The X-Centrics came from Ardmore, Oklahoma, a town south of Oklahoma City, about halfway to Denton, TX. All were teenagers at the time of this detailed feature in the Ardmore Daily Admoreite on April 27, 1969.

Members included:

Joe Ben Pruitt – organ, guitar
Kenny Pruitt – drums
James Buck – lead vocalist, guitar
Mike Fitzgerald – lead guitar
Roger Littrell – bass guitar

The group, which plays heavy, psychedelic and soul music, defeated five top Texas bands in a battle of hte bands in Gainesville, Tex. recently to receive a recording contract with the Sonco Record Company in Fort Worth, Tex.

They recorded “get Out of My Life Woman,” and “Try a Little Tenderness” at a recent recording session, but the record has not yet been pressed.

I don’t believe the record ever saw release.

The X-Centrics played at Keeler Junction in Colorado Springs, and planned on appearing on Dick Clark’s Happening ’69 show.

Bob Galindo, brother of 13th Floor Elevators bassist Danny Galindo, wrote on a now-defunct San Antonio music history site, “Max Range was not the ‘Stepfather’ of Texas pyschedelia, he was ‘THE GODFATHER’. He was a very influential guy, in a subversive sort of way, if you know what I mean.”

On the same site, Margaret Moser posted, “Max Range gets no credit as one of THE visionaries of South Texas music”.

I have not found much detail on how Max Range influenced the Elevators and the psychedelic scene in Texas, but one thing is certain, Range fronted three bands that included five future members of the Elevators.

Max Range’s full name was George Max Range, born in Beeville, TX, an hour’s drive from Corpus Christi (also birthplace of John Ike Walton, who moved to Kerrville in 1950). Max went to school in Beeville, and became an Eagle Scout.

Max moved to Kerrville in the early ’60s, perhaps with his family to finish school, or as an apprentice printer for the local newspaper the Daily Times.

The Arcadia Theatre of Kerrvile will present a Summer Stage Show during the intermission of two big twist hits, “Don’t Knock the Twist” and “Twist Around the Clock” July 24 and 25 at 8 p.m. The music of “The Traditions” will be presented.

“The Traditions” is a group of young local musicians that produce an activated tempo-type sound. Five members comprise the band.

Max Range, 19, from Beeville is the vocalist. Max has had four years experience in the musical field and has performed in two bands before organizing the Traditions.

Bobby Hunter, 19, from Freeport, plays the lead guitar. He has had four years of training…

Bobby Sanchez, 16, from Kerrville, is the rhythamatic drummer with a set of “talking” drums. He has put three years into the mastery of the drums and has won several awards in the Tivy High School Band.

Randy Jackson, 18, from San Juan … plays the bass guitar and has had two years of experience.

Stacy Sutherland, 17, from Kerrville provides the basic rhythm … which enables The Traditions to give that special sound quality necessary for a top grade band.

All of these band members from various parts of Texas are now combined into one soundsation group…

Marvin Taylor, “The Traditions” manager and the assistant manager of the Arcadia …

I’d like to know more about Max Range’s two earlier bands from his four years experience in music, but have not turned up any info other than a group with Stacy called the Signatures, mentioned in Ben Graham’s A Gathering of Promises.

Although the Daily Times article states Max organized the Traditions, it seems the group formed in 1961 or 1962, well before Max joined. An early photo shows Stacy Sutherland, Bob Schmerbeck, Eddie Flores, Bobby Sanchez and Randy Jackson.

In April 1964, the Kerrville Daily Times runs an ad for the Grove restaurant “now under new management, Grady and Shirley Sharp” with “Live Band – Max Range and “The Traditions” featuring Joe Burkett III and His “Backwoods Fiddle”.

On August 23, 1964, the Kerrville Daily Times makes the first mention of Max Range appearing with the Penetrators (as the Penetrations):

Jamey Ryan of San Antonio, Miss KTSA, is schedule to appear at the Arcardia Theatre on Thursday, Aug. 27 in connection with the Gigantic Hootenanny Stage Show. Headlining the show will be Denny Ezba and the Goldens; Bruce Hathaway of KTSA as master of cermonies; Max Range, local vocalist; and the Penetrations, a local group from Kerrville.

Range is band leader of The Traditions but will be appearing with The Penetrators.

On, April 5, 1965 and earlier dates, the Kerrville Daily Times ran a 1″ x 1″ classified display ad “for Sale, Ideal for musical group. Premier P-14 PA System … Max Range, Daily Times.”

A Daily Times article from June 6, 1965 writes:

The Penetrators … have released their first record which is available to the public. The record, “Praying Till Then” and “Kurl” is on the Trater Record label. “Praying Till Then”, a slow ballad, was composed by Max Range, vocalist for the group. The flip side “Kurl”, was composed by all members of the ensemble, who are, Danny Klein, Bob Morrison, Ron Leatherman, Pat Morrison and Max Range.

The single was released as by Max and the Penetraters on Trater Records 650528. As far as I know, this is the only recording Max Range ever made.

I’ve read that Tommy Hall was a member of the Lingsmen, but that seems to be incorrect, although the band would see Tommy and Clementine Hall in Port Aransas that summer.

I’d also read that Stacy, John Ike and Benny left Max to go form the Elevators, but it seems that Max was the first to leave the group. Tony Joe White filled in for some shows, and the Lingsmen may have recorded a demo with Tony, now lost.

Judging by local news ads, the group continued at least until mid-November, 1965. About that time Stacy, John Ike and Benny left Port Aransas, supposedly because of attention from local police. In Austin, they would form the 13th Floor Elevators with Tommy Hall and Roky Erickson, playing their first show on December 8, 1965.

Dan Galindo – bass
Bob Galindo – guitar
Bill King – guitar
Buddy Toscano – drums

This group may have performed as the Lingsmen initially, but by June had become Max and the Laughing Kind.

An article in the Corpus Christi Caller Times on July 24, 1966 lists the other members as:

Keith Miller – lead guitar
Bill King – guitar
Bill Smith – bass
Tom McTaggart – drums

Hundreds Flock to Port Aransas Danceland Every Weekend

The popularity of the Dunes Danceland at Port Aransas appears to be climbing in its second season, and owner Ralph Plumlee says he has plans for a bigger place in the future.

On a Saturday night now it starts about 8 p.m. – a line of headlights heading down the Padre Island beach toward Horace Caldwell Pier, begins to turn into a laughing, dancing crowd of young peoople at the Dunes.

Plumlee, a retired Dallas business man, and head of White Marlin Enterprises in Port Aransas, said that the average Saturday night attendance ranges from 700 to 1,000. The July 4 weekend drew a crowd estimated at 2,700 on one night…

Max and The Laughing Kind provide the warmth and the music. The long haired band leader wears sunglasses for the evening performance.

