The Soul Twisters on Romat Records

Soul Twisters Pitt Sound Studio promo photo

The Soul Twisters had two singles on Romat Records out of Greenville, North Carolina. Their first was “Swinging (On a Grape Vine)”, written by J.R. Daniels, Florence Farmer and E. Perkins, and “Soul Fever” by J.R. Daniels and J. Early.

It was recorded at Pitt Sound Studios in Greenville and produced by James Perkins. The Soul Twisters had a second 45 on Romat, #1004, “Doing Our Dance” / “If It Takes A Year”.

I didn’t anything about the group until James Early and Johnny Ray Williams left comments.

James Early wrote to me:

I joined the band after it started. James Perkins, Samuel Perkins, and Ernest Perkins can tell you more about its beginning.

James Perkins was manager during the time of these recordings….not drummer!

The members of the group on the 45s were:

Johnny Daniels – lead vocal on “Doin’ Our Dance”, background on “If It Takes a Year” and guitar player on all songs.

Fred Farmer – lead vocal on “If It Takes a Year” and background on “Doin’ Our Dance”. He is deceased.

Johnny Williams of Farmville, NC was drummer on all songs.

Joe Daniels was bass player on all songs.

I was on the two 45s as keyboard player.

We all called Roy Mathews (studio owner) “Zeke” jokingly.

I have a sleeve of the 45s with the picture of the group at that time.

We played beach, soul and could adapt to any audience. We played all surrounding areas. We had a female vocalist (Ella Daniels) that could take a dance crowd [off] their seats to pay attention.

The Soul Twisters was the first group I played in. I played an Olympia organ and a Fender Jazz bass. Chapter Three (later name used for our band) did not make any records or tapes.

I played in other groups Jazz Plus, Blues Plus and Poison. I have done and still doing studio sessions with other artist and groups.

James “Bro” Early

Romat was run by Roy Matthews, its first release was the Sound System, which I reviewed here a few months ago.

Keith Everett

Keith Everett (real name Keith Gravenhorst) released this 45 in April, 1966. “Don’t You Know” is a fine ballad, while the flip is an outrageous indictment of conscientious objectors, with the lyrics:

They call themselves the conscientious objectors
But all they’re tryin’ to do is tryin’ to infect us
With their fear and their shame
They hide under the name of conscientious objectors
They might as well be defectors
The way they act

Well keep it up boy the way you’ve been goin’
And who can tell son, you’ve got no way of knowin’
That tomorrow we might be the way
That Vietam is today
And you’ll be sorry you fools
For the things that you do

You’re conscientious objectors
You might as well be defectors
The way you act

“Don’t You Know” did well in Chicago, entering WCFL charts in March, and reaching as high as #10 two months later.

After “Conscientious Objector”, he released another on TMT-Ting, “She’s The One Who Loved You” / “Lookin’ So Fine”, then one more on Mercury with a Dunwich Productions credit, “The Chant” / “Light Bulb”. Everett wrote all six songs.

The Fabulous Depressions

The Fabulous Depressions formed in New Ulm, Minnesota, a small town southwest of Minneapolis, in 1964. It took them until 1967 to release their only and excellent 45.

The band went through several lineup changes. By the time it came to record, it included original members Phil Groebner on lead guitar, Peter Kitzberger on organ and Jim Dauer on bass, plus third drummer John Ginkel and vocalist Randy Evans.

Tom Lindsay had been their vocalist, but he left to join the Royal Emperors of Owatonna. Original drummer John Tretault left in 1966, and was replaced for a short time by Greg DeBerry before John Ginkel joined. Ginkel had been in the Shags with his brother Tom, releasing one 45 on the Concert label “Louis Louis” / “Summertime News” (Summertime Blues).

“Can’t Tell You” is a very catchy original by Phil Groebner and Jim Dauer, and features a short but devastating solo by Groebner. The flip is a good version of one of the Blues Magoos’ lesser songs, “One By One”. It was recorded at Lynn Studios in Rochester, Minn.

The Steps

This isn’t that good, honestly, so you may want to pass on this one. I liked the photo on the sleeve and picked it up, and thought I should include it so people can know what this sounds like.

