The Socialites at the Unicorn Lansing, MIThe Socialites were four women who made two 45s in 1968. I don’t know the names of the band members, or where they came from, except for a show listing in Lansing, Michigan.
I believe the Socialites first single was a version of “Bye Bye Love” b/w the neat bubblegum rocker “Phooey Phooey on You”, released on Scott Records FM-324. Artyfacts in Wax has a short write-up and good scans of the labels.
Scott Records had 45s by the Merrie Motor Company who were from Olivet, MI; and the Jay Walker Effort who seem to have come from Grand Rapids.
The Socialites recorded (and/or mastered) “Looking Out My Window” at Tera Shirma Sound Studio in Detroit, with a cover of “Boat that I Row” on the flip. Garry Holton, credited for writing “Looking Out My Window” seems to have lived in Jackson, Michigan.
Released as National Electric Signalling And Commercial Company 6483142, the label has finely drawn illustration, and the obscure sub-text “A Michigan Corporation Division of Audio Records”.
“Looking Out My Window” reached #31 on WILS 1320 AM Sound Survey 33 on December 18, 1968.
R.D. Francis sent me the flyer at top, one of a half-dozen ads for the short-lived Unicorn club made by Mike Delbusso of Splatt Gallery in Walled Lake.
The Unicorn opened at 4122 N. East, in Lansing on May 18, 1970, and featured the Socialites for its first two weekends.
If anyone knows the names of members of the Socialites please contact me!
The Loved Ones profiled in the Knoxville News-Sentinel, January 22, 1967The Loved Ones formed at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. Members were:
Terry Johnson – guitar Barry “Byrd” Burton – guitar Doug Graham – bass Mike Coyner – drums
Alan Copeland – drums (replaced Mike Coyner in fall of 1966) Ranse Whitworth – guitar (replaced Terry Johnson in late 1967) Dorian Rush – drums (replaced Alan Copeland in February, 1968)
In June of 1966 released a great 45 of two original songs, “Surprise, Surprise (For You)” (written by Terry Johnson and Barry Burton, Tuba Music) b/w “Another Time or Place” (by Terry Johnson, Kasen Music) on Ambassador Records TIF 212. The Loved Ones recorded the songs at Bradley’s Barn studio in Nashville.
The band’s manager went to New York to shop the single, and secured a deal Ambassador, a label from Newark, New Jersey.
An early version of the group, under perhaps a different name, had started a year or two earlier, playing a VFW hall in August 1964. Terry Johnson played guitar; Doug Graham was playing a Fender Rhodes Piano Bass. Other early members included Bill McMakin on acoustic guitar, and an unknown drummer, perhaps Jim Bible or Ed Hagood. At some point they were replaced by Barry Burton and Mike Coyner.
The Loved Ones made a demo in January 1966, “I Love Her More”, cut at Startime Studios, owned by Jim Clayton, in January 1966. WKGN broadcast the song in February, but it has since become lost.
On August 28, 1966, the News-Sentinel reported on their summer residency in Greenwich Village, a time I would like to know more about:
The Loved Ones’ Returning to Knox
A local long-haired singing group, which has been playing in New York’s Greenwich Village all summer, will return to Knoxville Saturday at the Civic Coliseum.
“The Loved Ones,” all U-T students when they organized last January, will sing before about 5000 at the Knoxville invitation Teen Board Dance.
The group, Terry Johnson, Barry Burton, Doug Graham and Mike Coyner, will be based in Knoxville this fall when Terry returns to school at U-T…
Three – Terry, Doug, and Barry – are from Rogersville, and Mike from Chattanooga.
I looked for notices of the Loved Ones playing in Greenwich Village, but so far have not found them.
After this article appeared, Alan Copeland, originally from Memphis, replaced Mike Coyner on drums.
The Loved Ones and their manager Bill Baillie helped open a Knoxville nightclub called The Place.
The Knoxville News-Sentinel reported on January 22, 1967:
The Place, 1915 Cumberland Ave., which opened Friday night … has an unique atmosphere all its own. The L-shaped room, large enough for 450 people, features black walls and white flourescent designs. Several large revolving rainbow-colored lights set the walls and floors to dancing. About 75 small tables dot the two ends of the room. Benches with narrow tables jutting out from them line the walls, creating seats for about 270 …
The Loved Ones are providing the opening week entertainment. Other combos scheduled include the Group from Memphis, the Playboys from Chattanooga, and Knoxville’s Jay, Jami, and the Soul Survivors.
