Tim Tam And The Turn-Ons

Last updated

Tim Tam and The Turn-On's were a 1960s American rock band. They hailed from Allen Park, Michigan. The group consisted of Rick Wiesend, Dan Wiesend, John Ogen, Don Grundman, Earl Rennie and Nick Butsicaris.

Contents

History

The group assembled while studying at Allen Park High School. The group's name came from the racehorse "Tim Tam" at the Derby in Kentucky and the phrase "Turn-On" which was popular at the time. Management was by CKLW-AM and WNIC-FM DJ Johnny Williams, also known as Tom DeAngelo.

The group recorded singles, including "Cheryl Ann", "Kimberly" and "Don't Say Hi" (all for Palmer Records), but are best known for "Wait A Minute," which according to Billboard, peaked at #76 on the Billboard national chart in 1966 and was voted #40 of “The Top 100 of the ‘60s” by North American listeners of big8radio.com in 2019. “Wait a Minute" was recorded in December 1965 at United Sound Systems. The flip-side is an instrumental titled "Opelia".

The young music group The Satellites had just finished recording their demo. They were all freshmen attending Allen Park High School. From Pioneer Studios, The Satellites released two singles: “I’ll Feel a Whole Lot Better” and “You Really Got a Hold on Me”. During this time, Dave Fero, Danny Tyrell and Frank Schiavulli were playing with Tim Tam and the Turn-On's. The two styles merged with success, and "Wait a Minute," brought a contemporary rock-meets-doo-wop sound that resonated with the kids. Lead Vocalist Rick Wiesend (Tim Tam) along with vocalists Danny Wiesend, Don Grundman, Nick Butsicaris, John Ogen and Earl Rennie were the key to popularity. (2008)

The song was released in February 1966 as Palmer Records 5002. It sold 30,000 copies in the first month of release. Frank was interviewed by WKNR DJ Scott Regan about the drum part.

Tim Tam & the Turn-On's released their next single, “Cheryl Ann,” as an homage to doo-wop. The b-side to "Cheryl Ann" featured the song "Seal it with a Kiss". [1] [2]

Not long after the release of "Cheryl Ann", on June 13, 1966, the Satellites went to United Sound Studios to record a demo of “I Believe” and “Midnight Hour”. This demo was mixed by Les Cooley, who would soon engineer "Persecution Smith" by Bob Seger. After releasing the demo, The Satellites won WXYZ-TV's Talent Town competition. The top prize was a stereo console they decided to keep in Vargo's basement, where they rehearsed. [3]

Tim Tam and the Turn-On's released three more 45s on Palmer. When the band parted ways, Rick Wiesand dropped the name Tim Tam in favor or Rick Reas, Rick Reason and the Satellites released, "I Feel So Bad," backed with "I'll Always Remember", Mar-Vel 3300. The single was re-issued in the 1970s with "Please Me" replacing the original b-side, with "Please Me," while keeping the label number. "Please Me," was the lead single b/w "Two and Two are Four," released in 1965 as Rick Reason and His 1965 Million Seller.

Rene Cizio of the News-Herald stated, "The group invested in an apartment community, Allen Park Apartments, which were once owned by Rick "Tim Tam" Weisend and his brother, Danny."

Rick died October 22, 2003, from cancer and in 2009, a “reverse ribbon cutting” celebration was held during the demolition of the Tim Tam Apartments. They had once incorporated Motown music, but were condemned upon Weisend's death. The city could not get the new owner to make repairs after several attempts. Nothing was fixed and the building was no longer safe. [4] [5]

Discography

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Them (band)</span> Northern Irish rock band

Them were a Northern Irish rock band formed in Belfast, Northern Ireland, in April 1964, most prominently known for their 1964 garage rock standard "Gloria" and launching Van Morrison's musical career. The original five-member band consisted of Morrison, Alan Henderson, Ronnie Milling, Billy Harrison, and Eric Wrixon.

Blacklisted was an American hardcore punk band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They have toured North America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Music Machine</span> American rock band formed in 1966

The Music Machine was an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1966. Fronted by chief songwriter and lead vocalist Sean Bonniwell, the band cultivated a characteristically dark and rebellious image reflected in an untamed musical approach. Sometimes it made use of distorted guitar lines and hallucinogenic organ parts, punctuated by Bonniwell's distinctively throaty vocals. Although they managed to attain national chart success only briefly with two singles, the Music Machine is today considered by many critics to be one of the groundbreaking acts of the 1960s. Their style is now recognized as a pioneering force in proto-punk; yet within a relatively short period of time, they began to employ more complex lyrical and instrumental arrangements that went beyond the typical garage band format.

The Magic Mushrooms were an American psychedelic garage rock band in the 1960s. The Magic Mushrooms were originally composed of five students from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. They were:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hey Joe</span> 1962 song written and composed by Billy Roberts

"Hey Joe" is an American song from the 1960s that has become a rock standard and has been performed in many musical styles by hundreds of different artists. The lyrics tell of a man who is on the run and planning to head to Mexico after shooting his unfaithful wife. In 1962, Billy Roberts registered "Hey Joe" for copyright in the United States.

Kensington Market, aka 'The Market', was a Toronto-based rock band, active from 1967 to 1969. Named after a downtown Toronto neighbourhood, it was known for 'gentle, lyrical, rock music', masterful musicianship, and for being was one of the first Canadian rock bands to develop a style independent of US and British models.

