The Nomads came from Oshkosh, Wisconsin and cut only this one single, “You Come Around” / “Don’t Come Runnin to Me”.
This is the first release on Kelly DiCianni’s Kel label.
Released as Kel No. 1000, with “A Kelas Production” on the label. Kelly and Sally DiCianni wrote both songs.
An article in the Oshkosh Daily Northwestern from March 25, 1966 gives the background for the single:
“Don’t Come Running to Me” and “You Come Around” are the two songs written by Kelly and Sally DiCianni. Kelly supplies the music and his wife, the lyrics.
The 45 rpm single is the first production under the “Kel” label. It was recorded in Oshkosh following three weeks of rehearsal.
The Nomads are four Oshkosh men who have been performing for 3 1/2 years. Three are in college and one is now in the Marines. They have appeared throughout Wisconsin and in Illinois.
Members of the aggregation and their musical assignments included: Michael Yanke, piano; Larry Wolff, drums and vocal; and Jack and Joseph Litjens, the first of whom plays lead guitar while the second plays the bass.
Kelly DiCianni is well-known as a piano instructor in the Neenah-Menasha area.
In his essential reference, Do You Hear That Beat, Gary E. Myers states that Jack Litjens and Joe Litjens were indentical twins from Holland.
Gary also notes that Larry Wolfe would join the Friends, a long-lasting group who released “Jane” / “Can’t Make It Without You” on Night Owl in 1970. I’m not sure if Larry Wolfe was in the Friends at the time of that single.
Kel would release three singles by the Sunstone Lollypop, who included Kelly DiCianni’s two sons, Keith DiCianni and David DiCianni, plus drummer Steve Marks. The Sunstone Lollypop is a group I’d really like to interview for this site.
I was born and raised in Oshkosh, WI where the DiCianni family lived during the ’60’s. The Sunstone Lollypop gained local fame as their music was frequently played on WOSH, the local AM radio station. I quickly became a fan of their’s since I was already a big Beatles and Stones fan and very aware of the burgeoning pop and rock scene. This was maybe 1968 or so. Fast forward to ’70-’72 when I was in HS. I was a band geek, played trumpet, hanging around the band room on all my open hours. David started coming around to play the piano we had there, not having one where he lived, apparently. We became friends and I went to see him perform at least once. The two big Oshkosh bands were the Friends and the Hobbits. David and his brother Keith were loosely associated with all these musicians. David was not in a band at this time, I do not believe. Not sure about Keith, who I really did not know much about. I was in a jazz quartet at the time and my sax playing friend and I were sometimes invited to jam with the older guys. During this period imagine my surprise when the whole DiCianni family visited my next door neighbors! I think Kelly was brother to the lady next door. I saw David last in 1972 when I visited him at his new apartment. Many years later I heard he died in a house fire in California. He was a sweet gentle soul, very humble, a voice like one of the Beatles. He looked a bit like John Lennon. He was always very personable and interested in what you had to say. I helped him a bit with music theory. I saw Keith last at a music store in Appleton, WI while buying an electric piano in 1998; he did not know who I was. Both brothers were very talented musically, great singing voices and could have made it in the music business. They could both compose great songs and were heavily Beatles influenced. I have single 45 from David alone on the Kel label which I cherish. One piece was an anti war peace; Vietnam Nam and all. I am sure there is archival coverage in the Oshkosh Daily Northwestwern of the DiCianni family and the Sunstone Lollypop. 1967-69 era, most likely.
Thank you for this venue to pay tribute finally to someone who I was so pleased to have as a friend and keep his memory alive.
Larry Wolfe was indeed on the 1970 recording of “Jane” (James William Chase) and “Can’t Make It Without You” (Paul Michael Smith). He sang lead vocals on “Jane” and played bass guitar. On “Can’t Make It…”, Larry again played bass guitar and sang some backing vocals.
Excuse me: …Larry WOLFF… (I misspelled it!)
My wife’s Aunt recently passed. My wife and I, and our families, are from Oshkosh. Within her possessions was a record from Kel Productions called Vietnam by David DiCianni. I don’t know much about them, but my father and uncle, Mike and Scott Grundy, were good friends of David and Kelly. If you’re interested feel free to contact me.