Dave and the Squires cut this moody original song “The Girl of My Dreams” in late 1965, released on Radex R65121. The flip is a slow version of “Ferry Cross the Merscy” [sic].
I know nothing about the group except one member’s name, Dave Lamoreux who wrote the A-side and sang lead on both sides.
Radex Recording Studio was in business in Freeport, Illinois into the 1980s. Its most notable production may be the Nomadds who cut an album there, Nomads Originals Plus. Owner Dexter Witt passed away in January 2023.
The Modulation Corporation made one 45 on Atom 1001 in November, 1967: the tough garage song “What to Do” b/w the bluesy “Worms”, both written by Francis W. Wilson II, and cut at Texas Sound Studios in San Antonio.
I don’t know the names of other members in the group. Francis Wilson seems to have been known as Billy Wilson. Covering the wedding of Jane Ellent Grant and William Eilers Jr. in Luling, TX, the Shiner Gazette on December 7, 1967 mentioned “An orchestra, Billy Wilson and the Modulation Corporation, provided music during the reception.”
The Modulation Corporation seem to have been together only during the fall of 1967. I’ve read the group was from San Marcos, about halfway between Austin and San Antonio, but most of the notices I’ve found are from two Austin venues, the Lake Austin Inn and the Pleasure Dome.
They had regular gigs at the Lake Austin Inn in September and October, 1967
On December 29-30, 1967 the Modulation Corporation played two nights with the South Canadian Overflow at the Pleasure Dome, and may have been included in the New Year’s Eve show with the Golden Dawn, Lightnin’ Hopkins, and the Afro-Caravan.
Anyone have a photo of the group?
The Pleasure Dome
The Pleasure Dome opened on December 15, 1967 with the Thingies and underground films like Scorpio Rising. It was located at 222 E. 6th Street in what had been the Yank Theater building. Bill Simonson managed the club, with lighting by an unnamed person who had done lighting at the Electric Circus and the Cheetah in New York City. In progress off the lobby was the Sacred Mushroom Bar.
From notices in the American-Statesmen, the Pleasure Dome seems to have lasted only one month.
The first week of January the Pleasure Dome had the Thingies and South Canadian Overflow on Friday, the Strawberry Shoemaker and the Golden Dawn on Saturday, and the Golden Dawn and the Thingies on Sunday.
The following week featured the Thingies, the Starvation Army Band and the Vines. I have found no further notices after that.
The Socialites at the Unicorn Lansing, MIThe Socialites were four women who made two 45s in 1968. I don’t know the names of the band members, or where they came from, except for a show listing in Lansing, Michigan.
I believe the Socialites first single was a version of “Bye Bye Love” b/w the neat bubblegum rocker “Phooey Phooey on You”, released on Scott Records FM-324. Artyfacts in Wax has a short write-up and good scans of the labels.
Scott Records had 45s by the Merrie Motor Company who were from Olivet, MI; and the Jay Walker Effort who seem to have come from Grand Rapids.
The Socialites recorded (and/or mastered) “Looking Out My Window” at Tera Shirma Sound Studio in Detroit, with a cover of “Boat that I Row” on the flip. Garry Holton, credited for writing “Looking Out My Window” seems to have lived in Jackson, Michigan.
Released as National Electric Signalling And Commercial Company 6483142, the label has finely drawn illustration, and the obscure sub-text “A Michigan Corporation Division of Audio Records”.
“Looking Out My Window” reached #31 on WILS 1320 AM Sound Survey 33 on December 18, 1968.
R.D. Francis sent me the flyer at top, one of a half-dozen ads for the short-lived Unicorn club made by Mike Delbusso of Splatt Gallery in Walled Lake.
The Unicorn opened at 4122 N. East, in Lansing on May 18, 1970, and featured the Socialites for its first two weekends.
If anyone knows the names of members of the Socialites please contact me!
The Rogues in the South Omaha Sun, September 9, 1965
The Rogues came from Omaha, Nebraska, and made one record in 1966, “Anything You Say” / “Summertime” on Action 100. The deadwax etching shows it was recorded and mastered at Sears Recording Studio in Omaha and pressed at Kaybank in Minneapolis.
James G. Churchill wrote “Anything You Say” published by Peter Jan.
