The State of Mind, from left: Tommy Devore, Gary Redwine, Mike Darby, Glenn Coleman and Bobby Corley This photo and the one of the band van from Bobby’s blog Diary of a Drummer
Last year Bobby Corley of the State of Mind sent me a copy of their cool single for the Tener label. I sent him a couple emails to thank him and ask for more information on the band, but haven’t heard back yet. Bobby has a blog Diary of a Drummer with many good photos, but he hasn’t updated it in a couple years.
The members of the State of Mind were Tom Devore (vocals), Glenn Coleman (lead guitar), Mike Darby (rhythm guitar), John Dumas (bass) and Bob Corley (drums). Their original drummer was Leo Gates, replaced by Corley in 1967 when Gates went to college. Gary Redwine also played bass with the group, though I’m not sure if he came before or after John Dumas.
The band was from Winter Park, by Orlando, often appearing on bills at the Orlando Youth Center and The Place, but other than that I don’t know much about them.
Their first release was probably this very fine version of “My Back Pages” on the Bee Jay Demo Volume II compilation from 1967 (Tener TC 1014). I hadn’t heard this until recently.
Their single came out in late ’67 or ’68. “City Life” is really unusual, with static noise layered over the music throughout the song, giving it an apocalyptic feel. It was written by Mike Darby, Tom Devor and Glenn Coleman. The flip “Time Will Tell” is also good, written by Devor and Darby.
Glenn Coleman and Tom Devore, and later Mark Darby, played with a later group called the Orange Wedge (not the Michigan group who recorded “From the Tomb to the Womb” or the Baltimore group with two LPs in the ’70s).
Thank you to Jeff Lemlich for the transfer of “My Back Pages”.
Orlando Youth Center, Fall 1968 schedule, featuring the State of Mind, Ron & the Starfires, the Marshmellow Steamshovel, Plant Life, Magic Circle and more.Orlando Youth Center, Fall 1968 schedule From the collection of Rootbound at the Limestone Lounge.
Joey B. and the Silhouettes, January, 1963, from left: “Peewee” Lavoisier (only played with us for one or two gigs), Joe Barron (Joey B), Gonzalo Gonzales, Felipe Garza, Luis Maza, Joe “Papucho” Garcia and Jesse Guerrero
My name is Gonzalo Gonzales (GG for short) and I was a band member with Noe Pro and the Semitones together with Jesse Salinas during the early 60’s. Another band from the area that I had played with. This would be Joey B and the Silhouettes. Let me lay out a bit of history that maybe ties some things together.I had played in my high school band and had always been interested in playing with or forming a group. After graduating in 1961, I left Brownsville to attend college close to Dallas. After one semester, I returned to Brownsville and attended a junior college here. A friend of mine, another band member from high school, informed me that there was a group looking to expand their sound with horns (both of us played clarinet and saxophone). He introduced me to the group and I joined up. This group was called the Blue Valiants – this is the same group that Noe Pro joined as a drummer later on. The Blue Valiants were led by a guitar player named Marcos Rodriguez.
After playing with the Blue Valiants for about a year, the group broke up and several of the members, including myself, left to form a new group. This new group was called Joey B and the Silhouettes. This group consisted of the following members: Joe Barron (Joey B) (lead singer and rhythm guitar), Joe Garcia (nicknamed Papucho and who happened to be a cousin of Marcos Rodriguez – bass guitar), Jesse Guerrero (drums), Luis Maza (my friend from high school – alto sax), and myself (tenor sax). Later on we added a lead guitar player who also sang from time to time – Felipe Garza.
We played gigs all over for high school dances, birthdays, weddings, etc. but we also put on our own dances from time to time. We would rent a salon, hire a cop for security, and then put up posters all over town. We then had our girl friends or family members charge admission at the front door. Other local bands started doing this same thing.
The Silhouettes did make an unreleased tape but I don’t remember with who or what ever happened to it. I wish I did – would be great to dig that up.
Eventually, of course, group members started leaving for different reasons and the group disbanded. Luis Maza left and joined another group that was getting popular during this period – Lenny and the Bellaires. Lenny was the stage name for Leo Silva. I hooked up with a couple of brothers that had started a group. This group was called The Staffs. This is the same group that Jesse played with later on after he played with Noe.
Meanwhile, Marcos Rodriguez brought on new members to the Blue Valiants including Noe Pro as a drummer. Noe tells me that he only lasted with the Blue Valiants for about 6 months or so before he decided to leave and form his own band which, of course, would be the Semitones.
Noe Pro and the Semitones started to make a big splash in Brownsville and, really, all over the Rio Grande Valley. The gigs that the Staffs were getting were getting less and less. So I got dissuaded with them and decided to join up with Noe. I then played with Noe and the core group until I had to leave for the service in mid 1966. I played with the Staffs way before they ever made that recording on the Pa-Go-Go label. In fact, I was surprised that they had recorded – I kind of lost track of them once I went into the service.
When I joined the Air Force, I ended up in San Antonio based at Lackland AFB. While there, I looked around for a band to play with. I got a hold of Rudy “Tee” Gonzales (from Rudy and the Reno Bops) and his brother to see if they could hook me up with someone and they did. They introduced me to Danny Martinez from Danny & the Tejanos and I ended up playing with them for a couple of years. In fact, I was on the recording of “Mustard Greens” which was recorded with Tear Drop.
