer left. Interestingly, Bryer took Grace’s place in Big Wheel and later moved out to Switzerland where he later worked with Barry Window & The Movements and Brain Ticket.
Selected gigs:
Photo: Redbridge & Ilford Recorder. Image may be subject to copyright
15 July 1966 – Oscar’s Grotto Club, Ilford, east London
17 July 1966 – Tiles, Oxford Street, central London with The Knack
4 August 1966 – Tiles, Oxford Street, central London with Rick ‘N’ Beckers
Photo: Redbridge & Ilford Recorder. Image may be subject to copyright
5 August 1966 – Oscar’s Grotto, Ilford, east London (Redbridge & Ilford Recorder) Billed as Karl Douglas Set
6 August 1966 – Carousel Club, Farnborough, Hampshire
Photo: Nottingham Evening Post. Image may be subject to copyright
19 August 1966 – Britannia Rowing Club, Nottingham
22-26 August 1966 – Sibyllas, Swallow Street, central London (Lee Hall left immediately after this)
The Carl Douglas Set #3:
Carl Douglas – lead vocals Del Grace – lead guitar Tony Charman (aka Tony Webb) – organ Danny McCulloch – bass, vocals Ray Beresford – drums
In late August, bass player Danny McCulloch, who was soon poached for Eric Burdon’s ‘New’ Animals took over bass duties before Tony Charman moved from organ to bass and Carl Douglas restructured the band once move.
Selected gigs:
1 September 1966 – Tiles, Oxford Street, central London with The Knack
9 September 1966 – Ram Jam, Brixton, south London
16 September 1966 – Tiles, Oxford Street, central London with Otis Redding
18 September 1966 – Tiles, Oxford Street, central London with The News
Thanks to the band’s manager Ken Baxter for sharing his contracts and to bass player Tony Charman (aka Tony Webb) for providing concert posters. Dates were also sourced from music papers and newspapers that include Melody Maker, Aldershot News, South East London Mercury and Nottingham Evening Post.
The Huntsmen – picture sleeve courtesy of Jim Wilson.
The Huntsmen came out of Millikan High School in Long Beach, and were friends with the Emperors and also likely the Royal Knights, as this sleeve scan and the business cards below came from the collection of one of that band’s members.
The Huntsmen had two singles on the Pam label in the early ’60s:
Pam 1001/1002: “Send Me Some Lovin'” / “Wishbone” Pam 1003/1004: “Fever” / “Big Bowl of Soul”
“Wishbone” and “Big Bowl of Soul” are band originals.
The labels list the band members, but I don’t have good scans of the labels – if anyone can provide some please contact me.
Jim Bradshaw – lead guitar and lead vocals Jerry Christensen – drums Mick Lorito – rhythm guitar Bill McKinney Don Rabish (?)
I’m not sure if this is the same Pam label that owned by Jim Aguirre and located at 150 Pamela Blvd in Monrovia, across the city from Long Beach. That Pam had a release from the late ’50s, Bill Garland’s “Lonesome Guitar” / “Guitar Blues” (Pam 45-201).
I’ve heard the A-sides of both singles and they’re excellent as this shows:
Jim Bradshaw had a long career in music after the Huntsmen, including a bi-racial band, the Disciples of Soul, and stints with Johnny Otis, Shuggie Otis, Eddie Vinson, Taj Mahal, Etta James, Junior Wells, and Henry Vestine of Canned Heat. James Bradshaw died in Oregon in 2003.
These band cards offer a glimpse of the local scene circa 1964-’65, including the Royal Knights, the Huntsmen, the Emperors and two cards from the Starfires from Downey. Did any of these other bands record?
Los Angeles band cards from circa 1962-1966, including the Vida-Men, the Coachmen, the Continentals, the Del-Links, Mikron Custom Guitar Finishes (Mike Cohn and Ron Eclit), the Starfires, The Royal Knights, the Impressions, the Ascots, the Leisuremen, the Friends (“Dances – Riots – Concerts”), the Shamrocks, and the Versitile Intruders. From the collection of Jim Wilson.
The Lost Soul, Vox promotional photo at the Hillsville Armory, ca. 1967. (l to r) Randy Conley, Donny Fields, Steve Cook & Steve Calfee
Article by Jack Garrett
While the Lost Soul is all but forgotten in their home state of Virginia, legions of fans in the UK regard their records as classics. Little has been written about the band, whose members came together in 11th grade. All but one attended Graham High School in Bluefield, Va., performing for about 18 months as The Prussians before changing their name to Lost Soul. The group featured songwriters Steve Calfee and Randy Conley on guitar, organ and vocals; Steve Cook on bass and vocals; and drummer Donnie Fields.
Early shot of the Prussians, ca. late 1965. (l to r) Steve Calfee, Randy Conley, Donnie Fields, Jimmy Johnson & Steve Cook
Calfee explains that hard rock was just coming to the fore. And while Lost Soul was responsible for the psychedelic gem “Minds Expressway,” Calfee says they were more into Motown and the R&B Memphis-type sound. The band felt “some of the music that was coming out on the hard rock side of it as not having the soul that we liked… we were gonna try and put the lost soul back into the rock and roll. Whether we actually did that or not I don’t know, but we gave it a shot.”
