Tag Archives: Dot

The Violations (former members of Sam the Sham & the Pharaohs)

Violations Dot 45 You Sure Have Changed

Sam the Sham’s entire backing band quit towards the end of 1965, supposedly over financial disagreements. David Martin, Jerry Patterson, Ray Stinnett and Paul Gibson could not keep the Pharaohs name, and Sam recruited an entirely new Pharaohs lineup.

The remaining group cut one single as the Violations on Dot 45-16866, with Sam the Sham’s producer Stan Kesler, released in April, 1966.

Paul Gibson wrote the fast-moving r&b top side, “You Sure Have Changed” and collaborated with Ray Stinnett on “The Hanging”. The drumming is especially noticeable on both sides. I’ve read that “The Hanging” is a comment on the breakup with Samudio, but the lyrics are either oblique, like “People offer many persuasions/ Some offer gold as a prize / But they lie …”, or simply hard to comprehend over the slamming drums!

Violations Dot 45 The HangingCash Box reviewed the single in early May, 1966, giving it positive B+/B reviews, but the single faded without making any charts that I’m aware of.

Violations reviewed in Cash Box, May 7, 1966

Paul Gibson copyrighted two other songs in 1966, “A Long, Long Way” which was the B-side to Sam the Sham’s January 1966 single “Red Hot”, and “Like You Use To” which I’m not sure if anyone recorded.

I read Paul “Butch” Gibson left the music business after this single.

Ray Stinnett formed the 1st Century and released one 445 on Capitol produced by Don Nix featuring two of his original songs, “Looking Down” / “Dancing Girl”. He would work with Booker T. Jones and in 1971 cut his own album that would wait 40 years to be released with the title A Fire Somewhere.

Info from Ian Parker’s interview with Ray Stinnett at For Folk’s Sake.

The Valiants with Jerry Gillespie on Dot Records

All four of the Valiants songs were composed by Jerry Gillespie. The band was probably based in Lebanon, Tennesee, east of Nashville. They definitely sound like a real group, not a studio creation.

Members included Gary Gillespie, his cousin Jerry Gillespie, Jim Ladas and Donnie Scarlett.

Their first single was “I’m Getting Tired of You” / “All Night Long” MusiCenter 3102 from 1965 (RCA custom pressing SK4M-3501), produced by label owner Murray Nash.

Both songs are listed with By-Nash of Nashville BMI, though I don’t see copyright listings for either. According to an article on Mellow’s Log Cabin site, Murray Nash had Kenny Norton cover both songs, but these do not seem to have been released. Kenny Norton was a young singer from Texas who had a single on MusiCenter 3104, “To Know You” / “Oonie, Oonie, Yah, Yah, Yah”.

Valiants Dot 45 Don't Make The Same Mistake

In May of 1966, the Valiants had their second release, “Don’t Make the Same Mistake” / “I’ll Return to You” on Dot 45-16884 (MB-20860/1).

Although “Don’t Make the Same Mistake” has song writing credits by Jerry Gillespie with Cedarwood Publishing (BMI) while “I’ll Return to You” is credited to Wayne Gillespie with Ivory Pub. Co. (Sesac), it seems likely this is the same person, Jerry Wayne Gillespie, from Decatur, Alabama who penned a good number of big country hits in the ’70s and ’80s. I suppose the Valiants were his first group, but do not have any information on that yet.

The sticker from the German division of Peer Music is interesting, however this did not see release in Europe, and even the US single on Dot is very rare now.

Produced by John E. Denny and Noel Ball as “A Jed Record Production”; they also produced the Mod Rockers “Lover’s Lane” (Kenneth Ball) / “Stop And Smell The Flowers” (David Ball) released on Dot Records 45-16907 only a month or two after the Valiants single.

John E. Denny produced the Uncalled For’s classic “Do Like Me” (by Larry Welding and Tollie Lee) for Laurie Records, as well as many country recordings.

Valiants Dot 45 I'll Return to You

The Esquires


The Esquires at Parkview High School, from the ’66 yearbook.
L-R (not certain): John Jacobsen, Mike Fielder, Rick Davidson and Mark Morton.

There were many bands that called themselves the Esquires. This group came from Springfield, Missouri.

