Category Archives: Lansing

The Socialites “Phooey Phooey on You” and “Looking Out My Window”

The Socialites at the Unicorn Lansing, MI
The Socialites were four women who made two 45s in 1968. I don’t know the names of the band members, or where they came from, except for a show listing in Lansing, Michigan.

I believe the Socialites first single was a version of “Bye Bye Love” b/w the neat bubblegum rocker “Phooey Phooey on You”, released on Scott Records FM-324. Artyfacts in Wax has a short write-up and good scans of the labels.

Scott Records had 45s by the Merrie Motor Company who were from Olivet, MI; and the Jay Walker Effort who seem to have come from Grand Rapids.

Socialites National Electric Signalling and Commercial Company 45 Looking Out My WindowThe Socialites recorded (and/or mastered) “Looking Out My Window” at Tera Shirma Sound Studio in Detroit, with a cover of “Boat that I Row” on the flip. Garry Holton, credited for writing “Looking Out My Window” seems to have lived in Jackson, Michigan.

Released as National Electric Signalling And Commercial Company 6483142, the label has finely drawn illustration, and the obscure sub-text “A Michigan Corporation Division of Audio Records”.

“Looking Out My Window” reached #31 on WILS 1320 AM Sound Survey 33 on December 18, 1968.

R.D. Francis sent me the flyer at top, one of a half-dozen ads for the short-lived Unicorn club made by Mike Delbusso of Splatt Gallery in Walled Lake.

The Unicorn opened at 4122 N. East, in Lansing on May 18, 1970, and featured the Socialites for its first two weekends.

If anyone knows the names of members of the Socialites please contact me!

Socialites Unicorn Lansing State Journal May 23, 1970

The Rogues on Regan

Rogues Regan 45 Heavy MusicThe Rogues recorded two singles on Regan Records circa 1968-1969. They seem to be from Michigan, and the “Capital City Music” publishing on the one original song they recorded may refer to Lansing.

Their first 45 has good versions of Bob Seger’s “Heavy Music” b/w” a cover of “Born in Chicago”, released on Regan R-0021 with IRM #1039.

The second single has an original song, “Something Called Humanity”, written by Bill Goik and Richard Jantz. Publishing by Capital City Music BMI, released on Regan R-0022, with IRM-1067. This was the flip to a version of “Summertime”.

If anyone has a scan or sound clip of “Something Called Humanity” please contact me.

Steve Donahue produced both singles, the second has a credit to Don Kemp for engineering. I can’t find their names in connection to any other releases, nor can I find any other releases on this Regan Records label.

Other members of the band included Rick Brunson – drums, and Dennis Parker – keyboards.

This copy of “Heavy Music” came from the collection of David Martin, with special thanks to his family.

The Satisfactions

Satisfactions Lee 45 Only OnceGreat 45 with two originals by the Satisfactions on the Lee label from Lansing, Michigan. Production is a little murky and heavy on the echo but the performances are fantastic.

Don’t know much about the band except a Midland, Michigan origin, northwest of Saginaw. The RCA custom pressing code on the label TK4M-3735/6 indicates this was a 1966 release.

“Only Once” was written by Lashier and has a drum intro that picks up speed, a cool sounding nasal vocal and good rough guitar solo. “Never Be Happy” is the other side of the coin, a steady folk-rock ballad written by Weers and Hunter. Interesting how the rhythm changes up for the solo.

This is the same Lee label out of Don Lee Studios that the Marauders from Saginaw used for their June ’65 single, “Lovin” / “Nightmare”. That group paid $245 for one hour of session time and 1,000 45s, it’s likely the Satisfactions worked a similar deal.

Sources include: Article on the Marauders in Kicks #5.

Satisfactions Lee 45 Never Be Happy

The Chancellors

The Chancellors: Jim Ovaitt, Rick Garfield, Rick Blomstrom, Mike Gilliam, Bruce Reinoehl
Back row: Jim Ovaitt (keyboards), Rick Garfield (drums), Rick Blomstrom (lead guitar).
Second row Mike Gilliam (bass guitar), Bruce Reinoehl (rhythm guitar).

