Category Archives: Florida

The Dickens

April 5, 2016 Chris Bishop 7 Comments

The Dickens came from Pensacola, Florida. The members of the band were:

Rick Pierce – keyboards & vocals
Louie Boyleston – guitar
Ron Bowman – rhythm guitar & lead vocals
Jimmy Smith – bass, harmonica & lead vocals
Skip Higgins – drums

A news clipping shows the band as a four piece formed at Pensacola High School before Rick Pierce joined. The article notes the band played dances at Pensacola teen clubs the Place and the Beacon Club, and that they won the St. Ann’s Annual Talent Context.

In September, 1967 they cut two good, quirky versions of Left Banke songs on Format Records F45-5004/5, “I’ve Got Something On My Mind” / “I Haven’t Got The Nerve”. The single was produced by Jerry Ray for Daddy Rabbit Prod.

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“I Haven’t Got the Nerve” is taken at an incredibly fast pace.

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Six months later they kept their Left Banke inspiration but Rick Pierce wrote two excellent original son
gs, “One of a Kind Woman” and “Inside – Outside”.

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Jerry Ray is again listed as producer, but Rick Pierce arranged them and the production is much better than the first single. The band sounds more mature, with better keyboard work and stronger vocals than the first release, and the horns fit in fine on “Inside-Outside”.

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This single had release as Format F-45-5006/7 in March of ’68, with publishing by Tamrof Pub BMI.

I contacted Ron Bowman, the lead vocalist on these songs, who provided this info on the band, plus the photos and sound clips:

The Dickens began forming circa ’62-63. Pensacola, Florida, Gulf Breeze to be precise. Ron Bowman & Louie Boyleston swapped their baseball gloves for acoustic guitars & began playing folk music, until they heard the Beatles. With electric guitars in hand, Winston for Ron & Silvertone for Louie they began scratching up Beatles, Stones, & Hollie records to learn the chords & lyrics. Time for a bass player. We knew a guy who looked the part, but he was too much into surfing, but he auditioned singing “Mrs Brown You’ve Got a Lovely Daughter”. We figured he could learn to play a 4 string instrument. Next a drummer. In West Pensacola we learned of Skip Higgens. He had a drum set. So voila, we had a band.
We’d play the run of the mill soul music all the other Pcola bands were playing, especially because people could dance to them, but our tastes were deep into the British Invasion, especially the vocals. I did most of it, but Jimmy & I were both the lead singers. We managed to get known, won a couple Battle of the Bands, then we heard about an amazing keyboardist (actually he played everything – from drums to pedal guitar) also from West Pensacola, Rick Pierce.
Once he joined the band, we really took off locally. Our early manager was a local disc Jockey, Daddy Rabbit Ray. We recorded our first session in Memphis where we recorded our first single “I’ve Got Something on My Mind” & “I Haven’t Got the Nerve” both Left Bank songs. We sold 90 copies in Albany, NY. We also recorded the first of Rick’s original songs “No One Seems to Know”, but that didn’t make vinyl. I think this was in ’66, I know we attended a Monkeys concert while in Memphis.
Q. What was the connection with Memphis?
Our manager knew of a studio. Why Memphis, beats me.
Q. Were you all fans of the Left Banke or was that mostly Rick’s influence?
Oh yes. They came to Pcola. We were deep into baroque music. Or ‘broke music’. All of us, not just Rick, but because of Rick’s fine piano/harpsichord musicianship, we were able to pull it off. Our main influence, besides the Beatles & Stones, were The Hollies. Damn those boys could sing harmony.
Because of this mild success, we rented out places in small southern towns like the Natl Guard Armory to make a decent wage for high school kids. In ’68 we recorded in New Orleans. All 3 songs were Pierce originals with Ron singing lead. A-Side “One of a Kind Woman”, B-Side “Inside Outside”, & the unreleased “I’ve Been Gone”. We sold far more of these singles & were listed on Billboard’s Hot 100 Charts with a bullet. Later we found out our manager had sent our tapes to MGM. They offered to fly us to LA to record an album & I guess groom us for a national audience. They offered Daddy Ray $40,000 as a finder’s fee. He thought “Gee if they’re that good, I’ll keep them on my label, FORMAT RECORDS. Just as well we didn’t know this at the time…
Q. Are the unreleased songs, “No One Seems to Know” and “I’ve Been Gone” still around?
I have two versions of the New Orleans session of “I’ve Been Gone”, one with & one without the lead. Jimmy Smith remixed this when he worked at Capitol Records. Another Rick Pierce original. Don’t think “No One Seems to Know” from Memphis survived.
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About early ’69 we splintered off & Jimmy, Rick, & I formed a newer ‘Stoned Dickens’ foursome, John Russel played lead guitar, Rick moved to drums. Lots of Cream, Buffalo Springfield, Hendrix.
I did a short stint in the Phaetons as a bass player/ backup singer. Made a ton of money as Charlie Capri, our manager, kept us on the road. But that lasted less than the Stone Dickens, maybe 4 months.
With the narco cops following us around, Jimmy & Ron hightailed it to California. We formed a group called The Alleycats (several versions of members, one including Louie again).
Louie went on to open a mod clothing store, Oz Boutique. He was probably the best rhythm guitarist I’ve ever heard, although I do have one recording of my song “Real Fine Love” where he tears up the lead. He knew the chords to every rock & country song. Unfortunately he died of a heart attack about 2005 in his 50s.
Skip went to New Orleans & kicked around before winding up in Vienna, Austria, where he still lives. We are in touch.
Rick went to Atlanta, got very in with the Atlanta sound. I saw him last playing a solo gig in Marietta, Ga. We are not in touch now, but I’m working on this.
Jimmy’s still in Sherman Oaks. He’s worked a lot in the movie industry & was working at Capitol Records where he had access to their mixing room. This is where our remastered New Orleans session came from.
I stayed based in LA for a total of 17 years. In ’79 I joined the first American band ever to play for Club Med, The Hollywood Party Boys. Mexico, Switzerland, Greece, & always Paris, per diem. When I returned to LA, instead of resuming my music career while working for every record company mail room, including Billboard, I went to LACC & became an Elec tech. Moved back to Pensacola area, where I still live. I’ve always continued to write & record music.

