Mercury Rocket 88

I get a nice quick e*mail today from the creator of the Mercury Rocket 88 site. It's a site developed for Mike Mercer (Mercury) and his gang of musicians and friends from the early to mid '60s Columbus & Edinburg area bands featuring:

Garry & The Twiliters
The XLs

Lots of great pics abound and although I didn't see a guest book, please leave a comment show your appreciation for the bands, and the time it took to do all the work!

I'll leave a link up to it on the right (the list over there that probably no one ever looks at!)

Royal Blue - Royal Blues ? Kokomo '67 Mystery Band

Another mystery band from 1967. All I know is the drum head says "Royal Blue", or "Royal Blues", I suspect Royal Blues by the spacing. Photo is from a Kokomo, Indiana area high school yearbook.
As always any help in sleuthing for this combo is welcome! We've had great success honoring these bands, don't let us down now! If you're googling your band name, please fill us in.



This just in:

"Among the members of the the Royal Blues, as I recall, were Paul Harvey (deceased) and Garnett Carter (Greentown). Garnett is associated with THE GOSPEL SINGING MESSENGERS EVANGELISTIC ASSOCIATION INC "

Thanks Mark!

International Silver String Submarine Banned - ISSSB

International Silver String Submarine Banned. The name was "borrowed" from the "Little Rascals / Our Gang" shows, but this band certainly was real. Not many bands had a girl in them, but fewer still had a lead guitarist that was a "miss"!

Pictured members:
Back row, left to right-
Dave Smith - rhythm guitar
Mike Kelley - lead singer / guitar
Randy Barnes - bass guitar
Front row-
Randy Steenbergen - drums
Laura Stout (now Harmon) - Lead guitar / backup vocals

Here's the skinny straight from Laura:

We are all from Howe High School, graduating classes of ’67, ’68, and ’69. We first formed in March of 1967 as the Ogres Bridge. Some of the band members were previously with the Other Side, disbanded a few months earlier. As the Ogres Bridge, we established what we wanted to do but had a change in personnel, so we renamed the band to the ISSSB, which was often used in acronym form for advertising purposes.
At that time, there were many Battle of the Bands contests and we entered a few of them, doing quite well. We took 3rd at the Marion County Fair in 1967, although audience reactions said we had the 1st place. Judges didn’t like the bit of acid rock we were doing. This was at a time when “Let’s Spend the Night Together” was banned from a lot of radio stations. Then we played at the Young America Fair (remember that?) at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. We took 1st place the night we played, and I think 3rd at the finals, I’m not really sure about that. The audience voted by using tokens and putting them in the band boxes. I still have a few tokens from then. We also played at Carnegie Music Store battle of the bands contest in 1968 and took 1st place. The store was on Madison Avenue in Indy. I had played there 2 contests before, not placing, so this was very exciting to me. What we won was a $500 recording time there in their studio. One of the things that helped us win was by writing our own song for this, called Paper Airplane. We never did use the recording because the store closed down. It was a good store while it lasted.
We all hung out at Le Scene, in Fountain Square. The Other Side had performed there many times and the lead player that had, Jack (Sean) Jones, joined/formed the Cardboard Bachs. They were so good, as were Sir Winston and the Commons, Bomarcs… all friends of ours. By the way, Jack Jones - Sean, as most people knew him, was, in my opinion, the best lead player out there. He had the magic! Probably still does.
Throughout the years after high school, we stayed together as a band, playing in and around Indianapolis. We landed a job at the Village Inn Pizza Parlor on Indy’s South side, being the house band for nearly 2 years, playing every Friday and Saturday night. We had a blast there! Eventually the place became The Midnight Sun and a few other club names, as ownership changed.
I previously was in a band (and was next-door neighbor) to Jeanne Schuller. That band was called The Bitter End, with Pat and Mike Finnegan and the drummer was Jay (something?). When I went on to join the ISSSB as lead player, Jeanne went on to join The Shy Ones as their lead player. Jeanne! Where are you?

Thanks Laura! And of course, Laura is now kickin' with a new band R & R Classics, doing 50’s and 60’s and some later tunes. I'm sure she'll have them doin' some early '70s psych soon! If you have a chance to see them, do it! You'll most likely meet the missus and me too!

