Facts:
Album Name: 12 Groovy Hits, 12 Florida Bands
Produced: Spring, 1965
Label: Tener Custom
Record Number: TC 154 & TC 155
Special Notes: This was the first of many demo records released by Bee Jay Booking Agency (Winter Park / Orlando) and was used exclusively to secure work for the bands thereon. The album was made prior to the installation of Bee Jay Recording Studios and is a collection of recordings made at various studios as noted.
See IMAGES and listen to AUDIO files – click on links below.
Side 1
1) The Starfires / Stop It
This band was originally put together by Eric Schabacker, a freshman at Rollins College in Winter Park. Starting as a 5 piece band made up entirely of Rollins students, the band morphed over the years and grew to include 11 individuals from Rollins and the surrounding communities. The music track for “Stop It” was actually recorded by a group of throw together musicians other than The Starfires. Eric’s vocal and Tom Mclaughlin’s back up vocal were cut in the offices of Tener Records in Winter park.
2) The Swinging Temptations / I Feel Good
The Swinging Temptations were headed up by two brothers: Gary Griffin on drums and Ben Griffin Jr. on guitar. With a lot of help from their father, Ben Sr., they become a power house horn band. Dave Miller was the lead guitarist in the band’s earlier years and was revered by many local musicians as being the best of the best. Dave would later go on to be killed in an unfortunate car verse train accident. This band was in no way related to the Motown Temptations. In fact, the Motown group tried to stop The Swinging Temptations from using the “Temptations” name but backed down after discovering that this Winter Park group actually was first to use it. Ben Griffin Sr. briefly acted as the business manager for The Starfires. “I Feel Good” was recorded at the Rollins radio station, WPRK-FM.
3) The Mysteries / My True Love
My True Love is thought to have been recorded in Miami. Dayton Lang was the spokesperson for this Orlando area group. The Mysteries made several recordings over the years including an instrumental cover of “The Pink Panther.”
4) The Moonrakers / Out Of Sight
This was another Rollins College band. They no doubt recorded “Of Sight” at The College Radio Station, WPRK.
5) The Soul Tenders / Walkin’ The Dog
Frank Domenico of Orlando was the leader of this band which, over the years, became very successful. They later became one of the area’s first integrated bands when they hired the Reverend Billy Jackson as their singer, a move that made them very popular on high school and college campuses.
6) The Maleman / Norwegian Wood
Not much is remembered about this Central Florida Band. It is believed that “Norwegian Wood” was recorded at Pine Hills Recording Studio which was located in the back of an auto brake repair service owned by Don Gore.
Side 2
1) The New Englanders / Silence Is Golden
There were two known bands in the Orlando area that used “The New Englanders” name. One such group included a number of local musicians including drummer Bobby Caldwell, guitarist Nick Holmes (Kevin Bacon’s Cousin), guitarist Dave Miller and bassist Bob Johnson. Although it’s difficult to say for certain, it is thought that this recording was made at WPRK and was performed by those mentioned. The signing of the group by Tener Enterprises was found in the Rollins College newspaper “The Sandspur.” The article identifies Donna Mathews as part of the group.
2) The Nooney Rickett IV / She’s Not There
There are no notes on this band.
3) The Fabulous Thunder / So Hold Me Tight
There are no notes on this band. This recording was most likely made in South Florida or the Tampa Bay area.
4) The Wrong Numbers / The Way I Feel
The Wrong Numbers were from Mt. Dora and were led by Clark Staton, son of the local barber with the same name. The band was very successful in their own circles and eventually would hire Gregg Shivley who later would go on to record with Orlando’s Al Leonard under the name of Leonard Shivley. This twosome had a chart record in 1976 on the Immunity Record label.
5) The Pratts Bottom 5 / Woman
There are no notes on this band other than a brief description on a promotional brochure – “Music with a kick and a hard driving beat is easily associated with the Big Five.”
6) The Nation Rocking Shadows / Time
With their home in the Leesburg area, The Nation Rocking Shadows regularly played at the Orlando Youth Center and WLOF radio’s Funtown. They were a slick, well dressed band outfitted with loads of the latest Fender Guitars and Amplifiers. Ron Skinner was the group’s mouth piece.
12 Groovy Bands - Bee Jay Recording Studio
Bee Jay Booking Agency Brochure 1965
Eric Schabacker and Jimmy Page of the Yardbirds
Swinging Tempations - Bee Jay Booking Agency
Pratt's Bottom 5 - Bee Jay Booking Agency
Soul Tenders - Bee Jay Booking Agency
Fabulous Thunder - Bee Jay Booking AgencyAlbum Name: 12 Groovy Hits, 12 Florida Bands
Produced: Spring, 1965
Label: Tener Custom
Record Number: TC 154 & TC 155
Special Notes: This was the first of many demo records released by Bee Jay Booking Agency (Winter Park / Orlando) and was used exclusively to secure work for the bands thereon.
