The Symptoms

The Symptoms (aka The Original Symptoms) were from Springfield, Missouri and evolved into The Morells, The Skeletons and aside from their own career, have recorded and played with the likes of Dave Alvin, Syd Straw, Eric Ambel, Bo Diddley and Jonathan Richman. Members Ron Gremp (drums), Maralie Whitney (keyboards, vocals), Donnie Thompson (guitar, vocals), Jim Wunderle (lead vocals) and Lou Whitney (bass, vocals). 

 

Wunderle was known not only known as a dynamic singer and the “consummate front man” for a long series of bands, as his longtime friend Dale McCoy dubbed him, but also for the thick network of loyal friendships he sustained throughout his life. He began his career at Parkview High School (class of 1971) with Bubble, a band he started in 1969 with McCoy, Jimmy Frink, David Evans and David March. Around 1980, he formed The Dog People, perhaps Wunderle’s signature band, with Terry Wilson, Michael “Supe” Granda and Tom Whitlock. The band stopped playing regularly in 1983 when Wilson and Whitlock departed to pursue music careers in Los Angeles but had been reuniting faithfully at least once a year. Wunderle was instrumental in forming the annual Imagine Concert and serving as MC for the event commemorating John Lennon and raising money for Springfield nonprofits. In addition to performing, Wunderle did production work for studio owner Lou Whitney and for many years at Associated Video Producers. He also wrote film reviews for the Springfield Business Journal. 

 

Lou Whitney was also producer and owner of The Studio, Springfield. Died in October 07, 2014, kidney cancer, he was 72. After his death in 2014 Whitney's longtime assistant Eric Schuchmann purchased The Studio, Springfield and changed its location to the Southwest side of Springfield, Missouri. 

 

Maralie Whitney was born October 22, 1930 and died August 30, 2013. She started piano lessons at the age of 6 and classical trained for 12 years. After marrying she formed the band, Maralie and the Marathons. After moving to Ohio, she played for a dinner club and raised her 3 daughters. In the 1960's, She moved to Springfield and played at the Kentwood Arms and various sing along bars. In 1972, She was selling real estate and met Lou Whitney who she later married and they formed various bands playing current and oldies along with original works! They started as The Symptoms and later became The Morells which was formed in 1978. 

 

Lawrence Lange

Admittedly the waves aren't too good in the Midwest, but that didn't prevent Lawrence Lange from preparing an anthem, just in case this ever changes. The 7" single "Surfin' Kansas City" (1985, Titan!), their only record, includes many surf homages for a clever pastiche that avoids novelty status by virtue of a preformance that doesn't take itself too seriously. The group inlcuded Lawrence Lange (naturally, guitars, vocal, background vocals), Hy Mayer (drums), Dean Vallis (bass), Dianne O'Neill (piano) and Mark Smith (background vocals). This was recorded at Playwright Presentations Inc, NYC. 

Rousers

Starting out like a Yardbirds "Train Kept A Rollin", New York's The Rousers has a great shout along chorus and wailing hamornica. Gotta love the trippy space noises as well. Featuring Jerry O'Connell (drums), Tom Milmore (lead guitar), Jeff Buckland (vocals), Bill Dickon (rhythm guitar), and John Hannah (bass). Perhaps it's most interesting point is that their only single "Party Boy" (1981), was produced by Wayne Kramer of the MC5.

 

Service

Not too much there on Royal Oak, Michigan The Service, so for now all we can really say is that the group featured Lou Zasuwa (vocals), Gary Zasuwa (guitar, vocals), Pat Conaton (bass, vocals), and Kyle Kleckner (drums). "Time Release" (Tremor, 1980) was written by the band and was their only release. 

