Category Archives: Studio

Categories: Knight (Schenectady), Latham, Mechanicville, New York, Schenectady, Scotia, Troy, Upstate New York, Vibra, Vibra-Sound, Vibra-Sound Recording Studio

The Vibra-Sound Recording Studio and label

January 28, 2016 Chris Bishop 30 Comments

The Vibra-Sound Recording Studio and label started in Schenectady or Rotterdam, New York circa late 1966. I’m not sure where exactly the studio was, but New York State business records list a residential address on Crestwood Drive in Rotterdam for Vibra-Sound, and also include a later starting date in 1969, with the business closing in 1992. However, several of the singles listed here such as the Heathens and Delirium are earlier, from sometime in 1967.

Nate Schwartz appears as engineer and also as a representative of the label in an local news item from the early ’70s. Initially the studio was located in Schwartz’s garage, with the control room in the basement without a window between.

Vibra-Sound had its own Vibra label, plus variations like Vibra-Sound, VSS, and others that were customized for the artist. Later productions often share publishing by Robert Barry Music BMI.

Below is a general discography in approximate chronological order of records made at Vibra-Sound / Vibrasound, with my comments.

Any additions or corrections would be appreciated, as well as info on any of the artists listed here.

45s:

Vibra L-103 – Elaine Brooks & the Pushers (Albany/Schenectady) “I’m So Blue” (Brooks) / The Pushers – “The New Thang” (C. Nelson) both published by Kama BMI
“The New Thang” is a cool instrumental with saxophone, tambourine and plenty of echo. I’m surprised to see what must be some connection to Kama Productions of Utica, NY in the publishing company (see the end of my article on the Roosters for more info on Kama and related productions).

Vibra L-104 – The Heathens (Schenectady, NY) – “The Other Way Around” / “Problems” (both written by Michael Dellario, arranged by Hooker-Stahl, Petticrew, Sheer & Marquez)
Maybe the most well-known garage single of the NY capitol region.

Delirium Vibra 45 Never Comin' Home — 45 scan from the unparalleled collection of Bosshoss

Vibra L-136 – Delirium (Mechanicville, NY) “I Need Your Lovin'” / “Never Comin’ Home” (both songs by T. Sullivan, Wall Music BMI)
A very rare single, and musically as good as the Heathens. If anyone has info on this band please contact me.

Vibra L-137 – The Dimensions (Latham, NY) – “The Pilot” / “Dimension Beat” (both by Federici, Federici, Olson and Speciale for Wall Music, BMI)
Another fine garage single, According to copyright records from February, 1967, The Dimensions were Martin Federici, Arthur Federici, Dominick Speciale and David Olson. I’ve also found a new clip from 1965 verifying the members of the group.

Vibra Sound 423702 – Sound with Brass – “Shine Down on Me” / “Lollypops and Roses / Wall St. Rag”

Vibra-Sound 121969 – The Changing Times – “Free As The Wind” / “We Gotta Get Out Of This Place” 1969
Good versions of both songs, the capitol region being one of the few places where the Myddle Class had extensive radio play. Label credits for “Free As the Wind” give S. Trimochi, S. Lane in error, as the original song was a collaboration between Gerry Goffin & Carole King, and Rick Philp & Dave Palmer of the Myddle Class.

The Changing Times were from Mohonasen High School, Rotterdam, NY, with members Kurt Eastman, Mark Eastman, Gary Esposito, Bob Launders. and David Cilberti on vocals (thank you to David for his comment below)

USS 102 – The Chimes of Freedom (Scotia, NY) – “Did You Ever” / “Jungle Rock” (Hamilton, Francis, Pytlovany)
For more info on the Chimes of Freedom see my post on the group.

unreleased demo – The Concepts (Ravena,NY) – “Faces Come, Feelings Go” 1968. Presumably from an acetate, this track is on the Garage Beat ’66 vol. 2 CD

Hemlock VSS-2/09 – Art Anderson and the Anderson Family – “Don’t Come Knockin’ At My Door” / “I’ve Been Searchin’ in My Dreams” (both by A. Anderson, Robert Barry Music, BMI, ZTSP 140404, 1968)

Knight Records KN-1 – Marshall Hanson and the Hamps – “Dark Clouds” / “Waiting for My Love” (1966, State Music Productions, ZTSC122592/3)

Governor VSS-910 – Bob “Rebel” King and the Knights of Music – “Suspicious Illusions” (R. King) / “For the Good Times”

Al Knight Records VSS 2704 – Al Knight ”Dreaming Dreams of Yesterday”

Zep Records KN-4 Tim Ryan ”Angels in the Front Row”

Bob "Rebel" King - Governor 45 Suspicious Illusions — Scan courtesy of Brian Kirschenbaum

W.S. Highway 2710 – West Side Highway – “Spring Song” (J. Hochanadel) / “I’ve Got a Way” (D. Vroman) (both Robert Berry Music, BMI, Vibra-Sound 2710, ZTSP 140682/3)

Cobb 81935 – The Universal Set – “Ballad For Linda” / “Memphis Express” (both by E. Locke, Robert Barry Music, ZTSP 144640/1)

Darec VSS 81943 – The Dignitaries – “Steppin’ Out” (R. Gigliotti) ZTSP 144740

Hemlock 81946 – Cathy Lee, Anderson Family – “The Dark Side of the World” / “Our Side” (ZTSP 144893, Vibra-Sound 81946)

Kandy 101 – The Essentials – “Baby You Get to Me” (S. Wheeler) / “Oklahoma Blues” (F. Stay, S. Wheeler) both Robert Barry Music BMI, 1969

Kandy 82042 – The Essentials – “Sunshine Baby” / “Freedom” (both by Squeeky Stay for Robert Barry Music BMI, Vibra-Sound 82042, ZTSP-221980, 1970)

