Out of Little Rock, Arkansaas, the Romans were Gary Hall lead vocals and rhythm guitar, Phil Miller lead guitar, Rocky Hestes keyboards and vocals, Charles Wycott bass, and Greg Kempner on drums.
Earl Fox began the E&M Recording studios in 1959, and started the My label in early 1966. The Romans were one of the first bands featured on the label.
“You Do Something to Me” uses one of the earliest recorded examples of phasing to create a hypnotic effect. I wonder if the phasing was intentional or if it happened by accident and the group went with it. The flip is an excellent folky ballad, “I’ll Find a Way”. This was released in a sleeve with a photo of the band in Roman legionnaire costumes in May of 1966. As far as I know it was the only 45 on My issued with a picture sleeve.
Jerry Blacklaw wrote “You Do Something to Me”, “I’ll Find a Way” and the flip of their second 45, “I Just Had to Fall (in Love)”. Jerry was a student at Central High in Little Rock who was brought in specifically to write songs for the Romans. In later years he composed religious songs.
In October of ’65 they released their second 45, choosing to do a cover of Levon and the Hawks’ “He Don’t Love You”, written by Robbie Robertson. (Did the group know Levon Helm was from Marvell, Arkansas, east of Little Rock?)
In 1967 the band was moving in a soul-oriented direction, adding a two man horn section of Bob Younts on sax and Bobby Lincoln on trumpet. Richard Shook replaced Charles Wycott on bass, and Jim Matthews took over on drums for Greg Kempner. These Romans cut a third record, “Think It Over” / “You Won Your Victory”, the latter song, written by new bassist Richard Shook, sounding very much like Wilson Pickett’s “Ninety Nine and a Half”.
They soon changed their name to Merging Traffic and released their last 45 on “My, Ain’t No Need (In Me Fooling Myself)” / “Something Special”. Decca signed the band for one 45, “Bit by Bit” / “Deep in Kentucky”, which had some local chart success, notably in Connecticut and Rochester, NY.
Some members reunited for a show of Little Rock bands in 1999.
Update: I recently spoke to Rick Harrington, who gave this history of his work as manager of the Romans and another act, the Groovin’ Kind:
I was working at Tommy’s clothing store in Little Rock and managing the college men’s area. Gary Hall and Richard Shook came in the store and I stopped them to tell them I had just heard them the day before playing at Lake Nixon I believe it was. The group’s name was the Playboys. I praised their harmonies and loved the tightness of the group. They did a lot of Beatle tunes that blew me away. Like Nowhere Man … sooooooo good.
They kind of blew me off and I said hey wait a minute, I know what I’m talking about. I’m a drummer and had the first rock and roll band in Rochester, New York. The group I started out with in Rochester was the Easy Rockers and then after a couple of years I ended up with the Crazy Crickets. This was back in the mid fifties. (By the way this is why we had the success we had in Rochester with the record. I promoted it there with some friends on the radio and record stores).
Well they were losing their drummer for some reason and asked me to audition. Long story short the group broke up at my audition. I may not have been what they were looking for as I see it now.
They came back a couple of weeks later and asked me to join the group. I was elated and then they told me they wanted me as their manager and not their drummer. I took the challenge and excelled at it. They were changing some of the members and the name to the Romans.
My involvement was 24/7 with those boys. I booked all of their gigs. Set their prices high enough where those high school boys were making excellent money at the time. I drove them to their gigs in my ’65 Pontiac Catalina pulling a horse trailer converted to look like a chariot for the Romans. I even had my mother-in-law at the time design and make their roman togas for their shows.
The record deal with My Records was on a handshake really. No contract. Earl Fox and John Hannon (I believe that was his last name) were partners in the studio. We all produced everything that was recorded there by the Romans. I’m not really sure who found who. Whether someone in the band like Gary Hall or myself got the studio involved. Then again maybe Earl Fox heard the band somewhere and sought us out.
I do know that I talked Earl and John into letting me use the studio for rehearsals every day after school for about 3 hours. No charge. They were really good to us. I had them rehearsing every single day after school at E&M studios to get the show presentable enough to demand the high prices I was able to demand for them.
My car logged over 100,000 miles in one year and never left the State of Arkansas. I was somewhat older so I acted as a chaperone when we had to spend the night out of town. They were just teenagers and I was about 25 or 26 years old.
I also took them to Nashville, got them hooked up with Bobby Goldsboro’s producer at the time (Tony Moon) who suggested changing the name to the Merging Traffic because every time people got on the Interstate we would get free advertising. We had their publicity photos done in front of one of those signs.
When the Romans asked me to be their personal manager (that’s when the Beatles had Brian Epstein and all bands wanted a manager), I ended up quitting my job at Tommy’s Clothing Store and went full time managing, booking, promoting and producing. I had a great run for many years doing that. Mostly small time but a wonderful life of great music and great friends.
At first it was an exclusive thing with me and the Romans but after a couple of years and other bands always asking me to book them or manage them, I was lured by becoming so much in need. And besides that, Gary Hall’s mother wanted to manage the Romans and was squeezing me out. That ended up getting them nowhere of course.