… the five-piece band is composed of Max Range, from the Beeville area, who is leader and singer; Bill King, guitar; Tom McTaggart, drums; Keith Miller, lead guitar; and Bill Smith, bass.

The Danceland’s popularity has spread out of the immediate area. College students from Kingsville and even as far as San Antonio and Houston make the Saturday night dances.

Miller, Smith and McTaggart had been in a San Antonio group the Mysterions with Roy Cox. When the summer was over, they went back to San Antonio and continued to use the Laughing Kind name with Bobby Trevino on keyboards and Tommy Smith on vocals. Dan Galindo would soon join the 13th Floor Elevators in time to record much of Easter Everywhere.

The following year, the Corpus Christi Times announced “Max and the Lingsmen” for the grand opening of the new Dunes Danceland, on Friday, May 12, 1967; “main dance floor enlarged and redecorated.”

The lineup at this time was listed on the now-defunct Mike’s Band Archive site:

Max Range – vocals
Chris Holzhaus – lead guitar
Bill King – guitar
Ronnie Huth – vox organ
Mike Marechal – bass
Sam Allen – drums

That is the last document of Max Range’s music career that I have found so far. According to an online obituary, “Max was a printer for the Houston Chronicle for many years. George Max Range of Copperas Cove died at 59, on July 10, 2003, after a long illness.”

I’m not sure if the San Diego Marauders were an actual group or a studio creation. Cecil Calvert ran Compose Records from his home at 450 Orlando St. in El Cajon, just east of San Diego.

Compose Records released two singles by the San Diego Marauders. The first had an original by Cecil Calvert, “Don’t Come Around” backed with a good version of the Olympics “The Bounce”. Released as Compose Records 1901/2, the Monarch Δ number 56767 dates it to April or May of 1965.

The second single is interesting for including “Ervin Rucker, vocal” and featuring an original song by Rucker and Ervin Groves, who often collaborated together.
Compose Records 1903/4: “Baby Can’t You Feel It” (E. Rucker and E. Groves) / “Sentimental Reasons”.

In July 1967 and 1968, Cash Box’s list of ASCAP publishers includes “Groham c/o Cecil Calvert, 450 Orlando”. Calvert also had a June, 1964 copyright for a song called “Shackles of Love” written with Robert L. Jackson. If it ever was recorded, I don’t believe it saw release.

“Homebrew” is a storming instrumental, with a foreboding rhythm guitar and bass behind sharp lead guitar work, excellent drumming and rockin’ piano.

I can’t find much about Archie Liseo other than an odd news item from December, 1965, where an Archie Liseo “is resigning from the Denver Young Democrats in protest against what he described as ‘filth’ in the organization’s newspaper. Liseo said he objected to the review of a play in the December issue of the paper The Vanguard. He said the paper had been read by his children before he arrived home Thursday.”

I suppose that could be a different person, considering this group titled their record “Homebrew”.

“Homebrew” has a writing credit of A. Trujillo, which could be another name for Archie Liseo. This may be the only record he ever made. The band is so good I hope there are more recordings somewhere.

The ballad A-side, “Lonely” was written by L. Pickett and J. Ward. CLW Music Pub published both songs.

Released on CLW 45-6576, this is a Rite pressing, 13705/6 from 1965. CLW owner Jim Ward produced the single with Geo Chapekis. The address for CLW is given as 522 Knox Ct., Denver.

Allan Breed with the Third Level had only one release, “City Where I Once Lived” / “Many’s the Time”, both full pop productions with light psychedelic touches. By accident, some of the lyrics on “City Where I Once Lived” are incredibly apt to our situation in 2020:

Well here I am, in the city where I once lived,
But no one bothers to speak,
Attitude is simply oblique,
It’s not the same anymore.

Love once surrounded me here,
In the city where I once lived,
But the love I once knew is gone,
Only faces of misery drawn,
Puts the blame of it all.

Where are the people who once smiled and said hello,
Where did they go?

Have I stayed away too long or is there really something really wrong?

So as I walk, through the city where I once lived,
And see this disease I’ve seen,
That destroys the reasons for being,
I can’t understand.

Allan Breed notably co-wrote “Frozen Sunshine” with Rick McClellan, which in recent years has become a well-known hit with retro club DJs, especially in Europe. Breed and McClellan collaborated on a number of songs, not all of which seem to have been released. The first may have been “Goodbye My Friend”, registered in 1966.

In May of 1968 they registered copyright on “City Where I Once Lived” and “Many’s the Time”. Allan Breed produced the songs with Steve Clark for release on their own label Treswood TW 101.

The following year, Lawrence Allen Breed and Rick McClellan wrote “Frozen Sunshine”, copyright registered in May of 1969. Breed and Mike Henderson (for Treswood Productions) produced that single on Ranwood R-849, and also his follow-up, “Redheaded Woman” / “2:30 in the Morning” for Quad Records QU 105, where Allan Breed was head of A&R.

Quad Records also reissued “Frozen Sunshine” with a different B-side, “Julie Makes It Right”. A Cash Box notice from July, 1970 lists some other Quad releases and notes Al Perry was executive vice-president of Quad. An ad in Cash Box from the same month for Four Star / Stellar Music / BNP Music Publishing lists Alfred Perry and Fred Benson as VP, and has Allan Breeds name but without title.

Later copyrights by Breed and McClellan include “By the Light in Your Eyes”, “Here Comes the Sun” and “Who Taught You”. I’m not sure if these were recorded or released.

Allan Breed would go on to produce a few more records with Mike Henderson, including two singles of Sandy & Dick St. John on Congress, and two by CaShears on pbm Records.

Steve Clark is likely the same person who partnered with Curt Boettcher in Our Productions (thanks for the tip Max Waller). Clark and Mike Henderson both worked on some Tommy Roe productions from this period.

Leon Starr was a Memphis, Tennessee musician whose roots go back to rockabilly days. In 1966 he had a country single “Honey Chile”, written by G. Huskey (Bill Huskey) and Johnny Surber, b/w “Have I Wasted My Time” by Arthur Kyle and Richard Needham, released on Millionaire Record Co.

His next single may have been this one, Leon Starr and the Fire Birds “Little Live Wire”, which gets a good sound by combining fuzz guitar with organ and a throbbing beat. I’d like to know which musicians were the Fire Birds.

Released on VU Record Co. 45-101, and recorded at Tempo Recording Studio in Memphis, as were all the singles on the VU label, I believe. Leon Starr produced both sides. VU Record Co. had at least five other singles, country and spiritual, by George Wilhite, Don Miller, Jerry Gillentine, and the Mellorettes.

