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Orlando....you asked about my "band days"........
- Thread starter WillyP
- Start date
Before you went salt and pepper! 
OK....I'm dating myself here....
Do you remember the Beatles, the Stones, the Grateful Dead. Yes? How about the Turtles, the Yardbirds, Mobey Grape, the Byrds? OK! Well.....I wasn't involved with any of them! I was in a band called......wait for it.....(drum roll)......Us Kids. There, I've not mentioned that name for years. For good reason. We sucked!
Oh, as local talent goes, I guess we were OK. I was the oldest member, playing lead guitar, at 14 years of age. Local being Washington, Oregon and Northern California.
I grew up in a small town in southern Oregon called Medford. I had always liked music and dreamed of one day playing sax in a "cherry (cool) rock band". That day came and went, as many do and soon I was drawn to guitar.....myself and just about everyone reading this I would imagine. A "sweet" $24.00 Sears guitar. I was on my way, baby. I could just see it! Money.....Fame....Girls....recreational dr.....I mean beer. (Just kidding....not into drugs) I started forming little bands that could (if prompted) blurt out a very poor rendition of Louie Louie and not much else. As my search for talent continued, fueled by the above mentioned rewards, I eventually ran into three other boys with fairly similar dreams (aside from our lead singer who's parents obviously saw him becoming famous and supporting them in thier old age).
We practiced hard. Played any venue we could beg ourselves onto. Took on a manager who leased us brand new equipment. Wrote some very forgetable songs and we pushed on.
After winning a few local battle of the bands (I'm sure some by default) we thought ourselves ready to take it to the next level. A RECORD! Remember those? Now you're dating yourselves. Yes, a 45 rpm with a single on each side. Side A: "I Love The Rain" and on side B: "Checkout". We equiped ourselves with Beatle boots and trudged off to Portland, Oregon's Rex Master Studios to cut it. Believe it or not......we climded the charts on the local "Top 25" on KBOY am radio. We started out at number 23, I think ( been a lotta years) and shot all the way up to the number two spot just under the Beatles "Yellow Submarine". It's something to hear yourself on a car radio.
Alas, with that minor success our parents began to take us seriously. The bickering began about who would get credit for what...yada yada yada...and just as we were near to signing a deal with Columbia Records....BAM!....the band was blown apart by our "supportive parents".
So that's it. My near-brush with fame. It's the first time I've thought of those days since my boy found my old 45 (gotta keep one for old time sake, right?) and asked me to tell HIM the story.
Well, here I am today, sharing with you. A little grayer, a little heavier and I hope, a little more wise and, more importantly, famous to the people who really count.....my family.
Fini.
Do you remember the Beatles, the Stones, the Grateful Dead. Yes? How about the Turtles, the Yardbirds, Mobey Grape, the Byrds? OK! Well.....I wasn't involved with any of them! I was in a band called......wait for it.....(drum roll)......Us Kids. There, I've not mentioned that name for years. For good reason. We sucked!
Oh, as local talent goes, I guess we were OK. I was the oldest member, playing lead guitar, at 14 years of age. Local being Washington, Oregon and Northern California.
I grew up in a small town in southern Oregon called Medford. I had always liked music and dreamed of one day playing sax in a "cherry (cool) rock band". That day came and went, as many do and soon I was drawn to guitar.....myself and just about everyone reading this I would imagine. A "sweet" $24.00 Sears guitar. I was on my way, baby. I could just see it! Money.....Fame....Girls....recreational dr.....I mean beer. (Just kidding....not into drugs) I started forming little bands that could (if prompted) blurt out a very poor rendition of Louie Louie and not much else. As my search for talent continued, fueled by the above mentioned rewards, I eventually ran into three other boys with fairly similar dreams (aside from our lead singer who's parents obviously saw him becoming famous and supporting them in thier old age).
We practiced hard. Played any venue we could beg ourselves onto. Took on a manager who leased us brand new equipment. Wrote some very forgetable songs and we pushed on.
After winning a few local battle of the bands (I'm sure some by default) we thought ourselves ready to take it to the next level. A RECORD! Remember those? Now you're dating yourselves. Yes, a 45 rpm with a single on each side. Side A: "I Love The Rain" and on side B: "Checkout". We equiped ourselves with Beatle boots and trudged off to Portland, Oregon's Rex Master Studios to cut it. Believe it or not......we climded the charts on the local "Top 25" on KBOY am radio. We started out at number 23, I think ( been a lotta years) and shot all the way up to the number two spot just under the Beatles "Yellow Submarine". It's something to hear yourself on a car radio.
