 The
years from 1966 through 1972 are considered by most to be the prime era
of the Detroit area's rock history and they're used here as a discretionary
guideline
rather
than a hard and fast rule so transitional or influential performers
and bands from the earlier sixties as well as those who might have gotten
a late start also get some mention in this section devoted to the musicians
of Detroit rock.
Profiles for many of these talents are constantly evolving as new data comes to light while others remain abbreviated as links to more comprehensive information elsewhere on the internet can be cited. Photos, record jacket scans and other visuals related to these artists appear as space permits and material becomes available. There is also no doubt that these listings overlook many other superb Motor City rock talent and groups of the era which, with your input, will find their way into this later. The listings and profiles contained herein are about as arbitrary as it gets, however. They are the groups and musicians of which a helpful collective of associate correspondents and I had some cognitive recollection, not a comprehensive list. So if you have information on an individual or group from those years that's been slighted, overlooked or omitted, please get in touch. While less-than-trustworthy memories may
have been the major guideline for inclusion, the following references have
been among the notable sources of edification, inspiration, clarification
and information found in this section:
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Shakin' Street: Ben Edmonds' authoritative essay on the history of Detroit Rock from Metro Times
The Original Michigan Rock History by Dick Rosemont appearing in 'Bomp' Magazine, Spring 1975
Vernon Joynson's masterwork on sixties garage/psych bands & records: Fuzz, Acid & Flowers
John Sinclair's essays on the music and socio-political upheaval of the era: Guitar Army
Detroiter Dave Marsh's first edition of The Rolling Stone Record Guide
Terry Hounsome's database of rock musicians and recordings: Rock Base
The profiles appearing in the All Music Guide
Issue 6 of Jeff Jarema's tremendous DIY fanzine for sixties garage rock maniacs: Here 'Tis
contains THE comprehensive Rationals history!
The record collectors journals , DISCoveries & Goldmine
The Virgin Encyclopedia of Rock, London: Virgin Books, 1996
Paul Grushkin's beautiful rock 'n' roll poster history: The Art of Rock
. . . and, most importantly, the hundreds of individuals who've written and provided empirical data, recollections, history, background info, pictures, music, corrections/updates to the entries and especially differing opinions. Keep 'em coming! Credit for the contributions will be made as these listings are updated.
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According to one legend, singer Furnier
developed a belief he was the reincarnation of a 17th. century witch named
"Alice Cooper" after a Ouija board session and bestowed the name
on the group. Furnier has elsewhere suggest the name Alice was adopted
to throw his local draft board off balance but whatever the purpose, he
attached the name to his stage persona an outrageous, androgynous
character he created to draw attention to the group who often deliberately
played badly and frequently insulted their audiences. And it worked! 
By 1969 they encountered kindred spirit Frank Zappa who signed them to
his new record label (Straight) and convinced them to move to California.
During the course of recording two albums for Zappa, ("Pretties for
You" and "Easy Action") Furnier's makeup and theatrics drifted
increasingly toward the bizarre while the band was honing it's rock 'n'
roll chops into a fine performing unit.
By 1970, Detroit's exploding music scene lured the band away from San Francisco and Straight Records and they laid claim to the Motor City as their new home. Inspired even further by a combination of the edgy music of the MC5 and stage antics of Iggy and the Stooges, Alice continued to expand and exploit his/their style of shock-rock into a theater-of-the-absurd stage show, replete with snakes, dolls, electric chairs and other macabre paraphernalia. This, combined with markedly improved playing and growing artistic credibility in the 1971 albums "Love It To Death" and "Killer" produced a growing national response to Alice's music, largely based on their top 20 single "I'm Eighteen", which illustrated how well Alice had absorbed the MC5 / Stooges influence.
By 1972 the band ditched their Detroit home and split for Connecticut, again enlisted noted producer Bob Ezrin in search of another hit record (which they got in "Billion Dollar Babies") and continued the ascent toward rock stardom. The link to the Motor City was never lost as the Alice band began to rely heavily on the Michigan-bred, twin guitar attack of Steve Hunter (ex-Detroit) and Dick Wagner (ex-Frost) in the studio and, eventually as part of the stage show.
With a little bit of digging, one can unearth most of the Alice Cooper story on the internet. For those so inclined, a good starting point is the "official" Alice Cooper web site which summarizes a long and convoluted musical career.
Although Detroit was only a relatively
short stop-over during the Alice Cooper odyssey, anybody who remembers
their startling local shows in the early seventies will attest Alice was
another key reason there was no such thing as musical boredom in Detroit.
"Had a chance to see All The Lonely People last Tuesday at Meadow Brook. It's safe to say that one more great band has come out of Detroit, except that I guess they really have not come out of the city yet. But they will. They have to. So do many other bands. They're just too good to fence into one area. Some say All The Lonely People is like Blood, Sweat & Tears but it just isn't so. The People's music is much more feeling and it is definitely more spontaneous. John Lennon, when asked what he thought of B,S & T said: "They are good but I don't like such disciplined music." He couldn't say that about All the Lonely People. He'd like them."
With
their genesis in The Lourds a premier local group from the Northwest
suburbs the Amboy Dukes were conceived by Nugent in while on a
short hiatus in Chicago but fulfilled when he returned to Detroit as Ted
grabbed some of the better players from other local bands and tirelessly
rehearsed them into an adroit performing unit, several notches above most
of their "garage" band contemporaries. The early Amboy Dukes built heavily
on two of their strongest assets: Nugent's furious playing and his collaborative
song writing with Steve Farmer.
Among the first rock groups of this era in the Motor City to land a record deal, their much awaited first album on Mainstream was dreadfully recorded (with all the studio defects that were typical of the times) and features perhaps one of the ugliest covers ever printed (see image). In spite of all that, their first effort contained some very promising original material and every note carried the ring of authentic Detroit energy.
After the first round of numerous personnel shakeups, their second album in 1968 (with the "smoking" record sleeve) delivered the goods. It contains the Dukes' significant hit record, "Journey to the Center of the Mind", a slew of terrific originals ("Surrender to Your Kings", "Dr. Slingshot", etc.) from the Nugent/ Farmer pen and a working definition of "acid" rock that would assure their place in history.