The Steps were from Indonesia and did instrumental recordings and occasionally backed vocalists. They’re good players, but these two songs don’t have much going for them. There’s a theme they run through during the last twenty seconds of Kitjir Kitjir that’s pretty interesting, if they’d stuck to that I’d like this better.

The Catamorands from Erie, PA

The Catamorands were from Erie, Pennsylvania, not Nashville as I originally thought.

Guitarist and vocalist Rod Mellquist writes: “The Catamorands were from Erie, PA. and recorded this record and several other original pieces that didn’t make it to vinyl. The four members were Gary Gregor -drums, Mike Ditrick -guitar, Dick Burkett -bass and vocals and Rod Mellquist -guitar and vocals.”

The D.G.M.R. in the label are the initials of the band members first names. Both sides of this 45 are gentle, original compositions. The beautiful “Over You” was written by Rod Mellquist and produced with A. Mellquist. R. Burkett wrote “Never Say Goodbye”, which was produced by R. Burkett and M. Ditrich.

The Kentuckys


l to r: Benny Weiler, Manfred Weiler, Peter Frohn, Peter Zadina and Rocky Zimdars

Originally called the Kentucky Rockers, the group formed in Wuppertal in western Germany in 1962. The first lineup was Peter Frohn, Rainer Schiffgen, Klaus-Dieter Prange and Siegfried Wagner.

In 1963 they shortened their name to the Kentuckys, and new members included two brothers, Manfred Weiler on rhythm guitar and Bernd Weiler on Hammond organ. Still later Peter Zadina came in on bass and Rocky Zimdars on drums and vocals. They became known for dyeing their hair odd colors and dressing up as women on stage.

They released two 45s on the Bellaphon label. Their first, “Uncle Willy” is a good if conventional German beat record.

Their second is another thing altogether. After the opening chant the fuzz cuts loose on “Old Hangman Is Dead”. “Stupid Generation” features Rocky Zimdars’ lyrics and madcap laughter, and makes for a timeless anthem.

Both were issued with picture sleeves, but the copy I tracked of their second down doesn’t have it. The band also cut a version of “Cadillac” that went unreleased at the time.

Peter Zadina left the group in ’67, but the Kentuckys continued into the ’70s with various lineups. Peter Frohn died in 1987, and Rocky Zimdars in 2006.

Special thanks to Bernd Rüttgers for sending in the sleeve to Uncle Willy!

Plamie Records: Uncle Ben and the Wild Rice, Hot Coffee, the Weathervane and Strange Laughter

The Los Angeles-based Plamie label released a handful of 45s in 1967-68. At least two of the bands on the label, Uncle Ben and the Wild Rice and Weathervane, were based in Santa Cruz, which makes these Plamie 45s important documents of the music scene along the California coast north of LA and south of the Bay Area.

Jason Sweitzer suggested we write about the Plamie label to compliment the previous article about other Santa Cruz-based bands the Cobras, Talon Wedge and Snail. Jason conducted the interviews with Ben Hudson and Steffen Presley, and wrote the text for the sections on Weathervane and Strange Laughter. Gray Newell provided some of the scans and transfers from original 45s.

Uncle Ben and the Wild Rice at the department store 'Disco' in Capitola, near Santa Cruz<br />l-r: Ben Hudson, Mike Gordon, and probably Ray Tuthill, or possibly Scott Pearson or Tony Hill on drums
Uncle Ben and the Wild Rice at the department store ‘Disco’ in Capitola, near Santa Cruz
l-r: Ben Hudson, Mike Gordon, and probably Ray Tuthill, or possibly Scott Pearson or Tony Hill on drums

Uncle Ben and the Wild Rice Plamie 45 SinnerUncle Ben and the Wild Rice

Uncle Ben and the Wild Rice were Ben Hudson guitar and vocals, his sister Sharron Bassano on vocals and organ, Mike Gordon bass, Willie Wahler guitar and vocals, and Tony Hill on drums. They played at the Grass Cookie in Santa Cruz, among other venues.