JC 82017 – 2nd Foundation – “Wipe Out” / “I Am The One” (D. Spensley, Robert Barry Music) (ZTSP 221697/8) – instrumentals produced by Johnny Cefala

Katy VSS 2705 Dusty Atcher and River Valley Boys – ”Right, But I Think It’s Wrong”

Little Records VSS-82043, Jimmy Lane and the Incredible 5 – “Deal With It” (J. Lane) / “What Kind of Man” (S. Brooks, J. Wortham) (both Robert Barry Music, BMI, A Little-Mickens Production, ZTSP 222378, Vibra-Sound 82043)

The Lightning Brothers Brothers Two 45 Wild Smoke — “Wild Smoke” is an excellent 70s rock song

Brothers Two 6023-13 – The Lightning Brothers – “Crazy Jane” (W. Braemer, S. Hansen, M Ilnicki, P Ilnicki) / “Wild Smoke” (W. Braemer, P Ilnicki) (both Robert Baby Music, an Albert Perrone Production, pressed by Queen City Album in Cincinnati)

Jinhea DC-100 – Squeeky Stay and Mark Galeo – “Slippin’ Away” / “Mrs. Jones”, early 1970s

Rambler 2712 – Jerry Madore and the New Prairie Ramblers – “Wishing” / “Blue Blue Eyes”

EROS Records VSS 1239 – The Ridgerunners – “Stop, Look and Listen” / “King and I” (Robert Barry Music, produced by Watrobski Enterprises Broadalbin, NY 1973)

CMS 5105-40 – Billy D. Hunter, the Country Joe Revue “My Heart’s Still Doin’ Time” / “Old Five & Dimers” A Conway-Murray Production

476-45P – Bunz Rock Show – “Doctor Rock & Roll” / “Raw Power” (both by S. Atwood, C. Cirrone, B. Deitz, R. Hull, 1976)

Neon Records 6084-24 – Skip Johnsen – “My Friend John” / “I Like You” (1976)

Sit’ n Bull 6072-31 – Night Conference – “I Can’t Give You Anything (But My Love)” / “Kansas City” (1976)

Alan 7054-25A – Alan Burn “Unless You’re Born Again” / “Jesus the Healer” with James Caulfield (backup vocal), and musicians Ernie Burnell, Joe Latorra and Mark Carnival

Also many square dance records on the Jay Bar Kay Records label by the Rustlers and others

LPs:

Vibra-Sound 8014N5 – The Common People – Come Rest In My Heart

VRS-741 – Yankee Doodle Band – Yankee Doodle … Comes To Town

Vibra-Sound 82031 – Birdcage Beat: The Moods & Sounds of Go Places with General Electric 1969

82055/6 – The Golden Fox Steakhouse Presents Live the Vito Mamone Trio and Carlos & Rosita (The Chaynas); Lou Mauriello, technical assistant.

Brian Kirschenbaum and Max Waller provided many additions to the discography.

Categories: Kim, New Jersey, Photosonics Laboratories (Triple A, South Amboy

Jerry Rivera and the Generations

January 8, 2016 Chris Bishop 4 Comments

Jerry Rivera and the Generations released this single on the Kim Records label, probably in the early 1970s.

“Baby Be Mine” was supposed to be the A-side, it starts with a recitation and moves into an easy-listening ballad.

I’m more taken with the flip, “Lovin’ Man” which starts quietly and gets a good psychedelic groove going, but refrains from cutting loose. In nearly four and a half minutes, we get several repetitions of the chorus, a long undistorted guitar solo and some overdubbed trumpet, and I did like how the lyric “let me ease your mind” sounds like “let me eat your mind”!

Jerry Rivera and the Generations – Lovin’ Man (2 minute excerpt)

Both songs are originals published by Help Me Music BMI, and recorded at Triple “A” Studios, on Walnut Street in South Amboy, New Jersey with Marty Ruszala as the engineer.

The release on Kim Records 20605 included the cool picture sleeve with notes on the back (“LOVIN’ MAN also projects a meaning but of a different nature”). The runout on this single is etched ARP-2097/8, I’m not sure the plant, but it would not be American Record Pressing Co. in Owosso, Michigan.

Max Waller informs me of another single by Jerry Rivera, “Fortunata” / “This World” on Kim ULT 70011 from about 1970, which indicates “written by Gerald D. Rivera” on the label. Neither of us has heard this single.

This is not the same Kim Records who released an excellent Night Crawlers sounding single by Ron Starr (aka Ron & the Starfires) with the Chuck Conlon penned “Crawl Into My Shoulder” in 1967.

Categories: Cincinnati, Covington, Kentucky, Ohio, Sound Inc., Sound Incorporated Studio

The Fabulous Shantels

January 5, 2016 Chris Bishop 21 Comments

Fabulous Shantels, from left: Mike Dektas, Terry Williams, Mike Mays and Jay Cee Ectcon, November 12, 1966

The Fabulous Shantels came out of the Cincinnati and northern Kentucky music scene.

I can find notices of the Shantels playing live as early as September 5, 1964 at the Mabley & Carew fashion show with Bob Keith and Jim Martin of WCPO. In late November 1964 they appeared at screenings of Roustabout and other films at the Oakley drive-in on Madison Rd.

By November, 1965, they were playing at WSAI-sponsored dances, usually at the Withamsville-Tobasco Community Park Hall, with groups like with Gary & the Hornets, the Topics and the 2 of Clubs. On February 26, 1966, WSAI broadcast live a ‘Swing Thing’ from Shillito’s featuring DJ Dusty Rhodes and the Shantels.