Their recent recording, “Surprise, Surprise” was a regional hit … the group will release a new record in early spring.
On July 2, 1967, the News-Sentinel ran an item “Two Knox Groups Cut Pop Discs”:
Jay Henderson, a Rule Hugh School graduate, and Sandy Richards, a Central High graduate, have a record out on Spot Label of Johnson City, which began air play last week. They call themselves “Jami and Jay” and are backed by a Knoxville combo, “The Soul Survivors.” The number one side of the record is “I’m So Lonely” and the flip side is “I Know I’m Not Much.” Another Knoxville group, “The Loved Ones,” has recorded 12 original songs for Roulette Records, a national company in New York. Terry Johnson, leader of the group which met at U-T, wrote the songs, two of which are planned for release within two weeks. Others in the group are Doug Graham, Barry Burton, and Alan Copeland.
I’m not sure if the band actually did cut “12 original songs for Roulette Records”, or what happened to those recordings.
On Friday, September 1, 1967, the Loved Ones opened for the Young Rascals at the Knoxville Civic Coliseum.
Ranse Whitworth replaced Terry Johnson in late ’67, and Dorian Rush replaced Alan Copeland in February 1968.
The band released their second 45 on Brookmont Records 556, “Country Club Life” (by B. Russell, B. Cason), “Together, Together” (W. Rabideau, D.J. Chalmers), produced by Redell Productions. CashBox reviewed it on September 14, 1968: “social commentary about the country club-commuter set is delivered in blues style … FM play could alert Top 40’s to its sales potential.”
[Walter Rabideau and David-John Chalmers wrote both sides of the only other release on Brookmont Records, by Tomorrow’s Children “Take a Good Look” / “Rainy Corner”, and both would go into the Farm Band in Summertown, Tennessee.]
The Loved Ones had at least one reunion, with Byrd Burton, Terry Johnson, Ranse Whitworth and Mike Coyner.
Several of the members have passed away: Dorian Rush at the age of 20, Doug Graham in 2004, and Barry “Byrd” Burton in March of 2008.
—–
Steve Hostak
One 1967 photo shows the Loved Ones in Nashville’s Bradley’s Barn studio with Steve Hostak. Hostak wrote “Summer Boys” which Judy Eggers cut at Metro Recording in Knoxville, released with “Life of a Fool” (by E.J. Roberts) on Metromaster M-166.
In the 1970s, Stephan Hostak played guitar on albums by James Talley, Tracy Nelson and others, and did some writing and arranging work. I’d like to know more about Hostak’s connection with the Loved Ones, and his other early studio work.
I found four slides of a group with the Midnight Raiders on their drum head. The guitarist is playing a Harmony Rocket with a Gibson amp. Given the map of Connecticut visible in two of the photos, I would bet that’s where they are from. If so, I have no way to trace this band without names.
There was a group called the Midnight Raiders from Osceola, Iowa that released one 45, “Pretty Baby” / “Steppin’ Stone” on Raider Records 7-75477/8 from March, 1967.
Names on the labels were:
Janet Oliver Ron Hart John Jones Butch Black (Orval Black III?)
Perhaps I will be able to get confirmation that the trio in the photos was not the group from Iowa. In any case, I’d like to hear from any members of the “Pretty Baby” / “Steppin’ Stone” band.
Unfortunately the Epson V600 scanner I use puts vertical lines into the image that are not in the original slides.
I have no info on the Aztecs who released the song “Just to Satisfy You” b/w a good version of “Midnight Hour” on Valkyrie 959C-6114 in 1967. C. Johnson is listed as the writer of the A-side, but I can find no publishing registration – because (as Mike points out in the comment below) it’s not their original song!
45cat has one lead – the RCA account connects to the Claremont label out of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. Whether the band was from Wisconsin or Illinois is impossible to say at this point. This was pressed at RCA’s plant in Indianapolis.
The Revolvers: Left to Right: Harold Beardsley, Ted Pearson, Don Hales, and Stan Burger.
The Revolvers hailed from the Detroit neighborhood of Lake Orion, forming in the hallways of Lake Orion High School.