John Jacobsen wrote all the songs I’m featuring here. He was the only member I could identify until someone sent in the two photos featured here. The other members may have included Mike Fielder on bass, Mark Morton on guitar, and Rick Davidson on drums, with Bill DeLange from the Artificial Flowers replacing Mark Morton at some point. The person who sent the photos also remembered David Kershenbaum substituting for a sick band member on guitar at a Parkview High School dance.

Their first 45, “She’s My Woman” is good rocking fare. Somehow this ended up on Dot records in October of 1966; I presume it had a local release but I’m not sure of that. I haven’t heard the flip yet, called “Misfortune”.

The A-side of their second 45 is “Summer Nights”, a poppy song with horns.

Their greatest moment to my mind is “Settle Down”, the b-side to “Summer Nights”. It’s a beautifully composed song with a perfect balance between the instruments and the group’s fine harmonies. The strong vocal lines remind me of the Jefferson Airplane’s first LP, while the Byrds may have inspired the guitar solo. Released in July of 1967, the Scratch label lists the address as Radio-TV Bldg., Springfield.

Mike Morton, Mark Morton’s younger brother, played in a later band from the area, the Lavender Hill Mob.

Thanks to the person who anonymously contributed the photos and description of the band.


Taken from Springfield’s Community Free Press, August 2, 2006.

The Briks of Denton and Dallas TX

The Briks, left-right: Mike Meroney, Cecil Cotten, Richard Borgens, Lee Hardesty and Steve Martin
The Briks, left-right: Mike Meroney, Cecil Cotten, Richard Borgens, Lee Hardesty and Steve Martin

The Briks came from a band called the Embers who formed at Texas Tech in Lubbock in 1965, with Richard Borgens on vocals and lead guitar, Lee Hardesty on guitar, Bobby Daniels, and Steve Martin on drums. The band relocated to Denton, outside Dallas, and Gainesville, TX, where some of them attended Cooke County Junior College, a “home for the academically ill” as one teacher put it. There they met Cecil Cotten, who became their lead singer, and bassist Mike Meroney and changed their name to the Briks.

An early photo of the Briks
An early photo of the Briks, l-r: Lee Hardesty, Richard Borgens, Cecil Cotten, Steve Martin on drums, and Mike Meroney

The Briks
Lee Hardesty wrote on the BigD60s site:

Some of the Briks lived at the Stella St. apartments for a while. Cecil, Steve, Reggie Lang (manager) and I had a place there and Tommy Carter was just down a few doors. Across the courtyard is where Bob Story and Johnny Hale lived and they were some wild and crazy guys! Just around the corner at the next complex is where “The Four Speeds” lived (later they became “Felicity”). That was a fun time for the most part but I think our apt. was a mess. Some of us were driving back and forth to CCJC in Gainesville at the time.

The Briks signed with the Bismark agency, run by George Rickrich, who also managed the Chessmen. Whit Snell of the Beefeaters remembers Rickrich this way:

George was the Godfather of the music scene in Denton. He and Charlie Hatchet from Austin controlled everything north of San Antonio all the way to the Oklahoma border. His so-called real job was Manager of the Campus Theater on the Denton square. Here, at the back and above the large dimly lit balcony, was George’s office, Bismark Agency, filled with movie posters, black and white photos of bands, food wrappers and heaps of clutter, scribbled phone numbers, scratched out and circled dollar figures. There, on his desk, were two or three black telephones, their rotary dials worn shinny silver from thousands of calls made by George’s stubby fingers.

Cecil Cotten at CCJC in 1966.
Cecil Cotten at CCJC in 1966.
Lee Hardesty adds: “George Rickrich started that laser light show in Forth Worth at the planetarium in the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History. At one point I helped him with some of the electronics and got a bunch of free passes to the movie theater as payment.”

Their first recordings were distributed on acetates only. Both “I’m Losing” and “It’s Your Choice” are classic garage numbers and it’s a shame these weren’t released on 45.

There are two versions of “It’s Your Choice”. One features a twelve-string guitar, and the band takes the song at a fast pace. The other has an altogether tougher sound. On this version Cecil’s vocals are nothing less than menacing. The band generates an ominous, intense sound with Mike Meroney’s repetitive bass line, the jangling guitar, drum fills and occasional harmonies. There’s a good, trebly guitar solo and a neat break with just bass, drums and handclaps.

