California Gold Coast Dreamin'

Hometown Boys Make Good

2012-02-12T15:31:00.001-08:00

The Band is now available at the LilliMar Pictures website. This is an absolute MUST for fans of Ernie & the Emperors, Giant Crab, Big Brother Ernie Joseph, and the Brian Faith Band. The film follows the musical careers of the Orosco brothers from when they sang for snacks at the market in their childhood neighborhood, to today.

Filmmaker John Ferry has caught the essence of what made Ernie, Cory, and Brian so popular with their audiences, and what has kept them popular. Focusing on their dedication to music and to each other, Ferry delivers an intimate look into their lives and hearts. And heart has always been what set them apart from other bands. It takes heart to continue making music, not for fame and fortune, but for the sheer love of doing it, and The Band shows quite clearly that this is what has kept the brothers united throughout the years. This is a sensitive, insightful film and includes some amusing backstage anecdotes as well.

Happy Birthday Ernie!

2011-12-15T01:11:00.000-08:00

Of all the great bands that came out the the tri-counties, Ernie and the Emperors stood head and shoulders above most of them, and at the forefront of that band stood Ernie Joseph (Orosco), a brilliant guitarist, singer, songwriter, and showman.

But what's probably the best thing is that Ernie was -- and still is -- a wonderful human being who has always lived according to his high personal ethics. He has always shared his spotlight happily and without reservation and has never hesitated to lend a helping hand to his fellow musicians in the studio, on the stage, and personally. I am honored to count him among my closest friends.

Happy Birthday dear friend!

Websites:
1. A Tribute to Ernie Joseph
2. Brian Faith Band
3. Ernie and the Emperors

Happy Birthday Sammy Labastida!

2011-11-11T08:10:00.001-08:00

Sammy Labastida was the founder and lead guitarist of the Sharkais, of Santa Maria. His was a hardworking dance band that played all over the tri-counties, providing some stiff competition for groups like Ernie and the Emperors and other popular bands. Their fans loved them! I know because I was there and at nearly every gig they played. Sammy and I dated for a number of years and we're still friends.

Sammy, his sons Jason and Ryan, and two of the band's original members, Bobby Labastida and Ponce Ularte continue to perform in the Santa Maria area under the name, Sammy Labastida Jazz N Blues. Sammy also owns a music studio with a student list numbering near 50.

Happy Birthday, dear Sammy. May your day be bright and the year ahead prosperous!

Lost Band Bleu Forest Found!

2011-11-05T11:37:00.000-07:00

Here's a video by Bleu Forest of Ventura County. Many thanks to the band's drummer, Jack Caviness.

A Giggle for Your Weekend

2011-10-28T10:30:00.000-07:00

Have a great one!

Jogging Your Memory

2011-10-13T20:50:00.000-07:00

I just found this floorplan of the Dolphin Club in Solvang. It brought back a lot of memories. I met a lot of great bands at the Dolphin Club--I was there every weekend--and I heard a lot of great music.

Did your band play there?

An Interview

2011-10-06T17:42:00.000-07:00

Dennis Christensen Swanson, drummer with the Captives and Children of the Mushroom, was recently interviewed by It's Psychedelic, Baby magazine. Go give it a read!

Just a Couple of Things...

2011-10-04T21:34:00.000-07:00

Sorry about not updating regularly. I've been under the gun to finish my rock & roll trilogy, Beyond The Bridge, as well as editing/proofing, formatting, and designing covers for two other authors. I've been just a little busy.

You might notice that I booted some of the regular features, including the Spotlight Band articles. I'll be bringing those back once this trilogy has been published (I'm now working on Book Three). Meantime, here's the trailer for The Band, the rockumentary about the Orosco brothers, otherwise known as Ernie and the Emperors/Giant Crab/Brian Faith Band. I'm very excited about this! Hope you enjoy it!

Happy Birthday, Ponce Ularte!

