24 – AMERICAN ROCK AND POP OF THE SIXTIES
The basic difference between 1950's and 1960's pop recordings was the simple fact that the 1950's had been an era dominated by the solo artist, whereas the 1960's witnessed the total supremacy of "the rock group."
The instrumental as a pop music force never regained the power it achieved in the big band era. Although rock and roll was an electric music form dependent on the sound of the guitar, the instrumental rock hit was somewhat of a rarity. However, during the 1955-1963 period, there emerged a minor trend for instrumentals.
These recordings all basically began as regional hits, gradually gaining national momentum. The formula often consisted of a theme built upon a repetitive riff, and sometimes as evident in The Tornadoes' "Telstar," electric gimmickry was the obvious attraction. On the odd occasion, Dixieland recordings (e.g. Kenny Ball's "Midnight In Moscow") or big band arrangements (e.g. Bert Kaempfert's "Wonderland By Night") managed to break through rock barriers and struggle up the chart. However, these were few and far between.
By 1963, the instrumental was almost extinct, dwarfed by the flood of new commercial music trends such as soul, Motown and The British Invasion. However, surf oriented instrumentals remained popular for a brief period, mainly on the West Coast.
In the mid to late 1960's, the occasional instrumental managed to squeeze onto the charts, usually in the form of a movie theme or the lush string-oriented recording usually of European origin.
- Panteleon Perez Prado (Dec. 11, 1916 - Sept. 14, 1989)
- Bandleader/organist/pianist/composer/arranger born in Mantanzas, Cuba.
- Younger brother of composer/bandleader Damos Prado.
- Began as pianist with The Orquesta Casino de la Playa.
- 1948 - Moved to Mexico City, recording for RCA. Recordings included "Mambo #5"(1948) and "Que Rico el Mambo"(1949).
- 1954 - Began working in the U.S.
- Nicknamed "King Of The Mambo," Prado was responsible for the widespread popularity of the mambo in North America during the 1950's.
- His achievement was the mixing of mambo with swing.
- Sept. 14, 1989 - Died after a stroke in Colonia del Valle, Mexico.
- Hits include "Cherry Pink And Apple Blossom White"(March, 1955)#1 -10 wks. and "Patricia"(June, 1958)#1.
- Arthur Ferrante (Sept. 7, 1921 – )
- Pianist born in New York City.
- Louis Teicher (Aug. 24, 1924 – )
- Pianist born in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.
- Piano duo, famous for their flowery renditions of movie themes.
- Met while attending The Juilliard School Of Music in New York.
- 1947 - Gave up teaching at Juilliard to become concert pianists.
- 1954 - Began recording.
- 1960 - Signed to United Artists, mainly recording film themes.
- Between 1960 and 1970, they sold over 20 million records.
- Hits include "Theme From The Apartment"(July, 1960)#10, "Exodus" (Nov., 1960)#2, "Tonight"(Oct., 1961)#8 and "Midnight Cowboy" (Nov., 1969)#10.
- William Ballard Doggett (Feb. 16, 1916 – )
- R&B/jazz keyboardist/arranger born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
- 1935 - Pianist with Jimmy Gorham's Band, briefly becoming leader in 1938. The band was taken over by Lucky Millinder.
- 1938 - Formed his own band.
- 1942-1944 - Arranged for The Ink Spots.
- Played with Lionel Hampton and Louis Jordan (1949).
- 1951 - Toured and recorded with Ella Fitzgerald.
- 1952 - Formed his own band, signing with King until 1961.
- Hits include the million selling "Honky Tonk (Parts 1 & 2)"(Aug., 1956)#2 featuring Clifford Scott's earthy sax and "Soft"(Nov., 1957)#35.
- Bill Black (William Patton Black) (Sept. 17, 1926 - Oct. 21, 1965)
- Bassist/composer born in Memphis, Tennessee.
- String-bass player.
- Began as a member of The Starlite Wranglers which featured singer Doug Poindexter, recording the mildly successful "Now She Cares No More For Me"(1954).
- With guitarist Scotty Moore, played bass on most of Elvis Presley's early sessions.
- 1959 - Formed the organ dominated Bill Black's Combo, consisting of Black (bass), Martin Wills (sax), Carl McVoy (keys), Reggie Young (guitar) and Jerry Arnold (drums).
- 1960 - Voted Most Played Instrumental Group.
- 1964 - Backed Gene Simmons on his #11 hit recording of "Haunted House."
- Oct. 21, 1965 - Died of a brain tumour in Memphis, Tennessee.
- Guitarist Bob Tucker kept the group alive still using Black's name, later going country.
- Hits include "Smokie - Part 2"(Nov., 1959)#17, "White Silver Sands"(March, 1960)#9 and "Josephine"(June, 1960)#18.
- David Cortez Clowney (Aug. 13, 1938 – )
- Organist/songwriter from Detroit.
- 1956 - Began recording as David Clooney.
- Hits include "The Happy Organ"(March, 1959)#1 and "Rinky Dink" (July, 1962)#10.
- Louis Weertz (1925 – )
- Pianist/multi-instrumentalist born in Omaha, Nebraska.
- Son of a music teacher.
- 1928 - Age 3, learned to play the piano.
- 1937 - Age 12, he could play 12 instruments.
- 1951 - Attended Juilliard School Of Music in New York City.
- Took lessons from Lenny Tristano and Teddy Wilson.
- Won on "The Arthur Godfrey Talent Scouts."
- By 1965, his record sales were over 8 million.
- Hits include "Autumn Leaves"(Aug., 1955)#1-4 wks., "Till"(Oct., 1957#22, "Near You"(Aug., 1958)#10, "Maria"(Dec., 1961)#48 and "Born Free"(Aug., 1966)#7.
- William E. Justis Jr. (Oct. 14, 1926 - July 15, 1982)
- Saxophonist/trumpeter/producer/composer/arranger/A&R man born in Birmingham, Alabama.
- Raised in Memphis, Tennessee.
- His mother was a concert pianist.
- Musical director of the Tulane campus night shows in New Orleans.
- 1942 - Formed his own dance band.
- 1957-1960 - He was a major force for Sun Records, arranging the hits and leading the house band. He was fired by Sam Phillips for insubordination.
- Discovered Charlie Rich, later producing his records.
- 1961 - Staff producer for RCA Groove.
- July 15, 1982 - Died of cancer.
- Biggest hit was "Raunchy"(Nov., 1957)#2 (Originally titled "Backwoods," it became a million seller).
- Phil Todaro and Buffalo DJ Tom Shannon recorded The Hot Toddys featuring Port Colborne, Ontario saxman Bill Pennell. In 1960, a Buffalo group called The Rebels replaced the original band.
- Hits include "Rockin' Crickets"(March, 1959)#57 and "Wild Weekend"(Dec., 1962)#8.
- William Randolph Cole (Oct. 17, 1909 - Jan. 29, 1981)
- Drummer/actor born in East Orange, New Jersey.
- Played with several swing bands including Blanche Calloway (1931- 1932), Benny Carter (1933-1934), Willie Bryant (1935-1936), Stuff Smith (1936-1939) and Cab Calloway (1939-1942).
- 1943 - Acted in the Broadway show, "Carmen Jones."
- 1949-1953 - Played in Louis Armstrong's band.
- Began leading his own band.
- Considered one of the finest jazz drummers of all time, he is also remembered as a teacher of drum technique.
- Jan. 29, 1981 - Died of cancer.
- Biggest hit was the sax oriented recording, "Topsy II"(Aug., 1958)#3.
- Homer Louis Randolph III
- Premier Nashville session saxman/vibraphonist/trombonist.
- Brought to Nashville by Chet Atkins.
- April 3, 1960 - Began session work on several Elvis Presley recordings.
- 1974 - His "Country Boots" LP brought critical acclaim.
- Hits include "Yakety Sax"(Feb., 1963)#35, "Hey, Mr. Saxman" (April, 1964)#77, "The Shadow Of Your Smile"(1966) and "Temptation"(1967).
- Sander L. Nelson (Dec. 1, 1938 – )
- Drummer/bassist/guitarist born in Santa Monica, California.
- Began as drummer with The Kip Tyler Band.
- Worked as a session musician in Hollywood, playing drums on Phil Spector's Teddy Bears' recording of "To Know Him Is To Love Him" and also recording with Gene Vincent.
- Made his TV debut on "The Dick Clark Show."
- 1963 - Lost part of his right leg in a motorcycle accident, returning to work in 1964.
- In the 1980's, formed his own label Veebltronics.
- Hits include "Teen Beat"(Sept., 1959)#4 and "Let There Be Drums" (Oct., 1961)#7.
THE SURFARIS
- Lincoln Wray (May 2, 1935 – )
- Guitarist/songwriter/producer from Dunn, North Carolina.
- Part Native American.
- Taught blues guitar by bluesman Hambone.
- 1942 - Formed his first band.
- Served in the Army during the war, later contracting tuberculosis and spending a year in hospital.
- In the early 1950's, he was a member of The Palomino Ranch Gang.
- 1956 - Recorded for Starday as Lucky Wray.
- Formed his own group Link Wray & His Ray Men.
- His biggest hit was his sinister recording of "Rumble"(April, 1958)#16, supposedly recorded back in 1954. It has since become a cult favourite, its hard core fuzz-tone guitar sound predating heavy metal rock by almost 15 years.
- Jan., 1959 - His recording of "Raw-Hide" went to #23.
- 1965 - Retired to his farm in Accokeek, Maryland where he built his own recording studio Wray's Three Track Shack.
- 1971 - Completed his first self-produced album, "Link Wray."
- 1977 - Recorded an album with rockabilly singer Robert Gordon.
- Hits include "Jack The Ripper"(June, 1963)#64.
- Santo Farina (Oct. 24, 1937 – )
- Steel guitarist from Brooklyn, New York.
- Johnny Farina (April 30, 1941 – )
- Rhythm guitarist from Brooklyn, New York.
- By 1955, they were local favourites in Brooklyn.
- The sexy guitar instrumentals of the Farina brothers were extremely popular at high school dances.
- 1964 - They released one of the best instrumental collections of Lennon/McCartney songs.
- Biggest hit was the million selling "Sleepwalk"(July, 1959)#1-2 wks.
- (April 26, 1938 – )
- Guitarist/composer born in Corning, New York.
- The son of a guitarist.
- 1943 - Age 5, began playing guitar.
- 1951 - Age 13, moved to Tucson, Arizona.
- 1955 - Played with guitarists Al Casey and Jimmy Wyble.
- 1955-1961 - Worked exclusively with songwriter/producer Lee Hazlewood in Phoenix, Arizona.
- His backup band The Rebels featured pianist Larry Knechtel (later of Bread) and saxman Steve Douglas.
- Eddy was the originator of what was labelled "the twangy guitar" sound, which was achieved by playing the melody on the bottom strings of the guitar.
- 1962 - Signed with RCA.
- Feb., 1962 - Married singer Miriam Johnson.
- By 1963, he had sold over 12 million records.
- 1963 - With the advent of The British Invasion, his career waned.
- Oct., 1965 - Played guitar on Nancy Sinatra's #1 hit, "These Boots Are Made For Walking."
- May, 1986 - Appeared on The Art Of Noise's #50 recording of "Peter Gunn."
- Hits include "Rebel Rouser"(June, 1958)#6, "Ramrod"(Aug., 1958) #27, "Forty Miles Of Bad Road"(June, 1959)#9, "Because They're Young"(May, 1960)#4 and "Boss Guitar"(Feb., 1963)#28.
- Eddy can also be heard on The Art Of Noise's recording of "Peter Gunn"(May, 1986)#50.
- Lonnie McIntosh (July 18, 1941 – )
- Singer/guitarist born in Aurora, Indiana.
- 1946 - Age 5, began playing guitar.
- 1954 - Had his own country band.
- During the early 1960's worked with Troy Seals.
- 1971-1985 - Retired from music.
- 1985 - Released the "Strike Like Lightning" album produced by Stevie Ray Vaughan.
- Hits include "Memphis"(June, 1963)#5 and "Wham!"(Aug., 1963)#24.
PETE DRAKE
- Guitar dominated instrumental quartet based in the Seattle/ Tacoma, Washington area.
- Consisting of Bob Bogle (Jan. 16, 1937 – ) (lead guitar), Don Wilson (Feb. 10, 1937 – ) (rhythm guitar), Nokie Edwards (May 9, 1939 – ) (bass) and Howie Johnson (1938 - 1988) (drums).
- 1959 - Began recording on the Blue Horizon label.
- Jazz guitarist Johnny Smith's 1957 recording of "Walk Don't Run" was the main influence for their later version of the tune.
- 1960 - Voted The Most Promising Instrumental Group.
- 1961 - After sustaining injuries in a car crash, Johnson was replaced by Mel Taylor.
- Personnel changed throughout the years including the addition of session guitarist Jerry McGhee in 1967.
- They were the archetypal instrumental rock band.
- By 1964, their clichéd sound was passé.
- 1972 - Elected to The Music Conservatory Of Japan where they are revered.
- Hits include "Walk Don't Run"(July, 1960)#2, "Perfidia"(Oct., 1960)#15, "Walk Don't Run '64"(July, 1964)#8, "Slaughter On Tenth Avenue"(Oct., 1964)#35 and "Hawaii Five-O"(March, 1969)#4.
- 1958 - Instrumental quintet formed in Toledo, Ohio as The Orbits.
- Consisting of leader Johnny Paris (John Pocisk) (1941 – ) (sax), Paul Tesluk (1941 – ) (organ), Lionel "Butch" Mattice (1941 – ) (bass), Dave Yorko (guitar) and Tony Kaye (drums).
- 1959 - Kaye was replaced by Bo Savitch of The Royaltones.