By then, having surpassed themselves twice, the Amboy Dukes might have easily ended up as a trivia question in the "what ever happened to. . . ?" psychedelic casualty category (think: Blues Magoos), except that Nugent's single-minded determination (and a revolving door through which came some of Michigan's best rock musicians) kept the band on the road and cranking out proto-metal albums well into the seventies at which point Ted dropped the Amboy Duke tag in favor of his own name. As the group played musical chairs over those years, for good, bad or otherwise, what started out as the Amboy Dukes ended up little more than nameless accompanists for Nugent who, consistent with Detroit's high-energy sound, was once heralded by Cub Koda as:
"A powerful, high-decibel guitarist, Nugent's energy more than makes up for whatever subtleties he lacks.".Nuge has gone on to quite a lengthy and successful solo career built on his self described "gonzo" guitar playing along with a penchant for overt sexual reference in his song writing. And, he's certainly not shy about his sometimes controversial personal beliefs either. Those with the courage can click here for most everything Ted wants you to know about Detroit's own man of the loincloth. Check your hunting bows at the door.
For an insight or two into the World According to Nugent and some unusually candid recollections of the Dukes and the sixties Detroit scene in general, jump to Ted's interview with Allan Vorda from 1988 .
Of the many Dukes that passed through the
band, one noteworthy member was second guitarist and Nugent's song writing
partner Steve Farmer in the first incarnation of the band.
Farmer has also maintained an on-and-off solo career, including a guest
gig on a late 1990's recording
with the California based Acid/Goth band Babylonian
Tiles an intriguing group who've continued to expand the darker
vocabulary of psychedelia and have built quite a following in the Detroit
area. Steve followed this with the release of his own new recording
Journey
to the Darkside of the Mind - not long ago, backed by numerous veterans
of the Michigan music scene. Information about the record,
his current activities and an interview can all be found at
his
web site . Steve is currently a substitute teacher in the Redford
MI school district and according to reports, often brings his guitar to
class and sings for the students.
At some early stage in the evolution of Southeastern Michigan's music scene, The Apostles were known to be a pretty big draw around Ann Arbor. Another of Jeep Holland's A-Square talent roster, they played lots of gigs at the Fifth Dimension, more than a few times at the Grande and they even landed a warm-up slot when Jefferson Airplane played Ford Auditorium on their first visit to Motor Town in the summer of '67. Although most recollections from those days are full of holes and (probably chemical) haze, this writer vaguely remembers a pretty amusing "Gloria" parody as part of their standard set.ANDY SOLOMON - Keyboards, Vocals SLEEPY JACKSON - Bass LOUIS FRANKLIN - Drums
Solomon, of course, went on to greater fame as part of the Amboy Dukes. And, a recent e-mail provided a clue, a picture . . . and a what was once a warning.
"ya know, andy solomon played keys in the apostles, the bass player was called sleepy jackson and the drummer was a tall black guy, i might have their picture at home, and once when jackson left the band, i asked jeep holland about it and all he said was WE DON'T TALK ABOUT SLEEPY JACKSON."Well, maybe we will now.
And Scott Bailey, powerhouse drummer for the Up adds:
"The drummer for the Apostles was named Louis Franklin. He was a
friend and mentor to me before I joined the Up".
According to guitarist Dave Harrison from the early line-up of the band, the group that became Stuart Avery Assemblage evolved in late 1967:
". . . I recall it took a little while to arrive at the name. We took Stu's first name. The next step was to find a last name, which we borrowed from the Kinks drummer, Mick Avery. Finally, We wanted some synonym for group", but something different. That's how we arrived at Assemblage. "
"Anyway, before I'd arrived, they played a bit with another drummer but I recall them saying that he'd get fed up and quit a lot; they had keyboardist (electric piano) Tim Lambert (a really funny guy, by the way very sharp, dry wit) and bass player (a long time friend of mine, Mike Portney), although I don't know much about that incarnation before it was called the Stuart Avery Assemblage.Stuart himself remembers hanging a handle on the band just a little differently, but with pretty much the same results:"Mike introduced me to Stu, then shortly afterwards the prior drummer quit for good, and we found Jim Render (one of the nicest guys I've ever known) for drums. I played lead guitar at the time. As I recall, that lineup faded quickly; Mike quit and we decided to get a better lead guitarist, with myself on rhythm. I believe Jim Render hooked us up with Jim Borisen for bass. Render knew Borisen from Groves High School. Shortly afterwards we found Kingery I think Borisen got him for us."
" . . . my middle name is Avery, and I have used [it] as my last name for 35 years. I do remember that we discussed if Avery was a good enough name for the Kinks it was good enough to use as a group type name (back then looking and sounding English was veeerrry important).".Together only three months, this version of the Avery Assemblage was propelled into the spotlight when they opened for The Yardbirds at Detroit's premier venue The Grande Ballroom in May of '68. Their high energy performance captured the attention of Yardbird legendary guitarist Jimmy Paige who invited the SAA back on stage to join the Yardbirds in a post show encore jam, making them the envy of some of their garage band contemporaries and providing the Avery Assemblage with a reputation that would help them to become one of Detroit's most often heard bands.
Influenced by groups like Jeff Beck, Small
Faces, Free, The Rascals and The Stones, The Avery Assemblege built heavily
on their assets by writing their own material that featured the rock and
soul vocal style of Avery and the edgy
high energy funk guitar strength of Kingery. Playing the Hideout club circuit
and other Midwest indoor and outdoor venues, the group quickly became a
top notch act with a large and devoted following. Considered a concert
powerhouse the group was a prominent regular attraction at The Grande sharing
the bill with The Grateful Dead, Blood, Sweat and Tears, Spooky Tooth,
Spirit and Ten Years After, to name a few. When the Eastown went
head to head with the Grande for an audience, they booked The Avery Assemblage
and Badfinger for a draw. Little wonder that a collection of handbills
and posters from the era leave a long trail of Avery Assemblage sightings.
The Stuart Avery Assemblage changed members in 1970 and resurfaced full
of Motown attitude as The Assemblage. With a new sound thanks in part to
the addition of keyboardist Robyn Robbins (who joined the band when original
keyboardist Lambert suffered debilitating injuries in a car accident)
the group signed in ' 71 with soul label Westbound Records.
"We were the labels only white act." recalls Avery. "George Clinton and The Parliament and Funkadelic were charting a new course with an eye on replacing Sly and The Family Stone as funk kings and the label allocated their energy to them with little time or promotional monies for us."
Still the release of The Assemblage Album offered a reworked cover of The Rolling Stones Satisfaction, which became a fast charted hit parking itself at number 15 in just two short weeks on power station CKLW. With the constant radio play of a hit single The Assemblage would have been voted most likely to succeed, but because of poor distribution outside the Midwest, the group was doomed to go the way of many of the areas best groups. By the middle of 1971 The Assemblage like the rest of the Motor City scene began to unravel. Frustration and weariness took its toll and despite the release of ShotGun, another high energy single, The Assemblage decided to call it quits, throwing in the towel with little fanfare.