Triad - Whatever happened to the Olivers? 1969

Earlier we experienced the Olivers blistering 2-sider on Phalanx, later on RCA. We know they had a few member changes (Vietnam was calling, and Jay was asked to join the party). But whatever happened to the (then) young men that soldiered on, Mike Mankey, Billy Franze, Carl Aldrich, and Chuck Hamrick?

Well, now we know the Triad rose from the ashes of the Olivers. Obviously Triad implies three. So, what happened? Chuck had some health issues, and drummer Kent Cretors was recruited. Then organist Carl didn't want the same musical direction as the rest of the team. So now there are three, and the Triad is born.

But this is not our typical Indiana band story. The Triad relocated to the happenin' Minneapolis szene in the late '60s. Then recorded on a Canadian label (Franklin) in '69.

Hear the tunes:
Border Line
Only way to fly

They broke up soon after, and the Serfmen, Olivers, Triad chain was broken.

Thanks for all the info so graciously donated by Mike Mankey. Especially cool is his "One man band gigs". I'm diggin' his "Just Like Me" video. Check it out, and call e*mail him to set up a great party!

Sceptors - Knycks - Jeffersonville, Indiana '66 - '67

If you look in the past notes, one of my first posts were the Sceptors of Jeffersonville, Indiana. It's short but you can look at it here.
A couple of band members have chimed in and we know who is whom:

Front row - L to R

Clyde Miller - Vocals
John Payne - Organ
Back row - L to R
Sonny Lemaire - Bass - vocals
Joe Brown - Drums - vocals
Garry Bowyer - Guitar - vocals
Warren Glotzbach - Lead Guitar - Vocals

We find they DID cut a 45, but it was credited to the Knycks, a transitional name for the band. It was an Ep really, 4 songs! I'll bet it was hard to buy the record when you didn't know the band name!
And for your listening pleasure, we have all the songs available for the first time anywhere (unless you have the 45, then for God's sake, e*mail me!!)


Do wah diddy diddy
If I Needed Someone
Moanin'
What's Your Name


Thanks to Garry and Warren for the info, and Sonny for providing the tunes! You guys are the best.

Blue Angels - Hammond, Indiana

The Blue Angels from Hammond, Indiana have reported in, and we have a great story to tell. The Blue Angels started as the Starlighters, but that name was cut short when they joined the musicians union. Seems there was some band known as Joey D & the Starlighters that had some hit record or something, and the Blue Angels was chosen as the new name.
Band members pictured: (B&W photo)
Mario Muniz - Singer
Kenny Simmons - Bass
John Puskas - Sax
Bob Zemburski - Drums
Rick Toth - Guitar

Also members included Paul Rivich (first guitar player) and singers H.A. Gentry and Micky Mack. The Blue Angels were on the cutting edge as style went, sporting blue silk suits, blue boots, and of course BLUE HAIR!!!

I'll step aside and let John tell his story!

John Puskas:

