"Children,
go where I send you ~ (Where will you send me?)
I'm
gonna send you to the land of a thousand dances”
This was a different scene, one that
the displaced mid-westerners of the heights could never get hip to.
Down here the music was emotionally charged, majestic in scope,
musically supreme. The music communicated a will to escape the limits
of ordinary life and the constraints of a city built on the false
premise that if you're white, you're right... If you're brown, stick
around and if you're black, get back! “Pride in the face of
prejudice” is how the Austin Chronicle's Margaret Moser describes
the brown eyed soul that flowed out of the American Southwest in the
1960s. Self expression in the face of oppressive racial prejudice in
a city where whites make up just over half of the population... it
comes like fire. It becomes something that you summon from deep
within your soul.
Once a man reaches that boiling point,
you hand him a horn, guitar, drumsticks or a microphone and stand
back to marvel what is man. This would explain why James Brown was
deified in the barrios of Albuquerque. Brown's raw emotive pleas such
as “Please, Please, Please” “Try Me” “I Won't Plead No
More” “I Want You So Bad” were tailor made for Hispanic
audiences. Kenny Burrell on guitar, George Dorsey on alto sax and
Clifford Scott on tenor sax essentially invented the sound that would
become the inspiration for every brown eyed soul band that ever
played. James was all in, no half measures, he was relentless and
that somehow struck a nerve among 'Burque Chicanos, because there's
just no quit in the Duke City hustle. Hit Me!
Westside
Story
The music that helped launch volumes of
East Side Story and countless other Chicano Oldies compilations was
recorded on the same equipment that Norm Petty used to record Buddy
Holly & The Crickets, Roy Orbison, Buddy Knox, Jimmy Bowen, The
Fireballs (with and without Jimmy Gilmer) Bennie Sanchez (Al's
mother) bought Norm's gear when Norm Petty Studios upgraded in the
mid-1960s. In deed, many attribute Hurricane Records iconic “oldies”
sound to the fact that they were actually using vintage equipment
from the 1950s. Before they owned it, Al Hurricane & The Night
Rockers test drove that equipment recording a series of singles at
Norm Petty Studios starting in the early 1960s.
Based in Hollywood, Challenge Records
had stumbled upon one of the biggest hit singles of 1958 almost by
accident. In need of a b-side for a Dave Dupree single (aka David
Burgess) the rag tag studio pros led by Danny Flores (credited as
Chuck Rio for contractual purposes) slapped together a dirty sax
line, and a snappy guitar riff with Flores shouting Tequila after
every bridge and just like that they had a #1 hit. Three weeks after
its release “Tequila” now the a-side was at the top of the charts
and well on its way to a gold record. Danny Flores was dubiously
credited as the “Godfather of Latino Rock” (though he quit the
Champs within a year disgusted by the studio musicians inability to
put on a good live show)
Not to mention that in their long
history, The Champs never added another Chicano musician, though Glen
Campbell, Dan Seals and Dash Croft were all once members. Smitten by
the instant success of “Tequila” Challenge set out to find
another Chicano King Midas and that's where Al Hurricane & The
Night Rockers came in. If the formula works once, than why shouldn't
it work repeatedly? Released in 1961 on Challenge, distributed by
Warner Bros., Al Hurricane's “Lobo” b/w “Racer” was an
obvious attempt to cash in on the success of “Tequila” Al &
The Nightrockers were game but the finished product sounds like the
producer ran tape after instructing Al and band to play like The
Fireballs and The Champs
“Panchita/ La Mula Bronca” also on
Challenge Records were the first tracks to feature vocals and
apparently brought the Warner Bros./Challenge business arrangement to
a close. “Mexican Cat/ Pedro's Girlfriend” has the distinction of
being Al's first single on the Sanchez family's own label, Hurricane
Records. (In April of 1967 “Mexican Cat” was still on the local
charts) Al's first instrumental single "South Bend / Burrito"
was released on Apt Records in 1960. Al & The Night Rockers were
always in demand as a backup musicians for solo artists that Bennie
booked to appear in Albuquerque (Chuck Berry, Marvin Gaye, Little
Richard, Tina Turner, Jimmy Clanton etc. etc.) That in a nutshell
covers Al Hurricane's rock & roll period.
