Category Archives: Reno

The Aquamen of “Line and Track”

Aquamen beatnik photo

The Aquamen’s second single “Line and Track” has become a top retro DJ spin, especially in the UK’s northern soul scene. The enthusiasm of garage collectors for the single led to its inclusion in Teen Beat Mayhem with a good rating. Some consider it more of a novelty, but the beat is solid, the repetitive bass line catchy, and the rhythm guitar has a James Brown-like quality.

Although it’s been more than 50 years since its release, I was surprised to find almost no published information on the group. Last month I bought a collection of photos & promotional materials (thank you  Mike D.) which are the main sources for this article.

Aquamen as a trio by the ocean
The Aquamen as a trio. If the instruments match the bio, from left: Frank Church, Dave Walker and Tom Karnes.

A promotional biography of the group from about mid-1966 has this info:

Heading THE AQUAMEN roster is Frank Church, lead guitarist and tenor singer, who does most of the musical arrangements for the group. Frank’s guitar solos always generate a hum of excitement.”

Lead singer Dave Walker, who shares the emcee spot, plays rhythm guitar and usually spices each show with a rousing banjo number…

Funnyman Tom Karnes, who consistently breaks up crows with his zany characterizations, doubles on bass, piano, and sings baritone harmony.

Mike Walch, the young “old pro” of twelve “Dennis the Menace” movies, plays piano, trumpet, guitar and other assorted noisemakers. Mike’s lyric tenor voice adds a unique quality to the group sound.

Al Breaux, the little dynamo on drums, formerly appeared with Louis Prima and Jerry Lee Lewis.

THE AQUAMEN have been together for three years and have performed in clubs throughout the country including the Holiday in Reno, Beachboy in San Diego, Carriage House in Burbank, Bahama Inn in Pasadena, Sunset Lanes in Kalamazoo, Maison Jaussaud in Bakersfield, and others. The group has appeared on ABC-TV’s “Territory Underwater” and currently can be seen in Paramount’s “Beach Ball” and “The Girl in Daddy’s Bikini.” They have recorded “RIDE A PALE HORSE” and “LITTLE GRANNY WILSON”, soon to be followed by an LP.

Personal Management:
Joseph H. Friedman

The movie credits in the biography seem to be an exaggeration or outright invention.

Beach Ball features the Supremes, the Four Seasons, the Righteous Brothers, the Hondells, the Walker Brothers and the Nashville Teens. The Girl in Daddy’s Bikini was the original title for It’s a Bikini World, which has the Animals, the Gentrys, the Castaways, the Toys, and Pat and Lolly Vegas.

I haven’t seen either movie in its entirety but I can’t find any credit for the Aquamen or their members in the full cast lists for either film. Perhaps the Aquamen’s performances didn’t make it to the final cuts. Also, I don’t see Mike Walch’s name appear in the credits of the Dennis the Menace TV series.

Aquamen Todd Miller promop hoto
Aquamen as a quintet, Todd Miller agency photo
Aquamen at R.F. Presents poster
The “R.F.” on 2116 Westwood Blvd presents the Aquamen “just back from tour … New York … Palm Beach, Jamaica and Hawaii”

In March of 1965, Frank Church and David Walker registered a number of songs with the Library of Congress. These include “Aquaman (Aquamen)”, “Big Rock Codley”, “Blue Coral”, “Godzilla”, “Skindiving Man”, “Superman” and “Younger Younger” (with Frank Karnes). Frank Church has a solo composition “The Beachcomber” registered in January 1965, with publishing by Milamco Music. I suppose the group cut demos on some of these songs, I have to wonder if any recordings still exist.

Aquamen Spring 45 Ride A Pale Horse

I was pleasantly surprised by “Ride a Pale Horse”, the A-side of the Aquamen’s first single. “Ride a Pale Horse” is a melancholy song with baroque harmonies over a mild folk-rock backing. Record World reported “Ride a Pale Horse” reaching the top 10 in Columbus, Ohio on August 13, 1966. Rod McKuen wrote the lyrics.

Aquamen Cash Box May 29, 1966
Cash Box May 29, 1966

The flip is a novelty number about hot-rodding “Grannie Wilson”, writing credited to the Aquamen with publishing by Water, BMI.