The Briks – It’s Your Choice
The Briks – It’s Your Choice (12-string version)

Steve Martin slams out the beat on “I’m Losing,” which also features their first use of a distortion pedal on the guitar. The band’s harmonies add to Cecil’s lead vocal but his voice still cuts through. It’s a great sound.

The Briks – I’m Losing

The Briks at Cook County Junior College
The Briks at Cook County Junior College, clockwise from bottom left: Mike Meroney, Reggie Lang (manager), Cecil Cotten, Richard Borgens, Lee Hardesty and Steve Martin

The Briks, 1966

Lee Hardesty: I can’t speak for the differing versions. I remember recording them only once at Sellers (downtown Dallas). It was our first trip to the studio and I remember the engineer running out of the control room saying “There’s something wrong here! I’m hearing horrible distortion!!” We laughed because he had never heard a fuzztone before and didn’t know it was intentional. Actually he was probably right about the sound though. That was my original (homemade) fuzz box, built into a wooden English Leather box, and I imagine it probably did sound pretty horrible.

When we had finished recording we asked for a 45 and they cut us one right there on the spot (cutting lathe). We drove out to KBOX on flagpole hill (about midnight) and went around to the back of the building. I think the DJ was the only one there so we knocked on the window and he opened it to talk to us. We gave him the 45 and went back to our car and listened to it on the radio! What a thrill! Seems a little more difficult to get things on the radio these days.

The Briks at the Studio Club, 1966
At the Studio Club, 1966

The Briks Bismark 45 Foolish BabyThe Briks released their first 45, the poppy “Can You See Me?” on Bismark in ’66, though garage fans love the flip side, “Foolish Baby”. Both sides are originals by Richard Borgens and Cecil Cotten. Dot label picked it up for national distribution and to promote the record the Briks traveled to Houston for shows at the Catacombs, around November of 1966.

Lee Hardesty: It was a big thrill the first time we played there. We were given some real star treatment, ads on the radio stations, radio station interviews, a dinner I believe. I think they might have been a little underwhelmed though because that stuff ended after our first night. It was a cool place (glad we didn’t use pyrotechnics back then!!) but I liked the parties and other dance halls better where it wasn’t so much of a show thing. I liked playing when people were dancing more.

Mike Meroney: I also recall that the Dot record rep showed up and threw records to the audience. I also recall that we changed outfits between each set and broke a guitar or two. How nutty was that? We appeared on the Larry Kane show during one of those trips to Houston. I remember listening to the Catacombs promos on the radio as we approached Houston – that would pump us up.

 Lyrics to Foolish Baby
Lyrics to Foolish Baby
On one trip to the Catacombs they were overshadowed by the professionalism of Baton Rouge’s Greek Fountains.

Mike Meroney: We went back there several times with various versions of the band. The last gig there that I remember was a bit humbling. We were the headliners but they had another band that played during our breaks. All I remember was they were awesome, kind’a kicked our butts, and it was hard to get back up there and do a second set. They were some band from Louisiana and had real good players, PA, etc.

As I recall their name was the Greek Fountains or something like that. They were good. It seems like the most common technical challenges in those days were with PA systems. They never could seem to catch up with the rest of the stuff. As a bass player I felt techno disadvantaged as well. It was hard to keep up with the Hardesty. It was never loud enough or clear enough or punchy enough. The first set up that I felt even reasonably satisfied with was dual Kustom towers. This Louisiana band did have a good equipment setup including an awesome PA.

Another venue for the Briks was the legendary Louanns.

Cecil Cotten: We had to audition in order to play. The audition was done while Mrs. Bovis and her family were eating dinner. This was in 1966. There were two stages one on each end and another completely different room on the other side and yes a beer garden.

The Briks also played Sump N Else [local TV show hosted by Ron Chapman] and played two songs. “I’m A Man” (Yardbirds) and “Baby Let Me Take You Home” (Animals). I remember the window that allowed people to look in on the show while they were at the North Park Mall. It was like being in Hollywood for us. We were still in our late teens or early 20’s and felt invincible.

In a comment below which I’ll repeat here, Bud Buschardt writes:

The Briks appeared on the Sump’n Else show on October 10, 1966. The music log lists them playing a song called “Keep Down.” When a group appeared on the show, they also performed live for the pre-show warm up. Perhaps that is when they played the cover songs mentioned in the bio. Our music lists were often made out in a hurry before the show, so there could have possibly been a misunderstanding of the song title, especially if no one in the group remembers “Keep Down.”

