Category Archives: Covington

The Maltese

Maltese at Granny's Club in Elsmere, KY, November, 1966
The Maltese at Granny’s Club in Elsmere, KY, November, 1966. Top photo shows John Hyland and Donny Hutcherson of Boone County High, Mike Mahoney of Covington Catholic and Carol Dodd of St. Henry High. Bottom photo shows the Maltese in the background with dancers Sharon Riley, Charleen Riley, Brenda Clayton and Lindy Agner.

The Maltese came from northern Kentucky communities such as Covington, Park Hills and Erlanger, all part of the greater Cincinnati area.

An article in the Enquirer’s Teen-Ager section on Granny’s club in nearby Elsmere, KY shows a band called the Maltese. The article calls Granny’s teen club the “Home of the Dingos”, a band who played often in the area and who often appear in the local listings, unlike the Maltese.

Two members of the Maltese are identified in the article, John Hyland with the bass, and Mike Mahoney on guitar. Both songs on the single are credited to Akers.

There is some confusion about the early lineups of the group.

Dave Willis wrote to me:

Steve Marcum and I were learning to play chords and simple guitar riffs. We learned ‘Walk, Don’t Run’ and realized we needed a drummer. Steve Belew’s family had moved in a few doors from my family and somehow I learned he was a drummer and the three of us became the original Maltese. We tried out a couple of potential bassists but settled for another voice with a six-string and Tommy Angel joined the band.

It appears the Maltese from northern Kentucky never recorded. I had thought this was the same group who recorded on the Chetwyd label of Lexington, KY, which would have been about an hour’s drive to the south, but it turns out that group was from the Winchester area. I cover that group in a recent post.

The De Blus

De Blu, Cincinnati Enquirer, Saturday, March 18, 1967

The Cincinnati Enquirer profiled many local bands, including The De’ Blu or De Blus, as they appeared in ads for the Mod Room at the Cabana restaurant in Erlanger, Kentucky.

De’ Blu was comprised of three students of Covington Catholic High in Park Hills, plus one member each from St. Xavier and the University of Kentucky.

Members were:
Mike White – organ
Greg Barker – lead guitar
Tom Bertke – rhythm guitar
Jim Nordmeyer – harmonica
Mark Gehring – drums.

“One of the most popular local bands appearing regularly at “Granny’s” these days is “The De’ Blu.” All of the boys live in Northern Kentucky and just recently they were offered a recording contract with Capitol Records.”

I have to wonder if anything ever became of the recording contract.

The Fabulous Shantels

Fabulous Shantels, from left: Mike Dektas, Terry Williams, Mike Mays and Jay Cee Ectcon, November 12, 1966
Fabulous Shantels, from left: Mike Dektas, Terry Williams, Mike Mays and Jay Cee Ectcon, November 12, 1966

The Fabulous Shantels and WSAI DJ Dusty Rhodes broadcast live from Shilitto's, February 20, 1966

The Fabulous Shantels came out of the Cincinnati and northern Kentucky music scene.

I can find notices of the Shantels playing live as early as September 5, 1964 at the Mabley & Carew fashion show with Bob Keith and Jim Martin of WCPO. In late November 1964 they appeared at screenings of Roustabout and other films at the Oakley drive-in on Madison Rd.

By November, 1965, they were playing at WSAI-sponsored dances, usually at the Withamsville-Tobasco Community Park Hall, with groups like with Gary & the Hornets, the Topics and the 2 of Clubs. On February 26, 1966, WSAI broadcast live a ‘Swing Thing’ from Shillito’s featuring DJ Dusty Rhodes and the Shantels.

The Shantels fan club letter, September 24, 1966
The Shantels fan club letter, September 24, 1966

A September 1966 letter to the Enquirer mentions a fan club for the Shantels headed by Darleen Nieporte of Cincinnati and Camille Canfield of South Ft. Mitchell, Kentucky. It also gives the band’s names and instruments:

Mike Dektas – organ
Mike Mays – lead guitar
Jay Cee Ecton – bass
Terry Williams – drums

On November 12, 1966, the Enquirer profiled the band in its “Teen-Ager” section (see photo at top).