Released on Spring Records 333 with distribution by Atlantic. Jack Hayes Productions was based in San Francisco. Notices in all the trades date this single to May of 1966.

“Line and Track” followed in October 1966. The label notes “Line and Track” adapted and arranged by Church, Walker, Karnes and Walch, published by Hinrich Music Company, and “A Corby Production”.

The Aquamen’s version appropriates Fred Neil’s arrangement titled “Linin’ Track”, as it appears on a Les Baxter’s Balladeers single on Link Records from 1963 (with David Crosby contributing vocals). The Balladeers version also appears on the album Jack Linkletter Presents A Folk Festival that includes the Yachtsmen who would become the What’s Four (covered on this site).  Fred Neil recorded his own versions of “Linin’ Track”, first on Hootenanny – Live At The Bitter End, and then with Vince Martin on Tear Down The Walls. The song seems to come from Leadbelly, but with very different lyrics. If there are other sources for Fred Neil’s version of the song, I’d like to know about them.

The B-side is a version of “Tomorrow Is a Long Time”. “Line and Track” received a B+ in the October 29, 1966 issue of Cashbox. Release was on Hiback HB-109 and again in December on Hinrich Music Company H-33/H-34.

The Library of Congress shows another Aquamen registration in October 1966: “Acid Test” by Walker, Karnes, Walch and Church. I’d like to hear that song!

The group continued at least into the summer of 1967. The Reno Gazette-Journal from Reno, Nevada published two entertainment notices on the group. The first from December 24, 1966 repeated much of the info in the promotional bio. The second notice comes from July 8, 1967.

I don’t know when the group disbanded. Mike Walch is credited with percussion, vocals and piano on an ABC album by The Phoenix in 1969, I’m not sure if this is the same person. The other members seem to have disappeared from the entertainment industry.

Aquamen and Lee Elliot at the Duke of York poster
Aquamen and Lee Elliot at the Duke of York, 200-206 Marine Ave, Manhattan Beach
Al Breaux, McConkey Agency promo photo
Al Breaux, McConkey Agency promo photo

Aquamen western promo photo

Aquamen Warehouse IX postcard
Postcard for the Warehouse IX at 2214 Stoner Avenue in West Los Angeles

The Warehouse IX was located at 2214 Stoner Avenue in West Los Angeles.

According to Bruno Ceriotti’s site on the Sons of Adam, the Fender IV played at the Warehouse IX regularly just before changing their name to the Sons of Adam. At least one ad for the club appeared in KRLA Beat.

The building appears to still be standing today, from the street view image below.

2214 Stoner Avenue, Los Angeles, formerly the Warehouse IX
2214 Stoner Avenue, Los Angeles, formerly the Warehouse IX

Evolution band from Reno, Nevada

Evolution band photo, Reno, Nevada, Bob Dee & Associates

Evolution, a band from Reno, Nevada featuring two young women in white go-go boots and three men with ruffled shirts. The photo comes from Bob Dee and Associates who booked many groups around Reno, Lake Tahoe and California.

My friend Derek sent me this photo. Sure, they’re probably a show band covering soft pop, but the look is worth a few laughs. Maybe a couple of members were in cool groups a few years earlier who recorded some great unreleased music we haven’t heard yet. Maybe.

The Dystraction

Dystraction Coast 45 Wonder What Ya FeelThe Dystraction came from Reno, Nevada, its members were juniors in high school when they recorded their single in 1969:

Rick Yancey – lead guitar
Rob Hanna – rhythm guitar
Danny Herring – bass
Scott Monroe – drums

Though young, they cut a great single of original hard rock on Coast Records 6969. Their connection to the Coast label out of Hollywood was Rob Hanna’s father, Bob Hanna, a member of the lounge trio the Esquires who had two releases on Coast. “Where Are We Now” is available on youtube, but I prefer the A-side, the slower and heavier “Wonder What Ya Feel”.

I’ve included the first two minutes of “Wonder What Ya Feel” in this link.

I’ve read the single had two pressings because the labels had songwriter Hanna listed before the band name, leading to confusion as to the group’s name. I haven’t seen the other version of this label, if you have a copy please contact me.

Dystraction Coast 45 Where Are We NowThe Dystraction receive notices in the Reno Gazette-Journal, first on March 22, 1969.

