The Deepest Blue, Egyptian Candy & Blue-Fin Records discography

The Deepest Blue formed in Pomona, a town about halfway between Los Angeles and San Bernadino further inland. Members were:

Earl Shackelford – vocals
Russell Johnson – lead guitar and vocals
Ken Zabel – organ
Rick Edwards – rhythm guitar
Bruce Lavoie – bass
Russ ‘Soupy’ Morrow – drums

The band was actually known as the Doves, they only changed their name when releasing their 45, because they thought it sounded more commercial.

They played teen clubs in the area like the Oasis and Discoteen, and a couple shows on the Hollywood strip with the Leaves and the Seeds. Their repertoire was all covers, mostly influenced by the Stones and other English groups.

Russ Johnson and Earl Shackelford wrote two songs just for the recording session, the first originals the band had ever played. They recorded at 9th Street studio in LA in August of 1966, with Richard Delvy, drummer for the Challengers engineering. Vic Gargano financed the record – he also produced the Tomorrows’ La Do Da Da / Need Only You on Condor. Without the band’s knowledge Gargano had a studio musician add guitar parts to enliven the sound. Although this upset the group, the resulting single is fantastic.

“Pretty Little Thing” features Bruce’s sliding bass line, precise drumming from Soupy, and a raging organ solo by Ken Zabel. Earl’s vocal has elements of Jagger’s inflections but his voice is stronger. “Somebody’s Girl” is more subdued but also powerful. Despite the quality of the record, it received little airplay.

The band returned to the studio to record more tracks for an album which was never finished. Soupy Morrow had an acetate of the sessions, but it has not surfaced since.

However, two songs “I Found Out” and “Living My Love Game” were released on a Blue-Fin 45 under the name the Egyptian Candy. Earl for one had completely forgotten about this record, but he did confirm that this was recorded by the Deepest Blue for their album sessions. Earl speculated that this may have been released under the name Egyptian Candy to test the waters for how the band’s new direction would be received.

Both songs demonstrate the influence of Earl’s friend Chris Darrow on his songwriting. Earl had met Chris at the Forum Club in Montclair when Chris was with the Floggs. Chris would record both songs with his next band, Kaleidoscope in similar arrangements (“Living My Love Game” retitled “Love Games” in the Kaleidoscope version and not released at the time). Another song by Earl, “I Found Out” became one of Kaleidoscope’s signature songs. It’s unfortunate the Deepest Blue were unable to stay together to pursue this new style, as they were obviously onto something.

Lacking success and headed in different musical directions, the band split up. Soupy died in a motorcycle accident in 1967 [actually in 1968 according to Oscar Bee], and Rick Edwards was killed in a car crash the following year while on tour. Earl stayed in music, notably forming Wheels with Chris Darrow and Walter Egan, and arranging vocal harmonies on Iggy Pop’s New Values album.

Update: Russ Johnson passed away in Australia in 2007. He had a long career in music there, most notably with a group called Mississippi.

For more information on the Deepest Blue there are two interviews with Earl Shackelford, one by Mike Dugo, and one at Pulsating Dream.

Blue-Fin discography (incomplete?):

101 – Ascots: The Wonder Of It All (R. Borden, M. Borden) / I Won’t Cry (Al Politano) (engineer Doc Siegel at Gold Star Studios, Onned Music BMI)
101 – Ascots: Summer Days / The Wonder of It All (matrix #s BL-FI-1004 and, I assume, BL-FI-1000)
102 – Deepest Blue: Pretty Little Thing / Somebody’s Girl
103 – Egyptian Candy: I Found Out / Living My Love Game

Thanks to Max Waller for bringing the two separate releases of the Ascots Blue-Fin 101 to my attention. Max writes:

The Wonder Of It All” (BL-FI-1000) has Monarch 62241 in the dead wax. “I Won’t Cry” (BL-FI-1001) has 62241-X in the dead wax so this was supposedly the “B” side, although it appears from the “*” scrawls on the label that someone was pushing this track. This monarch number pairing seems to confirm that this was the original/first pressing, from June 1966.

For the “Summer Days” 45, I’d expect to see a different monarch # in the dead wax for that track, (BL-FI-1004).

Due to the “(BL-FI-1001)” ref, it appears they used the same recording of “I Won’t Cry”, so I’d expect to find Monarch #62241 in the dead wax.

11 thoughts on “The Deepest Blue, Egyptian Candy & Blue-Fin Records discography”

  1. Man, Pretty Little Thing is a smoker! I put all the tracks from your front page into the ipod a week ago and this one just came and tore it up. Kind of wish they had stuck with The Doves name, it has the right quality. Great record!

  2. Anybody know whether any of these band incarnations played the Test Club, on White in Pomona? And while we’re at it, anybody have any recollections of that short-lived psychedelic club? How about a street address?

  3. I forgot all about the Kaleidoscope connection or maybe I simply never paid too much attention …in any case “Love Games” is not credited to Shackelford, same with the track “Egyptian Candy” that was also apparently wrote by him.
    I hope one day that acetate album will see the light of day…

  4. I gotta say this blog is absolutely brilliant, so many gems unearthed and then distributed out to the people. Thanks a million for all the tunes. Anyway, I’m familiar with the Kaleidoscope interpretations of the above two songs but these versions blow them away. Aside from forking out for the original (something I can’t afford in these times), is there any comps or anything with these on them? Information seems hard to come by on the internet, with your page basically being the only source. Any tips would be much appreciated, cheers.

  5. Thanks for the accolades I have 45’s of this track if you are interested. Dionysus records and myself re-released these tracks a couple of years ago.

    1. Hi do you know what happened to Earl Shackelford, I sang with him along with my twin sister Anna on Iggy Pop’s New Values album, and we both were in a band with him called “The Strutters” any info is appreciated.

      1. Dear Fans, this reply is long overdue I would like to express my extreem feelings to all whom it may concern ……..words could never explain what an impact Alexander Earl Shackelford JR has had on our lives ….!!!!!!!!!!!!! and his many talents in many music productions. Yeah !!!!!!! from Pretty Little Thing and Somebodys Girl, later working with Walter Egan. I heard Earl say Pretty Little Thing should be a car commercial. great work from teens in the mid sixty era. many more comments to come. your loving wife nine years missing you Jeanne

  6. I was lucky enough to see the Deepest Blue at the Dicoteen in Covina in the early days. What a experience I still remember the the tunes and sets. Where can I find more of this bands music? Let me know
    Thx

    1. Hi do you know what happened to Earl, dang with him on Iggy Pop’s New Values album and were in the band The Strutters with him.

  7. Hi does anyone know what happened to Earl Shackelford. My name is Mary Canneva, my twin sister Anna Alfano and I were in a band with Earl in the late seventies called “The Strutters”. We did the cream of Motown at the boiler room in Claremont, California. We also sang together on Iggy Pop’s album, “New Values” Trying to locate him, we are in contact with alot of the other members but nothing on Earl, any help would be much appreciated, thank you, Mary Canneva (Alfano)

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