2011-09-14T12:06:00.000-07:00

Hailing from the Santa Maria/Lompoc area, Ponce played drums with the Just Four, who were represented by the Reginald Lindsey Agency. They performed at Disneyland, the Rose Gardens in Pismo Beach, the Dolphin Club in Solvang, the Roller Gardens in Oxnard, the Teen Club at Vandenberg, and many other places around the tri-counties. Sharing the stage with groups that included the Impacts, the Sentinals, the Biscaynes, and the Stingrays, they eventually gained well-deserved notoriety and became the backup band for Maury Amsterdam, Don Knotts, the Four Freshmen, and the Coasters. That's Ponce on the far left, with Just Four.

Later, Ponce joined the Sharkais, beringing with him his boyish good looks and energetic drumming style.

I was happy to consider Ponce one of my friends in those days. He was, and remains, a great guy.

These days he plays with the Sammy Labastida (founder of the Sharkais) Jazz n Blues band and still lives in northern Santa Barbara County.

Happy Birthday Ponce! Without you, this site would never have happened!

An Apology

2011-09-06T12:09:00.000-07:00

Sorry for no posts this month, no Quote, and no Spotlight Band. It's been a rough one, but I promise to pick things up again on October 1st!

Happy Birthday David Marks!

2011-08-22T13:51:00.000-07:00

David Marks is best known as being a member of the Beach Boys from February 1962 to October 1963. He performed on the band's first four albums, playing rhythm guitar and singing harmony. He performed in over 100 concerts with the Beach Boys, touring the United States from Hawaii to New York and appearing on their first string of national TV appearances. While his time in the band may have been relatively short, David contributed to the band's seminal sound. David went on to record solo material with his band, the Marksmen, on both A&M and Warner Brothers records. Additionally, two of his late Sixties Thousand Oaks Psychedelic-Pop bands, the Moon and Colours, still enjoy a large cult following among the era’s collectors and music aficionados.

David is a classically trained guitarist and composer who studied at some of Boston’s finest music schools and had a successful career playing with some of the greatest talents of his generation in the varied genres of Surf, Psych-Pop, Jazz, Blues, Classical, and Rock and Roll, all without trading on his notoriety as an ex-Beach Boy, choosing instead to remain out of the spotlight as a mostly anonymous, working guitarist and songwriter. The 2009 release of Dave Marks & the Marksmen Ultimate Collector’s Edition 1963-1965 marks the first time the entire Marksmen catalog was made available to the public.

Happy birthday David!

Missing!

2011-08-17T23:47:00.000-07:00

There still are a number of bands that I need information about. C'mon, guys, I know you're out there and I know you have the info (and most of you are from Ventura County, which is also where I'm from, so you can hide from me!).

If you were a member of one of these bands, or know their whereabouts, please contact me. Use the comments or email me. It doesn't matter.

Here's the list. To find out what info I need, just click the Gallery of Bands tab and scroll alphabetically.

Bleu Forest (VC)
Blue Wood (VC)
California Grasswood (VC)
The Chances (VC)
The Colony (VC)
Colours (VC)
The Court Jesters (VC)
Dave Marks & the Marksmen (VC)
Just Sound (VC)
The Last Generation(SBC)
The Noteables (SBC)
The Psychedelics (VC)
The Radical Five (SBC)
The Torkays (VC)
The Undertakers (VC)
The Undertakers (SBC)

Love to you all!

Steve Dunwoodie (1950-2011)

2011-08-17T09:22:00.000-07:00

(April 22, 1950 - January 1, 2011)

Fans of Santa Barbara's Big Brother Ernie Joseph are saddened to hear the news of the passing of the band's drummer, Steve ("Stevie D") Dunwoodie. Steve passed away at Renown Medical Center, in Reno, Nevada, on New Years Day, 2011.

Steve was a kindhearted and loving father who also had more than just a knack for playing drums. To everyone who knew him, he was the best in the business.

After touring the southern United States in 1969 and 70 with Big Brother Ernie Joseph, Steve eventually decided to settle down with a wife and family while pursuing a career in warehousing. Earlier, Steve performed with Jonathan Goodlife, and the Grateful Dead.

Ernie Joseph remembers Steve as a charismatic, tireless performer who left the audience screaming.

"Steve's energy pumped up the whole band to do better, beyond our capability."