Dystraction Releases Disk

The All-Reno youngster Dystraction hard-rock group has released its first record on the Coast label. Both sides of the single were written by the four-member group. “Wonder What you Feel” is the most popular song on the recording and the flipside is “Where Are We Now?”

The three Wooster High School and one Sparks High School students represented Nevada in Atlantic City last year after winning the state-side competition in the “Battle of the Bands.” Danny Herring plays bass, Rick Yancey plays lead guitar, Rob Hanna (son of Bob Hanna of the popular Esquires) plays rhythm and Scott Monroe plays drums for Dystraction. Terming themselves “Hard-rock” musicians, the youths will tour teen-age nightclubs in California and Oregon this summer with a probable engagement at the popular Sound Factory in Sacramento.

Then again on May 17:

For teen-agers only … a dance set to coincide with the Annual Custom Car and Boat Show at the Centennilal Coliseum May 16018. The Reno-formed, Reno-based Dystraction, featuring Danny Herring on bass, Rob Hanna on rhythm, Rich Yancey on guitar and Scot Monroe on drums, will feature new tunes of its own creation like “Where Are We Now,” “Wonder What You Feel” and “Nassar Blues.” The group should grow in prominence this summer with scheduled northwest tour.

On June 22, 1969 the Nevada State Journal covered the finals of the Reno area Battle of the Bands, with four winners going on to the state competition in Las Vegas the following week. The Dystraction was one of the winners, along with the Town Squires, Frog Rock and Jonathan Goodlife. The article included a couple of quotes from Danny Herring and a photo of the Jonathan Goodlife band, whose members were Jerry Werms, James Stipech, Steve Dunwoodie, James Mask and Terry Peterson.

Other bands in the competition included Chipped Beef on Toast, Wheet Straw Blew Grass, Chalk, Mr. Enzyme & the Electric Bean, Snow, and the Hellenic Invasions.

Anyone have a photo of the Dystraction?

Jack Bedient and the Chessmen

Jack Bedient was born in Mason City, Washington, by the Coulee Dam. Kevin Woods tells me “Jack was voice trained and was a member of an acappella quartet at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington.”

In 1961 he had a small hit with a pop ballad “The Mystic One” on the Los Angeles label Era, while he was living in Wenatchee, WA.

By 1964 he and his band, the Chessmen had a series of standing engagements in the Lake Tahoe and Reno, Nevada region, and they lived in Carson City, Nevada for some of that time. Long-time members were Jack Bedient vocalist and rhythm guitar, Kevin Woods lead guitar, Bill Britt on 6-string bass, and drummer Jewell Hendricks. Jewell would leave the group in the later half of 1965.

Jack Bedient and the Chessmen’s live show catered to the pop sound of the times, featuring covers of current hits, lounge songs and comedy bits, and the band wore tuxedos for some upscale engagements. They released twelve 45s and five LPs during the ’60s, much of which is a reflection of their lounge act or too pop for my taste. Within all this product are some very fine cuts.

That year they cut their second 45, “Pretty One” / “Silver Haired Daddy” for the Trophy label, along with an LP, Two Sides of Jack Bedient, which I haven’t heard.

In 1965 the band recorded five songs at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley. The first single, “See the Little Girl”, is a British-influenced number. Interestingly Fantasy released it twice with the same catalog number, once as by ‘Jack Bedient and the Chessmen’ backed with “Here I Am” and once as simply ‘The Chessmen’ backed with “Looking for a Good Love”.

Kevin Woods wrote to me that this 45 was “intended to be released under the name ‘Jack Bedient and the Chessmen,’ [but] the first copies were printed as ‘The Chessmen.’ A corrected label soon followed. When the performing name was corrected, the B- side song title was also corrected. ‘Here I Am’ and ‘Looking for a Good Love’ are the same song. The correct title is ‘Here I Am’ written by Glen Campbell and Marc Douglas. The lyrics are, ‘If you’re looking for a good love, here I am….’ Easy to see where the confusion exists.”

Their next Fantasy single is the fantastic hard-edged rocker “Double Whammy”, backed by “I Want You to Know” (the Fats Domino song, “Don’t you Know”). The guitar riff for “Double Whammy” comes from Dorsey Burnette’s “Bertha Lou” as done by Johnny Faire on the Surf label (or perhaps Clint Miller’s version). “Double Whammy” reached #19 on KCBN 1230 AM Reno in early July, 1965.