The Shantels fan club letter, September 24, 1966

A September 1966 letter to the Enquirer mentions a fan club for the Shantels headed by Darleen Nieporte of Cincinnati and Camille Canfield of South Ft. Mitchell, Kentucky. It also gives the band’s names and instruments:

Mike Dektas – organ
Mike Mays – lead guitar
Jay Cee Ecton – bass
Terry Williams – drums

On November 12, 1966, the Enquirer profiled the band in its “Teen-Ager” section (see photo at top).

In late December 1966 the Enquirer published a letter from Sandye Utley and Peg Rouse that they were running their own fan club for the band and that the group had recorded “Remain Unknown”.

Dusty Rhodes letter to "Teen-Ager", January 21, 1967 — Dusty Rhodes letter to “Teen-Ager”, January 21, 1967

In January, 1967, Dusty Rhodes wrote a letter from Detroit, Michigan where he was working at CKLW:

I have had several letters about the Fabulous Shantels band, a group who I worked very closely with while I was in Cincinnati. The fellows were here in Detroit just after Thanksgiving to visit, play a dance and have a recording session.
The band recorded four numbers at the Sound, Incorporated Studios in New Haven, Michigan. We were all satisfied with the session and the “rough” tapes. However, the rush of the holidays and the opening of additional studios by the company has delayed the “mastering” of the Shantels recordings.
This is the story for all the Shantel fans and I hope we have a hit.
Keep up the good work with “Teen-Age,” Ruth. I wish the teens of Detroit had something like it.

Despite the difficulties in mastering, the record did come out, probably in early 1967, on Sound Inc. SI-160.

“Remain Unknown Girl” was a group original (Dektas, Mays, Ecron, Williams on the credits), published by Sidrian Music BMI. The song features a long biting lead guitar solo and a sneering lead vocal as well as a melody that sounds something like “Louie Go Home” (tip of the hat to Peter Aaron for reminding me).

The lyrics were a bit obscure but Mike Dektas provided corrections:

You want little girl that we go on datin’,
’cause complications are so very frustratin’,
If you need to be here right by my side,
You gotta stay close to be in my right
Remain unknown girl, alright
If you want to be content both day and night,
When decisions are made be right by my side
Well you’re goin’ to have to play a very special game,
To be satisfied to be known only by your name,
Remain unknown girl – alright – work it out
Take it down low,
Knock em dead,
Alright day and night,
You’re outtasight,
Knock em dead, knock em dead,
Unknown, unknown.

The flip is a cover of “For Your Love” (the Ed Townsend ballad, not the Yardbirds).

It’s a rare disc, one that has eluded many collectors, so I don’t think it received any distribution to speak of, whether in Detroit or the Cincinnati area.

The band’s name was wrongly rendered as the Chantels when the song appeared on the compilation Michigan Mayhem vol. 2.

The Turkey Combo (formerly the Topics and the Shantels) with the Dingos, Sunday November 26, 1967

The Blackberry Time Tables (formerly the Turkey Combo) with Salvation and the Army, the Offsets, at Montgomery Hall on Sunday, February 11, 1968

The band continued to play Withamsville dances in early ’67, then drop out of sight for a time. On November 26, 1967, the Shantells and the Topics seem to have combined to become a new group called the Turkey Combo! The name stuck for more shows in December ’67 with the Outcasts and in January 1968 with the Jerms. The Turkey Combo changed to the Blackberry Time Tables for a Montgomery Hall show in February ’68 but by this time the Turkey Combo may not have had any of the Shantels in it.

The Shantels, 1966, from left: Terry Williams, Mike Mays, Mike Dektas and JC Ecton. Photo courtesy of Mike Dektas.

Update: The Fabulous Shantels were inducted into the Northern Kentucky Music Hall of Fame on June 9, 2016, and played a live set at the induction.

Mike Dektas answered some of my questions about the group:

The band was originally created by Terry Williams, our drummer, and Mike Mays our lead guitarist. Terry, Mike, and JC Ecton are all from northern Kentucky – they were looking for a keyboard player and singer, and they found me. At that time, I played a Farfisa organ. Later I switched to Hammond B-3.
We played all over the NKy and Cincinnati area. We were heavily promoted on the radio. Back in those days, they had dances, called “hops”. We played many of those. Typically the hops were from 8-11 pm, or afternoon sessions.
For these, we played at the Shillito’s (#1 department store in Cincinnati) “Swing Thing”. This was great fun – it was broadcast live on 700 WLW radio. We played on elevated decorative stages, live TV Hullaballoo stages.
Other places we played that were promoted included: VFW Hall (NKY, always sold out – 600-800 kids), Glenway Swim Club in Covington, KY (summer), Castle Farms (with headliners like Lou Cristie, Gary US Bonds – we backed these guys up. We also played at Knights of Columbus hall in Cincinnati, and yes, the Withamsville Tobasco Hall that you mentioned in your article – this is on the east side of Cincinnati. We also opened at Music Hall for Roy Orbison.
The Fabulous Shantels, ticket for the Middletown Armory Teen Dance
We also produced shows at that time with Shantel Productions. One event that I remember that was great fun was a giant “Battle of the Bands” at Hotel Alms in Cincinnati. We had 30 bands in that event – it started early and went into the night. Special guest appearance by the Fabulous Shantels.
We also played at the University of Kentucky, big crowd, played in Rupp Arena.
On the club scene, we played on Univ. of Cincinnati campus, regularly at a club called “The Pickle Barrel”. Other clubs included Rio Rita (NKY), clubs at Miami University (OH), and regularly at a club called “The Lagoon” in NKy.
Our band was known for fast music you can dance to, and all hits. So it was easy to get the crowd going. We really did play one summer 8 times a week – every night and twice on Sunday.
JC the bass player, who has passed on now, used to stand up on his amp and move back and forth – we followed a lot of the moves of Paul Revere and the Raiders. In fact, we were offered to tour with them moving around city to city opening for them, but it didn’t work out – we were young and in school and couldn’t travel that much.
The photo in the Enquirer standing around a tree was taken in Devou Park in NKy by a publicist for our booking agent, AJaye Entertainment. AJaye was headed up by Stan Hertzman and Ray Lemkuhl – Stan is still playing guitar out in clubs and coffee shops, I see him sometimes.
That’s me singing on “Remain Unknown Girl”. The other two songs the Shantels recorded were “Georgia on My Mind” and “Poison Ivy”, we never had those two pressed into a record. We recorded in Detroit – Dusty helped set up the session – we travelled there for the session, and we played a live concert in Chatham, Canada, which is across from Detroit. We also played live with Jan and Dean.
That Turkey Combo was a gag idea from DJ Steve Kirk from Dayton OH. Steve was always a jokester – he knew that us and the Topics were great friends, so he made that up and put our names on it – all just fun. We played a number of hops for Steve and he helped promote the band. But the main promoting came from Dusty Rhodes when he was Cincinnati’s #1 DJ on WSAI, a top 40 station.
Mike Mays, Terry and myself have practiced, trying to put together a new act of the Shantels. Terry put together a live venue called “Geezerfest” ha! The amazing thing is we will see a lot of the same people we’ve seen in the late sixties. What fun!