(Ernie Joseph)

Known for his vibrant solos during which he played with his sticks on fire, Steve set the energetic pace for all of Big Brother's shows.

"We first met Steve when his band, Jonathon Goodlife, did a show with us at Lake Tahoe, California. We were totally impressed with his drumming and showmanship. He joined us for the Southeast Tour with the Big Brother Ernie Joseph band. Steve was a superstar team player, really a stand-out drummer. Steve would take-off on the song ESP with a 20-minute drum solo, where he would play, then play with his hands, then walk off the drum set still playing with his sticks. Then he would tap on the mic and his body and "sing" drum parts. He would then get the crowd chanting repeatedly, "Peace now! Peace now!" He would finish his drum solo playing with his sticks on fire and, incredibly, he made his magic happen consistently every performance. Like everytime he got the ball, like a superstar football player, he would take it all the way to score big time. Steve was amazing with his contagious non-stop positive energy and his drive and determination. We all did our part, but Steve's energy took us to another level. He really made us a complete concert act, and the crowds loved it!" (Brian Faith)

Steve fell ill in December of 2010 and spent his final weeks surrounded by family and friends.

To read more about Steve Dunwoodie's incredible talent, CLICK HERE, then scroll to page 14. (Mouseover bottom-right of page to increase the page size.)

Here is a video of Big Brother Ernie Joseph's L.L.A (Lubricated Love Affair) from their 1969 album, Confusion, with Steve Dunwoodie on drums:

Spotlight Band - The BluCoats

2011-08-02T12:54:00.000-07:00

Jim Peretti: Guitar, vocals
Larry Caird: Vocals
Wade Johnson: Drums, vocals
Medardo Canales: Guitar
Tom Boyce (not pictured): Bass, vocals
(Name was also spelled Bluecoats.)

One afternoon in 1965, fifteen year-old, Thousand Oaks drummer Wade Johnson began combing his neighborhood, tracking down someone he heard playing Herb Alpert's The Lonely Bull on a guitar. He had to find whoever that someone was.

"I had never been in a band before, but I had been paying off a brand new Ludwig Super Classic drum set for about six months. I found Medardo Canales in a garage surrounded by tiny kids listening to him. I asked him if he would be interested in starting a band and he said yes."

Medardo told Wade that he knew another guy down the street who also played guitar. Enter Jim Peretti, who brought with him Larry Caird and, about a year later, Tommy Boyce (not to be confused with Tommy Boyce of Boyce & Hart fame). This could so easily be a typical story of the typical start of a typical band, but this one has a deeper element, and that's about friendship, personal ethics, and loyalty.

"We were truly a band of brothers and had a common goal of getting better through the years," Wade says.

From1965 to 1969 the BluCoats wrote original music while covering songs by the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Paul Revere & the Raiders, the Monkees, the Byrds, Bob Dylan, and many others. Wade and Larry beagn a songwriting partnership that wrote most of the band's originals, and Jim also became involved with the song writing process.

The band entered several Battle Of The Bands competitions at the Hollywood Paladium, Pacific Ocean Park, and the Park Oaks Mall in Thousand Oaks, and took 1st place in the Thousand Oaks Battle Of The Bands. Then "the breaks" began to happen. Because of their closer proximity to L.A., Thousand Oaks bands received more contract offers than did those a little farther north, and the BluCoats found out they'd been scouted.

Jim recalls, "A Hollywood record producer signed us and we began to record our original music in the same recording studio that Phil Spector had worked his musical magic in."

Although they recorded six or seven songs, none of them were ever released and six months later, after being approached by David Records, which had an office in Hollywood's Max Factor Building, they broke away.

In 1966 Tandym Almer (who'd written Along Comes Mary for the Association) and Eddie Hodges (Knock On Your Door), came to hear the band in Wade's garage. The band played several tunes for their esteemed visitors, who, afterward asked Wade and Larry to take a ride in the limo that sat out by the curb.

"They offered us a deal, but when we found out it was only for the two of us, we declined it," Wade says. This is where the BluCoats' story becomes atypical. The offer must have been tempting, especially for two young guys at a time when grabbing the brass ring was everything to every aspiring or seasoned musician.