- 1960 - They had a top ten British hit with "Rockin' Goose."
- By 1963, only Paris remained from the original line-up.
- Their sound featured the organ/sax combination and popularized the Hammond chord organ in early 1960's instrumentals.
- Hits include "Crossfire"(April, 1959)#23, "Red River Rock"(Aug., 1959)#5 and "Beatnik Fly"(Feb., 1960)#15.
THE SHADOWS
- Sax oriented combo from Los Angeles, California.
- Film star Gene Autry, the owner of Challenge Records, named the group after his horse Champion.
- Basically a studio group.
- Consisting of Gene Alden, Dave Burgess, Van Norman, Dale Norris and saxophonist/composer Chuck Rio (Daniel Flores).
- Line-up at times included Glen Campbell (guitar), Jimmy Seals (sax) and Dash Crofts (drums).
- Hits include "Tequila"(Feb., 1958)#1-5 wks., "Too Much Tequila" (Jan., 1960)#30 and "Limbo Rock"(May, 1962)#40.
- Herb Alpert (March 31, 1935 – )
- Trumpeter/composer/producer/bandleader born in Los Angeles, California.
- 1943 - Age 8, began playing trumpet.
- Played trumpet in the army, later having a brief recording career as Dore Alpert.
- 1956 - Worked as an extra in the Cecil B. DeMille film, "The Ten Commandments." He can be seen beating a drum as Moses descends from the mountain.
- 1958 - Began a partnership with Lou Adler.
- 1960 - Co-wrote Sam Cooke's hit, "Wonderful World."
- Producer of the first Jan & Dean sessions.
- 1962 - Founded A&M Records with Jerry Moss (the initials taken from the last names of the partners).
- Alpert used studio musicians until 1965, then formed the definitive Tijuana Brass consisting of himself, Lou Paganini, Nick Ceroli, Tonni Kalash, John Piasano, Pat Senatore and Bob Edmundson.
- Dec., 1962 - Released the first Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass album, "The Lonely Bull" which sold a million copies by 1967.
- The band had a distinct mariachi flavour in the beginning, later crossing all boundaries.
- 1966 - Alpert's A&M Records complex was built on the site of Charlie Chaplin's old movie studio in Hollywood, California.
- By 1968, the band had sold over 20 million albums.
- Oct. 21, 1989 - Polygram Inc. bought A&M Records from Alpert and Moss for between $400 and $500 million.
- Hits include "The Lonely Bull"(Oct., 1962)#6, "Taste Of Honey" (Sept., 1965)#7, "Zorba The Greek"(Dec., 1965)#11, "This Guy's In Love With You"(May, 1968)#1-4 wks. and "Rise"(July, 1979)#1-2 wks.
- Davie Allan & The Arrows - "Blue's Theme"(April, 1967)#37.
- Kenny Ball - "Midnight In Moscow"(Feb., 1962)#2.
- Chris Barber - "Petite Fleur"(Jan., 1959)#5.
- The Brass Ring - "The Phoenix Love Theme"(March, 1966)#32.
- B. Bumble & The Stingers - "Bumble Boogie"(March, 1961)#21.
- Ace Cannon - "Tuff"(Dec., 1961)#17.
- Alvin Cash & The Crawlers - "Twine Time"(Jan., 1965)#14.
- Bent Fabric - "Alley Cat"(July, 1962)#7.
- Eddie Heywood - "Canadian Sunset"(June, 1956)#2.
- Al Hirt - "Java"(Jan., 1964)#4.
- Jorgen Ingmann - "Apache"(Jan., 1961)#2.
- Bert Kaempfert - "Wonderland By Night"(Nov., 1960)#1-3 wks.
- Paul Mauriat - "Love Is Blue"(Jan., 1968)#1-5 wks.
- The Routers - "Let's Go"(Nov., 1962)#19.
- The Village Stompers - "Washington Square"(Sept., 1963)#2.
- The Viscounts - "Harlem Nocturne"(Dec., 1959)#52.
- The Wailers - "Tall Cool One"(May, 1959)#36.
- Travis Wammack - "Scratchy"(Nov., 1964)#80.
For those of us who patiently spend much of the year battling snow, rain and fluctuating temperatures, America's West Coast conjures up visions of white sandy beaches, surfers with sun bleached hair and some of the world's most beautiful, scantily dressed women. During the late 1950's and early 1960's, an exciting new lifestyle and its accompanying rock music culture was being born.
California teens, basically an outdoor lot, became the envy of American youth when their activities were colourfully depicted in a series of teen oriented films based loosely around the surf culture. Several hit movies featured teen hearthrobs like Frankie Avalon, Annette, Sandra Dee and James Darren in hokey creampuff vehicles such as "Bikini Beach"(1964), "Muscle Beach"(1964) and "Beach Blanket Bingo"(1965). The success of these films helped promote some of the sounds indigenous to California.
The definitive California look consisted of bleached blond hairstyles, white levis, black & white pin striped shirts, sandals and of course the all important tan. Its commercial attraction was immediate.
Taking root around 1961, the so-called surf music style was pioneered by Jan & Dean and taken to international attention by The Beach Boys. It was basically a guitar oriented music featuring Chuck Berry riffs played at high speed and dominated by high pitched falsetto vocals.
The songs were generally sing-a-long style ditties executed in choirlike harmony vocals. Lyric content consisted of vivid descriptions of surfboards, woodies, hotrods, skateboarding and "hanging ten." The most common song topic was of course the glorification of the California girl.
Fast paced instrumental combos were the first to hit the charts, helping to promote energetic dances involving frenetic body gyrations. Dance fads like the frug, the swim and the wahtusi took the country by storm.
Surf music as a major force was short lived but the basic essentials of the California sound were born in the well defined vocal harmony style originated by Jan & Dean and The Beach Boys, setting a pattern for subsequent West Coast music genres.
- Dale was one of California's most revered surf guitarists, famous for his machine-gun staccato picking style which was said to have imitated the roar of the waves.
- He was the first to use the new Fender Reverb.
- Played left handed without reversing the strings.
- A surfer himself, he was nicknamed King Of The Surf Guitar.
- Between 1961 and 1964, the group recorded 5 albums.
- The group's recording of "Let's Go Trippin'"(Nov., 1961)#60 is considered by many to be the first bona fide surf record.
- 1987 - Contributed to the soundtrack of the film, "Back To The Beach."
- Other recordings include "Mr. Peppermint Man"(Nov., 1962), "Surf Beat"(Nov., 1962), "King Of The Surf Guitar"(April, 1963) and "Riders In The Sky"(June, 1963).
- 1961 - Surf instrumental quintet formed in Santa Ana, California.
- Consisting of Brian Carman, Bob Welch, Bob Marshall, Warren Walters and Bob Spickard.
- Their only charted hit was "Pipeline"(March, 1963)#4.
- Instrumental surf combo from Glendora, California.
- Consisting of saxophonist Jim Pash, bassist/leader Pat Connolly, drummer Ron Wilson, lead guitarist Jim Fuller and rhythm guitarist Bob Berryhill.
- Their biggest hit, "Wipeout"(June, 1963)#2 became one of the most popular recordings of the genre. Almost every drummer at one time or another has been asked to demonstrate his ability by playing the piece.
- Hits include "Surfer Joe"(Aug., 1963)#62 and "Point Panic"(Sept., 1963)#49.
- Quartet from St. Paul/Minneapolis, Minnesota.
- Consisting of Tony Anreason, Dal Winslow, Steve Wahres and Bob Reed.
- Basically known as an instrumental combo, yet their big hit, "Surfin' Bird"(Dec., 1963)#4 featured gibberish vocal passages stolen from The Rivingtons' "Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow"(Aug., 1962)#48.
- Instrumental quintet from Hollywood, California.
- Their first regional hit was "Surfer's Stomp."
- Although considered a surf group, they achieved their greatest success with TV series themes including "Out Of Limits"(Dec., 1963)#3 and "Batman Theme"(Feb., 1966)#17.
- Bernard Nitzsche (April 22, 1937 - Aug. 25, 2000)
- Producer/songwriter/keyboardist/arranger from Chicago, Illinois.
- With Sonny Bono, wrote the classic "Needles And Pins."
- During the early 1960's, he was the arranger for several Phil Spector epics including The Crystals' "He's A Rebel."
- Played piano on several Rolling Stones albums including "Out Of Our Heads"(1965), "Aftermath"(1966) and "Sticky Fingers"(1971).
- 1967 - Produced The Buffalo Springfield's "Expecting To Fly" album.
- 1970 - Composed the score for the film, "Performance" starring Mick Jagger.
- Other film scores include "The Exorcist"(1974), "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest"(1975) and "Blue Collar"(1978).
- 1972 - Released the "St. Giles Cripplegate" album recorded with The London Symphonic Orchestra.
- Between 1978 and 1981, produced 3 Mink de Ville albums.
- 1982 - Received an Oscar for co-writing "Up Where We Belong" from "An Officer And A Gentleman."
- Aug. 25, 2000 - Died of a heart attack in Los Angeles, California.
- His classic instrumental surf hit was "The Lonely Surfer"(Aug., 1963)#39.
- Group from Long Beach, California.
- Their only charted hit was "Penetration"(Feb., 1964)#18.
- Jan Berry (April 3, 1941 – )
- Singer/songwriter born in Los Angeles, California.
- Dean Torrence (March 10, 1940 – )
- Singer born in Los Angeles, California.
- Formed a group called The Barons.
- Jan & Dean along with Barons' member Arnie Ginsberg recorded their first song, "Jennie Lee" in Jan's garage. When Dean left for a 6 month stint in the Army Reserve, the record was released under the name Jan & Arnie.
- April, 1958 - "Jennie Lee" went to #8 nationally.
- After Dean's return, Arnie joined the navy.
- Originally, they had developed a doo-wop vocal style featuring strictly teen oriented lyrics, yet there was a distinct West Coast flavour in their sound. Over a short period of time, that sound would be honed and perfected to a fine art form. Also, the lyrics began zeroing in on the burgeoning surfing culture and the accompaniment was beefed up with the addition of strong Chuck Berry style guitar licks.
- Several prominent musicians such as Sandy Nelson (drums) and Bruce Johnston (piano) played on their sessions.
- Many of their hits were co-written with Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys.
- June, 1963 - Their recording of "Surf City" went to #1-2 wks. It was written by Jan Berry and Brian Wilson.
- 1964 - Berry and Wilson composed the theme for the film, "Ride The Wild Surf."
- April, 1966 - Berry totalled his Corvette on Whittier Boulevard. Three people were killed and Berry suffered brain damage, remaining paralysed for more than a year.
- Torrence continued solo unsuccessfully for a year, later retiring to become a designer of LP covers.
- 1978 - A biographical TV movie called "Dead Man's Curve" allowed the duo a brief comeback.
- Hits include "Baby Talk"(Aug., 1959)#10, "Honolulu Lulu"(Sept., 1963)#11, "Drag City"(Dec., 1963)#10, "Dead Man's Curve"(March, 1964)#8, "The Little Old Lady From Pasadena"(July, 1964)#3, "Ride The Wild Surf"(Oct., 1964)#16 and "Sidewalk Surfin'"(Nov., 1964) #25.
- Brian Wilson (June 20, 1942 – )
- Singer/songwriter/bassist/pianist born in Hawthorne, California.
- Carl Wilson (Dec. 21, 1946 - Feb. 6, 1998)
- Guitarist born in Hawthorne, California.
- Dennis Wilson (Dec. 4, 1944 - Dec. 28, 1983)
- Drummer born in Hawthorne, California.
- Mike Love (March 15, 1941 – )
- Singer/songwriter born in Los Angeles, California.
- Al Jardine (Sept. 3, 1942 – )
- Guitarist born in Lima, Ohio.
- 1961 - Rock quintet formed in Hawthorne, California consisting of the 3 Wilson brothers, their cousin Mike Love and friend Al Jardine.
- Originally called Kenny & The Cadets, Carl & The Passions, The Pendletones, finally settling on The Beach Boys.
- Brian Wilson was heavily influenced by the sophisticated harmonies of The Four Freshmen.
- New Year's Eve, 1961 - The group made its live debut and signed with Capitol Records.
- Feb., 1962 - Their first single release, "Surfin'" peaked at #75.
- Aug., 1962 - Their recording of "Surfin' Safari" went to #14.
- Originally influenced by the vocal style of Jan & Dean, the band's longevity can be attributed to the writing talents of Brian Wilson.
- Dec., 1964 - Brian Wilson suffered a nervous breakdown, later refusing to tour. Early replacements included Glen Campbell and Bruce Johnston (Billy Baldwin) (June 27, 1944 – ).
- April, 1965 - Johnston joined permanently.
- Wilson continued to write and produce for the group although he gradually became a recluse, spending much of his time with Vandyke Parks, experimenting heavily with drugs.
- Daryl Dragon of Captain & Tennille was the keyboardist in their tour band.
- 1966 - Their masterwork album, "Pet Sounds" was released to critical acclaim but failed commercially.
- Summer, 1967 - Wilson withdrew into a state of sustained paranoia after becoming depressed by the success and musical brilliance of The Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper" album.
- 1968 - Brian Wilson developed a hearing defect.
- July, 1976 - Brian Wilson appeared onstage with the group for the first time in 10 years at a concert at Anaheim Stadium.
- 1981 - Carl Wilson went solo, later returning to the group.
- 1983 - Brian Wilson began performing regularly with the band.
- April, 1983 - President Ronald Reagan asked the band to perform in Washington for the 4th of July celebration. They declined.
- Dec. 28, 1983 - Dennis Wilson drowned off the coast of southern California. President Reagan granted a burial at sea.