I’ll post more info about the upcoming Shantels show in the future.

Thank you to Barry Wickham for the scan of the Fabulous Shantels 45 labels. Special thanks to Mike Dektas for the scans of the promotional photo and ticket.

Categories: Alabama, Birmingham, Ed Boutwell Studios, Vaughn Ltd

The Jerks of Birmingham

January 2, 2016 Chris Bishop 7 Comments

The Jerks band from Birmingham: Steve Fletcher, Dennis Wilkey, Larry Gardner, David Duke and Mike Ellis — The Jerks, from left: Steve Fletcher, Dennis Wilkey, Larry Gardner, David Duke and Mike Ellis

Rhythm guitarist David Duke of the Jerks wrote to me about the group and sent in the photos seen here:

The Jerks were a Birmingham, Alabama band formed in the mid 60’s. The band members were:
Larry Gardner – drums
Mike Ellis – lead guitar & vocals
David Duke – rhythm guitar
Dennis Wilkey – bass guitar
Steve Fletcher – keyboards
The members came from three high schools in the East Birmingham area: Woodlawn – Steve & Larry; Banks – David & Dennis; and Mike from Erwin.
In early 1966 the Jerks recorded a record on the Vaughn-Ltd label at Ed Boutwell’s early recording studio located in a vacated church at 1st Ave North and 35th Street. The main side was “I’m Leavin’ You” with the back side a slower song “Don’t Make Me Sorry” both written by Mike Ellis. “I’m Leavin’ You” was later published in the #5 spot on Psychedelic States – Alabama in the ’60s Vol.1 (Gear Fab) and is still available on CD.
“An early picture taken in my Birmingham garage basement practicing in April 1965. This was before we added the keyboards.” – David Duke
The last addition to the band was Steve Fletcher on keyboards. The band gained popularity playing at Calico Corner, where many top chart artists performed, along with numerous Armories and high school dances throughout central Alabama. The Jerks were also winners of the Phipps Piano Co., VOX Battle of the Bands contest. The Jerks were popularly seen in their black leather outfits influenced by the British groups. The Jerks opened up for The McCoys concert in Birmingham.
Signatures of the McCoys
The Jerks gained early popularity in the summer of ‘65 as a big part of the Pizitz Department Store Fashion Shows in downtown Birmingham. The Jerks also performed for a publicity party with Beach Party movie stars Debby Walley and John Ashley at the premiere showing of their new movie.
During this time the band was offered to go on tour throughout the US by Warren “Billy” Wilson, promoter and agent, but declined due to the young age of the members. (Our parents had the upper hand on this decision!)
The band broke up in ’67. Dennis and Mike continued on professionally in the music industry with several other successful bands. We believe Steve continued in his family-owned business. Larry after graduating from Jacksonville State University became a successful business owner of a large nationwide window blind manufacturing and sales company based in the Birmingham area.
David Duke, 2015
David joined the Alabama Air Guard for six years, pursued college and after 45 years as a Sr. Acct Sales Mgr in the industrial gases industry retired in 2015.
Over those years I played with several new bands in the 80’s and 90’s doing a 50’s-60’s-70’s music review. I still keep my collection of guitars close by to play those classic old songs of great days.
David Duke

I asked David some follow-up questions about the group:

Q. How did the band choose The Jerks for a name?

Not absolutely sure, but the song “The Cool Jerk” performed by the Capitals was released about that time along with a dance by that name and I believe that is where we heard it. I’ve been asked many times and that was all I could come up with. But we did find it to be well received and well remembered for many years after, even today.

The Jerks, from left: Steve Fletcher, Dennis Wilkey, David Duke, Larry Gardner and Mike Ellis

I’m playing a Fender Jaguar that my father brought home and surprised me with. It was a Daphne Blue and never saw another one like it anywhere. I was very popular just from that. I think if I had kept I might have been able to retire earlier. Around the time I either went or came back from boot camp I sold it. Mike Ellis played the Fender Mustang.

Q. Did the single get local radio play?

We did get local radio play. WSGN was the most and several of the DJ really got close to us and helped us a lot.