John B. Ford – lead guitar, lead and background vocals Gary Francis – bass (“black” album) and rhythm guitar (“red album”) Tomm Ballew – bass (only on the “red” album) Jim Valice – drums and backing vocals
First LP, the “black” albumFrom the Grosse Pointe suburb east of Detroit, Michigan, the Index released two of the rarest LPs of the late ’60s on their own DC Records label, the “black” and “red” albums (so named because of their black and red labels as neither had a title).1967’s “black” album is a murky recording drowned in natural reverb, but that doesn’t blunt the impact of the playing: if anything it enhances it. While one reviewer I’ve read prefers the cover songs like “Eight Miles High”, “John Riley” and “You Keep Me Hanging On”, I like the original vocals “Fire Eyes” and “Rainy Starless Night” and the incredible instrumentals: “Feedback”, “Shock Wave”, “Israeli Blues” and “Turquoise Feline”. This record has recently been issued on vinyl on DC/Valor records, I’m not positive if that’s a legitimate reissue or not.
In 1968 they made a cleaner recording for their second LP, the “red” album. In 1997 it was issued on CD with some tracks from the first LP and some 1969 recordings, titled Index Anthology 1967-68.
As Index broke up due to members going to college, Jim Valice and John Ford formed Just Us, recording another rare LP from 1969 on the Valord label, The U.S.A. from the Air. That album, more tracks from their first and a 1969 live recording were released on CD on Index Anthology II.
Lion Productions put out a comprehensive reissue of both albums and additional recordings on a 2 CD set in 2010. Lion should be reissuing both LPs on vinyl in 2015-2016.
If anyone has quality photos or scans of the second album covers or labels or either record, please get in touch.
Dan Nielsén conducted this interview with John Ford about the band:
Q. Can you give us some background information: where were you born and how did you start playing the guitar? Was there any time in your life when you thought, “Music is what I’m going to the for the rest of my life” or has it always been a hobby?
Back of first LPJohn Ford: I was born in Detroit, Michigan on May 25, 1949. I learned to play the guitar in 1960 from my uncle who was a skilled guitarist. He was a fan of folk music, and I learned playing the songs of the Kingston Trio, Peter, Paul and Mary, and The New Christy Minstrels.
Q. Was INDEX the first band that you was in? Also, how did you all meet? Was it through school, mutual friends or just by coincidence?
John Ford: I put together my first band in 1964. It was more of a Beatles type of group with vocals and guitars, but no real drummer or bass player. That band evolved into a group called TRB (“The Rubber Band”), which was more of a summer band that played up in Northern Michigan for the summers. The sounds was based heavily on Beatles, Stones, Animals, Yardbirds and the Who. The Index band was established when Gary Francis and I got together and asked one of Gary’s friends, a drummer named Jim Valice to join us. The music that influenced me most at that time was Buffalo Springfield, Yardbirds (with Jeff Beck and not Eric Clapton) and the Rolling Stones. The three of us were Index and started playing at gigs in the area in 1965. We later added the bass player, Tom Ballew, who was a great addition. On the black album I had played bass and lead guitar and sang lead vocals and backing vocals, Gary had played rhythm guitar and Jim played drums and sang backing vocals. Gary and I went to the same high school, and Jim was a friend of Gary’s. Tom was a friend of Jim’s. The four of us were on the Red Album, and after we disbanded (since we were all at different colleges), Jim and I recorded as Just Us and played all of the instruments and backing vocals ourselves.
Q. Could you tell something about the recording process, the album has a unique sound, which i think many bands have tried to re-create, but haven’t been able to, so what are the “secrets”?
1983 Voxx reissue of the first LPJohn Ford: The first album was recorded in my parents’ basement where we would rehearse. The sound was created due to the stark condition of the basement with tiled floors and concrete walls. We recorded on a Sony reel-to-reel recorder that belonged to my father, and we recorded at 3 ¾ speed. It was a unique sound, and on the first album we had it engineered by a specialist at GM Records in Detroit. We had only a small number of albums pressed (150-200), and we passed them to friends as we started, but later we sold them all through the Harmony House music store in Grosse Point Woods, Michigan.
Q. What gear (guitar, pedals, and amps) were you using back in the late ’60s? What gear were you using on the albums (I haven’t heard “The Red Album” and the Just Us album)? Moreover on the first album who’s on the cover? It looks like an old picture, not like anything you’ve staged, gives an kinda feeling, but it fits in just perfectly with the music.
John Ford: I played two electrics and an electrified Martin acoustic D-45 (built in 1945 with a terrific mellow sound). The electrics were a Gibson six-string red body 1965 ES-335, and my favorite was a 1966 Gibson black Les Paul that had humbucking pickups. I used a fuzz pedal for some of the effects and a wahwah pedal for others. The amps that we used were Fender, and the microphones were Shure. Gary used a black Gretsch guitar, and Tom Ballew played a Fender bass. Jim had a great set of black Ludwig drums. The picture for the black album cover was one that Jim found in an old magazine. The red album featured a drawing of us by Jim on the cover.
