I don’t know anything about The Checkmates, who put out one 45 on Flic Records 786 in the early or mid 1960s. Tim Garbocz wrote “Do It” with vocal by Mickey Stillson. There’s no publishing info listed.
Crypt Records put “Do It” on the 2015 compilation Ho-Dad Hootenanny Too!, which I recommend buying if you like this crude, rockin’ garage sound. The instrumental flip is only a minute and a half long and has not been reissued before.
The initals MW on the label (MW 544/5) indicate Midwest Record Pressing in Chicago pressed this single. Could be they were an Illinois group.
One source shows this band connected to the Checkmates from Johnson City, Tennessee who recorded “Talk to Me” / “Cindy” on Champ Records 2009 in August 1967. That may be possible, but I doubt it – the band would have had to add an organ player and the vocalist sounds different. The Checkmates who recorded “Do It” were a pre-British Invasion group in their style. It would have been a leap for them to get to the sound on “Talk to Me”.
based on other MW-press 45 on my files, I’d date this to 1965.
Chris:
The Checkmates who recorded this were from South Bend Indiana.
Mickey Stillson, R.I.P., attended South Bend Riley High School with me for a year, in1966. His name is listed on the Do It single as the lead vocalist. I will try to get the other band members’ names.
——From Brian Ritter (lead vocalist in The Poorboys, The Mass Confusion, 12th Street Crossing, Mack Bus, all South Bend garage bands).
The link for “Checkmate” does not appear to be working. Is there any way you can repost it?
the checkmates were from south bend Indiana I was the lead guitar player
in 1966 and 1967 I also did the booking for the band as we played all around northern Indiana and southern mi we did teen clubs and school proms and fairs as well as weddings and parties, in 1970 I moved to
starbuck Minnesota were I live now and still play guitar at age 73