According to his brother, ex-Detroit area disc jockey and program director, Bill Pearson, the band’s founder, Earl “Ted” Pearson, excelled at sports — both basketball and baseball — from his Little League diamond days up through high school. As a star player for the Oxford High Wildcats, he was scouted by the Pittsburgh Pirates and the St. Louis Cardinals. A refusal to cut his long hair resulted in his dismissal from the team; a later shoulder injury ended his baseball career. He soon formed the Revolvers at the age of 16 in 1966 with his long-time music associate, bassist Harold Beardsley.
The Revolvers opening for Scot Richard Case at Club Limberlost
Rounded out with guitarist Don Hales and drummer Stan Burger, the Revolvers frequently appeared at Club Limberlost in Leonard, Michigan, just outside of Detroit. One of the Revolvers’ gigs at the Limberlost — which hosted many gigs by the more-established SRC, the MC 5, and the Rationals — was as a prestigious undercard to Panic & the Pack opening for a-soon-to-be-signed-to Capitol Records’ SRC.
While Stan Burger’s later musical exploits are forgotten, the Ortonville-born Don Hales graced the stages of Lake Orion’s Royal Oak Inn and Waterford’s 300 Bowl with Jacob’s Folly.
Madrigal, out back behind the Silverbell Hideout, 1968. Left to Right: Ted Pearson (tree), Don Hales (bass), and Jim Roland (vest; drums), and Ray Campbell (guitars; keys). Courtesy of Tom Welscher.The Whereabouts: Marty Blair, then on keyboards, second from right.
By 1968, with drummer Jim Roland (previous bands, unknown) and ex-Echoes from a Broken Mirror/Good Tuesday keyboardist Paul Cervenek, the Revolvers became the harder-edged Madrigal — managed by Bob Seger associate Joe Aramini. Along the way, Marty Blair, formerly of the Whereabouts (1966 to 1967) joined on keyboards.
Walpurgis: Left to Right: Ray Campbell, Harold Beardsley, Jim Roland, and Ted Pearson at Cranbrook Manor, 1973.Walpergis with SRC at the Palladium
Upon more line-up changes — and with only Ted Pearson and Harold Beardsley from the original the Revolvers — Madrigal became Walpurgis in 1970. Under the new moniker, Walpurgis (for a time as Walpergis) shared the stage with SRC on August 19, 1970, at the Birmingham, Palladium with Julia (a Bob Seger-associated act) on the bill.
Upon the return of Jim Roland, and the addition of ex-Downtown Clergy keyboardist Russ Klatt, Walpurgis signed with Punch Andrews’s Hideout Productions. Rechristened as Phantom by Andrews, they recorded the 1974 Capitol Records release Phantom’s Divine Comedy: Part 1. Marty Blair, now a drummer, was a brief, non-recording member of Phantom.
The Whisky a Go Go: Ted Pearson (center) with Iggy Pop and Ray Manzerek.The Whisky a Go Go: Ted Pearson, center, with Danny Sugerman and Ray Manzarek.
Ted Pearson eventually worked with Ray Manzarek and appeared at the infamous “Jim Morrison Third Anniversary Disappearance Party” at the Whisky A Go Go on July 3, 1974. After a stint with the touring solo band Mitch Ryder, Pearson fronted — under his legal name change of Arthur Pendragon — the band Pendragon from 1976 to 1983. Pendragon’s rosters featured Rick “The Lion” Stahl from Wilson Mower Pursuit and Sincerely Yours, Joe Memmer of the Free, and Jerry Zubal of the Kwintels. Late ‘70s demos by Pendragon were recorded and produced, in part, by Tom Carson, formerly of the Lazy Eggs, at his music store-studio, Fiddlers Music.
Pendragon: Top Left, clockwise: Ed Lawson, Ted Pearson, aka Arthur Pendragon, Marc Kopchak (ex-Wildwood with Billy Csernits of Mitch Ryder’s solo bands), Bob Ellis, and Rick Stahl. Courtesy of Rick Stahl.
The Revolvers, Madrigal, Jacob’s Folly, Echoes from a Broken Mirror, Good Tuesday, and Downtown Clergy recorded no singles. It is said the Revolvers completed acetates that were never officially pressed; any radio airplay given to those acetates, are unknown. If anyone can provide a background on the Whereabouts and Jacob’s Folly, it would be appreciated.
