Category Archives: Montgomery

The Rockin’ Gibralters of Montgomery, AL

Rockin’ Gibralters, from left: Rusty Crumpton, Ronnie Monroe, Sonny Grier (seated), Ed Sanford, Bobby DuPree and Keith Brewer

Rockin' Gibralters Morgan 45 Go With MeThe Rockin’ Gibralters came out of Montgomery, Alabama, making four singles between 1966 and 1968.

Members were:

Sonny Grier – vocals
Rusty Crumpton – lead guitar
Ed Sanford – keyboards
Keith Brewer – bass guitar
Bobby DuPree – drums
Ronnie Monroe – trumpet (and roadie?)

I haven’t been able to find details about their history yet.

Rockin' Gibralters RG 45 Bug of SoulI’m not sure which was their first single but it may have been “Go With Me” / “Signed, Sealed and Delivered” on Morgan HV-9040 from 1966. Sonny Grier and Keith Brewer wrote “Go With Me”, with publishing by Granny Music. The band’s name is spelled Rockin’ Gibraltars on the labels.

This is their most “garage” single, with harmonica but no trumpet, and some great screams from Sonny Grier on “Signed, Sealed and Delivered”.

The Rockin’ Gibralters next single was probably “It Will Stand” / “I Can’t Help Myself (For Loving You)” on Empire 447. The B-side is another original by Brewer and Grier, which I haven’t heard yet.

The Gibralters released their next two singles on their own RG Records label, fashioning a fine soul sound on each. The different label designs and numbering suggest different studios or pressing plants.

Rockin' Gibralters RG 45 What's Your Hurry“Bug of Soul” is an original by Rusty Crumpton and Ed Sanford, on RG Records 480. The trumpet plays an important part in the sound of the band by this time. I’m not sure if “It Will Stand” is the same version as the Empire single or a new take. Release date was about November 1966.

“What’s Your Hurry” is their most produced single, with what sounds like vibraphone as well as piano. Crumpton, Sanford, and Grier wrote that side, while Crumpton, Sanford and Brewer wrote “The Bare Essential”, the ostensible A-side, though I haven’t yet heard it. Lowery Music Inc. published both songs. Release was December, 1968.

In 1968, Ed Sanford, Keith Brewer and Bobby DuPree would form a group called Heart, with Johnny Townsend and Tippy Armstrong of Tuscaloosa’s Magnificent Seven / Rubber Band. Heart would play the Whisky a Go-Go in Los Angeles and cut one single on Reprise Records 0772, “The Train” (J. Townsend) / “Heartbeat” (Brewer-Sanford-Townsend-Dupree-Crumpton), both Hollytex Music Co. and produced by Bob Hinkle.

I’m not sure what Sonny Grier, Rusty Crumpton or Ronnie Monroe did after the breakup of the Rockin’ Gibralters.

Rockin’ Gibralters discography:

Morgan HV-9040 – “Go With Me” (S. Grier, K. Brewer) / “Signed, Sealed and Delivered” (TK4M-2418/9) 1966

Empire 447 – “It Will Stand” / “I Can’t Help Myself (For Loving You)” (Brewer, Grier, pub Fame Pub. Co BMI) SO 3338/9

RG Records 480 – “Bug of Soul” (Crumpton, Sanford) / “It Will Stand” November 1966

RG Records 1118 – “The Bare Essential” (Crumpton, Sanford, Brewer) / “What’s Your Hurry” (Crumpton, Sanford, Grier) both Lowery Music Inc., BMI

The photo at top came from the very interesting Tuscaloosa Beach Music site which is now unfortunately defunct but available, in part, on the Internet Archive.

The Hey Baby Days site has a few more photos of the Rockin’ Gibralters, including on stage at the City Auditorium.

The Rogues “Put You Down”

The Rogues of Montgomery on WSFA, Rich Gainer on vocals
The Rogues of Montgomery on WSFA, Rich Gainer on vocals

Rogues MBM 45 Put You DownThe Rogues of Montgomery, AL cut one great rock single, “Put You Down” b/w a version of “Stormy Monday Blues”.

“Put You Down” was written by lead guitarist Max Kendrick and vocalist Rich Gainer. The Rogues recorded the 45 in February of 1966, for MBM Records, a Birmingham, Alabama label that goes back to the early ’60s.

For years this group was assumed to be the same as the Rogues and the Dry Grins of Lafayette, Louisiana, but I’ve heard from Rich Gainer through his daughter, Dorian, who sent in the photo above, showing the group playing live on WSFA TV in Montgomery.

Rich Gainer provides this history of the band:

The Rogues were founded in mid-1965 as a result of my being stationed at Maxwell USAF Base in Montgomery, Alabama, and meeting Bill Myers (rhythm guitar and vocals), Larry Taylor (Hofner bass), and Casey Bolt (drums), officers’ kids whose Dads had recently been reassigned there from Germany. These teens had been playing music in a band in Germany at the time the Beatles were popular and playing there, and had picked up on the style of British Invasion groups. From the time we first met and practiced together a little bit, we were getting bookings at area military and off-base clubs, and were playing gigs several times a week.

Early-on, we were introduced to Max Kendrick who would become our excellent lead guitar player, sporting his Fender Jazzmaster and Rickenbacker 12 string. Max’s Dad was the Colonel in charge of AU TV on base, and we were among the first groups to pioneer videos. Keyboards came later in the form of Max’s cousin Frank, for whom we purchased a Vox Continental organ. Through the time the Rogues were together 1965-1969, we also had the services of Joe Tucker at lead guitar and Dan Fucci who very quickly learned to play the drums in order to become our drummer.