Al released his first album “Mi
Saxophone” in 1967 and it set the tone for years to come as his
music became synonymous with Northern New Mexico's Hispanic
community. Bennie Sanchez, the family matriarch, gave up a career in
nursing to become their full time manager as president of Hurricane
Productions. Gifted with a knack for concert promotions and a shrewd
businesswoman, Bennie built up a regional musical empire that rivaled
and eventually surpassed that of Norm Petty. She had her Duke City
contemporaries eating dust. Years later, Hurricane Productions was
still going strong, a trend that continued well into the next
century. Bennie Sanchez passed away in 2011, an amazing woman who's
trail blazing accomplishments have never been fully recognized.
Smile
Now, Cry Later
Down in the valley even the love songs
were sad .... melancholy being the main ingredient of Duke City Soul.
Tommy G, the mere mention of his name brings tears to their eyes.
Thirty eight years since his death, the voice of Tommy G
(Gonzales) still resonates with those who heard him sing. “Love
me or leave me, don't keep me hanging on” Only a gifted
vocalist, at ease with baring his soul, can run an audience through
an emotional wringer such as “Please Don't Fool With Me” and
bring the proceeding to a close by gently sobbing into the microphone
and not end up the object of scornful derision. Only Tommy G could
cover James Brown's masterpiece of unattainable love “I Want You So
Bad” and somehow improve on the original.
Tommy G was blessed with singular
talent and it's on full display as he steadfastly embraces the
audience, tightening his grip with each chorus as the horns push him
towards the fringe. Each plea more wretched with emotion than the
last until the refrain of “I Wonder, Will I Ever, Will I
Ever.... Stop, Stop... Being All Alone! Brings Tommy to his
knees in moaning supplication. Rarely does one witness a song coming
together with such perfection, that improving upon it is impossible.
Recorded in 1966 at Hurricane Productions, with Tiny Morrie (Al
Hurricane's brother) in the booth. It stands unchallenged as the best
single recording ever produced in the Duke City's long and storied
musical history. IMO.
“If you ain’t got enough soul,
let me know. I got enough soul to burn.” It's mind blowing that
Tommy G was just 19 years old at the time the three Hurricane singles
were recorded. “The days I wonder, the nights I ponder and time
is running out, though all the while, we burn brighter than a
thousand suns” Upon its release “I Want You Bad” b/w “I
Know What I Want” (an excellent James Brown knock-off written by
Tiny Morrie) held down the #1 spot at ABQ Top 40 station KLOS. The
single proved successful enough that it was re-released in 1967 on
Hollywood Records (a subsidiary of Starday Records of Madison, Tn.)
for national distribution and from there was picked up by London
American Recordings for distribution in the UK.
The Charms followed up with “Please
Don't Fool Me” b/w Hey! Hey! (You're Too Much) in 1966 and
“Something You Got” b/w “Don't Cry” in 1967. The Charms consisted of
Tommy G. vocals, Rockin' Ray Lucero on lead guitar, Alfred Bourget on
trumpet, and the rhythm section of Robert “Boykie” Chavez- drums
and Fred Garcia-bass. Ray Lucero went on to play with Thumper,
Spinning Wheel & The Freddy Chavez Foundation. Robert “Boykie”
Chavez played with Spinning Wheel & The Freddy Chavez Foundation.
Alfred Bourget turned up in Johnny J. Armijo's Thee Fabulous
Chekkers. (a revival of the original Thee Chekkers with nary an original
member in sight)
Information on Tommy is rather spotty,
some folks say Tommy grew up in Barelas, while others recall his
family running a grocery store at the corner of 12th and
Bellamah, which is in the Sawmill/Old Town area. Apparently he was
involved with a band called The Rockin' Midniters prior to The Charms
and they played a gig at San Felipe School in Old Town. The Journal's
entertainment calendar mentions Tommy G's Broadway opening for Al
Hurricane's Night Rockers at Al's Far West Club throughout the latter
part of 1968. “When You Say That You Love Me” could be from this
period. The song features Chuck Klingbeil sailing along on a jazzy
organ riff while Tommy flows right alongside like a Vegas lounge
singer. It's unlike anything Tommy ever recorded, beautiful and
bizarre at the same time. “All the years would mean nothing, Oh
my darling, for what good is life without you”
This resulted in two albums, the first
Mud on Mudd released in 1970. Uni put out a single from the album
“Medicated Goo b/w The Lights Gonna Shine” Medicated Goo being a
cover of a Steve Winwood composition from Traffic's third album “Last
Exit” Not even the novelty of Tommy G singing like Steve Winwood
saved “Medicated Goo” from being little more than a sound-a-like
cover version. Mudd did fare better on their own songs, especially
“If We Try” (a Vic Gabrielle composition and one of many that Al
Klein latched onto as co-writer) “Mud on Mudd” wasn't
groundbreaking by any means, but it did provide an avenue for Tommy G
to make a smooth transition into rock music.