You can hear Ron’s songs since The Dickens era on his Youtube channel.

Thank you to Ron Bowman for answering my questions and his help with this article.

Categories: Clearwater, Florida, Paris Tower

The Inner Thoughts

February 25, 2016 Chris Bishop 2 Comments

Inner Thoughts Paris Tower Card — The Inner Thoughts, with Mike Burgess standing on roof

The Inner Thoughts came from Clearwater, Florida, west of Tampa. There’s not a lot of info about them available, but the Inner Thoughts had one of the best and earliest releases on the Paris Tower label, “Smokestack Lightning” b/w a band original, “1,000 Miles (Cheating on Me)”, released in March, 1967.

Paris Tower included a postcard with some copies of the single, featuring the cool photo of the band with this great description on the other side:

Shaaa-Zam!!! THE INNER THOUGHTS are ready to capture your city with their first Paris Tower release, which is a far out, fuzz-toned, revamped arrangement of “Smokestack Lightning.”
Rumbling into high gear; this Clearwater, Florida group has made a name for itself among the cool set on Florida’s West Coast.
Give a close listen to the flip side, “1,000 Miles (Cheating on Me).” This is a surprisingly original number with a wild “MOD” mood featuring tonal transitions indescribable in print. THE INNER THOUGHTS will be around for a long time!!!

Members of the Inner Thoughts were:

Bob Baskin – vocals
Ray Carpenter – lead guitar
Mark Burgess – bass
Sonny (surname?) – guitar
Jeff Covert – drums

Mark Burgess was formerly the lead guitarist for J. R. and the Newtrons, a Dunedin group that didn’t record but whose members included David Muse, later of Firefall; John Roedel, who joined Those Five; Bill Harrill; Buddy Waterman; and Rick Roberts of the Flying Burrito Brothers.

Publishing for “1,000 Miles (Cheating on Me)” was through Redrah Music, BMI. The Inner Thoughts recorded at H&H Productions in Tampa, the pressing through RCA, U4KM-2558.

Sources include the Limestone Lounge and Tampa Bay Garage Bands.

Categories: Florida, Jacksonville, Sandal Wood

Mike Ogilvie and the Blues of Purple

February 11, 2016 Chris Bishop 4 Comments

Mike Ogilvie And The Blues Uv Purple Photo — Can anyone confirm this is Mike Ogilvie and the Blues Uv Purple?

Mike Ogilvie and the Blues of Purple released this one single “Miss Dove” / “Story Book Plays” on the Sandal Wood label in 1969. Tippy Smith was the vocalist and wrote both songs.

“Miss Dove” has buzzing guitar over a very English sounding track and vocal. The flip is gentler with the piano more prominent than the guitars.

Although the label has an address at 100 Ardmore Ave, on Staten Island, NY, I’ve also read the band was from Jacksonville, Florida. Some copies have a sticker changing the artist name to Blues Uv Purple, vocal Tippy Smith. Confusingly, a CD compilation listed the band as the Powers Uv Purple, I’m not sure where they got that name.