Lester Abrams is a singer, songwriter, musician and producer who has played with such artists as B.B. King, Stevie Wonder, Peabo Bryson, Quincy Jones, Manfred Mann, Brian Auger, The Average White Band, The Doobie Brothers, Rufus and many others. Two of his co-compositions appeared on the Grammy Award–winning Doobie Brothers’ album Minute by Minute. He has also composed songs for film and television; two of his works can be heard in the Oliver Stone–produced movie South Central.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Islip Speedway</span> Sports venue

Islip Speedway was a .2-mile (320-meter) oval race track in Islip, New York which was open from 1947 until 1984. It is the smallest track to host NASCAR's Grand National Series, from 1964 to 1971. The first demolition derby took place at Islip Speedway in 1958. The idea was patented by Larry Mendelsohn, who worked at Islip Speedway. The speedway has since been demolished.

The television show Instant Star has produced a series of soundtracks featuring songs from the show, mostly performed by Alexz Johnson, released between 2005 and 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Grodes</span> American garage rock band

The Grodes, sometimes known as The Tongues of Truth, were an American garage rock band from Tucson, Arizona, that featured lead singer and songwriter Manny Freiser, and were active between 1965 and 1968. They are best remembered for two Manny Freiser written songs, the original version of “Let’s Talk about Girls" and Cry A Little Longer, recorded by The Grodes, the #46 single on the All-Time Garage Rock singles chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Gentlemen (Dallas band)</span> American garage rock band

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.

<i>Back from the Grave, Volume 9</i>

Back from the Grave, Volume 9, released on LP in 2015, is the ninth installment in the Back from the Grave series of garage rock compilations. Like all the entries in the series it was assembled by Tim Warren of Crypt Records. As indicated in the subheading which reads "Raw Blastin' Mid 60s Punk," this collection consists of many songs which display the rawer and more aggressive side of the genre and are often characterized by the use of fuzztone-distorted guitars and rough vocals. In typical fashion, the set generally excludes psychedelic, folk rock, and pop-influenced material in favor of basic primitive rock and roll.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Soul Survivors (Denver band)</span> American garage rock band

The Soul Survivors were an American garage rock band from Denver, Colorado, who were active in the mid-1960s. Included in their roster were Allen Kemp and Pat Shanahan, who later become members of the Poor before joining Ricky Nelson as members of his "Stone Canyon Bad" and later the New Riders of the Purple Sage in the late 1970s. They are not to be confused with the Philadelphia group of the same name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Myddle Class</span> American garage rock band

The Myddle Class was an American garage rock band from Berkeley Heights, New Jersey, which was active in the 1960s. Signed to Tomorrow Records which was owned by the songwriters Gerry Goffin and Carole King, they were one of the most popular live acts in the New Jersey/New York region during the 1960s and released several singles, enjoying hits in various local markets such as Albany. In the late 1960s, band members became involved in college and other musical projects. Charles Larkey, who joined the Fugs in late 1967, later married King, following her divorce from Goffin, and played bass guitar on some of her recordings in the 1970s. The Myddle Class intended to record an album in 1969, but was thwarted due to the murder of the guitarist Rick Philp. The band broke up shortly thereafter. The singer, Dave Palmer, later joined Steely Dan in the 1970s and sang on King's hit "Jazzman".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Public Nuisance (band)</span> American rock band

Public Nuisance was an American rock band from Sacramento, California who were active from 1964-1970, first as Moss & the Rocks, then later as Public Nuisance. In 1965 they recorded the song "There She Goes" as Moss & the Rocks for a single released on the local Icon label. After changing their name to Public Nuisance in 1967, they began to incorporate psychedelic elements into their sound and a series of mostly unreleased songs recorded at various sessions from 1968-1969 that went for years unissued, but finally saw the light of day in 2002 with the release of the Gotta Survive anthology. Since then, their work, both as Moss & the Rocks and Public Nuisance, has attracted the attention of garage rock and psychedelic enthusiasts worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Dagenites</span> American garage rock band

The Dagenites were an American garage rock a band from Oxon Hill, Maryland near Washington, DC, who were active in the 1960s. They shared management and frequent billing with noted guitarist and performer Link Wray. In recent years their work has become highly regarded amongst garage rock enthusiasts and collectors and has been included on several compilations. The Dagenites are especially known for their proto-punk anthems, "I Don't Want to Try it Again" and "I'm Gone Slide", both of which have been mentioned as garage rock classics.

The Wilde Knights were an American garage rock band from Longview, Washington, who were active in the 1960s. They emerged from a group known as the Furys and later the Pipers VI, who recorded several frat rock records. After becoming the Wilde Knights, they wrote and recorded two songs in 1965 which were both released as singles that year and are now recognized as garage rock classics, "Beaver Patrol" and "Just Like Me", the latter of which later provided a huge hit for Paul Revere & the Raiders. In the late 1960s they evolved into Genesis, the King Biscuit Entertainers, and American Cheese, and issued records under those various names.

The Bluestars were a garage rock band from Auckland, New Zealand, who were active during the 1960s. They became one of the most popular bands in New Zealand at the time and enjoyed a hit in the Auckland area with their first single, which appeared on Decca Records, where they were the first New Zealand rock band to be signed to the label. But, they are now best known for their subsequent release, "Social End Product", that with its line "I don't stand for the Queen", took aim at the monarchy and social oppression, anticipating certain sentiments expressed in the music of the Sex Pistols and other 1970s punk acts. Their work is now highly regarded by garage rock enthusiasts.

References

  1. "Tim Tam and the Turn-On's Archives | Garage Hangover". Garage Hangover. Retrieved 2018-05-19.
  2. Bill Brickwedde (2008-02-18), Tim Tam & The Turn On's - Wait A Minute , retrieved 2018-05-19
  3. "Tim Tam and the Turn-On's Archives | Garage Hangover". Garage Hangover. Retrieved 2018-05-19.
  4. ALLEN PARK, 2008
  5. Cizio, Rene. "ALLEN PARK: City officials swing sledgehammers during apartment demolition". News-Herald. Retrieved 2018-05-19.