Jason spoke to Ben:

We were local to Santa Cruz, California in the 60’s. We played at the Boardwalk’s “Coconut Grove” frequently in the 66-68 years. We also played all of the area venues of the time [including the Grass Cookie]. I recall opening for Country Joe and the Fish in an airplane hangar in Watsonville and bumping into the Jefferson Airplane folks at the Coconut Grove.

We were just kids having a blast. I imagine the record doesn’t sound too hip, it was a Christmas release and didn’t really reflect the Rock ‘n Roll of our stage shows. The band members are still around the area, mostly retired. I started a new solo CD recently and still write and play a few gigs. We recorded a couple other songs at those early sessions, but nothing else was released to my knowledge until the reunion CD in 2003.

Sharron Bassano
Sharron Bassano

Sharron - Uncle Ben and the Wild Rice Plamie 45 A Tale Told “A Tale Told” is their first 45, one side featuring lead vocals by Sharron, the other Uncle Ben. With the dreamy quality to the vocals and keyboards you may not notice the lyrics are about Jesus! It’s also the first single on Plamie, P-1021, with publishing by J&J Music and Bound Music, distributed by Commerce Record Corp.

Their second 45 leaves the folky sound of “A Tale Told” for a tougher, bluesy approach. “Sinner” features Ben’s bracing vocal and a sharp guitar solo. Sharron’s “Holdin Blues” is a wonderful song reminiscent of the Charlatans, with interesting guitar work and a great rave-up at the end.

There is a third single by Uncle Ben and the Wild Rice, but Plamie P-1027 seems to be a re-release of “Holdin’ Blues” backed with “Zindar” which is a version of “Sinner” but sung in German (I think)!

The photos are from B. Robert Hudson’s (Uncle Ben) site [http://ubwr.broberthudson.com/ but defunct when I checked in 2016] with more cool pics of the band and info on his recent live shows. Their reunions in 2002-3 included all members but Sharron.

San Lorenzo Blues Rock Festival with the Stained Glass, Bogus Thunder, Snail, Moses February, Jaguars, Coffee, John Deacon Society, Tender Gender, Sabbathe Office and Aunt Millie's Blue
Hot Coffee

Hot Coffee Plamie 45 Some Day You Will DieUntil Mark Tranchina commented below in August, 2018, the only names we could associate with them were Linden Coffee, the leader of the group, and Dave Holt, writer of “Cheatin On Me”. This David Holt also wrote songs with Baker Knight, longtime singer and songwriter (garage fans may know him for “Hallucinations” on Reprise). However, I don’t know if he had any connection with the band at all.

I’ll reproduce some of Mark’s comment here:

Besides Linden Coffee, the other members were George LaFrance drums, Ray Rackstraw bass, and my brother Richard “Dick” Tranchina who played rhythm guitar, 12 string and occasionally bass and drums. They had regular gigs at Mission Ranch in Monterey and the Coconut Grove in Santa Cruz. During the “draft” days in the late 60’s they all enlisted in the national guard and spent a good time of their enlisted time playing at the officers club at Fort Ord in Monterey. They also opened for the Righteous Brothers in Disneyland in LA.

Richard Tranchina passed away in 2004.

Ben Hudson told Gray Newell, “We went to LA to record on a joint trip with Hot Coffee, because we had the same manager, Ben Lawson, a DJ on a local radio station at the time, KDON from Salinas, CA.”

There’s a good possibility that this is the same band listed as Coffee on the poster for the Santa Cruz Blues Rock Festival at San Lorenzo Park. The other acts listed on the poster are Jaguars, Snail, Stained Glass, Moses February, Bogus Thunder, the John Deacon Society, Tender Gender, Sabbathe Office, and Aunt Millie’s Blues.

Hot Coffee Plamie 45 Cheatin on Me

Weathervane, l-r: Ed Bowman, Mike O'Bryan, Steffen Presley and Kevin Beamish
Weathervane, l-r: Ed Bowman, Mike O’Bryan, Steffen Presley and Kevin Beamish

Weathervane

Weathervane Plamie 45 4-4,5-4From Modesto, California, The Weathervane only released this 45 on Plamie Records in 1968 — a euphoric, if not lyrically sardonic, slice of psychedelia.