The album was made prior to the installation of Bee Jay Recording Studios and is a collection of recordings made at various studios as noted.
Side 2 - Cut 6
The Nation Rocking Shadows / Time With their home the Leesburg area
The Nation Rocking Shadows regularly played at the Orlando Youth Center and WLOF radio's Funtown.
They were a slick, well dressed band outfitted with loads of the latest Fender Guitars and Amplifiers.
Ron Skinner was the group's mouth piece.
Pratts Bottom 5 - 12 Groovy Hits, 12 Florida Bands
Facts:
Album Name: 12 Groovy Hits, 12 Florida Bands
Produced: Spring, 1965
Label: Tener Custom
Record Number: TC 154 & TC 155
Special Notes: This was the first of many demo records released by Bee Jay Booking Agency (Winter Park / Orlando) and was used exclusively to secure work for the bands thereon.
The album was made prior to the installation of Bee Jay Recording Studios and is a collection of recordings made at various studios as noted.
Side 2 - Cut 5
The Pratts Bottom 5 / Woman
There are no notes on this band.
Wrong Numbers - 12 Groovy Hits, 12 Florida Bands
Facts:
Album Name: 12 Groovy Hits, 12 Florida Bands
Produced: Spring, 1965
Label: Tener Custom
Record Number: TC 154 & TC 155
Special Notes: This was the first of many demo records released by Bee Jay Booking Agency (Winter Park / Orlando) and was used exclusively to secure work for the bands thereon.
The album was made prior to the installation of Bee Jay Recording Studios and is a collection of recordings made at various studios as noted.
Side 2 - Cut 4The Wrong Numbers / The Way I Feel
The Wrong Numbers were from Mt. Dora and were led by Clark Staton, son of the local barber with the same name.
The band was very successful in their own circles and eventually would hire Gregg Shivley who later would go on to record with Orlando's Al Leonard under the name of Leonard Shivley.
This twosome had a chart record in 1976 on the Immunity Record label.
Fabulous Thunder - 12 Groovy Hits, 12 Florida Bands
Facts:
Album Name: 12 Groovy Hits, 12 Florida Bands
Produced: Spring, 1965
Label: Tener Custom
Record Number: TC 154 & TC 155
Special Notes: This was the first of many demo records released by Bee Jay Booking Agency (Winter Park / Orlando) and was used exclusively to secure work for the bands thereon. The album was made prior to the installation of Bee Jay Recording Studios and is a collection of recordings made at various studios as noted.
Side 2, Cut 3
The Fabulous Thunder / So Hold Me Tight
There are no notes on this band. This recording was most likely made in South Florida or the Tampa Bay area.
Nooney Rickett IV - 12 Groovy Hits, 12 Florida Bands
Facts:
Album Name: 12 Groovy Hits, 12 Florida Bands
Produced: Spring, 1965
Label: Tener Custom
Record Number: TC 154 & TC 155
Special Notes: This was the first of many demo records released by Bee Jay Booking Agency (Winter Park / Orlando) and was used exclusively to secure work for the bands thereon.
The album was made prior to the installation of Bee Jay Recording Studios and is a collection of recordings made at various studios as noted.
Side 2, Cut 2
The Nooney Rickett IV / She's Not There
There are no notes on this band.
The Nooney Ricket IV seem to have enjoyed some degree of success as they appeared several times on Shindig and in "B" movies like "Winter A Go Go" and "Pajama Party."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2nJFpfKHTA
New Englanders - 12 Groovy Hits, 12 Florida Bands
Facts:
Album Name: 12 Groovy Hits, 12 Florida Bands
Produced: Spring, 1965
Label: Tenor Custom
Record Number: TC 154 & TC 155
Special Notes: This was the first of many demo records released by Bee Jay Booking Agency (Winter Park / Orlando) and was used exclusively to secure work for the bands thereon. The album was made prior to the installation of Bee Jay Recording Studios and is a collection of recordings made at various studios as noted.
Side 2, Cut 1
The New Englanders / Silence Is Golden
There were two known bands in the Orlando area that used "The New Englanders" name.
One such group included a number of local musicians including drummer Bobby Caldwell, guitarist Nick Holmes (Kevin Bacon's Cousin), guitarist Dave Miller and bassist Bob Johnson.
Although it's difficult to say for certain, it is thought that this recording was made at WPRK and was performed by those mentioned.
Starfires - 12 Groovy Hits, 12 Florida Bands
Facts:
Album Name: 12 Groovy Hits, 12 Florida Bands
Produced: Spring, 1965
Label: Tenor Custom
Record Number: TC 154 & TC 155
Special Notes: This was the first of many demo records released by Bee Jay Booking Agency (Winter Park / Orlando) and was used exclusively to secure work for the bands thereon.