Undaunted, the band played throughout Ventura County, continuing to work on their original songs as they grew not only as musicians, but as tried and true friends. They disbanded in 1969 when Wade moved to Memphis to pursue a recording and songwriting stint with Dan Penn at his studio, Beautiful Sounds, and joined Freedom Street.

Do they regret their decision not to go with the Hollywood big boys? Not on your life. Still the best of friends, the band has reunited on several occasions to perform at the Thousand Oaks Band Tree Reunion concerts. Wade, who now lives in Texas, performs with bands Gunpoint, 4 Way Street, and Festus and continues to write music. Larry lives in Oregon, where he still writes lyrics. Tom, still in Thousand Oaks, plays with Sea Cloud and still writes music. Medardo is in Ventura, still playing guitar, and Jim lives in Oxnard, where he writes songs and teaches guitar.

So what is success, really? Is it only found in securing a lucrative contract, playing stadiums, and having gold and platinum records nailed to the wall? Or is it found in the brace of friendship, of sharing memories and smiling at each other while you're playing an old, favorite song? The BluCoats have made it very clear that it is the latter that truly matters.

The following video was shot over a period of years on an 8mm movie camera by Jackie Peretti, Jim's sister. Remembers Wade, "The song is called Hazardous To Your Health and was written by myself and Larry, and we both shared the lead vocals on it. We didn't ever have a lot of money and when we went into the studio to record it, I'd broken the heads on my two tom-toms (couldn't afford new ones). It was recorded with a snare, kick drum, and cymbals only. The recording has picked up noise over the years, but the original recording was very clean."

Thank you to both Jackie and the BluCoats for this video, which, for me personally, brings back the feelings of the times: the youth and excitement, and all the possibilities we cherished.

"The Band" Poster

2011-07-26T14:49:00.000-07:00

Here's the poster for the new rockumentary that's being made about Santa Barbara's own Ernie and the Emperors. Notice that a quote I made is on the top! How cool is that?! (Click to enlarge.)

Happy Birthday Brian Faith!

2011-07-18T22:19:00.000-07:00

A very Happy Birthday to Brian Faith of Ernie and the Emperors, the Giant Crab, Big Brother Ernie Joseph, and the Brian Faith Band!

We all hope you have a great day and a fantastic year ahead!

Wolfman Jack, Baby!

2011-07-16T20:05:00.000-07:00

Who doesn't remember tuning in their transistor radio late at night, hoping to catch the Wolfman Jack Show on XERB-AM? I can still hear the sexy voice of the woman who announced the call letters: "XERB, Meh-hee-co!"

For the longest time, most of us didn't even know what the Wolfman looked like. All we knew was that he was beyond cool!

Last week I received a picture of the flyer below, promoting Wolfman Jack's Celebrity Caravan Dance & Show in the late 60s; probably 1968. Notice that Santa Barbara's own Giant Crab were on the bill!

If you'd like to hear some of his old radio shows (complete with original commercials), visit the XERB tribute site. I'm going there right now!

The Time It Is Today

2011-07-12T08:30:00.000-07:00

One of the best things that's resulted from creating this blog is meeting people. I saw some of these bands play years ago and had forgotten their names. Now, as the information starts to come in, I'm remembering so much.

I remember spending a fun evening with The Radical Five when they came to play at The Barn in Santa Ynez back in, I think, 1966. My friends and I were sitting at a table together, dressed in our Mod threads (which included mini-skirts that we hemmed up even shorter in the restroom because our moms would let us out of the house if they reached more than three inches above our knees), and the band came over to sit with us during their breaks. That was exciting and so-o-o much fun!

More recently, I've been communicating a lot with Wade Johnson, who was the drummer for the Thousand Oaks band, The BluCoats. Well, as our correspondence went on, we found out--much to our delight and surprise--that we'd actually met once or twice in 1972 when I jammed with him and his friends at their house! Now we're talking like old friends and reminiscing about the Ventura County music scene back then. We've friended each other on Facebook and he's given me access to his photos to use on this blog. What a great guy he is! And still a hard working musician, playing in three bands (check out the Band Gigs page for dates and places).

