The Good Humour Band came from Austin, Texas, forming about May of 1968 and playing a number of shows at the New Orleans club in June and July. Gig notices always billed them as The Good Humor Band.

The Austin American-Statesman ran a photo of the group on July 27, 1968. The lineup at this time was:

Jesse Preciphs – lead vocals
Kenneth Cottrell – organ
David Jones – lead guitar
Mona Bateman – rhythm guitar
Bobby Henderson – bass
Jimmy Rogers – drums

A September 19, 1968 article in the Austin Daily Texan describes a talent show of UT students:

“The hypnotic throb of the Good Humor Band assailed the eardrums of a packed Hogg Auditorium audience Wednesday night as the Forty Acres Talent Show stages its ninth annual performance.” The article discusses some solo performers at the show: Wayne Holtzman, Roger Woest and David Flack.

On December 11, 1968, the Good Humor Band played a benefit concert for the Zachary Scott Theater Center with the Shadows of Doubt. A news item mentions the group recently completed a recording session at Robin Hood Brians studio in Tyler, and that Ken Cottrell was also their manager & spokesman.

In January, 1969 the band played three nights at the Pusi-Kat in San Antonio with Joe Thomas and the Virgil Foxx Group.

According to a short notice about the group from February 28, 1969, the lineup had changed, dropping Jesse Preciphs, Mona Bateman and Jimmy Rogers; and including Billy Jones on drums:

Ken Cottrell – organ and piano
David Jones – lead guitar
Bobby Henderson – bass
Billy Jones – drums

The February 28 article has this tantalizing note:

… the first Good Humour record – “You’ll Get By” on the A side – was released here this week and the band’s initial album – Aunt Mabel’s Golden Tonic – will be out next month.

Unfortunately the album was never to see the light.

Ken Cottrell and David Jones wrote both songs on their only single on Ignite Records H-692, “You’ll Get By” / “The Man”. Library of Congress registration on March 28, 1969 lists words by Jones and music by Cottrell.

The man’s been driving by my house today,
I think it’s time I got away …

Bruce H. Hooper produced the single. He also produced the Shiva’s Head Band single on Ignite, but not the Richard Dean 45, which was C.F. Rowsey (Fred Rowsey). Ignite Music BMI published the songs.

A Brite Star Promotions ad in Billboard on May 24, 1969 lists both the Good Humour Band and the Shiva’s Head Band singles on Ignite.

Billboard listed in Buyer’s Guide of August 30, 1969 lists Ignite as label, publisher and recording studio at 308 W. Sixth St., Austin, with President Bruce H. Hooper, and Vice President C.F. Rowsey. The 1970 guide drops Rowsey and adds Richard Gembler as General Manager.

One interesting note about the studio is 308 W. Sixth St. became Odyssey Sound, Ltd., owned by Jay Aaron Podolnick and Steve Shields, from February 1972 until August 1978. In 1978, John Ingle and Larson Lundahl purchased Odyssey and renamed it Pecan Street Studios after remodeling.

I’d like to know what other recordings were made at 308 W. Sixth St. in those early days before it became Odyssey.

Ken Cottrell passed away on July 9, 2009 at the age of 60, according to a website devoted to him, www.kennethcottrell.com

More info or photos of the group would be appreciated.

Thank you to Jonas Carlsson for help with this article.