After The Assemblage, Stuart went on to hook up briefly with Edgar Winter's White Trash group and then on to studio production work. Today, he's a successful marketing guru, speech maker and international author (Stuart Avery Gold) with several highly acclaimed books to his credit.
Keyboardist Robyn Robbins joined Bob Seger as one of the original Silver Bullet Band members. After his split from Seger, Robbins became a producer who owns and operates a successful recording studio in Ireland.
Paul Kingery also worked with Seger in the studio before splitting for L.A. and playing guitar for Rick Springfield. He's still rocking to this day as the long-time bassist of Three Dog Night.
John Orlich is an artist known for his unique glass drum creations, used by many a famous drummer. John has also written a memoir about SRC that was recently published -- check it out!
Eddie "Bongos" Brown and Jack Ashford have been remembered and recognized in the movie Standing In The Shadows of Motown.
To date, none of The Assemblage or early Stuart Avery material has been presented on any compilation (a shame). However part of a live performance as an opening act for Procol Harum has been captured on an underground CD and is circulated among today's garage and punk-funk fans.
Ultimately, Farlow broke up the band to take over for Little Walter in Sam Lay's blues group and the rest of Sunshine moved on to other endeavors. Welker and (later) Dickerson joined up with Chicago harmonica player Charlie Musslewhite's band and Hamilton was drafted by Mitch Ryder. In late 1969, Farlow and Dickerson were reunited when they began to collaborate with George Frane as Commander Cody and his Lost Planet Airmen fell together in Ann Arbor. Everybody headed for the west coast not long afterwards, but not before Farlow's vocals and plaintive harmonica had been tattooed all over Motor City music history.
The Station ran a smash-and-grab path through the blues, boogie, and fifties-era rock then dumped it all out in a completely modern interpretation, reverent to the spirit of the originals but cranked through Marshall stacks set on '10' and powerful enough for the big stages of the era. Their sources and execution could have invited comparison to bands like J. Geils and Foghat as interpreters in the Chuck Berry/Bo Diddley tradition but one listen to their debut album in 1970 dispelled all such contrasts as evidenced by their afterburners-on rendition of "Road Runner" and by conjuring Link Wray's spirit with a wicked version of "Rumble". With their reputation growing as the hardest working stage show in Michigan, they gigged steadily around the Great Lakes for the next couple of years until they grabbed their moment in the national spotlight with the hit record "Smokin' in the Boys Room" in 1973.
What set Brownsville Station apart from the herd of Midwest boogie bands during the early seventies was their rompin', stompin' stage show. There was no way the band could have ever translated their live act to vinyl (although their records were still automatically in the 'must-play' stack at every party) each performance was a loopy adventure, with Koda's kid-in-a-candy-store stage persona and between-songs patter providing both histrionics and history, peppered with an arch sense of humor that showed the band never took themselves so seriously they wouldn't just rock with the crowd. Everybody worked up a sweat, had a laugh, learned a little and nobody ever left a Station show feeling cheated. As an example, correspondent John Tress recalls the following:
"Once I saw Brownsville Station at a club just outside of Detroit. After a few tunes Cub announced, "I'm bringing out a special guest tonight". He left the stage only to re-enter it a few moments later with his shirt open to the waist stuffing a roll of toilet paper down in front of his pants with his band pumping out "I Want to be Your Dog". He did Iggy Stooge! It was hilarious and it was done for comedy - not to be a put down. Their shows were always rocking and uplifting."After six albums, ten years of constant touring and fostering that whole generation of 80's "hair" bands (who lifted their entire shtick from Cub and the boys), a weary Brownsville Station finally hit the end of the road in 1979. The whole story of the Station, about which Cub once said: "We never referred to ourselves as a 'rock group'; we were a Detroit rock'n'roll band, and damn proud of it." (including the quote) can be found in Cub's terrific liner notes to the essential 1993 CD, "Smokin' in the Boys Room The Best of Brownsville Station" on Rhino Records.
For a comprehensive look at the band's career, player bios, recordings and other highlights, please check in at the Brownsville Station web site.
Following Brownsville Station, instead of taking a much deserved break, the prolific Mr. Koda just kicked it up another gear. He got hold of Detroit area bar-band Mugsy and transformed them into Cub Koda and the Points for a run of a couple years and one pink vinyl album. All the while he was writing his celebrated "Vinyl Junkie" column which began appearing in Goldmine Magazine (and later, Discoveries ) along with writing band profiles for the All Music Guide. Cub also kept on recording solo projects something he started during the Station years (much of which appeared on record entitled "Welcome to My Job"). Along the way he did a short stint as a disk jockey and he continued to perform, leading Hound Dog Taylor's Houserockers well into the 80's.
In the 1990's, Cub delivered several acclaimed records: "Abba Dabba Dabba - A Bananza of Hits" on Schoolkids Records, wherein he laid waste to any notion about him being a roots purist, "The Joint was Rockin'" a live set from 1983 with the Houserockers (on Deluge Records) and an acoustic disc of original compositions "Box Lunch" on J-Bird. He also produced the definitive compilation of his Del-Tino's recordings and still somehow managed to find time to write the very authoritative "Blues for Dummies" before health issues sidelined him for a while in 1999.
While he appeared to bounce back as strong as ever, opening for Frost at their 30 year reunion bash and putting his show back on the road one more time later that year, it wasn't to last. Not long after a VH-1 did a segment on Brownsville Station in the spring of 2000, Cub's career was cut tragically short when the kidney disease that had slowed him up earlier finally claimed his life in July of that year.
There are plenty of folks who'll tell you Cub Koda spent his life living 36 hours to the day compared to everybody else's 24. And, despite everything he crammed into that remarkable existence, it was probably only a hint of what might have been.
For a moving look back at his life and times, please read Teisco Del Rey's remembrance of his friend and be sure to visit the Cub Koda web site
Rock on in eternity, Cub you are greatly missed.
Energy? Cactus had it in spades, but, as their first album would attest, exuberance is no substitute for failing to introduce the band members to each other before recording -- which is just how it sounded on Cactus' 1970 debut. With Day's strained and shrieking vocals trying desperately to hold ground over the instrumental onslaught, McCarty's new-found enthusiasm for blistering Marshall-amped solos and the banzai rhythm attack of Bogert and Appice, the inaugural record chronicles a band which simply hadn't jelled. Better things followed, however; with two more albums, continually refining the basic formula put forth in the first. But, for all the sweat squeezed into those vinyl grooves, Cactus never did reach much of an audience.