It's exciting to image who else I may meet through this blog, who I've forgotten and who I may have met in the past. I hope that it will do the same for you!

The Band: A Rockumentary

2011-07-08T10:57:00.000-07:00

This summer, the Orosco brothers (Ernie and The Emperors/Giant Crab/Brian Faith Band) have been involved in the making of a rocumentary about their lives and music. The filmmakers, LilliMar Pictures (Sitting Bull: A Stone in My Heart and Contrary Warrior: The Life and Times of Adam Fortunate Eagle) have reached the post-production phase of this film and I for one am terribly excited about it!

THE BAND
A Rocumentary

In 1942-1943, on a troop ship in Guadalcanal a young man, fearing that he, like so many of his buddies, would die in this terrifying and bloody war uttered one prayer: "Lord, I want to live, I want to go home, I want to get married and have three sons, I want them to be musicians." Joseph Orosco's prayer was answered. He came home, married a wonderful girl and they did have three sons. Ernie, Cory and Brian. And the Orosco brothers have been playing music since 1963.

Ernie was at Santa Barbara Junior High School when he started singing and playing. He joined the Cordells and soon formed his own band The Emperors. As Cory and Brian grew and also became proficient in their instruments they joined their big brother Ernie and the band became "Ernie and the Emperors." This was probably one the earliest Rock 'n Roll bands on the Central Coast. This was a time when only single artists were on the bill. The Orosco brothers witnessed the birth of Rock 'n Roll and were willing participants in helping this new style of music flourish and grow.

In the forty-eight years they have performed together, they have met and played with the great and near-great. They have toured in a van, a pickup truck with a camper and trailer and, finally, a tour bus. In between gigs they formed a recording studio where countless young musicians came to practice, record, and get encouragement and advice from the brothers. - Lillimar Pictures

You Are 100 Kinds of Awesome!

2011-07-07T09:01:00.000-07:00

Just a quick post to thank all of you who have been so kind as to help me while I establish this site. You're being more patient with me that I imagined, me with my questions and my wanting to drag you out of the now to stroll down Memory Lane with me. I love reading your emails about your experiences and how your bands got started. Reading your stories, it's clear that there were two main dynamics at play: music and friendship. And what's better than that?

I've been up late most nights researching, sorting, and posting new info on the Gallery of Bands page and, thanks to you, I'm able to piece the dry facts together with the stories and pictures, which makes your bands very real and personal to me. In fact, when I read one of your emails, I have a hard time not seeing you as you were in the past! I have to remind myself that we're all a bit older now. Still, that's what makes this so much fun: that we're still in love with the music, the youthful optimism, and the sense that anything can happen!

So big thanks to all of you Gold Coast bands. You're 100 kinds of Awesome!

Don't Say I Didn't Warn You by Crystal Circus

2011-07-05T10:37:00.000-07:00

Here's a great psychedelic song by Santa Barbara band, Crystal Circus. Love it!

Spotlight Band - Children Of the Mushroom

2011-07-03T13:58:00.000-07:00

Jerry McMillen: Lead guitar and vocals (1967-70)
Dennis Swanson: Drums (1967-70)
Al Pisciotta: Bass (1967-70)
Scott "Scotty" Lee: Guitar and vocals (1967-68)
Bob Holland: Keyboard and vocals (1967-69)
Paul Gabrinetti: Rhythm guitar and vocals (1967-68)
Jim Rolfe: Lead guitar (1968-70)

In March 1967 the Captives, a Thousand Oaks teen band, became Children of the Mushroom. The name had less to do with drugs than it did a larger social issue in the country at the time, however.

“None of the band members knew anything about psychotropic drugs then,” drummer Dennis Swanson says, “and it took some time before we realized the full impact of the name. The meaning went far beyond the simple drug connotations, signifying the mushroom clouds of the nuclear age.”

First influenced by the Doors, they gradually took on more of an Iron Butterfly sound thanks to Bob Holland’s prowess on organ, creating a new, hypnotic sound in the Tri-Counties. When local popularity hit the band, it came fast. Almost immediately they were selling out concerts as soon as their name was listed on the bill and they were picked up by Dick Parker and Dick Torst of 2D Productions who unfortunately dropped the ball in their management and promotion.