Alas, with that minor success our parents began to take us seriously. The bickering began about who would get credit for what...yada yada yada...and just as we were near to signing a deal with Columbia Records....BAM!....the band was blown apart by our "supportive parents".
So that's it. My near-brush with fame. It's the first time I've thought of those days since my boy found my old 45 (gotta keep one for old time sake, right?) and asked me to tell HIM the story.
Well, here I am today, sharing with you. A little grayer, a little heavier and I hope, a little more wise and, more importantly, famous to the people who really count.....my family.
Fini.
Lil Brother
New member
I did when I was a member of The Sailoors! (See archives) What memories! We just sang TO Penny Lane along with the fab four. Thanks for the story.
Lil Brother
Lil Brother
Kelley (Texas)
New member
This was really interesting...I have never known anyone from a band before. I have always respected folks that act on their dreams...regardless of how far they go in achieving the dreams, they are successful for having the fortitude of trying to reach their goal in life. WillyP, appears that you were a winner! Thanks for sharing this story, very enjoyable. Please have a great day! Kelley (Texas)
jim central mo
New member
i remember those days,formed my first band sometime around 1966,let my hair grow(look thar,is that a girl or a boy?)in about 69 i switched to country,went to nashville and found folks waiting tables that had more talent than i did so i went back home and settled for being locally famous.never got around to recording anything other than a shoe box full of cassetes of live performances.played a few shows with some folks you might have heard of.kenny price from heehaw,mark denning(teen angel)was supposed to do a show with david allen coe but he cancelled.i semi retired from the bussiness about 5 years ago but i still get out once in a while to play a local night spot now and then.it's a bit more fun now that it's not a job anymore.i never got anywhere near "the big time" but i had a great time.met some great people.oh i did get to play on the ozark opry a couple of times.it was a tv show broadcast live from the lake of the ozarks.now that's stage fright,people and cameras.first time i did it i could hardly get my breath to sing the darn song.you ever play a super market grand opening?geeze i can't believe they used to do that.stick us on a flatbed trailer out in the parking lot.you don't see that done too often these days.
Man, I call that "stick-to-it-ness". You played a long time. The only band of notoriaty that I played with was Gary Lewis and the Playboys. Approximately 2500 people (that's 5,000 beedy eyeballs staring right at YOU!), the biggest gig I ever played. Gary Lewis was very supportive, probably because of our age. Scared to death then......get the giggles about it now.
I have long since gone country (my roots) and will stay that way. My oldest son is in a punk rock band and a much better guitar player than I ever was. I got one over on him though.....I can walk by a fridge magnet without getting stuck to the door! But that's a whole other story........
.......
I have long since gone country (my roots) and will stay that way. My oldest son is in a punk rock band and a much better guitar player than I ever was. I got one over on him though.....I can walk by a fridge magnet without getting stuck to the door! But that's a whole other story........
.......jim central mo
New member
i have a nephew with tatoos and piercings all over.i can't metal detect with him around.that's cool that your son is into music.just be glad it ain't rap,which has nothing to do with music.(you can tell i really like it huh?)neither one of my daughters have the desire to play so unless my grandsons pick it up it dies with me.musicians go back a long way in my family.my dad played western swing with the pamona playboys.he played partys for clark gable and he told me bob wills was an a$$hole.ha,who'da thought it.then he got married,moved to missouri and the party was over.i at least held out till i was almost 50.
i remember gary lewis,that must've been quite a rush to share a stage with them.remember gary pucket?i saw him at our county fair last year.he put on a great show and he's still got the voice.really took me back when he walked out on stage singing"young girl,get outta my mind".i got to talk to him after the show,he's a super nice guy.you've really stirred up some memories,maybe you can come up with a story and i'll try to come up with one too ok?
i remember gary lewis,that must've been quite a rush to share a stage with them.remember gary pucket?i saw him at our county fair last year.he put on a great show and he's still got the voice.really took me back when he walked out on stage singing"young girl,get outta my mind".i got to talk to him after the show,he's a super nice guy.you've really stirred up some memories,maybe you can come up with a story and i'll try to come up with one too ok?
I'll try to dig up a story or two. Man, you met Gary Pucket? The Union Gap were among my favorites! I always thought he had the pipes of an opera singer.......so powerful! Another singer I would like to hear more from is Michael MacDonald (late of the Doobies). I've got a love for the blues and his "smokey, horsey" voice would be suited to that style.
Have you ever noticed Jim, how (because of your musical background) you tend to "listen" to music while those around you only "hear" it?
Have you ever noticed Jim, how (because of your musical background) you tend to "listen" to music while those around you only "hear" it?