Formed in 1966, the original group comprised of teens Steffen Presley on organ and lead vocals, Kevin Beamish on lead guitar, Ed Bowman on bass, and Mike O’Bryan on drums and lead vocals. Bob Wilson was an itinerant member on bass, rhythm guitar and lead vocals, having left the band for a time and then returned.

November 23, 1966 concert program at the Strand Theatre in Modesto with the Sir Douglas Quintet and Golliwogs
November 23, 1966 concert program at the Strand Theatre in Modesto with the Sir Douglas Quintet and Golliwogs

As a popular mainstay at the under-21 hangouts and nightclubs of the Central Valley, The Weathervane also performed regularly in Sonora and the San Francisco Bay Area, sharing bills with The Golliwogs, Sir Douglas Quintet, The Ratz, The Eisage, Mourning Edition, Meat and Cheese, Homegrown, and the all-girl outfit, Sometimes, among others.

During the summer of 1967, at the arrangement of their manager Gene Bastion, they temporarily relocated to Ben Lomond, in the Santa Cruz Mountains, and performed at various venues along the coast. Of this time, Steffen Presley remembers:

Gene was a radio DJ who went under various aliases. In Modesto, he was known as Jerry Lang. We stayed in a big cabin in Ben Lomond, which was owned by a friend of his and they only used it part of the year. The idea was to gain us greater exposure. It was a great fun time!

Bob Burns review from Modesto station KFIV/136 Spotlight, Vol. 2 No. 18
Bob Burns review from Modesto station KFIV/136 Spotlight, Vol. 2 No. 18

Soon after returning from Santa Cruz, Bastion was able to negotiate a recording deal for the band with Plamie Records in Los Angeles. Presley, who wrote both original songs, recalls:

I was 17 at the time of the Plamie sessions. Although I did the lead vocal on “4-4, 5-4,” it was Mike O’Bryan doing the lead vocal on “My Original Blue Jeans.”

One of the things the producer did was to change the key of “My Original Blue Jeans,” which I felt was detrimental to Mike’s vocal, particularly as he was very used to the original key from live performances. Fortunately, “4-4, 5-4” was left fully intact and basically represented our true sound, sans the poor mix, where the vocal is fairly buried for the first half of the song.

My Vox Continental organ was a signature part of our sound, as you may have noticed. At that time, there was next to nothing available in portable keyboards, and I had no money to buy anything else. I did play piano at that time but was not interested in electric pianos, which barely existed, anyway. Of course moving real pianos around was not even a consideration. The studio had a Hammond organ, which I used on “My Original Blue Jeans.” I had actually written the song on piano. I don’t think the studio had a piano or I may have used it.

There had been talk of recording an album, but despite significant airplay the 45 was a complete dud in Modesto upon its release. We were even ridiculed by some. I could understand that, as the producer had completely changed (ruined- in not just my opinion) our sound on “My Original Blue Jeans,” and even back then I thought that the recording quality was quite poor. This is one reason why I later became a producer with my own studio.

Weathervane, 1967, l-r: Bob Wilson, Ed Bowman, Mike O'Bryan, Kevin Beamish and Steffen Presley
Weathervane, 1967, l-r: Bob Wilson, Ed Bowman, Mike O’Bryan, Kevin Beamish and Steffen Presley
 Strange Laughter, 1969
Strange Laughter, 1969

Strange Laughter

About a year after the Plamie release, the Weathervane split up over artistic and personnel conflicts. Soon thereafter, Steffen Presley formed a new band, Strange Laughter. When asked how The Weathervane transformed into Strange Laughter, Presley wrote:

Well, this is the most interesting question to me! As the Weathervane matured musically, Tom Aragon eventually replaced Kevin Beamish on guitar. The beginning of the split came about as Tom and I wanted to pursue all original material. The other members preferred that we did mostly cover tunes. Very soon thereafter, Tom and I decided to form a new (all original) band, which became Strange Laughter.