Q. Do think you have any particular moment on the album? Any song that you feel strong about? My personal favorites are “Shock Wave” and “Fire Eyes”, could you give some background on them? “Shock Wave” is an instrumental, but I think you express feeling through your playing in that song.
Unlicensed reissue of the second LP on the bootleg Sears label, 1991. Originals have a black cover with white lettering and drawing.John Ford: “Shock Wave” was our tribute to Jimmy Hendrix, and it featured particularly my Les Paul with the fuzz pedal. These pieces came out of jam sessions that really reflected original contributions from the three of us that fit together, but Jim and I were the creative directors of the music. “Fire Eyes” reflected personal issues that I had faced, and I wrote the song.
Q. How about the live INDEX? Did you perform much or was you just and studio band? I’ve know that one of the anthology albums has some live cuts on it, but i seems to be covers mostly. Did you ever play “Shock Wave”, “Feedback” etc, on stage or was it too difficult?
John Ford: We played all of our music including our original works and the covers. We played at many high school dances and college parties and neighborhood parties throughout Detroit. We played in some of the same venues as Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels who had just released “Devil with the Blue Dress”. It was a dynamic time for music in Detroit as groups like SRC (Scot Richard Case), Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band, the Underdogs, the Pleasure Seekers and Alice Cooper were all playing regularly in the area. The live sessions featured our album prominently so “Fire Eyes” and “Shockwave” were regularly performed along with “Rainy Starless Night” and “Israeli Blues” and other originals. One of the best gigs that we had was playing for the farewell party for the Detroit Piston Basketball player, Dave Debuscher who was leaving to go to the New York Knicks. We played for many of the pro athletes from the Pistons and the Detroit Lions. Mostly we were asked to play covers of Stones songs and Cream and the Who and the Beatles, but they liked our original music as well.
Q. Of the three albums; which one to you feel most is connected to you? How was the album taken? Was there many who likes it, etc. Also, how do you feel about the album selling on eBay for such big bucks now? Could you ever imagine that when you recorded it?
John Ford: We did it for the fun of it and to have a permanent record of our songs. The best album from a recording standpoint was the red album as we had the ability to use better vocal controls and we could double and triple track the guitars and voices for greater effect. Many of those songs were recorded in my parent’s den with vocal amplification and reverb, and with carpeting and drapes, the sound was cleaner and clearer. We never expected the albums to become so popular, but we have heard that they were somewhat influential for other artists that were getting started in the Detroit area after us.
Q. Was there any main reason that you guys called it quits?
John Ford: Our schedules and workloads became difficult to balance when we went to college. I was at Yale, Jim was at University of Detroit, and Tom was still in high school. We played for mixers at Yale and schools in the Detroit area, but it was hard to do other than in the summers when we were all back home again.
Q. What have you been doing are you layed the music carrer aside? Do you still have any contact with the others from the band? Do you still play?
John Ford: I still play and sing, but I am more focused on classical solo vocal work in the Norfolk, Virginia area as I have lived there since 1985 as a professor at Old Dominion University. Music is still very much a hobby with me, and I love to sing, but my guitar work has suffered a bit over the years. Jim and I were still in contact up until a few years ago, but he changed jobs, and I have not heard from him for some time. He was located in Beverly Hills, California, and he was working for a TV station there selling advertising time slots. He also was involved with a radio station, but I am not sure where he is these days.
Q. Some fun story or anecdote from the time in INDEX?
John Ford: The most ridiculous thing was me playing lead licks with gloves, which was a challenge! The album cover from the black album showed us wearing three piece suits and me playing with the gloves and wearing a ridiculous mustache, which was not what we normally looked like. I was heavily influenced by Steve Stills and Neil Young, and I wore boots and buckskin jackets often when we played. I loved the sound of Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills and Nash and the intricate harmonies and tried to bring them in when I could into our music. In the beginning we wore Nehru jackets and head bands from the mid 1960s and played a lot of the Doors music. Ridiculous appearances, but right in style at the time.
Story of how Cameo acquired “96 Tears”, Billboard, October 1, 1966 note “Bago Records” (sic)
Any help with the discography or info on Pa-Go-Go in general would be appreciated!
Lillian Gonzales and her husband Joe “Pato” Gonzales owned the El Pato grocery store in Saginaw, Michigan, and also ran the Gonzales & Gonzales artist management company. Joe, whose name I’ve seen in print as Jose Gonzales or Victor Gonzales, owned half of Bego Records with Paulino Bernal, which had been releasing conjunto records in McAllen, Texas since the early ’60s.
Joe started the Pa-Go-Go record with brothers Rudy “Tee” Gonzales and Manuel Gonzales (apparently no relation to Joe – see comment from Cisco below), basing the label out of San Antonio where Rudy Gonzales had his group, Rudy & the Reno Bops. Pa-Go-Go’s focus would be less specialized than Bego’s, with rock, soul and r&b releases.
Lillie Gonzales brought ? & the Mysterians to Art Schiell’s Recording Studio in Bay City, Michigan in April, 1966 to record a version of “Midnight Hour” and their original song, “96 Tears”, with Rudy Gonzales producing. The first pressing was 750 copies, but there were additional pressings as the single broke out on stations in Saginaw, Flint, Windsor and Detroit.