Arthur Kyle wrote “Little Live Wire” (copyright registered in April, 1968) and co-wrote “Endless Dream” with Herchell Hunton (registered May, 1967).
Hernando Pub. Co. published both songs.

In 1970, Leon Starr also wrote a couple other songs with Arthur Kyle, “Go Ahead, Laugh” (with Marvin Griffith) and “Imitation of You”. I’m not sure if these were recorded.

Donny Guess sent in these photos of two bands from Levelland, Texas, just west of Lubbock. The Morticians would become the Shyles with different lineups over the years. I first encountered the Shyles name in a news clipping about a battle-of-the-bands in Brownfield, which featured a photo of the Charvonnes.

Donny writes:

The Shyles, a garage band from Levelland played venues in west Texas and eastern New Mexico from May 1965 to August 1968.

Their first gig was late May 1965 in Brownfield, TX, at a end of school year battle of the bands dance. At that time they didn’t have a name so the organizer for the youth center suggested the The Morticians, since the other band was the Undertakers. The youth director then suggested that both band members ride in the back of a pickup through town with a borrowed casket to promote the dance.

We did not record a record as the Shyles. One band member, who left the Shyles in late 1966 did record with another group, no details available though. As the Shyles we did make a trip to Norman Petty studios in Clovis to visit about cutting a record but were unable to raise the money to produce it.

We played mainly youth centers, ballrooms and National Guard armories.

Other members of the Shyles not in the photo include:

Ronnie Stoughton – guitar
Jan Pharis – drums

Here’s a mystery outfit, possibly a studio creation, from the Los Angeles area. With folk and pop strains, neither of their two singles is garage or rock, but each has some interesting moments.

I’m not sure of the order of release, but I have The Sounds of Phase III doing “Special Citation” and “La Bamba” on KarMil Records ‎631. Δ65687 in the runout dates it to February or March, 1967. The flip is “La Bamba”, arranged by Karlton, Miller and del Carmen, which interestingly has a Kavelin publishing credit.

I prefer “His Song” on their other single, Karmil Records presents The Sounds of PHASE THREE. Karl Karlton wrote “His Song”, backed with one I haven’t heard, “Lissy” (by Gooding-Nutting) produced by Gerry Nutting, on Karmil 2500. Publishing by Aim Co.

There is also a one-sided acetate I haven’t heard, The Sounds of Phase III from HR Recording Studios in Hollywood, with three songs, “Jamestown”, “Bill Bailey”, “So Fine”.

The Casket held weekend teen dances from June to November, 1967. The Casket had been the Rialto Theatre, which was built in 1938 on Water Street in Kerrville, Texas. Around 1957 it stopped showing movies, and for the next ten years was used for infrequent events like bingo games.

On June 7, 1967, the Kerrville Mountain Sun gave an introduction to the club by Edith Jennings:

Several young people with the assistance of the Kerrville Jaycees are renovating the building for use as a dance hall. The exterior has been painted a shocking wild pinkish-purple, and inside the theatre, the old seats have been stacked in the rear or lined against the walls. The theatre renamed “The Casket” has an ideal location for teenage dances and the added effects of the somewhat sloping floor (not too steep for dancing) and the murals, contributed by artist Ben Gebhardt, make it a place where teenagers feel they can really have a “blast!”

Friday, two weeks ago, the kick-off dance was held, another on Tuesday when a nationally famous band performed with the “Chapter 16” group… admission $1.25 stag and $2.50 drag. Dance times are eight to midnight…

A June 25, 1967 profile of the club by Frank Stevenson headlined “Teenagers ‘Rock’ In Jaycee Project’ is worth quoting in detail:

As you arrive at the door, you pay your money and your hand is stamped, apparently by a stamp which makes no mark. Then, when you pass through the lobby into where the band is playing, an area which appears to be a theatre with the seats removed, the place on your hand where you were stamped does indeed bear a mark, a mark which glows slightly.

Many other things are glowing too, and they are glowing a great deal more than slightly. Your clothes glow if they are the right color, as well as specks of lint unnoticed before, and the strange designs on the wall. Radium watch dials go crazy, glowing ten times brighter than they have ever shown before. And meanwhile the rock ‘n’ roll band plays on and the teenagers all around you dance and appear to be generally enjoying themselves…

The Casket, so named as a result of the contest held to rename the Rialto building, is the final product in the Jaycees project which began in May with a dance held at the National Guard Armory in co-operation with San Antonio radio station KTSA [Jim Jones & the Chaunteys according to the Daily Times on April 30, 1967]…

… the average attendance at the Casket dances runs more than 300, and has been up to 410 at one of the dances.

Working through Devine attorney Brock Huffman, who runs an establishment similar to the Casket called the Shaft in Devine, and who acts as agent for the Kerrville Jaycees, is contracting bands, the Jaycees are able to provide music by rock ‘n’ roll bands such as the Playboys of Edinburg and the Chayns.

Serving as emcee for the dances is Bruce Hathaway, KTSA disc jockey, who gives out free albums during the dances, and occasionally passes out even bigger prizes, such as the free tickets to the Jefferson Airplane performance in San Antonio several weeks ago…

Jim DeSha and Joe Schmerber … head up the operation…

What [parents] will find is a large number of teenagers having the right kind of fun in a wholesome atmosphere. The only thing to watch out for are the occasional strobe light shows, which although harmless, make walking difficult during the shows.

Some legendary Texas bands played the Casket in those five months.

Three members of the Thirteenth Floor Elevators came from Kerrville, but the band didn’t play any live shows in Kerrville to my knowledge, until a partial reunion in 1977.

Below is a list of show advertisements I have found from the Daily Times and the Mountain Sun:

1967:

Friday, June 9 – Chayns

Friday, June 16 – The Other Side

Saturday, June 17 – Jim Jones & the Chaunteys

Friday, June 23 – Zakary Thaks and Back Row Majority

Friday, July 7 – Translucent Umbrellas

Friday, July 14 – The Bourbons

Friday, July 21 – The Jumping Jades

Friday, July 28 – The Spiedels

Friday, August 4 – The Chayns

Friday, August 11 – The Jades

Friday, August 18 – Neal Ford and the Fanatics

Friday, August 25 – The Visions of Light

Saturday, September 9 – The Grim Reaper

Saturday, September 16 – The Outcasts

Saturday, September 23 – Translucent Umbrellas

Saturday, September 30 – The Chayns

Saturday, October 7 – The Absentees

Saturday, October 14 – The Extremes

Saturday, October 21 – Wink Kelso & the Kaleidoscopes

Saturday, October 28 – The Spiedels

Saturday, November 11 – The South Canadian Overflow

Saturday, November 18 – Madison Review

The Casket was used for one further show, on August 1, 1969 with the Union Jacks (“Notre Dame Youth Dance … Music by ‘Untion Jacks’ from San Antonio”), a band I’m not familiar with.