On the second album “Mud” (down one
d) the band neither regressed nor progressed. Same Mud channel, same
Mud station. Zap! Pow! Biff! Released in 1971, a handful of songs on
“Mud” jump right out at you “I Go Crazy” “She” and a
cover of The Beatles “Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight” the rest
ain't froggy at all. It's a bit of a bummer that given all the
talent assembled in the band, nobody at Buffalo Bill Productions
could find them something other than covers & filler to record.
Even by Al Klein's low standards “Smacking Cowboy” and “Cruel
Ruler” are fucking awful. I know it's mighty presumptuous of me to
think that Al actually wanted the band to succeed or that he had
their best interest in mind, but as the kids like to say... that's a
fail!
Mud unceremoniously went the way of the
buffalo after that album. Tommy G drifted off, though he eventually
turned up in a version of Zozobra (along with Chuck Klingbiel) that
apparently didn't include Sugie. The 800 lb. Gorilla in the room was
always the monkey on Tommy G's back. Randy Castillo's Wiki page which
has been endlessly copied and pasted onto websites near and far.
Speaks of heavy drug use among the members of Mud and of Tommy G
dying from kidney failure brought on by his addiction to heroin. An
event that led to Randy swearing off heroin for life. David
Butterfield, who played with Heart (the Burque version) alongside
Arnold Bodmer, mentions Tommy's passing on his website “Mudd was
the most ferocious NM band of the day, that is until Tommy G od’d.
No Tommy No Mudd.”
Butterfield got it wrong, Tommy passed
away in 1978, Mud or Mudd, was just a hazy memory for those who
remembered anything at all. It's long been rumored that Tommy G died
of an overdose and as a result, Mud broke up immediately. Consider
that myth busted. Several hours spent scrolling through rolls of
microfilm trying to find either an article mentioning Tommy's death
or an obituary amounted to nothing. I would tend to believe the
Castillo account over the rest. “To die—To sleep, perchance to
dream—ay, there's the rub: For in that sleep of death what dreams
may come, When we have shuffled off this mortal coil, Must give us
pause”
Six
Degrees of Randy Castillo
Randy Castillo got his start in a
rather inauspicious way, while practicing in the garage, A member of
The Sheltons happened by.... pounded on the door and when Randy
answered, informed him that their drummer had quit and invited Randy
to try out for the gig. Still a novice, Castillo was elated, but the
feeling wouldn't last. Barely a month later The Sheltons original
drummer Toby Romero asked back in to the band and Randy was
unceremoniously dumped. He later recalled: “One of the guys
called and said: 'Randy, don’t come to practice.’ I asked, ‘Well,
why not?’ He said, ‘’Because Toby’s back. He’s back in the
band.’ I couldn’t say anything. I just hung up the phone, and
started crying.” Castillo channeled the hurt and
disappointment into improving his skills,taking lessons from
Albuquerque drum pro Nick Luchetti.
