I wrote about Alva Starr, who had two interesting garage releases on Golden Records of La., based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. This single by the Organized Confusion is the other garage single on that label. It features two good original songs by Bill Richards, “Tell Me Why” b/w “Makes Me Sad”. Production credited to Ebb Tide and Randy Darnell, published by Darn-L. Copyrights for these two songs plus one called “Bad Girl” were registered with the Library of Congress in May 1968.
Interestingly, the band was from the Detroit, Michigan area. Ebb-Tide (Ebb Harrison or Ebb Harris) of Golden Records ran classified ads in Billboard in 1967 and 1968 looking for songs and finished songs. Randy Darnell of “The Darnell Sound” may have seen these ads and responded, or A&R man Bob Balog may have brought the band to Golden.
A promotional photo from the old G45 Central forum shows the band in a tree, and the songs for the single list “Hang On, He’s Not Coming” instead of “Tell Me Why”. Contact info is given both for the label, Golden Records and the production company, Darnell Sound Production, which has an address of 13079 Northline, Southgate, MI, south of downtown Detroit. Darnell and Balog also placed the Liquid-Candy “Hold On-I’m Coming” on Golden.
Update, February 2017:
Joe Grabowski and Al Consiglio sent in the photo of the group standing in front of trees and gave me more info about the band:
Dave Thibert – lead vocals
Bill Richards – lead guitar
Joe Grabowski- rhythm guitar
Matt Sclafani – bass guitar
Al Consiglio – drumsIn the mid 60’s two Wyandotte friends and neighbors, Al Consiglio and Joe Grabowski joined Al’s cousin Matt Sclafani, living in Southgate, who knew Bill Richards and Dave Thibert. The five put together a play list, rehearsed the tunes and played local venues. Bill wrote the two recorded songs and pursued the necessary contacts to find the recording studio of Randy Darnell at 13079 Northline Road in Southgate, MI and produce the record. The building now is a beauty salon.
The band stayed together for a short time after making the record as the members focused their attention on finishing school, girls, cars and careers (in no particular order). To my knowledge no one was in a band prior to or went on to join other bands after the Organized Confusion.
Venues:
Knights of Columbus – downtown Wyandotte, MI
Knights of Columbus – Southgate, MI
Southgate Anderson High School – Southgate, MI
Davidson Jr High School – Southgate, MI
ALSAC Benefit with many other local bands including Little Carl Carlton – River Rouge, MI
Lawrence Technological University (Lawrence Institute of Technologies) – Southfield, MI
Southgate Shopping Center (in front of Montgomery Ward) – Southgate, MI
Aquinas High School – Southgate, MI
Well, it’s been 46 years since I’ve seen Bill Richards. We use to hang out together when we went to Southgate High School. Bill was smart, played guitar, studied karate and we had a ton of laughs….he invited me to go to Woodstock, but I had other things to do…but, he went with a car load of friends….nice to see his songs here…I still play guitar, collect vintage guitars and publish Guitar International magazine that’s reached several million readers….
Rick, my name is Al consiglio and I was the drummer for the organized confusion. The band was started by myself and joe Grabowski in his basement. That was in 1966,then came Bill, Dave,and Matt. In less then a year we won the battle of the bands at cobo hall in Detroit #3 out of 40 bands.thats when we got to meet Randy darnell. He was the guy who put us with golden and ebb_tide. From there we became the house band 4 CKLWand big Jim. Edwards the main DJ for the time, we played every where. We also recorded more songs, not sure where they are todaysorry, got to go if get this let me know. Later AL
AL – I got your note and I remember Organized Confusion – not sure if I saw you guys, but I lived in Ecorse at the time and had the garage band, “US” with Mark Gougeon (bass) who worked with Mitch Ryder, SRV etc., and the band morphed into “The Warlocks” – I still have Guitar International magazine (hidden for now) with 3,000 pages of content and have a small collection of vintage acoustics (’33 Martin, ’44 Gibson, ’46 Gibson, etc.)….Mark’s still playing professionally and is a GREAT guy if you get a chance to meet him…he’s still in the Detroit area, I’m in D.C…..All the best, Rick
Al – actually, your name sounds familiar too….Rick
Al Consiglio passed away May 27, 2018. Thoughts and prayers to his family.
You will always be remembered.
I have this single.
Wondering if Al had a son Paul Consiglio
and if Joe had a son Andy Grabowski both
of which I graduated with at Wyandotte’s
Roosevelt High back in 1978.
There was a Consiglio auto body shop on
Northline road by Little Caesar’s Pizza for
decades.
Lived by that Y & Dot K of C hall they played when a kid.
timothy, I am Joe Grabowski’s sister, EvaMarie Grabowski-Chaudhry. In answer to your question regarding Paul and Andy: Andy Grabowski is Joe’s youngest sibling and only brother and Paul Consiglio is Al’s youngest sibling and only brother also. The band used to practice in our basement and my girlfriends and I used to be their regular observers. The house was always very loud with them playing, and of course, at the loudest decibel. However, it provided much fun as well, in those times of garage bands sprouting up all over. Miss those simpler times.
Paul was Al’s younger brother.
P.S.
According to his wikipedia profile
Derek St. Holmes started the group
The Organized Confusion when a
youngster in Riverview, Mi.
Derek later had the group ‘Scott’ who
opened up for Ted Nugent’s Amboy
Dukes at the Lincoln Park, Mi. PARK
Theatre.
He then shortly after joined Ted’s new
band as rhythm guitarist and lead singer.
Yet this profile states no one went on to
really do any other recorded groups
So the questions are –
#1
Did Derek change his birth / band name?
#2
If he actually was in this group why doesn’t
he get credited here?
My name is Matteo (MATT) Sclafani I was the Bass player for the Organized Confusion Derek St Holmes WAS NOT A FOUNDER of the Organized Confusion, he did in fact fill in on a gig 1 time but let me be perfectly clear at No time was he a member of the group. Derek should know better than to post that kind of BS ,and thats why he isn’t listed, as to Santo Sclafani that graduated from Roosevelt, he’s my first cousin. If I can be of any assistance feel free to contact me or you can Calaborate with Joe Grabowski also. One Final thing we also opened for Bob Seger at Aquinas High school in 1968 I believe it was for KEENER 13
TMC here again,
I also went to Wy-Hi with one Santo
Sclafani who was possibly the son or
nephew of bassist Matt.
Small world of Down River Rat / Metro
Detroit related garage rockers,
eh?
Interesting…I’ve met Derek St. Holmes a couple of times, and knew he was from the Detroit area (Paul Reed Smith and I talked about him), but I didn’t make any connection to Organized Confusion – even if it was only one gig…if Derek reads this, he might know that if Paul gave him a brick that has J.A.M. impressed on it…I gave it to PRS and he said Derek would like to have it….it’s from the old Grande Ballroom…..