- Sept., 1988 - Their recording of "Kokomo," written by John Phillips, gave the group its first #1 hit since 1966.
- 1988 - Inducted into The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.
- Brian Wilson's two daughters Carnie and Wendy became members of the vocal trio Wilson Phillips.
- Feb. 6, 1998 - Carl Wilson died of lung cancer.
- Feb., 2000 - A TV miniseries titled "The Beach Boys - An American Family" aired.
- Hits include "Surfin' U.S.A."(April, 1963)#3, "Be True To Your School"(Nov., 1963)#6, "Fun Fun Fun"(Feb., 1964)#5, "I Get Around"(June, 1964)#1-2 wks., "Dance Dance Dance"(Nov., 1964)#8, "Help Me Rhonda"(May, 1965)#1-2 wks., "California Girls"(Aug., 1965)#3, "Barbara Ann"(Jan., 1966)#2, "Sloop John B."(April, 1966)#3, "Wouldn't It Be Nice"(Aug., 1966)#8, "Good Vibrations" (Oct., 1966)#1 and "Rock And Roll Music"(June, 1976)#5.
- California quartet featuring Bruce Johnston (later of The Beach Boys) and Terry Melcher (son of Doris Day) (future producer of The Byrds and Paul Revere & The Raiders) (see Bruce & Terry).
- Hits include "Hey Little Cobra"(Dec., 1963)#4 and "Three Window Coupe"(April, 1964)#28.
- Bruce Johnston (Billy Baldwin) (June 27, 1944 – ) and Terry Melcher (Feb. 8, 1942 – ) (see The Rip Chords).
- Melcher is the son of Doris Day and Marty Melcher.
- Hits include "Custom Machine"(Feb., 1964)#85 and "Summer Means Fun"(July, 1964)#72.
- Group from South Bend, Indiana.
- Originally called The Playmates.
- Lead vocalist Marty Fortson was later replaced by manager Bill Dobson.
- Biggest hit was "California Sun"(Jan., 1964)#5. The song had been a #89 hit for Joe Jones in April, 1961.
- Group from Nashville, Tennessee.
- Ronny Dayton (John "Bucky" Wilkin) (April 26, 1946 – )
- Singer/guitarist from Tulsa, Oklahoma.
- Consisting of Dayton, drummer Lynn Williams, bassist Van Evans and guitarist Johnny Johnson.
- Famous for hot rod songs, yet their sound was unmistakably California surf.
- Hits include the million selling "G.T.O."(Aug., 1964)#4, "California Bound"(Nov., 1964)#72 and "Sandy"(Dec., 1965)#27.
- Rock quartet from southern California.
- Led by Ritchie Burns (May 4, 1941 – ) from Buffalo, New York.
- Assembled by producer Mike Curb to record a commercial for Honda motorbikes.
- Their biggest hit was "Little Honda"(Sept., 1964)#9.
During the late 1950's, when black vocal doo-wop groups were all the rage, several white groups, mostly of Italian background tackled the genre, fusing it with their own distinctive streetwise attitudes to pioneer what later would often be termed Italo-Rock. Several strong harmony groups emerged from the ghetto areas of Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey, basically combining black R&B with the highly trained vocal styles inherited from parents weaned on classical music. Many were promoted heavily on Dick Clark's "American Bandstand" in Philadelphia since a number of the groups were local acts and many of the teen regulars on the show were of Italian descent.
In its infancy, Italo-Rock was solely a vocal style but later in the 1960's, the groups became independent musical units featuring first rate singer/songwriter/musicians. As the 1960's progressed, much of the doo-wop flavour faded but the strong R&B/classical vocal mixture remained. All of the acts featured extraordinary harmony work and were fronted by some of the finest lead vocalists of the rock era.
- 1955 - Black vocal quartet formed in Manhattan, New York.
- 1956 - Joined by white lead singer Johnny Mastrangelo (May 7, 1939 – ), later known as Johnny Maestro.
- Consisting of Maestro, Jay Carter (1939 – ), Tommy Gough (1940 – ) and Harold Torres (1940 – ).
- 1960 - Maestro went solo, later forming The Brooklyn Bridge in 1967.
- Hits include the million selling "Sixteen Candles"(Nov., 1958)#2 and "The Angels Listened In"(Aug., 1959)#22.
- 1957 - Vocal quartet formed in The Bronx, New York.
- Originally called Dion & The Timberlanes.
- Consisting of Dion DiMucci (July 18, 1939 – ) (lead), Angelo D'Aleo (Feb. 3, 1940 – ) (first tenor), Fred Milano (Aug. 22, 1939 – ) (second tenor) and Carlo Mastrangelo (Oct. 5, 1938 – ) (bass).
- Took their name from Belmont Avenue in The Bronx.
- 1957 - Recorded "The Chosen Few" for Mohawk Records.
- 1958 - Signed to Laurie Records.
- Hits include "I Wonder Why"(May, 1958)#22, "A Teenager In Love" (April, 1959)#5, "Where Or When"(Dec., 1959)#3 and "When You Wish Upon A Star"(April, 1960)#30.
- Mid 1960 - Dion went solo, developing a strong rhythmic vocal style.
- The Belmonts continued as a group until 1963.
- Dion appeared in the films, "Teenage Millionaire"(1961) and "Twist Around The Clock"(1961).
- 1964-1965 - Rehabilitation from a heroin problem.
- 1968 - Dion moved to Miami where he developed a folkie persona. Later, he attempted a career in religious music.
- 1967 and 1972 - Brief reunions with The Belmonts.
- 1989 - Dion was inducted into The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.
- Hits include "Runaround Sue"(Sept., 1961)#1-2 wks., "The Wanderer"(Dec., 1961)#2, "Lovers Who Wander"(April, 1962)#3, "Little Diane"(July, 1962)#8, "Ruby Baby"(Jan., 1963)#2, "Donna The Prima Donna"(Sept., 1963)#6, "Drip Drop"(Nov., 1963)#6 and "Abraham, Martin And John"(Oct., 1968)#4.
- 1959 - Formed originally as The Harbor-Lites in New York City.
- 1962 - Original singer Johnny "Jay" Traynor (formerly of The Mystics) was replaced by singer/songwriter David Blatt (Nov. 2, 1938 – ) who changed his name to Jay Black.
- Definitive line-up consisted of Black, Sandy Deane (Sandy Yaguda) (Jan. 30, 1943 – ), Kenny Vance (Dec. 9, 1943 – ), Howie Kane (June 6, 1942 – ) and guitarist Marty Sanders (Feb. 28, 1941 – ).
- The group's forte was taking standards and operatic pieces, modernizing them yet retaining a classical vocal approach.
- 1970 - Their career was stalled by a legal dispute with United Artists.
- 1975 - Black recorded solo for Atlantic.
- Hits include "She Cried"(March, 1962)#5, "Only In America"(Aug., 1963)#25, "Come A Little Bit Closer"(Sept., 1964)#3, "Let's Lock The Door (And Throw Away The Key)"(Dec., 1964)#11, "Cara Mia" (June, 1965)#4 and "This Magic Moment"(Dec., 1968)#6.
- Frankie Valli (Francis Castelluchio) (May 3, 1937 – )
- Singer born in Newark, New Jersey.
- 1953 - Recorded the single, "My Mother's Eyes" as Frank Valley.
- 1955 - Formed The Variatones, later changing their name to The Four Lovers.
- Consisting of Valli, Nick DeVito, Tommy DeVito (June 19, 1936 – ) and Hank Majewski.
- 1959 - Bob Gaudio (Nov. 17, 1942 – ) (singer/songwriter/ keyboardist/producer) (formerly of The Royal Teens) replaced Nick DeVito. Majewski was replaced by Nick Massi (Nicholas Macioci) (Sept. 5, 1935 - Dec. 28, 2000).
- 1961 - They became The Four Seasons, named after The Four Seasons Lounge in Newark.
- Producer Bob Crewe co-wrote many of their hits with Bob Gaudio.
- The focus of the group was Valli's distinctive falsetto screech. - Nov., 1965 - They also recorded as The Wonder Who, hitting #12 with Bob Dylan's "Don't Think Twice."
- 1965 - Valli began a successful solo career as well as remaining with the group.
- 1990 - The group was inducted into The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.
- Hits include "Sherry"(Aug., 1962)#1-5 wks., "Big Girls Don't Cry" (Oct., 1962)#1-5 wks., "Walk Like A Man"(Jan., 1963)#1-3 wks., "Dawn (Go Away)"(Feb., 1964)#3, "Rag Doll"(June, 1964)#1-2 wks., "Let's Hang On"(Oct., 1965)#3, "Working My Way Back To You"(Jan., 1966)#9, "Who Loves You"(Aug., 1975)#3 and "December 1963"(Dec., 1975)#1-3 wks.
- Valli's solo hits include "Can't Take My Eyes Off You"(May, 1967) #2, "My Eyes Adored You"(Nov., 1974)#1, "Swearin' To God"(May, 1975)#6 and "Grease"(May, 1978)#1-2 wks.
- Pop quintet from Queens, New York.
- Originally called Jr. & The Counts.
- Consisting of Dominick "Randy" Safuto (lead singer), his brother Frank Safuto, Ken Arcipowski and brothers Sal and Mike Zero.
- Their biggest hit was "Denise"(June, 1963)#10.
- Felix Cavaliere (Nov. 29, 1943 – )
- Singer/songwriter/keyboardist born in Pelham, New York.
- Eddie Brigati (Oct. 22, 1946 – )
- Singer/songwriter from Garfield, New Jersey.
- Gene Cornish (May 14, 1945 – )
- Guitarist/songwriter from Rochester, New York.
- Dino Danelli (July 23, 1945 – )
- Drummer from Jersey City, New Jersey.
- Cavaliere, Brigati and Cornish were all former members of Joey Dee & The Starliters.
- One year before stardom, they recorded "I Wanna Be A Beatle" as Gene Cornish & The Unbeatables.
- Jan., 1965 - The group was formed as The Young Rascals.
- Their first engagement was at The Choo Choo Club in Garfield, New Jersey, later giving memorable performances at The Barge in Southampton, Long Island where they were discovered by New York promoter Sid Bernstein who signed them to Atlantic Records.
- They dressed in Little Lord Fauntleroy outfits and became one of the most exciting live acts of the 1960's.
- 1967 - Abandoned the stage uniforms and shortened their name to The Rascals.
- 1971 - With only Danelli and Cavaliere remaining and two new members, they switched to Columbia Records.
- June, 1988 - Cavaliere, Cornish and Danelli reunited.
- Hits include "Good Lovin'"(March, 1966)#1, "You Better Run"(July, 1966)#20, "I've Been Lonely Too Long"(Feb., 1967)#16, "Groovin'" (May, 1967)#1-4 wks., "A Girl Like You"(July, 1967)#10, "How Can I Be Sure"(Sept., 1967)#4, "A Beautiful Morning"(April, 1968)#3 and "People Got To Be Free"(July, 1968)#1-5 wks.
- 1967 - Group from Long Island, New York led by Johnny Maestro (Johnny Mastrangelo) (May 7, 1939 – ) (formerly of The Crests).
- Consisting of the union of The Del-Satins (vocal quartet) and The Rhythm Method (7 piece band). All in all, ten men, one woman.
- Hits include "Worst That Could Happen"(Dec., 1968)#3 and "Blessed Is The Rain"(March, 1969)#45.
Dec., 1961 - Chubby Checker stated: "One day, my lower half twisted one way and my upper half twisted the other......right to the rhythm of the song. I pretended I was putting out a cigarette with both feet."
In April of 1959, "The Twist," written and recorded by Hank Ballard went to #16 R&B, (July, 1960)#28 (note: The track had originally been the flip side of "Teardrops On Your Letter," later re-released after the success of Chubby Checker's version). However, the idea of a dance craze never caught on. Then in Aug., 1960, Chubby Checker's cover version of the song went to #1 and the twist dance craze swept the world. With his intense promotion of the dance, especially on Dick Clark's "American Bandstand," Checker's career took off. Not since the Charleston in the 1920's, had there been such mass hysteria for a dance trend. Venues specializing in the dance sprang up all over the country, the most notable being Manhattan's Peppermint Lounge (West 45th Street), the home of the twist. Celebrities young and old were seen twisting the night away at the major hot spots. Even first lady Jackie Kennedy got into the act, making it fashionable to be a part of the scene.
The twist was actually a solo performance dance. A partner was not a requirement. Dancing cheek to cheek had ultimately become passé since most of the new dance trends like the frug, the wahtusi, the limbo, the pony, the swim and the mashed potato dictated that partners rarely if ever touch. Previously, when a new dance caught fire, it was generally restricted to the youth. Now, with the emergence of the twist, all age groups participated. Teens and their parents often shared the same dance floor. The twist craze anticipated the mass popularity of discotheques.
There was also a great amount of money to be made, not only from record sales and the new dance club scene but from the marketing of twist related products such as fringed twist dresses, twist jeans, hats, dolls etc.
HANK BALLARD & THE MIDNIGHTERS
- Ernest Evans (Oct. 3, 1941 – )
- Singer/dancer born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
- Worked as a chicken plucker before entering show business.
- A long time fan of Fats Domino, he adopted the new name of Chubby Checker.
- Began as an impersonator of other singers.
- May, 1959 - His recording of "The Class" went to #38.
- Aug., 1960 - His reworking of Hank Ballard's "The Twist" went to #1, selling over 3 million copies. The same recording shot to #1 again in Nov., 1961 for 2 weeks.
- Checker promoted it as a dance craze.
- He followed it up with a barrage of other looney dance trends including the pony, the frug, the limbo and the hully gully.
- April, 1962 - His "Don't Knock The Twist" movie premiered in New York City.
