Tags: garage

2 Oct 2010, Comments (0)

The Coachmen – I’m a King Bee (Bear) 1966

Author: michael selman

Holding one of the most common band names in the 60s garage scene, The Coachmen hailing from Lincoln, Nebraska were the most successful with their hit “Mr. Moon.” I had the pleasure of contacting Bruce Watson, the group’s drummer. The Coachmen was originally a six piece, formed from the demise of two Lincoln, Nebraska bands. Rick Bell on organs, Red Freeman on rhythm guitar, Craig Perkins on bass and Jeff Travis on rhythm guitar, were all from a group called The Viscounts. Bruce Watson on drums and Jim Reinmuth on electric piano, were from The Chandells. In 1965 Jim Reinmuth left the group creating the five piece mold that was kept through out the sixties, until horns were added later. In the summer of 1965 just before recording Mr. Moon, Red Freeman left the group to be replaced by Frank Elia who took over as lead vocalist and rhythm guitar.


In August of 1965 Mr. Moon and Nothing At All were recorded in Sears Studio in Omaha, Nebraska. This first recording put the group on the map, and turned into a regional hit. Originally Mr. Moon was released on the MMC label, which later helped them strike a distribution deal with Bear Records, who also re-released the disc. In the next 12 months the band was receiving airplay all over the United States. Mr. Moon, right away strikes a chord of melancholy, which is accompanied by a quick, sharp, organ piece, which turns into a story of lost love. This moody garage tune, with its catchy hooks, will stick in anyone’s head for days.


In 1966 the group added two horns, Rusty Davis on trumpet and Merle Leadly on sax. The group then covered Ray Sharpe’s Linda Lou backed with a garage tinged version of Slim Harpo’s swamp blues tune I’m A King Bee. This track is my favorite that The Coachmen released. The Coachmen’s version of I’m A King Bee swings a bit from the original. A main change, from the walking bass line of the original to a sliding bass line, and not to mention the added hand claps with extra reverb on top, give this tune a ruff and tuff sound, where the original was straight forward blues. For the group’s next single, the two horns were dropped to regain the garage roots of the original line up, covering The Who’s My Generation.


The group would continue to record, however with a market movement to a younger crowd, The Coachmen would need to make some changes. These changes were used to keep up with the bubble gum sound, which had begun to take root. The group tried two different Identities, Alexander’s Rock Time Band and Professor Morrison’s Lollipop, with some success, which also lead to other recording and production deals with Super K and White Whale. The group later broke up in 1969.

The Coachmen were inducted into the Nebraska Music Hall of Fame in 1997, and the Iowa Rock N Roll Hall of Fame in 2008. All of the information and the one promo photo came directly from Bruce Watson or The Coachmen website. These guys have a 19 track CD that is for sale on their site, which can be purchased here. The mailing address for the groups Merchandise is not up to date, please email them, for information. To check out all of The Coachmen’s merchandise look here.

LISTEN: The Coachmen – Mr. Moon

LISTEN: The Coachmen – I’m a King Bee

7 Sep 2010, Comments (1)

The Hombres-Let It Out (Let It All Hang Out) (Verve 1967)

Author: alex larotta

Mix in Bob Dylan’s nonsensical lyricism, a recognizable chord progression/organ vamp (i.e. Them’s Gloria), handclaps on the one, and stir it with a funky southern swagger, and you’ve got a hit. At least, it worked for Memphis’ The Hombres and their Let It Out (Let It All Hang Out) single on Verve from 1967. It’s a pretty ridiculous song, and ridiculously catchy at that. Clocking out an inch past two minutes, Let It Out (Let It All Hang Out) was produced by Texas record cowboy, Huey Meaux, and charted the national Top 40 for a few weeks in the fall of ‘67 (peaking at #12). The Hombres attempted to follow up on their novelty approach to hit-makers with another 45 (and full-length LP), but failed to chart again and dissipated shortly thereafter in 1969. For me, this record is testament to why psychotropics and late 60s music experimentalism worked so damn well.
LISTEN: The Hombres- Let It Out (Let It All Hang Out)
26 Aug 2010, Comments (0)