Seeking to update their sound they hired Walter Hanna as keyboardist in time to record their Fantasy LP, Live at Harvey’s. I’ve only heard parts of the album, but there are good takes on “Louie Louie”, “Mary Had a Little Lamb” (aka the Searchers “Ain’t That Just Like Me”), “See the Little Girl” and “Double Whammy”, though for this last one I prefer the single version.

October 1965 saw the band’s next 45, “Drummer Boy (Play Us a Song)” / “Dream Boy (Count Your Dreams)” on Tutti Camarata’s Palomar label, then being distributed by London Records. Walt Hanna co-wrote “Drummer Boy” with Jack and Bill.

In 1966 they cut their great single, “Glimmer Sunshine” for the obscure Rev Records label. It’s not like anything else the band ever recorded and is now their most sought-after release.

Their 1967 album, Where Did She Go? seems to have been drawn from various recording sessions and shows both sides of the band with one side each of schmaltzy pop and tougher rock material. From the first side I’ve included “Candy Roses and Love” as maybe the best example of the group’s commercial pop. The second side is quite solid, with highlights being “Glimmer Sunshine” (the same version as on the 45) and “I Used to Feel Bad”. The opening guitar on “Subterranean Homesick Blues” is so crude it’s practically hardcore, and “Repunzel” and “Love Work Shop” are also good.

A later LP has typical covers of the day, but a version of “Purple Haze” is supposed to be good. Other members of the Chessmen include Steve Eggleston, and drummer Jerry Bledsoe. Drummer Sam Wisner worked with Jack after the group disbanded in August, 1970. In 1972 bookings became scarce and the band broke up for good. Jack Bedient passed away in 1998.

Walter wrote about his time with the band:

I was the 1st and I think only organist for Jack Bedient and the Chessmen, added just before their first venture into the world of Nevada casino lounge and then headliner room bookings. They had some earlier 45’s out and one album when I joined. I recorded on the later 45’s and wrote a couple of songs that went on ‘B’ sides. We also had an album recorded “Live At Harvey’s” casino at Lake Tahoe. This was in their new “go-go” room, all dance stuff, done by a on-site Sunset Sound recording crew from Los Angeles, released with Fantasy Records pre-Creedence, not to mention Sunset Sound pre-Electra records in Hollywood.

I was “discovered” by the Chessmen playing in a pizza parlor in Redwood City, California on their night off – they had a gig down the road at a classy night club. I played organ and an early Wurlitzer electric piano with friends from 1st year of college. We were the house band for a couple of pitchers of free beer and pizzas plus $15 per man a night playing surf music and whatever else was on the Top-40 radio, Beach Boys, Buffalo Springfield, Ray Charles etc. This was around “spring break” 64-65 when I dropped out of Belmont Community College and split from friends and pizza gig to grab a lucrative job offer and regular gigs with Jack and the Chessmen, $300 a week to start – big money in those days and the end of my former every-day life.

As it turned out, this was the beginning of Jack Bedient and The Chessmen’s first real big-money success, mainly in Nevada, changing gradually from a dance-club band into more of a ‘Vegas show group’ act. As I joined and went to Nevada with them, ‘instant local stardom’ continued for nearly two years.

[Manager] Bob Dee had the Chessmen lined up with good Nevada bookings: the Golden Hotel in Reno, the Silver Nugget nearby in Carson City, and Harvey’s Hotel and Casino just up the hill at Lake Tahoe. We soon were headlining at the Golden Hotel (later to become Harrah’s Club. We started getting airplay on recently recorded 45’s and over about a year had 4 # 1 Top-40 hits. The line at the casino hotel was so long to get in for our shows, the tail of the line was near the start, going around the whole city block. It really was a mind-blower for hicks like us.

In between some Nevada bookings we went to Sacramento to play a couple of weeks at one of the popular local nightclubs, following Question Mark and the Mysterians, with one of our 45’s at # 16 on [Sacramento] radio… [but] the Chessmen’s popularity was not able to break out of the local area.