WE STARTED OUT AS A 3 PIECE POLKA BAND. KENNY ON ACCORDION -JOHN ON SAX AND BOB ON DRUMS. WHEN WE ADDED THE GUITAR AND SINGER KENNY STARTED PLAYING ORGAN AND BASS GUITAR. WE CHANGED OUR NAME TO THE BLUE ANGELS AND ALL HELL BROKE LOOSE. I'M NOT SURE WHO THOUGHT OF THE BLUE HAIR. WE SOMETIMES CHANGED OUTFITS EVERY SET. WE PLAYED EVERY VFW , AMERICAN LEGION , LIONS CLUB, AND EVERYHALL BIG ENOUGH TO HOLD A CROWD. WE PLAYED AT LEAST 5 NIGHTS A WEEK--NIGHT CLUBS--TEEN DANCES--CONCERTS- WEDDINGS. WE WERE THE HOUSE BAND AT MADURAS DANCE LAND IN WHITING INDIANA. IT WAS A HUGE PLACE WITH A STAGE ON BOTH ENDS. ALL OF THE TOP ACTS IN THE COUNTRY CAME THERE TO PLAY. WE MET A LOT OF FAMOUS GROUPS THIS WAY. THE KINGSMEN OF LOUIE LOUIE FAME WOULD EVEN COME TO VISIT US WHEN THEY CAME TO TOWN. THEY SHOWED UP ONE NIGHT AT MIDWAY BALLROOM IN CEDAR LAKE INDIANA WHILE WE WERE ON STAGE. WE TALKED THEM INTO PLAYING A SONG-- THE CROWD THOUGHT WE WERE KIDDING- BOY WERE THEY SURPRISED! ONENIGHT WE PLAYED A BIG CONCERT AT THE HAMMOND CIVIC CENTER-- 10,000 PEOPLE--CHUCK BERRY AND BOBBY FREEMAN WERE THE BIG DRAWS. THE RIVIERAS-- CALIFORNIA SUN FAME- WERE SUPPOSED TO BACK CHUCK UP-- WE CAME OUT FIRST AND BLEW THE CROWD AWAY. CHUCK WENT RIGHT TO THE PROMOTER AND SAID I WANT THOSE GUYS TO BACK ME UP- FORGET THE RIVIERAS! WE DID --CHUCK LOVED IT-- WE LOVED IT - AND HISTORY WAS MADE. THE RIVIERAS -- THEY WERE FROM GARY INDIANA-- WERE NOT HAPPY CAMPERS AND DID NOT TALK TO US MUCH THAT NIGHT. SPEAKING OF GARY-- ONE NIGHT WE WERE PLAYING A VFW IN HAMMOND WHEN THIS FAMILY OF 5 LITTLE BLACK BOYS AND THEIR FATHER SHOWED. THEY PLAYED DURING ONE OF OUR BREAKS. THEY WERE FANTASTIC. I PATTED LITTLE MICHAEL ON THE HEAD AND SAID, YOU KIDS ARE GOING TO BE FAMOUS SOME DAY. BOY --WHAT A MOUTH FULL-- THAT WAS THE LAST TIME I SAW THE JACKSON 5 LIVE! NOT VERY MANY BANDS WANTED TO PLAY ON THE SAME STAGE WITH US-- MORE THAN ONCE. WE PLAYED JAMES BROWN-- CHUCK BERRY- OTIS REDDING-- BO DIDDLEY-- RAY CHARLES- KINKS -- BEATLES- SAM AND DAVE- WELL YOU GET THE IDEA-- LOTS OF ROCK AND ROLL AND BLUES. ALL OF OUR RECORDS WERE ORIGINAL EXCEPT FOR SHAKE A TAIL FEATHER. WE DID TRY TO GET ON THE TED MACK AMATEUR HOUR ONCE-- WHILE WE WERE PLAYING FOR HIM--MOST OF THE GROUPS WAITING IN THE HALL FOR THEIR TURN-- PACKED UP AND LEFT. TED SAID WE WERE TO GOOD TO PLAY ON THE SHOW AND SENT US HOME.

Thanks John!

The Blue Angels put out three 45s on Cap records out of Chicago.

Cap 76 Fame & Fortune - Quicksand
Cap 77 Dance with me Lynda - Shake a Tail Feather
Cap 79 Please Don't Leave Me - Let's Shout and Shimmy

Hear a clip of Quicksand here!!

Is it just me, or does the CAP font and label info look related to the Cha Cha records stuff?

Thanks to John and the guys for letting me do this! I'm sure I'll get the tunes soon, and I'll post them for all the fans listening pleasure!!!

Idle Few - Indianapolis - Indiana - Kingsmen

The Idle Few were born of the Arlington Kings'Men from 1964. When they decided to cut a 45, the other Kingsmen (maybe you have heard of "Louie Louie"), kinda stood in the way of the Kingsmen name.
Members included:
Rick Webster - guitarist
Ronnie Bennett - Sax - Lead Vocals
Greg Taggart - Bass
Dan McLean - drums
Mark Grey - organ

Hear Farmer John and Another World here.

There is an ongoing debate as to whether the Idle Few also did a
45 on Blue Book with the titles "people that's why / land of dreams". I say not the same, but if I'm wrong, please let me know!!!

Update 1: Jason sent a scan showing the writer credits on the Blue Book 45. I'm sure now it's the same Idle Few. Now I have to get that 45.

Update 2: Did you notice the "Skeet Bushor" production tag? Skeet played in the "Boys Next Door" and had writer credits on the "Sounds Unlimited" 45. Great guy to keep your eye on!