The Sheltons: George (Bud) Lucero, lead
guitar; Steve Lucero, sax, keyboards, lead vocals; Toby Romero,
drums; Robert Elks, guitar; and Ray Avila, bass. (plus at one time or
another: Eddie Sanchez, Max Peralta, Jerry Chavez & Randy
Castillo) were quite popular around Albuquerque and seemed on the
fast track to success. A fact that didn't escape the eyes and ears of
a busy Tommy Bee, who brought them into the studio to record a series
of demos with Tommy singing lead (Tommy Bee & The Stingers)
including a demo for a song Tommy had written, “Double Crossin'
Girl” (which he would later pass along to The Fe Fi Four Plus 2)
Randy Castillo was juggling classes at
West Mesa Hs and sitting in on late night bar gigs with Thee Chekkers
(which his parents would chaperone and then help him load up his
gear) when The Gremlins (Gene Romero- lead guitar, Fred Radman-bass &
Chuck Klingbeil-keys) came together. The band members were all too
young to play in clubs or bars, (Randy was 14) but they stayed busy
playing frat parties and one nighters around town. The Gremlins were
one of Tommy Bee's early projects, recording at least one single
“Hoochi Coochi Coo/ You Better Think It Over” on Stinger Records,
Prod. By Tommy Bee (Gene Romero recalls that they recorded two
singles)
With studio experience under their
belts, The Sheltons recorded their first single in 1967 “Find It
b/w Yesterday's Laughter” at Dell Studios with Tommy Bee at the
controls. Released on Lance Records, “Find It” co-written by
Tommy Bee, garnered regional airplay, apparently to the point that
Lance Music Enterprises announced the impending release of a Sheltons
album, which never came to fruition. The Sheltons followed up with a
Lieber-Stoller song “I Who Have Nothing b/w Knock on Wood” the
requisite Eddie Floyd cover. In spring of 1968 (after Tommy Bee's
split with Lance Music Enterprises) Tommy licensed “I Who Have
Nothing b/w The Cat” for release on Dot Records.
For Randy the experience paid off when
he was asked to join Doc Rand & The Purple Blues, “We had a
singer, this black guy. He could dance like James Brown. Couldn’t
sing like him, but he could dance great!” Randy recalled. It
was a step up, the band had a horn section and played original
numbers, though their act pretty much revolved around James Brown
covers “We learned every song that was on James Brown’s Live
At The Apollo album.” Gene Romero, bass player for the Purple
Blues describes Doc Rand as dancer/vocalist which falls in line with
Randy Castillo's opinion. Pete Cockroft-trumpet, Max Peralta- sax,
Ray Cruz- lead guitar,, and OJ Metzgar- guitar, rounded out the band.
The Sheltons quickly found themselves
smack in the middle of a legal dispute between Tommy Bee and his
former partners at Lance Music Enterprises, Dick Stewart & Tom
Benavidez. Bee claimed that The Sheltons and their potentially
lucrative recording rights belonged to him and not Lance Music
Enterprises. After a flurry of accusations, suits and counter suits,
the two sides settled out of court and Tommy Bee appears to have
walked away holding the rights to a handful of recordings previously
released on Lance Records. As a result Tommy Bee licensed “Find It
b/w I Who Have Nothing” for release on Bar-Bare, one of Reginald
Hines many shady labels. Reginald Music picked up publishing rights
as well.
Doc Rand wasn't a terrible singer,
though in all honesty, fans didn't care, they just wanted to watch
him dance like James Brown. Under Tommy Bee's direction, Doc Rand &
The Purple Blues released two singles on Lance Records, “Hold On
I’m Coming b/w Something You Got and “I Want You (Yeh I Do) b/w I
Need A Woman” Both produced by Tommy Bee and released in 1967. The
ongoing feud between Tommy Bee and Lance Music Enterprises, also
impacted Doc Rand & The Purple Blues. The band was essentially
grounded until the two sides came to an agreement. This resulted in
“I Need A Woman / I Want You (Yeh I Do)” being licensed for
release on Reginald Hines' Landra label in 1968.
As for The Sheltons.... they got the
satisfaction of knowing that their music would live on for years to
come on those lucrative East Side Story compilations, for which
Reginald Music got paid. The Sheltons went into a holding pattern as
several members shuffled off to boot camp. Once Ray Avila, George
Lucero and Ed Sanchez returned from active duty they transitioned
into Zozobra, one of Albuquerque's best known club bands. Doc Rand
boogalooed into obscurity and The Purple Blues donned Army green.
Thanks to Uncle Sam and Tommy Bee's ill timed palace revolt, this
chapter of Duke City Soul closes with a resounding thud.