Max and I wrote the song “Put You Down”, which we recorded for the MBM label in a Muscle Shoals, Alabama studio in 1966. Colonel Taylor, our bass player’s Dad, made the recording deal with the studio in Muscle Shoals (think it was FAME) which included the label deal with MBM. The song actually topped the charts on WBAM in Montgomery, AL for a few weeks which gave us introductions to the British Invasion groups coming through Montgomery for the Big BAM shows held at the Coliseum for many years, like The Who, The Hollies, The Blues Magoos, The Kinks, and many more including American groups like The Beach Boys, The Beau Brummels, The Turtles, and so on. Best bands we met and heard in person – The Byrds – magical and electric, and The Beach Boys – amazing sound.

We were scheduled to open for Paul Revere and the Raiders at the first WHHY Show at The Coliseum, but they wheeled out their Vox Super Beatle Amps and bulldozed our equipment off the stage some 10-12 foot drop.

We started playing teen clubs in rural Alabama, Georgia, and North Florida, and hired R. L. and Granny Davis, owners of The Opp Teen Club as booking agents for a couple of years. We were in that scene at the same time as The Rockin’ Gibraltars, The K-Otics, The James Gang, and The Candymen to name a few.

In 1968, when my Air Force time was up, the group split up. Larry and Dan became B52 pilots like their Dads, and Bill took over his Dad’s real estate business in Montgomery. Lost track of Casey and Max and the others, but would like to reconnect if it were possible. I went on to write more songs and record in Nashville for a few years with limited success through the 1990’s. Hank Tubb was my alias when I did comedy along with music. See https://www.reverbnation/hicksintrucks

Q. How many records pressed up? It’s very rare nowadays.

Probably a 1000 copies pressed. I used to have a few dozen but don’t know what happened to them over the years.

Q. Did the band play “Put You Down” at live shows?

Yes, played “Put You Down” everywhere, especially when it was on WBAM charts.

Q. Did the Rogues make any unreleased recordings?

We made lots of video recordings at AU TV, but on proprietary equipment and no longer available. No other audio recordings.

– Rich Gainer

Chuck Edwards and the Apaches

Chuck Edwards and the Apaches Ludo 45 She Let Me Go

Here’s an obscure Century Custom pressing by Chuck Edwards and the Apaches with a mix of garage and earlier rock styles that I like. “She Let Me Go” has gravelly vocals (credited to Tony and Eddie) over a great band that features good drum fills, a deep bass line and nice guitar work, plus a saxophone to tie it to the old styles.

The flip, “Lonely Apache” (written by Tony III) is a good, low-key instrumental. I don’t know any names other than what’s on the labels.

Released on Ludo Records 19796, I’m not sure of the date. The labels read “Recorded for Ludo Records by Century Custom Recording, Montgomery 6, Alabama 36106”.

Chuck Edwards wrote and produced “Dance Little Girl, Dance”- I believe he’s singing on it too – released as the Reactions on Ludo 001 b/w “Daddy’s Home” which I haven’t heard. I presume the Reactions single predates “She Let Me Go” by a year or so.

Chuck Edwards and the Apaches Ludo 45 Lonely Apache

Morgan Records discography

The Fabulous Checkmates Morgan 45 SafariMorgan Records had its base in Montgomery, Alabama. Some artists, like the Rockin’ Gibraltars recorded at Cloverland Studio in Montgomery. Publishing was often with Granny Music BMI.

Morgan discography (incomplete – any help with this would be appreciated)

Morgan 674H-3947 – Kavaliers – “Get Your Feet Off Me” / “If You Loved Her” (SK4M-3947/8) (November 1965)
Morgan 5965 – Doug Hughes – “Reno Blues” (Mitchell Bush, Granny Music BMI) / “Two People I Know” (SK4M-5966)
Morgan HR 9018 – Charlena & the Rockettes – “Ramrod” / “Last Night”
Morgan HV-9026 – Joe & Harold – “Rag Mop” / “That’s What’s the Matter with Me”
Morgan HV-9040 – Rockin’ Gibraltars – “Go With Me” (S. Grier, K. Brewer) / “Signed, Sealed and Delivered” (TK4M-2418/9) 1966
Morgan HV-9041 – The Mustangs – “Hitch Hike” / “Daddy’s Home” (T4KM-5005/6) 1966
Morgan HV-9044 – The Bankrupts, vocal Jimmy Wood – “Bankrupt” (J. Segrest) / “Why Can’t I Change” (T4KM-5107)
Morgan HV-9049 – Fabulous Checkmates – “Safari ‘Jungle Trip'” (Bush, Jones, Helms, Windham, Dean) / “My Sin and My Pride” (TK4M-5243/4)
Morgan HV-9059/9053 – Kavaliers – “Hot Cha” (Woods) / “Hey Baby” (TK4M-9707/8) (1966)
Morgan HV-9060 – The Seeds of Time – “She’s Been Travelin’ ‘Round the World” / “Gina” (TK4M-9674/5)

The Kavaliers were Wayne Neuendorf, Jack Boutwell, Mike Morris, Larry Hughes, Tim Nix and Mike Walters.

Thanks to Gary Wise and Max Waller for help with the discography.