According to Billboard, Neil Bogart, a twenty-three year old sales manager at Cameo-Parkway flew to McAllen, Texas to purchase the master of “96 Tears” from Bego, winning out over a verbal agreement with Roulette’s Morris Levy.
Although Pa-Go-Go’s address of 408 Hazel St. San Antonio, Texas was on the labels of every release, about half the acts were from Michigan. A Billboard item from October, 1967 even mentions the label being headquartered in Saginaw. Pa-Go-Go only existed for about a year and a half, but released some fine music in that time, with the last single I can find mention of, Count & the Colony’s “Say What You Think” being sold to SSS International.
Pa-Go-Go Discography:
101 – Danny & the Tejanos – “Mi otra movida” (Polka) / “Con esta copa” (Ranchera) 102 – Question Mark & the Mysterians – “96 Tears” / “Midnight Hour” (April, 1966) 103 – Sir David & His Knights – “Shotgun” / “All My Love” (David Camarillo, published by Ed Arguello Pub.) 104 – Fernando Y Juan – “Se te llego tu dia” / “Vuela vuela Palomita” 105 – Chavez & the Chevelles – “Buscando Una Estrella” / “El Trenesito (The Train)” (D.A.R.) 106 – Danny & The Tejanos – “Confecion” / “Mundo raro” 107 – Little Henry & His Band – “No soy tu arroz con pollo” (Isidrio Lopez) / “Amor sin medida” (Jose A. Jimenez) 108 – Sonny Ace- “Ya volvio la Palomia” (Lonnie Guerrero) / “Sandra” (Martin Linan) 109 – ? 110 – Al Pinckney & the Exclusives – “Coasting” / “La-Hai” 111 – Chavez & the Chevelles – “Pido” / “Angelitos Negros” 112 – Danny & the Tejanos – “Listen, Sweet Thing” / “What’s the Word” (Danny Martinez) 113 – Conjunto Los Galantes de Manuel Gutierrez – “Contestaction a ‘Me Voy Lejos'” / “Ellas” 114 – ? 115 – Freddie Fender & His All Stars – “Cool Mary Lou” / “You Are My Sunshine” 116 – ? 117 – ? 118 – Staffs – “Another Love” / “I Just Can’t Go to Sleep” 119 – ? 120 – ? 121 – Count and the Colony – “Can’t You See” (Dick Brown, Butch Burden) / “That’s the Way” (Larry Wheatley, Butch Burden) 201 – Count and the Colony – “Say What You Think” / “Symptoms of Love” (October, 1967)
Billboard, July 1, 1967#101 shows only “Go-Go” on the label.
At this point I’m not sure if the missing numbers were actually issued, as I haven’t found any evidence of them, nor has Davie Gordon (see his comment below) or Mike Markesich.
? & the Mysterians, Sir David and His Knights, and Count and the Colony were all Michigan acts. Danny & the Tejanos, the Staffs and Al Pinckney & the Exclusives were from Texas (see comment from Robert Villarreal below).
Sources: background on Bego from Wikipedia, most complete account of the early days of ? & the Mysterians I could find was at MichiganRockandRollLegends.com, with further background from the ChicagoReader.com, Fredric Dannen’s Hit Men, and info on Danny & the Tejanos and Sir David & His Knights from I’m Shakin’.
Thank you to Martin Hancock for info on the Little Henry 45 and to Antonio of La Plebe for his contributions to the discography. Thanks also to Francisco Candia, Shane, Alfonso, and Josh (jollyrarestuff) for their help with the discography.
The Staffs, from left: David Ceballos, Jesse Salinas, Raul Altamirano, Emilo Reyna and Ruben Ceballos
Raul Altamirano (vocals and bass) David Ceballos (guitar) Jesse Salinas (bass) Ruben Ceballos (keyboards and harmonica) Emilio Reyna (drums)
Jesse Salinas joined the Staffs on bass, after playing rhythm guitar for Noe Pro & the Semi-tones. Although the band did not record while Jesse was in the group, they did cut one excellent 45 in October 1966 for the Pa-Go-Go label out of San Antonio. One side is “Another Love”, an excellent original by singer Raul Altamirano, backed with a Kinks song, “I Just Can’t Go To Sleep” that I haven’t heard yet.
Thank you to Jesse Salinas for the photos and to Mike Markesich for the label scan and information on the Pa-Go-Go release.
The Staffs get with the timesYearbook photo with Raul playing bass
Noe Pro and the Semi-tones, 1964 from left: Jesse Salinas, Noe Pro, Gonzalo Gonzales, Alfonso Saenz, Gregorio Reyes and David Garcia
Jesse Salinas, rhythm guitarist for Noe Pro & the Semi-tones writes about his time with Noe’s band and his later group, the Staffs:
I joined Noe Pro’s band in 1963. Original members started with inexpensive instruments mostly Sears Silvertone, Harmony or Alamo guitars and amps. Guitars, bass and microphone were plugged into one Silvertone amplifier. What started out with mostly high school musicians, Noe turned into “Noe Pro and the Semi-tones”.