Q. Was the east Birmingham scene distinct from other parts of town or did bands play all over?

Most all the bands in the Birmingham area played all over including cities outside of Birmingham. Birmingham being a large city was a hub for popular bands. I was very close with many other groups during this time. I was influenced by some friends in elementary school that had a band and my friend played the drums. I would listen to them around ’62 or ’63 playing many of the Ventures guitar songs. That’s when I really decided that was what I wanted to do and play. In later years that group became the Rockin’ Rebellions which became popular throughout the south.

Some of the guys I played with in early years ended up in the Daze of the Week another popular group with records. I was close and went to high school with one from the Distortions, also I was close friends with the Vikings.

I haven’t talked to any of the other Jerks band members in a while. Larry Gardner I talked to about two years ago.

It took me a few years, then I got the bug from a friend I grew up with that had his band called the Esquires. We started a band together in the early ’90s and played several gigs but had a hard time keeping or finding good members. I always said I wanted to get with him again and see if we could start another band since we were both getting close to retiring. He died of a heart attack two years ago (Terry Mathews – bottom left). I guess that is why I’m really pushing myself to have some fun while I can.

Jerks-Deborah-Walley-John-Ashley — The Jerks supporting Deborah Walley and John Ashley on tour to promote their new movie Sergeant Deadhead.

Categories: Alabama, Birmingham, Ed Boutwell Studios

Lord Byron and the Poets

December 30, 2015 Chris Bishop 5 Comments

Lord Byron & the Poets with Vox equipment, from left: Ed Balog, John Wheatley, Chip Woody, Danny Saxon and Jim Lacefield. Photo courtesy of John Wheatley

Lord Byron & the Poets did not release any records but did record a session at Ed Boutwell Studios like many other Birmingham area bands. Members were:

Chip Woody – lead singer
Ed Balog – lead guitar
Eddie Robinson – rhythm guitar
Jim Lacefield – bass and vocals
Danny Saxon – drums and vocals
John Wheatley III – drums

Drummer John Wheatley sent photos of the band and answered my questions about the band:

We had a great band and were well received wherever we played gigs. Our band was very unique in that we had two drummers. Our singer, Chip Woody, looked a lot like Mick Jagger and was very talented at singing Rolling Stones songs, so we did plenty of them along with the usual list of current favorite rock songs.
Several of the band members were very creative and wrote quite a few songs during my time with them in the 65/66 school year.

Lord Byron & the Poets, Danny Saxon, Jim Lacefield, Chip Woody, Eddie Robinson, John Wheatley, Ed Balog) — Lord Byron & the Poets at Canterbury Methodist Church, 1966, from left: Jim Lacefield, Danny Saxon, Chip Woody, Eddie Robinson, John Wheatley, and Ed Balog

I have a few pictures from a “freebie” we did at Canterbury Methodist Church in Mountain Brook, AL for a benefit event. My family were members at the church for many, many years.
The one other picture I have is a promotional picture made at Phipps Piano Company in Birmingham that is connected with our band’s purchase of a large amount of Vox sound equipment to amplify all of the guitars and all of the singers.
We had a really nice Vox PA system with two “sound columns” and amplifier. The lead guitar player (Ed Balog) played a Gretsch Country Gentleman gold plated guitar through a Vox Royal Guardsman amplifier accompanied by a Vox reverb unit, that actually recorded the initial sound on an audio tape and then replayed it in diminishing volume levels as the tape passed through a successive series of tape heads that progressively erased more and more of the original sound as the tape completed it’s circuit while continuously recording and playing each new audio sound on the same tape … absolutely amazing to watch it operate with the cover off of the tape component area.
The bass player also had a brand new deluxe model of a bass amplifier that had its own hand truck type of chrome rack on wheels and sounded amazing for sure. I’m not sure what amplifier Eddie used, but he probably plugged into Ed’s equipment sometimes and I think he had a classic Fender amp that he used some of the time.
We were “recruited” at one point during that tenure by a man representing himself to be a talent scout from RCA in Nashville and he had us to meet him on a weekend at the new Mountain Brook High School where we set up in a sunken carpeted area and he used an reel to reel tape recorder to tape all of the original songs that our group had to offer at that time. He kept in touch with the Balogs for some while, promising this and that. That’s about all that ever came of it, except that one of our songs came out as a hit record titled “Hey Little Girl” with only very minor changes to our original version and it did quite well on the charts and got loads of airplay. The band members that wrote the song felt ripped off but there was little they could do about it.

Boutwell Studios control room with John Wheatley at right. Photo courtesy of Jim Lacefield
At another point, we did a recording session at Boutwell Studios in Birmingham and recorded several songs, including one entitled “Mister You’re A Better Man Than I” performed by Danny Saxon for our group. During my efforts to re-connect with our original band members recently, I learned that the bass player, Jim Lacefield, still had the original reel to reel tapes from that Boutwell recording session, but had never done anything with them since 1966. One thing led to another and he was kind enough to ship them to me and I am in the process of getting them transferred so that all of our band members can enjoy and share them as they see fit when the project is finished. It will be interesting to hear the music on the tapes and re-experience those magical moments from 50 years ago surrounded by our current families.
We never actually made any records during my tenure with the band and the group essentially dissolved at the end of the school year as all members were heading off to college, etc … similar to the Ramblers and many other groups of that era.
Our lead guitar player, Ed Balog, was only 14 at the time while most of the rest of us were seniors in high school, but Ed was an extremely talented musician who had been playing the guitar daily since age 8 and was a child prodigy for sure. We practiced every day at the Balog house. When I tried to re-connect in recent years I was saddened to learn he had passed away after a legendary career as a musician in the greater Birmingham area.
I finally located the other drummer / singer, Danny Saxon, who lives out west in a beautiful part of the Great Rocky Mountains and is very happy doing wood work along with pursuing his current hobby of singing and playing music on a frequent basis.
Jim Lacefield was our excellent bass player / singer and I reached him in recent times to learn that he had continued his musical endeavors, shifting over to a really interesting and successful string of performances for many years singing and playing acoustic guitar in a variety of venues throughout the southeast. Jim lives near Tuscumbia now.
Eddie Robinson, Johnny Robinson’s younger brother, played rhythm guitar with our group and I understand that he is alive and well in the Birmingham area these days, but I haven’t actually spoken with him since 1966.
Chip Woody (lead singer) and Danny Saxon (drummer / vocals) both went to the University of Montevallo and seem to still be active in music now, although Danny lives out west in the Rocky Mountains and has switched from drums to guitar a long time ago. Chip Woody was last known to be living in Palm Springs, California about 15 years ago.

