The Ethics took part in the Milwaukee Sentinel Rock’n’Roll Revue on December 30, 1965, their version of “Down the Road Apiece” preserved on a lo-fi LP of the event that I haven’t heard.
In 1966 they released “(A Whole Lot Of) Confusion”, featuring a tough rhythm with guitar and vocals to match. The flip, “Out Of My Mind” is a folky-pop number written by the band.
This was their only 45 as the Ethics before changing their name to the Invasion in 1967. “The Invasion Is Coming” was a catchy start. This song was also done as “The Invaders Are Coming” by the Young Savages on the same label (Dynamic Sound 2006), but I prefer the vocals on the Invasion’s version.
The lineup at this point included Don Gruender guitar, Mark Miller bass, Gene Peranich keyboards and Mike Jablonski drums. Later on members would include Bob McKenna and Tony Menotti on guitar, P.T. Pedersen and Gary Frey on bass, Rick Cier keyboards and Bruce Cole on drums.
Wailing farfisa, fuzz guitar: their last 45 “Do You Like What You See?” gets all the elements right. It’s also the rarest of these three by far! Gene Peranich and Mike Jablonski wrote this song, unlike much of their other material.
Lennie LaCour (aka Lenny LaCour) was their producer, publisher and principal songwriter. LaCour was born in Louisiana and had a half dozen rockabilly releases on Academy and his own Lucky Four label before going into production. Besides Dynamic Sound, he was also running Magic Touch, known more for soul music.
The Ethics – (A Whole Lot Of) Confusion / Out Of My Mind (Dynamic Sound 2001)
The Invasion – The Invasion Is Coming / I Want To Thank You (Dynamic Sound 2004)
The Invasion – Do You Like What You See? /The Wind Keeps On Blowing (Dynamic Sound 2009)
Dynamic Sound 45s I haven’t heard:
Young Savages – I Love You Oh So Much / Welcome To My World, Dynamic Sound 2007
Friday and The Weekends – You Baby b/w (I Need Her) She’s The Sunshine Of My Life, Dynamic Sound 2008
All three of these songs are fabulous. They seem to be really, really tight, and the vocalist is really what cinches it. If these guys had been given a major-label contract, they would have made better records than many of our garage legends. I would love to have checked out one of their concerts. I also really love how they used four sets of quotation marks for their band name on the label for “The Invasion Is Coming.” “”””The Invasion”””” I think the Dynamic label had hired an editor by the time “Do You Like What You See” came out, because there’s not a quotation mark to be found on that label.
The Young Savages and Friday & the Weekends are both covered in my book, “On That Wisconsin Beat”(OTWB). I have a Dynamic Soung/Magic Touch discography in my 1st book, “Do You Hear That Beat”(DYHTB), with some additions and corrections in OTWB. I also have an unpublished discog. of several other Lenny LaCour labels, but because he re-used numbers so often, there will probably never be a complete and reliable list of his records.
I should probably add that the Young Savages were from Chicago, but had the release on Lacour’s label during the time he was based in Milwaukee.
Anyone know where I could get a copy of the B-Side… I Want To Thank You? I’ve been looking for years. Came close but no cigar in the Pre-Metallica days of Napster. Would be willing to swap from anything I have. Just not paying the $15 some sites want for it.
Hi Larry,
I was the drummer in that group and the bass player in the Invasion just sent me a CD of our recordings. So, I can send you the song on a CD. My current first name is Christopher and not Michael, which it was back in the day. No charge for the CD. At this point in my life I’m just happy someone is interested. Have you actually heard the song?
Christopher Michaels- could you please contact me regarding Raw Meat? Thanks
Hi Clancy,
I just stumbled on this site again. What would you like to know about Raw Meat?
I’d Love a copy of I Want To Thank You… any format, that’s one I never could get from Napster pre-Metallica.