Our thanks: David McLaughlin, publisher of the private-press book, Rockin’ the Limberlost, (2009), University of Michigan Press for the Revolvers’ flyer images, Tom Weschler/Bill Pearson for the photo and Gordon Jones for the roster information on the Revolvers, Mike Delbusso of Splatt Gallery of Walled Lake, Michigan, for the Whereabouts and SRC flyers, Tom Weschler/Bill Pearson for the Madrigal and Walpurgis photos, and James Fortune for the Whiskey photos.
The 2 ‘B’s Club, located at 2B Bank Street in Ashford, Kent, was a short-lived music venue that had previously hosted local bands when it was known as the Beat House.
However, in July 1966 it changed name and began advertising better known visiting groups such as The Birds (with Ron Wood on guitar) who opened the new venue, David Bowie & The Buzz, Bluesology (featuring future solo star Elton John) and The Gods (with Mick Taylor on guitar) among others.
I’ve started a list of acts, taken from the Kentish Express newspaper, which advertised gigs for Saturdays and Sundays, from its opening night on 16 July until its closure; the exact date is unclear, but the newspaper stopped advertising the venue around early May 1967.
Please leave comments with any memories and missing acts.
Photo may be subject to copyright
16 July 1966 – The Birds and The Oscar Brooke Bluesette
17 July 1966 – The Bo Street Runners and The Noyse
23 July 1966 – The Noyse
24 July 1966 – The Riot Squad and The Oscar Brooke Bluesette
Photo may be subject to copyright
30 July 1966 – The Stormsville Shakers and The Noyse
31 July 1966 – The Herd and The Noyse
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6 August 1966 – The Downliners Sect and support
7 August 1966 – The Shades of Black
Missing dates here
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27 August 1966 – The Fingers and The Pastel Shades
28 August 1966 – The Shades of Black
29 August 1966 – The Noblemen and The End (this is a Monday)
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3 September 1966 – Cops ‘N’ Robbers
4 September 1966 – Chaos
10 September 1966 – Steve Darbyshire & The Yum Yum Band and Bobby Gibson & The 004s
11 September 1966 – The Stormsville Shakers and The Moral Set
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17 September 1966 – Dave Anthony’s Moods
18 September 1966 – missing gig
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24 September 1966 – David Bowie & The Buzz
25 September 1966 – Parker’s Mood (replaced by The Couriers)
1 October 1966 – The Fingers
2 October 1966 – Pastel Shades
Missing dates here
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15 October 1966 – Bluesology and The Guests
16 October 1966 – The Suspect
21 October 1966 – The End (this is a Friday)
22 October 1966 – The Rick ‘N’ Beckers and The Shades of Black
23 October 1966 – The King Pins
Photo may be subject to copyright
29 October 1966 – Julian Covey & The Machine and The Noyse (featuring Mouse)
30 October 1966 – The Mixed Feelings
5 November 1966 – Philip Goodhand Tait & The Stormsville Shakers and The End
6 November 1966 – The Noyse (featuring Mouse)
Photo may be subject to copyright
12 November 1966 – The Majority (straight from the Playboy Club, London) with support
13 November 1966 – The Kult
Missing dates here
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26 November 1966 – The [Mike] Stuart Span plus support
27 November 1966 – The Rebounce
Missing dates here
24 December 1966 – MI Five and Moral Set
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26 December 1966 – The Savoy Brown Blues Band and Shades of Black
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31 December 1966 – The Motivation (ex-Noblemen) and The Suspects
1 January 1967 – The Meantimers
Missing dates here
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14 January 1967 – The Gods and The Roots of Evil
15 January 1967 – The End
21 January 1967 – The Rick ‘N’ Beckers and The Rebounds
22 January 1967 – The Poor Boys
Missing dates here
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4 February 1967 – Motivation (ex-Noblemen) and Spectre Quin Team and Vaughan & Diana
5 February 1967 – Vaughan & Diana’s Spin
Missing dates here
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18 February 1967 – The Warren Davis Monday Band with support
19 February 1967 – The Rick ‘N’ Beckers
Missing dates here
4 March 1967 – Heinz & The Wild Boys and The Suspects and Vaughan & Diana
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5 March 1967 – The Rick ‘N’ Beckers
11 March 1967 – The Joyce Bond Show
12 March 1967 – Missing gig
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18 March 1967 – The Gods
19 March 1967 – Heart & Soul
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25 March 1967 – Long John Baldry Show and The Silhouettes
The Rogues in the South Omaha Sun, September 9, 1965
The Rogues came from Omaha, Nebraska, and made one record in 1966, “Anything You Say” / “Summertime” on Action 100. The deadwax etching shows it was recorded and mastered at Sears Recording Studio in Omaha and pressed at Kaybank in Minneapolis.