Members on the single were:
Ed Hoke – lead guitar Jim Churchill – drums Joe DeRozza – lead vocals Mike Hoke – bass Mike Chapman – rhythm guitar
Early lineup of the Rogues in a Hospe’s ad, May 2, 1965
On May 2, 1965, Hospe’s music store on 1512 Douglas ran an ad in the Omaha World-Herald featuring an earlier lineup that included the Hoke brothers along with Bill Nassarallah and Greg Mutz. The photo shows the Rogues with some awesome equipment:
They’re Fender-equipped, and they’re great!
Bill Nassarallah, rhythm with a Fender Stratocaster Guitar and Fender Bandmaster Amplifier and Echophonic echo-chamger; Greg Mutz with a 4-piece Gretch [sic] Drum Set and Zildjian Cymbals. Eddie Hoke, leader of the group, has a Custom Guitar which he plays through his Fender Showman amp; and Mike Hoke with a Fender Jazz Bass and Fender Bassman Amp.
By September, 1965 the lineup had changed to the group that would record the 45, as the South Omaha Sun profiled the group with a photo, noting that the groups favorite bands were “‘The Kinks,’ ‘The Birds’ [sic] and ‘Them'”:
Chuck Hoke, night manager at Mickey’s No. 1, invited us to a rehearsal … of his sons’ rock ‘n roll band, “The Rogues” …
The combo held its rehearsal on a stage, complete with risers, which they built themselves in the Hoke’s recreation room. The array of mikes and amplifiers made us feel like we were in a major network studio. Vocalist Joe hugged the mike at the front of the stage and pounded out ryhthm [sic] on a tambourine while he bounced to and fro with his vocal routines. Jim, like Gary Lewis, had a mike hanging over his drum set and harmonized with Joe on many numbers. The whole group sang in unison occasionally. They bounced, rocked and shook in unison no so occasionally.
Finally came their rendition of “End of the World,” and many oldsters might view it as just that.
The group continued until 1967, with a “Combo Catch-All” article in the World-Hearld on March 3, 1967 titled “Rogues Aim for Originality, Prefer to Be Called ‘Group'”
By this time the group included a sixth member, Mike Riehle, and the article mentions that Joe Derroza was “from San Francisco”.
They play mostly in Minnesota, Iowa and Nebraska, and get to and from these states in a painted bakery truck …
They used to have a go-go dancer but let her go because more and more combos were adding go-go girls.
The “Combo Catch-All” article mentioned other groups: the Exiles combo with Red Toll, the Ashes with own song “I Don’t Need Your Love”, and the Bushmen with Bob Geeny, Kent Bellows, Doug Fackler, Bob Drickery and Larry Minthorn. An adjacent ad for Sandy’s Escape lists various groups that weekend: the 6 Fortunes and 6 Misfits on Friday, the Wonders and 7 Legends on Saturday, and the Coachmen and 6 Impacts on Sunday.
Heavyn featured in the Detroit News, September 1, 1971Heavyn opening for Frigid Pink at the Lincoln Park Theatre, September 29, 1971
Heavyn:
Bob Gilbert — lead guitar Greg Joseph — bass guitar Dave Ellefson — keyboards Rick Moll — drums
Producer — Mike Finnin Engineer — Jerry Cell
There’s not much in the way of ephemera on Detroit’s Heavyn, in fact, everything we’ve discovered regarding the band is included in this overview.
Heaven with SRC at the Lincoln Park Theatre, January 1972
According to The Detroit News in their September 1, 1971 issue, the band appeared at the Dearborn Youth Center’s “Battle of the Bands” in July. In the article, Heavyn’s manager, Mike Finnin, states the band was together for three months at that point — which places their formation around May 1971.
In addition to winning the Dearborn contest, the band opened shows for the earliest stage of Frijid Pink (formerly known as the Detroit Vibrations). Two of the band’s other known shows were opening a January 30, 1972, appearance by Capitol Records’ SRC, and a February 13, 1972, appearance by Tee Garden and Van Winkle, both at the Lincoln Park Theatre in Lincoln Park, Michigan.
W.J’s Club, Walker Lake Road, Mansfield, Ohio
During the month of April 1972, ads placed in Ohio’s Mansfield News Journal (available at Newspapers.com), indicate Heavyn booked dates at W.J’s Club in Mansfield.
The single mentioned by Mike Finnin in The Detroit News, “Two Man Blues” b/w “Children of the Wood” was, in fact, released on his vanity-press, Long Knight Records. It was recorded at PRSD/Pioneer Recording Studios in Detroit owned and operated by Gary Rubin and Alan Sussman. Through the studio, the duo ran their own imprints: Pioneer, Gold, and Tru-Soul. Pioneer recorded several sides with Ann Arbor-based jazz trumpeter Marcus Belgrave, the Detroit Vibrations — on their way to coming Frijid Pink — as well as the Rationals (released on their manager Jeep Holland’s own A-Square).