- April 12, 1964 - Married Catharina Lodders, Miss World 1962.
- Checker spent most of his career touring in nostalgia shows.
- Hits include "The Hucklebuck"(Oct., 1960)#14, "Pony Time"(Jan., 1961)#1-3 wks., "Let's Twist Again"(June, 1961)#8, "The Fly" (Sept., 1961)#7, "Slow Twistin'"(March, 1962)#3 (with Dee Dee Sharp), "Limbo Rock"(Sept., 1962)#2, "Popeye The Hitchhiker" (Sept., 1962)#10 and "The Twist (Yo Twist)"(June, 1988)#16 (with The Fat Boys).
- Joey Dee (Joseph DiNicola) (June 11, 1940 – )
- Singer born in Passaic, New Jersey.
- 1960 - Began as a solo act, later forming The Starliters.
- Sept., 1960 - At the height of the twist craze, Joey Dee & The Starliters became the house band at The Peppermint Lounge in New York City.
- 1964 - Opened their own club, The Starliter in New York City.
- During its heyday, the band roster included Jimi Hendrix and 3 musicians, Felix Cavaliere, Eddie Brigati and Gene Cornish who would later form The Young Rascals.
- Hits include "Peppermint Twist - Part 1"(Nov., 1961)#1-3 wks. and "Shout - Part 1"(March, 1962)#6.
- Billy Joe & The Checkmates - "Percolator"(Jan., 1962)#10.
- Gary U.S. Bonds - "Dear Lady Twist"(Dec., 1961)#9.
- Gary U.S. Bonds - Twist, Twist Senora"(April, 1962)#9.
- Sam Cooke - "Twistin' The Night Away"(Feb., 1962)#9.
- Danny & The Juniors - "Twistin' U.S.A."(Oct., 1960)#27.
- The Isley Brothers - "Twist And Shout"(June, 1962)#17.
- King Curtis & The Noble Knights - "Soul Twist"(April, 1962)#17.
- The Marvelettes - "Twistin' Postman"(Jan., 1962)#34.
- Johnnie Morisette - "Meet Me At The Twisting Place"(April, 1962)#18 R&B.
- The Raging Storms - "The Dribble Twist."
- Jimmy Soul - "Twistin' Matilda"(May, 1962)#22.
The idea of the discotheque was introduced to California by Elmer Valentine, the owner of a Los Angeles nightspot called P.J.'s. He had visited the famed Whiskey A Go-Go in Paris, France where patrons danced to unending recorded rock music. Valentine, a former Chicago policeman, had been so impressed with the French club scene that on Jan. 11, 1963, he opened The Whiskey A Go-Go on Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles, mixing live and canned music. The house band was fronted by Johnny Rivers who became the first major star to emerge from the discotheque scene when he recorded a live album at the club. Within a year, over five thousand such venues sprang up all over the country.
The main attraction was non-stop music, flashing lights, go-go dancers, celebrities and an exciting party atmosphere. Elevated cages featured go-go girls clad in scanty fringed dresses, performing the latest dance trends. Several major club celebrities emerged from the scene such as Jordan Christopher and Cybil Burton who held court at Harlow's in New York City and French discotheque hostess Regine. Numerous kooky partygoers added colour to the atmosphere by creating a professional lifestyle which revolved around the club scene.
By the late 1960's, hard rock and psychedelia put an end to the success of canned dance music and the discotheques. Later in the 1970's, the genre resurfaced on a higher scale with the advent of disco.
- John Henry Ramistella (Nov. 7, 1942 – )
- Singer/songwriter/guitarist/producer born in New York City.
- Raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
- 1956 - Recorded with The Spades.
- 1958 - Ricky Nelson recorded his song, "I'll Make Believe."
- 1958 - He was renamed Johnny Rivers by DJ Alan Freed.
- 1961 - Moved to Los Angeles where he got involved in the new discotheque club scene. He became famous for his marathon sets of non-stop live music.
- 1965 - Recorded his "And I Know You Wanna Dance" album live at The Whiskey A Go-Go.
- 1967 - Founded the Soul City label.
- Jan., 1968 - Began taking sitar lessons from Ravi Shankar.
- Hits include "Memphis"(May, 1964)#2, "Mountain Of Love"(Oct., 1964)#9, "Seventh Son"(June, 1965)#7, "Secret Agent Man"(March, 1966)#3, "Poor Side Of Time"(Sept., 1966)#1 and "Rockin' Pneumonia"(Oct., 1972)#6.
- Trinidad Lopez III (May 15, 1937 – )
- Singer/guitarist/actor born in Dallas, Texas.
- 1952 - Age 15, began playing guitar and singing Latin-American songs in Dallas clubs.
- 1962 - Discovered by producer/arranger Don Costa while playing at PJ's in Los Angeles who signed him to Reprise.
- 1963 - Recorded the "Trini Lopez Live At PJ's" LP.
- Famous for his charming, low key Latin oriented dance hits.
- 1967 - Appeared in the film, "The Dirty Dozen."
- Hits include "If I Had A Hammer"(July, 1963)#3 and "Lemon Tree" (Jan., 1965)#20.
- Christopher Montanez (Jan. 17, 1943 – )
- Singer/songwriter born in Los Angeles, California.
- Friend and protégé of Ritchie Valens.
- 1962 - Enjoyed a local hit with "All You Had To Do Was Tell Me," a duet with Kathy Young.
- Aug., 1962 - His raucous recording of "Let's Dance" went to #4.
- 1966 - Signed with A&M.
- The majority of his later recordings featured a sexy, whispery vocal style.
- Hits include "Call Me"(Jan., 1966)#22 and "The More I See You" (April, 1966)#16.
- Leonard Borisoff (Dec. 6, 1942 – )
- Singer born in West Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
- 1957-1963 - He was member of The Dovells. Their recording of "Bristol Stomp" went to #2 in Sept., 1961.
- Known for his somewhat apathetic, high tenor vocals.
- Hits include "1 2 3"(Sept., 1965)#2 and "Somewhere"(March, 1966) #26.
- (June 13, 1940 – )
- Singer born in San Francisco, California.
- Originally, Freeman was a member of the R&B group, The Vocaleers.
- Known for his boisterous dance tracks.
- Hits include "Do You Wanna Dance"(May, 1958)#5, "(I Do The) Shimmy Shimmy"(Aug., 1960)#37 and "C'mom And Swim"(July, 1964)#5.
Although The Byrds and several other artists had previously recorded what is now termed folk rock, July 25, 1965 seems to be the unanimous date pinpointed by musicologists as the birth of the genre. It was on that particular date that Bob Dylan, backed by The Paul Butterfield Blues Band performed an electric set at The Newport Folk Festival. He was booed by folk purists in the audience and several music critics cited the show an abomination.
Dylan's electric hit, "Like A Rolling Stone" was already dominating the charts and The Byrds had already hit #1 in May, 1965 with their folk rock version of his "Mr. Tambourine Man." So what was all the fuss about? Basically, folk connoisseurs were enraged that traditional style folk music had been tampered with. However, folk process has always involved the revision of melodies, general updating of the form and rehashing of lyrics to suit the time and occasion.
So what is folk rock? Simply put, it was the shift from acoustic to electric, giving folk music a more current sound and attitude. It combined traditional American folk music values with the urgency and excitement of rock. The predominant element was the distinctive sound of the twelve string guitar perfected by The Byrds (later influencing the "jangle pop" trend of the 1980's and 1990's). The influence of The Beatles and their admiration for both Dylan and The Byrds also contributed heavily to the inception of the genre. One critic cleverly stated that folk rock was The Byrds imitating Dylan imitating The Byrds.
Folk rock like folk music proper often projected specific social and political commentary, therefore it was much easier to get the messages and ideas across with modern high volume music as a vehicle. The new crop of electric folkies certainly did not abandon the grand old folk traditions of protest, especially during the onslaught of The Vietnam War.
A great majority of the folk rockers were inspired by Bob Dylan and his predecessors Woody Guthrie, Leadbelly and Pete Seeger. After Dylan defiantly went electric, in time practically all of his contemporaries followed suit.
Basically, the new style took root and flourished on the West Coast. The New York folk community contributed greatly, yet the West Coast scene adopted a much more relaxed, laid-back attitude. The coffee club circuit was once again the breeding ground for the new sounds. In the east, the two major centres were New York's Greenwich Village and Toronto's Yorkville. In fact, the Yorkville area of Toronto, Canada was a mecca for many pioneer folk and folk rock artists including Ian & Sylvia (probably one of folk rock's foremost pioneer acts), Gordon Lightfoot and Neil Young. The major West Coast centres for new music were of course Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Many new fashion or should I say anti-fashion trends were born with the emergence of the folk rock music boom. The seeds of the West Coast hippie culture were beginning to blossom. Long hair on both sexes was an immediate requirement and bluejeans and sandals were the regulation uniform of the day. Girls began wearing floor length granny dresses and Jim McGuinn of The Byrds had started a fad for tiny wire framed glasses. The early folkies were in a sense the precursors of the flower children.
The music of Bob Dylan and The Byrds and their contemporaries, combined with the brash sounds of The Beatles and The British Invasion were the basis of the 1960's rock movement.
Folk rock surely didn't die with the 1960's, it expanded and gave birth to country rock, resurfacing in the 1970's in the music of a whole new crop of artists such as Poco and The Eagles, and later becoming the foundation for new country.
BOB DYLAN
- Folk trio formed in New York City.
- Consisting of Erik Darling (formerly of The Weavers), Willard Svanoe and Lynne Taylor.
- Taylor had been the vocalist for Benny Goodman and Buddy Rich.
- Although strictly a pop/folk act, their strong rhythmic style was a precursor of folk rock.
- 1967 - Disbanded.
- Jan., 1963 - Their biggest charted hit, "Walk Right In" went to #1-2 wks.
- David Crosby (David Van Cortland) (Aug. 14, 1941 – )
- Singer/songwriter/guitarist born in Los Angeles, California.
- Jim McGuinn (July 15, 1942 – )
- Singer/songwriter/lead guitarist/banjo player/bassist born in Chicago, Illinois.
- Chris Hillman (Dec. 4, 1942 – )
- Singer/songwriter/bassist/mandolin player born in Los Angeles, California.
- Gene Clark (Nov. 17, 1941 - May 24, 1991)
- Singer/guitarist/harmonica player born in Tipton, Missouri.
- Mike Clarke (Michael Dick) (June 4, 1944 - Dec. 14, 1993)
- Drummer/harmonica player born in New York City.
- Summer, 1964 - McGuinn and Clark met at The Troubadour in Los Angeles, California.
- After joining forces with Crosby, the three using the name The Jet Set were recorded by A&R man Jim Dickson.
- Aug., 1964 - The completed group recorded "Please Let Me Love You" as The Beefeaters.
- Jan. 20, 1965 - They recorded their electric version of Bob Dylan's "Mr. Tambourine Man." The group did not play on the track. They sang the vocals and added McGuinn's electric twelve string Rickenbacker guitar. A sound was born. Session musicians included guitarists Glen Campbell and Leon Russell and drummer Hal Blaine.
- All subsequent tracks were played solely by The Byrds.
- March, 1965 - The group made its professional live debut.
- May, 1965 - "Mr. Tambourine Man" went to #1.
- Aug., 1965 - Fear of flying caused Gene Clark to quit after a trip to England. The group remained a quartet until 1967.
- Oct., 1967 - After several clashes with McGuinn, Crosby quit, later forming Crosby, Stills & Nash (see Summers Of Love).
- Now a trio, The Byrds moved into country rock territory with their landmark "Notorious Byrd Brothers" album.
- Feb., 1968 - Clarke quit, replaced by country rock pioneer Gram Parsons for "The Sweetheart Of The Rodeo" album.
- After 5 months, Parsons quit as the group was leaving London for a tour of South Africa.
- Fall, 1968 - Two months later, Hillman quit to form The Flying Burrito Brothers with Parsons.
- Late, 1968 - Jim McGuinn, the only original member remaining converted to the Subud faith, changing his name to Roger McGuinn.
- Feb., 1973 - McGuinn called a halt to The Byrds.
- 1974 - The 5 original members reunited for one LP.
- 1978 - McGuinn, Clark and Hillman recorded briefly for Capitol.
- 1989-1990 - Crosby, Hillman and McGuinn performed several club dates together.
- Jan. 16, 1991 - Inducted into The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.
- Hits include "All I Really Want To Do"(July, 1965)#40, "Turn Turn Turn"(Oct., 1965)#1-3 wks., "Eight Miles High"(April, 1966) #14, "Mr. Spaceman"(Sept., 1966)#36, "So You Want To Be A Rock 'N' Roll Star"(Jan., 1967)#29, "My Back Pages"(April, 1967)#30, "Goin' Back"(Nov., 1967)#89 and "Ballad Of Easy Rider"(Nov., 1969)#65.
GRAM PARSONS
- See Rock And Pop Of The Seventies - Southern And Country Rock
THE FLYING BURRITO BROTHERS
- See Rock And Pop Of The Seventies - Southern And Country Rock
IAN & SYLVIA
- Sal Valentino (Salvatore Willard Spampinato) (Sept. 8, 1942 - )
- Singer/songwriter from San Francisco, California.
- Formed Sal Valentino & The Valentinos and released their debut single, "I Wanna Twist."
- 1964 - Formed the folk rock quartet, The Beau Brummels in San Francisco, California. Other members included lead guitarist/songwriter Ronald Charles Elliott, drummer John Louis Peterson and guitarist/singer Declan Mulligan.
- Discovered by San Francisco DJ Tom Donahue at station KYA and signed to Autumn Records.
- Mulligan left after the first recording session.