In late December 1966 the Enquirer published a letter from Sandye Utley and Peg Rouse that they were running their own fan club for the band and that the group had recorded “Remain Unknown”.

Dusty Rhodes letter to "Teen-Ager", January 21, 1967
Dusty Rhodes letter to “Teen-Ager”, January 21, 1967

In January, 1967, Dusty Rhodes wrote a letter from Detroit, Michigan where he was working at CKLW:

I have had several letters about the Fabulous Shantels band, a group who I worked very closely with while I was in Cincinnati. The fellows were here in Detroit just after Thanksgiving to visit, play a dance and have a recording session.

The band recorded four numbers at the Sound, Incorporated Studios in New Haven, Michigan. We were all satisfied with the session and the “rough” tapes. However, the rush of the holidays and the opening of additional studios by the company has delayed the “mastering” of the Shantels recordings.

This is the story for all the Shantel fans and I hope we have a hit.

Keep up the good work with “Teen-Age,” Ruth. I wish the teens of Detroit had something like it.

Fabulous Shantels Sound 45 Remain Unknown Girl

Despite the difficulties in mastering, the record did come out, probably in early 1967, on Sound Inc. SI-160.

“Remain Unknown Girl” was a group original (Dektas, Mays, Ecron, Williams on the credits), published by Sidrian Music BMI. The song features a long biting lead guitar solo and a sneering lead vocal as well as a melody that sounds something like “Louie Go Home” (tip of the hat to Peter Aaron for reminding me).

The lyrics were a bit obscure but Mike Dektas provided corrections:

You want little girl that we go on datin’,
’cause complications are so very frustratin’,
If you need to be here right by my side,
You gotta stay close to be in my right

Remain unknown girl, alright

If you want to be content both day and night,
When decisions are made be right by my side
Well you’re goin’ to have to play a very special game,
To be satisfied to be known only by your name,

Remain unknown girl – alright – work it out

Take it down low,

Knock em dead,

Alright day and night,

You’re outtasight,

Knock em dead, knock em dead,

Unknown, unknown.


The flip is a cover of “For Your Love” (the Ed Townsend ballad, not the Yardbirds).

It’s a rare disc, one that has eluded many collectors, so I don’t think it received any distribution to speak of, whether in Detroit or the Cincinnati area.

The band’s name was wrongly rendered as the Chantels when the song appeared on the compilation Michigan Mayhem vol. 2.

The Turkey Combo (formerly the Topics and the Shantels) with the Dingos, Sunday November 26, 1967
The Turkey Combo (formerly the Topics and the Shantels) with the Dingos, Sunday November 26, 1967
The Blackberry Time Tables (formerly the Turkey Combo) with Salvation and the Army, the Offsets, at Montgomery Hall on Sunday, February 11, 1968
The Blackberry Time Tables (formerly the Turkey Combo) with Salvation and the Army, the Offsets, at Montgomery Hall on Sunday, February 11, 1968

The band continued to play Withamsville dances in early ’67, then drop out of sight for a time. On November 26, 1967, the Shantells and the Topics seem to have combined to become a new group called the Turkey Combo! The name stuck for more shows in December ’67 with the Outcasts and in January 1968 with the Jerms. The Turkey Combo changed to the Blackberry Time Tables for a Montgomery Hall show in February ’68 but by this time the Turkey Combo may not have had any of the Shantels in it.

The Shantels, 1966, from left: Terry Williams, Mike Mays, Mike Dektas and JC Ecton
The Shantels, 1966, from left: Terry Williams, Mike Mays, Mike Dektas and JC Ecton. Photo courtesy of Mike Dektas.

Update: The Fabulous Shantels were inducted into the Northern Kentucky Music Hall of Fame on June 9, 2016, and played a live set at the induction.

Mike Dektas answered some of my questions about the group:

The band was originally created by Terry Williams, our drummer, and Mike Mays our lead guitarist. Terry, Mike, and JC Ecton are all from northern Kentucky – they were looking for a keyboard player and singer, and they found me. At that time, I played a Farfisa organ. Later I switched to Hammond B-3.

We played all over the NKy and Cincinnati area. We were heavily promoted on the radio. Back in those days, they had dances, called “hops”. We played many of those. Typically the hops were from 8-11 pm, or afternoon sessions.