While Heavyn’s lone single carries Pioneer’s catalog number of PRSD-2188 and Long Knight’s LK-101, the runout codes “A4KS-3959” and “A4KS-3960” indicate it’s an RCA custom pressing (A = 1971, 4= band supplied tapes to RCA, who then cut the lacquers, K= 45 rpm, S= Stereo).
It is rumored Heavyn broke up sometime in 1972, as the bands’ Bob Gilbert, Greg Joseph, and Dave Ellefson were (temporarily) absorbed into the ranks of Frijid Pink. This roster rehearsed, as well as possibly toured, between the release of the Rick Stevers-led band’s second album, Defrosted (1970) — when lead guitarist Gary Ray Thompson and lead singer Tom Beaudry (aka Kelly Green) left the band — and their third album, Earth Omen (1972).
However, based on the March 1974 Heavyn flyer we’ve discovered, the band most likely absorbed into Frijid Pink in late 1974, after their fourth and final album released in March 1974, All Pink Inside, on Fantasy Records. (On Frijid Pink’s Wikipedia, page, only Bob “Bobby G” Gilbert is noted as a one-time member; it doesn’t state the time frame of his membership.)
Heavyn and Fantasy Hill at the Lincoln Park Theatre, March 28, 1974
If anyone knows anything about Heavyn’s fellow Dearborn-based bands Shelter, Stockton, Sanch Panza, Internal Combustion, Menagerie, and Iliad (mentioned in the press clipping) — or can offer more information on the career of Heavyn and their connections to Frijid Pink — let us know.
Pioneer Recording Studio Detroit
Our thanks to Mike Delbusso of the Splatt Gallery Rock Art Gallery of Walled Lake, Michigan, for the images. 45 rpm and Pioneer Recording Studio advertisement images courtesy of Discogs.
You can learn more about Frijid Pink with an exclusive interview as founder-drummer Rick Stevers sat down with R.D Francis at It’s Psychedelic Baby Magazine.
Claud Stuard [sic] – Claude Stewart, or Claude Steward?Bands and musicians from Schenectady, Albany, Poughkeepsie, and other areas traveled to Kinderhook to record at Earl Kennett’s studio.
A number of lacquer demos (commonly called acetates) of various sizes remained when Kennett Sound Studio closed and the property sold. Many of these demos are of the Cleaners (later known as the East Coast Clique), the group Kennett worked with the most. Others duplicate the recordings that would be released on 45 rpm records.
Below is a list of demos by unknown artists, in approximate chronological order. Because Earl was blind, many were unlabeled, though Earl’s young daughters sometimes added names or titles. Many song titles below are my guesses based on the lyrics.
Please take a listen to the audio excerpts and contact me if you know any of these artists.
8″ acetate by James Morse, not the same song as the Claude Steward, above. Another 8″ acetate has his name as Jimmy Morse8″ lacquer acetates
Folk singer Greg (surname?), associated with Hudson River Clearwater Sloop, circa 1969. Five songs, may not have been recorded at Kennett as it sounds like a radio broadcast. Hear “My Dirty Stream” with discussion of Sloop restoration
Those Two Plus – “I’ll Be There” / “It’s Rainin’ (Where I’m Bound)” (both by Alex Rotter, arranged by “Those Two”) Kennett Sound 0017, 1969.
Alex Rotter and Dawn Mickle performed as simply “Those Two” in a couple news reports. The Oneonta Star noted on August 10, 1968 that the duo took second place in the Folk Music Contest at the Otsego County Fair.
The Schenectady Gazette ran a photo of the duo on September 17, 1968:
Those Two, folksingers Dawn Mickle of Warnerville and Alex Rotter of Schenectady, who won top honors at the Cobleskill Fair and first in the semi-finals of the State Fair, entertained patients at the Eden Park Nursing home …
I have a 12″ acetate from the Kennett Sound Studio that includes both songs from the single. Another 12″ acetate contains five songs performed by Alex and Dawn which were not released.
From listening, I believe four of these to be original songs: “If I Were Free”, “Take Me to the Land of Lovin'”, “I Can Tell”, and “I Know What You Mean to Say” (titles are based on the lyrics), along with a version of Fred Neil’s “The Other Side of this Life”:
The Kennett Studio labels are blank.