- Their sound was folk flavoured pop/rock dominated by acoustic guitar and harmonica leads coupled with Beatles influenced vocal harmonies.
- The group helped pioneer the early sounds of folk rock. 1975 - Reformed briefly.
- Hits include "Laugh Laugh"(Jan., 1965)#15, "Just A Little"(April, 1965)#8, "You Tell Me Why"(July, 1965)#38 and "Don't Talk To Strangers"(Oct., 1965)#52.
- Salvatore Philip Bono (Feb. 16, 1935 - Jan. 5, 1998)
- Singer/songwriter/producer born in Detroit, Michigan.
- Cherilyn Sarkisian La Pierre (May 20, 1946 – )
- Singer/actress born in El Centro, California.
- 1957 - Bono had his initial success as a songwriter when Larry Williams released his "High School Dance" as the B-side of "Short Fat Fanny."
- He joined Speciality as a staff producer and recorded as Don Christy.
- Bono also worked as a writer/session arranger for Phil Spector.
- 1963 - The two met while singing backup for The Ronettes at a Phil Spector recording session.
- 1963-Feb. 20, 1974 - The two were married.
- They recorded briefly as Caesar & Cleo then as Sonny & Cher.
- Bono wrote most of their material as well as songs for other artists including the classic "Needles And Pins" for Jackie de Shannon which he co-wrote with Jack Nitzsche.
- Cher also recorded solo as Bonnie Jo Mason, having a minor hit with "I Love You Ringo"(1964) (now a collector's item).
- July, 1965 - Their recording of "I Got You Babe" went to #1-3 wks.
- They became one of the leading commercial folk rock acts, their early material featuring jangly guitars, bells and chimes.
- They were famous for their early hippie look - long hair and unconventional clothing (bellbottom pants, fur vests and moccasins).
- 1965 - Although they continued as a duo, Cher began her successful recording career (see Rock And Pop Of The Seventies), beginning strictly in a folk rock vein.
- Sonny also had a couple of solo hits including "Laugh At Me" (Aug., 1965)#10 and "The Revolution Kind"(Nov., 1965)#70.
- 1966 - They starred in the movie, "Good Times."
- 1967 - Bono released his "Inner Views" album, a failed dabble in psychedelia.
- 1968 - Cher starred in the movie, "Chastity," which they later named their daughter.
- 1969-1970 - Their style had become somewhat passé and they experienced a dry period.
- Late, 1970 - Worked in the nightclub circuit perfecting a new act.
- 1971-1974 - Their recording career was revitalized when they hosted their own TV variety series. Their sarcastic comedy shtick was inspired by Louis Prima & Keely Smith. The attitudes and patter were identical.
- After their break-up, Cher hosted her own TV variety series. Later, she pursued an acting career, eventually winning an Oscar for her best actress performance in the film, "Moonstruck"(1987).
- April 13, 1988 - Bono was elected mayor of Palm Springs, California.
- 1995 - Bono became a Republican congressman.
- Jan. 5, 1998 - Bono died in a skiing accident at Lake Tahoe, Nevada.
- 1999 - A TV biopic titled "The Beat Goes On" aired.
- Hits include "Baby Don't Go"(Aug., 1965)#8, "But You're Mine" (Oct., 1965)#15, "What Now My Love"(Jan., 1966)#14, "The Beat Goes On"(Jan., 1967)#6, "All I Ever Need Is You"(Oct., 1971)#7 and "A Cowboy's Work Is Never Done"(Feb., 1972)#8.
- Philip "Flip" Sloan (1946 – )
- Singer/songwriter/guitarist/producer born in Los Angeles, California.
- 1959 - Began recording for Aladdin Records.
- 1964 - Signed as a staff writer by Lou Adler to his newly formed Dunhill Records. He was paired with Steve Barri. The two also recorded as The Fantastic Baggys, having a local California hit with "Tell 'Em I'm Surfin."
- His compositions included "Eve Of Destruction" (with Barri), "A Must To Avoid" and "Secret Agent Man."
- Wrote songs for The Turtles and The Searchers and produced The Grass Roots. One of his greatest songs was "Where Were You When I Needed You."
- 1968 - Released the "Measure Of Pleasure" LP.
- 1972 - Dissolved his songwriting partnership with Barri.
- Sept., 1965 - His recording of "Sins Of The Family" went to #87.
- (Oct. 15, 1937 – )
- Singer/songwriter/banjoist/harmonica player born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
- 1961 - His debut professional engagement was at Ye Little Club in Beverly Hills, California.
- Made his TV debut in a "Route 66" episode.
- Worked with singer Barry Kane in the duo Barry & Barry.
- 1962 - Hired by Randy Sparks to be the lead singer of The New Christy Minstrels.
- 1964 - Went solo.
- Aug., 1965 - His recording of P. F. Sloan's controversial protest song, "Eve Of Destruction" went to #1. The backup band was The Grass Roots. It was banned by the BBC and some U.S. stations.
- Wrote "Green Back Dollar" for The Kingston Trio and "Green Green" for The New Christy Minstrels.
- 1967 - Appeared in the film, "The President's Analyst."
- 1973 - After becoming a born-again Christian, turned to recording gospel music.
- Note: Record buffs may enjoy "The Dawn Of Correction"(Sept., 1965)#36, The Spokesmen's answer to "The Eve Of Destruction."
- 1962 - California folk rock quintet formed in the Bay area.
- Originally a folk group called The Ridge Runners.
- Consisting of Mike Stewart (brother of John Stewart of The Kingston Trio), Bob Jones, Jerry Burgan, Pete Fullerton and featuring lead vocalist Beverly Bivens.
- Groomed by Frank Werber, manager of The Kingston Trio.
- Hits include Sylvia Tyson's "You Were On My Mind"(July, 1965)#3 and Dino Valenti's (a.k.a. Chet Powers) "Let's Get Together" (Nov., 1965)#31.
- John Sebastian (John B. Sebastian) (March 17, 1944 – )
- Singer/songwriter/guitarist/autoharpist/harmonica player born in New York City.
- Zal Yanovsky (Zalman Yanovsky) (Feb. 19, 1944 - Dec. 13, 2002)
- Lead guitarist/singer from Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
- Steve Boone (John Stephen Boone) (Sept. 23, 1943 – ) Bassist born in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.
- Joe Butler (Joseph Campbell Butler) (Sept. 16, 1943 – ) Drummer born in Long Island, New York.
- Sebastian had been a member of The Even Dozen Jug Band.
- Both Sebastian and Yanovsky had been members of The Mugwumps with Cass Elliot and Denny Doherty.
- 1965 - The Lovin' Spoonful was formed in New York City.
- Their style was a combination folk rock and jugband, fueled by Sebastian's easy going vocals.
- April, 1966 - Toured Britain.
- 1966 - Sebastian composed the film scores for "You're A Big Boy Now" and "What's Up Tiger Lily."
- July, 1967 - Yanovsky was replaced by keyboardist Jerry Yester of The Association.
- 1968 - Disbanded.
- 1969 - Sebastian went solo. He later had one major charted hit with "Welcome Back"(March, 1976)#1, the theme song from the TV sitcom, "Welcome Back Kotter."
- 1980 - The Lovin' Spoonful enjoyed a brief reunion.
- March, 1996 - Yanovsky was inducted into The Juno Hall Of Fame.
- Hits include "Do You Believe In Magic"(Aug., 1965)#9, "You Didn't Have To Be So Nice"(Nov., 1965)#10, "Daydream"(Feb., 1966)#2, "Did You Ever Have To Make Up Your Mind"(May, 1966)#2, "Summer In The City"(July, 1966)#1-3 wks., "Rain On The Roof"(Oct., 1966) #10, "Nashville Cats"(Dec., 1966)#8 and "Darling Be Home Soon" (Feb., 1967)#15.
- 1961 - Pop/folk rock sextet formed at Westchester High School in Los Angeles, California.
- Originally called The Nightriders, then The Crossfires and finally becoming The Turtles in 1965.
- The group was led by the duo of clarinettist/saxophonist/singer Mark Volman (April 19, 1944 – ) from Los Angeles and saxophonist/clarinettist/singer Howard Kaylan (Howard Lawrence Kaplan) (June 2, 1945 – ) from New York City.
- Definitive lineup consisted of Volman, Kaylan, Al Nichol (March 31, 1945 – ) (guitar), Jim Pons (March 4, 1943 – ) (bass), John Barbata (drums) and Jim Tucker (Oct.17, 1946 – ) (guitar).
- Their sound was extremely commercial.
- 1963 - Released their debut single, "Fiberglass Jungle," a surf instrumental.
- Nov., 1965 - Released their debut album, "It Ain't Me Babe."
- 1969 - During a concert at the White House, Volman fell off the stage 5 times.
- 1970 - Disbanded.
- Volman and Kaylan joined The Mothers Of Invention.
- 1972 - The duo worked as Phlorescent Leech & Eddie, later becoming Flo & Eddie.
- 1985 - Toured again as The Turtles.
- Hits include "It Ain't Me Babe"(Aug., 1965)#8, "You Baby" (Feb., 1966)#20, "Happy Together"(Feb., 1967)#1-3 wks., "She'd Rather Be With Me"(May, 1967)#3, "Elenore"(Sept., 1968)#6 and "You Showed Me"(Jan., 1969)#6.
- Paul Simon (Paul Frederic Simon) (Nov. 5, 1941 – )
- Singer/songwriter/guitarist born in Newark, New Jersey.
- Art Garfunkel (Oct. 13, 1942 – )
- Singer/songwriter/actor born in New York City.
- 1953 - They met in a 6th grade production of "Alice In Wonderland."
- 1955 - Co-wrote their first song, "The Girl For Me."
- Dec., 1957 - As Tom & Jerry, they had a #49 hit with "Hey Schoolgirl."
- Later, they began playing Greenwich Village coffee houses as Simon & Garfunkel, becoming famous for their wistful close harmony.
- Nov., 1965 - Their recording of "The Sounds Of Silence" went to #1-2 wks.
- 1971 - Split, reuniting briefly in 1981.
- Both enjoyed successful solo careers (see The Singer/Songwriter).
- Garfunkel dabbled in acting and racked up several solo hits including "All I Know"(Sept., 1973)#9 and "I Only Have Eyes For You"(Aug., 1975)#18.
- Simon became an anti-apartheid crusader, organizing and taking part in many benefit concerts. He also experimented with several ethnic music forms including reggae, zydeco and traditional African music (see The Singer Songwriter).
- Feb, 2003 - They received the Life Achievement Grammy Award.
- Hits include "Homeward Bound"(Feb., 1966)#5, "I Am A Rock"(May, 1966)#3, "A Hazy Shade Of Winter"(Nov., 1966)#13, "Scarborough Fair"(March, 1966)#11, "Mrs. Robinson"(April, 1966)#1-3 wks., "The Boxer"(April, 1969)#7, "Bridge Over Troubled Water"(Feb., 1970)#1-6 wks., "Cecilia"(April, 1970)#4 and "El Condor Pasa" (Sept., 1970)#18.
GORDON LIGHTFOOT
- Robert Neale Lind (Nov. 25, 1944 – )
- Singer/songwriter born in Baltimore, Maryland.
- Raised in Chicago, Illinois.
- Retired in the late 1960's to Santa Fe, New Mexico.
- Biggest hit was "Elusive Butterfly"(Jan., 1966)#5.
- John Phillips (Aug. 30, 1941 - March 18, 2001)
- Singer/songwriter/guitarist born in Paris Island, South Carolina.
- Michelle Phillips (Michelle Gilliam) (April 6, 1944 – )
- Singer/actress born in Long Beach, California.
- Denny Doherty (Nov. 29, 1941 – )
- Singer born in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
- Cass Elliot (Ellen Naomi Cohen) (Sept. 19, 1941 - July 29, 1974)
- Singer born in Baltimore, Maryland.
- Phillips had originally been a performer at several major clubs in Greenwich Village in a group called The Journeymen.
- 1962 - Phillips married Gilliam.
- Gilliam and Phillips joined forces with Elliot and Doherty who had previously been members of various groups including The Big Three, The Halifax Three and The Mugwumps.
- 1964 - In Los Angeles, The Mamas & The Papas were signed to the newly formed Dunhill Records by Lou Adler.
- Phillips did most of the composing and arranging.
- Jan., 1966 - Their recording of Phillips' classic "California Dreamin'" went to #4 and helped spark a mass youth migration to the West Coast.
- They sold over 6 million singles and 5 million albums in one year.
- 1967 - Phillips organized The Monterey Pop Festival where The Mamas & The Papas were headliners along with Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, The Who and Jefferson Airplane.
- 1968 - Disbanded.
- Phillips descent into drug addiction began.
- 1968 - Elliot went solo, having several hits including "It's Getting Better"(June, 1969)#30 and "Make Your Own Kind Of Music" (Oct., 1969)#36.
- May, 1970 - Phillips' recording of "Mississippi" went to #32.
- July 29, 1974 - Elliot died of a heart attack at Harry Nilsson's flat in London, England.
- Michelle Phillips went on to become a major TV actress.
- 1982 - The new Mamas & The Papas was formed consisting of Phillips, his daughter MacKenzie Phillips, Denny Doherty and Elaine "Spanky" McFarlane (formerly of Spanky and Our Gang).
- Sept., 1988 - The Beach Boys' recording of Phillips' "Kokomo" went to #1.
- John and Michelle's daughter Chynna Phillips was a member of the vocal trio Wilson Phillips.
- March, 1996 - Doherty was inducted into The Juno Hall Of Fame.
- Jan., 1998 - The Mamas & Papas were inducted into The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.
- March 18, 2001 - John Phillips died of heart failure.