The Casket name may have been appropriate for the club. Joe Herring wrote in a 2018 post on the Rialto, “We neighborhood children found a way to get inside the place and explore; it was dark and spooky in there.”

The Rialto Theatre was torn down in 1974 and the space is still empty as of 2020.

In July, 1969, Jim DeSha organized a live show at Louise Hays Park with two bands, the Green Fog and Blue Cherry, according to the Kerrville Daily Times on July 3, 1969.

Does anyone have photos of the Casket or the Rialto at that time, or of any bands that played Kerrville during the mid-late ’60s?

Jimmie Bolado – guitar
Zeke Green – guitar
Jim Bisset – bass, sax
Mickey Drumm – drums (also Eddie Guererro – drums)

The Rel-Yea’s were young kids when they recorded their first two 45s on Wildcat Records in 1960.

Their second Wildcat single credits the band as “The Relyea’s From ‘The Ricci Ware Show’. Ricci Ware was a popular San Antonio DJ. Johnny Ware played sax with the group at times, I’m not sure if he was related to Ricci Ware. “Round Rock Boogie” includes someone named Ware as co-composer, but the Library of Congress registration only lists Zeke Green.

Beginning in 1963 the Rel-Yea’s released three singles on Kaye Records, which seems to have been their own label, located at 327 Shropshire Drive in San Antonio. “You Know How” is the second of these. Jimm Bissett and Jimmie Bolado sang lead vocals.

I found a notice for the Rel-Yea’s playing at the Arcadia Theatre in Kerrville on April 17, 1964. Bruce Hathaway, DJ at KTSA in San Antonio is also on the notice. The Arcardia was the primary movie theater in Kerrville, but this is the only live band notice I’ve found so far. The former Rialto Theatre hosted a number of live events in 1967.

A full discography for the Rel-Yea’s is at Rockin’ Country Style, and you can see a few photos of the group at Mean Gene’s Bull Session blog. Jimmie Bolado’s Facebook page has a number of photos of the group, including many with famous country & pop stars of the day, including George Jones and Roy Orbison.

I’d like to know more about the group. The Rel-Yea’s continued into the mid and late ’60s but the recordings stopped around 1964.

Blackwater is an early ’70s obscurity from the Algiers neighborhood of New Orleans.

“It Doesn’t Matter” is the rocking side, a successful performance. I like how the lead singer repeats “It don’t matter” but the title uses the more proper “Doesn’t”. I hear two lead guitars, piano, organ, bass and drums, plus the vocals.

The flip is a ballad with an uptempo middle, “Paper Airplanes”, written by Al Bernard and D. Stipp.

I have no info other than what is on the labels. Al Bernard arranged both sides, with Werdina Music publishing.

I don’t know of any other releases on Bernwald Records; the address was 2621 Gallinghouse St, New Orleans.

Unit VI is an unknown group, possibly from the Louisville, Kentucky area, but also possibly from southern Indiana.

“About that Time” is a good garage original, danceable but relaxed. “Mother May I” has a chunky rhythm. R. Bundy and A. Stultz wrote both songs.

I’ve searched for info on the group but have no leads yet.

The publishing of both songs is Brownsboro Music SESAC, unusual for Trump singles, which usually have Falls Music publishing.

The Precision Record Pressing codes of PRP-211/2 date this to early or mid 1967.

The Trojans of Evol came out of the Gary, Indiana area, and cut one amazing single in early 1967. The band members were:

Ted Zale – lead singer and keyboards
Steve Polomchak – lead guitar and keyboards
Chuck Kukelka – rhythm guitar
Barry Ardell – bass guitar
Curt Burgess – drums

Carlo Espero contacted one of the members and received this short history of the Trojans of Evol:

Songs were recorded at Columbia Studios in Chicago. Ted wrote the lyrics and Ted and Steve wrote the music [for “Why Girl”]. They were just a garage band that played at parties and small events in the area. The record got a lot of airplay on the local radio station in Gary, Indiana and jukeboxes across the area (where we all grew up) and made it to the top of the chart. Steve was invited to play with the Buckinghams when they were looking for a new guitar player. We have no pictures but I can try to find some for you.

Ted Zale wrote “Why Girl”, arranged by Steve Polomchak. The label credits Barry Ardell and Steve Polomchak as writers of “Through the Night”, arranged by Curt Burgess and Barry Ardell.

Released on their own T.O.E. label with a Columbia custom pressing code of ZTSC-125969/70.

If anyone has photos or more info on the band, please contact me!

The Motleys were an actual band, though the lineup I see online is partly incorrect. Harvey Price (now known as Mike Price) and Mitch Bottler formed the group at Fairfax High School. It seems Mitch Bottler became more of a behind-the-scenes song writer with the group as it settled into the lineup for its two singles on Valiant:

Mike Price – guitar and vocals
Dan Walsh – lead guitar and vocals
Steve Adler – bass and vocals
Bob Carefield – drums

Dan Walsh’s brother John Walsh produced some demos at Gold Star that have not been released, but the Valiant contract came from an audition for Bodie Chandler, Barry DeVorzon and Don & Dick Addrisi.

Bodie Chandler and Edward McKendry wrote the top side of their first Valiant single, “I’ll See Your Light”, arranged by P. Botkin, Jr. Bodie Chandler and Barry DeVorzon wrote the rockin’ flip, “Louisiana”.

Billboard and Cash box reviewed the single, with Cash Box labeling it as “Newcomer Pick”, saying “Deejays should come out in droves”. That didn’t happen, and in retrospect I wonder if “Louisiana” may have been the more commercial side. The group did appear on 9th Street West to promote the single.

Mitchell Bottler and Michael Price wrote both sides of their second single, released on Valiant Records V-739 in February, 1966.

“You” is very different from their first single, more complex but also more pop, and with piano the lead instrument. “My Race Is Run” features the group’s harmonies.

Sherman-DeVorzon Music published “You” and “My Race Is Run”. I found a February 1966 copyright registration for a song that may have never been released, “Rain on Down the Line” with words by Harvey Price and Jack Herschorn and music by Mitch Bottler.

Valiant kept Mike Price and Mitch Bottler signed as song writers, and they added Dan Walsh to their team when he brought them a song “Carnival of Life” (the demo for which seems lost unfortunately).