“I’m Gonna Leave This Town” excellent soul-funk number
The band recorded several 45s on the Pharaoh label in McAllen, Texas in 1963, ’64, ’65 and ’66 at a small two or four track studio owned by Jimmy Nicholls. English record “Yesterday’s Dream” and flipside “Come Along My Baby” was the first recording for the Semitones, picked up by the Mercury label. The band also recorded the single “I Know” and its flipside “Reina De Mi Vida” and “I Know What’s Been Going On” and flipside “I Love You My Darling” at the Pharaoh Studio. All records had some local success.Noe Pro and the Semi-tones recorded most of the Spanish 45s at Ideal Records Studios in San Benito, Texas. I recall recording engineer and owner of Ideal, John Phillips had Baldemar Huerta (Freddy Fender) working the recording equipment. We spent numerous nights at the Ideal studios recording until 3 or 4 o’clock in the morning. The LP was done at Falcon Studios.
Semitones, L-R, front: Gabriel (Gaby) Garza (sax), Gilbert Colunga (trumpet), Bobby Vill (bass); back: Jesse Salinas (guitar), Noe Pro (singer, drummer) and Carlos Cantu (sax)
Noe was also a great guitar and bass player, he could play numerous instruments, he arranged all the melodies for our horn section. Noe was known as the singing drummer which was unique for that time. Everyone loved to hear Noe sing and could dance to the music we played in English and Spanish.
In 1965 Noe was picked up by an orchestra service agency in Dallas that arranged for him to tour. They used their musicians. Some of us were either still in school or were not hired. Noe Pro’s band had new beginnings, and his music played on. Noe’s roots are in the Rio Grande Valley where he continues to record, and entertain his fans with tejano, country, rock, blues and big band music. Though it’s been over 40 years, this is some of what I recall about the early years of Noe Pro and the Semi-tones.
I played bass guitar with another school band The Staffs. By the middle of 1966, most of us were drafted into military service. It seems everyone left Brownsville, Texas.
Sadly, we have lost two of the early years Semi-tones, Gregorio (Goyo) Reyes: trumpet and Guadalupe (Lupio) Hernandez: lead guitar.
I ask anyone with knowledge of the band to submit photos, stories or any information about Noe Pro’s band “The Semi-tones”.
Jesse Salinas
Q. Were you part of the Blue Valiants with Noe? “I Know (You Don’t Love Me Anymore)” / “Reina de Mi Vida” is credited to Noe Pro and the Blue Valiants.
Jesse: I was never with the Valiants. Noe joined the Valiants as a drummer. The Blue Valiants did record for Jimmy Nicholls at Pharaoh when he was with them. Later Noe formed his own band the Semitones and we recorded “Yesterday’s Dream” and its flip at Pharaoh, it was the first recording for the Semitones. Noe tells me that “I Know” and its flip was actually the second recording. We all noticed the error on the label at the time we got copies but it was too late to change.
Noe Pro’s 1960s record releases
45s:
Noe Pro and the Semitones:
Mercury 72341 – “Yesterday’s Dream” / “Come Along My Baby (and Dance with Me)” (1964)
Pharaoh 118 – “I Know (You Don’t Love Me Anymore)” / “Reina de mi Vida” (credited to Noe Pro and the Blue Valiants) Pharaoh 124 – “I Know What’s Been Going On” / “I Love You My Darling”
“Para Ti” for the Bego label, a wild adaption of the Animals “I’m Crying”
Bego BG-167 – “Para Ti” / (as Noe Pro y Los Semitones)
Benja 103 – “Oh Darling” / “What Shall I Do” (both written by Benny C. Mendez and credited to Noe and the Semitoness)
Norco 110 – “If You Would See Me Tomorrow” / “I’m Gonna Leave This Town”
Ideal 2163 – “En Que Pierde una Mujer” / “Gracias” Ideal 2285 – “Usted” / “Quizas, Quizas, Quizas” Ideal 2370 – “Gorda” / “Mi Baby” Ideal 2372 – “Extraños en la Noche” Ideal 2382 – “El Destgastado” / “El Soltero”
Falcon 1656 – “Yo Te Daria Mas” / “Llora”
Album:
Falcon FLP-2055 – La Voz Internacional de Noe Pro
songlist: Llora, Mi Razon, Sin Verte, Incomprendida, Humo en los Ojos, Yo Te Suplico, Yo Te Daria Mas, Yo Soy Aguel, Aunque Me Hagas Llorar, Ya No Me Quieres, Cuando Comienza Elamor, Que Injusticia
Thank you to Jesse Salinas for the photos and scans in this article, and to Chad Burnett for the scan of the Bego 45 “Para Ti”.
Jack Benner, drummer with the Veskants and the Silvertones wrote to me about his career:
I started out playing piano as a kid, but didn’t like conventional music lessons. After a couple of years with Mamie B. Forkel (I swear), I quit. Later I found Geneva Hamilton, about as round as she was tall, well into her 60’s, coal-black dyed hair and smoked Camels, but she could PLAY piano! That was my start-out instrument (professionally). The problem with piano in a “movable” band back then was the equipment you had to buy and carry. Not every place you needed to play had a piano and if it did, it usually meant re-tuning the whole band.
When I met Mickey Sharp in the 9th grade and I was so impressed with his natural style on drums, I asked if he would teach me as much as he could. We struck up a life-long friendship and he taught me as much as I could learn. I was never quite in his league … he was the best, I was just good.