- Hits include "Monday Monday"(April, 1966)#1-3 wks., "I Saw Her Again"(July, 1966)#5, "Words Of Love"(Dec., 1966)#5, "Dedicated To The One I Love"(Feb., 1967)#2, "Creeque Alley"(April, 1967)#5 and "Twelve Thirty"(Aug., 1967)#20.
- 1964 - Pop/rock group formed in San Francisco, California by lead singer Bill Fulton and drummer Joel Larson.
- Originally called The Bedouins.
- 1967 - A complete new lineup was formed by producer Lou Adler and songwriters P. F. Sloan and Steve Bari.
- Consisting of Warren Entner (July 7, 1944 – ) (rhythm guitar/piano/vocals), Rickey Coonce (Aug. 1, 1947 – ) (drums), Creed Bratton (Feb. 8, 1943 – ) (guitar/sitar) and featuring lead singer/bassist Rob Grill (Nov. 30, 1944 – ).
- 1971 - New lineup consisted of Grill, Larson, Entner, keyboardist Virgil Webber and lead guitarist Reed Kailing.
- Hits include "Where Were You When I Needed You"(June, 1966)#28, "Let's Live For Today"(May, 1967)#8, "Midnight Confessions"(Aug., 1968)#5, "The River Is Wide"(April, 1969)#31, "I'd Wait A Million Years"(July, 1969)#15, "Temptation Eyes"(Dec., 1970)#15, "Sooner Or Later"(June, 1971)#9 and "Two Divided By Love"(Oct., 1971)#16.
- Elaine "Spanky" McFarlane (June 19, 1942 – )
- Singer born in Peoria, Illinois.
- In her teens, moved to Chicago where she sang at a jazz club on Rush Street.
- 1966 - Folk/pop group formed in Chicago, Illinois.
- Consisting of McFarlane, guitarist Malcolm Hale ( – Oct., 1968), guitarist Lefty Baker (Eustace Britchforth) ( – 1971), bassist Kenny Hodges, Nigel Pickering and drummer John George Seiter.
- Fueled by McFarlane's clear beefy contralto vocals and strong harmony.
- 1969 - McFarlane retired to look after her family.
- 1975 - New lineup consisting of Mcfarlane, guitarist Nigel Pickering, steel guitarist Marc McClure, bassist William Plummer and drummer James Moon.
- 1982 - McFarlane joined the new Mamas & The Papas.
- Hits include "Sunday Will Never Be The Same"(May, 1967)#9, "Lazy Day"(Oct., 1967)#14 and "Like To Get To Know You"(April, 1968) #17.
THE YOUNGBLOODS
THE NITTY GRITTY DIRT BAND
- 1964 - Trio formed in Corpus Christi, Texas.
- Consisting of Susan Taylor, Lofton Cline and future country star Don Williams on lead vocals.
- 1967 - Disbanded when Williams moved to Nashville to pursue a solo career.
- Hits include "I Can Make It With You Baby"(Sept., 1966)#32 and "Look What You've Done"(Dec., 1966)#32.
The term, "garage band" is decidedly not as demeaning a classification as it might sound. It simply defines a primitive stripped-down, bare bones rock featuring simple chord structure and hard edge vocals with no nonsense lyrics and a distinct street attitude. It was and remains a highly intense, raunchy rock spiced with catchy repetitive lyrics - the less complicated the better. Here we witness proto-punk - the roots of 1970's punk rock music. Garage bands have continued to appear in one form or another throughout the rock era.
The mid 1960's was the breeding ground for this rough and tumble style, evolving simultaneously on both sides of the Atlantic. Several seminal bands emerging during The British Invasion clearly defined the garage band genre. The influence of groups such as Them, The Troggs and the early period of The Rolling Stones and The Kinks can be heard in such 1990's bands as The Black Crowes, The Smashing Pumpkins and Ugly Kid Joe.
THE KINKS
THEM
THE TROGGS
- Garage quartet from Provincetown, Massachusetts.
- The focal point of the band was their one handed vocalist/drummer Victor "Moulty" Moulton who had lost a hand during a childhood experimentation with fireworks.
- The group members all wore sandals and sported extremely long hair.
- Oct. 24, 1964 - Appeared on The TAMI Show at Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. It was later released on film in 1964 as a concert documentary.
- Hits include "Hey Little Bird"(1964), "Are You A Boy Or Are You A Girl"(Sept., 1965)#55, "What The New Breed Say"(Nov., 1965) and the autobiographical "Moulty"(Feb.,1966)#90.
- Studio project of writer/producers Bob Feldman, Jerry Goldstein and Richard Gottehrer of The Brill Building who also produced The McCoys and The Angels.
- They wrote and produced The Angels' "My Boyfriend's Back."
- The whole thing was something of a hoax. The trio concocted a fictitious Australian rock band made up of Miles, Giles & Niles Strangelove. They even performed in this guise.
- They also charted as The Sheep.
- Gottehrer later produced Blondie and The Go-Gos.
- Hits include "Love Love"(Dec., 1964)#122, "I Want Candy"(June, 1965)#11, "Cara-Lin"(Sept., 1965)#39 and "Night Time"(Jan., 1966) #30.
- Garage style quartet from Los Angeles, California.
- Consisting of singer/drummer Dick Dodd, guitarist Larry Tamblyn, guitarist Tony Valentino and bassist Gary Lane (Gary Leeds) (Sept. 3, 1944 – ).
- Tamblyn is the brother of Russ Tamblyn and Dodd had been a Mousketeer on TV.
- 1965 - Lane left to join The Walker Brothers.
- Hits include "Dirty Water"(April, 1966)#11, "Sometimes Good Guys Don't Wear White"(Aug., 1966)#43, "Why Pick On Me"(Oct., 1966)#54 and "Riot On Sunset Strip"(April, 1967).
- Arthur Lee (Arthur Taylor Porter) (March 7, 1945 – )
- Black rock singer/songwriter born in Memphis, Tennessee.
- 1965 - Formed Arthur Lee & The LAGS (Los Angeles Group).
- 1965 - Classic garage band Love was formed by Lee in Los Angeles, California.
- Consisting of singer Lee, lead guitarist John Echols (1947 – ), guitarist Bryan Andrew MacLean (Sept. 25, 1946 – ), bassist Ken Forssi (1943 - Jan. 5, 1998) and drummer Alban "Snoopy" Pfisterer (1947 – ).
- March, 1966 - Released their debut LP, "Love" on Elektra, featuring a classic version of Dino Valenti's "Hey Joe."
- One of the most influential hard rock acts of the 1960's.
- Refused to tour despite their popularity in L.A.
- Lee was partly responsible for The Doors signing to Elektra.
- 1967 - Released the classic "Forever Changes" album featuring horns, strings and advanced production techniques.
- Late, 1967 - Lee replaced all original members.
- 1971 - Defunct.
- Aug., 1972 - Lee released his debut solo album, "Vindicator."
- 1974 - Lee resurfaced briefly with a new configuration of the band.
- 1981 - Lee recorded a solo album for Rhino.
- Hits include "My Little Red Book"(April, 1966)#52, "7 And 7 Is" (July, 1966)#33 and "Alone Again Or"(Sept., 1970)#99 (originally recorded in 1968).
- Spring, 1965 - Garage quintet formed in Los Angeles, California.
- Consisting of guitarist/lead singer John Beck, guitarist Robert Lee Reiner (1946 – ), bassist Jim Pons (March 14, 1942 – ), drummer Tom "Ambrose" Ray and singer Bobby Arlin.
- Influential 12 string guitarist/singer Bill Reinhart left before their first recording became a hit. He later became the bassist for The Merry-Go-Round.
- Their classic hit was "Hey Joe"(May, 1966)#31, written by Chet Powers (Dino Valenti).
- 1967 - Signed to Capitol but their recordings were unsuccessful.
- 1965 - Garage quintet formed in San Jose, California.
- Consisting of singer/saxophonist Don Baskin, lead guitarist James "Bo" Sawyers, rhythm guitarist John Sharkey, bassist Robert Gonzales and drummer John Duckworth.
- Later, recorded on Buddah Records.
- Biggest hit was "Little Girl"(June, 1966)#8.
- Premier psychedelic garage quintet from San Jose, California.
- Consisting of lead singer Kenn Ellner (1948 – ), from Brooklyn, New York, lead guitarist John "Mouse" Michalski (1948 – ) from Cleveland, Ohio, rhythm guitarist Sean Byrne (1947 – ) from Dublin, Ireland, bassist Roy Chaney (1948 – ) from Indianapolis, Indiana and drummer Craig Atkinson.
- 1966 - Signed with Double Shot Records in Los Angeles.
- Their biggest hit was "Psychotic Reaction"(Sept., 1966)#5, one of the first feedback records.
- 1965 - Hard edge psychedelic rock quintet formed in Los Angeles, California.
- Consisting of singer/songwriter/rhythm guitarist Sean Bonniwell, lead guitarist Mark Landon, keyboardist Doug Rhodes, bassist Keith Olsen and drummer Ron Edgar.
- The group was famous for its sinister appearance - black turtleneck sweaters, leather vests and pants.
- They played their guitars while wearing black leather gloves.
- Hits include "Talk Talk"(Nov., 1966)#15 and "The People In Me" (Jan., 1967)#66.
- Barebones Los Angeles based quartet.
- Consisting of Daryl Hooper (keys), Jan Savage (guitar), Rick Andridge (drums) and featuring singer/songwriter/bassist Sky Saxon (Richard Marsh).
- Originally known as The Amoeba.
- Began playing small clubs along Sunset Strip.
- 1965 - Signed to Gene Norman's GNP Crescendo label.
- 1967 - Released their classic psychedelic album, "Future" featuring the hit, "Thousand Shadows."
- 1971 - Disbanded after recording briefly for MGM.
- 1987 - Saxon released his "Destiny's Children" solo album.
- Hits include "Pushin' Too Hard"(Dec., 1966)#36 and "Can't Seem To Make You Mine"(April, 1967)#41.
- Bar band from Cleveland, Ohio.
- Biggest hit was the relentless "Nobody But Me"(Dec., 1967)#8, originally written and recorded by The Isley Brothers.
- Unique Troggs influenced garage band.
- June, 1967 - Their unique "She's Got The Time" never charted.
ALSO SEE
Party rock is a moniker generally applied to goodtime rock classics (often in the garage band category) featuring simple sing-along passages and catchy riffs. Basically, it is music to get drunk to. When a party is dying, these recordings are sure-fire pick-me-ups. A chorus or two of "Louie Louie" or "Wooly Bully" can usually create a party-hearty mood.
- 1957 - Rock quintet formed in Portland, Oregon.
- Definitive configuration consisted of Lynn Eastman (saxophone/ vocals), Jack Ely (guitar/vocals), Mike Mitchell (lead guitar), Bob Nordby (bass), Don Gallucci (organ) and Gary Abbott (drums).
- By 1962, they were firmly established in the Pacific Northwest.
- Nov., 1963 - Their classic recording of "Louie Louie" went to #2 -3 weeks. It was written in Jamaican patois and originally recorded by Richard Berry (1937 - Jan. 23, 1997) in 1957. In 1963, two Pacific Northwest bands recorded it with The Kingsmen beating out Paul Revere & The Raiders.
- Adding to the song's attraction are the somewhat garbled vocals, often mistaken for x-rated lyrics.
- Lead singer Jack Ely was later replaced by drummer Lynn Easton.
- Hits include "Money"(March, 1964)#16 and "The Jolly Green Giant" (Jan., 1965)#4.
- Latin-rock sextet from San Gabriel, California.
- Consisting of lead guitarist Lawrence Perez, rhythm guitarist George Delgado, tenor saxophonist Phil Ruiz, baritone saxophonist Joseph Urzua, bassist Frank Zuniga and drummer John Perez.
- Their recording of "Farmer John"(June, 1964)#19 was taped live at The Rhythm Room in Fullerton, California. The song had been originally recorded by Don & Dewey in the 1950's.
- (Dec. 25, 1929 - Jan. 28, 1976) R&B singer/songwriter born in Kenner, Louisiana.
- 1956 - First recorded for Baton.
- In the late 1950's, Joe Banashak signed Kenner to his Instant label.
- Jan. 28, 1976 - Died of a heart attack.
- Hits (both self-penned) include "I Like It Like That"(May, 1961) #2 and "Land Of 1,000 Dances"(June, 1963)#77. The latter became a hit for Cannibal & The Headhunters, The Midniters and Wilson Pickett.
- Los Angeles, California quartet featuring Frankie "Cannibal" Garcia.
- Consisting of Garcia, Robert "Rabbit" Jaramillo, Joe "Yo-Yo" Jaramillo and Richard "Scar" Lopez.
- Their hit recording of "Land Of A Thousand Dances"(Feb., 1965)#30 was written by Chris Kenner and Fats Domino. It was also recorded by The Midniters in March of 1965 and later became a #6 hit for Wilson Pickett in July, 1966. The track was recorded live at The Rhythm Room in Fullerton, California.
- Sam The Sham (Domingo "Sam" Samudio) (1940 – )
- Singer/songwriter/organist from Dallas, Texas.
- Called "The Sham" because of the "shamming" (shuffling) footwork he utilized in his stage act.
- Early 1960's - Tex-Mex rock quintet formed in Memphis, Tennessee.
- Featuring the searing sax of Butch Gibson and the gruff vocals of Samudio. Other members included lead guitarist Ray Stinnet, bassist David Martin and drummer Jerry Patterson.
- Famous for their Middle Eastern costumes, the band toured in a shiny black hearse.
- 1970 - Samudio went solo, later becoming a preacher.
- Hits include "Wooly Bully"(April, 1965)#2, "Ju Ju Hand"(July, 1965)#26 and "Lil' Red Riding Hood"(June, 1966)#2.