What sounds like a studio version of “Baby Let Me Take You Home” exists, and it’s a great version with an intro that’s reminiscent of the riff to the Gentlemen’s “It’s a Cry’n’ Shame”, fine drumming, 12-string guitar and a rave-up ending. It’s likely the Briks recording came first – could it have influenced the Gentlemen’s legendary guitarist Seab Meador? In any case, I believe it was Animals’ guitarist Hilton Valentine who came up with that riff for “Baby Let Me Take You Home” in 1964.

The Briks at Taylor Ranch
At Taylor Ranch
from left: Mike Meroney, Lee Hardesty, Cecil Cotten
In August ’66 Cecil Cotten, Steve Martin, the band’s manager Reggie Lang, and Mike Neal of the Jackals all joined the Air Force together, drafted after they’d left Cooke County Junior College. Chris Vanderkolk replaced Steve Martin on drums. Paul Ray replaced Cecil on vocals, singing on a version of “Keep Down” recorded at IRL. It’s an interesting original with organ and descending bass line, and appeared years later with other Briks material on the old vinyl compilation Texas Punk vol. 7.

March 17-18, 1967 the Briks play at the Box in Fort Worth.

Paul Ray soon left to join the Cobras. Cecil was out of the service and back in the band by January, 1967, and Jamie Herndon came in on lead guitar, replacing Richard Borgens, who wanted to try production work and folk-oriented music.

Later that year the Briks released a second 45, a cover of Cream’s “NSU” b/w “From a Small Room”, an original by Borgens. Part of a show at the Northwood Country Club was recorded, the set list full of songs made famous by British bands: “Til the End of the Day”, “NSU”, “The Nazz Are Blue”, “Heart Full of Soul”, and “I’m a Man”. There’s also a live version of “Everybody Needs Someone to Love” that, to my ears, comes from an earlier live performance show. All of these are collected on Texas Punk vol. 8.

Lee Hardesty: I think that one of those unissued songs was actually recorded at Mike Meroney’s house using his father’s tape deck. The song “Over You” was an original by Jamie Herndon and the real title was “Green Green” if I’m thinking of the same thing here.

“Over You” has a lot of potential as a song, with moody, churning verses going into a brief ooh-ing “over you” and a short fast break. On the version I heard, the sounds of a guitar and bass doing some practice runs intrudes on the recording briefly about 35 seconds in.

The lyrics are hard to make out, but I can hear some snippets like “the sky is blue the night is black the sea is green …” The song finishes with an intense 12-string guitar solo that lasts a full minute over a bass line reminiscent of Cream’s “”Tales of Brave Ulysses”.

I’ve read they also cut a version of “It Won’t Be Wrong” but if so, I haven’t heard it.

The Briks after Cecil Cotten returned to the band
The Briks after Cecil Cotten returned to the band
Rear l-r: Mike Meroney, Chris Vanderkolk, Cecil Cotten. Front l-r: Lee Hardesty and Jamie Herndon

Briks Bismark 45 Can You See MeThe Briks broke up by 1968 and Cecil joined a band with some members of the Chessmen, who had also just split. Cecil told me “Jimmy Rabbit managed a band called Texas which included Jimmy Vaughn guitar, Cecil Cotten vocalist, Tommy Carter bass, Billy Etheridge keyboards and on drums Sammy Piazza. We did some recording at Robin Hood Brians studio in Tyler (I would really like to have a copy of those tapes). We played only a few times and one of those times was opening for The Jeff Beck Group with Rod Stewart at Louanns in Dallas.”

In 1969, Cotten moved out to San Francisco with Benny Rowe of the Wig, Steve Karnavas of the Chaparrals, and Keith Ferguson, where they gigged as Benny, Cecil and the Snakes.

Richard Borgens sang on The Truth’s 45, “Chimes on 42nd Street” / “When Was Then”.

The Briks reunited once, in 1996 at White Rock Lake.