TYVM
Wisconsin Groups Rocked… I once lived in Rome, WI
Larry
Hi Larry,
I just visited this site again and noticed that a couple of people replied to my post. I would be happy to send you a cd copy of I Want To Thank You. I have the 45 but would never part with that. The bass player in that band sent me a cd of 3 of our songs in The Invasion. I’m not sure what his source is, but he has his own studio and they sound really good: The Invasion Is Coming, I Want To Thank You, and Do You Like What You See. So, I can burn one or all of them on to a cd for you. Just let me know your email address and we’ll discuss this more.
That song should have been a hit both locally and nationally but it was mishandled by the guy who was paying for everything. What were we supposed to do? That’s show biz!
Christopher Michaels (Formerly Michael Jablonski, drummer and lead vocals for The Invasion)
My boyfriend has been looking for a copy of “I Want to Thank You” by the Invasion since he was in Wisconsin. It was one of his favorite songs as a teenager. I would be thrilled if I could get a copy for him as a surprise. Are you sure I can’t pay for it? He has a huge collection of Wisconsin Rock from the 60’s, but this is the one he really wants,
Debra A. Barr
debbbarr53@gmail.com
312 Sam Houston Loop
Pointblank TX 77364
936-650-3660
Hello Christopher Michaels, Who sang the vocals on the Raw Meat singles? What brand organ was used on the Ethics and Invasion 45s? I saw the Raw Meat perform at the Sheboygan Armory back in the day!
Mark L.
Hey Mark,
Sorry for the long lag time. I sang all the recorded songs and all but a few of the songs we did live. Of course, I also played drums in both groups. Gene, who first played keyboards in the Ethics and Invasion used a Farfisa. With Raw Meat, Gene had learned Bass and we dropped the keyboard to become a trio. After Don left Raw Meat, we had 2 musicians join with one playing lead guitar and the other the sole singer/frontman. We wrote no individual material and played none of the original Raw Meat songs. I have noticed that almost all my/our music is on youtube except the “B” side of Whole Lot Of Confusion-the song “Out Of My Mind” which was another Lennie LaCour original. He was the man who paid for everything. After the glitch with our first release as The Invasion (I Want To Thank You/The Invasion Is Coming), we insisted the second release be our own material. Hence, Do You Like What You See/The Wind Keeps Blowing. We think the glitch happened at the pressing plant and there was no backup to get records pressed elsewhere, but we were not certain. It was a bit disheartening because we were getting lots of local airplay, had won Record Reactor for the day and week on WOKY, and sold out at Radio Doctors in downtown Milwaukee. WOKY even put it at the bottom of their Top 35 chart because of all the requests it was receiving, but no more records ever appeared to meet the demand. And so it goes (or went)! Karma unfolded similarly with Raw Meat. Standby Girl was receiving national airplay with positive reaction-San Francisco/Pittsburgh and elsewhere, but Don chose to leave the group. With no immediate replacement for us to carry on, the man paying for things threw in the towel so to speak. When the 2 new members joined, the decision to form a new identity prevented the Old Music from being supported. And that my friends was karma-neither good nor bad, but just what it was! I left music after Raw Meat-2 and ventured into new areas of interest. Music still followed me, and when my partner and I began an in-home preschool in Eugene, Oregon in 1990, music was an integral part of our program (listening to as well as singing/playing). I switched to autoharp but the children had access to many percussive instruments to create their own music and to play along with tunes on the stereo. We gave them a broad music listening base including rock, classical, world beat and other styles and as the years went by and music changed, they brought us new music they wanted to hear. Preschoolers can be very opinionated about music! We regularly expose them to lots of popular music, and when necessary play the “clean” versions of songs. Let me tell you, they rock hard! I am currently retired while my wife carries on, but I still make guest appearances throughout the day.
Hello Christopher- thank you for the above information on Raw Meat. I’m still curious about any set lists or recollections from the Raw Meat I and II eras! If you see them his and could contact me in Milwaukee at clancycarroll@sbcglobal.not it would be great. Thanks!