At this point, they met producer Gary Zekley who asked them to wrote songs for the Looking Glass and the Visions. Rev-Ola’s Temptation Eyes: The Price & Walsh Songbook lists the top session musicians who played on their demos, like Hal Blaine, Bodie Chandler and Carol Kaye. I suspect these musicians also played on the Motleys singles.

Price, Walsh started work on an album with Zekley (with Mitch Bottler assisting in the song writing) that was never completed. Price and Walsh went on to much success as a song-writing team, which Mitch Bottler continued to work with Zekley for a time.

Zekley was not in the Motleys, despite repeated incorrect statements on the internet.

Rev-Ola’s Temptation Eyes: The Price & Walsh Songbook has a photo of the Motleys. Steve Stanley’s extensive liner notes to that CD was the main source for this article.

I have no leads on the Federal Fugitives. “Woman of Stone” is a good light-psychedelic original by Ledbetter and Stone. Jim Youmans (of the Swingin’ Apollos) did a fine job of production.

The musicians are accomplished, I wonder if the Federal Fugitives is a pseudonym for another group.

Ledbetter and Stone also wrote the harmony-filled ballad flip, “Just Remember”.

Released on Youmer Records Incorporated, YM 1002 with an address of 524 Plasters Ave, in Atlanta. Youmer’s first release was the Sons of Bach, “Stubborn Kind of Fellow” / “I Knew I’d Want You”, which I haven’t heard. Youmans produced this one too. Without original songs, there’s even less chance of finding out who played on that record.

Both songs published by Margie Music BMI, which was based in Decatur, but I can’t find registrations for either.

I found a previously unknown poster for Martha’s Laundry on Sunday, September 24, 1967. The venue was The Balloon at 1031 Kearny in the North Beach neighborhood of San Francisco.

The building still exists. When it opened as The Red Balloon on April 1, 1953, it was an indoor amusement center. By 1967, the name shortened to The Balloon,  and the entertainment had changed to “Topless Games” including “topless ping pong”. In April 1967 it had a short-lived name, La Carnaval, with “topless rassling”.  In December 1967 it advertised as a “Cellar Cabaret” with an underground theatre performance. In 1977 it started a long run as the Palladium Club.

As far as I can make out, the poster art was by by “Eli Lcon”, but I could be misreading that.

There are images of posters and flyers for Martha’s Laundry shows in Concord, Berkeley and Santa Cruz, but I hadn’t seen this one before.

Members of Martha’s Laundry were:

Jim Lehman – lead guitar
Tom Peterain – rhythm guitar
David Kessner – keyboards
Richard Wilkins, then Michael Husser – bass
Randy Smith – drums

The only information on the group comes from an interview that Mike Dugo did with bassist Michael Husser circa 2008, which I’ll quote a section of because it is no longer on the web:

We played diverse locations such as Pauly Ballroom at U.C. Berkeley, The Straight Theatre on Height Street in San Francisco, The Family Dog at The Avalon Ballroom in San Francisco, and private parties. We even played for the ordination of an Episcopal Minister in Berkeley and were mentioned in and article in Time Magazine relating to the event (the issue dates from March 22, 1968 and the article was entitled, “Hippie Ordination”). I don’t remember playing teen clubs and we didn’t play any band battles; we only played places that guaranteed our fee. We did play some festivals with Creedence Clearwater Revival as the headliner.

We played blues and worked on jazz arrangements to blues tunes. Our influences were Gary Burton’s album Lofty Fake Anagram and the first Moby Grape album.

We didn’t play original material and didn’t think people would buy arrangements of known songs. We played primarily covers of somewhat obscure blues songs.

Randy, Jim and Dave started a music store in Berkeley called Prune Music. Jim left to move to Texas and start his own music store. Randy and Dave moved Prune Music to Mill Valley, California. Randy started working on guitar amplifiers and formed a company called Mesa Engineering … Randy then named his amps Mesa Boogie.

Jim’s music store in Austin, Texas is called Guitar Rez.

Dave Kessner had played with many bands including Cold Blood.

I later played with Little Richard, Elvin Bishop, Harvey Mandel and other artists in the Bay area and then started a band called Moon Rose Forest. We recorded a live album with Buffy Sainte-Marie in December of 1968 at the Troubadour in Los Angeles. In ’69 I returned to the Bay area and then moved to New Mexico where I lived on the Acoma Pueblo Reservation and recorded an album of music with tribal members. I then moved to Albuquerque and began a career in broadcast television as an audio and video engineer.

Thank you to Derek Taylor, John Pitts and Vance Pollock for help with background on the Balloon. Any info on the ’50s and ’60s incarnations of 1031 Kearny, the poster artist or Martha’s Laundry would be appreciated.

Think of the Artistics and you’ll probably recall the R&B vocal group who struck gold with “I’m Gonna Miss You” in 1966. But a lesser known group by the same name became the definitive soul band in Southside Virginia in the early 70s. Formed by neighbors and school friends, the Artistics got together in 1970 around the nucleus of guitarist Joe “Guitar Man” Moore, bassist Jonathan “J.D.” Oliver and vocalist, John Clark.

Kathy Moore Cobbs, Joe’s sister, recalls Joe, John and J.D. rehearsing in her mother’s basement on several occasions and says they already sounded as good as the songs on the radio. Clark recalls that the trio “used to play a little bit, just jammin’ around” at Westmoreland School in their neighborhood. All attended George Washington High School in Danville and knew brothers Keith and Dale Wiley, who played drums and keyboards, respectively. The three had heard that the brothers wanted to form a band, so the five got together and moved the practice sessions to the Wiley’s garage. Shortly thereafter, the teens caught the attention of Langston Band Director Robert Hickson, who agreed to manage the as yet unnamed group.
Classmate Sharon Miller-Ranson remembers those early days well and standing on the corner of Cabell and Monument streets where “John Clark would start singing and we would have a concert in front of Cassidy’s Store.” Lula Dickerson said Joe Moore’s musical prowess was obvious from an early age and remembers his performance of “If I Had a Hammer” during the talent show at I.W. Taylor Elementary School.

The 17-year-old Clark was in 10th grade and recalls that they recruited three trumpet players: Clyde McCoy, Norman Brooks and Barry Price, all of whom played together in the high school band. Clark had just started playing drums but quickly became proficient on the instrument, allowing Keith Wiley to switch from percussion to organ. The move was necessitated by Dale Wiley’s departure to attend college.

Now with a complete rhythm and brass section, all they needed was a name. Rehearsals were moved to “a little place Hickson had” as they prepared for their first gig. They were to perform at the Top of the Stairs Club when a major snowstorm blanketed the city. The group members were riding around downtown trying to come up with a name just a few hours before they were due on stage. They rode down Union Street and passed Danville’s only licensed cosmetology school, Artistic Beauty College. Clark noticed the sign out front and said: “What about the Artistics?” Not knowing that there was already a professional band with the same moniker on Brunswick Records, the other band members agreed and the Artistics were born.