[Later there was] the first inter-racial group in Arkansas called The Groovin’ Kind. It wasn’t easy traveling with three black guys and four whites in Arkansas. We had a hell of a time in several truck stops and restaurants. But that group was exceptional also.
Joe Mike Hammond was the lead singer and was absolutely dynamite. Andy MacMahon played a mean Hammond B3 organ with that group. I remember begging his parents to let him play on the road weekends. They gave in. He later went on to play with Jimmy Buffet, Tracy Nelson and many others in the studio and on the road. A very talented guy.
The Groovin’ Kind had three black guys singing mostly backup. They had some choreography also. They were in the Air Force out at Little Rock Air Force Base and one of them was transferred so we ended up with just two. But they were great.
I asked Tommy Riggs (Rock Robbins) the night time DJ on KAAY radio a 100,000 [actually 50,000] watt station in Little Rock to allow us to do some intro promos for him and other DJs. So all day and all night long we had promos playing for all the DJs on that station. The lyrics went like this, “Groovin’ … oh we’re the Groovin’ Kind. Groovin’ … and now it’s Rock Robbins Tiiiiiiimmmme.”
This was to the tune of Groovin’ by the Young Rascals. It was hokey but very effective in getting us some name recognition in about three or four states. So booking was no problem.
Rick Harrington, August 2009
Past Manager of the Romans/Merging Traffic
Also Manager of “The Groovin’ Kind”, “House”, “Wildwood” and “Medicine Wheel”.
http://www.RickHarringtonsArt.ning.com
Sources include: The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History, and the Little Rock Sound reunion site. Merging Traffic chart position listed at ARSA. Special thanks to Rich for the scan of the Romans 45 sleeve.For more on Arkansas bands, I highly recommend the Lost Souls compilation CD, available from the Psych of the South site, where I found the photo clipping of the Romans.
“He Don’t Love You” is a great tune. Thanks for sharing these. Like Larry over at Funky 16 Corners, yours is a treasure trove that is gratefully enjoyed by sick Music Junkie guys like me. Without your efforts, I’d never have a chance to hear all this fun stuff. Thank you!
Great to see this post about one of Central Arkansas’ biggest garage bands! I’m working on the inside story behind The Romans and the MY label. Over the past couple of years I’ve been researching Arkansas garage bands and recently released the Lost Souls Vol. 1 CD featuring tons of unknowns and legends from the state. Cool post and I’ll have lots more to add soon! Chris, thanks for adding the link and the credit to Psych of the South, my label and website dedicated to this obsession.
Harold Ott
The romans are such a great band. “I’ll find a way” is soft moody killer art its peak…
And this site is still the best on earth !
I remember the Romans as being one of my favorite Little Rock groups. Charles Stewart
In reading Rick Harrington’s interview, I can positively confirm that Hannon was indeed John’s last name. I was quite familiar with the Romans/Merging Traffic because I did some minor repair and scut work at E&M Studios from the time I was about 10 years old.
The photo on the sleeve of “I’ll Find a Way” was shot around the drum booth at that studio. Inside the booth, I know that’s Greg Kempner on the left, and nearly sure that’s Richard Shook on the right. I remember Greg the best because he would always talk to me, even though I was just a little kid.
It would be more likely that John Hannon was the one that brought the Romans to E&M. Earl was more of the C&W and religious music type. John did all the serious engineering. The phasing effect you mention on “You Do Something to Me” was far from accidental. The way phasing had to be done in those days, it would be a one-in-a-million to accidentally do it. John taught me the technique in the sixties, long before digital effects came into being.
My husband was a member of both the Romans and Merging Traffic. He loved music and was a very gifted, talented, & professional musician.
He was eager to share material he had until someone used what was given to them for profit. It hurt and angered him because they weren’t honest about the use. Getting material back was a problem also. My husband had originals of items he never got back. He was generous with his talent and played many benefits over the years. His talent continued to move and inspire others until his death. He had his own rhythm unmatched from my perspective.
My grandson found this site. His generation really likes the garage band sound.It was an interesting read.
I grew up with Richard Shook. He was such a talented guy who could
sing and play that bass. He helped make those bands the best in the state.
Believe he is now in Nashville TN and has been for years as a studio
musician. Hope he is well.
I played in a band named the Cards with K, but we were never as good
as the bands Richard was in. But we tried. 🙂
After reading the recollections of Rick Harrington and others about the history of Little Rock band “The Romans”, I have a few questions/comments. Didn’t the Romans change their name to THE Merging Traffic? I remember defacing traffic signs around Little Rock by adding “The” with some kind of marker. It was free advertising for the group.
The reason that the group had to change their bane again was that there was a nationally known group out of Houston named Merging Traffic.
I hated the name “The Groovin’ Kind”, but recall the name was chosen by a contest on KAAY, The Mighty Ten Ninety. Listeners would mail in their name suggestions. I don’t remember the process for choosing that name. Soon after that, I got sent to Vietnam and lost track of The Groovin’ Kind.