“We were already in our thirties,” Torst explains, “and [they] were so young. The youngest group we ever worked with, and one of the best. We realized that we were somehow just the tiniest bit out of step with what was ‘happening’. We decided to take a small step back and observe.”

That decision quite possibly robbed the national airwaves of what might have become a huge force in rock music at the time. Despite this, they opened for Sweetwater at the California Lutheran College auditorium in 1968 and gained a following throughout southern California and Texas.

In 1968 they released a 45 on the Soho label, August Mademoiselle (written by Holland) backed with You Can't Erase A Mirror (written by McMillen and Holland). A number of songs were recorded that day at Nashville West Studios in Hollywood, some never released, which Jerry is currently restoring for DVD. That year also saw a name change to simply, the Mushroom. With member changes, they became Lady, a band that continued well into the mid-1970s.

Children Of The Mushroom are enjoying a comeback of sorts, thanks to video uploads to YouTube and resourceful collector/bloggers on the internet. In videos shot at the annual Thousand Oaks Band Tree Reunion, which is headed up by Jim Rolfe, the band members exhibit surprise and even bemusement that young people are discovering their music after all these years. Clearly, the message of their music is as strong as it ever was and it still touches people, even those who weren’t born until twenty years after the band dissolved. This is what’s so wonderful and magical about music—and Children Of The Mushroom’s music is still magical.

Website
YouTube Channel
MySpace Page

Fit to Print

2011-07-03T00:57:00.000-07:00

For the past two months, Joel Anderson, editor of The Ojai and Ventura View has published articles that I wrote about the music scene in the Tri-Counties. Last month's article centered more around the 70s and 80s, and this month's is about the 60s. Having been asked to write about Ernie and The Emperors/the Brian Faith Band, I was able to touch on some other groups only a little, but some are mentioned. Below are links to the two articles:

* The Decade That Defied Disco
(scroll down to page 12)
* Brian Faith Band Rockin' The Coast
(scroll down to page 13)

BE SURE TO CHECK OUT THE WHOLE PAPER. IT ROCKS!

Sunset Beach by the Sentinals

2011-07-02T12:32:00.000-07:00

How about some California surf music for this hot July 4th weekend? Here are the Sentinals, from San Luis Obispo, with Sunset Beach.

Flashback 1967

2011-06-27T09:51:00.000-07:00

Came across one of KACY's hits list, this one from May 26, 1967. What were you doing while listening to this on your car radio? Cruising A Street in Oxnard or Thompson Blvd. in mid-town Ventura? Or did you hang out at the A&W in Camarilllo?

(Click to enlarge.)

Got a Lot Done, Still a Lot to Do

2011-06-24T01:10:00.000-07:00

After spending the entire day (and most of the night) working on this project, I'm utterly astounded by how many bands we were fortunate to have. Here's what was accomplished:

Gallery of Bands page caught up. There are still about 16 bands to be researched and added--until I open my email in the morning to find another huge list!
The Contact page is fully functional, with am email submission form for you to use.
There are now band names on each of the County pages. Unfortunately, SLO is looking pretty slim!
Added a couple more names on the Clubs and Venues page.
Added a short list of upcoming Brian Faith Band (formerly Ernie and The Emperors) gigs on the Band Gigs page. Send me yours!
Added content to the Special Thanks page.
Added a little eye candy here and there.

Looks like most of my upcoming work will be researching and gathering info from the great people who are helping me out. Thanks to you all!

Have a fantastic weekend everyone!

Call for Papers

2011-06-23T09:23:00.000-07:00

No, not that kind...

Ernie and The Emperors needs a Wikipedia page. Any volunteers? I have plenty of info and pictures, so if you're interested, shoot me an email!

