Kenny and the Kasuals were an American garage rock band formed in Dallas, Texas in 1964. The band played at various venues, including the Studio Club, with a repertoire that consisted of material taken from the British Invasion and R&B standards. Over time the band began experimenting with early elements of psychedelic music and are often cited as one of the first groups to play in such a style. Kenny and the Kasuals released several singles including their best-known song, "Journey to Tyme". A live album, Impact, was also recorded in 1966.
Ralph Durwood Baker Jr. was an American broadcaster and actor. He was known for being a co-host of The Group and Chapman and Sump'n Else shows on WFAA-TV. He was known for being a DJ and announcer at KLIF-AM, one of the first Top 40 radio stations. Ralph was a "Teen Idol" broadcaster in the 1960s and was heard and seen in many television and radio commercials as well. In the mid-1960s he became known as "The Sanger-Harris Man" and was an official model for the Sanger-Harris department store. He starred in Night Fright, a 1967 American science-fiction film that was shot near Dallas, Texas.
The Shames were a garage rock band from Ipswich, Massachusetts who were active in the mid-1960s. They are known amongst collectors for two songs which are highly regarded: "Special Ones" and especially "My World is Upside Down," which has been mentioned as a classic in the genre.
The Gentlemen were an American garage rock band from Dallas, Texas, who were active from 1964 to 1968. They are best known for their 1966 song, "It's a Cry'n Shame", which has been recognized as one of the greatest songs in garage rock. The band is noted for the contributions of guitarist and songwriter, Seab Meador. Jimmie Vaughan, later a member the Fabulous Thunderbirds and brother of Double Trouble guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan, served a brief stint for several months in the Gentlemen in late 1965 and early 1966, but did not appear on any of their recordings. He went on to play in another Dallas garage rock band, the Chessmen.
"It's a Cry'n Shame" is a song written by Seab Meador and Mike Kelley and was recorded in 1966 by the Gentlemen, an American garage rock band from Dallas, Texas who were active between 1964 and 1968. It was originally released as the B-side to "You Can't Be True" but has become by far the better-known song. "It's a Cry'n Shame" has been included in several garage rock compilations and is now recognized as one of the greatest songs in the genre.
Fort Worth Teen Scene! is an extensive compilation album series centering on the burgeoning teen garage rock music scene of Fort Worth, Texas between 1964 and 1967. The series, distributed through Norton Records, helped reveal relatively unknown recordings by groups originating from Fort Worth that were previously made available to only a handful of collectors. In total, three albums were released in relation to the series in 2004.
"The World Ain't Round It's Square" is a song recorded in 1966 by The Savages, a garage rock band from Bermuda and was written by Howie Rego and Bobby Zuill. It was recorded live at the Hub, a nightclub at the Princess Hotel in Bermuda and appeared on their live album taped from the event, Live 'n Wild. The song has been mentioned as a landmark anthem of 1960s youthful defiance and is ranked #4 in the list of the 1000 greatest garage rock records in Mike Markesich's Teenbeat Mayhem. It has been featured on the Teenage Shutdown! The World Ain't Round, It's Square! compilation as well as included the reissue of Live 'n Wild.
Larry and the Blue Notes were an American garage rock band formed in Fort Worth, Texas in 1962. The group is one of the more notable musical acts to emerge from the flourishing Fort Worth teen scene, and one of the few that had the opportunity to release a nationally distributed record. They are best known for the song "Night of the Sadist", which has been revived on several compilation albums.
The Palace Guards were an American garage rock band from Metairie, Louisiana, a suburb of New Orleans, who were active in the mid to late 1960s. Their approach was highly influenced by the British Invasion popularized by bands such as the Beatles and the Rolling Stones but was also informed by the folk rock and soul sounds coming out of America during the period. Drummer Frank Bua would later go on, years later, to play with the popular roots rock and funk group, the Radiators.
The Shy Guys were an American garage rock band from Oak Park, Michigan who were active in the 1960s. They are known for songs such as "We Gotta Go," which became a hit in Detroit and the southern Michigan area, and also in the Buffalo, New York region.
The Penthouse 5 were an American garage rock band from Oak Cliff, Texas, a suburb of Dallas and were active from 1964-1967. The band's style was highly influenced by popular British acts like the Beatles and the Kinks, as well as the folk rock of the Byrds. In 1967 they shortened their name to the Penthouse and also began to play occasional gigs with a horn section as a soul outfit under the name of Dr. William’s Soul Emporium.