The Prussians, ca. 1966. (l to r) Steve Calfee, Randy Conley, Donnie Fields & Steve Cook.
With the name change, the band began looking for studio to record some original compositions.
The group did a lot of promotional dances and during one DJ Charlie Duff put them together with Gene and the Team Beats of Martinsville. That group was already recording for Raven Records in Danville and suggested that manager John Cook (the bassist’s dad) talk to Frank Koger, who owned and operated the small recording studio on the Piney Forest Road. Cook met with Koger and the band traveled to Danville in 1967 to commit two songs to wax: “A Secret of Mine” b/w “Minds Expressway”.
By all accounts, John Cook was a savvy businessman. He was a salesman for Caterpillar and taught the boys how to publicize and promote their shows and dances, how to collect fees, and even how to dress, although the dark green checked suits he bought for a job at the Fincastle Country Club bombed with the band. It was John who secured their bookings and traveled with the group, and who ultimately brought them to Danville in early 1967. Vox was just making inroads into the U.S. and he arranged for the group to receive free amplifiers and a PA system.
Calfee and Conley were the group’s two guitarists but were forced to make some last minute adjustments just prior to the recording session. Three months before they cut their first record, lead vocalist Jimmy Johnson quit for no apparent reason. About the same time, keyboard player Charlie Bassett married and left the band to attend engineering school. Rather than add a new member, the guitarists simply split the keyboard duties, although Calfee bought Bassett’s Acetone organ and plays keys and sings lead on all four Raven sides.
Calfee remembers the House of Sound studios as a small converted ice house, complete with loading dock. The control room was no larger than 6×6 with a glass window and a hole cut for a window unit. This proved a problem on their second session in the summer. The air conditioner was so noisy that it could only be turned on between takes, leaving members praying for a flub so they could get some relief from the heat. The songs were recorded directly to a two-track recorder, requiring multiple takes before an acceptable master was delivered.
A mistake on the end of the flip side was caught on tape and was incorporated into the song. If you listen to Minds Expressway, there’s a “pa-ping” sound on the cymbal. Calfee says they’d gotten “to the very end of a take and it was an accident that he did and as soon as we ended the take (producers) Ernie (Dickens) and Frank actually came out of the booth and said, ‘What was that?”
Drummer Donnie Fields took the stick and did a ping off the bell of the cymbal and Koger said, “Well that’s fantastic; it actually makes the record.” He asked Fields if he could do that every time, so the band spent “the next two hours doing take after take of him trying to do that pa-ping sound through the entire cut ’til we finally got it.”
To promote the disc, their new manager landed the band a slot on Dick Bennick’s Dance Party, a popular Bandstand-based broadcast on WGHP 8 in High Point, NC. The band arrived to light snowfall around mid-day, set up their equipment and were prepared to play when they were told they would be lip-syncing the songs. That was a first and it took the group “forever to get it right.” Whenever the cameras would roll, the director would stop the band, telling Calfee his lips weren’t moving with the music and it looked “like a Japanese movie.” Compounding the problem was the drum intro on “A Secret of Mine”. Without a count leading in to the song, it was impossible to synchronize the video, so the cameraman did a crossfade from a vine-covered trellis on the set to Fields’ drums.
They finally finished about 1:00 a.m. and left the studios to find three-feet of snow on the ground. It took them eight hours to reach their next gig, forcing the band to miss their television debut.
Each member was given two boxes of 45s and Calfee says they gave away as many copies as they sold. Koger distributed discs to radio stations and the band followed up with promotional appearances. “A Secret of Mine” was the pick of Top 40 radio, while “Mind Expressway” was played by college stations in the FM market. Along the way, Lost Soul followed or shared bills with ? and the Mysterians, the Hombres and the Fantastic Johnny C.
The Lost Soul live in 1967 at the Fincastle Country Club in Bluefield, Va. (l to r) Steve Calfee, Donnie Fields, Randy Conley, Steve Cook.
Some of the largest crowds Lost Soul played for were at the Coke plant in Danville. Workmen would use fork-lifts to clear out the warehouse and set up the stage. Local radio stations and the high school newspaper promoted the dances, which attracted thousands.
Their manager brought a Webcor reel-to-reel to record one college job. Calfee says the band decided to have a few drinks to loosen up and thought they “were just kickin’ butt and takin’ names” on the bandstand. The next day he “played the recording back for us and it was the worst crap you’ve ever heard in your life.” Calfee says it was so bad that “it literally sobered us up.” From that day forward, no one took a drink on a job.
Six months later, Lost Soul was back at Raven to record a second 45 and a demo tape for distribution to major labels. They now shared management with Archie Bell and the Drells and their new manager signed a deal with PM Distributors in Pittsburgh to press thousands of copies of “I’m Gonna Hurt You” b/w “For You”. Calfee says the company had a promotions man who got the 45 to rack jobbers and radio stations. The effort paid off, as Calfee was told the song made it to the lower reaches of Billboard’s Hot 100. (Perhaps it was the Cashbox chart, as Billboard’s Top Pop Singles 1955-1996 lists no entries by Lost Soul.) As many as 20,000 copies were pressed but the group never received any royalties and requests for an accounting were ignored. Once the record started to break nationally, Lost Soul moved from playing country clubs and frat houses to armories and auditoriums.