The only other member of the group I know of besides Mike Ogilvie and Tippy Smith is Patrick Ogilvie who played organ. The photo at top is supposed to be the band but I need confirmation of that. Thank you to Ken Friedman for sending it in.

This seems to be the only release on the Sandal Wood Records label. Sandalwood Music BMI published the songs and the pressing was done by Sound of Nashville, SoN 63051.

Categories: Boss, Florida, Tampa

Boss Records of Tampa discography

December 17, 2015 Chris Bishop 1 Comment

Charles Fuller owned Boss Records in Tampa, Florida, along with other labels like CFP, Fuller and Tigertown. John Brummage did much of the production work for all of these, at least some of the time at H&H Productions studio. Fuller Music BMI or Fulprod Music Publishing Co. ASCAP published the original songs.

Boss only lasted for a couple years, 1966 and 1967.

See separate posts on the Rovin’ Flames, the Ravens, the Trojans, and the Souldiers for more info about those bands.

Me & the Other Guys included Frank “Dutch” Walton, Billy Aerts, Chuck Doughtery, Kent LaVoie, and Leon Massey, and had an earlier single on Hit Cat Records “Skinnie Minnie” / “Crazy” (J. Wilson, D. Walton, Redrah Music BMI).

I haven’t identified 001 or 005 yet. Any help with this discography would be appreciated.

BOS-001 – ?
BOS-002 – Rovin’ Flames – “I’m Afraid To Go Home” / “I Can’t” (Feb. ’66)
BOS-003 – Ravens – “Reaching For The Sun” / “Things We Said Today”
BOS-004 – Berkley Five – “You’re Gonna Cry” (M. Newman, Yubash Music BMI) / “In the Midnight Hour”
BOS-005 – ?
BOS-006 – Trojans – “The Kids Are Allright” / “Leave Me Be” (Dec. ’66)
BOS-007 – Souldiers – “Would You Kiss Me” / “Lemon Sun” (Jan. ’67)
BOS-008 – Journey Men – “She’s Sorry” / “Short And Sweet” (both by McMillan) FulProd Music ASCAP
BOS-009 – Me And The Other Guys – “Runaround Girl” (C. Dougherty, D. Walton) / “Everybody Knew But Me” (J. Wilson, D. Walton)
BOS-0095 – Purple Underground – “On Broadway” / “Rain Come Down”
BOS-010 – Purple Underground – “Count Back” / “Soon” (Aug. ’67)

Categories: Boss, Florida, Tampa

The Trojans

October 3, 2015 Chris Bishop 2 Comments

“The Kids Are Allright” / “Leave Me Be” by the Trojans is another of the lesser-known singles on Tampa’s Boss label. High school kids from the Harry B. Plant and Jesuit high schools, members were:

Mike Regar – lead vocals & keyboard
David Lasswell – lead guitar & vocals
Tom Saussy – rhythm guitar & vocals
James Spoto – bass & vocals
John Trujillo – drums

Released on Boss 006 in December 1966, the band do an excellent job with their harmony singing on the Who’s “The Kids Are Allright” (sic) and the Zombies’ “Leave Me Be”. I know bands in my high school never sounded this competent.

It was their only single. Mike Regar eventually joined a longer-lived Tampa band, Amanda Jones.

Info on the Trojans from Tedd Webb’s Tampa Bay bands site.

Bands with singles on Boss that I haven’t covered yet include the Berkley Five, the Journey Men, Me & the Other Guys, and the Purple Underground.

Categories: Boss, Florida, Rust, Tampa

The Ravens (Tampa, FL)

September 16, 2015 Chris Bishop 3 Comments

The Ravens came from Tampa, Florida. They two singles a couple years apart with different band lineups. The first single is on Charles Fuller’s Boss label, the original and gentle “Reaching for the Sun” b/w a slamming instrumental version of “Things We Said Today” on Boss BOS 003 in 1966.

According to Brian Egan on the Tampa Bay Garage Bands website (originally published in Fuzz, Acid & Flowers I believe), the first line-up of the Ravens consisted of Mark Maconi on lead vocals, Richard “Rick” Vincent Simpson on lead guitar and vocals, Richard “Thor” Simpson on rhythm guitar and vocals, Brian Egan on bass and vocals and Paul Purcell on drums and vocals.