At this point, Gene Romero and Randy Castillo hooked up with Gremlins band mate Chuck Klingbeil in The Tabbs, who as everyone knows, wore gold nehru jackets and according to The Abq. Journal, played “pop, rock tunes” at The Daily Double on East Central throughout late 1968. The Tabbs never released any official recordings. Though Randy, Chuck & Gene did journey out to California to take their shot at stardom, “It didn't work out” said Romero, a common complaint heard from Albuquerque musicians returning from the coast. Gene continued to play with Thee Chekkers and Freddy Williams before joining Roberto Griego's band, the first of many Spanish music bands that he would work with.
For Randy Castillo, after the Tabbs came Mudd/Mud and then Cottonmouth, which was predominantly a cover band that started out in Albuquerque before relocating to Española N.M. Cottonmouth featured Robert Plant knock-off George Gargoa on lead vocals, the hi jinks and shenanigans of lead guitarist Dave Martin and keyboard player Kevin Jones... by comparison the rhythm section of Randy Castillo- drums and Rick Wilson- bass was quite sedate. They changed the name to Wumblies (slang for the wooziness or wumbly jumbly effect felt when loaded on downers) then moved to Denver and became a force by bringing a full arena rock show to little podunk towns starved for entertainment. The Wumblies stage act included “skits” and costumes as well as parachutes hanging from the ceiling... though to my knowledge they did stop just short of pyrotechnics.
Some like to refer to The Wumblies as
“the best unsigned band from the 70s” If not for the major
labels aversion to signing cover bands with a habit of naming
themselves after side effects associated with drug use... All
jokes aside, Wumblies did record some strong original material and
the demo tracks floating around on the internet show a band oozing
with talent... they could have been the next Kingdom Come, ten years
before the first Kingdom Come. Online you often see Wumblies
referred to as Randy Castillo's first rock band or even worse as
Randy's first band. Total horseshit. But thanks to the magic of copy
and paste, the Randy Castillo story (including egregious errors) has
spread to every nook and cranny of the internet. At least nobody's
referred to him as New Mexico Sioux.
After the Wumblies wobbled off into the
sunset, Randy found himself in The Offenders, an ill conceived band
that featured bassist Randy Rand, who would later join Autograph and
guitarist Glenn Sherba, who went on to join the final version of
Badfinger (the one that recorded the “Say No More”
album)“Sometimes I wish I would have stuck it out with the
Offenders, but I was too impatient. I wanted something to happen now”
Didn't we all... The Offenders released a single album, in 1981 and
went belly up. Randy received an offer to join Code Blue in Los
Angeles, but before he could settle in Warner Bros. dropped 'em cold.
Code Blue, originally called Skin, was formed by Dean Chamberlain, an
original member of The Motels. The band also featured Gary Tibbs of
The Vibrators on bass.
Randy landed on his feet, when bassist
Michael Goodroe, also from Albuquerque, convinced The Motels that
Castillo was the perfect drummer for their upcoming U.S. Tour with
Cheap Trick. Afterwards he teamed up with Wumblies band mate Rick
Wilson in U.S.S.A. a Chicago area “supergroup” that included lead
singer Cliff Johnson (Off Broadway) Pete Comita (ex Cheap Thrill
bassist) and guitarist Tommy Gawenda (Pezband) no recordings were
made. The rest of the Randy Castillo story is quite familiar and well
documented. For the sake of brevity I won't pour over the details.
Randy went on to become the most recognized musician Albuquerque has
ever produced, and lest we forget, he started out playing that Duke
City Soul.
Northern Soul
Imagine my surprise upon discovering
that “They'll Never Know Why” by Freddy Chavez is probably
playing on a radio station somewhere in the north of England at this
very moment. It's sounds crazy, but it's true. Freddy, raised in the
South Broadway area of Albuquerque, was the creative force behind
Thee Chekkers, remembered by some as the band that Randy Castillo
played with prior to The Gremlins, filling in for their regular
drummer, thirty minutes a night (1:30 am to closing) while his
parents hovered nearby. Thee Chekkers were loaded with talent. The
legendary Freddy Chavez on vocals & keys, Rolando Baca- lead
guitar, Severo Flores- sax, Gabby Gabaldon- trumpet, Gene Romero-
bass (Randy's longtime running mate) and Ralph Gonzales-drums.