Several labels were interested in the band, but Calfee says they had an image problem. It seems the major labels couldn’t decide how to market a group that played both psychedelic rock and funky soul. “We didn’t know any better,” says Calfee, adding, “We didn’t know that you were not supposed to mix the genres.” Elektra liked the tapes, which included a soulful arrangement of “Day Tripper”. Their manager secured a $25,000 advance with an agreement to record two more 45s and the promise of an album, if the singles charted.
But it was not to be. About this time, the band started to implode. It was 1968 and the height of the Vietnam War. Cook was drafted, Calfee decided to go back to school, Conley left to attend trade school and Fields got married. The band went through a period of about six months with pick-up drummers and even a saxophone player before calling it a day.
Faded Polaroid of the Lost Soul performing live in 1968. (l to r) Steve Cook, Randy Conley, Lance Yost, Joe Simoncini & Steve Calfee
The later band delved further into psychedelia. The group dropped their matching suits in favor of multi-colored shirts and sunglasses and would scatter the stage with streamers. Borrowing from the Mothers of Invention, a metal trash can was also incorporated into the stage act. Calfee explains that “if you dropped a live mic inside with lots of reverb and delay, then banged on the can it created quite a bizarre sound.” The Fool had just painted Cream’s guitars in psychedelic colors, so Conley and Calfee did the same with their guitar and organ.
While national success eluded them, Calfee believes that was probably a good thing, adding, “If we had signed, as young as we were at the time and as crazy as the business was, I doubt seriously if any of us would have survived.”
Calfee later returned to music. He still plays and books entertainment for a cruise line in Little River, SC. Conley also returned to the stage, performing as E.R. Conley. And while their paths crossed occasionally on the road, Calfee lost touch will his co-writer eight years ago. Cook died about a year ago, while Fields left music and went to work for the railroad in Roanoke.
The band was all but forgotten until some Northern Soul fans in the UK discovered “A Secret of Mine”. Calfee was unaware of the renewed interest until he received a letter from an English musician he had worked with in the 80s. He learned the song was a favorite on the club scene and that their first 45 was selling for huge sums in England.
Two of the group’s songs were recently reissued on compact disc (Aliens, Psychos & Wild Things, Vol. 3) and videos of the band draw thousands of views on Youtube. But Calfee has yet to capitalize on the new audience and has received no songwriting royalties. While Calfee is “amazed” by the band’s resurgence in popularity, Cook recognized their potential. Shortly before his death, he told Calfee: “We never realized how good we were and what a great opportunity we had.” And while he won’t rule out a reunion, Calfee says it hasn’t happened yet and believes things worked out for the best, adding, “We were just trying to make music and have a good time.”
The last line-up, ca. 1968. (l to r) Steve Cook, Randy Conley, Lance Yost, Joe Simoncini. Steve Calfee is out of the camera frame.
Planned Obsolescense comes from a scene I haven’t written about on this site before, the area around Santa Barbara, CA. The band had this one 45: “Exit Sticky Icky” starts out something like Creedence, then shifts to a quicker pace. The flip is a cover of the Beau Brummels’ “Still in Love With You Baby”.
Note the band’s name is Planned Obsolescense, not Planned Obsolescence – whether intentional or not I don’t know. There are no credits on the labels, but the California Gold Coast Dreamin’ site writes:
Members:
Bill Lipscombe – guitar, vocals Joe Rodriguez – bass Doug McGuinn – drums Harold Irving – keyboards Tom McGuire – vocals
This band met while attending high school in Santa Barbara and played local battle of the bands shows, dances, and club dates, eventually attracting the attention of The Sufaris’ management team.
The b-side of their sole 45, “Exit Sticky Icky”, was originally written as an advertisement for a soft rubber toy (the toy manufacturing company eventually backed out of the idea). To promote the 45 the band spent a couple of months touring Southern California. Their gimmick was playing with bags over their heads, and black capes.
Jet Set announced in Billboard, Sept. 16, 1967
At a concert at UCSB they played the world’s longest song, literally hour after hour of Exit Sticky Icky, with members of Giant Crab and other friends helping out.
A notice announcing the formation of Jet Set Records and Publishing (ASCAP) in Billboard dates to September 16, 1967, and lists Doug McGuire as president.
The Jet Set label would have two more releases that I’m aware of, one of my favorite ’60s singles, “I’ll Take It Back” / “Ryan 5” by the Calliope on Jet Set JSR-45-3 from February of 1968 and the Blue Wood doing “Turn Around” / “Happy Jack Mine”. Calliope recorded their single at Whitney Studios in Glendale with Tom Lubin as producer and Frank Kejmar as engineer. Frank engineered many of the hundreds of Christian records recorded at Whitney and released on the Angelus label.
Calliope’s release on Jet Set would be picked up for national release by Epic in July of ’68, listing Doug McGuire as Executive Producer. The Calliope would have two more releases on Shamley in 1969. Flower Bomb Songs has an excellent interview with Calliope songwriter Jim Andron.
