Tag Archives: Starfires

Categories: California, Long Beach, Los Angeles

The Starfires from Long Beach

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The Starfires of Long Beach, from left: John Cameron, Pete Wilson, Dave Christopherson and Al (surname?) on sax
The Starfires of Long Beach entertaining at the Terminal Island Officer’s Club “Shipwreck Party” in 1967. From left: John Cameron, Pete Wilson, Dave Christopherson and Al (surname?) on sax

Starfires Long Beach business cardA couple years ago I posted some business cards from the Los Angeles area music scene, including two cards from the Starfires. I assumed these were from the Downey group that had six singles, including the famous “I Never Loved Her”.

The Starfires Garrison Recording Studio demo, never released
The Starfires Garrison Recording Studio demo, never released
It turns out that at least one of those cards belongs to a different Starfires group, operating out of Long Beach, only 15 miles to the south. Apparently this town was big enough for two groups of the same name!

Chris Robere sent me the photos and scans seen here with a little info on the group.

In 1965, the band members included:

Pete Wilson – lead guitar
John Cameron – bass and rhythm guitar
Don Schraider – sax
Dave Christopherson – drums

The band seems to have been popular with the Naval base in Long Beach. They had at least one recording session, as an acetate demo exists from the Garrison Recording Studio in Long Beach. I haven’t heard of “No Hair McCann” before so I expect that must be an original song.

John Irvin Cameron passed away on September 15, 2015.

John Cameron's business ard
John Cameron’s business card

The other Starfires, from Downey, deserves to be covered on this site. That group included Chuck Butler lead vocals, Dave Anderson lead guitar, Sonny Lathrop rhythm guitar, Freddie Fields bass guitar, and Jack Emerick on drums. Freddie Fields seems to have done most of their song writing.

Starfires Long Beach Naval Station Officers Mess Monthly December, 1965
The Starfires featured in the Long Beach Naval Station Officers Mess newsletter in December, 1965
Categories: California, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Pam

The Huntsmen and the Los Angeles scene in the early-mid 1960’s

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The Huntsmen - picture sleeve courtesy of Jim Wilson
The Huntsmen – picture sleeve courtesy of Jim Wilson.

The Huntsmen came out of Millikan High School in Long Beach, and were friends with the Emperors and also likely the Royal Knights, as this sleeve scan and the business cards below came from the collection of one of that band’s members.

The Huntsmen had two singles on the Pam label in the early ’60s:

Pam 1001/1002: “Send Me Some Lovin'” / “Wishbone”
Pam 1003/1004: “Fever” / “Big Bowl of Soul”

“Wishbone” and “Big Bowl of Soul” are band originals.

The labels list the band members, but I don’t have good scans of the labels – if anyone can provide some please contact me.

Jim Bradshaw – lead guitar and lead vocals
Jerry Christensen – drums
Mick Lorito – rhythm guitar
Bill McKinney
Don Rabish (?)

I’m not sure if this is the same Pam label that owned by Jim Aguirre and located at 150 Pamela Blvd in Monrovia, across the city from Long Beach. That Pam had a release from the late ’50s, Bill Garland’s “Lonesome Guitar” / “Guitar Blues” (Pam 45-201).

I’ve heard the A-sides of both singles and they’re excellent as this shows:

Jim Bradshaw had a long career in music after the Huntsmen, including a bi-racial band, the Disciples of Soul, and stints with Johnny Otis, Shuggie Otis, Eddie Vinson, Taj Mahal, Etta James, Junior Wells, and Henry Vestine of Canned Heat. James Bradshaw died in Oregon in 2003.

Pam label info from Rockin’ Country Style.

These band cards offer a glimpse of the local scene circa 1964-’65, including the Royal Knights, the Huntsmen, the Emperors and two cards from the Starfires from Downey. Did any of these other bands record?

Los Angeles band cards, early '60s
Los Angeles band cards from circa 1962-1966, including the Vida-Men, the Coachmen, the Continentals, the Del-Links, Mikron Custom Guitar Finishes (Mike Cohn and Ron Eclit), the Starfires, The Royal Knights, the Impressions, the Ascots, the Leisuremen, the Friends (“Dances – Riots – Concerts”), the Shamrocks, and the Versitile Intruders. From the collection of Jim Wilson.
Categories: Buena Park, California, Downey, Los Angeles

Rivingtons, Starfires, Royal Knights and the Jan-Sirs at the Retails Clerks Auditorium, Buena Park

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Rivingtons, Starfires, Royal Knights and Jan-Sirs at Retail Clerks Auditorium 1965 Oct 22
Flyer courtesy of Jim Wilson

Jim Wilson sent in this flyer for the Rivingtons, the Starfires, the Royal Knights and the Jan-Sirs at the Retail Clerks Auditorium in Buena Park on Friday, October 22, 1965. Jim’s father was in the Royal Knights, whose members also included Steve Werner.

The Rivingtons are famous for “Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow” and the Starfires are probably the group from Downey that had five singles, including “I Never Loved Her” and “No More” on the GI label, and “There’s Still Time” on the Yardbird label.

It’s interesting to see this flyer from Retail-a-Go-Go comes just three weeks after one I have posted for the Mojo Men. These must have been great, fun shows in such a large venue.

If anyone has photos or info about the Royal Knights or the Jan-Sirs please contact me or comment below.