By 1966 the two Rick Simpsons had left the band. Al Schweikert joined on lead guitar – at 21 he was four years old than the rest of the band and became their leader. John Hallenstein came in on organ and the band started playing bigger gigs. This was the lineup that Charles Fuller saw at the Spot in Tampa and brought in to cut a single. “Reaching for the Sun” had song writing credits to Albert Schweikert and Bob Orrick, an early manager and subbing bassist with the group. Brian Egan credits Richard Vincent Simpson as the original writer of “Reaching for the Sun”, however Schweikert at least would prove himself to be a fine song-writer in the near future.

Soon after the Boss single, the band dropped Brian Egan and replaced him with Ken Spivey. Chris Krawczyn replaced Hallenstein on keyboards, and later Beau Fisher replaced Spivey on bass. The band split up around 1968 and Schweikert reformed the group, bringing in Kent Pearson on bass. Mark Maconi and Paul Purcell were the only original members to last the full time with the band. Their second manager was major Tampa area promoter A.J. Perry

The lineup of Marconi, Purcell, Schweikert and Pearson recorded “Calamity Jane” / “Now She’s Gone” as the Raven on Rust 5123 in late 1968.

Albert Schweikert and Karl Lamp (Karl Leopold Lamp, Jr.) wrote “Calamity Jane” for Roznique Music, BMI. Schweikert and Lamp had scored a success (artistic anyway) in 1967 when they co-wrote “As Time’s Gone” for the Tropics, a classic of ’60s garage.

The Gernhard Productions credit on the Rust label refers to Phil Gernhard, who co-wrote “Snoopy vs. the Red Baron” and brought the Royal Guardsmen to Laurie Records (Rust Records’ parent label). Gernhard surpassed himself on “Calamity Jane”, blending bullet ricochets, morse code beeping, horns, fuzz guitar, electric sitar, flute and melodica sounds and cowbell into the backing track. The single attracted no chart action – perhaps Laurie Records was in the process of phasing out the Rust subsidiary so they didn’t promote this late single. In any case, “Calamity Jane” has become a catchy hit among club DJs in recent years.

Schweikert’s original “Now She’s Gone” has none of the flashiness of the A-side, but an inventive organ track and good harmonies back up an impassioned lead vocal. Copyright registrations from that era show another Schweikert song never recorded to my knowledge, “The Prism”.

Towards the end of the band, Albert Schweikert left. Tommy Angarano came in on organ and Charlie Bailey on guitar for the final lineup of the band.

If anyone has more input on their time with the Ravens I’d like to hear about it.

Categories: Boss, Florida, Tampa

The Souldiers

September 14, 2015 Chris Bishop 6 Comments

Here’s an obscure single on Tampa, Florida’s Boss label, the Souldiers with a great harmony song “Would You Kiss Me” b/w an underrated ballad, “Lemon Sun”. Release date was approximately January 1967 on Boss BOS 007 (BSKM-1119/20)

Randy Lewis and Swilley wrote “Would You Kiss Me” for Fulprod Music Pub ASCAP, while Ed Hillert wrote “Lemon Sun” published by Fuller Music Pub. BMI.

Despite the obscurity of the band, the other two names on the labels are famiilar, John Brummage and Charles Fuller.

John Brummage had a hand in the production of the Royal Guardsmen’s “Snoopy Vs. The Red Baron”. He produced the Split Ends “Rich with Nothin'”, the Noah’s Ark “Love In”, several for the Rovin’ Flames including “I Can’t” (which he wrote) on Boss, “Gloria” on Fuller and “How Many Times” on Decca, and many for the Boss label including the Berkley Five’s “You’re Gonna Cry” and the Ravens who I’ll feature soon.

Charles Fuller headed the CFP, Fuller, Tigertown and Boss labels, among others, with Brummage most often listed as producer.

There’s a possibility this Souldiers band is connected to another local group called the Soljers aka Blues Syndicate, with Bob Conn as either member or manager, but otherwise I can’t find any definite info on who was in the band or any photos of the group.

Categories: Florida, Knight (FL), Tampa

The Sugar Beats

September 12, 2014 Chris Bishop 6 Comments

The Sugar Beats formed in Tampa, Florida and had the first release on the Knight label, which is much better known for 45s by the Outsiders, the Tropics and the Mods. The band members were:

Roland Kent LaVoie – guitar
Bill Ellington – guitar
Bill Denman – bass
Rick Emmert – drums

Both sides are upbeat pop cover songs, which may be why it was not included in Teen Beat Mayhem. Produced by Phil Gernhard and recorded at H & H Studios, though I’ve also read this was recorded at Charles Fuller’s studio – some overlap there? It dates from approximately 1964, with SoN #s 22541/2 in the matrix.

