Peabody Soul Foundation - Company 1968

"Hello,

We found your Blog Google-ing 1960's Ft. Wayne bands. My boyfriend was in a popular band back in the late 60's to early 70's called the Peabody Soul Foundation. The band members were:
Rick Parker - drums
Jerry Hogan - bass
Dave Bodiker (sp) -guitar

Booking Agent was Mark Cooper. They played the Swinging Gate, Hullabaloo Club, national guard armory and backed up Classics IV at the Swinging Gate, amongst others. Also competed in many 'Battle of the Bands'. Maybe you can find some of the fliers or the news paper article I know there was one. Love your site it was a real trip down memory lane.

Keep up the good work,

Anne Marie"

This is the kind of lead I love. The Swinging Gate was a huge deal in Ft. Wayne, circa late '60s. I'm 99 and 44/100ths sure that the Peabody Soul Company is the same as the Foundation. Time to get us some stories of the band to share Rick!

The 10 Fantastics Perfections (from Louisville) is actually "Ronnie and the Rascals" from Indy! This happened quite a lot!

Satan's Sinners

How could a band named "Satan's Sinners" go wrong. One would expect a wild grooving tune. Maybe even a song about debauchery or the misplaced pleasures of the wrong side of the tracks. What we have is a unusual a-side and the basic ballad b-side. I believe that the 45 is from 1966 based on the pressing plant info available.
Who are they? From the label info:
A. Bennett - vocals
B. Eakins - vocals
L. Smith - vocals

Heck, let's hear some songs and let us know who "Satan's Sinners" are!
T. T. Termiter
Why don't they leave us alone

Our mission, should we decide to accept it, who are they?

Galabooches - Northern Indiana

The Galabooches. I had almost forgotten about the Galabooches when I received an inquiry about a 45 for sale. I didn't have an extra, and it turns out her father (band member) didn't have one either. I find this is not unusual. Time is our friend and is certainly a pack-rat.

The Galabooches were comprised of:

Lonnie Lawson - Drummer
Thelmer Lawson - Lead Singer
Martin Pickett -
Hector Hogan -
Gary Brewer -

The Galabooches left us a great 45, with a rockin' go away girl song, backed with a broken love ballad.

I'll Never Work Out <--click to play!
She Doesn't Care <--click to play!

The band should have left us more material! The Galabooches defied sleuthing for over 45 years, and I'm proud to have them here! Let's get some comments going to show the appreciation!

This just in! Photo shows brothers Thelmer and Lonnie in the background at drumset. Nice gear!

Happy Anniversary!

Wow, can you believe we have 5 years under our belts! I thank all the bands and readers for keeping it going. I have many, many more bands in waiting, and believe me, they look forward to the comments and recollections of the time.

To add to your need for 60"s Indiana Band info, please check out:
Indiana 60's Garage Bands at Facebook
Kim Bowman of the "Walking Stycks" started it a few days ago, and I think we should make it the place to go (after here of course!) for 60's Indiana Band info!

Thanks again to all the bands / band members that I've had the pleasure of writing about, met, talked with or swapped e*mails with over the years, it's been a blast!

The Shillings - Ft. Wayne

The Shillings - another story of a band that I know nothing about, save that they were from Ft. Wayne, circa 1967.
Pretty interesting promo shot with a collection of odd artifacts, with seemingly no rhyme nor reason.

Our mission, identify these guys. They need to be remembered, as maybe they went on to greatness elsewhere!

Thanks to Wil of the Jersey Chains for the generous use of the photo!

Beat Generation - Ft. Wayne

Trying to get the stage lights to flash with the beat gave rise to the "Beat Generation"! Didn't work, but hey, they tried. Mostly high school kids from Ft. Wayne, circa 1967.

Mike Rontfrow - organ
John Gall - bass
Don Squires - Rhythm guitar
Steve Leakey - Drums
Tom Romine - lead guitar

The Beat Generation favored songs that have a lot of harmony, favorite groups include the Who and Indy's Sounds Unlimited.
The Beat Generation had plans for a 45 and were in "negotiations"
with Tiara (Fewdle Lords) and Motown labels. Don't think that bore any fruit.

Give them a hand for livin' the dream in the 60's!

Sir Winston and the Commons

Happy New Year 2012!
John Gillis introduces Sir Winston and the Commons, Vogue Theater Reunion Show 2004:

"Sir Winston and the Commons originally formed in 1963. The members of the band consisted of Don Basore from Northwest High School, Joe Stout and Gary Crawford from Ben Davis High School and John Medvescek and Ron Matelic from the old Cathedral High School. Don played bass, Gary and Ron played guitars, Joe played sax and John was the drummer. The band’s first name was The Illusions, but was soon changed to The Suspicions. Their repertoire at that time consisted mainly of instrumental surf music and other classics such as Honky Tonk and Harlem Nocturne. Their first shows were at parties, VFW dances, and promotions for Paul Harvey Ford and Dog & Suds drive in. With the advent of the British invasion in 1964, the band, like everyone else, assimilated the new British sound. The surf sound and instrumentals were eventually dropped in favor of the current chart toppers of the day, and Herb Crawford from Speedway High School replaced Gary Crawford on guitar. A new booking agent who wanted to capitalize on the ever growing English musical dominance suggested that the band’s name be changed to Sir Winston and the Commons. For several years, they played a number of college fraternity dances and were fortunate enough to have all the local teen venues like Party Time, The Flame Club, the House of Sound, Westlake Beach Club, Tiger a’GoGo, the Scene, the Indiana Roof Ballroom, and the Whiteland barn, to perform for the Indianapolis teen crowd.

They enjoyed local success and even chartered buses with friends and fans to several dates at The Cellar, a club in the Chicago area. They opened national shows for the McCoys, Beach Boys and Byrds and as they began to write and perform more original material, they recorded 2 singles “We’re Gonna Love” and “Not the Spirit of India”.

Through the remaining 1960’s, the band member count diminished from 5 to 4 and eventually to 3. The group finally discontinued performing as Sir Winston in 1970."

Just about covers all the bases for the band. They were known as the wild guys with costumes and Joe with the cape. This is one of the bands with the least amount of personnel changes over the years.

Sir Winston and the Commons recorded some great tunes and released 2 45's!
We're Gonna Love / Come Back Again - Soma 1454 (1966)
Not the Spirit of India / One Last Chance - Nauseating Butterfly 2207 (1967)

Also recorded during the Soma sessions were two unreleased songs

All Of The Time & No Sorrow - I'll only put up clips as these are for sale on the Norton records website. Hell, if I put up all the songs, who will buy the records?

Of course we previously covered Sir Winston and the Commons involvement with Rojay Gotee.

I've had more requests for this band than any other so far, so get the comments and additions in gear, and let them know they are remembered!