The Jet Set release of the Calliope’s “I’ll Take It Back” runs a full 2:42, as noted on the label, while the Epic release cuts about 10 seconds of the ending, despite listing 2:43! A great song with a beautiful, mystical ending, I savor the extra 10 seconds on the Jet Set release.
No connection to the Jet Set label from Washington, DC that released soul records.
If anyone has a photo of the group or more info on them or the Jet Set label, please write to me.
The Coachmen at Grannys Teen Club, Opp, Alabama, 1965. L-R: Steve Folmar, Paul Williams, Gordon Dodson & Ron SimsThe Coachmen at Grannys Teen Club, Opp, Alabama 1965, L-R: Ron Sims, Gordon Dodson, Bill Saunders & Steve Folmar
Rodney Dodson – lead vocals / rhythm guitar Gordon Dodson – lead guitar / vocals Bill Saunders – bass guitar / vocals Coley Sullivan – drums John Runkle – organ Billy Scott – lead vocals
The Barons, formerly The Coachmen, from Ozark, Alabama, were formed in 1964 by guitarist Gordon Dodson and bassist Bill Saunders. The Coachmen soon added school friends guitarist Ron Sims, vocalist Paul Williams, and drummer, Steve Folmar.
Gordon Dodson & Billy Scott of The Coachmen, Fort Rucker, Alabama, 1965
By early 1965, The Coachmen were playing the popular Opp, Alabama Teen Club known as Granny’s and the Ft. Rucker, Alabama Teen Club. 1965 also saw the first change of band members. James Childers replaced Steve Folmar on drums and Billy Scott replaced Paul Williams on vocals.
1966 saw additional member changes as Coley Sullivan replaced drummer James Childers. Rodney Dodson, Gordon’s brother, replaced guitarist Ron Sims. John Runkle was added as the organist.
The Coachmen were renamed The Barons. The Barons played local teen clubs and recreation centers, as well as the Officers and Enlisted Clubs at Fort Rucker, Alabama and several fraternity parties at Troy State University.
The Barons L-R: John Runkle, Gordon Dodson, Rodney Dodson & Bill Saunders. Coley Sullivan and Billy Scott are not shown.
During the summer of 1966, The Barons recorded their only single 45rpm record at WOOF Radio Station in Dothan, Alabama. “I’m The One Who Cares” and “I Needed You”, were written and sung by The Barons’ lead singer, Rodney Dodson with his brother Gordon singing harmony. Bassist Bill Saunders, composed the keyboard introduction and lead break on “I’m The One Who Cares”.
The recording was done with one microphone hanging in the center of a sound proof room using a two track reel to reel recorder; no overdubs. The recording “engineer” unfortunately kept the recording level in the red, distorting the overall sound quality. The high volume playbacks sounded good in the studio, so the master tape was sent to the pressing company. Because of limited funds, only 250 records were pressed. The label name, Red Wave, was taken from the local Troy State University Trojans football team, which was known at that time as, The Red Wave. The record sleeve was a stock light brown paper.
John RunkleJohn Belcher and Jerry Williams of Ozark distributed the record through John’s dad’s appliance and record store. The record was also placed on a few local jukeboxes. Although the record received a fair amount of play from the jukebox distribution, it was seldom heard on radio due to the poor sound quality. The Barons disband near the end of 1967 due to the Vietnam war. All Baron members served in the military with three serving in Vietnam. The remaining boxes of records, were unfortunately, used as clay pigeon substitutes during an afternoon of target practice by the two Dodson brothers and their older brother, Claude.
The Barons of Ozark, Alabama. Standing L-R: Rodney Dodson, Bill Saunders, Coley Sullivan. Seated L-R: Gordon Dodson, Billy Scott, John Runkle
Baron members known to have stayed musically active are:
Rodney Dodson was the founding member of the popular 1980’s southeast Alabama band, The Fairlanes. A school teacher by trade, Rodney once invited his friend and fellow musician, Sara Evans, to perform at his school. Rodney put together a small group of musicians, including himself, brother Gordon, and sister Celia to accompany Sara. Sara went on to become the 2005 Academy of Country Music’s Female Vocalist of the Year.
Gordon Dodson played guitar with the late 1970’s southeast Alabama band, Kingfish, which included notable saxophonist, Jay Scott. (Jay played the saxophone on Lynard Skynard’s recording of “What’s Your Name”, as well as Alicia Bridges, “I Like The Night Life”.) Gordon is listed in the Alabama Steel Guitar Hall of Fame as the 2010 recipient of the Bill Simmons Horizon Award. Gordon taught guitar in the southeast Alabama Junior College system for many years.
Coley Sullivan played drums with the early 1960’s instrumental combo, The Ecstatics, one of Ozark, Alabama’s first rock and roll bands. The Ecstatics, also included lead guitar player, Ron Hilburn, who eventually became the lead guitarist for the 1960’s band, The Chains, referred to as, The Beatles of El Paso. The Chains are known for their version of “I Ain’t Gonna Eat My Heart Out Any More”. Coley also played briefly in the 1960’s popular southeast Alabama bands, The Webs, The Puppets, The K- Otics and The Disciples of Blue from Panama City, Florida.
