Sir Charles and the Daze of Olde - 1967 - Skoop - Santa Claus

We all have these daze, sitting on some wonderful 45's that you think everyone would have, with scads of info just waiting to be found. But, alas, sometimes you just can't find the band.

Sir Charles and the Daze of Olde, who are you? I've never heard a whisper of the identity of any of the band.

Maybe listening to the tunes will jog the brain cells.........

Comin' on Home
Baby Come Back

Good jangly tunes, from early 1967. The Skoop label is from Santa Claus, Indiana, so the band may be located somewhere nearby. Any ideas, info, speculation, or jeers is appreciated. Sir Charles has to be out there. Let's find them!

Next Generation - Ft. Wayne 1967

Our Generation, Beat Generation, My G-G-G-Generation baby.......

Well, let's add the Next Generation to the list of guys that went out and took on the rock & roll world, circa 1967.

Mike Gee - lead guitar
Rick Popp - bass
Steve Crooks - lead throat / rhythm guitar
Bob Clausen - Drums

The band were made of students of Bishop Dwenger and Northside High Schools. The "Next Generation" moniker was born after five hours and four pizzas at a local parlor. Rock and soul was the focus, as the band melded the two in a 10 minute version of "Hey Joe", normally a two minute exercise.  Future plans included cutting a record..........that's where I get really excited and must know if it came true.........

Vars - Warsaw Indiana - 1968

 I've known about the Vars for some time, altho I was never able to land a decent copy of the 45. But we in the 60's Indiana Band Szene headquarters have corrected that oversight. Presenting today, for your entertainment, a band that remains unknown, with a fleeting glimpse caught on an aging aural storage device commonly called a 45, the VARS!

Here is what we know from the 45:

The "Commercial Features" label out of Indianapolis, generally did gospel, but released one other teen 45 that we know of. The credit to the VARS has no songwriting info, no publishing, or dates. Not much there.

I did find an ad in Ft. Wayne, at the Hullabaloo Club, that proclaimed "The Vars" - four boys and a girl from Warsaw. Warsaw is about midway between Ft. Wayne and South Bend. Definitely a girl singing on the 45. Mostly about losing the boy, downer songs.
Well that said, let's hear some music!

Never Wanted to Let You Go
Gary

The Vars released a 45, more than many, many bands ever did. So lets find these guys and gal and give them the thumbs up for being there and giving it a go!

Madison Square Patch - Huntertown - 1967

"Sherman, set the wayback machine to Sept. 2, 1967, destination Ft. Wayne."
"But Mr. Peabody, history hasn't shown anything extraordinary that day"
"Ah Sherman, the only appearance of the Madison Square Patch at the Hullabaloo is sadly undocumented, we must right that wrong"

If you don't know Sherman and Mr.Peabody, then the dialog makes no sense to you, but the facts are facts, the Madison Square Patch - from Huntertown, Indiana , a few miles north of Ft. Wayne, remain unknown. After looking at years of club dates, this is the only reference i have ever found of this band.

Any ideas, any fond memories, any police records, anything?

Basooties - Valparasio

There are bands that become legends, for better or worse, and there are bands that should have been remembered as darn fine bands.
The Basooties are largely forgotten and that is a shame. We will try to rectify that situation, as our readers (about 300 a week!) appreciate quality!

 
Suspected band members:
Will Jenkins - lead guitar
Terry Handley - lead throat
Dennis Maloney - drums
Jerry Carden - rhythm guitar / vocals
Danny Evanoff - keyboards / vocals
Jerry Wheat - bass

The Basooties recorded a great 45 in '67, with covers of Curtis Mayfield, and Frank Zappa. Many bands covered soul and R&B tunes  ( grab your woman, it's slow dance time!) but, I don't recall any Zappa tunes being on the radar.

Click on the tunes to enjoy!

I'm So Proud
You Didn't Try to Call Me 

Bonus treat!
Will Jenkins has a youtube video of the b-side( You Didn't Try To Call me) featuring some band photos and some video! Highly recommended!