The New Breed – P.M. or Later (Jamie) 1967

Author: michael selman


I have been trying to locate members of The New Breed for a long time with no real luck. The confusion surrounding this band has proven to be quite a hardship to research, for in trying to cross facts many inaccuracies are found. The New Breed was another great Dallas area group headed up by the master writer and vocalist Ron Price. Ron wrote Texas hits such as “Wishy Washy Woman”, and “My Girl” for Jimmy Rabbit. He also wrote the tune “Didn’t We Have a Good Time” for The Mystics, another Dallas group, which is where some inaccuracies surface.


Many sources falsely accredit Price as one of the musicians who played with The Mystics. I contacted Bud Buschardt who was part owner of GPC Enterprises in the 60s. GPC was the booking agency that promoted The Mystics. I Hoped Bud would have some information on The New Breed or could confirm or deny whether Price was in The Mystics. He was under the assumption that Price was in the group as well, but was not really sure, being that it had been forty years and that he only booked the group. He was nice and mailed me some great promo shots of the Mystics and some publicity prints.


Bud pointed out that in “Journey to Tyme” (Texas discography of 60’s psych), The Mystics and The New Breed were listed as the same group. Bud told me to try to contact Robin Hood Brians out of Tyler, TX. Robin had recorded and produced The New Breeds last record in 1968 “I’d Like To See Her Again/High Society Girl.” Robin Hood, as most know, is one of the heavy hitters when it comes to recording and production in Texas. He is known for recording Jon and Robin, Kenny and The Kasuals, The Moving Sidewalks and Jimmy Rabbit. I tried to contact Robin Hood for a while with little luck.


In the mean time I stumbled upon an interview at Garage Hangover with Dave Mitchell, the bassist from the Mystics. He confirmed that Price was never in the group, that he only wrote their single. Price became affiliated with The Mystics after they won a battle of the bands. This set them up with a single on the Spectra label, out of Dallas, who Price had been working with at the time. This interview shows many scans of the band lacking any photos of Ron Price. Mitchell claims that the Spectra label and the In Crowd label (The New Breed’s first label) had some affiliation. The two labels, according to Mitchell, mislead the public to believe that The Mystics became The New Breed, to give the band some publicity. I then tracked down a man by the name of Gerald Peirce, who was in a group named the Mystics and soon after joined another group called The New Breed. As it turns out there was another Mystics from Port Neches, TX and another New Breed from Beaumont, TX. For a side note Peirce was in a group named The Basic Things also from Beaumont; check it out on Garage Hangover.

I also stumbled upon a great interview at 60sgaragebands, where Bill Looney from The Penthouse Five, another amazing Dallas group, spoke of some affiliation with Price. The Penthouse Five used to play gigs in Dallas with The New Breed and actually recorded one of Price’s tunes, “Don’t Mess Around With My Dream”. This interview seems to reflect that Price was in The Mystics as well.

Around this time I received a call back from Robin Hood, he told me that he didn’t remember the exact details, but he thought that the group consisted of a few brothers and that he would contact Ron Price to verify. When Robin called me back I learned that Ron Price had passed away several years ago from multiple strokes. Robin Hood told me that Ron’s brother, who Robin spoke with on the phone, said the band consisted of five brothers. He also claimed to be the vocalist on “I’d Like to See Her Again.” The brother also said the group at one time had played as Roy Orbison’s backing band? Robin told me that he didn’t feel comfortable giving me the brother’s name or number and that he would forward my email to him so he could contact me. That email never came…

I am posting this hoping one of our readers will solve the mystery. If a person was to look close at the scan of “P.M. or Later”, D. Morris was credited as well as R. Price, proving that at least a portion of the writing crew was not of relation. BMI doest not reflect D. Morris, only Ron Price as the writer. Another thing that is funny to mention here is that after this track was pressed regionally, the Jamie Label picked it up and sited the production to Ray Price instead of Ron Price. Yet another bit of oddness for this group, the first release of “P.M. or Later” contains lyrics where the second release on Jamie is a straight forward instrumental. I want to apologize for the poor condition of the In Crowd release of “P.M. or Later,” it is the only one I have turned up as of yet. If anyone has any information about The New Breed or Ron Price please contact us and we will reference your contribution.