James G. Churchill wrote “Anything You Say” published by Peter Jan.
Members on the single were:
Ed Hoke – lead guitar Jim Churchill – drums Joe DeRozza – lead vocals Mike Hoke – bass Mike Chapman – rhythm guitar
Early lineup of the Rogues in a Hospe’s ad, May 2, 1965
On May 2, 1965, Hospe’s music store on 1512 Douglas ran an ad in the Omaha World-Herald featuring an earlier lineup that included the Hoke brothers along with Bill Nassarallah and Greg Mutz. The photo shows the Rogues with some awesome equipment:
They’re Fender-equipped, and they’re great!
Bill Nassarallah, rhythm with a Fender Stratocaster Guitar and Fender Bandmaster Amplifier and Echophonic echo-chamger; Greg Mutz with a 4-piece Gretch [sic] Drum Set and Zildjian Cymbals. Eddie Hoke, leader of the group, has a Custom Guitar which he plays through his Fender Showman amp; and Mike Hoke with a Fender Jazz Bass and Fender Bassman Amp.
By September, 1965 the lineup had changed to the group that would record the 45, as the South Omaha Sun profiled the group with a photo, noting that the groups favorite bands were “‘The Kinks,’ ‘The Birds’ [sic] and ‘Them'”:
Chuck Hoke, night manager at Mickey’s No. 1, invited us to a rehearsal … of his sons’ rock ‘n roll band, “The Rogues” …
The combo held its rehearsal on a stage, complete with risers, which they built themselves in the Hoke’s recreation room. The array of mikes and amplifiers made us feel like we were in a major network studio. Vocalist Joe hugged the mike at the front of the stage and pounded out ryhthm [sic] on a tambourine while he bounced to and fro with his vocal routines. Jim, like Gary Lewis, had a mike hanging over his drum set and harmonized with Joe on many numbers. The whole group sang in unison occasionally. They bounced, rocked and shook in unison no so occasionally.
Finally came their rendition of “End of the World,” and many oldsters might view it as just that.
The group continued until 1967, with a “Combo Catch-All” article in the World-Hearld on March 3, 1967 titled “Rogues Aim for Originality, Prefer to Be Called ‘Group'”
By this time the group included a sixth member, Mike Riehle, and the article mentions that Joe Derroza was “from San Francisco”.
They play mostly in Minnesota, Iowa and Nebraska, and get to and from these states in a painted bakery truck …
They used to have a go-go dancer but let her go because more and more combos were adding go-go girls.
The “Combo Catch-All” article mentioned other groups: the Exiles combo with Red Toll, the Ashes with own song “I Don’t Need Your Love”, and the Bushmen with Bob Geeny, Kent Bellows, Doug Fackler, Bob Drickery and Larry Minthorn. An adjacent ad for Sandy’s Escape lists various groups that weekend: the 6 Fortunes and 6 Misfits on Friday, the Wonders and 7 Legends on Saturday, and the Coachmen and 6 Impacts on Sunday.
The Coronoados, left to right: Bob Stayton on guitar, Bill Goddard on drums, Jerry Schemmel on saxophone, and Rick Stockwell on bass.
This tale of forgotten Detroit rockers begins in the Stockwell family basement in the early 1960s as Rick Stockwell formed the Coronados and his brother Joe formed the Nomads. Learning about rock ‘n’ roll through his older half-brothers was Michael Marsac. His first group, Old Friends, was an all-acoustic group with Dave Anderson, Ken Crawford and Johnny Heaton, later of the West End.
Managed by Cecil, the father of the band’s Jerry Schemmel, the Coronados appeared on WKHM disc jockey Robin Seymour’s CKLW-TV Channel 9’s television show, Swingin’ Time. Featuring Rick Stockwell on electric bass, the Coronados were rounded out with Bob Stayton on guitar, Bill Goddard on drums, Jerry Schemmel on saxophone, and Gene Gustafson on keyboards.