Special thanks to Jason and his Indiana 45's website for the band member names!

Swingin' Stingrays - Elkhart - Fujimo

Somewhere in Elkhart - just east of South Bend, a band spouted and bloomed - The Swingin' Stingrays! Before the British Invasion sound, the frat - Blues Brothers - soul type of thing ruled. Great for dancing and getting that "special" girl.
The Swingin' Stingrays released one 45, and "perhaps" a second.....

Tom Tom
Teen Queen

There may also be a second 45 with "Searchin'" and "Big Fat Woman", but alas, I don't have it.

And up for more input / debate: the members:

Wilbur Richie is certain, sadly he passed away in the early 80's.
Rex has been fingered as Maze, Mays, and most recently, Masterson. 
Paul, Pat & Rick (in the 1965 promo pic) remain unknown. The Swingin' Stingrays reportedly formed in 1958 and lasted until at least 1968 as evidenced by the Top Deck newspaper ad, circa August 68'.

60's Indiana band Szene team, you have been very good at filling in the blanks, and I need help here. Let's get these guys the due they deserve and get some recognition here!

Thanks to the late Bill Wagoner (of US Male - Warsaw, IN) and Terry Turner for the inspiration and tunes!

Blues Inc. - Ft. Wayne 1966

Did you ever think that the band you were watching, maybe even bought the 45 because they were so good that night, might be lost to time? It happens, quite a bit actually. Presenting the Blues Inc., hailing from Ft.Wayne. 

All we have is this one ad - Nov. 4 1966. Never heard of Bojrab's Hall before or after. But the band did leave us one fantastic moody, minor key 45.

Tell Me Girl

Get Off My Back

Another Ft. Wayne band that made the trek to Cap Studios in Portage Michigan, the Olivers being the other, with record #1022, just before the Blues Inc.. Wise and Shoaff are the writers names, publishing by Westhaven, same as the Olivers, hence probably thru the label.

This is too good to be forgotten..........any clues (real or imagined) welcomed!

Amoris Arma - 1967

Little to go on here fans. The Amoris Arma. Amoris Arma = Loving Arms?
This is an ad from Pizza King in New Haven, Indiana, circa mid '67. . New Haven is just southeast, or maybe a suburb of  Ft. Wayne.

And as we say, this friends, is all I know. Also playing there at the Pizza King were the Beat Generation, and the Collection.

Anyone?

The Boys Decision - 1967 Ft. Wayne

Swingin' back to 1967 - Ft. Wayne, Indiana! There once was a band known as the Nu-Trons. The Nu-Trons begat the Boys Decision.

Jack Peterson - guitar
Steve Inscoe -
Butch Rodemeyer - lead singer
Glenn Druhot - drums
Dave Robinson - guitar

Pretty interesting group of guys just for the playing and getting gigs in a crowded 1967 Ft. Wayne market. But add to the resume this nugget....

Nov.24th, 1967 at the Swinging Gate, the Boys Decision was the warm-up for The Who! That's right boys and girls, the Who played in Ft. Wayne at the Swinging Gate. The Boys Decision played rock and soul so they must have filled in just nicely. Talk about pressure, dang.

Someone, somewhere has to have some photos of the Swinging Gate. I'm told it may be gone now, but there has to be some record of it!

Sounds Unlimited - Indianapolis

 The Sounds Unlimited was truly a tale of two bands that shot across the Indiana sky and is fondly remembered by fans who requested some info.

In the beginning there was a band, and it was good. The Sounds Unlimited strove for the english beat and a definite change in the look of most bands in the mid '60's. Most bands of the day wore suits and ties to the gigs, but few had to be louder, more colorful, have longer hair, and (gasp!) play songs that weren't on the radio! Shameful as it was, the band stood out in Indy.
Wayne Wilson - drum
Phil Brandt - lead guitar
Steve Foster - rhythm guitar
Ken Mahlke - bass- voice

While most local bands were in the early Beatles mode, the Sounds concentrated on the Yardbirds, Who, and Kinks. The Sounds opened for the likes of  the Byrds, Mitch Ryder, the McCoys, and Sir Douglas Quintet.