Roland LaVoie went into Me & the Other Guys who had two 45s, “Skinny Minnie” / “Crazy” on Hit Cat and “Runaround Girl” / “Everybody Knew But Me” on Boss.

Categories: Florida, Miami

The 4 Dimensions

August 2, 2014 Chris Bishop 11 Comments

Frank Milone sent the photos and history of this North Miami band who unfortunately never recorded.

Frank Milone – lead guitar
Butch Cappolino – drums
Jim O’Connell – bass
Bob Wolfkill – rhythm

The 4-Dimensions were started 1963 in Miami Shores, Florida by three friends, Frank Milone, Butch Cappolino, and Jim O’Connell. Frank had been playing the guitar for several years, Butch had taken drum lessons and Jim volunteered to play bass.

They went through several lead guitar players when they met an older musician Buck Campbell. He trained Frank to play lead, Butch to play drums and Jim some bass. Once he had the band going with a list of top ten songs Buck moved on. The band auditioned several rhythm guitar players and found Bob Wolfkill who matched the temperament of the other three and fit right in.

The band started playing at many of the local schools and community clubs. Their first real big break came when they got a gig with local disk jockey Charlie Murdock. The band played every Friday night at the Cutler Ridge Mall south of Miami and eventually became the house band. They began playing all over the town and especially on Miami Beach. During the summer of 1964 they played in a small club call the Coffee House in Coral Gables where they played rock and roll music six nights a week.

Near the end of 1964 they became one of the regular bands at the North Miami Armory on Sunday nights and at War Memorial Auditorium in Fort Lauderdale on Saturday nights. These were the top dance locations for teenagers on the weekends.

At the end of the summer of 1965 Bob left for college and the band disbanded. The band had a reunion in 1999 and jammed for the last time.

Frank is now currently playing in two separate bands.

Butch use to jam with Frank every once in a while and still had his original set of drums when he passed in 2008 at age 60.

Jim still has his original Gibson SG bass but does not play.

Bob sold his guitar to go to school when he left the band. All agreed it was the best time of their lives.

4 Dimensions Then and Now Photo — Clockwise from left: Bob Wolfkill, Jim O’Connell, Frank Milone and Butch Cappolino

Categories: Florida, Tener, Winter Park

The State of Mind (Florida)

February 15, 2011 Chris Bishop 13 Comments

The State of Mind, from left: Tommy Devore, Gary Redwine, Mike Darby, Glenn Coleman and Bobby Corley
This photo and the one of the band van from Bobby’s blog Diary of a Drummer

Last year Bobby Corley of the State of Mind sent me a copy of their cool single for the Tener label. I sent him a couple emails to thank him and ask for more information on the band, but haven’t heard back yet. Bobby has a blog Diary of a Drummer with many good photos, but he hasn’t updated it in a couple years.

The members of the State of Mind were Tom Devore (vocals), Glenn Coleman (lead guitar), Mike Darby (rhythm guitar), John Dumas (bass) and Bob Corley (drums). Their original drummer was Leo Gates, replaced by Corley in 1967 when Gates went to college. Gary Redwine also played bass with the group, though I’m not sure if he came before or after John Dumas.

The band was from Winter Park, by Orlando, often appearing on bills at the Orlando Youth Center and The Place, but other than that I don’t know much about them.

Their first release was probably this very fine version of “My Back Pages” on the Bee Jay Demo Volume II compilation from 1967 (Tener TC 1014). I hadn’t heard this until recently.

The State of Mind – My Back Pages

Their single came out in late ’67 or ’68. “City Life” is really unusual, with static noise layered over the music throughout the song, giving it an apocalyptic feel. It was written by Mike Darby, Tom Devor and Glenn Coleman. The flip “Time Will Tell” is also good, written by Devor and Darby.

Glenn Coleman and Tom Devore, and later Mark Darby, played with a later group called the Orange Wedge (not the Michigan group who recorded “From the Tomb to the Womb” or the Baltimore group with two LPs in the ’70s).

Thank you to Jeff Lemlich for the transfer of “My Back Pages”.

Orlando Youth Center, Fall 1968 schedule, featuring the State of Mind, Ron & the Starfires, the Marshmellow Steamshovel, Plant Life, Magic Circle and more.

Orlando Youth Center, Fall 1968 schedule From the collection of Rootbound at the Limestone Lounge.

Garage Hangover

Category Archives: Florida

The Dickens

The Inner Thoughts

Mike Ogilvie and the Blues of Purple

Boss Records of Tampa discography

The Trojans

The Ravens (Tampa, FL)

The Souldiers

The Sugar Beats

The 4 Dimensions

The State of Mind (Florida)

The site for '60s garage bands since 2004