I started playing professionally while attending Richfield High School. My first job was with Jeweldine Taylor & The Rockets and first job was at James Connally AFB. Later we played at The Flame Room Lounge. When I was with the band, Augie Roundtree was on bass and I think Wallace Pelton may have been on lead guitar, she played rhythm guitar (Fender Jaguar). Started on piano but Rex Boehme took a radio DJ job in Dallas, so I took over drums.
Q. Did you play on her 45, “Look Who’s Talking (About Love)” on the TRC (Texas Record Company) label, backed by Bogle & the Beaumen?
Did not play on the Jeweldine Taylor record. Don’t remember hearing it or knowing about it until now. Her dad was her booking agent and manager and he repaired typewriters for a living. A few years after I worked for her, she went deeply religious and carried a Bible around with her. If you spoke to her, just a “hello”, you got “saved”!
I worked part-time at Waco Music Center in Southgate for a short time. Later we formed a band called Veskants with Larry Nichols (keyboard/sax), Ted Richardson (guitar), Richard Travis (bass), me on drums and Ronnie Byrd as vocalist. We recorded “Little Miss Heartbreaker” and “More Than Love” at Goodson McKee’s recording studio. Songs were written in part by Byrd. “More Than Love” was supposed to be the “A” side of the record but for some reason “Heartbreaker” got the most request/play, go figure. Pressed a few hundred records on W.M.C. label. Sold a few – gave away most. I still have a couple. Larry Nichols made up the name Veskants … who knows what goes through that mind of his!
Next band was The Silvertones featuring Little Anthony. He claimed his real name was Anthony Fontaine, who knows, but we were soon packing them in at The Red Carpet Club. Several talented players came and went in this band. I played trumpet, Mickey Sharp drums, Rick Jensen tenor sax, Ronny Cawthon lead guitar for a while, later Ted Richardson, Richard Travis bass (got drafted) so Jerry Rierson took bass – later Frank Tate. Larry Nichols played keyboard and for a while we had a 3rd horn (bari-sax) but can’t remember his name.
While in school, I took “Band” and learned to play the Coronet. Never really figured on using it professionally – weren’t many bands at that time using brass. Then as if by magic, Herb Alpert came along and then the R&B (soul) bands and all of a sudden there was a need for brass-players. It was light and easy to transport and I loved it for traveling all over the country. I can’t tell you the number of times I played “Lonely Bull”! Because I could play several instruments fairly well, I was never without “work” if I wanted it. That was nice.
Q. Was the Silvertones you were with the same group that recorded with Gaylan Ladd, “Get Out of Town” / “Something Is Strange”?
The Silvertones I played with did not record while I was with them but Gaylan came along after I left the band and the band Heather Black had a core of Silvertones in it so that’s possible. When we picked up Little Anthony and the extra instruments we were mainly a “showband”.
We toured many clubs & military bases. Gaylon Christy was our first agent but we got picked up by Sam Gibbs – Wichita Falls. Lots of work/travel! After band broke up (Dec. ’68) I moved to Arlington, took a day job and started working as “fill” on drums or keyboards, got married and was transferred to Wichita Kansas where I formed a 3-piece club band to keep my sanity.
When I got back to Texas (Hurst) I quit playing for a while. Then got a call from Frank Tate and Richard Travis to play organ/front a band called Bandana. Their rhythm guitar got transferred and they had a contract at Franks Lakeview Inn on Lake Belton. Just wanted me to help them out to the end of the contract – about 10 weeks. This was in 1973 – four years later we were still going strong.
Smil’n Jack Benner
Thanks to Mike Markesich for the scans and transfers of the Veskants single.
The Knights Band, from left: Bill Ashton, David Keller, Bick Mitchell, Carson Hood, Dudley Parker (?), and Ray Edwards
The Knights Band were Ray Edwards (vocals), Dudley Parker (keyboards), Carson Hood (bass), Bill Ashton (sax), Bick Mitchell (drums) and Dave Keller (lead guitar).Vocalist and DJ Ray Edwards sent in the early photo of David Keller’s first band, the Knights and gives some background, below.
The Preachers was David’s third band. In Shades Valley High School in Birmingham in the early 60’s, David played lead guitar for The Knights. I was the singer (little guy on the end) and “booking manager.” Other members were Bill Ashton (sax), Carson Hood (bass), Dudley Parker (keyboards), and Bic Mitchell (drums).
I graduated in 1963 and after a year at UAB in Birmingham headed to Tuscaloosa and a job 5 nights a week as a DJ at WJRD in Tuscaloosa. I was “invited” to drop out of the group. David took over lead vocals and sort of manager. They changed their name to The Original Knights and put out a 45 record to promote the band.
In the late 60’s I ran into David. He had just bought the convertible and told he he was making great money promoting bands. He said he had paid 21 $100 bills for the car. This was in Panama City where he had the club. The next thing I heard was that he was about to be drafted and had headed for Canada.
I have caught up with Bill Ashton, he is in sales and gets to Alabama from time to time. I met Dudley Parker at a wedding I was Djing for. (DJ company is Alabama Entertainment – alaentertainment.com) I talked with Bic who was filling in with a band playing at The Club. Carson died some time after we were in the band.