Beside myself on organ and lead vocals, Tom Aragon was the bass player. The guitarist, David Rose, is to this day the best guitarist I’ve ever heard, and was also a superb songwriter. The fourth member was an amazing drummer and lifelong friend of mine, Kimber Glendening.

Strange Laughter was a far better band musically and artistically than The Weathervane, in my opinion, and became even more popular than The Weathervane in the Modesto area. I would describe our music as “progressive rock”, but this was at least a couple of years before the Prog-rock movement, so we were ahead of our time, for sure.

Unfortunately, the band was able to last only one year. Just as we were starting to get offers to go on significant bills, we split up due to conflicting interests. I think that it’s a crime that no recordings were ever made.

I’d like to thank Steffen Presley for taking the time to write and for sharing his pictures and recollections. For more info on his recent work, visit www.song-haven.com.

Country Weather, Strange Laughter, Elastik Band and Rest Meat Cheese at the California Ballroom in Modesto on June 19, lights by Keeper of the Night. Poster by Tom Morris
Country Weather, Strange Laughter, Elastik Band and Rest Meat Cheese at the California Ballroom in Modesto on June 19, lights by Keeper of the Night. Poster by Tom Morris

Strange Laughter updates:

Sept. 2008: Steffen writes, “I have just released a new album, along with the first of two video releases. The band is called “3 Legs On Wheels” and the album titled “in Our Time Machine” on Terraform Records. All the info can be found on the official web-site: www.3legsonwheels.com.

Feb. 2009:

My dear friend, Kimber Glendening passed away on January 18, 2009. As the best drummer California’s Central Valley has seen for the last 50 years (at least), he was a major factor in the still legendary (in that small part of the world) “Strange Laughter” sound. He played in many other bands in the Modesto area throughout his life. A memorial was held in his honor on February 8th at the Eagle Lodge in Modesto, California. The event was attended by several hundred people, including myself. There were many people there that I hadn’t seen for forty years! Teaming with remaining members from Strange Laughter, we played a tribute set in Kimber’s honor. Different combinations of musicians jammed into the night with myself sitting in with most of them on keys and sax.

Steffen Presley

Strange Laughter, Burnt Sunnyland Canyon at the California Ballroom, September 26, 1969, lights by Bayshore Fruit Co.
Strange Laughter, Burnt Sunnyland Canyon at the California Ballroom, September 26, 1969, lights by Bayshore Fruit Co.
“The California Ballroom regularly brought in about a thousand people and often had name SF bands headlining.” – Steffen Presley

Plamie Records P-1023 and P-1025 are still unknown, if anyone has copies of these please contact us.

Los Yorks

Los Yorks came out of the Rímac district of Lima, Peru to give us some of the wildest tracks ever cut to vinyl. These four songs are just a start, they have plenty of other whacked out songs worth digging up, spread over three LPs and a good handful of 45s.”Abrazame Baby” takes the Stones’ version of “Have Mercy” and churns it for about four minutes while singer Pablo Luna laughs, cries and ends up moaning as the music grinds to a halt.

“Mira Tu” does the same thing to a Kinks riff, but the ending is even more demented, a full 90 seconds of noise, howls and groans.

I’m not an expert on the band, hopefully someone can give a more complete and accurate history, but band members intitally were Pablo Luna on vocals, Walter Paz lead guitar, Roman Palacios rhythm guitar, Jesus Vilchez bass, and Pacho Aguilar drums. By the time of “Abrazame Baby” in 1968 or so, Walter Paz had left and Roman Palacios became lead guitarist while Miguel Quiroz handled rhythm.

Later on Pablo Villanueva took over on vocals and smoothed out a few of their edges.

partial Yorks 45 releases:

MAG 2437 – El Batman Del Kayser / Enamorado de un Amigo
MAG 2676 – Ayer Tuve un Sueno / Justo a mi Gusto
MAG 2726 – Mira Tu / Solo Estoy
MAG 2811 – Abrazame Baby / El Viaje
MAG 2838 – Te Amo / Solo Pido Amor

The site for '60s garage bands since 2004