- 1962 - Garage quintet of migrant Mexicans formed in Saginaw, Michigan featuring Mexican born vocalist Rudy Martinez (1945 – ).
- Consisting of Martinez, lead guitarist Robert Balderrama (1950 – ), bassist Frank Lugo (1947 – ), keyboardist Frank Rodriguez (1951 – ) and drummer Edward Serrato (1947 – ).
- Originally known as XYZ.
- One of their tracks, "8-Teen" was later revived as "Eighteen" by Alice Cooper.
- Their relentless "96 Tears"(Sept., 1966)#1 featured a much copied heavy thumping Vox Continental organ riff.
- 1997 - Re-formed.
- 1969 - Producer Paul Leka recorded several tracks by singer/songwriter Gary De Carlo. The song, "Na Na Hey Hey, Kiss Him Goodbye" was recorded as an after thought as a B-side. Strangely enough, the side was picked up by D.J.'s and became a fluke hit.
- A group from Bridgeport, Connecticut was formed to tour in support of the record. They used the name Steam.
- Oct., 1969 - "Na Na Hey Hey, Kiss Him Goodbye" went to #1-2 wks., later becoming an anthem at many social gatherings.
- Leka called it an embarrassing record.
- Feb., 1983 - Bananarama's version of the song went to #5 UK.
Pop/Rock can only be differentiated from other rock forms by its accessibility and non abrasiveness. The artists were generally much more wholesome and less threatening to parents than the hard rockers. The music was directed at a wide range, white middle class market, insuring huge record sales.
Unlike the solo teen idols of the 1950's, the new hearthrobs were fronting commercial pop/rock groups. Many American bands being enamoured of The British Invasion artists adopted a British look and sound. One particular group called The Monkees was manufactured and groomed as the American counterpart of The Beatles. The Chartbusters from Washington, D. C. sounded so British that several disc jockeys claimed that it was The Beatles under an assumed name.
Styles varied from teen idols to balladeers, female vocalists, soft rockers and vocal groups - all invariably commercial.
- Nino Tempo (Nino Lo Tempio) ( Jan. 6, 1935 – )
- Singer/saxophonist born in Niagara Falls, New York.
- April Stevens (April Lo Tempio) (April 29, 1936 – )
- Singer born in Niagara Falls, New York.
- Brother and sister harmony vocal duo. Most of their hits featured a spoken section provided by Tempo.
- Hits include "Deep Purple"(Sept., 1963)#1, "Whispering"(Dec., 1963)#11 and "Stardust"(Feb., 1964)#32.
- Late, 1950's - Rock quintet formed in Raton, New Mexico as The Fireballs.
- Originally featured lead singer Chuck Tharp.
- 1958 - Began recording for Kapp Records.
- 1960 - Tharp quit and was replaced by singer/pianist Gilmer who had been discovered by Norman Petty.
- Hits include "Sugar Shack"(Sept., 1963)#1-5 wks. and "Daisy Petal Pickin'"(Dec., 1963)#15.
- Dec., 1967 - The Fireballs had a #9 solo hit with "Bottle Of Wine."
- Gary Lewis (Gary Levitch) (July 31, 1946 – )
- Singer/drummer born in New York City.
- Son of comedian Jerry Lewis.
- 1960 - Age 14, began learning drums under the tutelage of Buddy Rich.
- 1964 - Formed The Playboys, later becoming a resident act at Disneyland.
- Consisting of Lewis, guitarist Al Ramsey (July 27, 1943 – ), guitarist John R. West (July 31, 1939 – ), keyboardist David Walker (May 12, 1943 – ) and bassist David Costell (March 15, 1944 – ).
- Their recordings were arranged by Leon Russell who also wrote much of their material.
- 1966-1968 - Lewis was in the army, yet recordings were still issued.
- After returning, his music career waned.
- Hits include "This Diamond Ring"(Jan., 1965)#1-2 wks., "Count Me In"(April, 1965)#2, "Save Your Heart For Me"(July, 1965)#2, "Everybody Loves A Clown"(Sept., 1965)#4, "She's Just My Style" (Dec., 1965)#3, "Sure Gonna Miss Her"(March, 1966)#9 and "Green Grass"(May, 1966)#8.
- 1962 - Power/pop quartet formed in Union City, Indiana.
- Named after a Ventures instrumental, "The McCoy."
- Appeared as The Rick Z. Combo and Rick And The Raiders, later going back to The McCoys.
- Focal point of the group was whiz kid guitarist Rick Derringer (Rick Zehringer) (Aug. 5, 1947 – ). Other members included drummer Randy Zehringer (Rick's brother) (1951 – ), bassist Randy Hobbs and keyboardist Ronnie Brandon.
- 1965 - Signed with Bert Berns' Bang Records.
- Managed by Steve Paul (owner of New York's The Scene nightclub).
- 1968 - Signed with Mercury.
- 1971 - Derringer toured with Edgar Winter's White Trash.
- 1973 - Derringer went solo, working with Johnny Winter.
- The 1980's - Derringer toured with Cyndi Lauper.
- Hits include "Hang On Sloopy"(Aug., 1965)#1, "Fever"(Nov., 1965) #7 and "Come On Let's Go"(April, 1966)#22.
- 1965 - Pop quintet formed in Richfield, Minnesota featuring lead singer/bassist Richard Robey (1947 – ).
- Their only charted hit was "Liar Liar"(Aug., 1965)#12.
- Paul Revere (Paul Revere Dick) (Jan. 7, 1942 – )
- Keyboardist/songwriter born in Boise, Idaho.
- Mark Lindsay (March 9, 1942 – )
- Singer/saxophonist/songwriter born in Cambridge, Ohio.
- 1960 - Pop/rock quintet formed in Caldwell, Ohio as The Downbeats.
- March, 1961 - Their instrumental recording, "Like Long Hair" went to #38.
- 1962 - Moved to Portland, Oregon.
- 1963 - Recorded an early version of Richard Berry's "Louie Louie."
- 1965 - Moved to Los Angeles where they became regulars on the daily ABC TV show "Where The Action Is."
- Donned American Revolutionary War outfits as a reaction to the British Invasion.
- 1967 - Hosted their own TV show "Happening '68."
- During the 1960's, they had 9 top 20 hits.
- 1969 - Lindsay went solo, continuing his status as a teen idol. Solo hits include "Arizona"(Dec., 1969)#10 and "Silver Bird" (June, 1970)#25.
- 1969 - The group, without Revere, changed its name to The Raiders.
- Lindsay and Revere put the group back together several times for nostalgia shows.
- Hits include "Steppin' Out"(Sept., 1965)#46, "Just Like Me"(Dec., 1965)#11, "Kicks"(March, 1966)#4, "Hungry"(July, 1966)#6, "Him Or Me - What's It Gonna Be"(May, 1967)#5 and "Indian Reservation" (May, 1971)#1.
- Pop/rock quartet from San Francisco, California.
- Originally named Sly And The Mojo Men, featuring Sylvester "Sly Stone" Stewart (of Sly & The Family Stone fame) who was replaced before they began recording.
- Hits include "Dance With Me"(Oct., 1965)#61 and "Sit Down I Think I Love You"(Feb., 1967)#36.
- Billy Joe Thomas (Aug. 7, 1942 – )
- Singer born in Hugo, Oklahoma.
- Raised in Rosenberg, Texas.
- 1957 - In Houston, Texas, joined The Triumphs, a 7 piece unit which later became his backup band.
- 1966 - Went solo, singing more subdued material.
- During the 1970's, recovered from drug addiction.
- 1976 - Became a born-again Christian and began recording gospel and country music.
- 1977 - His gospel album, "Home Where I Belong" (also the title of his autobiography) won a Grammy Award.
- Hits include "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry"(Feb., 1966)#8, "Mama" (May, 1966)#22, "The Eyes Of A New York Woman"(June, 1968)#28, "Hooked On A Feeling"(Nov., 1968)#5, "Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head"(Nov., 1969)#1-4 wks., "I Just Can't Help Believing" (June, 1970)#9, "Rock And Roll Lullaby"(Feb., 1972)#15 and "(Hey Won't You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song"(Feb., 1975)#1.
- 1965 - Pop/rock quintet formed in Cleveland, Ohio.
- Originally known as The Starfires.
- Consisting of rhythm guitarist/songwriter Tom King (1943 – ), drummer Ricky Baker (Rick Biagola) (1948 –), bassist/guitarist Merdin Prince Gunnar "Mert" Madsen (1943 – ), lead guitarist Bill Bruno (1945 – ) and featuring lead singer Sonny Geraci (1947 – ).
- The late 1960's - Disbanded.
- 1971 - Geraci moved to Los Angeles and formed Climax with Walt Nims.
- Biggest hit was the million selling "Time Won't Let Me"(Feb., 1966)#5.
- Tommy James (Thomas Gregory Jackson) (April 29, 1947 – )
- Singer/songwriter/guitarist/producer born in Dayton, Ohio.
- 1959 - Age 12, he formed Tommy & The Tornadoes and recorded "Long Pony Tail."
- 1963 - Recorded the song, "Hanky Panky," written by Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich which remained obscure until Pittsburgh disc jockey Bob Mack began playing the song.
- June, 1966 - "Hanky Panky" went to #1-2 wks.
- A new lineup recruited from The Raconteurs became The Shondells, consisting of James, guitarist Joe Kessler, bassist/pianist Mike Vale (July 17, 1949 – ), saxophonist/bassist/organist George Magura, drummer Vinnie Pietropaoli and keyboardist Ronnie Rosman (Feb. 28, 1945 – ).
- 1967 - Their recording of "I Think We're Alone Now" is considered by many to be the first bubblegum disc (see Bubblegum Music).
- 1967 - Magura left.
- 1970 - James went solo and the group renamed themselves Hog Heaven.
- During their career, they were responsible for 23 gold singles, 6 gold albums and 3 platinum albums.
- Hits include "I Think We're Alone Now"(Feb., 1967)#4, "Mirage" (April, 1967)#10, "Mony Mony"(April, 1968)#3, "Crimson And Clover"(Dec., 1968)#1-2 wks., "Sweet Cherry Wine"(March, 1969)#7 and "Crystal Blue Persuasion"(June, 1969)#2.
- James' biggest solo hit was "Draggin' The Line"(June, 1971)#4.
- 1966 - Pop/rock quintet with a baroque sound formed in New York City.
- Led by singer Steve Martin, the group consisted of lead guitarist Jeff Winfield, keyboardist Michael Brown (Michael Lookofsky) (April 25, 1949 – ), bassist Thomas Finn and drummer George Cameron.
- 1967 - Brown went solo, recording 2 unsuccessful discs.
- Early, 1968 - Disbanded.
- Brown later joined Stories.
- 1978 - A Left Banke reunion flopped.
- Hits include "Walk Away Renee"(Sept., 1966)#5 and "Pretty Ballerina"(Jan., 1967)#15.
- Rock quintet formed in Oklahoma.
- Based in Dallas, Texas.
- Consisting of singer/rhythm guitarist Michael Rabon, singer/ keyboardist Leonard Goldsmith, bassist James Grant and drummer James Wright.
- Biggest hit was "Western Union"(March, 1967)#5.
- 1965 - Pop trio formed in Beverly Hills, California.
- Dino (Dean Paul Anthony Martin Jr.) (Nov. 17, 1952 - March 21, 1987) Son of Dean Martin born in Los Angeles, California.
- Desi (Desiderio Alberto Arnaz IV) (Jan. 19, 1953 – ) Son of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz born in Los Angeles, California.
- Billy (William Ernest Joseph Hinsche) (June 29, 1951 – ) Born in Manila, Philippines.
- 1965 - Signed to Frank Sinatra's Reprise label.
- Managed by Bill Howard, the son of film star Dorothy Lamour.
- Dino and Desi later formed The Beverly Hills Blues Band.
- Hinsche later toured as keyboardist for The Beach Boys.
- March 21, 1987 - Dino Martin was killed in a plane crash.
- Hits include "I'm A Fool"(June, 1965)#17, "Not The Lovin' Kind" (Sept., 1965)#25 and "Tell Someone You Love Them"(Aug., 1968)#92.
- (June 8, 1940 – )
- Singer/actress born in Jersey City, New Jersey.
- Eldest child of Frank Sinatra and the subject of the hit song, "Nancy (With The Laughing Face)."
- March 26, 1960 - Made her national TV debut with her father and Elvis Presley on the TV special, "The Frank Sinatra Timex Show."
- 1961 - Signed with her father's Reprise label.
- Sept. 11, 1960-1965 - Married to pop singer Tommy Sands.
- Film appearances include "For Those Who Think Young"(1964), "Get Yourself A College Girl"(1964) and "Speedway"(1968).
- Recorded several hits with singer/songwriter/producer Lee Hazlewood including "Summer Wine"(March, 1967)#49 and "Jackson" (June, 1967)#14.
- Hits include "These Boots Are Made For Walkin'"(Oct., 1965)#1, "How Does That Grab You Darlin'?"(April, 1966)#7, "Sugar Town" (Nov., 1966)#5, "Somethin' Stupid"(March, 1967)#1-4 wks. (with Frank Sinatra), "Love Eyes"(March, 1967)#15 and "Happy"(July, 1968)#7.
- Gary "General" Puckett (Oct. 17, 1942 – )
- Singer/songwriter/guitarist born in Hibbing, Minnesota.
- 1967 - The Union Gap was formed in San Diego, California.
- They were named after the historic town of Union Gap, Washington where Puckett was raised.
