Category Archives: San Mateo

Categories: California, Mijji, Redwood City, San Jose, San Mateo

The Front Office “Wow” on Mijji

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Front Office Mijji 45 WowThe Front Office single on Mijji seems to be a combination of two different recording groups. The A-side “Girl” is polished, Motown-type soul, written by Steve Cook and arranged by Val Garay (who would go on to engineer and produce many high-profile acts in the 1970s and ’80s) and Mark Holly.

The instrumental flip side is something else altogether. “Wow” is first-rate psychedelia done by a band who knows what they’re doing and don’t hold back. The song writing credit goes to Gilbert Day, who is also credited as producer with G. Zacharisen (possibly George Zacharisen). Satori Music, BMI published both songs, released on Mijji M3007 in 1968.

Beyond those names, the identity of the musicians on “Wow” is a mystery. This was the last release on Mijji, which had a handful of other singles. Sound 70 had two singles on Mijji:

Mijji M-3002 – Sound 70 – “There Is No Reason” / “Seven Day Fool”
Mijji M-3004 – Sound 70 – “One Too Many Mournings” / “Chicago Blues”

Day-Gardner-Brown produced both singles, and other than song writing and publishing credits for the cover songs, “Seven Day Fool” and “One Too Many Mournings” (sic), there are no other names on the labels. Sound 70 played live around San Mateo, Belmont and San Carlos, California, adjacent towns on the peninsula between San Francisco and San Jose. Sound 70 seems to have come out of the Bundles, whose songs “Mark My Words” and “Watch Me Girl” went unreleased at the time but now appear on the Big Beat CD Dance With Me: The Autumn Teen Sound.

Judging by “There Is No Reason” and the heavy drums on “One Too Many Mournings”, Sound 70 had the ability to cut a track like “Wow”, but that’s only speculation.

The only other single on Mijji that I can find is by the Venus Flytrap:

Mijji M-3005 – Venus Flytrap – “The Note” / “Have You Ever” (both by Donald Danielli – Daniel Sanchez, prod. by Gilbert Day, published by Guard Music, BMI)

The original release came on Jaguar Records J-103, owned by Barry Wineroth. It was a hit in the Santa Barbara area, but the Redwood City band also had a following in the South Bay, which may be why Mijji repressed it.

If anyone has more info or photos on the bands, please contact me.

Front Office Mijji 45 Girl

Categories: California, Century Custom, Redwood City, San Mateo

The Juveniles “Let Me Tell You Girl”

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Juveniles, Ed Rod, San Mateo Times, July 15, 1966
Ed Rod ran this ad on at least three occasions in the San Mateo Times, this one from July 15, 1966

This 8″, six song acetate of the Juveniles on Century Custom Records was found at the estate of a music teacher who had a small studio at his home in Palo Alto, California.

“Let Me Tell You Girl” has a great opening fuzz riff and a fine solo. “Goodbye Girl” is also excellent garage.

The other four songs feature trumpet as the lead instrument. One of these is very good: “Don’t Kid Around”. The others are decent instrumentals, titled “Work Song”, “Bosa Nova” (sic), and “What Now My Love”, which is basically “Tequila”.

For years I didn’t know anything about the group or where exactly this was recorded, only that these kids sound young, like 14 or 15 maybe. As it turns out, most of them were even younger than that, ranging from 11 to 14. Geoffrey’s comment below about Ed Rod let me to search the San Mateo Times and I came up with the article seen below, something far beyond my expectations!

Members were:

Scott Beall (San Mateo) – guitar
David DeVee (San Mateo) – guitar
Don Schneider (Burlingame) – bass
Lester Lovitt (Hillsborough) – trumpet
Jim Sanchez (Redwood City) – drums

The Juveniles, San Mateo Times, July 2, 1966
The Juveniles, featured in the San Mateo Times, July 2, 1966

According to the article by Barbara Bladen, David and Scott took lessons from Eddie Rod in Redwood City, then found Don Schneider and eventually Jim and Lester joined. The group played the Cow Palace, the Burlingame Exchange Club, and the Circle Star Theatre among other venues.

Thanks to Derek for loan of the acetate.

The Juveniles – Let Me Tell You Girl
The Juveniles – Goodbye Girl
The Juveniles – Don’t Kid Around

The Juveniles and the Renaissance in the San Mateo Times Oct. 18, 1968
The Juveniles and the Renaissance in the San Mateo Times Oct. 18, 1968

The above article from October 1968 is interesting, – either the San Mateo Times mixed up the band names, or the Juveniles, now a couple years older, took on a new name, the Renaissance, and gave their Juveniles name to a new band of youngsters, consisting of Steve Grippi, Bill Weber, Mike Trantham and Pat Loeb.