Tags: texas

Since we have not posted in a while, due to the holidays, and normally only give our readers’ record banter, I figured I would start us off with a short history lesson to bring home the rebellious tone of this weeks dug up rarity. In the fall of 1775, The United States Navy was established to intercept incoming British ships carrying war supplies to the British troops in the colonies. To aid in this, the Second Continental Congress authorized the mustering of five companies of Marines to accompany the Navy on their first mission. The first Marines that enlisted were from Philadelphia and they carried drums painted yellow, depicting a coiled rattlesnake with thirteen rattles, and the motto “Don’t Tread On Me.”

Coining themselves “The Outlaws” sums up the sound of this weeks selection of 60’s Texas garage. Kit and The Outlaws evolved from their previous name The Outlaws. Hailing from Dallas and led by Kit Massingill, they first recorded a single (Worlds Apart/Fun, Fame & Fortune) on the In Label, which was produced by the famed Tommy Allsup. After dropping this first record the group changed a few members to later record a fuzzed up version of Midnight Hour. This cover gave the group some international distribution by way of Phillips Records.


The anthem of rebellion on the B-side of this disc sparked my interest in this group. In 1966 the group recorded “Don’t Tread on Me” at Sellars Studios in downtown Dallas for Black Knight Records. After this recording session, the group decided to change their name from The Outlaws to Kit and The Outlaws, simultaneously signing a 5-year contract with Phillips. The original Black Knight pressings list the band name as The Outlaws and later pressings (scanned) read Kit and The Outlaws. Because the record contains so much force and fury, with the menacing vocals and fuzzed up instrumentation this disc has become known as one of the best punk singles of all time. The Outlaws gained some fame as they flew up the charts because of the Pickett cover, opening for the likes of Herman’s Hermits and Sunny and Cher. The group was a four piece: Kit Massengill on lead guitar, Joe Jesmer on drums, Jerry Colwell on vocals, and Alan Rafkin on bass. This single has survived threw the years and was even covered by The Cramps with different lyrics as “Nest of the Cukoo Bird.” I want to thank Chas Kit of Garage Hangover, most of this weeks post came straight from his site.

LISTEN: Kit and The Outlaws – Don’t Tread on Me

LISTEN: Kit and The Outlaws – Midnight Hour

This week I am crossing the borders of Texas, for a short moment, with The Five Americans. This group came together in Durant, Oklahoma at Southeastern State University in 1962. The reason I am including this group in this mix of Texas acts is because they relocated to Dallas in 1964, so I figure they were here for all of their success, they’re a Texas group. The groups members were Mike Rabon on vocals and lead guitar, John Durrill on organ and vocals, Norman Ezell on rhythm guitar and vocals, Jim Grant on bass and Jimmy Wright on the drums. They originally relocated to Texas to try to make enough money for the following semester of school, but once they arrived they gained a lot of notoriety. A local label, Abnak Records, whose owner John Abdnor, took the group under his wing, providing the group with the resources to practice and record.

In 1965 the group wrote and recorded “I See The Light.” This track would prove to be the group’s roughest/punkier track to record to date. This track went to the top twenty on the billboard charts and paved the way for many hits to come. “Western Union,” being the groups largest hit, really put them on the map, however now the group’s tunes had much more pop sensibility. The group only recorded tunes for five years, but still were able to sell millions upon millions of records. I found some information claiming that Abnak Records owned all of the rights of the groups music, when Abdnor died the group didn’t received any of the royalties either. Wikipedia claims that Sundazed bought all of the rights to the original tapes and now the group receives some of the money they deserve. I love this track because most harmonies of this era contain beautiful melodic voices in tune, for this track the entire group is literally yelling all at once. I personally really enjoy the organ screeches for it brings to mind screeching guitar feedback giving this tune a real monster rough tone with a screaming harmony.


In 1969 the group rerecorded their tune “I See The Light” as “I See The Light 69.” This version credits the group as Michael Rabon and The Five Americans. Being that this was toward the end of the recording career for the Americans, I think they wanted to throw out what ever they could to stay on the map. This rendition is great, filled with snarls from Rabon and many overdone guitar solos. I am confused why they spotlighted Rabon for he always was the front man for the group. I personally enjoy the original more being that it is a tuffer version really sticking to an early punk scheme.

LISTEN: The Five Americans – I See The Light

LISTEN: The Five Americans – I See The Light 69

McAllen, Texas brings us The Headstones, a group of infinite talent in the fuzz/garage genre, who only brought us sadly two singles. These four tracks are real monsters, for this band with such small recorded material, comes up when ever Texas garage is mentioned. The group recorded for Pharaoh Records, a two track recording studio, owned by Jimmy Nicholls, which happened to be in McAllen as well. The group finally broke up in 1968 after the lead vocalist was busted for marijuana possession and sentenced to one year in prison. Today I bring you the flip of this charting disc “Wish She Were Mine.” I personally enjoy the slow rougher garage track “24 Hours (Everyday).” I found this early scan with only four of the six members shown, however being such a great shot thought I would include it as well.

I have been looking for anything by this group, and have come up short because of a large price tag, over and over again, either at the record convention or on the bay. This track I actually found at a garage sale in Austin not long ago. I have the dreaded feeling, after realizing that rereleases are in print, that this press must be one of the many represses. G45 ranks the original single at number 60 in the rarest of rare garage singles. The site claims that there are only 7 known remaining copies. Unless I received the best deal of all time, this is a rerelease. I mainly think this because all of the original Pharaoh’s releases list the record call numbers in the middle of the label, where my press has the call numbers closer to the left. Now that I am done playing record geek, Enjoy.

LISTEN: The Headstones – 24 Hours (Everyday)