The album was made prior to the installation of Bee Jay Recording Studios and is a collection of recordings made at various studios as noted.
Side 1 - Cut 1
Stop It / The Starfires.
This band was originally put together by Eric Schabacker, a freshman at Rollins College in Winter Park.
Starting as a 5 piece band made up entirely of Rollins students, the band morphed over the years and grew to include 11 individuals from Rollins and the surrounding communities.
The music track for "Stop It" was actually recorded by a group of throw together musicians other than The Starfires.
Eric's vocal and Tom Mclaughlin's back up vocal were cut in the offices of Tener Records in Winter park.
Swinging Temptations - 12 Groovy Hits, 12 Florida Bands
Facts:
Album Name: 12 Groovy Hits, 12 Florida Bands
Produced: Spring, 1965
Label: Tenor Custom
Record Number: TC 154 & TC 155
Special Notes: This was the first of many demo records released by Bee Jay Booking Agency (Winter Park / Orlando) and was used exclusively to secure work for the bands thereon. The album was made prior to the installation of Bee Jay Recording Studios and is a collection of recordings made at various studios as noted.
Side 1 - Cut 2
I Feel Good / The Swinging Temptations.
The Swinging Temptations were headed up by two brothers: Gary Griffin on drums and Ben Griffin Jr. on guitar. With a lot of help from their father, Ben Sr., they become a power house horn band.
Dave Miller was the lead guitarist in the band's earlier years and was revered by many local musicians as being the best of the best.
Dave would later go on to be killed in an unfortunate car verse train accident. This band was in no way related to the Motown Temptations. In fact, the Motown group tried to stop the Swinging Temptations from using the "Temptations" name but backed down after discovering that this Winter Park group actually was first to use it.
Ben Griffin Sr. briefly acted as the business manager for the band.
The Mysteries - 12 Groovy Hits, 12 Florida Bands
Facts:
Album Name: 12 Groovy Hits, 12 Florida Bands
Produced: Spring, 1965
Label: Tener Custom
Record Number: TC 154 & TC 155
Special Notes: This was the first of many demo records released by Bee Jay Booking Agency (Winter Park / Orlando) and was used exclusively to secure work for the bands thereon.
The album was made prior to the installation of Bee Jay Recording Studios and is a collection of recordings made at various studios as noted.
Side 1 - Cut 3
The Mysteries / My True Love
My True Love is thought to have been recorded in Miami.
Dayton Lang was the spokesperson for this Orlando area group.
The Mysteries made several recordings over the years including an instrumental cover of "The Punk Panther."
Moonrakers - 12 Groovy Hits, 12 Florida Bands
Album Name: 12 Groovy Hits, 12 Florida Bands
Produced: Spring, 1965
Label: Tener Custom
Record Number: TC 154 & TC 155
Special Notes: This was the first of many demo records released by Bee Jay Booking Agency (Winter Park / Orlando) and was used exclusively to secure work for the bands thereon. The album was made prior to the installation of Bee Jay Recording Studios and is a collection of recordings made at various studios as noted.
Side 1 - Cut 4
The Moonrakers / Out Of Sight
This was another Rollins College band.
They no doubt recorded "Of Sight" at The College Radio Station, WPRK.
This was another Rollins College band. They no doubt recorded "Of Sight" at The College Radio Station, WPRK.
Soul Tenders - 12 Groovy Hits, 12 Florida Bands
Facts:
Album Name:12 Groovy Hits, 12 Florida Bands
Produced: Spring, 1965
Label: Tener Custom
Record Number: TC 154 & TC 155
Special Notes: This was the first of many demo records released by Bee Jay Booking Agency (Winter Park / Orlando) and was used exclusively to secure work for the bands thereon.
The album was made prior to the installation of Bee Jay Recording Studios and is a collection of recordings made at various studios as noted.
Side 1 - Cut 5
The Soul Tenders / Walkin' The Dog
Frank Domenico of Orlando was the leader of this band which, over the years, became very successful.
They later became one of the area's first integrated bands when they hired the Reverend Billy Jackson as their singer, a move that made them very popular on high school and college campuses.
Maleman - 12 Groovy Hits, 12 Florida Bands
Facts:
Album Name: 12 Groovy Hits, 12 Florida Bands
Produced: Spring, 1965
Label: Tener Custom
Record Number: TC 154 & TC 155
Special Notes: This was the first of many demo records released by Bee Jay Booking Agency (Winter Park / Orlando) and was used exclusively to secure work for the bands thereon.
The album was made prior to the installation of Bee Jay Recording Studios and is a collection of recordings made at various studios as noted.
Side 1 - Cut 6
The Maleman / Norwegian Wood
Not much is remembered about this Central Florida Band.
It is believed that "Norwegian Wood" was recorded at Pine Hills Recording Studio which was located in the back of an auto brake repair service owned by Don Gore.