An early, memorable performance was in 1971 before hundreds of enthusiastic fans on the football field at their alma mater, George Washington High School. The seven-piece outfit included a trumpet section and Brooks, Price and McCoy choreographed their synchronized dance steps for the show. The trio also wore matching shirts and slacks. The brass section made a grand entrance, riding up to the stage in a convertible.

The Artistics were the only soul act on the bill and shared the stage with four rock bands. Clark recalls that their PA system was “lackluster” so all of the groups pooled their equipment and shared a set of drums.

A review of the performance noted that drummer-singer John Clark “placed heavy accents on such soulful hits as (the Jackson 5’s) ‘Never Can Say Goodbye’ and the Temptations’ ‘Just My Imagination.’” Their final number, Kool and the Gang’s “Who’s Gonna Take the Weight,” brought the crowd to their feet and had some dancing in the stadium.

J.D. was unavailable for the spring concert and guitarist Steve Eckles was recruited to fill-in on bass. Eckles was the only white member in the aggregation and the group would often rehearse at his parents Broad Street home. He was an excellent lead guitarist in his own right and was already a veteran of the local music scene, having played with many of the Artistics’ members in various bands at the El Dorado, a Black nightclub on the outskirts of town. Eckles also did arrangements for the band, allowing the brass to play string parts, adding depth to their live performances.

The band continued to perform frequently at country clubs and on college campuses in Virginia and North Carolina and managed to secure a spot as the opening act for James Brown during his tour of small cities on the Chitlin’ Circuit in late 1971. Brown was booked to play the Danville City Auditorium on Monday, Dec. 27, 1971. Clark remembers that the Artistics were practicing one night when their manager stopped by and asked if they’d like to open for the Godfather of Soul. The band viewed it as a great opportunity for exposure and as a chance to make a little money. They were right on at least one count: The concert was well advertised but no cash changed hands. Clark said their manager informed the band members that this was their lucky break and that the show “was just gonna be for some publicity.”

This was the first time the Artistics had shared the stage with a professional act and Clark admits all were a little nervous, especially about their equipment. The roadies had refused their request to share his sound system; however, Brown overheard the discussion and told his crew to “let the guys use it.” They held their own and even got the attention of Brown’s backing band, the J.B.’s. The members rushed from backstage when they heard the Artistics covering Dennis Coffey’s instrumental hit “Scorpio,” note-for-note. While theirs was a small group with just three pieces of brass, Clark insists they “sounded just as good as Brown’s band.”

The show was on a Monday night and attendance didn’t meet expectations. Apparently sometime during the concert the top to Brown’s convertible was cut and he vowed never perform in Danville again. Clark doesn’t recall that incident but said Brown was disappointed with the turnout and announced from the stage that he would not be returning. Mr. Dynamite kept his promise.

The band entered the studio on at least one occasion, cutting a 45 at Triangle Recording Studios in North Carolina. The soul-tinged gospel tune, “The Handwriting is on the Wall,” was written by Keith Wiley. The Artistics traveled to Winston-Salem for the sessions. Clark plays on the track but doesn’t sing. The vocal chores were handled by Wiley, who would later enter the ministry. The single had a limited pressing on Triad Records, an independent label that specialized in gospel, bluegrass and country releases by local artists.

Equally rare is a 45 organist Keith Wiley wrote and recorded with the Symphonics in 1973 at Crescent City Sound Studios, Inc. in Greensboro, N.C. Crescent City was founded by Walt Copeland, who managed the studio and doubled as chief engineer. “Ooh Wee, Thank You for Choosing Me” (Crescent City Sound Studios – CCCSS 1223) is a soulful ballad featuring Ronald James and two male vocalists on a double lead falsetto reminiscent of the Delfonics and the Stylistics. The instrumental flip side, “Symphonic Strut,” includes some funky organ work from Wiley and James solid drumming.

The Symphonics were based in Yanceyville, N.C. and leader Ronald James played drums. Clark describes them as “a rival band,” that included a female bass player whose brother was also in the group. According to Clark, James later transferred to G.W. High School and went on to attend the Boston Conservatory of Music before returning to the area.

Most members of the Artistics were in the Class of 1973 and pursued other interests after high school. Wiley, Brooks, Price and McCoy all went on to college, while Oliver joined the Marines. Not ready to throw in the towel, Clark regrouped and enlisted brothers James and Grayling Covington on keyboards and bass. Grayling already knew the book, having followed the band to concerts and rehearsals. He also had a reputation as one of the finest bass players on the local scene. Joe Moore continued on guitar with Clark on drums and vocals.

The reformed band continued on the road but some of the members felt that a more “dynamic” name was needed. They decided on “Treachery.” Clark doesn’t recall the year Treachery called it quits but remembers the incident that led to their split. Treachery had landed a regular gig at a VFW Post in South Boston, Va., earning $900 a night. That was unheard of amount at the time and allowed the members to keep a little money and upgrade their equipment. All was well until the night a coat belonging to the wife of a prominent guest went missing. A girlfriend of a band member was accused of the theft. While she didn’t take the fur, the incident ended their residency and the band.

All of the members went on to successful careers, albeit not in the field of music.

Joseph “Joe” Moore served for 20 years in the U.S. Navy. He lived in Norfolk and Hampton, Va., where he worked for the Navy Material Transportation Office until retirement in 1995. While living in the Tidewater area, Joe continued his musical indulgence. He organized gospel music groups, played guitar for Queen Street Baptist Church in Hampton and New Beech Grove Baptist Church in Newport News, Va. Moore returned to Danville and became a music instructor, giving lessons to young aspiring guitarists. He would sometimes play guitar during morning services at Pleasant Chapel Baptist Church in Sutherlin, Va. Moore died on Jan. 30, 2011.

Brothers Keith and Dale M. Wiley both enjoyed successful careers in separate fields. Dr. Keith B. Wiley became a minister and served as pastor of several churches before his death in November 2003 in Wilmington, Va. His brother, Dale, finished law school and returned to his hometown, where he worked as a defense attorney before being named Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court judge for the city of Danville. He is currently the presiding judge over the 22nd Judicial Circuit of Virginia.

Jonathan “J.D.” Oliver joined the Marines and attended Coastal Carolina Community College in Jacksonville. He now lives in Lexington Park, Maryland, where he works for Wyle Laboratories. John Clark is retired but continues to work driving a Yellow Cab. He and his wife have a home in Danville. Grayling Covington still lives in Danville, while his brother, James, moved to Burlington, N.C. At last report, Norman Brooks was living in Richmond, Va.