The New Breed Discography

In Crowd 001 – Sunny/P.M. Or Later
Jamie 1341 – Sunny/P.M. Or Later
In Crowd – Little Bit of Soul
In Crowd 1234 – Big Time/Summer’s Comin’
Fraternity 1003 – I’d Like To See Her Again/High Society Girl

LISTEN: The Mystics – Didn’t We Have Good Time

LISTEN: The New Breed – High Society Girl

LISTEN: The New Breed – P.M. Or Later

LISTEN: The New Breed – P.M. Or Later (In Crowd release)

8 Aug 2010, Comments (3)

The Argyles – Farmer John (PIC-1) 1966

Author: michael selman

Another San Antonio story, The Argyles were a group which formed in 1965, which rose to fame from one hit and went on to relocate to California and become The Children. All five members hailing from different sections of the Alamo city: Alamo Heights, Keystone, Macarthur, Jefferson and Cole graduates, jumped into music at a young age. The Members were: Steve Perron on guitar and VOX, Luis Cabaza on the keys, Ben Trieber on bass, Steve Anderson on drums, Chris Holzhaus on guitar, VOX.


The Argyles regularly played The Teen Canteen and Ft. Sam Houston, as it turns out the group formed The Minds Eye Club as well. From what I can tell The Minds Eye was a real hip joint with smoke machines and strobe lights creating one of the first hippie hangouts in San Antonio. The dive next to The Minds Eye was a 50s hang out called The Big Orange known for it’s territorial hoods coined “The Big Orange Hoodlums.” Well it seems that at this time, “The Hoods,” were the only source for dope, seeing that in those days 20 years was given out for possession of a joint. As it turns out the Big Orange Hoodlums shot The Argyles bassist, Benny Tieber, in the leg over a deal gone wrong.


Some time in 1966 The Argyles meet up with the Cajun producer Huey Meaux. Meaux recorded the Argyles only single, Farmer John/White Lightnin’ on the Pic-One label. Both sides were recorded at Meaux’s recording facility, Pasadena Sounds in Pasadena, TX, which at the time of this recording would have only been up and running for a little less than a year. Farmer John was a cover written by Dewey Terry and Don Harris who were a part of a group called the Squires in the mid and late 50s. There song became a hit by the California based group The Premiers in 1964 after being covered by The Searchers a year prior with no success.


Both the Searcher’s and Premier’s versions follow the original lyrics “Farmer John, I’m in love with your daughter.” The Argyles veered from the original giving the song a real Texas Raunchy feel with “Farmer John, I’m in love with your Mother.” I’m not sure who had the idea to change the lyrics of the chorus whether it was Meaux or The Argyles, however I love it and feel it is the best of the three versions. The Argyles also switched up the Premiers version by excluding the guitar break and shoving in a real nice slice of organ. The Premiers started a trend with their cut of Farmer John by creating a live feel on the recording. The track was supposedly recorded live in the Rhythm Room in Fullerton, California, however they laid down the track in a studio in Hollywood. The Argyles also went after a live feel for their version of Farmer John with laughter and party noises in the background through out the track. Ben Treiber died in 1969 only three years before Steve Perron, two young for both of these talented men. The group went on to form The Children and move to California. I received most of this information from a great website dedicated to San Antonio, www.saboomie.com. I was lucky enough to make a trade with my friend Kevin for this copy of Farmer John, hope you enjoy.

LISTEN: The Argyles – Farmer John

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