The Chancellors Fenton 45 One in a MillionThe Chancellors were a quintet from Lansing, Michigan with two 45s on the great Fenton label. Since my original post I’ve been in touch with Chancellors rhythm guitarist Bruce Reinoehl, who wrote up a short history of the band:

The Chancellors was a mid-Michigan band which was active between mid 1965 and late 1967. The band formed around the direction of keyboard man and lead singer Jim Ovaitt. During the summer of 1965, the group underwent several personnel changes before its final composition of Jim Ovaitt, keyboards and lead singer, Rick Garfield drums, Rick Blomstrom lead guitar and vocals, Mike Gilliam bass guitar and vocals and Bruce Reinoehl rhythm guitar and vocals. At the time we were all high school students in East Lansing and Okemos, Michigan.

Our first jobs consisted mainly of high school dances. As we continued to improve we moved up to Michigan State University fraternity parties and local night clubs. In early 1966, we cut our first record. This was the “Journey” / “One in a Million” record of which only a few hundred were pressed. Today that record is quite scarce. I can remember the fairly primitive by today’s standards studio which at that time did not have the ability to double track recordings. That meant everyone had to play all parts of both songs well enough to make a record. That sounds easy especially with all of the rehearsing we had done before going to the recording studio. As with anything one makes, the builder is the one who knows where the blemishes are. There always seemed to be something that just was not good enough. By the time we were finished, I never wanted to play or hear either of those songs again. That changed when I heard “Journey”, an instrumental, used by one of the local radio stations as a lead up to one of their news broadcasts.

The Chancellors Fenton 45 Dear JohnBy late 1966, the Chancellors were becoming fairly well known in the mid Michigan area. We were playing jobs in Saginaw, Bay City, Jackson and as far away as Harbor Springs. We played at nightclubs where the Byrds and Beach Boys had played a week or two previously. We also cut out second and final record around this time. This was the “Dear John” / “5 minus 3” record.

The picture which was staged on the piano was taken in at the studio of Jim Ovaitt’s piano teacher. The on stage pictures taken while playing were taken at the Band Canyon a nightclub in Bay City, Michigan. Among other bands playing there were the Byrds. The pictures of the equipment were taken at Club Ponytail in Harbor Springs, MI. The Beach Boys also played that club. The motel photos were taken in Harbor Springs. Neither club is still standing.

Playing with the Chancellors was a great experience but it was also obvious that we were not cut out to be professional musicians. All of the members of the band ended up going into professions other than music. In looking back, it was a lot of work but also a lot of fun. I treasure the friendships and memories that have resulted from my experiences with the Chancellors.

Bruce Reinoehl

The Chancellors Fenton 45 JourneyBruce Reinoehl and Jim Ovaitt co-wrote both songs on the first 45, “One in a Milliion” and “Journey”. “Journey” and “5 Minus 3” feature Jim Ovaitt’s organ playing, but “5 Minus 3” is especially interesting for being a raucous duet by just Ovaitt and drummer Garfield.

The organ also dominates their first vocal song, “One in a Million”. “Dear John” gives the guitarist and vocalist more room and succeeds as a pop song.

Thank you to Paul Reinoehl for helping me get in touch with his brother and for sending in these great photos, and to Bruce Reinoehl for his history of the band.

Note: one source lists this group as cutting a third 45 on Chamus: “Places We Once Knew” / “Something for Sure”. However, this was a different Chancellors band out of Lincoln, Nebraska featuring Keith Goins and Max Carl Gronenthal. That band had another release on El Cid: “Everbody’s Got To Lose Someone Sometime” / “It Was A Very Good Year”, both singles are good blue-eyed soul with horns. Tip of the hat to Martin Hancock for pointing out this was a different band.

The Chancellors at the Band Canyon in Bay City, MI
The Chancellors at the Band Canyon in Bay City, MI
The Chancellors at the Band Canyon in Bay City, MI
The Chancellors at the Band Canyon in Bay City, MI
The Chancellors at the Band Canyon in Bay City, MI
The Chancellors at the Band Canyon in Bay City, MI
The Chancellors at the Club Ponytail in Harbor Springs, MI
At the Club Ponytail in Harbor Springs, MI