Lee Hardesty: It was really a pretty short run for the original Briks, just a year and a half or so, then another year or so with Paul and Chris and Jamie I would guess. A lot happened in a fairly short time and it was quite a while ago. If we’d only had a clue we should have been writing and recording a lot more. Richard had more talent in that area than we realized at the time, and so did Mike for that matter. Somehow I just don’t think I had any idea what we were doing or what the potential was. It was mostly just fun and a way to make some money. And it was a lot of fun sometimes.

I’m very sad to report that Cecil Cotten passed away on Friday, April 4, 2008 in Winnsboro, TX, at the age of 62. In recent years Cecil and former Briks bandmate Mike Neal recorded a CD of blues-inspired songs as The Pickin’ Cotten Band. I greatly regret I never met Cecil in person, and his music will always mean a great deal to me.

Update February 2020: I’m very sorry to write that Richard Borgens passed away on November 25, 2019. He was a faculty member at Purdue University and founded the Center for Paralysis Research “to develop clinical therapies for injury and disease of the human nervous system” and that he was “regarded as a preeminent researcher in spinal cord neuronal regeneration.”

Thank you to the BigD60’s site for the history and photos of the band, and to Andrew B. for contributing the transfer of the incredible acetate of “It’s Your Choice”.

 Later photo of the Briks
Later photo of the Briks
Cecil Cotten of the Briks performing live on the train to Waco Denton Record Chronicle, December 8, 1965
Cecil Cotten of the Briks performing live on the train to Waco Denton Record Chronicle, December 8, 1965

The Mystics

The Mystics, Oak Cliff

The Mystics came out of the Oak Cliff neighborhood of Dallas, Texas. Members were Ron Jobe vocals, David Mitchell bass, Robert Farris and Danny Fugate on guitars, and Glenn Struble on drums. Their original name was the Glorytones, and they often played the Heights Theater.

In 1966 they won a local battle of the bands with the prize being a record contract with Bob Sanders’ Spectra Records, which is when they changed their name to the Mystics.

Spectra hired rockabilly legend Dale Hawkins to produce, and Ron Price (songwriter of “Wishy Washy Woman” and “My Girl” for Jimmy Rabbit) contributed the very catchy “Didn’t We Have a Good Time”. Robert Farris wrote the b-side, “Now and For Always”, a well-executed if ordinary ballad.

The 45 reached #1 on Dallas stations KLIF, KBOX (see survey front and back) and KFJZ and was picked it up by Dot Records for national distribution. The Mystics went on to open shows for the Beach Boys, Sam the Sham, the Lovin’ Spoonful and others, but for some reason never released another 45.

Contrary to what has been written before, the Mystics did not develop into the New Breed, who recorded Ron Price songs like “High Society Girl” and “P.M. or Later”. The In Crowd label used the Mystics name as a way to give credibility to the New Breed, which was actually a batch of studio musicians based out of Robin Hood Brians’ studio in Tyler.

I asked bassist David Mitchell a few questions about the band:

Q. Is that a Gibson Thunderbird you’re playing?

That is a Thunderbird bass in that picture. Wish I still had it now.

Q. Were you still in the band when it became the New Breed?

None of The Mystics were a part of The New Breed. It was never a real band. The record company we were with used our name and said it was the Mystics with a new name. They were studio players. May have been the same players that backed Jimmy Rabbit on his records. They only had the one 45 that I know of.

Q. The one name I can find connecting the Mystics and the New Breed is the songwriter Ron Price, did you know him?

Yes we knew Ron Price. At the time we had won a battle of the bands and a record contract, Ron was working with Spectra records which was also Knight Records and many other label names they wanted to use. Ron was a good song writer, he later wrote songs for Glenn Campbell.

The band broke up in 1968, as we all started getting drafted. Robert Farris went on to play with Sam The Sham and later with The Bellemy Brothers. He also played some with the two Vaughan brothers. I still play some. My son plays drums and has been in bands as well, Speed Trucker, Boy Named Sue, Tall Paul and The Hot Rod Hillbillies to name a few.

The Mystics at Keist Park

Thanks to David Mitchell for sending in the photos, above and answering my questions about the Mystics.

Update, January 2009 – thanks to Barb S. who sent me these two great photos of the original band:

left to right: Ron Jobe, Glen Struble, Danny Fugate (on top), Robert Farris, David Mitchell
left to right: Danny Fugate, Robert Farris, David Mitchell, Glen Strubble and (in front) Ron Jobe