The Coronados soon had the support of a country music song-smith known for writing songs for Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, George Jones, and Jerry Lee Lewis. Mick Vickery produced and arranged four sides for the band across two singles. The first, “The Nomad” b/w “Center of Attraction,” was issued in 1965 on Paramount Pictures Productions’ musical division, Dot Records. Issued that same year—and with the “e” added—the Coronadoes recorded Vickery’s “Zig Zag” backed with an original, “What Would I Do,” for Dino Productions on Nashville’s Lamar Records.
The Vickery deal was the culmination of the band winning the Michigan State Fair’s annual “Battle of the Bands” talent show, along with winning the Starlit Stairway’s Talent Show hosted by Rita Bell (the station’s meteorologist) on WXYZ-TV Channel 7 in 1963, in addition to a well-received opening slot for a Walled Lake, Michigan, appearance by Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. As the Vietnam War arrived, the Coronados splintered as result of Rick Stockwell and Jerry Schemmel’s service. Schemmell wouldn’t return home.
Above: Ron Course’s photo montage video featuring all four sides: Dot 45 first, followed by the Lamar single.
Once back in the states, Rick Stockwell, along with his brother Joe, joined fellow Vietnam veterans-friends Larry Merryman and Gary Markley in the Detroit-based jam-band collective, Stonefront: a band known for overseeing the Gar Wood Mansion commune located at 450 Keelson Drive, Detroit, on Greyhaven Island located on the Lower Eastside of the Detroit River. During the years of 1969 to 1972, with an ever-changing roster (featuring ex-Coronados’ guitarist Bob Stayton, along with drummer Jeep Capone and guitarist Rod Shivers of Seeds of Doubt), Stonefront hosted rent parties attended by—with the bands sometimes performing a second, free show after their gigs at the Cobo Arena, Eastown Theatre, and The Grande Ballroom—Cream, Joe Cocker, Iron Butterfly, the Rolling Stones, and Leon Russell.
The Gar Wood Gang, courtesy of Adrian Wright.Stonefront practice at Gar Wood, courtesy of Colleen Donovan.Newsprint photo of Stonefront at home in the Gar Wood: Left to right: Larry Merryman, Joe Ford, Jeep Capone, Bob Stayton, and Rick Stockwell. Courtesy of Jeep Capone.Stonefront inside Detroit’s Terra Sherma Studios: Left to Right: Jeep Capone, Bob Stayton, Rick Stockwell, Rod Shives, and Larry Merryman. Courtesy of Jeep Capone.After the Corondoes and before Stonefront: Leadville Feed, Seed & Bag Company, 1968-ish: Left to Right: Rick Stockwell, guitar, organ and lead vocals; Mark Lungdren bass and vocals; Bob Stayton, guitar; Dick Ayers, drums.Coloradus: Right to Left: Joe Stockwell, Elde Stewqrt, Ron Course, Rick Stockwell, and Mike Marsac.
By 1971 the Stockwell brothers—along with their then 16-year-old half brother, Michael Marsac—formed the country-rock driven Coloradus. By the mid-‘70s Coloradus consolidated their regional, Great Lakes-area success to the point of opening shows for Detroit-touring national acts, such as the like-minded .38 Special. Guided by producer Calvin Simon, formerly of Parliament/Funkadelic, Coloradus cut an album at Chess Records in Chicago. As is the case with new bands hoping to generate a hit single, Coloradus recorded two cover tunes by the Allman Brothers to complement their southern-rock styled originals. Unfortunately, the planned release stagnated for a variety of reason lost to the times, but mainly due to Rick Stockwell suffering an “accident-sustaining injury.” The band eventually rebounded with a 45-rpm single issued on the band’s vanity-press Saloon Records in 1979, fronted by Rick Stockwell’s “What Was I Do To” and Michael Marsac’s “Good Lovin’” on the B-side.
The Excels of Pontiac, Michigan, the first band (and drum set: a Slingerland Buddy Rich White Marine Pearl purchased from Pontiac Music) of Ron Course, center. From left to right: John Gains of Texas on bass, Nick Nickerson of Maine on guitar, and Leo “Rio” Carter of California on guitar.