Thank you to Peter Aaron for loan of the Those Two Plus single, and for finding the Gazette article on the duo.
According to guitarist Joe Memmer, this psych-driven single, which features Dave Gilbert on lead vocals, was recorded in 1968 at Ralph Terrana and Al Sherman’s Tera Shirma Studios. The band paid for the sessions, themselves. Carl Cisco, who managed the career of CKLW DJ Tom Shannon, earned his production credit on the single as result of his bringing in Motown’s horn section for the sessions. Shannon, in partnership with Carl Cisco and Nick Ameno—both of the Antiques, the Buena Vistas, and the LaSalles—operated the Detroit-based Marquee Records.
Carl Cisco’s production assistance resulted in “Decision for Lost Soul Blue” being issued on the Marquee label around December of 1968, with the B-side, “What Makes You.” Making the regional sales charts via airplay on CKLW Toronto and WKNR Detroit, the single went on to have a three-week run as the “Pick of the Week” on CKLW. Impressed with the sales and airplay, Atco/Atlantic picked up the record for national distribution, issuing the single in March 1969. (The label variations of the Atco version are result of different pressing plants manufacturing the record. On those releases, the A-Side title was expanded to “(Day of) Decision for Lost Soul Blue.”)
The Free remained together for about a year, until Dave Gilbert left to become the lead vocalist for Ted Nugent in January 1971. While he doesn’t appear on the album, Gilbert toured Nugent and the Dukes’ fifth release, Survival of the Fittest (1971). According to Memmer, Dave’s hard partying lifestyle conflicted with Nugent’s anti-drug stance (which caused him to dissolve the Amboy Dukes in the first place); that, in addition to Dave’s desire to start a band proper with his brother Marc, resulted in Gilbert’s departure.
Shadow signing announced in Billboard, October 9, 1971
Joe Memmer and Dave Gilbert starting writing songs again and, along with Gilbert’s brother, Marc, formed Shadow. The band recorded a pair of singles in 1972 for Clean Records, an Atlantic subsidiary operated by Robert Stigwood and Rolling Stone Records’ Earl McGrath; the label’s other signings were the commercially-successful soft-rockers America and Starbuck. According to Memmer, Gilbert’s drug use, compounded with his reluctance to work with Stigwood’s suggestions for the band (adding string orchestrations; remembering Stigwood managed-produced the Bee Gees at the time), soured the deal.
New Order with Dave Gilbert at the mic
By 1974, Gilbert moved to Los Angeles and joined the Stooges’ guitarist Ron Asheton and MC5’s drummer Dennis Thompson in New Order; the band also included KJ Knight from the Amboy Dukes. Marc Gilbert’s next band, the hard-rocking Adrenalin formed in 1977, recorded two albums issued through MCA Records in the early-to-mid ‘80s.
Joe Memmer became a non-recording member of Detroit’s Pendragon from 1977 to 1981; Pendragon eventually recorded two 7” singles with Rick “The Lion” Stahl, formerly with the Wilson Mower Pursuit and Sincerely Yours.
The late Dave Gilbert achieved national success as the frontman for the Rockets, which he joined in late 1975. Comprised of ex-members of Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels, the Rockets’ biggest hit was their cover of the early Fleetwood Mac tune, “Oh, Well.”
Today, Joe Memmer serves as the lead guitarist for the nationally, critically-acclaimed Doors tribute band, the Detroit Doors.
There are more photos to be discovered of all of Dave Gilbert’s bands—including rare images of Shadow (but none from the Free)—on The Rockets Singer Dave Gilbert Facebook.
The Ill Bred Mind were high school students from Sayreville, New Jersey, making their only single in 1969. There are no credits on the label, but I believe “How Can You Be Happy Today?” is an original song. The flip is a fine version of “Walk on By”.
My copy is autographed by another member, possibly Gary Jensen. Another copy (see below) has other names & spellings: including Greg Evigan (who became a well-known actor), Garry Jenssen, George B (?), Jimmy Smokey (?). I would appreciate help with deciphering the names. Youtube comments lead me to the name of another possible member: Bruce Elacqua.
The Ill Bred Mind recorded at Photo Sonics Laboratories at 236 Walnut St. in nearby South Amboy, releasing it on P.S.L. 20171.
Marty Ruszala owned or operated PhotoSonics Laboratories, also known as Triple A studio, where he engineered the Jerry Rivera “Lovin’ Man” single on Kim, and Brian O’Connor “How Was I To Know” / “Missing You” on Sayne Records 20168.
