Category Archives: Florence

The Wanted & Co.

The Wanted & Co. 45 WhyThe Wanted & Co. released one single in 1968, a dark, fuzzed take on “Smokestack Lightning” titled “Why”.

M. Gertin and B. Marksberry wrote the song, but there’s no publishing info on the labels and no one seems to have info on the band.

Blackwatch, For Sale, Wolf Pack, the Wanted at One Step Beyond Cincinnati Enquirer, July 1, 1967
Shows at One Step Beyond in July, 1967: Blackwatch, For Sale, Wolf Pack, and the Wanted
The A-side is an average cover of the Gants’ “My Baby Don’t Care”. The band recorded the single at King and pressed the records at Queen City Album.

This is likely the same group called the Wanted who played some shows in Cincinnati in 1967, including at the teen club One Step Beyond on Beechmont Ave. in Mt. Washington.

The Enquirer ran a feature on the club with a photo that was captioned the Wanted, but a letter pointed out the band was actually the Blackwatch.

Since the great Detroit area ban called The Wanted was having a modest national hit with “In the Midnight Hour” on A&M, the band likely added “& Co.” on the labels to distinguish them.

Thanks to Scott Lucas for inquiring about the Wanted & Co. to get this post going.