Lord Beverley Moss and the Moss Men
“Please, Please, What’s the Matter” 1966. Guitarist Bob
Timmers, later founder of the Rockabilly Hall of Fame in Nashville,
placed a want ad in a British music magazine looking for an “Eric
Burdon-type” singer to come over and perform. Bev Moss, singer and
part time grave digger, responded. Timmers paid for his plane fare
and helped Moss secure a work visa. The band played shows in and
around Wisconsin for about a year. At some point the band and Bev
split, and when his visa expired he went back to England. He is
currently still performing, doing musical theater, and an Elvis
Presley tribute show in the Cornwall area. Keyboardist Vic Wendt was
manager of the Concerto Music store. Drummer Tom Gebheim, who turned
in a whirlwind performance on this recording, recently celebrated his
80th birthday. This record has been featured on several
unlicensed garage rock compilations since the early 1980s, raising
awareness of the single and increasing its desirability among
collectors of the genre.
Passion “Midnight in the Park”
1970. This band is Tony’s Tygers (Tony Dancy, Lanny Hale, Craig
Fairchild, Fred Euler) performing under a new name, looking to update
their look and sound following their failed A&M Records contract.
This was one of 2 singles released as Passion before the band split
and went their separate ways. The core trio of Dancy, Hale and
Fairchild regrouped and released their 2nd album in 2010, 42 years
after their first.
Enchanters “On a Little Island”
1968. Very little is known about this quartet from Milwaukee. In
fact, we only know 3 of their full names; Robert Walton, Tom
Washington, and David Bursey, who joined after this record was
recorded. Both sides of the single were written by full-time dentist,
and part time songwriter Sy Lefco. Mr. Lefco was close to many
artists in the Chicago Jazz scene, and even penned a minor hit for
Oscar Peterson, “You Look Good to Me.”
Baroques “I Will Not Touch You”
1968. Best known for their psychedelic light show and
performances at the Avant Garde club in Milwaukee, occasionally with the
Velvet Whip. This single was done in April of 1968, after Chess
Records passed on the songs presented for a second LP. Their Chess LP
was reissued for Record Store Day Black Friday 2018 by label Sundazed
Records.
The Golden Catalinas “Varsity Club
Song” 1966. Recorded live at the former Varsity Club in La
Crosse as a promotional plug and its recording was funded at least in
part by the club’s owner. Famous for its live, raw sound and the
look of the band, who at the time were sporting gold lame’ suits
and shoes, AND gold sprayed pompadours! Target Productions was
started by Al Posniak and Jim Kelly from the band.
Loyal Opposition “Telling Lies”
1969. The Loyal Opposition was a band from Sheboygan and played
many concerts in the Northeast Wisconsin area. The Sheboygan-Two
Rivers-Manitowoc scene alone birthed over 150 bands in the time
between 1965 and 1972. The song was originally titled “Pondering”
and had far more psychedelic lyrics. Label head Al Posniak suggested
a rewrite and that lead singer Carl Weinberger (dec. 2018) perform in
a faux-British accent. Though no studio recordings survive of the
original version, the regrouped band played live in 2008, and was
captured on video doing the song with BOTH sets of lyrics. That video
is available on Youtube, thanks to Beth Eubank.
The Love Society “You Know How I
Feel (and Why)” 1969. The Love Society were no strangers to
success. Their Tee Pee-released single, a harmony-laden ballad
interpretation of Bobby Freeman’s “Do You Wanna Dance” was
picked up for national distribution by Scepter Records in the summer
of 1968 and followed up by a cover of “Tobacco Road”. When that
second record failed to meet Scepter’s expectations, the band cut
another single with Target, an original Al Posniak 50s styled pop
track. This song, the flip side, impressed RCA Victor, and the band
cut a new A-side and released it nationally. After another less than
successful follow-up and aborted album sessions in Chicago, the band
cut a single for Mercury in late 1970 before calling it a day.
Meanwhile…
Phase III “Working in a Coalmine”
1970. Lead by brothers Duane and Keith Abler (the latter of which
was also a member of the Love Society,) this group cut 2 singles in
early 1970 at Target. This song, the B-side of their 2nd
single, was written by Gary Laabs, a member of several Fox Valley
bands going back to the very early 1960s and treasurer for the local
musicians’ union. It was intended to be released by the band Cheese
(with Wilbur VandeBurgt on bass) with the recording session
photographed for a profile piece in the Appleton Post Crescent in
1969 but was ultimately cancelled. That recording is now considered
lost.
Members of
Phase III and The Love Society joined forces in 1973 and created
Sunblind Lion, who still perform to this day, and have enjoyed great
success on their home turf, with local audiences singing along to
many of their original compositions.
Torquays “Even the Wind” 1968.
This quartet recorded in 1968 when all four members were Oshkosh
(West) High School underclassmen. Rhythm guitarist Alan Ives wrote
and arranged both sides of the single, and this track was even
performed live with the school orchestra backing them! Ives charted
all of the orchestra parts for that version as well. The band changed
names to Friends and slowly began adding members, at one point
topping out at 7! Permutations of the band have endured to the
present day, still performing in and around the Oshkosh area. Ives
left the band in 1971 but continues to compose and perform both
religious and secular music.