A high school reunion at Langston in 2015 brought some of the surviving members together again, 45 years after their first practice. Classmates still remembered the group and the music they created. That doesn’t surprise Clark, who says the members “were all perfectionists” and played for an audience who expected their music to sound “just like the record.” They succeeded.

Little John and the Monks came out of Klamath Falls, Oregon. Tom Davis, a singer from Scotland, founded the group as the Nomads and changed it to Little John and the Monks when they went to Eugene. The membership changed frequently in the few years the band lasted.

Members included:

Lloyd Barnhurst – ?
Tom Davis – vocals
Luis Weathers – bass guitar
Davy Jones – saxophone
Clark Lynch – drums
Stan Brawn – lead guitar
Bob DiMartino – keyboards
Larry Harding – lead guitar
Dennis Baldwin – ?
Lee Wilson – bass
Bob Martin – drums

In late 1965 the group cut Tom Davis’ original song “Black Winds” backed with a cover of “Needles and Pins” on Jerden 775. Many years later, an unreleased song, “Too Many People” appeared on Big Beat’s Northwest Battle of the Bands Volume 3 showing a tougher sound for the group.

Tork Publishing, perhaps meant for release on Tork, which did release the Moguls ‎– “Round Randy” / “Another Day”.

Anyone have good photos of the group? I’d also like to know who played on what recordings.

Keyboard player Jack Ellis wrote to me about his three bands: the Warlords, who didn’t record; Hunger, who cut a rare 45 “Freedom Today” / “Buy Me” and an unreleased album; and the Spores who released an EP and have the lead-off track “Don’t You Worry” on Varulven’s 1983 compilation, Boston Rock-N-Roll Anthology.

The Warlords

Terry Stead – lead vocals
Roger Smith – guitar
Jack Ellis – keyboards
Sam Harrell – bass
Randy Hill – drums

Manager – Wilson Harrell

When I was 14 years old I got a Acetone organ for Christmas. It was a suitcase organ that you store the legs in the back and screw them in and set it up. When I told my friends at school (Denbigh High School in Newport News, Virginia), that was the beginning of the band. We all used Sears Silvertone amps (they were cheap and you could get them at the Sears store). We practiced at bass player Sam Harrell’s house.

His father Wilson Harrell heard the band and wanted to be the manager. He quit his paint salesman job and became our manager and booking agent full time. Wilson soon became the biggest talent booking agency in the area (Check Productions), covering the VA. Beach, Norfolk, Newport News, Williamsburg, Richmond area and was booking hundreds of bands every week. Having a built in booking agency gave us an advantage over all the competition and the Warlords were booked solid.

Wilson brought in a singer named Pete to sing the soul and Motown songs for the fraternity parties, and Terry would sing the rock songs. Our first gigs were frat parties at Fraternity Row at William and Mary College.

There was a road with 10 to 20 frat houses where bands like Bill Deal and the Rondells and Danny & the Delnotes would be playing next door to us. During our breaks we would go down the Row and check out the bands who came from different cities and places and there would be all new bands the next week. All the other bands’ trailers, trucks and buses would be parked on that street. The Warlords had a white trailer painted like our business card so we would get gigs from people walking by and hearing the band. Soon we were playing college gigs from Norfolk to Richmond.

One night after a fraternity party gig someone crashed into our white trailer that was parked in front of Wilson’s house with all the equipment in it and destroyed the trailer and everything in it. The insurance company paid to fix the trailer and equipment. The band went to Chuck Levin’s Music outside of Washington D.C. and we bought 3 Vox Buckingham amps as a package deal. The drummer had Ludwig drums. My organ survived the crash so I still had that. We started with some kind of horn type p.a. and then upgraded to Vocal Master p.a. columns.

Wilson became one of the biggest talent booking agency (Check Productions) in the area, covering from Nags Head, Va. Beach, Hampton, Newport News, Williamsburg to Richmond. The Warlords played all the clubs including the military base clubs in Norfolk and Ft. Eustis. Wilson Harrell taught me the music business, without Wilson I wouldn’t be who I am. Wilson is the man who fueled the Tidewater Music scene and promoted hundreds of bands and gave them jobs in the music industry. Wilson and Sam are no longer with us.

The Hullabaloo picture is with a guest guitarist from The Wild Kingdom who played the gig with us.

Unfortunately the drummer Randy’s father pulled him out of the band. He was replaced by Bobby Pinner.

Hunger

Terry Stead – lead vocals
Robbie Robertson – guitar
Mike Hanson – guitar
Jack Ellis – keyboards
Scott Tribue – bass
Stan Eury – drums

After the Warlords I started a new band called Hunger (1970) based out of Newport News. Our biggest competitors The Swinging Machines and The Wild Kingdom were gone and I ended up with Robbie Robertson from The Wild Kingdom as one of Hunger’s guitar players.

We were playing in Washington D.C. when we got a record deal with Paul Simon’s studio in Nashville. After Nashville, Hunger went back to Newport News where we did the Va. Beach, Nags Head club circuit, plus outdoor concerts with Grand Funk, Poco, and any festival that needed a band. The 45 is rare. There were only 200 pressed that went to the band family members and friends (gone instantly).

We were still booking gigs with Wilson Harrell. Wilson got us a deal with the USO Show circuit for the military to fly to Cuba and Puerto Rico to do clubs and concerts at Gitmo and Roosevelt Rds. These gigs would be for a week at a time (a vacation in paradise). Playing gigs was my job and paid very well. I also played with the Norfolk Aliens for a short while.

The Hunger band equipment was massive. Wilson taught me if you look big you are big.

Keyboards:

Hammond C5 (CV) with 122 leslie speaker cabinet
Baldwin Electric Harpsichord
Hohner D6 Clavinet
Wurlitzer Electric Piano
Mini Moog Model D

Keys amp system: 4-Fender Showman cabinets which I bought used and replaced the speakers with Electrolux SRO (4-15”s) and JBL (4-15”s). I would stack 2 each on their sides making a wall behind me.

On top of that were two Marshall amps (1-100 watt and 1-50 watt). Yamaha board to mix instruments and send them to the amps, 2 mics on the leslie.

Mike Hanson – two Fender twin reverb amps with 2 Fender Bandmaster extension cabinets (8-12” speakers all together), cherry sunburst Gibson Les Paul guitar.

Robbie Robertson – two Fender Band Master amps (4-12”speakers), brown Gibson Les Paul with Fender neck he built himself (not sure if strat or telecaster neck, had a small headstock).

Scott Tribue: Ampeg bass amp with extension cab.