I have often wondered what happened to David. He was always “Crazy David” even when we had Saturday Morning band practice in his parents garage on Dolly Ridge Road in what became Vestavia Hills.
Ray Edwards
The Original Knights, from left: Carson Hood, Bill Ashton, Bick Mitchell and Dave Keller
When Edwards and Parker left, the band became a quartet, now calling themselves the Original Knights. This group released one 45 on their own Knight Enterprise Records recorded at Boutwell Recording Studios in Birmingham. David Keller wrote both songs, “Going Fishing” and “Please Don’t Go”, which has vocals credited to Keller and Carson Hood.According to the sleeve, Keller attended University of Alabama in Birmingham while Hood and Mitchell were students at Walker Jr. College (now Bevill State I believe) in Sumiton, 25 miles to the northwest. Bill Ashton is listed as attending the more distant Auburn University.
For further info on David Keller, check out the page on the Preachers.
Thanks to Ray Edwards for the photo and info about the Knights Band, and also to Jeff Lemlich for the scans and transfers of the 45 as the Original “Knights”.
The Paradise label out of Houston, Texas is known for garage 45s by Thursday’s Children and the Warlocks, which came late in the label’s run. Most releases are r&b or blues, but there are even some country singles in the series.
any help with this would be appreciated
1000 – Joe Medwick – Second Time Around / Alabama Blues 1001 – Perk Williams – I’m Hanging My Teardrops Out / Release Me 1002 – Jimmy Nelson – Her Last Bye Bye / Tell Me Who 1003 – Frankie Anthony – Goin’ to the River (Frank Argento) / Brenda 1004 – Joe Medwick – You Little Heartbreaker You / I Cried 1005 – Willard Burton – The Last Buffalo / Cuban Cane Fields 1006 – Joe Hill – Just Not My World Anymore / Give Me a Reason 1007 – Link Davis – You Were Only Pulling My Leg / Whenever You Find Your Love My Love (1963) 1008 – Gashead – I’m Too Good / I Want to Get into Something 1009 – The Impellas – Five Plug / Sailing High 1010 – Gene Allison – Not Even Judgment Day / Fading Love 1011 – Gashead – You’re Gonna Miss Me When I’m Gone / Why Do You Treat Me Like a Tramp 1012 – Jimmy Nelson – Sweet Sugar Daddy / I’ll Be Ready 1013 – Johnny Copeland – I Need You Now / Heebie Jeebies 1014 – Link Davis – Orange Blossoms / Feu Follet (1963) 1015 – Larry Martinez – Borquinho / Melinda Café 1016 – Jim Post – Every Once in a While / Look a Long Way 1017 – The Rendevous – Ruby Baby / Ram-Bunk-Shus 1018 – Willard Burton – The Freeze / No Name 1019 – Interns – Sally Met Molly / Have Mercy 1020 – Chris Funston with the High Hopes – Summertime / There’s Nothing Left 1021 – Warlocks – Life’s a Misery / Splash Day 1022 – Thursday’s Children – You’ll Never Be My Girl (Jan Pederson) / Try Girl (Charles Helpinstill, Brown) (also released on Kidd 1334) 1023 – Interns – Don’t Make Me No Mind / Life With You 1024 – Leon Mitchison – The Sheek Part 1 / Part 2
5000 – Tommy Hammond – Ride This Train / Beging to You 5001 – Jim Jones and the Chaunteys – Sparkle and Shine / Three Squares 5002 – Johnny Copeland – Night Time Part 1 / Part 2 5003 – Oscar Perry – I’m on My Way / I Want to Get Old with You 5004 – Julius Jones and The Riverea’s – Eimmer Line / Soulin’ with the Riverea’s
With thanks to Texas Soul Recordings for filling in some missing gaps in my discography, and also to Myskatonic for confirming the Chris Funston disk, and to Bob for the listing of 5001.
Most of the Second-Hand Bitter-Sweet were from the small town of Bainbridge, Maryland. They released one 45 in August 1968, one side an upbeat pop song, “You’re Gonna Be Mine Now”, the other a moody favorite of many garage fans, “Please Don’t Go”.
Both were originals by Burchfield and Deaton, and Robert Brown produced the single on his CEI label.
Vocalist Tom Deaton answered my questions about the band and provided the photo and news clip seen here.
Q. Who else was in the band besides you?
Robert Burchfield, Bill Nelson, Mark Wirth, Mike Burchfield, John Oglevee, and Gary Donovan.
I was in a band in high school called the Cobras. When I went into the Navy, I formed another called the Cobras II. We changed the name pretty quickly to Midnite Mass. It was during that time that I let another drummer take over and concentrated on singing. We folded pretty soon and I loaned out my P.A. system to some Navy dependents. I went to pick it up and they were rehearsing for a show at a Catholic school. They sounded pretty awful – they were all just starting to play and sing. I showed them how to sing one of their songs and they asked me to join so I did.
We came up with the name, Second Hand Bitter Sweet cause of the crazy named bands at the time – Strawberry Alarm Clock, etc. When we played out, the kids made fun of us cause we couldn’t sound like the covers. So I suggested we write a couple of our own songs that the kids couldn’t compare to anything. We did – it worked – the kids thought we were great.