In between the career development of the Coronados and Coloradus, the Stockwell brothers—as well as other Coloradus members, such as long-time Stockwell associate, drummer Ronald Course—strolled through the turnstiles of Detroit’s iconic Danny Zella. Zella—with the ampersand moniker The Zell Rocks—graced Detroit stages since the late 1950s with national and regional hit singles, such as “Black Sax,” “Wicked Ruby,” “Steel Guitar Rag,” a cover of Leiber and Stoller’s “Kansas City,” and “Sapphire.” Later opting for the Zeltones suffix by the early ‘70s, Zella became a fixture on Michigan and Great Lakes-area stages as he provided a “rock ‘n’ roll boot camp” for those musicians who invaded the Gar Wood during its progressive rock years. It was through Danny Zella, and his band’s eventual transition into Kottage, then his retirement from the stage, in which Coloradus, birthed.
Prior to the mid-70s arrival of the Stockwells’ Coloradus, the brotherly duo performed alongside Johnny Heaton in White Heat. That band’s rotating roster featured ex-Zeltones and Coloradus drummer Ronald Course, Dale Kath of the Ascots, as well as Dave Anderson and Ken Crawford of Mike Marsac’s Old Friends.
While the Stockwell brothers are no longer with us, Michael Marsac continues to record and perform in the Big Rapids area of western Michigan as part of the musical concern, Michigan Soul Tribe. Dale Kath and Ronald Course currently record on the Detroit scene as the Blue Room Band.
All band photos (banner and You Tube video) provided by Mike Marsac via Ron Course. Coronadoes Lamar 45 scans by Chris Bishop, Coloradus scan courtesy of Discogs.
Other stills of the Corondoes, dated between 1963 to 1965, were provided by Richard Bernard via Christine Evans.
Nightflier, in the early ’80s: Ron Course, left, Joe Stockwell, center.
Ron Course appears on the lost, early-1976/1977 home studio demos of Ted “The Phantom” Pearson’s next concern, Pendragon. The below audio montage features Ron with the following Detroit bands:
Bliss — Country Girl (featuring Ron Course on lead vocals) Coloradus — Love Shock Nightflier — We’re an American Band Shotgun Willie Band — Lonely Tears
The High Numbers from left: Danny Daniels, Bruce Bruscato on drums, and Bill St. John
The High Numbers made one record, “High Heel Sneakers” / “I’m a Man” on their own Ocean label, 885S-0594. The TK4M-0594 code dates the pressing to the second half 1966. Both sides clock in at over four minutes, rather long for single sides from that time. The band cheekily listed Giorgio Gomelsky as producer of “I’m a Man” (he was of course the producer of the Yardbirds’ version!)
Members were:
Danny Daniels – lead guitar and vocals Glen Engleking – rhythm guitar Bill St. John – bass, harmonica and vocals Alan Gratzer – drums and backing vocals, replaced by Bruce Bruscato
Bass player Bill St. John sent in these photos and told me about the group:
Danny Daniels and Bill St. John
I had a band in the mid-60s in Arlington Heights.
When Danny and I were about 14, we formed a little group and played at some house parties for $5.00! We got more serious, bought some nice equipment and had a few gigs. Alan Gratzer had a band called The Questions, and they had better gigs. He called me one day and asked if I would join his band as bass player. I said I would if Danny could come along and play lead guitar. We were getting really good and found 14 year old Glen Engleking who was still in 8th grade to join as rhythm guitar.
We cut one record in 1966. I was 15 and Alan 17. When we recorded “I’m a Man”, Glen took over the bass part and I played harmonica and sang. Pretty rough and basic with no over dubs! Somehow it found its way to the Garage Punk Unknowns Volume 3 compilation album.
About three months after we cut the disc, Alan left for college. We added different drummers along the way, but it was never the same. I left for college in 1968 and never saw or talked to Danny or Glen again. Both are deceased.
Bruce Bruscato went on to replace The Shadows of Knight original drummer. Alan formed REO Speedwagon at University of Illinois in 1967.
The Changing Tymes were based out of their own Club Moss in Gate City, Virginia, located in the far western part of the state just across the state line from Kingsport, Tennessee. Four of the band were from Hiltons, VA, with another from Johnson City, TN.
