Despite the Hollywood, CA address on the label and the classic California garage sound, the Todes were from Provo, Utah. They traveled to Los Angeles to cut their only single, released on Emanon E-102 in the fall of ’66.”Good Things” (written by Steven Thomas) is a syncopated fuzz cruncher with the waltz bit of the Beatles “We Can Work It Out” thrown in towards the end of each verse. “One Hundred and Thirty Seven Degrees Below Zero” was filler the band assembled in the studio so as not to give up one of their better songs on a b-side (not an unusual practice at the time). Both sides list Zulu Publishing, BMI, production credited to “A Todell Production”.
At the time of recording members of the band were Steve Thomas (lead guitar and lead vocals), Dan Doty (bass and harmony vocals), Mike Hart (keyboards), David Donahoe (rhythm guitar and lead vocals, harmonica on “Good Things”), and Danny Murphy (drums). Prior members included lead vocalist Danny Davis and two keyboardists, Bill Jemisen and Bob Jetter. After the session for Emanon, Ralph Geddes joined on keyboards and Al Thomas on drums.
Dave Donahoe came from the Remnants with vocalist Jerry York, who had cut a 45 at Goldstar Studio in LA just prior to the Todes traveling there. Released on Gini 103 as Jerry & the Remnants, it features the excellent “I’ve Wasted My Time” plus “If I Love You Girl”.
60s Garage Bands has the full story on the Todes, and features both songs from their single along with two unreleased cuts, including the incredible “Heartbreaker”.
The only other artist on Emanon that I know of was Mike Lyman from Las Vegas, Nevada, a young teen backed with a quality band. Credited to Mike Lyman and the Little People, Emanon E-101 has a cover of Love’s “Message to Pretty” backed with “I Need You” an original that opens with the line “you make me kinda glad I love you”. There was also an unrelated Emanon label from Rochester NY.
I ran across the name Emanon a few years ago for a piece I did on the Emanon Majority, out of Colorado Springs (folk group). According to one of the group members Emanon was backwards for “No name.” I thought that was funny. Maybe that was the case with this label name.
http://www.pueblocitylimits.com/2009/12/home-for-holidays.html
Yep! … That’s right. The Todes and I went to LA and recorded this tune. We kept the publishing and my company, Todell Prodcutions (great story there! for another time) produced the record. The recording studio had their own label, “Emanon” – which did mean NO NAME, backwards. Let me tell you how backwards it was: This record was being played at the Hullabaloo Club on Sunset Strip (remember the TV show??), and we were about to “break out” in LA… and, just then, Paul Revere and the Raiders released “Good Thing”. We heard the disc jockeys were not playing our record because of the conflict. So we went to the lable and asked to change the title of the song…. to anything. But the label had gone backrupt!! So…. that’s were we left it!
Hey Steve,
You still alive?
Your old fan Randy Ellsworth from
Provo.
virrona@hotmail.com
Jan, 29th 2022
Steve Thomas (Todes – mentioned above) sent me a link to this thread to
Ask if I had a copy of the Remnants’ 45,, as asked by Chas above. I was in the Vectors, Remnants and Todes,
and I do have a warped copy of the Remnants 45. But you can hear both sides of it at the 60’s Garage Band site on the Vectors and Remnants’ page (there is a link to said page on the
Todes page if you click on my name in blue type. Also, The Todes label
Emanon (no name spelled backwards) was a name born just for the Todes record and has no connection
any other band, studio or record company. More info on that is on the
Vectors’ and Remnant’s page as well. Email me wih any questions and,
Cheers!
David Donahoe — Still Rockin’
HELLO
is there any way i can get your autograph please
heres my address thank you donna arroyo
1855 oak ct nw palm bay fl 32907
love your music im 52
I just saw your comment about an autograph…. did you hear us play back it the day?
Hey David,
Your old fan from the Orem Steel Workers Union Hall.
You still alive and playing?
Correction to my previous comment: Information about how the Tode’s record label came to be named “Emanon” is contained on the Tode’s page at 60’s Garage Bands dot com (not the Vectors’ and Remnants’ page). It is no name spelled backwards and obviously we were not the only band with that idea given the comments above. Our record company was in some kind of law suit and could not use the name they had been using.
One more comment: The Todes were not from Utah, but four of them happened to be students at BYU. Steve (who wrote the songs) and Mike were from California, David from Virginia, Dan from Ohio and Danny from Utah.
At a gig last night (4/11/14) a friend with another band said he had been looking at the bands on the Utah page at Garage Hangover (we live in Virginia) and he reminded me of this site. That prompted me to suggest that The Vectors and The Remnants be added as Utah groups. The Vectors (2 college years) and the Remnants (one college year) preceded the Todes as the dominant bands in Utah Valley, if not in all of Utah, as we’re the Todes after the Remnants dissolved with graduations. The histories of these two bands are at the 60s Garage Bands web site at the link above, along with a brief explanation of the strange circumstances and events that led to the histories of these 3 bands being documented at the above mentioned web site. One example of strange occurrences is that each of the 3 bands cut one 45 disc (6 songs). After searching the web in 2007 (my bass players suggestion) we found 5 of the 6 songs on compilation CDs. I saw a 2005 positive comment about the Todes on a Garage Band club’s blog, so when the Todes’ story had been documented on the web I contacted the positive commenter (lives in Austrailia) to inform him of the Todes’ web page at the 60’s Garage Bands site. I also told him I had found 5 of the 6 songs I had recorded in the 3 bands, but I could not find the Remnants slow song. He replied that Garage collectors are not very interested in slow songs,BUT, that he had that song and he sent me an mp3 file, which can be heard at the aforementioned web link above. Another strange occurrence is that while working with me for most of one year on to document these 3 bands, the owner of the web site bought a new 2007 book by rock historia Dominic Priore, and while reading it Priore mentions the Todes’ record as being part of the LA/Sunset Strip Scene in 1966. Cheers!
Howdy people.
17 Dec 2016
This is Jerry York from Alphas, Remnants and recording name Jerry and the Remnants.
I am alive and well living in Riverton, UT.
From Orem, Utah, was normally the youngest band member. By the time most band members were ready to graduate from college I was only 19. I spent one semester at BYU. They all took off to do life and I pursued the the dream of my life to be a pilot. I have flown all my life from age 12.
I have been military, commercial and now inspect pilots.
Jerry and the Remnants recorded 5 songs in Gold Star Studios, California. Only two songs were released. Our A and R man was Stan Ross. Sony and Cher Herb Alpert recorded there as well. Jerry wrote all 5 songs. Just the two side hit single was produced by Glen Law living at the time in Springville, UT. Both sides of the record were hits.
As a note of interest: when we recorded at Gold Star Studios, there was a kind of weird guy in a weird guy doing lead vocals, putting finishing touches on song, The Eggplant that ate Chicago. Thus was released as Dr Wests Medicine Show and Junk Band. Google it. He was a small guy that smoked alot and had a pure white convertible Cadillac. Interior was white as well. Jerry Solberg and I heard it on radio after we gother back from LA.
Enough for now. I have alot more memories if you want them.
Jerry York
Hey Jerry,
Randy Ellsworth here from Jordan Valley Hospital.
You still alive ol buddy?