After their third record, McCarty bailed, Day was released shortly aftewards and by mid 1971 it was a different band wearing the name. But the Motor City boys both survived the Cactus experience without too many, uh . . . thorns. Rusty Day went on to front the Ryder-less (but still potent) version of Detroit while Jim McCarty's incendiary guitar finally found its home when he landed in Detroit's more-than-legendary Rockets. Bogert and Appice shut Cactus down after a fourth album but they eventually succeeded in making the same over-the-top formula work by partnering up with Jeff Beck for the power-trio to end 'em all.
The first Cactus album also contains a sort of oblique reference to the local rock scene. The song "My Lady From South of Detroit"; a ballad written (mostly) by Day was rumored to be dedicated to Marcia Hutchinson, one of the darlings of the Grande Ballroom days and a genuinely lovely woman.
For a lot of folks, Cactus was a "love-'em-or-hate-'em" band. If you're in the love-'em camp, you'll probably applaud Scott Sutherland's inclusion of the first Cactus record in his list of Classic Rock Albums You Gotta Own and you'll certainly want to visit the Cactus web site, especially now that they're back together again.
If
Detroit actually needed an answer to Canned Heat and Bob "The Bear" Hite
(it didn't, but that's another matter), then one needs to look no further
than Catfish.
Unlike so many of the groups that tried to rise out of the Motor City music scene, Catfish's triumphant arrival in Detroit coincided with an explosive reputation and only the need to introduce, not prove, themselves in their hometown. You see, almost before anybody in Michigan had even heard of them, Catfish had pulled off a nearly impossible feat: Turning an audition night at the Fillmore East into a series of gigs all over the country and a record deal with Epic that produced a monster album.
Catfish was a terrific band, populated with unmistakably talented veteran players. Virtually the whole ensemble had done time in other Michigan groups of renown before coming together in this difficult-to-categorize combo. Hard-drumming Optner had been in The Thyme, Keyboard wizard Phillips had a short run with Frijid Pink, Cooke played bass in just about everybody's band at one time or another and Hodge's reputation as a powerhouse vocalist was cemented during his tenure with Wicked Religion and well established by the time the band formed around him.
Musically speaking, there wasn't much territory Catfish didn't cover from full-strength guitar rock to Hooker-ish boogie to gospel-tinged R & B and even a bit of countrified americana, similar to the direction being followed by The Band, but Catfish laid it down with equal inventiveness, a harder rockin' stance and a much flashier stage show. Their debut album actually came pretty close to matching the intensity of their live act and that first album certainly demonstrates the rich diversity of their material. The record sleeve even features some interesting poetic narration by local music sage, Creem Magazine founder and veteran wordsmith Ice Alexander (Tony Reay) which added extra Detroit authenticity.
But,
while Catfish started out as a winning ensemble, it didn't take long for
a singularly distinct personality to emerge. Witnessing any of their
shows or purchasing the band's obligatory live album in 1971, it was abundantly
clear that singer Hodge was leading the group. So, any discussion
of Catfish the band ends up leading to Catfish the vocalist who, by that
point, had casually taken the band's moniker as his own nickname.
Bob Hodge has been described as everything
from a "jive white bluesman" to an "American folk blues hero" but one thing
is certain: The sight of the (once) mountainous Hodge prowling the stage
and the powerful timbre of his equally sizable voice was one of the great
and lasting images of Motor City rock from that era. Their heavy
touring schedule and uncertainty about the band's future finally separated
Catfish, with Hodge embarking on a brilliant, if erratic, performing and
recording career as a solo act. The others (Manko, Phillips and Cooke)
joined Mitch Ryder (and Johnny Bee) in the formative stages of Detroit
while Hodge recorded his first solo record "Boogieman
Gonna Get Ya" in 1972; the title track being
his infamous pean to recreational drug and alchohol use. He relocated to
the Washington D.C. area shortly thereafter.
But make no mistake; it was Cody and the Airmen who first charted the course taking weed-smoking, beer-swilling, party band irreverence on a detour through western swing, traditional country, barroom boogie and early rock music until they came out the other side as . . . what? Cosmic truck drivers? Anyhow, until that book is written, you can find (some of?) the story at the Commander Cody web site and more information here on the band that was as much a social event as a musical group.
Group founder and bassist Florek has gone on to a notable acting and directing career with numerous television, movie and stage production roles to his credit. Presently he appears in Law and Order (as Captain Cragen) and Dann was a regular in the NBC series "L.A. Law" in the 1990's.
Managed by Don Mills (K.J. Knight's Dad), the group achieved considerable hometown noteriety and respect, a sizeable fan following and a steady series of gigs that kept them center stage from '64 through '69, including a tour of Viet Nam & Southeast Asia in 1969
In a summary of his career in The Gang (which can be found at My First Band), drummer Jim Butler recalled his early days trying to put a group together: "We also played at the Emerson ice cream social with an all-girl band called The Debutantes. I wonder whatever happened to them?"
Despite their popularity and even a solid Motown connection, the Debutantes were woefully under-recorded and have yet to benefit from the sixties-revival movement which unearthed so many obscure recordings and "lost" groups over the last few years, otherwise their tale would probably be much better known. But, the story of the Debutantes continues to come together in small and somewhat disjointed pieces, beginning with these great pictures (reduced in size for now) received from John Kozmo (of The Früt) on behalf of the band's founder -- singer/guitarist Jan McClellan.
A more significant re-telling of the Debutantes history can be found in a newspaper article about Jan's current role as a community activist. The story by Marshall Terrill was published in the November 10, 2006 issue of the Chandler (Arizona) Connection and you can read it by clicking here.
Stemming from publication of this article and the renewed interest in the band it has spurred globally, a Debutantes web site is in the works.
Further thanks to
Mike Boerman
&
Jody Ernest
for the newspaper
article
MIKE "CUB" KODA - Lead Guitar, Vocals RUSTY CREECH - Rhythm Guitar DOUG HANKES - Drums
Back about what seems like decades
ago (actually, it was decades ago!), some early Michigan music die-hard
fans were circulating a cassette containing a handful of tunes by an unknown
(to us, back then) Michigan-based band called The Del-Tino's (so
said the handwritten tape label). Almost primitive recordings, to
be sure, but absolutely charged with juvenile delinquent attitude and energy.
Among the cuts on that tape were two knock-out blues pieces: "I Got
My Mojo Workin'" and "Ramblin' On My Mind" that left us completely
blown away: "Who were these guys?".