The drug scene in Nevada consisted of the casino pit bosses making easily available a steady supply of Dexamil Spansules, a great, ‘tiny-time-pill’ combination of the ‘upper’ Dexadrine and ‘downer’ Miltown (Mother’s Little Helper) which kept you wide awake without being ‘wired’ for 12-24 hours. If you weren’t near a ‘cool’ casino, the constant stream of truckers through everywhere always had something ‘speedy’ on hand. A user could stay up for days, gambling, drinking, making out, etc.

Time passed quickly and popularity faded. Following a dreary dinner plus music/entertainment booking at a dead Bakersfield eatery, Bob Dee actually booked us into the Playboy Club (the “Tiger-A-Go-Go” disco?) at the S.F. airport. Part of the show was Jack Bedient backed by the house orchestra – his dream come true.

Jack, with Bob Dee’s urging, was trying to ‘secretly’ slip away and become a single big-name artist, like Roy Orbison, Jimmy Rogers, Andy Williams, etc. Jack’s attitude towards ‘his’ musicians reflected this – we got ‘no respect’, especially drummer Jewell and I, and later Jewell’s replacement. The Chessmen were cut to a trio of Jack with Bill and Kevin – drummer and keyboard as sidemen with a cut in pay!

So, Jewell, the original drummer was relegated to sideman status with a cut in pay, and so was I, just before we did the Live At Harvey’s album. Jewel quit soon after, moved to L.A. Jewell was replaced by Art – can’t recall the last name – and I stayed as a sideman for a while, needing the money, which was still pretty good, and enjoying the life-style. It’s an old story in music ‘show-biz’ – one person in a successful group is willing to dump the others, despite their hard work on the way up. That’s a different situation than being in a dead-end band moving from one subsistence gig to another. And, it’s a different situation from a long-term success combination deciding to call it quits and go their own ways – some then on to personal star status. Jack had the voice, absolutely beautiful – but, lacking strong musicianship, he needed musicians with him that knew his weaknesses and could compensate.

I headed for Los Angeles into a long career of fun garage and original bands, a few ‘almost-made-it’ big rock ‘n’ roll bands, and many better-to-forget traveling club bands, always with Hollywood as home base. Reliable gossip I heard years later said Jack was working as a solo act with his guitar at Harold’s club in Reno hotel in one of their in-house bars.

Jack Bedient and the Chessmen releases:

This is the most complete list of releases for the group out there, and corrects several errors from other sources. Any additional info would be appreciated, especially on his “Executive Productions” releases.

45s

The Mystic One / Question – Era 3050, July 1961
Pretty One / Silver Haired Daddy – Trophy 1001, 1964
See the Little Girl / Here I Am – Fantasy 595, 1965
See the Little Girl / Looking for a Good Love – Fantasy 595, 1965 (released as by “The Chessmen”)
Double Whammy / I Want You To Know – Fantasy 598, 1965
Drummer Boy (Play Us a Song) / Dream Boy (Count Your Dreams) – Palomar 2212, October 1965
Glimmer Sunshine / Where Did She Go – Rev 104/5, 1966
Love Workshop / I Could Have Loved You So Well – Columbia 4-44302 1967
Pretty One / See That Girl – Columbia 4-44481, 1968
The Pleasure of You / It’s Over – Columbia 4-44565, 1968
My Prayer / Independence Day – Columbia 4-44671, 1968
I’ve Been Loving You / I Could Never Lose My Love for You – Executive Productions 21, 1969, with picture sleeve
Beautiful (Takes a Trip) / Release Me – Executive Productions 21

LPs

Two Sides of Jack Bedient – Trophy 101, 1964
Live at Harvey’s – Fantasy 3365, 1965
Where Did She Go – Satori 1001, 1967
Songs You Requested – Chessmen no #, 196?
In Concert (Harolds) – Chessmen no #, 1969
Jack Bedient – Executive Productions, 196? (rumored, but apparently this does NOT exist – if so please send confirmation)

Thank you to Jeffrey Lee for the scan and transfer of “I’ve Been Loving You” and to Fred Hoyt for the scan of the Executive 45 sleeve. Special thanks to Kevin Wood for his help in correcting some of the information in this article.

Sources for this article include: Inland Empire Rock: The Sound of Eastern Washington, and The PNW Bands site.
Jack Bedient & the Chessmen, Executive PS "I Could Never Lose My Love for You"