Various Artists
Pebbles Presents Highs in the Mid Sixties, Volume Nine: Ohio
AIP 10015, 1984

AIP’s ninth volume in the Highs series was another varied lot, taking in singles from a number of disparate Ohio scenes. Thought the Ohio sound isn’t as readily identifiable as those of Chicago or the Northwest, there’s a definite pop-edge to many of these tracks that also surfaced in better-known Ohio acts like The Outsiders and Raspberries. The folk-rock and British Invasion influences give many of these songs fetchingly bright melodies and harmonies, while still taking in the garage ethic of punk attitude and superb lack of production values.

Cover: The Gillian Row

Original liner notes:

Ohio

In this series we are looking at the local music scenes of the ‘60s, examining both the common threads and the individual patterns that emerge. Like the rest of the world, Ohio was profoundly affected by the British Invasion spearheaded by the Beatles in 1964. Prior to that, there was no shortage of bands, ranging from surf instrumentals to various remnants of ‘50s idioms such as rockabilly, R&B, twist bands, teen pop singers, etc.

Many of these enjoyed local popularity, but were in danger of being swept aside by the flood of British groups. Those who survived were those who adapted, and how they adapted is the story of regional rock. Generally, throughout the country, bands spent 1964 growing their hair out and practicing Liverpool accents. In ’65 the Byrds, Beau Brummels, Lovin’ Spoonful and others brought the merger of British beat enthusiasm and American folk music to the charts, and folk-rock was born. That in turn combined with the proto-punk posturings of blue-influenced British groups like the Stones, Animals, Them and Yardbirds to produce folk-punk and, with the addition of the fuzz box, pure American punk rock in 1966. Into this crept a psychedelic element that bore some curious fruit before degenerating, by the end of ’67, into pretty much unadulterated hippie swill.

This in a nutshell was the rise and fall of garage band music, and it followed the same pattern across the United States and Canada. Classic examples can be found from any region, with no hint of local variation. Only by looking at the total output of a given region can we draw any conclusions about its distinctive musical identity.

Ohio has much in common with the other industrial Midwest states, yet is musically distinct. There doesn’t seem to have been as much local music prior to 1964 as in some other regions; groups like Rocky & The Visions or Joey & The Continentals were merely local versions of Dion & The Belmonts or Joey Dee & The Starlighters. There was a fair amount of recording done, but few of what we’d now call rock & roll bands, compared with neighboring scenes like Detroit, Chicago, and Wisconsin.

Perhaps as a consequence, the influence of the British was more greatly felt. Ohio teens took British pop to heart; not just the sound, but the look, the Mod ethic if you will. For ten years and more the state was crawling with pretty-boy bands in shag haircuts, glam clothes, and songs full of harmonies and hooks. It’s no accident the Raspberries came out of Cleveland—they were the culmination of a local tradition that was spawned the day “I Wanna Hold Your Hand” was first played on an Ohio radio station.

Ohio produced some of the best Mersey-pop band in the ‘60s. We all know the Choir, Cyrus Erie, the McCoys, the Outsiders. On this album we hear some of the lesser-known ones such as the Pied Pipers, Chylds, Dagenites, Outcasts, Dantes, and Sound Barrier. Also included are interesting earlier recordings by the Squires, Denims, and Bocky & The Visions, along with punk sounds typical of those heard around the country, by the Possums, Tree Stumps, Deadlys, and Gillian Row.

There is a great deal more fine garage music in Ohio, and indeed distinctions could be made between the scenes in Cleveland, Youngstown, Columbus, Cincinnati, etc., but we’ll leave that for future albums.

The Deadlys
Like the Possums, this track comes from the excellent Hillside sampler album of Columbus bands. All the bands sound like they were recorded live in a basketball court, with one mike pointed away from the singer. But the Deadlys stand out from the rest with this nasty version of the Lovin’ Spoonful song.

The Gillian Row
There were very few bands in 1966 who didn’t play “Gloria”, and this bunch of high school hipsters from Dayton proves why this song had such appeal; it was a song anybody could sing, even if they couldn’t sing the blues, and make it sound raw and bluesy. This has to be one of the hippest versions extant, and when you take a look at the band’s picture (reproduced on the front of this LP) it’s sad to realize they’re probably settled down in the suburbs listening to Culture Club.

The Squires
Surf instrumental fans sould love this driving rocker with its spacy sound effects and strangely ramiliar lead run… yes, it’s Jeff Beck’s solo from “Train Kept a-Rollin’” as Dick Dale might’ve done it! The man responsible is Phil Keaggy, Youngstown legend who later fronted Glass Harp and is now a big star in Christian music.