John Wheatley III with Lord Byron & the Poets
Jim Lacefield was very active in music for several years after Lord Byron and the Poets, often working with well known music acts and also doing his own one man shows in small clubs in the southeast. He later got heavy into geology and became a leading professor on the subject and has written several highly acclaimed books on geology in Alabama. He and his wife now own and operate a “preserve” park near Tuscumbia where they conduct tours and he does public speaking on such matters all over the state.

I have continued to be pretty active as a drummer in a variety of bands in the greater Montgomery area since moving here in 1972 and really enjoy pursuing those opportunities now during retirement from my “day job”.

It would be really great to reunite the band, but would be very difficult due to the geographical locations of the surviving members after nearly 50 years of being apart but I would love to see it happen.
John Wheatley, 2015

Jim Lacefield and Ed Balog of Lord Byron and the Poets with Vox amps — Jim Lacefield and Ed Balog showing off their Vox amplifiers, photo courtesy of Jim Lacefield

Jim Lacefield added:

I remembered that gig we played one cold Friday night in January or February of 1966 at the National Guard armory in Decatur. Our gig was cut short by a snowstorm that night, and we had to make the harrowing drive back to Birmingham in the snow. What an adventure!
After the band dis-banded in the summer of 1966 I went on to school at the University that fall. During the time I played bass with the Poets I had started getting interested in playing 12-string guitar and folk rock style music. I was just picking up the 12-string while in the Poets (you might remember I had a blue-green Vox 12-string that Ed used on some songs we played like “Gloria” and “Time Won’t Let Me”). I never got great on the 12-string, but was quite passable, and I enjoyed playing in some small bands at the University. Down there at the time everyone wanted to play “soul music” because that’s where the money was, playing for fraternity and sorority parties. I didn’t care that much for that type music played for drunks, so I shifted over to playing regular 6-string acoustic folk music with a harmonica in a holder (like Dylan and Donovan). During the summer of 1967 I went down to New Orleans and had a chance meeting with some other musicians, poets, and artists who I got in close with. I played some little coffee house style clubs down in the French Quarter that summer and liked the town a lot. New Orleans became my home during the part of the year I wasn’t in Tuscaloosa going to school.
Back in Tuscaloosa I played a little coffee house on campus called the “Down Under” several times, and met my future wife Faye there one night at a folk/blues gig I was playing with a friend. I also played a gig with the great blues man Johnny Shines right as he was making a career comeback playing before young, white audiences.
There was a 60 second or so film of me playing at an anti-war rally in front of a huge crowd at Denny Chimes on the University campus that had originally aired on national TV in October, 1969 on the old Huntley-Brinkley NBC Nightly News program. They were doing a feature on the NBC evening news on how opposition to the war was affecting college campuses, even in the South. The film was taken on October 15th, 1969 and in front of the crowd of students surrounded by FBI agents and policemen. I mention this because a tape of that anti-war mini-concert at Denny Chimes appears on Alabama Public Television whenever they have a show about the 1960s in Alabama.
I got married in the summer of 1970 and did two years of civilian service as a conscientious objector in the waning days of the Viet Nam war. I went on to be a science teacher, and later a college biology and earth science teacher, but never played music professionally after college.
from left: Chip Woody, Ed Balog, and Danny Saxon of Lord Byron and the Poets, photo courtesy of Jim Lacefield
I have had almost no contact with any other member of the Poets since 1966. I did run into Ed at a Jimi Hendrix concert at the University in 1969, but got to talk with him just briefly. I saw Danny Saxon once during the mid-1980s and did get to talk to him for a few minutes. I still have some reel-to-reel tapes of our Poets recording sessions, but have never had the right type machine to play them. I remember we did “Route 66” in Stones fashion and “Mister You’re a Better Man Than I” by the Yardbirds (which Danny sang the lead on) during the session.
Faye and I have lived for the past 30 years out in the country near Tuscumbia where we have gathered together some 500 acres of land through the years. We have established a nature preserve that consists of some nice canyon land, waterfalls, boulder fields, etc. that we have open to the public for hiking and recreation. I have no trouble staying busy, even though I have been retired from teaching for several years. Several years ago I wrote a book on the geologic history of Alabama called “Lost Worlds in Alabama Rocks; A Guide to the State’s Ancient Life and Landscapes.” The book has done well, and is in its 5th printing. It has been used in geology classes at nine universities, but is getting a little out-of-date. Right now I’m working on the second edition of the book, which I hope will be to print some time in the next year.
Jim Lacefield

Categories: California, Golden State, Golden State Recorders, San Francisco

Golden State Records singles discography

December 17, 2015 Chris Bishop 2 Comments

Golden State Recorders used the Golden State Records label for acts that did not have a deal with another company. The music can range from soul to hard rock to gospel, but Custer & the Survivers, Zorba & the Greeks and the Poor Souls all have good garage sounds.

The changing numbering system makes it difficult to put in exact chronological order without knowing the dead wax of each release. Early singles have white labels with simple black print or yellow and greenish blue labels with bridge logo. This changed to red, green, purple, etc in later years without the bridge logo.