Thee Chekkers made their mark once they
hooked up with a man who knew his way around soul music, John Wagner
of Delta Records, who also owned the best studio in town. This
collaboration resulted in one awe inspiring single “Please Don't Go
/ Lack of Love” released in 1965 on Look Records a subsidiary of
Starday Records. Produced by John Wagner, both songs written by
Freddy Chavez. Both did well locally due to the fact that records by
local artists actually got played on local radio stations... a novel
concept if ever I've heard one. Thee Chekkers don't appear to have
recorded anything else until 1967 when a single credited to Freddy
Chavez came out “They'll Never Know Why/ Baby I'm Sorry” written
by Freddy Chavez on Look Records, produced by John Wagner.
Then something odd happened, DJ Colin
Curtis bought a copy of “They'll Never Know Why” added it to his
playlist at The Golden Torch and devotees lapped it up. Soon other
singles by Duke City Soul bands, Thee Chekkers, Tommy G & The
Charms, Tom Barsanti & The Invaders found their way onto British
turntables. Confused?... sit right down and let this old guy explain
it to you: Northern Soul was a cultural phenomena that had its roots
in the R&B music favored by England's Mods. It swept through
Northern England, the English Midlands, Wales and Scotland in the
late 1960s, having originated in cavernous venues such as the Twisted
Wheel in Manchester, the Catacombs in Wolverhampton, Blackpool Mecca,
the Golden Torch at Stoke-on-Trent, Va-Va's in Bolton and the Mecca
of northern soul music.... Wigan Casino in Wigan. Home of the
All-Nighter
While the Mods had a preference for
Motown, Northern Soul fanatics did not, unless it was unreleased or
obscure. All recordings deemed as too popular or too commercial were
snubbed. The music most prized by the enthusiasts was American soul
music issued on small regional labels and that's where the Duke City
Soul bands gained a foothold. The music had to adhere to a certain
beat... for example, The Four Tops “Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch” …
the template for the Northern Soul sound, though no self respecting
dance hall would play it, as it was deemed too commercialized. The
dress evolved from classic Mod fashions to wide baggie trousers,
teamed with tanks, vests, polo shirts, track jackets and leather
soled shoes for the gents. Ankle- length circle skirts, vests,
patterned slim fit shirts, platform shoes and knitted tanks for the
gals. Adorned with Northern Soul patches representing their venue of
choice.
The dancing evolved into an energetic
and competitive style similar to early forms of break dancing. By the
late 1970s most music being played in the dance halls was still music
from the mid-60s, until Colin Curtis started incorporating newer
American music such as funk and disco. That change would cause a
split between Wigan traditionalist and the modern soul faction that
sprang from Blackpool Mecca's Highland Room. “They'll Never Ask
Why” a Wigan classic made its way onto “Northern Monsters” a
compilation album compiled by Kent supremo Ady Croasdell for Ace
Records, an album that did for Northern Soul what Nuggets did for 60s
Garage. “They'll Never Ask Why” has since appeared on countless
other compilations and is still being played on many of England's
Northern Soul and Oldies Stations. The 45 Club Channel on YouTube has
it ranked at #59 in the Northern Soul Top 500. Keep the Faith.
At the end of the
story, it's all been told
After his brush with international
fame, Freddy Chavez turned up in the Majestics, a popular Chicano
soul band that included Freddy, Dale Rodriguez, Charlie Jaramillo,
the omnipresent Luis “Smoothie” Soto and Ernest “Big Boy”
Turner. Hardly any information on the Majestics online and zero
recordings posted anywhere. Next up for Freddy Chavez was The
Spinning Wheel, a show band with a full horn section that toured the
Western states (they were big in Spokane) and enjoyed a successful
run on the Vegas strip alongside fellow New Mexicans Sidro's Armada
and Santa Fe w/ Jerry Lopez. Spinning Wheel was Freddy Chavez on
lead vocals and bass guitar. Robert “Boykie” Chavez on drums.
Mike Coulter on sax Eloy Armendariz on keyboard & trumpet. Ray
Lucero on guitar & trombone Ray Esquibel on sax. Gabe Baldonado
and David Nunez and a host of other musicians were also on board at
one time or another. Recordings are available online, including a
schmaltzy version of Sinatra's “My Way” and some really cool live
tracks, posted by Mike Coulter.