The Ecstatics, Ozark, Alabama, L-R: Pete Bonnasso (rhythm guitar), Ron Hilburn (lead guitar), Coley Sullivan (drums) and Frank Kingsley (bass)
Johnny Christian, friend and fellow musician, though not a member of the Barons, played the woodblocks on “I’m The One Who Cares”. Johnny retired as Band Director from Dothan, Alabama’s, Northview High School. His son, Wynn Christian, guitarist and vocalist of the popular blues band, Spoonful James, composed “Seven Mile Breakdown”, recorded by the 2006 American Idol Winner, Taylor Hicks.
Gordon Dodson 2014
The Barons, Doug Tew Recreation Center, Dothan, AL. From left: Rodney Dodson, Billy Scott, Gordon Dodson, Coley Sullivan, Bill Saunders & John RunkleJames Childers, drummer for the Coachmen of Ozark, ALThe Coachmen, Fort Rucker, Alabama, 1965, L-R: Ron Sims, Billy Scott, Gordon Dodson & Bill Saunders
Jeff Curtis & the Flames, the Undertakers, at Marcam Hall, Fenland, from the Cambridgeshire Times, July 17, 1964
Marcam Hall in March, Cambridgeshire was an important music venue in the early-mid 1960s and hosted many of the top bands of the day.
I have started to compile gigs that I have found in the Cambridgeshire Times and would welcome any additions plus any memories of this venue below.
30 March 1963 – Emile Ford and Bobby Patrick & The Big Six 6 July 1963 – Dave Anthony & The Druids 17 August 1963 – James King & The Farinas (later morphed into Family)
18 January 1964 – Mike Dee & The Moquettes 25 January 1964 – The Zephyrs and Billy Storm & The Falcons 18 April 1964 – James King & The Farinas 2 May 1964 – Mike Dee & The Moquettes 4 July 1964 – Johnny Mike & The Shades and Guitars Incorporated 18 July 1964 – Jeff Curtis & The Flames 15 August 1964 – Cyrano & The Bergeracs 29 August 1964 – The Pretty Things and The Blobs 19 December 1964 – The Hollies
22 January 1965 – Fourmost and Jeff Curtis & The Flames 5 February 1965 – Simon Scott & Five Dimensions 19 March 1965 – Mike Sheridan & The Nightriders 9 April 1965 – The Escorts and Cyrano & The Bergeracs 8 May 1965 – The Honeycombs 22 May 1965 – The Birds 19 June 1965 – Carl Wayne & The Vikings 2 October 1965 – The Walker Brothers with Quotations and James King & The Farinas 16 October 1965 – The Checkpoints and The Penny Blacks 6 November 1965 – The Yardbirds and The Walker Brothers (needs confirmation) 27 November 1965 – The Spencer Davis Group and Gary Freeman & The Contours 11 December 1965 – The Clayton Squares and The Kobalts
15 January 1966 – Gerry & The Pacemakers (needs confirmation) 19 February 1966 – Peter B’s Looners and Chris Farlowe & The Thunderbirds 26 February 1966 – The Fenmen and The Tribe 5 March 1966 – The Who 21 May 1966 – Jimmy Cliff & The New Generations (straight from the Flamingo, London) with B&3 15 October 1966 – The Alan Price Set (replaced Moody Blues who had just disbanded)
The Fourmost with Jeff Curtis & the Flames at Marcam Hall, Fenland, from the Cambridgeshire Times, January 2, 1965
The IV Pak, from left: Frank Carter, Brandon Cardwell, Anthony Hodges & Mike Carter
Jack Garrett unveils the story behind the mystery group from North Carolina:
Have you ever been to Ruffin, N.C.? Probably not, but if you traveled there around 1967, you just might have heard the sounds of a psychedelic/soul band that managed to play together with the same personnel for 6 years.
Challengers business card
The band is remembered today as the IV Pak and the mystery surrounding the elusive group begins with their name. The group, whose psychedelic rave-up “Whatzit?” appears on numerous garage comps (Signed DC, Teenage Shutdown #8, Aliens, Psychos & Wild Things #3), has gone under the radar screen for decades because they never performed under that name. A label misprint on their lone 45 mistakenly lists the artists as the IV Pak, instead of the VI Pak. Bassist Anthony Hodges explains that the four-piece group had recently expanded to include trumpet and sax players and the members decided they would “just be the VI Pack, like a six pack of beer.”
The Recks Combo business card
The group started in 1965 as the Challengers and included Mike Carter on guitar, first-cousin Frank Carter on keyboards, bassist Anthony Hodges and drummer, Brandon Cardwell. The quartet performed for two years as the Challengers, then briefly as the Recks before adding sax man Lonnie Bowes and trumpet player Sidney Vernon and christening themselves as the VI Pak. They were based on the borders of Caswell and Rockingham Counties in North Carolina, with half the members at Bartlett-Yancey High School in Yanceyville and the others attending Ruffin High School.
Brandon lived nearby but was much younger than the others. He joined the Challengers at age 10, but was already an accomplished drummer.
Lonnie Bowes
Sax man Lonnie Bowes recalls that the school band had just started a year or so prior to the group’s formation and the members all knew each other through school. He explains that “Mike had a good ear for music and Frank could read music real well (so) we just all fell together pretty good.”