I’m sure there are many more releases than I have listed here, any help with this discography would be appreciated.

GSR 653 – The Astros – Space Walk” (B. Please, Rap Music ASCAP and DeGar Music ASCAP)

654 – Lanny Duncan – “I Didn’t Lie” / “Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me”

GSR – 656 – Weyland Jennings – “Nashville Bum” / “Gulf Coast Belle”

GSR-657 – Custer and the Survivers – “I Saw Her Walking” / “Flapjacks” (both by J.B. Pavseni, Mark Nine Music BMI, produced by Arvey Andrews) (Nov. 1965, also released on Vardan and Ascot)

Arvey Andrews also produced the Mystic “I Get So Disgusted” / “Weekend People”, D. Witherspoon & the Future, and the Lovers “Without a Doubt” on Frantic Records, and the Emotions “Love of a Girl” / “Do This For Me” on Vardan.

453 – The Lo-Kals – “Look Out Baby Here I Come” / “I’m So Tired” (Bobby King, Guard Music BMI) (J.H. Lewis Production)

GSR-597-A – Zorba and the Greeks – “One and Only Girl” / “You’ve Had Your Chance” (Nov. 1966)

GSR-597-B – Zorba and the Greeks – “Shockwave” (Myrin, Guard Music BMI) / “Memories of You” (Johnson) (Nov. 1966)

GSR-45-606 – The Donnybrookes – “Time Will Tell” / “You’re Gonna Cry” (Nov. 1966)

GRS-1721 – The Poor Souls – “Baby Let’s Wait” / “It Ain’t Enough” (Frank Marseguerra, Degar Music ASCAP) (Oct. 1967)

GSR-1351 – David London – “Tomorrow’s OK By Me” / “Lara’s Theme” (produced by Leo Kulka)

GSR-501 – Gold – “Summertime” / “No Parking” (production: A-side Country Joe McDonald, b-side George Benz)

GSR – 4-69 – Mel Davis – “Just Another Smile” / “The Life I Live” (1969)

GS106 – Spyders – “I Can Take Care of Myself” / “Make Up Your Mind” (W. Cox) (1968)

GSR-1969 – The Voices of Victory Choir – “I Feel Good” / “There’s No Hiding Place”

GSRC-2452 – Seventh Dawn – “Don’t Worry Me” (Phillips, Phillips, Noyer; Guard Music BMI) / “Wings of Flight” (1970) gold label, G.S.R. Custom Records, band from Oroville

GSR-7695 – Swinging Granny – “Irall Waltz” / “Da-Dippty” (both by Irral Berger, 1969)

GSRC 437 – Joy Higgins – Come Back Big Jack” / “Shoulda Told You” (1978)

recent pressings of unreleased soul recordings:

GS-2001 (GSR346) – The San Francisco TKOs – “Make Up Your Mind” / “Send My Baby Back”
GS-2002 (GSR352) – George & Teddy – “Oh Yeah” / “Lover”
GS-2003 GSR362) – Spyders – “I Don’t Care” / “I Can Take Care of Myself”

33 and 1/3 rpm 7″ custom pressings:

M-1967 – Leo & Flora de Gar Kulka – A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year
GSR-1562 – Garland Dudley & the Voices of Frederick of the Third Baptist Church – “He Touched Me”, “Touch the Hem of His Garment” / “Sweet Sweet Spirit”, “You Must Live Right” (7″, 33 1/3rd rpm)

LPs on Golden State include Paul LaMont – Psychedelia (Opus 1 & 2), War Songs of the Third Reich, and Joel Andrews – Harp Soundings.

Categories: Alexandria, Baton Rouge, Bunkie, La Louisianne Studio, Louisiana, Zundak

The Barracudas of Baton Rouge

December 5, 2015 Chris Bishop 7 Comments

The Barracudas, photo from Brown Paper Sack

The Barracudas came from Bunkie, Louisiana, a small town south of Alexandria.

Members were:

John Haas – vocals
Terry Fontanille – lead guitar
Tommy McNabb – bass
Alex Haas – drums

The photo above shows a quintet, so I’m not sure who the additional guitarist was.

According to Mark Prellberg’s article in Brown Paper Sack, the band started out as the Pickles and appeared on a Saturday morning TV show broadcast from Alexandria. After a show at a Chevy dealership, KDBX DJs Gene McDaniels and Larry Jorgensen signed them to a management deal. They cut one single in April 1965 at the KDBX studio for release on their managers’ Zundak label.

One side is “Baby Get Lost”, an original by Haas and Fontanille. Guitarist Terry Fontanille provides several excellent hooks with his picking, there’s plenty of background shouting and chirping of the chorus, and even a short drum break.

Clocking in at 1:43, the recording has been called ludicrously sped up, but I’ve played it at various speeds and believe that the pressing is only 1% or 2% fast, which wouldn’t be unusual for the time. One version online pitched down to 2:05 sounded too lethargic and off-key to me. The video below is close to what I feel is the correct speed. Singer John Haas was 15 at the time of recording, which could account for the high-pitched vocals.

The flip is a decent version of Jimmy Reed’s “Honest I Do” though the short guitar and drum break after the harmonica solo is hilarious.

After Alex Haas left for college, John Haas and Tommy McNabb formed Nobody’s Children, with no recordings that I know of. Billy Powell of Jimmy & the Offbeats from Baton Rouge recruited John Haas as vocalist for his new group, John Eric & the Isoceles Popsicles, making one single each for USA and Verve.

As John Eric and the Isosceles Popcicles, they had two pop singles circa 1968, “I’m Not Nice” / “Like Him” on USA Records 913 and “Gonna Change My Mind” (Haas, Amarosa, McRee) / “I Been Trying” on Verve VK-10589.

