The band came from east of Astoria, Oregon, the small communities of Knappa and Svensen to be exact (the area had a large number of people of Swedish descent).
The members were:
Carl Salo
Bill Tynkila
Tom Kayser (Keyser?) – guitar
Bill Maley
Toivo Lahti – drums
The Zero End’s first 45 on Garland, “Blow your Mind” / “Fly Today” from late ’67 has a dark sound. Their next and last shows the influence of psychedelia, as “Lid to Go” has the lines “don’t you know he’s a flower child/ what a crime, being high.” The version of “Hey Joe” has a good fuzz solo. Dig the cool drum head in the photo above.
Both sides of the first 45 are by Tynkila/Salo. Songwriting on “Lid to Go” is by Bill Maley and Carl Salo. Dale Hansen produced both 45s. The Garland label was from Salem, OR, owned by Gary Neiland of Prince Charles & the Crusaders.
I didn’t much about the band until JP Coumans sent me the article from Hipfish, below. As the article states, the band started out as the Vanchees until Bill Tynkila suggested Zero End. They had a manager, Dale Hansen who booked them throughout the Northwest. At the club below the Portland youth center The Headless Horseman, they saw a band called Seattle Gazebo that was playing the new psychedelic free-form music. It was a revelation to the band, who returned to Knappa and remade their sound completely.
They played venues such as the Riviera Theater in Astoria and the Crystal Ballroom in Portland. The Hipfish article mentions a live recording from the Riviera, which I’d love to hear.
Hipfish – Arts & Culture Monthly, vol. 2, issue 19: Astoria & the North Coast, March 1999
– does anyone have the continuation or know the author?
Thanks to J.P. Coumans for the article scan.
Thanks for reviving a great musical era and keeping alive the legacy of some bands who never got the recognition they deserve. Rock on!!
I played drums for Zero End. Thanks for keeping the energy alive!
Is this Bill Maley in the band “Bear” who has a son named Zack? If so, I didn’t realize he was a musician!
Yes Liz, that’s my dad : )
Hey Toivo, are there more studio recordings that exist of Zero End besides the 2 singles? Thanks, Dave (in Longview)
Yes, I have extra material that was recorded at Garland Records and the full version of “Hey Joe”.
Have you seen Sundazed records release of “Pacific Northwest FuzzBox” with Zero End material?
Message to Bill Tynkila-you should get on facebook so your old friends can keep in touch-just saying. Cool band photo by the way.
just found “blow your mind” at a thrift in east colorado….very interesting early “seattle” sound..with the kurt cobain singing style…
actually it is “fly today” , the B side that I was impressed with how nivarna-like it sounded.
Note to band members…Please put out any unreleased studio recordings that were recorded alongside the 4 songs released as singles. Your fans would love it. Live recordings would be welcome as well.
Hey Dave…and any other Zero End fans out there…
A previously unissued song “Your Mind Was Never Free” is on a compilation
album released by Beat Rocket records this past fall.
Garland Records Pacific Northwest Fuzz Box also includes “Blow Your Mind” on the blue vinyl album and “Fly Today” as a bonus track on the CD.
The album was mastered and pressed at Jack White’s Third Man facilities in Detroit. Available at most placese like Amazon, Walmart, etc. Or direct from Sundazed Music.
I do have a live recording that may become available in the future…will keep you posted.
Thanks…Bill Tynkila
Pleas keep us posted, Bill. I’d love to hear the live recording.
Howdy Bill! I am working on putting together a short documentary about Svensen Island and thought it would be fun to back it with some of the local music. If you have higher quality recordings than what’s on Youtube or anything unreleased you’re willing to share, please shoot me an email at dylanmkelly@ymail.com . Thanks for your work!