For these, we played at the Shillito’s (#1 department store in Cincinnati) “Swing Thing”. This was great fun – it was broadcast live on 700 WLW radio. We played on elevated decorative stages, live TV Hullaballoo stages.

Other places we played that were promoted included: VFW Hall (NKY, always sold out – 600-800 kids), Glenway Swim Club in Covington, KY (summer), Castle Farms (with headliners like Lou Cristie, Gary US Bonds – we backed these guys up. We also played at Knights of Columbus hall in Cincinnati, and yes, the Withamsville Tobasco Hall that you mentioned in your article – this is on the east side of Cincinnati. We also opened at Music Hall for Roy Orbison.

The Fabulous Shantels, ticket for the Middletown Armory Teen Dance
The Fabulous Shantels, ticket for the Middletown Armory Teen Dance
We also produced shows at that time with Shantel Productions. One event that I remember that was great fun was a giant “Battle of the Bands” at Hotel Alms in Cincinnati. We had 30 bands in that event – it started early and went into the night. Special guest appearance by the Fabulous Shantels.

We also played at the University of Kentucky, big crowd, played in Rupp Arena.

On the club scene, we played on Univ. of Cincinnati campus, regularly at a club called “The Pickle Barrel”. Other clubs included Rio Rita (NKY), clubs at Miami University (OH), and regularly at a club called “The Lagoon” in NKy.

Our band was known for fast music you can dance to, and all hits. So it was easy to get the crowd going. We really did play one summer 8 times a week – every night and twice on Sunday.

JC the bass player, who has passed on now, used to stand up on his amp and move back and forth – we followed a lot of the moves of Paul Revere and the Raiders. In fact, we were offered to tour with them moving around city to city opening for them, but it didn’t work out – we were young and in school and couldn’t travel that much.

The photo in the Enquirer standing around a tree was taken in Devou Park in NKy by a publicist for our booking agent, AJaye Entertainment. AJaye was headed up by Stan Hertzman and Ray Lemkuhl – Stan is still playing guitar out in clubs and coffee shops, I see him sometimes.

That’s me singing on “Remain Unknown Girl”. The other two songs the Shantels recorded were “Georgia on My Mind” and “Poison Ivy”, we never had those two pressed into a record. We recorded in Detroit – Dusty helped set up the session – we travelled there for the session, and we played a live concert in Chatham, Canada, which is across from Detroit. We also played live with Jan and Dean.

That Turkey Combo was a gag idea from DJ Steve Kirk from Dayton OH. Steve was always a jokester – he knew that us and the Topics were great friends, so he made that up and put our names on it – all just fun. We played a number of hops for Steve and he helped promote the band. But the main promoting came from Dusty Rhodes when he was Cincinnati’s #1 DJ on WSAI, a top 40 station.

Mike Mays, Terry and myself have practiced, trying to put together a new act of the Shantels. Terry put together a live venue called “Geezerfest” ha! The amazing thing is we will see a lot of the same people we’ve seen in the late sixties. What fun!

I’ll post more info about the upcoming Shantels show in the future.

Thank you to Barry Wickham for the scan of the Fabulous Shantels 45 labels. Special thanks to Mike Dektas for the scans of the promotional photo and ticket.

The Shōguns

Shoguns, Cincinnati Enquirer Aug. 27, 1966
The Shoguns in the Enquirer, August 27, 1966

The Shoguns Schworer 45 Well All RightThe Shōguns came from Latonia, Kentucky, now part of Covington, a town right across the Ohio River from Cincinnati. Members were:

Dan Herzog – lead vocals
Gary Arnsparger – lead guitar
Pat Mayerchak – rhythm guitar
Fred Dishon – bass
Larry Ackerson – drums

The Shōguns had two 45 releases, first a funky, tambourine-laden version of “Well All Right” that ends with dual guitar leads, shouts and breaking glass! The flip is one I haven’t heard, “In My Time”. It came out on the Schworer label in May of ’66.

Their second single was “The Look in Her Eyes” on Lemco, which again features interesting percussion as well as fine keyboard sounds, harmonies and even horns.

The Shōguns have a new CD and a website about the band at www.theshoguns.com