Zundak Records

The Barracudas was the second release on the Zundak label, Zundak 45-101, with “Baby Get Lost” published by Zundak Publ. Co. BMI and production by Zundak Music Enterprises, Alexandria, Louisiana.

The only other composition I can find published by Zundak is “A Soldier’s Christmas in Viet Nam” by Charles England, copyrighted by Zundak Pub. Co. in October 1966.

Besides the Barracudas, Zundak released an album:

102 – Catahoula Country Time (Ruble Wright)

And six other singles that I know of:

100 – Terry & the Pirates – “Someone Care For Me” / “Stackel-Teez” Feb’65
102 – Rhythm Kings – “Memphis” / “Runaway”
103 – Little Caesar & the Romans – “Don’t Cry No More” / “Night Train”
104 – Jimmy Ingram and Jimmy Williams and the Down Beaters – “I Need You” / “She’s Gone” (both by O.A. Raby)
105 – Betty Simpson – “Weeping Willow” / “What Is Love”
106 – The X-L’s – “Protest Against Protest” / “Blue Blue Feeling” (July 1966)

The X-L’s is a crude kind of garage record, while the Jimmy Ingram is gospel-style soul and the Betty Simpson is pop, with a good soul feeling on the b-side.

Some of the records were recorded at La Louisianne studios in Lafayette, about 90 miles to the southeast of Alexandria in central Louisiana.

Thank you to Max Waller and Teen Beat Mayhem for help with the Zundak discography.

Categories: Continental, Delaware, Ken-Del Studios, Wilmington

The Diplomats

November 24, 2015 Chris Bishop 3 Comments

The Diplomats came from Wilmington, Delaware, where they recorded their only single at Ken-Del Studios. The A-side is the aptly-named “I’m Sad”, a maudlin original written by Chris Myers and Ed Welch with good guitar picking and harmonies. The flip is a good cover of “Route 66”.

Other than this I know nothing about the band.

Categories: Arthur Smith Studios, Gold Standard, Hazelwood, Label, North Carolina, Switch

The Shadows on Switch and Gold Standard

November 23, 2015 Chris Bishop 1 Comment

The Shadows came from Hazelwood, North Carolina, a small town about 30 miles west of Asheville. Members included Dennis Robbins and Ken James.

The band traveled 150 miles east to Charlotte to record at Arthur Smith Studios, releasing their single on Switch Records in April, 1966. “Tell Me” is a good original by Robbins and James, a tight performance with an excellent guitar break. The flip is a version of Brubeck’s “Take Five” that gives the guitarist more room to stretch out. Switch seems to have been their own label, I haven’t seen anything else on it.

Two months later the band drove 280 miles in the other direction, west to Nashville, where they recorded another original, “She’s Like That” for release on Zeke Clements’ Gold Standard Records. “Tell Me” was reused for the flip side, though without all the heavy echo on the original Switch version. I believe it is the same take of the song, not a re-recording, and I prefer it without the echo.

Dennis Robbins and Kenneth James copyrighted both songs with Clements’ Blazon Music Co, BMI on June 21, 1966.

Gold Standard released over 200 singles during the ’60s. There are a handful of garage or teen-beat records, which I’ll list below, though some of them I haven’t heard and I’m not positive they fit here. While some artists were local to Nashville, it wasn’t unusual for Gold Standard to feature artists from around the country. The Cavemen came from Birmingham, Alabama and had an earlier single as J.C. & Cavemen. The Incidentals were from Montgomery, Alabama.

112 – The Cavemen (vocal by J.C. Raynor) – “Just One You For Me” (Hoyt Johnson) / “Tell Her One More Time For Me”

114 – The Incidentals – “Baby Shake” / “Till the Ending of Time” (both songs by James Segrest and Herbert Phelps, released Dec. ’64)

155 – The Coachmen (vocal by Tommy Burnett) – “I’ll Never Leave You” / “Possibility”

174 – Steve Stephens – “Lonely Me” (Ricky Ryan) / ‘When You Grow Tired Of Him”

189 – Shadows – “Tell Me” / “She’s Like That” (June 1966)

204 – Ricky Ryan & Jerry Lee McKee – “My Baby’s Coming Home” / “Ask Me Baby”

209 – The Vee-Jay’s (lead singer Bill Boone) – “Give Your Heart to Me” (Ray D’ahrouge”) / ?

237 – Ronny Williams – “Move Up a Little Closer” (James Hendrix, Elijah & Geraldine Murray) / Larry Williams – “When You Grow Tired of Him”

262 – Five Emprees – “Little Miss Sad” / “Nobody Cares” (1967, re-recording with horns of their Freeport single from 1965)

286 – Paper Menagerie – “Left Up To You” (E. Macon) / “Love Again” (E. Macon & B.G. Gillespie) both pub. by Junellin Music BMI, prod. by Dick Sell

Anyone have a photo of the Shadows? I’d like to know more about the Shadows or any of these other groups, especially the Paper Menagerie..

Categories: Columbus, Musicol Recording Studio, Not garage, Ohio

Gun Shy

October 18, 2015 Chris Bishop 1 Comment

I come across many singles out of the range of the ’60s garage I usually cover on this site. When something is very obscure, with little or no info on the ‘net, I post it to satisfy my own curiosity.

Such as this single by Gun Shy, Ohio rock that sounds mid-70s but actually dates to 1981. It’s a Musicol press out of Columbus, with lots of EQ notes in the dead wax.

The A-side is “Gun Shy”, straight-up rock with plenty of cowbell, and a professional sound. The flip “Rymes and Reasons” is a power ballad with a good solo. B. Whitlatch and J. Cremeans wrote both sides. No publishing info, but production was by L. Smith and W. Withrow.

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