Well, the provider of the tape could offer but one clue: A reasonable certainty that it was Cub Koda's vocals fronting his high-school years' combo. That explained a lot, and over the next few years, the story of this extraordinary band has continued to unfold, little by little. Rather than paraphrase and/or edit the saga, here's a thumbnail sketch of the career of the Del-Tino's thanks to Mr. Koda himself:
"We started in 1963, cut three 45s when I was 14, 16 & 17, respectively ('Go Go Go' b/w 'Ramrod' Del-tino 100 in 1963 / 'Nightlife' b/w 'Pa Pa Ooh Mow Mow'Sonic 1451in 1965 / 'I Got My Mojo Workin'' b/w 'Rambling On My Mind'Del-tino 200in 1966) and broke up right after graduating high school in 1966. Besides myself as lead singer & guitarist, the other two members were Doug Hankes on drums & Rusty Creech on rhythm guitar (no bass!). We did the record hop & teen dance circuit (Allie's Resortwhere we did shows w/the Iguanas & Hesitations and backed up both Gino Washington & Nathaniel Mayer on different occasionsWampler's Lake Pavilion, Devil's Lake Pavilion, Walled Lake Casinowhere we were on the bill with a teenaged Ted Nugent and Mitch Ryder back in his Billy Lee & the Rivieras days and some teen dance barn in Ann Arbor (I can't remember the name of) where we also gigged w/The Rationals). Our heroes were Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Link Wray & Jerry Lee Lewis, but we really thought Mack Vickery w/Wild Bill Emerson & The Blue Denims & The Hesitations were the ultimate greasy R&R bands in our area. The blues aspect of what we did came from listening to WLAC out of Nashville late at nite and ordering 45's from Ernie's Record Mart, who advertised on disc jockey John R's radio show."
Fortunately, those who haven't yet experienced the rockin' grit of this
remarkable teen band won't have to scour the swap meets for non-existent
45's or try and chase down bootleg tapes to hear these tunes. In early
1998 Cub produced a new record entitled The Del Tino's meet The Hesitations-
Go!
Go! Go! to Surfin' School!!!. Set up in a "battle-of-the-bands" format,
this disc includes virtually everything recorded by the Del Tino's and
a series of slightly more refined but still furiously hard rockin' cuts
from the Hesitations who were contemporaries of the DT's and much
admired by them. Available in both CD and vinyl LP versions
from Norton Records,
this is a gotta-have-it record and proof positive that even out
in the Michigan farmlands, greasy, unrepentant rock 'n' roll always ruled
the day.
p.s. A wordsmith of immense
talent,
nobody could write 'em like Cub, and whether or not you
have any desire to hear this music, his liner notes alone make the disc
more than worth the price!
Another in Detroit's legendary series of "ten-year-overnight-sensations",
Flaming Embers (as they were initially known) recorded one single on Fortune
label "You Can Count on Me" b/s "Gone Gone Gone" (Fortune
889). and they also backed Paul London On "Don't Believe Anybody".
These records caught the ear of noted Detroit record mogul Ed Wingate (Ric-Tic,
Golden World and other labels) who signed the band for a short period.
Their first single from this association "Hey Mama, Whatcha Got Good
for Daddy" (penned by George Clinton) was a minor hit but due to Wingate's
decision to sell the record company, they were free to entertain record
offers from several labels. In late 1968, the band signed with Eddie
Holland (of Holland - Dozier - Holland fame) for Hot Wax, dropped the "s"
from Ember(s) and recorded their first hit record "Mind, Body &
Soul", a period-perfect piece that sounded as though it might have
come straight outta Motown. The record confounded radio programmers and
picked up momentum on both pop and R&B charts, peaking at #1 in Detroit
in 1969 (of course) and a top-ten in most other major urban markets, ultimately
earning the band their first gold record.
Their follow-up records "I Am Not My Brothers Keeper" and "Westbound #9" again tapped their unique brand of blue-eyed soul, both hitting the R&B top 20 and getting them more national exposure, including appearances on American Bandstand in 1970. A final album in 1971 ("Sunshine") and single on Hot Wax (produced and written by Ronald Dunbar) "Stop the World (and Let Me Off)" ended up only a minor hit in Detroit and didn't catch on nationally at which point a weary Flaming Ember waved good-bye.
After a brief rest, Plunk and Ellis rebounded with a reformed group, Mind Body and Soul, in the spirit of Ember which recorded a never-released LP and the group continued playing throughout the Metro Detroit area up through the late seventies far longer than many of the better known acts profiled here. A Greatest Hits package on CD was released in 1992.
Flaming Ember always proudly declared
themselves a Detroit band, comprised of players living in Detroit (within
its city limits, not out in the 'burbs or even some other county) and as
their assimilation of Motor City soul styles proved, many folks (of all
colors) remain convinced the Flaming Ember were anything but four white
guys.
Catch up with the band and hear their recordings by visiting the Flaming Embers website
Contributor Ken Gibbs offers the following recollection:
"Glenn Frey had 3 bands that I'm aware of before he split for California and Eagles fame. They were "The Four of Us", "The Subterraneans", and "The Mushrooms". The Mushrooms consisted of Frey doing vocals, Bill Barnes on lead guitar, Lenny Mintz on drums, and Doug Gunch on rhythm guitar. They showed up a couple times on [TV teen show host] Robin Seymour's Swinging Time. They would also play high school dances at Dondero and Kimball High. They did mostly cover tunes including a nice version of the Beau Brummels "Still In Love With You Baby". (1966-67)"To put things into perspective, the events unfolded something like this:
Reportedly, Glenn couldn't play a note on any sort of musical instrument at the time but he had a singing voice along with a bushel of desire and, undaunted, he formed his first notable band The Hideouts (named after the dance club) with guitarists Barnes and Gunch and an unknown drummer in mid 1966. It wasn't long before they arrived at a name-change and became The Subteraneans, however. They played serviceable but largely undistinguished covers of the typical British invasion hits at weddings and school dances around town for a few months, including opening gigs at Hideout dances.
Influenced (at the time) by Roger Daltry, Glenn was pushing the band toward covering more materials by the Who, but when their drummer was unable to replicate Keith Moon's explosive percussion at the end of "My Generation", Glenn began searching for a stronger player. Enter Lenny Mintz. A drummer since age 8 or 9 at the encouragement of his dad, Lenny had been playing in some garage combos that hadn't amounted to anything and was looking for a real band opportunity. Following an introduction by mutual friends, Lenny's playing ability and strong, outgoing personality won him a spot in the group almost immediately. Continuing with the 'underground' theme, they chose the name Mushrooms to differentiate the new band from the old and began to add the tougher Who material that Glenn desired.