Mike and Frank were the unofficial leaders. The cousins both started on guitar and a shared Silvertone amp purchased at Haynes Pawn Shop in Danville for $70. Frank quickly gravitated to keyboards and his dad bought him an inexpensive Italian organ. Anthony and Brandon were recruited and the line-up was set. The four shared a love for the Animals, Stones and the Beatles, although Brandon admits vocals were a chore, since “we didn’t have anybody (who) could sing like John or Paul.”
After learning “Wooly Bully” and “House of the Rising Sun”, the Challengers performed live for the first time in Oct. of ’65 for a dance at the Casville Volunteer Fire Department in Caswell County, N.C. More gigs followed at parties, pizza parlors, church socials, VFW posts and the local Moose and Elk’s lodges. Within months, the band competed in a battle of the bands at Williamsburg Elementary School in Reidsville, losing out to the better-equipped Checkmates.
The bass player’s father ran the local music store and provided their Fender Showman amps. Another early performance was in the tiny town of Quick, where the Challengers played for Pam Hodges’ 15th birthday party. Hodges would go on to marry legendary bluegrass guitarist Tony Rice.
VI Pak – Robbins Recording Acetate, Love My Babe
The group played once in Danville as the Recks before adding horns and becoming the VI Pak. The addition allowed the band to play a mixture of rock and soul, opening doors on the North Carolina beach circuit.
It was 1966 and the members of the VI Pak were anxious to get into the studio and record. Anthony had written a mid-tempo rocker, “Love My Babe,” and a crude recording was made at Danville’s House of Sound Studios after the bassist and guitarist approached producer Frank Koger at the local K-Mart, where he worked his day job running the electronics department. A half-dozen copies of an acetate were pressed featuring the original song and the band’s theme, an instrumental which borrowed heavily from “Wipe Out” and “Batman.” It was their first time in the studio and Brandon was nervous, kicking the song off at breakneck speed. The band kept pace, with Mike serving up a blistering guitar solo and Brandon bashing away on the drums.
The demo was played a couple of times on the local Top 40 station, but it would be the following year before the VI Pak would get the break they needed to actually press a record.
That break came in the summer of ’67 during a two-day battle of the bands at Ballou Park Shopping Center in Danville. Hosted by popular deejay Glenn Scott, some of the best bands in the region competed on three flatbed trucks in the shopping center’s parking lot. At the end of the first day’s competition, the VI Pak had won the preliminary round and a free recording session at Koger’s Raven Records. The grand prize went to the Fabulous Generals of Martinsville, Va., who wore matching suits and were fronted by a pretty (and talented) female vocalist, Debra Carol Crowder.
Mike Carter
At 17, Frank Carter was the oldest member of the band and remembers selecting a Booker T. and the MG’s song, “Boot-Leg,” to record because it featured the brass and “had a neat little organ part in the center of it, that Booker T. did.” It also helped that the band knew the soul song and performed it regularly. Frank recalls that the band had originally planned to record at Robin’s Records in Greensboro, “but they wanted more money over there.”
The House of Sound studio was located on Piney Forest Road in Danville, in the same building that Mike’s uncle — E.C. Gerringer — owned and used for a piano and furniture company.
The guys crammed all of their instruments and amps into the trunk of Frank’s ’63 Chevy and headed for the studio. Frank remembers it as a “pretty neat little studio (with) multi-tracking and cubicles so “that each one of us had our own little box to play in. It wasn’t like playing in one big room, everything was sort of sectioned off for the drummer and for the guitarist and the horns and myself.”
Brandon Cardwell
“Boot-Leg” was knocked out in short order, but the band wasn’t prepared when Koger said:
“Well, what are you gonna put on the other side of this?”
The band decided to record another cover as the flip and had attempted several takes before Koger threw up his hands in frustration and called for a different number. Brandon explains that the band “did ‘Boot-Leg’ and we knew that was gonna be the A-side and that turned out really decent and we had planned on putting ‘Ferry Across the Mersey’ by Gerry and the Pacemakers on the B-side.” Brandon says the band “did it as good as we’d ever done it and I don’t know what happened but right near the end of the song our trumpet player — who was playing the lead in it — hit a sour note. And we were doing it instrumental… and he hit a sour note, so we were just blown away. Not that we didn’t have any more studio time, but we just messed around with ‘Whatzit?,’ which was a takeoff on ‘Psychotic Reaction,’ of course, and we just wound up putting that on the record instead.”
Frank recalls that the band hadn’t played “Psychotic Reaction” more than a couple of times, but Koger suggested that they rework it for the session.
Anthony, who sings the lead vocal, sat down and penned a couple of quick verses before the tape started rolling.
She had a cute mini-skirt with a little bit o’ tease, you can see six inches above her knees. I’m just like a man, can’t stand the attraction. She leaves me with a psychotic reaction. Looks so good I’d like to eat her, psychotic reaction every time I meet her. Five-foot-two and built for action, 98 pounds of psychotic reaction.
Frank explains that, like Psychotic Reaction, “we had to do something in middle of this thing. So, that’s when we just put this organ sound in the center of it and I was using an old Sears Silvertone amplifier with a Doric organ. And the (effect) on it was just sort of cheap reverb I guess you’d say. Anyway, it sounded very sort of outer space. So we put that in it.”