Private Property of Digil “Sunshine
Flames” 1967.This was the 4th and final Private
Property single, written, sung and featuring shimmering 12 string
guitar from then 16-year-old prodigy Doug Yankus, one year before
forming legendary rock trio Soup with bassist Dave Fass and drummer
Rob Griffith, late of the band The Bloos Phase. The track is
reminiscent of the Beach Boys or the Association, who were known for
their multi-part vocal stylings. Yankus broke up the band when he
outgrew the AM pop sound, and endeavored to stretch his interest in
country rock, electric blues, and jazz. This track, as well as the
other 7 released PPoD sides, were included in a deluxe reissue of
Soup’s first LP by Gear Fab Records in 2000.
The 13th
Hour “Badger Beat” 1966, Written and sung by Ricky Leigh
Smolinski, with Jimmy Joe Van Hoof, Bill “Wilbur” VandeBurgt.
Namesake of Al Posniak’s column in Milwaukee Journal Green Sheet
ca. 67-68. One of the earliest, possibly the first, “official”
Target records, and an unfortunate example of rushed production of
the period. As the saying goes, “Strike while the iron is hot.”
And this band, for a moment, certainly was! Recorded in basement of
Concerto Music in a spare room converted to studio space, it is also
the single poorest quality recording the Archive is charged with
restoring. Concerto was the local instrument shop and hang out of
many musicians at the time.
Ricky and Wilbur were both highly
regarded and in demand players. Ricky wrote and played on the first
rock and roll record from Wisconsin in 1957 at age 15 and would
continue live performance and writing for many groups, while Wilbur
produced many recording sessions for Target through 1969 and
continued playing in several groups through the 70s. Wilbur passed in
2006, Ricky retired from performing in the 90s due to carpal tunnel.
Several records on today’s show were written by Ricky.
Jerry Sleger and his Cordovox
“Jerry’s Polka” 1968. The only artist to record a full
album at Target prior to 1972, as well as being the only artist to
have a release in stereo from the label until 1971. Jerry was a
mainstay at the Oshkosh EAA annual Fly-in, playing a monstrous
one-man band set up of over a dozen modified keyboards, running to
his Cordovox electric accordion. He retired from live performing in
2015 after 29 years. Tapes and CDs show up regularly for sale online,
and YouTube has several videos from local news profiling him.
“Jerry’s Polka” was one of his first recorded originals. He
released 2 singles with Cuca Records sister label Sara around the
same time as this, his first LP.
Glen Cass “Hurry-Up Sundown”
1970. A friend of guitar whiz Jerry Cole back to their teenage
years, Glenn (Kastner) played in the earliest lineup of The Flaming
Coals with Cole, drummer Tom Gebheim, and guitarist Ricky Leigh
Smolinski. He moved to LA in the early 60s and played on several of
Cole’s recordings, as well as many demo sessions with the likes of
Glen Campbell and other future Wrecking Crew notables. Glenn can be
heard on several tracks from the Byrds “Pre-Flyte” demoes LP.
After a stint in the Detours with pedal steel giant Red Rhodes, Cass
moved back to Wisconsin and played both as a solo and with his
brother Norm. This is the the B-side of one of his first solo
releases. In the 70s, he was the star of his own live country music
show on WFRV tv in Green Bay. Later, he took up teaching and moved to
Oregon, where he is now retired.
Speedy and the Alka Seltzers “Cathy
Lost Her Love Today” 1968. Originally hailing from central
Wisconsin, this group originally consisting of five members had pared
down to three by the time of this recording: Jerry “Lakes”
Laridaen, Jim Bisbee, and Butch Moore. All members were
multi-instrumentalists as well as singers, and one of their main
stage tricks was to swap between horns, guitars and drums between
songs, as well as sing Association-style close harmony. In the mid
70s, Laridaen backed Glenn Cass on his TV show and eventually took
the hosting spot when Glenn left. He retired from live performance in
2018.
Jules Blattner and the Warren Groovy
All-Star Band “Backwater Blue” 1972. Jules Merrill Blattner.
He was a leading powerhouse in early rock and roll in his native St.
Louis, played on Chuck Berry’s 1964 LP “Chuck Berry in London“,
fronted several successful groups in eastern Wisconsin through the
late 80s, and enjoyed a homecoming and late era live career until his
well-deserved retirement in 2000. Anyone who saw him live has
incredibly positive memories of his energy, enthusiasm, and sheer
skill of voice and guitar. Blattner passed away in June of 2019
following a long battle with ALS. He left behind a truly legendary
legacy. The track on offer was pulled from his 1973 independent
release “Back on the Road Again,” which was passed on by at least
2 major labels after both issuing this single without much fanfare or
promotional support. This is the mono single edit, as released by MGM
in 1972.
Raylene “Light of Day” 1967.
Raylene recorded 3 singles with various line-ups including her then
husband, sax player Roger Loos, and his brother Tom on drums. Light
of Day is the B-side of the 3rd of these. Written and
produced by Ricky Leigh, the vocals were recorded in the men’s
washroom at the studio due to its reverb. This is my personal
favorite of all the Target studio recordings. Raylene now lives in
the West Bend area and still performs regularly with the band “Nite
Trax.”