With
the increased strength of a solid drummer and a hotter repertoire (still
brit covers but a bit more Stones, Yardbirds and Who), the Mushrooms were
soon finding more work beyond the school dances and moved quickly into
the Hideoutin nearby Harper Woods. While working regularly at the club,
Glenn and the band were exposed to The Four Of Us
Grosse
Pointe's leading folk-rockers whose vocal abilities, seasoned
playing and harmony arrangements mightily impressed the Mushrooms and the
competition for bookings between the bands inspired Glenn and the Mushrooms
to higher levels of practice and tighter, more melodic playing.
Hideout owner/managers Dave Leone and Punch Andrews were beginning to record the better groups for their embryonic record label and had already waxed several cuts by The Four of Us: A solid, if unspectacular, cover of Bob Dylan's "Baby Blue" (which appears on the rare Hideout club sampler) and followed that with two more 45's: "You're Gonna be Mine" and a sparkling cover of the Byrds' "I'll Feel a Whole Lot Better".
Although the Mushrooms had grafted on a keyboard player by this point (at Punch's urging), none of them were writing songs so Andrews began looking for "hit" material for the the band's first release. Punch soon connected them with another of the Hideout's emerging talents for a song to record which led to Glenn's brit-accented, adenoidal vocals finally appearing on the Mushroom's first (and only) 45 "Such a Lovely Child", written and co-produced by none other than a twenty year old Bob Seger. Frey would repay the favor by playing guitar and singing backup on the high-voltage title track to Seger's first album, "Ramblin', Gamblin' Man" a few years later.
With the record out, heavy promotion for their dates at the Hideout (and elsewhere) plus a few appearances on Robin Seymour's Swingin' Time afternoon TV show to their credit, some of the Mushrooms responded, as did many of the musicians at the time by getting high . . . regularly. Frequent forays to Ann Arbor where a growing drug underground readily accepted them, and the band was almost on its way to becoming early dope casualties.
By that time, Frey had gained some skill as a (self-taught) guitarist and sensing the pending demise of the Mushrooms, Punch put Glen together with the still-going Four of Us for a short period at the urging of bassist Jeff Alborell, who coached Glenn on his vocals and six-string skills. In the wake of the Mushrooms collapse, the survivors Doug Gunch and Lenny Mintz joined up with Ken Bash and the remaining members of The Gang and kept that name going for a while.
But the newly re-vaped Four of Us didn't last appreciably longer. Following the addition of Frey, he and Alborell split to co-found the Heavy Metal Kids Glen's final Detroit area band before finally succumbing to the lure of Sunset Boulevard. The Heavy Metal Kids consisted of Glenn on guitar and vocals, drummer Lance Dickerson from Billy C and the Sunshine (later of Commander Cody's band), Paul Kelcourse (now rumored to be a classical guitar teacher) on lead guitar and Steve Burrows (from the final-stage Mushrooms?) on keyboards. After some months of the usual teen-club gigs, with nothing of consequence appearing on the horizon for the new band, Frey became increasingly impatient to get out of Detroit and start over.
According to Ed Fleming, who resided in the Southfield house Frey and the 'Kids' occupied:
"Lance was a kick-ass drummer and he had made a trip to L.A.. Glenn subsequently went there at least one time on his own, becoming convinced that L.A. was mecca for any serious musician". Adding; "If there is anything you can say about Glenn during this period is that he was definitely serious about music".Ed also recalled their sojourn to the west coast:
"So it became "California or bust" time.[ I ] sold [my] cherry mustang for a van, Glenn sold his Chevy for gas and grits and Jeff [Alborell] was our reliable navigator. We hit highway 66 man those beautiful purple mountains majesty!!, stopped and played a little keno in Reno, and before we knew it we were in Oakland, CA. spending a week with Larry Welker (who, at the time, was playing guitar for Charlie Musselwhite), soaking up a little of the Haight-Asbury groove."From there, Glenn and crew head down the California coast on a quest to track down a wayward Motor City girlfriend (Joanie from Oak Park?) in L.A. and through her sister, Frey makes a connection with J.D. Souther and . . . oh, everybody knows the rest.
Outside of the one Mushrooms 45, an enduring friendship with Bob Seger, his linkage to Dave Leone/Punch Andrews and the Hideout Clubs, there isn't much of a lasting legacy to Glenn's Detroit days but an oft-told story from back then (which has all the makings of urban folklore according to some sources close to Glenn today) about his driving talent keeps surfacing: It seems that, before deciding the West Coast was the place to be, Glenn was kicking around with The Rationals during a brief tour through the upper Midwest. That is, until he managed to destroy their tour van in a highway accident. An early taste of life in the fast lane?
And a final thought on Mr. Frey,
courtesy of L.A. LaLonde, webmistress of The Allnighter
the intriguing Glenn Frey/Eagles site referenced by the link above:
Mushrooms Picture
© 1999
Lenny Mintz
used with permission
Despite the fact that The Frost
are frequently referred to as Dick Wagner's backing group, the powerful
music they made together demonstrated a considerable band dynamic and their
ensemble work stands up as well as any of the period and better than most.
Granted, it was Wagner who founded and guided the group, played
lead guitar and created / arranged of most of their material, they were
nonetheless an outstanding band in the truest sense far more than
just a front-man and his faceless supporting players. If anything,
Frost stands as Michigan's real answer to San Francisco bands like
Moby Grape and Quicksilver Messenger Service.
Assembled with veteran musicians from the Flint/Saginaw area, Dick put together the Frost (originally to be called Dick Wagner & The Bossmen after his earlier, regionally successful, band) in late 1967 with Jack Smolinski handling the bass chores, (soon to be replaced by Gordy Garris) Riggs and Hartman completed the original lineup and in a remarkably short time they had amassed a sizable following in the mid-state area. With the Grande Ballroom in their sights and a growing reputation, it wasn't long before they began playing regularly around Detroit.
Hearlded for the strength of their live
stage act and a repertoire of guitar-dominated rockers, offers from several
record labels quickly appeared. After a serious courtship by Vanguard
Records, Frost signed with the label in late 1968 and released the first
of their three LP's, "Frost Music", in early 1969 
as
well as releasing a local hit 45 "Mystery Man". They
followed that with another Detroit area radio hit: The title track
from their second album "Rock & Roll Music", a high-energy live
recording (from the Grande Ballroom) that almost did this anthem
justice. Their third album, which many consider their finest work, "Through
the Eyes of Love", didn't generate a hit and subsequently fared poorly,
even in the local markets, ultimately becoming the last LP to wear the
Frost name (other than a compilation of their first works entitled "Early
Frost").