IV Pak – Nashville Record Productions Acetate for Hippie 2019, crediting Anthony and Mike as composers instead of Frank Koger. Flip side contains the Individuals songs for their Raven 45.
Brandon dropped a beat as he was coming back from the break but recovered, although Frank says he “had to do a little bit of catching up.” He believes Koger “had to edit out maybe a drum beat or so in the process, but anyway that turned out to the song that people played.”
The drummer’s recollection is a little different. He wanted to re-record “Whatzit?” because “there was a major mess up on my part about middle ways into the song… it was just a real bad off time thing I did and luckily I stumbled right back into beat. I really didn’t like that cut because of that.” In retrospect, he doesn’t know why the band didn’t just stop and take it from the top. And when they listened to the playback, Brandon says he couldn’t understand “why we even kept it on the tape, because Frank Koger would back it up and record over the same tape usually… didn’t do it that time.” He says the consensus was that the song was only a B-side and no one would ever hear it.
With the song in the can, a title was needed. The band had just composed it and had no idea what to call the tune. After a short discussion between the band and Koger in the control room and after listening to the tape together, Koger said: “I don’t know what it is, so why don’t we just call it ‘Whatzit!'”
Anthony believes his vocal part was double-tracked by Koger, although Mike insists he sang in unison with the bass player. Either way, the snarling vocal makes the record. Both sides were recorded in about two hours.
Now that the sessions were complete, Koger approached the band about a label. Frank remembers the producer wanted an extra $20 to release it on Raven Records, explaining that the Soulmasters were riding high on the success of their first single, “I’ll Be Waiting Here.” The members were listening to the playback in the control room and “between us we might’ve had 10 bucks that night, because we really hadn’t planned on doing anything extra and we were scared to death we might not come out with anything” after paying Koger their $50 in prize money. The band balked and insisted on their own label, choosing Hippie Records because, as Anthony explains, “We all wanted to be hippies back then (and) grow our hair long.”
The master tapes were sent off for pressing and the band was in for another surprise when their records arrived. Somewhere along the way, the Roman numerals had been inverted and the VI Pak had become the IV Pak. With 500 mislabeled copies, the band began distributing the 45. Mike went by the studios to retrieve the records and recalls that “each box had 20 or 25 records and I believe each one of us received about four boxes. We would just take those and try and sell them individually. And if we knew of anybody at a radio station we could take them to, we’d do that, but I don’t remember anywhere I distributed them to except at school and relatives.”
The band’s name wasn’t the only bone of contention. Rather than credit Anthony Hodges as lyricist, Koger listed himself as songwriter, although he spelled his name backwards. Anthony remains unhappy about the slight to this day, but rationalizes that “it didn’t go anywhere, so he didn’t get much money from it.”
Frank recalls hearing the song played in Reidsville and on WYPR and WBTM in Danville and believes there may have been a second pressing.
The record’s release led to more bookings but also confusion about how the band should bill itself. Most promoters knew the band as the VI Pak, but the attention generated by the record resulted in more requests for the IV Pak to play parties, The Black Horse Cellar and Torch clubs, and even the coveted Coke plant dance in Danville, which attracted hundreds of teens every weekend.
The group soldiered on as the VI Pak another three years, performing throughout their home state and Southside Virginia and expanding their repertoire to include numbers by Eric Clapton, Vanilla Fudge and the Rolling Stones. Performances were more sporadic after 1968, with Frank, Sidney, Anthony and Lonnie away at college. The group parted ways in ’71 when Anthony joined the Air Force and several of the members married.
The only group photo of the IV Pak, from 1973, left to right: Mike Carter, Brandon Cardwell, Frank Carter & Anthony Hodges
A brief reunion followed in 1989, when the band came together for a one-off performance at Ruffin’s Whistlestop Jubilee in late November. As fate would have it, it snowed that morning and the concert was cancelled.
Trumpeter Sidney Vernon died in 2008 at the age of 59. After graduating from high school, he attended Western Carolina University and discovered pottery. Sid and his wife later moved to Virginia Beach, where he taught ceramics and started Vernon Pottery, making 1/12th scale reproductions of 19th century salt-glazed stoneware. He was acknowledged by the International Guild of Miniature Artisans for his skill as a potter and awarded “Fellow” status. His work has been featured in numerous magazines and found its way to collectors around the world.
Frank Carter and Anthony Hodges, 1973
While in the Air Force, Mike Carter played in the Hands of Time, then joined the Ed Irvin Band and Patchwork. He spent eight years as guitarist for the Atlantis Band, where he wrote the song “Shagging By The Seaside,” which the group recorded for Pyramid Records in Charlotte in 1986. He took an 18-year hiatus before returning to music in 2006 with the Not Dead Yet Blues Band. He currently performs with bassist “Wild” Bill Moore in A Cup of Blues.
Lonnie Bowes played in several bands after the VI Pak but is semi-retired and hasn’t touched his horn in years. He now runs a small DMV office in Yanceyville, N.C.
After the VI Pak, Anthony Hodges did a tour of duty in Vietnam. On his return stateside, he went to work for the N.C. Department of Corrections. He has since retired from prison work and music, although he sings in his church choir and still lives in Ruffin.