Band PA: Two Voice of The theatre bass cabinets with JBL 15” speakers, JBL horn with 2440 compression driver on top on each side/, 2-Crown power amps on each side. Don’t remember the board (some kind of English board had a British flag emblem on it).

We had a bread truck with the sliding front doors that could carry all the equipment and two roadies to drive it and set up the equipment. All equipment was paid for from gig money since none of us worked. We latter bought a school bus that we painted dark green and gutted, turning it into a camper. We left two bus seats up front on each side, built a wall to block off the sleeping section (3 bunks on one side and 2 on the other) another wall to section off the equipment in the rear.

Every time we went through the Norfolk tunnel we had to pay for a bus toll which was very expensive. The toll guy told us if we put in a stove and propane tank we would classify as a camper, so we went to the junk yard and bought a gas stove and an empty propane tank and hooked it up. It was all for looks and didn’t work. Our tolls were now $1.75 and the toll guy would get on the bus with his flashlight every time and check it out.

We would take turns driving from Washington D.C. to Georgia so you could sleep if you wanted or if we were playing more than one night we could crash for the night or party in the bus. When the equipment was in the club the back of the bus was huge. While on the road we would run into the Allman Brothers, Cactus and other bands doing the same circuit. All the bands would stop at The Jolly Roger right before the Norfolk tunnel for a beer and we would always stop to see who was in. Someone always had to stay with the bus so it wouldn’t be stolen with all the gear in it. It was usually someone who was sleeping.

The Spores

Donnie Prevost – lead vocals
Paul Mudarri – lead guitar
Ken MacDonald – rhythm guitar
Jack Ellis – keyboards
Mike Debellis – bass, replaced by Joe Evans
John Cristoferi – drums, replaced by Dennis DuBre

The whole time I was playing I was still training as a classical pianist (since age of 6). While in Hunger I came in second 2nd place at the Va. State Classical Competitions and in 1978 decided to move to Boston to further my studies at Berkeley College of Music where I got my diploma after four years.

While I was in school I joined the Spores, a rock band in Boston and I’ve been busy ever since. When I joined they were already playing steady so I just walked in ready to go. Their business organization was top notch. They had a red moving truck and an unbelievable rehearsal situation. One of the guys lived in the studio, it was huge. It use to be a gym that went out of business that the band picked up the rent. It was two stories with office rooms, showers, a huge changing room with lockers, a lounge and a full kitchen.

The manager was Jim Higgins who was in charge of a concert sound system company and the PA system was twice the size of Hunger’s. The PA was so massive the road crew would build a ramp system from the truck to the stage and wheel everything in. The sound man Jeff Karlson knew his stuff and worked concerts for the rock star bands.

One thing the Spores did that my old bands didn’t was record every show from the house mix. We would listen to each show the next day after the gig in the office of the studio as a band and improve on the show. I have two big bins full of cassette tapes. Also whatever big bands were using our PA we would record them too. I have tapes of Robin Lane and the Chart Busters, Orchestra Luna (great band, very novel), The Dead End Kids, The Verdict, maybe The Stompers and The Fools. These bands don’t know these tapes exist, we just threw them in the bins and moved on.

We were getting recording deals and working for Don Law Productions. We would get the albums recorded but couldn’t close the deal with the record company. We had a deal with Hirsh Gardner from the band New England who produced our album. They toured with Kiss and the deal was with their management company in New York. Alda Nova got the deal and I don’t blame them, that was a great song for the radio. I got the album done for free and pressed it myself in New York. Same thing with the Hunger album. I signed the deal but it never got off the shelf, so I got the album for free and pressed it myself.

The Spores only lasted til 1983 with over 100 originals recorded and thousands of hours of live tape, the quality is excellent.

After that I played in other bands, some really big, some not, sometimes three bands at a time. Lots of studio gigs (worked with Stones producer Jimmy Miller on an album project). In 2000 I did another album with the Spores in my home studio which came out pretty good and another in 2005 which was never finished. The singer and songwriter Donny got cancer and died and we never finished it.

I’ve had two more recording deals while in Boston and during Covid I’m working on another album in the studio.

Jack Ellis

The Bobbies came from Florence, Alabama, cutting this one fine single, “(She) Put Me Down” parts 1 and 2 in June, 1966. Members included:

Bobby Heathcoat – lead vocals
Richard Hahn – organ
Glenn Hall – bass

– but I don’t know the other names of the group.

Sonny Limbo (real name Robert Limbaugh, I believe) was a DJ at WAAY in Huntsville, Alabama, about 72 miles east of Florence. I am not sure how he found the Bobbies, but Sonny had been hipped to local Huntsville group the In. The In recorded a demo of “Just Give Me Time” at Bobby Land’s studio in Huntsville and asked Sonny to produce a finished version. Sonny brought both groups, the In and the Bobbies to Sonic Recording in Memphis to share a four hour session.

The In’s session would lead to a national release on Hickory of “Just Give Me Time” / “In the Midnight Hour”. In an interesting twist on the usual sequence of local-to-national release, Hickory dropped the group (supposedly because their session was non-union), and Limbo released the songs locally on his own label, pairing “‘Live’ in the Midnight Hour” with “You’re So Fine” for Sonny 45-1002, and “Just Give Me Time” with Eddie Burton’s original “You’re Not Gonna Live Forever” for Sonny 45-1004.

Limbo released the Bobbies single on Sonny Records 45-1001. I’m not sure what songs the Bobbies planned on recording when they went into the session, but Sonic Recording owner Roland Janes gets writing credit for “(She) Put Me Down”.

I expect there is a Sonny 45-1003 out there but if so, I haven’t seen it.

The A-side of the Bobbies received a B+ in the July 30, 1966 issue of Cash Box.

Richard Hahn would go on to join the In.

I couldn’t find any news clippings for the Bobbies, but did turn up this interesting mention of an early version of the In, calling themselves the Wessex Combo for the 14th birthday party of Miss Jeannie Sharpe, the band featuring Bill Peck, George Vail, Chet Nolette, Eddie Burton and Fred Sanders. It was published in the Decatur Daily (Decatur Alabama that is), on April 28, 1965.

By the time of their Memphis recordings, Chet Nolette was out of the group and the In consisted of Bobby Land – lead and backing vocals and organ, Eddie Burton – lead and backing vocals and lead guitar, Bill Peck – lead and backing vocals and rhythm guitar, Fred Sanders – lead and backing vocals and bass, and George Vail – drums. Later on Jackie Tiller would play bass for the group.

Anyone have a good photo of either group?

Info for this article comes from Jeff Jarema’s interviews with Eddie Burton of the In on the Sundazed and 60sgaragebands.com sites, both now defunct.