They were arguably the tightest, most well rehearsed group of the period with a sound that was as consistent on-stage as it was on record, thanks to the exceptional talent in the band and Wagner's well-honed production skills. Their original songs were also finely crafted, often lyrically poignant fare with plenty of space for Wagner's scorching electric guitar excursions ("Who Are You?") or his dulcet acoustic work ("Linda") and the six-string interplay between Wagner and Hartman lent drama and dynamics to most of their creations.
Frost arrived on the Motor City scene as a top draw at the Grande and they worked steadily on the club circuit, outdoor concerts and were much in-demand throughout the region. Their concert appearances outside Detroit often drew rave reviews yet their records could scarcely be found, except locally. That Frost failed to sell many records nationally cannot be blamed on the band, the material . . . or their effort. Vanguard's inept distribution choosing to treat the band as having only regional appeal pretty much kept Frost largely unknown outside of the Great Lakes, Canada and a few other pockets in the country. Thanks to the 'word-of-mouth' buzz based on their live shows, their stature would grow as they began to tour nationally but, sadly, it wasn't long before the band chose to go their separate ways, splitting up in 1971, which, according to Dick (with tongue only partly in cheek):
"...was due to conflicting work ethics, fear of success, certain opportunities just over the horizon for me and the love of fly fishing.".Rod and reel aside, Wagner had first made a name in Michigan rock by leading The Bossmen who were a top attraction in the mid-state area in the early sixties with several local hit records (now available on the CD - The Complete Bossmen from Wagner Music Group). As the Bossmen's career came to a halt, Wagner's renown in the Flint-Saginaw-Bay City area music community was already legendary. He was not only a guitarist and performer of enviable skill but a writer and producer of numerous records. Among other bands, he was writing for and producing The Pack (Dick also had a large hand in helping the Pack's Mark Farner get Grand Funk Railroad out of the station).
Following Frost, Wagner reverted to a solo career (recording as Richard Wagner) for a while, producing several albums on his own. He also formed the power trio, Ursa Major with Detroit area (ex Gang and Amboy Duke) bassist Greg Arama recording a single album that's a minor milestone in the fusion of melodic tunes with heavy guitar-driven rock. That record introduced Dick to Bob Ezrin and through their association, Dick's found many years of work as guitarist with both Lou Reed (starting with the Rock and Roll Animal period) and songwriter/guitarist/bandleader with Alice Cooper, bringing Wagner the most notability and a wall full of gold records while capping over twenty years of steady work as a session guitarist with artists as diverse as Peter Gabriel (on his first solo record), Etta James, Carmen McCrae and Hall & Oates.
As many know, Frost reunited for a new
release and well received summer tour in 2000 ("This Band Can Rock &
Roll Forever") and Dick continues to play shows with his current band wherever
the occasion calls. Wagner also formed a partnership with songwriter
Alan Gordon and manages a production suite at his studios in Arizona.
Dick's web site and MySpace page provides a complete bio of the incomparable
Mr. Wagner as well as information on more recent activities and new recordings.
Barry visits with master guitarist, songwriter and recording artist Richard Wagner. Wagner, the recipient of 5 platinum and 13 gold records has written and recorded songs for Alice Cooper, Air Supply, Lou Reed and The Frost to name just a few. Richard announces his plans for "Talent Quest '96"....a search for Michigan's best talent to record on his newly formed label and his Wagner Music Group.
These guys started off as Früt of the Loom and later shortened it to simply Früt. And, until the arrival of Commander Cody's ozone entourage, they werePANAMA RED - Lead Vocals CRUNCHY CHRYSTALS - Guitar JOHN KOZMO - Bass SNIDELY WHIPLASH - Drums THE FAMED WARBLES - Harmony Vocals
- Mosely "The Punk"
- Wildman Rapucci
- Meadowlark Brenner
about as close to a true hippie band as could be found around Detroit
('tho Detroit's peculiar breed of hippies is another story altogether).
No gig was too big, too small or too weird for Früt they were playing
so frequently that it was almost difficult to hear live rock music a
Grande show, benefit concert or outdoor event during '68-'69 without
encountering them.
And hearing them while stoned was arguably the best way to appreciate Früt. Borrowing from (one guesses) the Mothers of Invention, Grateful Dead, Bo Diddley and heaven knows who else in varying amounts, Früt could and would touch on every musical style from cracked country to outright psychedelia but as the years passed and personnel changed, it became clear their passion resided in skewed renderings of fifties-era rock and doo-wop ballads. Not as faithful an interpreter of the music as, say, Flash Cadillac or as tightly rehearsed as Sha Na Na, their approach was best described as, well . . . sloppy. Not that it mattered much, since their mission certainly didn't involve taking themselves terribly seriously anyway and Früt enjoyed the saving grace of doing it all with an acid twinkle in their eye.
There are those who will righteously insist particularly early lead guitarist Erny ' Wildman' Calies that Früt has taken a bad rap over the years; that their beginnings as proud, hard-rockin' blues and psychedelic radicals with the White Panthers have been overshadowed by the self-parodying oldies act Früt became in latter years following the departure of Erny and original bassist Ken "Big Mochie" Kraft. As Erny puts it: "[The] later musicians were actually roadies, old members who couldn't play, and groupies. Why do I sound pissed? I don't like being associated with what the band had become later (a Joke), and the truth needs to be known."
Despte their evolution from the revolution,
before they faded away in the early 70's, Früt did manage to get a
couple of LP's to market on Detroit's Westbound label; "Keep on Truckin'"
and "Spoiled Rotten" which are almost genre classics in the rock
revivalist mode. Where they came from and where they went still contains
a bit of mystery, but one memoir of the band and their venues arrived recently
which helps fill in a few holes in the story.
"The Früt's lead vocalist's name was/is actually Norm Lieberman. They had a couple of back-up vocalists also, but the only one I remember is John "The Punk" Moseley. Anyway, Norm started a club in Mt. Clemens sometime in 1970 called appropriately enough, The Früt Palace. The venue consisted of two adjoined geodesic domes, and was previously (mid-sixties?) used by CKLW under the name "The Dancing Domes". As Norm and the band lived on a farm nearby, it was just a hop and a skip over to the location of Hall road and Gratiot. Norm obviously had great musician connections in the area, so he managed to book the likes of The Amboy Dukes, Stooges, Frost and Alice Cooper into the Palace. Alice's first appearance consisted mostly of his current release, which was "Easy Action". The buzz was so great after that, that they were booked again in the Fall of '70, where Alice previewed his up and coming Album "Love It To Death" (he was doing the electric chair act). he acts were presented every Sunday night for almost a year (made it tough to get up for school on Mondays!)." "Fast forward to early '72. After the Palace had run its course, The Früt started a club in the old Colonial Hotel in Mt. Clemens, which was christened "The Früt Cellar". Norm booked mainly his band and newer local bands, with the occasional semi-national act. The one I remember best was Mitch Ryder & Detroit with Steve Hunter and Johnny Bee. They had just scored in the Fall of '71 with "Rock and Roll", so this was a killer show to see. The Colonial Hotel had bands for a couple of years. Both it and the domes are now torn down. The last I heard, Norm was living in California."