Lonnie Bowes
Brandon Cardwell is still active in music and plays classic rock and country every weekend in the house band at the Barn Dance in Julian, N.C. His drumming is also featured on 80’s albums by The Paul Roberts Band and Lady and the Gamblers. He then played with Kerry Michaels and the Mitch Snow bands through the mid-90s, followed by a stint with Bob Collins and the Fabulous Five. His day job was at Burlington Industries.
Frank Carter traded his Doric organ for a Vox, which he still has today. He likes to record on his Korg M3 and is currently working on a musical on Judas Iscariot and the plot to kill Jesus. He worked for a number of years in television and as a public school teacher before earning his Master’s and teaching photography and communications at Alamance and Cape Fear Community Colleges. Frank retired as chairman of the Humanities and Fine Arts Department at the Wilmington college in May of 2012. His wife is a doctor and a drummer.
The surviving members all live in North Carolina and still keep in touch. They reunited in Spring, 2013 and Mike hopes to record the band in his home studio.
IV Pak reunion, 2013, from left: Anthony Hodges, Brandon Cardwell, Frank Carter, Lonnie Bowes & Mike Carter
Jim Wilson sent in this flyer for the Rivingtons, the Starfires, the Royal Knights and the Jan-Sirs at the Retail Clerks Auditorium in Buena Park on Friday, October 22, 1965. Jim’s father was in the Royal Knights, whose members also included Steve Werner.
The Rivingtons are famous for “Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow” and the Starfires are probably the group from Downey that had five singles, including “I Never Loved Her” and “No More” on the GI label, and “There’s Still Time” on the Yardbird label.
It’s interesting to see this flyer from Retail-a-Go-Go comes just three weeks after one I have posted for the Mojo Men. These must have been great, fun shows in such a large venue.
If anyone has photos or info about the Royal Knights or the Jan-Sirs please contact me or comment below.
The Feltham R&B Club was a notable venue for up and coming West London bands. From a historical perspective, perhaps the most noted outfit to play there was 1984, which featured future Queen guitarist Brian May.
I would welcome any history on this venue and also any additional information on bands that played there.
10 September 1966 – The Trendbender Band with Barney J Barnes
15 October 1966 – The Trendbender Band with Barney J Barnes
15 July 1967 – The Sugar Band
22 July 1967 – 1984
Gigs from Hounslow, Brentford and Chiswick Post and the Middlesex Chronicle
Besides the town’s Cellar Club, another a noted live venue that put on gigs into the late 1960s was Coronation Hall in Denmark Road. Quite a few notable acts played there and I’ve started a list. I would be grateful for any additions:
12 January 1963 – The Nashville Teens and The Corvettes (Surrey Comet)
19 January 1963 – The Nashville Teens and Gerry Brown’s Jazzmen (Surrey Comet)
23 February 1963 – The Avengers and The Corvettes (Surrey Comet)
2 March 1963 – The Nashville Teens and The Avengers (Surrey Comet)
9 March 1963 – Bobby Angelo & The Tuxedos and The Corvettes (Surrey Comet)
23 March 1963 – Bobby Angelo & The Tuxedos and The Avengers (Surrey Comet)
13 April 1963 – Mike Berry with group and The Avengers and The Corvettes (Surrey Comet)
11 January 1964 – The Fleerekkers and The Puppets (Melody Maker)
18 January 1964 – Gene Vincent (Kingston & Malden Borough News) Melody Maker lists The Strollers
25 January 1964 – The Blue-Tones (Melody Maker)
3 February 1964 – The Yardbirds (Kingston & Malden Borough News)
8 February 1964 – Jimmy Powell & The Five Dimensions (Melody Maker)
11 February 1964 – The Yardbirds (Kingston & Malden Borough News)
15 February 1964 – The Tornados (Melody Maker)
22 February 1964 – The Cervezeas and The Niteshades (Melody Maker)
29 February 1964 – The Zombies and The Cheynes (Melody Maker)
3 March 1964 – The Yardbirds (Kingston & Malden Borough News)
31 October 1964 – The Cosmic Sounds (featuring Linda Crane) and Tempests (Kingston & Malden Borough News)
12 December 1964 – Lulu and Cosmic Sounds (Kingston & Malden Borough News)
24 December 1964 – Jimmy Powell & The Dimensions and The MI4 (Kingston & Malden Borough News)
16 January 1965 – The Downliners Sect and The MI4 (Kingston & Malden Borough News)
27 February 1965 – The Trojans and Group 5 (Kingston & Malden Borough News)
23 October 1965 – The Downliners Sect with The Hi-Jackers (Surrey Comet)
30 October 1965 – Cosmic Sounds featuring Lynda Crane and The Pastel Shades (Surrey Comet)
6 November 1965 – The Tuxedos and The Images (Surrey Comet)
11 December 1965 – The Board Walkers and Lawlors Legs (Surrey Comet)
18 December 1965 – Cosmic Sounds and The Impalas (Surrey Comet)
1 December 1967 – P P Arnold and The Kool (may be a different date in December 1967/January 1968) (Kingston & Malden Borough News)
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