Members were:
Buzzy Jones – lead vocals, guitar Jimmy Harris – lead guitar, vocals Lenny Gillenwater – organ Allan McMurray – bass Buddy Babb – drums, vocals
The group released two seven-inch records on their own Moss label, featuring good original songs by the band. “The Only Girl I Love” (McMurray – Jones) / “Parody of a Love” (McMurray, Gillenwater) came out on Moss 000-001/002 in August 1967, followed by “Go Your Way” (Gillenwater – Jones) / “She Laughed at Me” (Gillenwater) on Moss 000-003/004 in December.
Chronos Music published all four songs.
The Clinch Valley College in Wise, Virginia newspaper, the Highland Cavalier, profiled the group on November 1, 1967, for their upcoming show at the Cotillion Club Harvest Dance on November 4:
They were called NUTHIN then … after a while they figured The Changing Tymes fit better’n anything else.
Last New Year’s Eve … the Changing Tymes opened a place of their own and they called it Club Moss …
Every Saturday night since, Moss has been open from 8:30 – 11:30 … Sometimes the crowds have been huge with hardly room to dance, and at other times there wasn’t more than 50, but the music goes on and the quality is good … the best sound around. “Big Daddy Harris” and “General Jones” are always around somewhere in the shadows, but they never give the feeling that they’re watching for you to do something wrong.
Club Moss ad with the Changing Tymes, in the Kingsport Times, February 3, 1967
In August the Changing Tymes went to Nashville for their first recording session. Allan McMurray, Bass player had written some words for which Buzzy Jones and Lenny Gillenwater had written some music … they called the two songs “Parody of a Love” and “The Only Girl I Love”, sung by Buddy Babb, drummer, and Buzzy Jones.
… Last week “Parody of a Love” made the “Top Forty” at WNVA …
… four of them are from Hilton, Virginia: Buzzy (Rhea Wilbur Jones, Jr.), Larry (Larry Wayne Gillenwater), Jimmy (James Oscar Harris, Jr.), and Alan (Alan Rhea McMurray).
Buddy (James Howard Babb, Jr.) lives at Weber City, but during school he lives in Johnson City while studying at East Tennessee State University.
According to the article, Jimmy Harris was the youngest of the group, a junior at Gate City High School. Larry Gillenwater attended Virginia Polytechnic Institute (now Viginia Tech), while Alan McMurray and Buzzy Jones were at Clinch Valley College.
Discussing Club Moss, February 2, 1968
The Kingsport Times ran a feature about Club Moss on February 2, 1968:
… a basement in the old Craft Motor Company Building … could hardly be described as swank …
“It has the best band in the Tri-Cities,” Steve McMurray said, “except maybe the Scat-Cats. They drew the largest crowd we’ve ever had, about 450, but there was still room to dance.”
“If you like to dance,” Lester Spivey said, “it’s a good place to go. They have a good sound system and the band is good.
“The walls have a black background with op art designs on them,” he said, “and they use colored lights. It looks real nice.”
“And you get bored just staying at home,” Chuck Quillen said. “You get tired of your parents, could even start to hate them …”
The last annoucement I can find for the group comes from the Kinsport Times on September 18, 1968, announcing a band competition at the Scott County Tobacco Festival in Weber City.
Club Moss continued for some time. Kingsport Times articles from January 17 and 29, 1969 discuss the re-opening of the club:
Last summer, its previous managers (teenage members of the Changing Thymes [sic] band) decided to close the club because of questionable legality of their license and a growing problem with teenage activity outside the club …
The new managers were Tommy Francisco and Eric Darnell [Eric Darnel in the other article], and Jack Francisco was a chaperone:
Gate City Sheriff Ernest Culbertson said that he hadn’t endorsed the re-opening of the club. “I do not approve of the re-opening of the Club Moss … Whenever teenagers get together, there’s going to be trouble.”
The article mentions a group the Seventh Dawn performing at the club and a bank Christmas party.
Club Moss did not last long, however, because in April 1970 another article mentioned several spots that closed: Club Moss, the Barn in Rogersville and the Purple Penguin in Kingsport; and discussed whether a new teen club could open.
Anyone have a photo of Club Moss, or pics of the Changing Tymes or other local bands?
The Kingsport Times ran this photo on April 24, 1970, but didn’t specify if it was one of the local clubs or a stock photo.
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The Socialites recorded (and/or mastered) “Looking Out My Window” at Tera Shirma Sound Studio in Detroit, with a cover of “Boat that I Row” on the flip. Garry Holton, credited for writing “Looking Out My Window” seems to have lived in Jackson, Michigan.