The Quests were an American garage rock band formed in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in 1964. Recording for Fenton Records between 1966 and 1967, the group released three singles in their career. Although the group was hampered by a lyrical controversary surrounding one of their tunes, they achieved regional popularity among their teen fanbase with the original songs "Scream Loud" and "Shadows in the Night". Since the Quests' disbandment, their material has been well-documented on garage rock compilation albums and prompted surviving members to occasionally reunite.
The Plagues were an American garage rock band from Lansing, Michigan who were active in the 1960s. They were led by bass player, principal songwriter, and vocalist William Malone. The group had a local and regional hit with "I’ve Been Through It Before". Malone left the band in 1966 to join the Frightened Trees, as the remaining members formed a new group out of the ashes of the Plagues, the Plain Brown Wrapper. Malone later became a successful Hollywood movie director, whose 2008 horror thriller Parasomnia included "I’ve Been Through It Before", as well as other songs by the Plagues and other 1960s garage bands. In the intervening years the Plagues work has attracted a following amongst garage rock enthusiasts and collectors.
The Hangmen were an American rock band from Rockville, Maryland, who were active in the 1960s. In an effort to distinguish themselves from other American groups and establish a closer affiliation with the popular British Invasion, they lured Scottish vocalist Dave Ottley to join the group. Eventually they became the most popular band in the Washington, D.C., area, having a huge regional hit with "What a Girl Can't Do", that appeared on Monument Records, but was recorded by an earlier local group, the Reekers, whose membership included two future Hangmen, Tom Guernsey and Bob Berberich. The single was nonetheless credited to the Hangmen.
Christopher and the Souls were an American garage rock band formed in McAllen, Texas, in 1964. Recording a song inspired by the poetic writing of Christopher Voss called "Diamonds, Rats, and Gum", Christopher and the Souls became one of the highlights of the Texas garage scene. Although the group disbanded in 1967, their composition has been rediscovered and highly valued among collectors. Noted for its rarity on the already isolated Pharaoh record label, only a few copies of "Diamonds, Rats, and Gum" are known to exist; however, it is accessible on compilation albums.
The Movin' Morfomen were an American garage rock and psychedelic band from Espanola, New Mexico, who active in the 1960s. They became one of the most popular acts in New Mexico and had several local and regional hits. They are well-regarded by garage rock and psychedelic enthusiasts, and their collected works appear on the Flashbacks! anthology, issued in 1997.
The Humans were an American garage rock band from Albion, New York who were active in the 1960s. They were popular in the region, touring throughout the Northeast, and enjoyed a regional hit, with the single "Take a Taxi" b/w "Warning", that received airplay in other markets around the country. "Warning" has become especially valued amongst garage rock enthusiasts and was included on the Back from the Grave compilation series.
The Kitchen Cinq were an American garage rock band from Amarillo, Texas active in the 1960s, whose lineup included guitarist and songwriter Jim Parker. They evolved out of the Illusions and eventually changed their name to the Y'alls, releasing records under both names, and enjoyed regional success before moving to Los Angeles, where they signed with Lee Hazlewood's LHI label and became the Kitchen Cinq. As the Kitchen Cinq they recorded five singles between 1966 and 1968, as well as the album Everything but the Kitchen Cinq, released in 1967. In December 1967, they released a single under the alias a Handful, but returned to their better-known moniker for their final release in 1968.
The Chessmen were an American garage rock band from Denton, Texas, near Dallas, who were active in the 1960s. They were one of the most popular bands in the region and recorded for Bismark Records, where they recorded three singles including, "I Need You There", which is now considered a garage rock classic. The band is notable for including several members who went on to greater fame. Jimmie Vaughan, brother of Stevie Ray Vaughan was briefly a member, joining after the death of original band leader, guitarist, and vocalist, Robert Patton, who died in a boating accident in 1966. Drummer Doyle Bramhall later played with and wrote songs for Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Bill Etheridge later played bass with ZZ Top. Following the breakup of the Chessmen, several of their members, including Jimmie Vaughan, went on to form a group that would come to be known as Texas Storm, which eventually included Stevie Ray Vaughan on bass.
Danny and the Counts were an American garage rock band from El Paso, Texas, who were active in the 1960s. They had a local hit with their 1965 R&B-flavored debut single, "For Your Love", but afterward switched their approach to reflect British Invasion influence. In 1966 they released a single on Coronado Records featuring the two songs for which they have become best-known, "You Need Love" and "Ode to the Wind". In the intervening years their work has come to be highly regarded by garage rock enthusiasts.