Other than one strong 45 ("Hijackin' Love") their recorded history remains tantilizingly un-released so far (although there is great hope that this music might yet make it to market in the future ) but if their recordings are a mystery, their live shows were something. Guardian Angel was serious about this and performed with an intensity on stage that was matched by the ambition in their music. This was edgy, pre-arena rock without the bombast intricately arranged but with a ton of brute force and blistering vocals from Jacquez and Morgan, not to mention Jones' exquisite guitar work. From the audience perspective, it was obvious that Guardian Angel was abundantly talented but also, perhaps, lacking the subtlety and focus that only time brings to a band. One doubts they could have done it any other way but had they not tried to reach the sun so quickly, they might have become legend. Hopefully a release of their recordings will yet assist with that opportunity.
As it was, singer Morgan opted out of GA to attempt forming his own group and Trabandt took off for New York in pursuit of fame and fortune while Jones and Jacquez carried on under a new name and a revamped lineup as Lightnin'.
Maybe it's like real estate location is everything. Because if not for that, it's hard to explain why Haymarket Riot isn't among the best-known groups profiled here. Laboring in virtual obscurity and struggling every step of the way to be noticed, this band worked harder than most to get beyond anonymity and almost managed it. Whether it was because there were already several groups sharing the Haymarket Riot name around the same time or, most likely, the fact that they emerged just outside of earshot from the Detroit clubs and music scene, it didn't matter. Either way, this band ends up in the "great unknowns" category every time, though their performances made instant fans everywhere they played, sharing stages with almost all the great Detroit/Ann Arbor groups of the era, including gigs at the Eastown.
A favorite act in their home town of Monroe, Haymarket Riot's career spanned a large chunk of the decade playing the roller rinks, school hops and the historically ignored venues that sprang up along the Michigan/Ohio border, including a pertty regular stint at The Club. Starting out as The Avengers, they began like hundreds of other garage combos weaned on the inevitable British invasion cover tunes and rock standards of the middle sixties. But along they way they showed themselves to be accomplished musicians and gifted songwriters with more and more of their repertoire made up of original material in a high-energy mode. And the ' Riot was a many-faceted group equally adept (if not better) at softer, more lyrical acoustic material. In fact, they closed out their career frequently playing "un-plugged" with wind instrument accompaniment.
The band managed to record an album in 1968 (produced by Tom Conner) and released from it a truly galvanizing (and very rare) single which explored both sides of the band. Featuring their nail-you-to-the-wall electric rave-up, "Leaving" and the good-timey, acoustic "Sunny Day Song", this 45 is well worth seeking out, if only to prove that without the fate of poor geography, Haymarket Riot should have stood among the Motor City's best.
After the band splintered in 1969, singer/songwriter/instrumentalist
Morales subsequently charted a solo musical career and has continued to
perform and record his original works, recently releasing his eighth album
since the Haymarket Riot days. For more information, visit
his web site
The preceding quote by the group bassist Marc Chover describes a less-than-well-known (obscure, actually) Detroit band yet whose credentials were among the most prestigious in town a "supergroup" of sorts, made up of highly skilled, veteran musicians with differing backgrounds and tastes."The Horny Toads represented a major departure from what all of the other local bands were doing. At the time we called our sound New Wave."
Horny Toads were conceived in 1969 by well
respected performer Ted Lucas along with Chover who had just returned to
Michigan following the demise of Southbound Freeway. 
They
added Levine and then enticed Woodman and his wife, Susie Kane to Detroit
(from the Saginaw area where they ended up after Popcorn Blizzard/Floating
Circus called it quits) in early 1970.
With their music largely defying description even on a Motor City basis, some simply categorized the group as a "musicians" band: Rock 'n' roll by intent but certainly unlike most anything else in town, with influences encompassing folk music to theater, middle eastern modal sounds and blues all electrified, turned up loud and with more than a sprinkling of humor to tie it all together. Chover adds:
"Toads used incessant 1/8th note bass parts. Lightning fast solos (Ted had played violin, bazooki, & sitar (studied with Ravi Shankar)".There is some dispute as to how long the band lasted, but no one suggests they were around for very long. According to Susie Kane:
"The band played out for about a year, primarily at the Forest City Theater in the Unitarian Church near Wayne State. They never released product, but there were a slew of basement tapes."Chover adds several further recollections of their time:
"We disbanded after 2 years of rehearsals and 2 or 3 performances. At our first or second gig Big Brother, who had performed locally that night, dropped in to catch our last set. They were knocked out (figuratively). Jim Gurley of Big Brother is an ex-Detroiter and he, Ted and I had played together (not as a group) a number of times between 1960 and 1962 when he left for the west coast..""Ted was a great catalyst on the Detroit scene for more than 20 years and was (also) the instigator of the Southbound Freeway. In preparation for our album, which was never recorded, Ted commissioned Stanley Miller ("Mouse") to do the cover art. "Mouse" is best known for his work for the Grateful Dead. He's also a former Detroiter."
When
Horny Toads had run it's course, everybody continued on musically around
the community. Ted went right on being Ted Lucas and resumed his solo career
nearly without missing a beat while he formed several other bands. Julliard
graduate David Levine never really left his classical music background
behind and he continued to play Cello with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra
while Chover, Woodman and Kaine ended up in an unlikely spot. As Marc tells
it:
"After the Toads disbanded I played bass with a number of local folksy entertainers. Put together a few pickup groups for specific gigs. When Phil Marcus Esser launched the Dinner Theater of Detroit, I was the bassist, Susie K. on keyboards, and Pete Woodman on drums."Marc presently resides in Riverside, California vicinity and several years ago he resumed playing guitar. In the spirit of Horny Toads, he assembled and recorded a new band (Sleazy Geezer) with a similar approach. He also developed Chover Pro Music Associates in the '90's and more recently, Marc opened The Stuffed Bagel restaurant in Ranch Cucumonga."The Toads had a reunion jam at Woodman's house in the early 90's. After not playing together for 18 years it only took an hour to get tight...and that, with new songs. What fun!"