- Consisting of Puckett, tenor saxophonist Dwight "Sergeant" Bement (Dec. 28, 1945 – ), bassist Kerry "Corporal" Chater (Aug. 7, 1945 – ), pianist Gary "Private" "Mutha" Withem (Aug. 22, 1946 – ) and drummer Paul "Private" Whitbread (Feb. 8, 1946 – ).
- The group often wore Civil War uniforms.
- Famous for their dramatic love songs, they were produced by Jerry Fuller.
- 1970 - Puckett went solo.
- Hits include "Woman Woman"(Nov., 1967)#4, "Young Girl"(March, 1968)#2, "Lady Willpower"(June, 1968)#2, "Over You"(Sept., 1968) #7 and "This Girl's A Woman Now"(Aug., 1969)#9.
- Recommended track, Tim Hardin's "Don't Make Promises."
- Puckett solo recordings include "I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself"(Oct., 1970)#61.
- Alex Chilton (Dec. 28, 1950 – )
- Singer/guitarist born in Memphis, Tennessee.
- 1965 - Rock quintet formed in Memphis, Tennessee when Chilton joined Ronnie & The De Villes as lead singer.
- Consisting of Chilton, drummer Danny Smythe (July 16, 1947 – ), bassist Bill Cunningham (Jan. 23, 1950 – ), lead guitarist Gary Talley (Aug. 17, 1947 – ) and organist John Evans (Jan. 28, 1946 – ).
- Pop/rock sounds featuring Chilton's soulful grainy vocals.
- 1966 - Signed by songwriter Dan Penn ("Cry Like A Baby") to Mala.
- Aug., 1967 - Their recording of Wayne Carson Thompson's "The Letter" went to #1-4 wks. and sold over 4 million globally.
- 1967 - Smythe replaced by Thomas Boggs (July 16, 1947 – ).
- 1968 - Rick Allen of The Gentrys joined.
- 1969 - Disbanded.
- 1971-1975 - Chilton headed the much touted Big Star, later going solo.
- Hits include the million selling "Cry Like A Baby"(March, 1968) #2, "Sweet Cream Ladies, Forward March"(Dec., 1968)#28 and "Soul Deep"(July, 1969)#18.
- 7 piece family group from Newport, Rhode Island.
- Consisting of Dick Cowsill (Aug. 26, 1950 – ) (vocals), Paul Cowsill (Nov. 11, 1952 – ) (vocals/keys), Bill Cowsill (Jan. 9, 1948 – ) (vocals/guitar), Bob Cowsill (Aug. 26, 1949 – ) (vocals/guitar), Barry Cowsill (Sept. 14, 1954 – ) (vocals/bass), John Cowsill (March 2, 1956 – ) (vocals/drums), Sue Cowsill (May 20, 1960 – ) (vocals) and their mother Barbara Cowsill (1929 - Jan. 31, 1985) (vocals).
- Managed by the father, William "Bud" Cowsill.
- 1967 - Signed to MGM by producer/songwriter Artie Kornfield.
- Billed as "America's First Family Of Song," they were the inspiration for "The Partridge Family" TV series of the 1970's.
- 1972 - Disbanded.
- 1995 - Bill Cowsill formed Blue Shadows.
- Hits include "The Rain The Park And Other Things"(Sept., 1967) #2, "We Can Fly"(Jan., 1968)#21, "Indian Lake"(June, 1968)#10 and "Hair"(March, 1969)#2.
- Rock quartet from Washington, D. C.
- Often touted as Beatles soundalikes.
- Biggest hit was "She's The One"(July, 1964)#33.
- Their biggest hit, "Roses Are Red My Love"(Nov., 1964)#43 featured a style similar to British rock band The Zombies.
- 1964 - Originally formed as The Castle Kings in Bergenfield, New Jersey.
- Consisting of Buddy Randall (vocals/sax), Beau Charles (guitar), John Charles (bass) and James Walker (drums).
- Strong vocal harmony group featuring a droning hard edge guitar sound. The all-over effect sounds suspiciously like The Beatles.
- Produced by Jerry Fuller.
- Walker replaced Bill Medley temporarily in The Righteous Brothers, later going solo.
- Biggest hit was "Lies"(Dec., 1965)#2.
- 1965 - Fabricated rock quartet formed specifically as a TV product.
- Davy Jones (David Thomas Jones) (Dec. 30, 1945 – )
- Singer/actor born in Manchester, England.
- Mickey Dolenz (George Michael Dolenz) (March 8, 1945 – )
- Drummer/actor born in Tarzana, California.
- Peter Tork (Peter Halsten Thorkelson) (Feb. 13, 1944 – )
- Singer/guitarist/pianist/actor born in Washington, D.C.
- Michael Nesmith (Robert Michael Nesmith) (Dec. 30, 1943 – )
- Singer/songwriter/guitarist/actor born in Houston, Texas.
- Sept. 8, 1965 - TV producers Robert Rafelson and Bert Schneider advertised in The Hollywood Reporter for four boys aged 17 to 21 to form a rock group for a TV series. The basic inspiration for the premise came from The Beatles' movie, "A Hard Days Night."
- The four were selected from 437 applicants. Don Kirshner, president of Colgems spent two months grooming them for stardom.
- Aug. 16, 1966 - Their recording of "Take The Last train To Clarksville" was released, hitting #1 on Nov. 5, 1966.
- Sept. 12, 1966 - "The Monkees" TV show debuted.
- The group's immediate rise to stardom was a prime example of outstanding showbusiness promotion. By the end of 1966, Monkees merchandise had grossed over 20 million dollars.
- Originally, only Tork and Nesmith played instruments. Studio musicians included Glen Campbell and Leon Russell. It is also rumoured that a group called The Candy Store Prophets contributed music for the TV series.
- Nesmith developed his songwriting talents, later writing the hit song, "Different Drum" for Linda Ronstadt & The Stone Poneys.
- After 59 episodes, NBC cancelled the series at the end of the 1967-1968 season. News of the band's musical inabilities leaked out and they were attacked unmercifully by the press.
- 1968 - Their experimental anti-war film, "Head" was released to critical acclaim but commercial failure.
- Early, 1969 - Tork quit and they continued as a trio for a year.
- Late, 1969 - Nesmith quit.
- 1970 - Disbanded.
- 1975 - Dolenz and Jones attempted to reform the group with Boyce & Hart.
- 1986 - The Monkees minus Nesmith reformed briefly.
- During their heyday, their hits had been written by such notables as Neil Diamond and Boyce & Hart.
- Hits include "I'm A Believer"(Dec., 1966)#1-7 wks., "A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You"(March, 1967)#2, "Pleasant Valley Sunday" (July, 1967)#3, "Daydream Believer"(Nov., 1967)#1-4 wks., "Valleri"(March, 1968)#3 and "D. W. Washburn"(June, 1968)#19.
- Vicki Carr - "It Must Be Him"(Sept., 1967)#3.
- Lou Christie - "Lightning Strikes"(Dec., 1965)#1.
- Classics IV - "Spooky"(Dec., 1967)#3.
- The Cuff Links - "Tracy"(Sept., 1969)#9.
- The Cyrkle - "Red Rubber Ball"(May, 1966)#2.
- Dick & Deedee - "The Mountains High"(July, 1961)#2.
- The Happenings - "See You In September"(July, 1966)#3.
- Jay & The Techniques - "Apples, Peaches, Pumpkin Pie"(July, 1967) #6.
- Little Peggy March - "I Will Follow Him"(March, 1963)#1-3 wks.
- Merrilee Rush - "Angel Of The Morning"(May, 1968)#7.
- Linda Scott - "I've Told Every Little Star"(March, 1961)#3.
- The Spiral Staircase - "More Today Than Yesterday"(April, 1969)#12.
- The Vogues - "You're The One"(Sept., 1965)#4.
Bubblegum was a label attached to early commercial dance/pop recordings perfected for the most part by Buddah Records between 1967 and 1969. In fact, the expression itself was derived from Buddah's premier group, The 1910 Fruitgum Company whose music and rather adolescent lyrics appealed to the bubblegum chewing set. Early in 1966, Long Island studio innovators Jerry Kasenetz and Jeff Katz released their first Super K Production, The Rare Breed's "Beg, Borrow And Steal" (later remade by The Ohio Express in 1967). Then, Kasenetz and Katz joined forces with Cameo Records vice president, Neil Bogart (later, the manager of Buddah Records). Late in 1967, K & K signed an exclusive production deal with Buddah which produced the debut release by The 1910 Fruitgum Company, "Simon Says."
The standard formula set in motion by the disc consisted of simplistic dance music dominated by regimented drum patterns. The songs featured adolescent lyrics, repetitive riffs and memorable melodies. The music was promoted through cutesy teenybopper groups who often had little to do with the recording of the material. It was a totally manufactured style. In retrospect, the saving grace was the sheer quality and charm of the recordings.
Outside the realm of Buddah, several teen stars such as Dino, Desi & Billy and The Cowsills also enjoyed popularity in a somewhat similar genre. Tommy James And The Shondells' recording of "I Think We're Alone Now" is thought by many to be the first true example of the bubblegum sound. Also, there were hit recordings by a non existent TV cartoon band called The Archies. All of these products however entertaining, were directed at a very young audience.
- Pop/rock quintet from Mansfield, Ohio.
- Consisting of James "Jamie" Lyons (1949 – ) (lead vocals/ ocarina), Don "Tudor" Atkins (1949 – ) (lead guitar), Richard Nesta (1949 – ) (rhythm guitar), Burton Stahl (1949 – ) (bass/organ) and Bob Avery (1947 – ) (drums/harmonica).
- Produced by Jerry Kasenetz and Jeff Katz.
- Their classic "Little Black Egg" later became a hit for The Nightcrawlers.
- Hits include "A Little Bit O'Soul"(May, 1967)#2.
- Psychedelic pop/rock quintet from Oxford, Ohio.
- Consisting of Bill Albaugh (1948 – ) (drums), Reg Nave (1945 – ) (organ), Bill Bartlett (1946 – ) (lead guitar), Steve Walmsley (1949 – ) (bass) and Ivan Browne (1947 – ) (vocals/rhythm guitar).
- One of Buddah's more adventurous projects.
- Hits include "Green Tambourine"(Dec., 1967)#1 and "Jelly Jungle" (May, 1968)#51.
- Jan., 1967 - Pop quintet formed in Lynden, New Jersey.
- Previous names included Jeckell & Hyde, The Odyssey and The Lower Road.
- Consisting of Floyd Marcus (1949 – ) (drums), Pat Karwan (1949 – ) (lead guitar), Mark Gutkowski (1950 – ) (organ), Steve Mortkowitz (1949 – ) (bass) and Frank Jeckell (1947 – ) (rhythm guitar).
- Jeckell named the group after an old bubble gum wrapper he discovered in an attic trunk.
- Produced by Jerry Kasenetz and Jeff Katz of Buddah Records.
- Jan., 1968 - Their recording of "Simon Says" went to #4, eventually selling over 3 and a half million copies globally. It instigated a trend for bubblegum music.
- April, 1968 - Bruce Shaw and Dave Peck replaced Marcus and Markowitz.
- Hits include "1 2 3 Red Light"(July, 1968)#5 and "Indian Giver" (Jan., 1969)#5 (both million sellers).
- 1968 - Group formed in Mansfield, Ohio.
- Consisting of Doug Grassel (1949 – ) (rhythm guitar), Dale Powers (1948 – ) (lead vocals/lead guitar), Jim Pfahler (1948 – ) (organ), Tim Corwin (1949 – ) (drums) and Dean Kastran (1949 – ) (bass).
- Brought to Kasenetz and Katz of Buddah Records by Jamie Lyons, lead singer of The Music Explosion.
- Oct., 1967 - Their debut disc, "Beg, Borrow And Steal" went to #29.
- Singer/songwriter Joey Levine sang lead on most of their hits.
- Hits include "Yummy Yummy Yummy"(May, 1968)#4 and "Chewy Chewy" (Oct., 1968)#15 (both million sellers).
- Studio project of Jerry Kasenetz and Jeff Katz, it featured members of The Ohio Express, The 1910 Fruitgum Company and The Music Explosion.
- The lead singer was Joey Levine. Only charted hit was "Quick Joey Small"(Oct., 1968)#25.
TOMMY JAMES & THE SHONDELLS
- See American Rock And Pop Of The Sixties - Pop/Rock
- Studio group created by Don Kirshner for "The Archies" Saturday morning CBS TV cartoon series.
- Don Kirshner controlled the music for the series.
- Anonymous studio vocalists were used with the exception of lead singer Ron Dante (Carmine Granito) (Aug. 22, 1945 – ) from Staten Island, New York. He had been the lead singer on the hit recording, "Leader Of The Laundromat" (see The Shangri-Las).
- July, 1969 - Their recording of "Sugar Sugar" went to #1-4 wks. Written by Jeff Barry and Andy Kim, it sold over 6 million copies and became the top disc of 1969.
- Nov., 1969 - "Jingle Jangle," also written by Barry and Kim went to #10 and sold a million copies.
- 1975 - Dante began producing Barry Manilow's recordings.
- Singer who was lead vocalist for many of the Kasenetz & Katz recordings including The Ohio Express and Kasenetz-Katz Singing Orchestral Circus.
- Sept., 1974 - The clever "Life Is A Rock (But The Radio Rolled Me)" by Reunion featuring Levine's lead vocal went to #8.
- Crazy Elephant - "Gimme Gimme Good Lovin'"(March, 1969)#12.
- Rare Breed - "Beg, Borrow And Steal"(1966).
- The Rock And Roll Double Bubble Trading Card Company Of Philadelphia - 19141 - "Bubble Gum Music"(Jan., 1969)#74.
ALSO SEE
- Chapter 31: Rock And Pop Of The Seventies
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