I can find two notices for live shows from the Home News, on August 1, 1969 at the Emma L. Arleth School, and at the Sayreville VFW Post 4699 on August 20.
Anyone have a photo of the Ill Bred Mind?
can you help decipher George and Jimmy’s surnames on this single?
The Sincerely Yours was a short-lived studio band hailing from Detroit comprised of Rick Stahl and Erik Dahlgren. The duo never played out live, as the project was intended to establish each as songwriters. As typical of the time—and with all of the artists on the Impact label—studio musicians and arrangers cut the tracks, with the writer-singers themselves regulated to only performing the vocals. By the time of the single’s release, Rick Stahl co-founded his next band, a harder-edged concern known as Wilson Mower Pursuit.
According to singer-guitarist Rick Stahl, the writer of the A-Side/”Plug Side,” the single reached #18 on the Detroit radio charts. The B-Side, “Little Girl,” features the lead vocals of Erik Dahlgren, with Rick Stahl on background vocals.
Issued in January 1967, the single was recorded on October 18, 1966, at Tera Shirma Studios founded by Ralph Terrana and Al Sherman; their chief engineer was Milan Bogdan. The studio is best known for its work with Issac Hayes. The label of issue, Impact Records, was founded by Harry Balk, known for his work with Edwin Starr, as well as co-producing the million-selling single “Runaway” by Del Shannon. (Web repositories place the release of Impact #1020 at either December 1966 and April 1967; we defer to Rick Stahl’s date-of-issue of January 1967. You’ll note the single was issued in both white and red labels; the white-labels were the promotional copies; consumer copies were issued in red.)
John Rhys, who produced both sides, went on to work as an engineer at the world famous Hollywood Sound Studios, which hosted the likes of Earth, Wind and Fire, Jackson Browne, and many others. His own band, John Rhys and the Lively Set, also record a single at Tera Shirma issued by Impact. The singles by Sincerely Yours and the Lively Set appear on The Best of Impact Records compilation issued on compact disc in 1997.
The Sincerely Yours featured:
Vocals — Rick Stahl Vocals — Erik Dahlgren Whistling — John Rhys (on “Shady Lane”) Bob Babbitt — bass Uriel Jones — drums Joe Hunter — piano Ron Koss — lead guitar Dennis Coffey — guitars
Babbitt, Jones and Hunter were known for their work with Motown’s the Funk Brothers. Ron Koss—known for his Motown session work—recorded two albums for Reprise with Savage Grace. He was a one-time member of Detroit’s the Lazy Eggs.
Dennis Coffey culminated his Funk Brothers-era session work on numerous Motown-cut R&B and soul recordings with the instrumental “Scorpio” by Dennis Coffey and the Detroit Guitar Band. Featuring ex-Funk Brother Bob Babbitt on bass, the Gold-selling single landed in the U.S. Top 10 in 1971.
Wilson Mower Pursuit, with Rick Stahl at left
Rick Stahl’s next band, Wilson Mower Pursuit, is remembered in Detroit for its many live appearances at the Grande Ballroom, as well as for their opening shows for the MC5, the Stooges, and Ted Nugent’s Amboy Dukes. After failed offers from Capitol and Kit Lambert’s Track Records, Wilson Mower Pursuit independently recorded their lone album, Last Night Out: Live at the Silverbell. The band’s final live show in the fall of 1968; it was captured-on-tape by Bill Julius, one of the band’s roadies (the album has since been reissued on compact disc). WMP’s Shawn Murphy joined the cast of Hair alongside Meatloaf, formerly with Detroit’s Popcorn Blizzard. Together, they formed the duo Stoney and Mealoaf in 1971.
Wilson Mower Pursuit, with Rick Stahl, center
Concentrating on a songwriting career and retiring from live performances, Rick Stahl returned to Detroit stages in 1981 with Pendragon. After releasing two, private-press 45s in 1983, Pendragon disbanded. A live version of one of their songs, “Queen of Air,” appears on the radio promotional album Live at Hart Plaza issued by WRIF radio. Rick Stahl then retired to Colorado Springs, where he produced music and designed album art for local indie artists.
You can enjoy more of the music of Rick Stahl with this You Tube playlist.
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
Dave and the Squires cut this moody original song “The Girl of My Dreams” in late 1965, released on Radex R65121. The flip is a slow version of “Ferry Cross the Merscy” [sic].