Got hooked up with some guy nearby (we were in Bainbridge, MD). We went to a big studio in Baltimore and recorded 2 songs.
The producer was supposed to promote the record, but instead he sent us 500 copies and moved to Ohio.
Of course, it’s virtually impossible to promote something on your own. I had one big time DJ tell me that he got hundreds of 45’s a month and threw most of them in the trash. He said if they had a $50. with it, he would play it once…
I think I gave up too early, but I spent a year in Morocco before I got out. I took up guitar over there and formed a band called the Jagged Edge. Jagged Edge was my first attempt at playing guitar. The rest of the guys were jazz musicians so we did mostly rock and a little jazz. It was fun – we were the only American band in Morocco at that time.
Back in the states, I didn’t do much for a while (college, etc.). When I took a job in San Diego, I played lead with a country band called Country Rainbow – great band. I also played acoustic in bars for drinks and tips.
Back in North Carolina I played with several bands – wrote a few more songs. The band I’m in now, Legacy, is a lot of fun. We played as a 3 piece for over a year. Now we have another guitarist and a new drummer. We do about four of my originals – it’s just a helluva lot of fun. I also volunteer at a local hospital where I sing and play acoustic to cancer patients and others who are in bad shape. 64 and still rockin…. what can I say – “I got the music in me…”
Bob Brown had been recording and releasing records in his hometown of Fremont, Ohio since the early ’60s on his Courier and Empire labels. He continued to produce singles while stationed in the Army in Aberdeen, only 11 miles from Bainbridge. During his two years there he released several records, changing the label name to CEI (Courier-Empire International).
These include:
Sodom & Gomorrah “Flower Children” (written by Caulson, Rudacille and Brown and co-produced by B. Kuhns, D. Bush and G. Gregory) / “Twenty Miles” The Soulations “Come on Thats Love Baby” (Lester Earl Lee G&J) / “Will You Be Mine” The Runabouts “Way Of Life” / “All Is All ” (is this the same group from Cincinnati that cut “I Need Time” / “The Chase” on Vox?) The Hamilton Peach “With the Girl That You Love” (Jeff Yost) / “One Way Ticket Down” The Souls of Britton “Make a New Light” / “I’ll Be on My Way” (this group had an earlier 45 from 1966, “JJ (Come Back to Me)” / “Can’t Be True” (both by Heiberger / Bumgarner, produced by C.M. Bartlett) on Ed Kennedy’s Ken-Del label out of Wilmington, Delaware). Sites n’ Sounds “The Night Is So Dark” (R. Taylor, D. Blankenship)
Back in Ohio in late ’68, R.T. Brown became even busier, releasing a good light psychedelic 45, the Majority of Six “I See the Light” / “Tears Like Rain” and a rare private press LP by “Eric”.
This site is a work in progress on 1960s garage rock bands. All entries can be updated, corrected and expanded. If you have information on a band featured here, please let me know and I will update the site and credit you accordingly.
I am dedicated to making this site a center for research about '60s music scenes. Please consider donating archival materials such as photos, records, news clippings, scrapbooks or other material from the '60s. Please contact me at rchrisbishop@gmail.com if you can loan or donate original materials
Last year Bobby Corley of the State of Mind sent me a copy of their cool single for the Tener label. I sent him a couple emails to thank him and ask for more information on the band, but haven’t heard back yet. Bobby has a blog Diary of a Drummer with many good photos, but he hasn’t updated it in a couple years.
Their single came out in late ’67 or ’68. “City Life” is really unusual, with static noise layered over the music throughout the song, giving it an apocalyptic feel. It was written by Mike Darby, Tom Devor and Glenn Coleman. The flip “Time Will Tell” is also good, written by Devor and Darby.
Lillian Gonzales and her husband Joe “Pato” Gonzales owned the El Pato grocery store in Saginaw, Michigan, and also ran the Gonzales & Gonzales artist management company. Joe, whose name I’ve seen in print as Jose Gonzales or Victor Gonzales, owned half of Bego Records with Paulino Bernal, which had been releasing conjunto records in McAllen, Texas since the early ’60s.
According to Billboard, Neil Bogart, a twenty-three year old sales manager at Cameo-Parkway flew to McAllen, Texas to purchase the master of “96 Tears” from Bego, winning out over a verbal agreement with Roulette’s Morris Levy.
Jack Benner, drummer with the Veskants and the Silvertones wrote to me about his career:
I worked part-time at Waco Music Center in Southgate for a short time. Later we formed a band called Veskants with Larry Nichols (keyboard/sax), Ted Richardson (guitar), Richard Travis (bass), me on drums and Ronnie Byrd as vocalist. We recorded “Little Miss Heartbreaker” and “More Than Love” at Goodson McKee’s recording studio. Songs were written in part by Byrd. “More Than Love” was supposed to be the “A” side of the record but for some reason “Heartbreaker” got the most request/play, go figure. Pressed a few hundred records on W.M.C. label. Sold a few – gave away most. I still have a couple. Larry Nichols made up the name Veskants … who knows what goes through that mind of his!
The Paradise label out of Houston, Texas is known for garage 45s by Thursday’s Children and the Warlocks, which came late in the label’s run. Most releases are r&b or blues, but there are even some country singles in the series.