The Freddie Chavez Foundation started
in 1974, 41 years later the group is still active. Original members
were Freddie Chavez, Ray Lucero (guitar) John Sargent (drums) Bennie
Torrez (guitar & trumpet) The Foundation went through more
drummers than Spinal Tap, including Robert "Boykie"
Chavez, Pete Gabaldon, Jay Blea, Sonny Johnson, Ralph Gonzales,
Bennie Padilla & Johnny Vigil. Ricky Lucero (organ) Louie
(Smoothie) Soto (sax) & Jackie "JJ" Jaramillo (guitar)
Don Rood (keyboards) figured in the mix. The Foundation favored jazzy
soul numbers, pop standards, every style of Spanish music and even
backed Freddie on an album of religious music and another that
featured patriotic songs. Versatility and longevity are the hallmarks
of greatness.
The Star Sapphires, recorded in
Albuquerque during the mid-60's. The band consisted of RC (Roger)
Chavez- guitar and Robert Chavez- guitar and keyboard, Larry Montoya
drums and Charles Murray on bass. Robert Chavez went on to join the
Vandels, not to be confused with Robert “Boykie” Chavez of The
Charms & Spinning Wheel. Other than that, I know nothing about
these guys except that they recorded a peerless version of
“Cherry Pie” a song made famous by Skip & Flip (Clyde Battin
and Gary S. Paxton) which was a cover of Marvin and Johnny's
original recorded for Modern Records in 1954. The Star Sapphires
released one single “Cherry Pie b/w Sapphire on their own
Sapphires label. “Sugar plum, sweet as they come”
Tom Barsanti and The Invaders were
quite active during 1966, recording three singles, the best known
being “For Your Precious Love /You Can't Sit Down” on the local
QQ label. “For Your Precious Love” was re-released on John
Wagner's Delta records (which gives a good clue as to what studio the
three singles were recorded at) and wound up becoming one the Duke
City Soul singles that made it way to The Northern Soul circuit in
England. Two more singles followed, “Sticks & Stones/Stormy
Monday Blues” and “Do The Dog One More Time/ St. James Infirmary”
both on QQ records. Tom Barsanti was the lead vocalist, Joe Bravo
the lead guitarist and that's all I know about band personnel. Tom
Barsanti worked as a disc jockey at KLOS alongside Pal Al Tafoya,
broadcasting out of the KIMO building downtown. He wound up moving to
Chicago and is now retired and living in Mexico. *Nobody's Children a garage band from Gallup, N.M. also scored a regional hit with "St. James Infirmary.
The Vandels, featuring Martin Duran on
vocals, Robert Chavez on Keys (Star Sapphires) Tony Ramirez sax, Paul
Harrison bass, Simon Chavez trumpet, Rubel Martinez trumpet, Bill
Dauber, drums Harold Garcia guitar, Paul Duran guitar, Randy Valley
drums and Anthony Aragon sax. Formed around a group of friends from
West Mesa Hs. The Vandels had been playing for about two years when
Tommy Bee signed them to Tommy Bee Productions. Heavily influenced by
James Brown (that's why they sported two drummers) The Vandels
decided to record “Try Me” as the b-side to “Danger Zone” The
single “Try Me / Danger Zone” was released in July of 1967 on
Lance Records and within a month the b-side was climbing up the local
charts (peaking at #7 on KQEO) Unfortunately for The Vandels, “Try
Me” came out just as Tommy Bee fell out with Lance Music
Enterprises.
For that reason their next single, a
cool cover of Maxine Brown's “All In My Mind b/w Soulin” (aka Boo
Ga – Louie) produced by Tommy Bee for Tommy Bee Productions was
released on Souled Out Records.... C.L. Milburn's label out of Pasadena, Texas, that Bobby Rosales & The Premiers
recorded for. “I think
that you don't care, And it's more than I can bear, I don't know
baby, Maybe it's all in my mind, all in my mind” Speak of the
devil.... in 1968 “Try Me b/w Boo Ga- Louie” was licensed by
Tommy Bee to Reginald Hines' for release on the Lynn label. Tommy
Bee was resourceful with plenty of friends in low places. “At the
end of the highway there's no place to go, at the end of the rainbow
you'll find the gold” unless Reginald Hines got there first.