The Key

What it is with Los Angeles and powerpop trios? They're all great! The Question, Chardon Square and, of course, The Key, ruled the LA mod scene alongside ska faves The Untouchables, for much of the mid 80's, packing them in at locations like Fender's Ballroom in Long Beach. "Evolution" is from the band's debut EP, 'Trashin' Power Pop' (Smash-A!, 1986) -has an EP title ever summed up a band's sound so succintly? The La Verne (an LA suburb), CA group featured Shane Ries (guitar / lead vocals), Henry Chavez (bass / vocals), and David White (drums, also of The Question and later The Untouchables, he was replaced in The Key by Mike Young). They later released an album on London mod label Unicorn Records and also appeared on their 'Unicorn Two ... Modern Times' compilation. Perhaps more importantly the band appeared on Anthony "Squire" Meynell's Hi Lo Records compilation 'American Heart And Soul' and were included on the label CD retrospective 'It's A Mod Mod World'. Shane now runs a hip hop label, Base 9.

 

The Shades

Consisting of a pair of brothers, Bill (keyboards / sax) and Scott Evans (bass), plus Bob (lead vocals) and Jack DeStefano (guitar) as well as George Messina (drums) and Joe Hosey (guitar), The Shades originally sprung from the New Jersey band Nobody Special, and though they drew label attention, "Hello Mr. Robinson" (Go Go Records, 1979) would be their only release. Scott Evans also performed with The Rettmans and released a holiday single, "Credit Card Christmas". 

 

The Colors

Based around just two clubs, Max’s Kansas City and CBGB’s, The Ramones, Blondie, Talking Heads, Television and Patti Smith laid down the framework for the enduring genre of music known as punk. By 1978 those bands were all recording and touring and a new wave of bands were emerging from those same streets and playing in those same clubs. 

One of those bands was The Colors. Formed in 1978 when native New Yorkers Tommy Cookman (vocals) and Paul Sass (guitar) began playing together, they were joined in early 1979 by Australian bassist Robert Vickers.Their first shows were at a small but now legendary Soho club called Tier 3. Soon after they asked neighbor Ed East to play drums and built a rehearsal room in his storefront on Rivington Street a few blocks from CBGBs. It was at thistime that Paul appeared in the Robert Stigwood flop turned cult classic, "Times Square".

 
Their rise on this small, closely watched scene was quick. They were renowned for their brief  but intensely exciting live sets and weredeemed "Local Band Most Likely Destined for Commercial Success" by The Soho Weekly News in 1979. They were young, attractive and played energetic pop/punk with very short melodic songs that appealed to an equally young audience. After a playing only a few shows they signed a management deal with CBGB’s owner Hilly Kristal and became the house band there, opening for people like John Cale and Levi and The Rockats and headlining weekend shows. 

Tracks were recorded for ‘Live at CBGBs Vol. II’ but the album was never released. Instead they signed with local indie label, Infinite Records. Clem Burke of Blondie, an early supporter, agreed to produce. At this point the relationship with Hilly Kristal was dissolved and Ed East left the band. Clem Burke stepped in to play drums with them, live and on the record, and took over management. A second guitarist, Charly Pip, formerly of The David Johansen Band was also added. 

The EP, ‘Rave It Up’ was recorded at Electric Lady studios with Jay Burnett (Planet Rock) engineering, and released in 1980. Many great shows followed, opening for The Undertones, Eddie and the Hot Rods, The Bay City Rollers, The Plasmatics, etc. The Colors built a loyal and enthusiastic fan base in New York and ventured out to tour the East Coast. Despite this being pre-MTV, two videos were made for the EP. Produced by Ed Steinberg of Rock America, Diane Harvey directed both. Three graffiti artists were hired to do a back drop for the party scenes in the videos. One of them, "Samo" under his real name, Jean-Michel Basiquat, later became an internationally renowned artist. 

A new drummer, known only as The Elf, was recruited and The Colors began doing TV shows such as The Uncle Floyd Show and New York Dancestand as well as interviews on the fledgling college radio circuit that in the 90s would play such an important part in independent music. They played Chicago, regularly toured the East Coast and ventured deep into New Jersey. They also began working on an album for Infinite, recorded at Intergalactic Studios in New York with the same production team. A song was even written for them by a member of The Bay City Rollers and recorded during these sessions although it did not make the album. 