The Denims
Primarily a dance band, these guys were popular in east coast discotheques from ’65 through around ’67, and recorded a couple of outstanding, haunting punkers including “I’m Your Man” (which can be heard on Mindrocker Vol. 7) and “White Ship” (Pebbles, Vol. 7). But they also had a penchant for commercial tie-ins, and between their recordings for Columbia and Mercury they found time to cut a disc for the Canton Textile Mille, “Salty Dog” (“inspired by the sudden popularity among young Americans of that new, all-cotton invention… Salty Dog SCRUBDENIM”) and still another disc singing the virtues of the Adler Sock. The latter, being their rarest, is included here.

Bocky & The Visions
Bocky Dee’o and his twist band were Cleveland hot-shots before the Fab Four came along, and they didn’t like the new sound at all, so they wrote this little song: “C’mon fellas, move over, don’t be so selfish… we did the twist and sung the shout long before twist and club it out.” Then they get threatening: “We’re takin’ our stand, this time you’re through. This is the beginning of the Twist & Shout War!” But at the end they soften and wish Liverpool lads “lotsa luck.” Sheer genius!

The Statesmen
Very likely this is the Baskerville Hounds, a Cleveland band who started around ’62 as the Tulu Babies, and also recorded as the Talula Babies, the Bittersweets, and possibly contributed members to the Dantes. Their version of “Stop Get a Ticket” came out a year or so after the Clefs of Lavender Hill’s hit, but there is a persistent story that the song was originally written by them, heard and later ripped off by one of the Clefs while visiting Cleveland. In that case, this could be the original version.

The Pied Pipers
A halfway decent version of everyone’s favorite Billy Roberts song (no, for the last time, Dino Valenti didn’t write it) by an obscure Youngstown band.

The Tree Stumps
These guys may not have been the greatest musicians but they sure knew how to dress—each in their corduroy jacket with a big “TREE STUMPS” crest on the pocket. Their dad paid for the record because no one else would.

The Dagenites
You Loved “I’m Gonna Slide” on Psychedelic Unknowns Vol. 3; now hear their other, rarer release, on a local Dayton label.

The Chylds
Joe Vitale was once a member of this Akron group who cut two records in 1967, “Psychedelic Soul” is to be avoided at all costs, but “Hay Girl” is good enough to qualify them for anyone’s Punk Hall of Fame.

The Choir
The definitive Cleveland pop band, they evolved out of the Mods and made a handful of 45s and an unreleased album before plucking singer Eric Carmen from Cyrus Erie and becoming the Raspberries. Their classic, “It’s Cold Outside” (Pebbles Vol. 2) has been widely covered, but only the Chesterfield Kings have dared tackle “I’m Going Home” which makes its first album appearance here.

The Outcasts
A Zombies-influenced, moody punk sound from Cincinnati, not to be confused with at least 18 other groups called the Outcasts!

The Sound Barrier
One of the most impressive Ohio records is this group’s 2-sided killer on Zounds. We heard “My Baby’s Gone” on Pebbles Vol. 8, now here’s the flip. A later 45, covering “I Can’t Explain” and “Greasy Heart” is a big disappointment, except for the picture sleeve showing them in paisley-soaked mod threads.

The Dantes
The pride of Columbus, they released 4 singles consisting mostly of almost-acceptable Stones covers, but they did have their moments, like “Top Down Time” (Pebbles Vol. 4) and this frantic soul-rocker.

The Human Beingz
Before rocketing to internationsl fame with “Nobody But me”, this band cut a few sides for local labels, mostly covers of Who and Yardbirds songs, of which this version of “Evil Hearted You” is typical, not only of the group but of Ohio’s fascination with the British sound.

The Possums
Returning to Columbus, we close with yet another version of “Stepping Stone”, again with that wonderful gymnasium echo.

Side 1
The Deadlys - On the Road Again (Sebastian)
The Gillian Row - Gloria (Morrison)
The Squires - Batmobile (Keaggy, Monus)
The Denims – The Adler Sock (Denims)
Bocky & The Visions - The Spirit of '64 (R. Bobbins, J. Harris, T. Styles)
The Statesmen - Stop and Get a Ticket (Travers, Coventry)
The Pied Pipers - Hey Joe (Billy Roberts)
The Tree Stumps - Jennie Lee (Ron Jankowski)

Side 2
The Dagenites - I Don't Want to Try It Again (Dagenites)
The Chylds - Hay Girl (J. Lepar, R. Fano, N. Boldi)
The Choir - I'm Going Home (Dann Klawson)
The Outcasts - Loving You, Sometimes (Hall, Collingsworth)
The Sound Barrier - Hey Hey (Paul Hess)
The Dantes - Can't Get Enough of Your Love (Harvey, Wehr)
The Human Beingz – Evil Hearted You (G. Gouldman)
The Possums - Stepping Stone (Boyce, Hart)

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