Category Archives: MBM

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

MBM Records discography

Blondells MBM 45 Rocking My Blues AwayBirmingham, Alabama was the base of MBM Records, which started about 1961.

For more on the Rogues, see the separate post on that band.

This is not the same MBM as MBM Productions of Crowley, Louisiana, run by Mike Miller, the son of Jay Miller. Those releases I discuss in another post.

MBM Records discography

(probably incomplete – any help with this would be appreciated)

MBM 8019 – Ann Allen – “What Do You Want of Me” / “I Don’t Want Your Love” (with PS)

MBM 8020 – The Blondells – “Rocking My Blues Away” (Taylor, Starland Music BMI) / Mona Taylor and the Blondells – “No One Will Ever Know” CP-5501/2, Rite pressing from 1961.

MBM-2001 – Jimmy Ferguson with the Flares Band and the Tom Boys (vocalists) – “The Ballad of Tom Sawyer” / “Cupid” (both by Ferguson – Ferguson, Double “M” Pub. Co. BMI) SoN 9521/2

MBM-2002 – The Rouges – “Put You Down” (Kendrick & Gainer) / “Stormy Monday” SoN 29801

MBM-2003 – The Road Runners “Do You Love Me Sixty Six Style” / “To Be With You” (Gilliland) from Gadsden, AL, SoN 29812.

The Ann Allen sleeve has “MBM Records, Miami-Los Angeles” on the PS, and a managerial address:

Birmingham Artist Playhouse Agency
5017 Avenue “N”, West
Birmingham 8, Alabama

Birmginham’s Reed label usually published through Double “M” Music, but had a handful of later releases in 1961 that instead used Starland Music (and a different logo typeface):

RR 1061 – Larry & the Loafers “Panama City Blues” / “Till the End”
RR 1063 – Webb Robbins And The Jackets “Take This Ring” / “Why Was I Blue”
RR 1064 – Mason Dixon – “Queen Of My Heartaches” / “Hello Memphis”

Thank you to Tapio Väisänen and Niculò Conrad for their help with this discography.