Unfortunately Infinite folded during the recording and the album, ‘The Colors’ came out in early 1983 on Dirt Records too late to save the band from breaking up. Paul Sass had left and Robert Vickers soon left to join Australian band The Go-Betweens in London. The Colors had a brief existence, less that four years in total, but their star shone brightly during that time;villuminating the murky grim of the old Bowery and the dimly lit side streets of a low rent, crime ridden Manhattan that disappeared so completely in the boom of the late 80s. This album is a snapshot of that time, of boundless youthful optimism in a bankrupt city on the edge of America. [SOURCE: MYSPACE] 

The Penetrators

The Penetrators, founded by guitarist Scott Harrington and drummer Joel Kmak, turned up frequently in the late 1970s at SD punk venues like downtown's Skeleton Club. The Pens got a big break in 1978 by opening for the Ramones at SDSU's Montezuma Hall, even though original guitarist Scott Harrington quit over the gig, feeling the band wasn't ready. Music writer Steve Esmedina at the Reader teamed up with KGB-FM DJ Jim McInnes to increase public awareness of the band. When their first EP was released, Chris Davies had replaced guitarist Scott Harrington, having learned the songs by sneaking a tape recorder into Penetrators' concerts. Gary Heffern (Monotone & the Nucleoids) joined up, as did keyboardist-turned-drummer Dan McLain, who operated Monty Rockers Records on El Cajon Boulevard and replaced original drummer Joel Kmak, who had joined the Hitmakers (and would later be a Beat Farmer). McLain would later found The Snuggle Bunnies and become known as Country Dick Montana, leader of The Beat Farmers.

In 1980, while recording at Western Adio Studios in Kearny Mesa and selling out local venues as large as Golden Hall, The Penetrators were Gary Heffern, Chris Sullivan, Jim Call, Chris Davies, and Dan McLain (aka Country Dick Montana). At the time, only Chris Davies made his living solely as a musician. Heffern worked for the phone company, Sullivan worked at a radio station, and Call managed a Pacific Beath theater, where McLain was a snack bar clerk. The band split in 1984, with its members going on to play in The Beat Farmers, The Jacks, and others. Most of the members still live in San Diego, other than Heffern, who lives in Finland; McLain died in 1995. Former Penetrator Chris Sullivan joined latterday Beat Farmer Buddy Blue in The Jacks -as of 2009, both he and Penetrator Joel Kmak play in the re-formed Beat Farmers, now known as the Farmers. Jim Call plays keyboards with Zirk Ubu Circus, while Chris Davies ran the music shop Cow Records in Ocean Beach. Scott Harrington produced the first record by Manual Scan (who later evolved into The Shambles). [SOURCE: SAM DIEGO READER]

 

The Monroes

Founded by keyboard player Eric Denton and bass player Bob "Monroe" Davis, the San Diego quintet The Monroes mildly flirted with success as the result of the infectious single "What Do All the People Know." With a lineup that was rounded out by singer Jesus Ortiz, guitarist Rusty Jones, and drummer Jonnie Gilstrap, The Monroes record, a five-song EP, was released in 1982 through Japanese label Alfa. When Alfa folded, "What Do All the People Know," which had been gaining momentum, stalled at number 59 on the pop charts. Little more would be heard from the band, although Denton and Davis soldiered on for the remainder of the decade and "What Do All the People Know" began appearing on new wave compilations during the '90s. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC] 

Gems

Not to be confused with Minnie Ripperton's Gems who also recorded during the 70's, these Gems were a powerpop trio from Kansas City and had a pub rock sound that somehow crosses Elvis Costello with Steve Miller. 'Save Your Money' (Titan!, 1978) would be this band's only single, produced by C.M. Allen and featuring Gary Charlson on the guitar solo. Under the name J.P. McClain & The Intruders they contributed 3 tracks to Titan's 'Just Another Pop Album' 1980 compilation.