The Sounds recorded a few songs in Chicago and Philadelphia, some to be used for an audition for the Monkees TV show that was coming up, that ended up on a Sundazed 4 song EP. Fuzz and interpretation was the formula, and it lasted until November 1966.

Four Score made a name for itself when they won the Young America band contest at the State fair in '66. Terry & John Talbot, Ted DeLang, and Bill (Will) Brecht were soon in a studio recording with Jim Koss and Skeet Bushor (Boys next door) writing and producing. Somehow that recording became credited to the Sounds Unlimited, Bill and Ted were out, and  the band was now:
Steve Foster
Wayne Wilson
Terry Talbot
John Michael Talbot

New musical direction, short hair, and changing times. Mid '69 was the last show for Sounds Unlimited, as the Talbot boys morphed into Mason Proffit, a country rock outfit.

Hear the Sounds Unlimited:

Little Brother  - vocal Bill Brecht
A Girl as Sweet as you - John Michael Talbot

I'm fairly sure the Sundazed 45 is still in print, so I can't share it here.

There is more to the story, so stay tuned!

Chalets - Shelbyville 1966

Set the wayback machine to August '66 and the formation of the Chalets is complete.
"If I had a noseful of nickels I'd sneeze a fortune your way" was featured in an original song offered by The Chalets. Sounds like a band we must get to know!

Featuring:
Mike Davis - drums
Don Isgrigg - lead guitar
Kim Greene - singer - rhythm guitar
Tom Brenton - keyboard
Rocket Murphy - bass

Looking at the Chalets resume we see:

August '66 the band placed first in the Marion County Battle of the Bands -
First at the Decatur County fair -
Fourth at the Shelby County fair -
Second in the Combo Clash for the Danny Thomas Leukemia Foundation appearing on Channel 6 TV -

The Chalets played in Indianapolis, Greensburg, Rushville, Edinburgh, Bloomington and other surrounding towns.

The Chalets had hopes of cutting a record, with original tunes: noseful of nickels, love is the gutter, and it's worth a lot. Hoping as always we'll get to hear these tunes............

***super duper thanks to Fred Dickman for the photos and the Chalets for making it happen!***

The Herd - Ft. Wayne

OK, it's a cold night and I'm listening to a prog LP from Indiana. Ethos is the band on the turntable, and I turn to the credits.....Wil Sharpe, Mike Ponczek.....sounds familiar, hmmmmmm. Ponczek shouldn't be hard to find in my notes. Bingo, the Herd - Ft. Wayne 1967.
Pictured from left:
Chuck Fay - bass
Bill (Wil) Sharpe - lead guitar
Dan Howell - drums
Mike Ponczek - keyboards

The Herd were primarily a top 40 band with an aim of becoming a big name local band. Dan expressed hopes of becoming a professional drummer, and all hoped to continue with music after college. At some point they became Atlantis, and later became Ethos with Sharpe and Ponczek on guitar and keys. Ethos released two LP's that I know of, 1976 and '77, then fell off the radar.

Still wondering if this "the Herd" had any connection with the Spencer / Voyles 45 that I posted a while back. Luckily I'm a patient man........

And thanks for all the help, kindness, comments and leads that you have given over the years. We started this journey in February 2007!

Emperors - Indianapolis 1965

Behold the Emperors, typical young men sporting Beatle haircuts in late 1965. Many of the youth had bands, altho few seemed to have as much "presence" as these. From George Washington High, we present "The Emperors":


Eddie George
Phil Davis
Darrel Rose
Kenney Simpson
Bobbie Barnes

Don't know if the kids ever did anything else, or where they are today. Any ideas?