UPDATE 7-5-11: I went ahead and created one myself:. Check it out here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernie_and_The_Emperors

About This Blog

2011-06-22T16:20:00.000-07:00

Any way you look at it, the decade of the 1960s was exciting. Our generation changed something about nearly everything in the world, from hairstyles to ecological awareness, from fashion to political activism, from the arts to the demand for basic civil rights for all people. No matter where we stood on these issues we were forced to choose a side. No fence-sitting for us. Even our parents and others of the older generation found themselves questioning the status quo.

Some have called the experiment a huge failure (I don't think so), but where the music is concerned we all must agree: from the Sixties came some of the best music ever known. Of course, not all of it was good, but we can't deny that creativity was in the air. Instead of passively accepting the music of previous generations, we created our own. Instead of wearing the fashions passed down from previous generations, we designed our own. Instead of adopting the attitudes and morals of previous generations, we invented our own. As we began to think differently and to view the world around us differently, the world followed suit. Percentage-wise, we were the largest age group on the planet and anything we did affected the remaining percent, and our experience and view of the world moved from being very large, strictly divided by borders and cultures, to reaching out in tolerance for those different from ourselves. All of this seeped into our self expression, especially where our music was concerned.

There are hundreds--perhaps thousands--of blogs and websites dedicated to Sixties pop culture, so why is this one different? When most sites and blogs discuss the music of California in the Sixties, they focus mainly on bands from L.A. and San Francisco. Sure, they were great and exciting, but in my research for my Rock & Roll trilogy, I found few websites about the local bands I listened to, danced to, and knew. I think that needs to be fixed, and I'm just the chick to do it!

Like London's Soho, New York's Greenwich Village and San Francisco's Haight Ashbury, the Gold Coast of California created a host of bands that developed their own musical style and stage presence. As a fellow musician and the girlfriend of the lead guitarist of one of the most popular Tri-County bands at the time, I went to a lot of concerts and dance clubs where I heard some of the best sounds to come out of our beautiful counties. Through this blog it's my intent to bring these bands and individuals back into the spotlight where we can enjoy them once again and where younger people can share a bit of what made the Sixties in our area so damned exciting.

If you were in a band, or were a friend or a fan, and have any information, stories, photos, videos, gig dates, suggestions, and etc. that you'd like to share, please do so! (I even welcome guest bloggers--the possibilities are endless!) Simply click the Contact tab at the top of the page and send me a note.

Our generation didn't come into this world quietly and we won't leave it quietly. It's time to come back out and re-establish the things that are worth leaving behind, namely, the music!

SK Waller

_____________________________

Kaye ("SK") Waller is no stranger to the world of Rock & Roll. Born and raised in southern California, she has enjoyed a lifelong career as both a singer-songwriter and a classical composer. She has worked and lived in musical centers San Francisco, Hollywood, Laurel Canyon and London, and she has performed in concerts and clubs, on radio and television, and in the recording studio. She has met and worked with some of the most legendary musical names of the 1960s, 70s, and 80s, and has a backlog of fascinating tales to tell. Besides her Rock & Roll background, Kaye has also traveled the world of classical music, serving as Masetro Frank A. Salazar's assistant with the Ventura County Symphony from 1986 to 1992. Her music has been performed in California, New York, Oklahoma, London, and Madrid.

In January 2011 With A Dream, Book One of Beyond The Bridge, her Rock & Roll trilogy was published. Spanning the musically innovative years between 1966 and 1991, the trilogy follows the lives of a group of colorful, diverse characters who are inextricably linked through music and fame, most notably brilliant British guitar icon, Gordon Hammond. Weaving her characters’ lives with those of actual legendary rock personalities, SK takes the reader on a magic carpet ride through the Sixties, Seventies and Eighties, the most creative and revolutionary decades the world of popular music has ever known.

She currently lives in a small university town, where she still believes in the power and the magic of Rock & Roll.

And Away We Go!

2011-06-21T21:27:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited about this blog! Recently, I've been brought into contact with a great number of people and bands from the Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo counties, known to us as the Tri-Counties of the California Gold Coast. We've sent emails, private messages and phone calls, sharing our memories of those great years between 1960 and 1970 and the one thing that comes right through is how much we enjoyed the music back then.

When most sites and blogs discuss the music of the Sixties, they focus mainly on bands from L.A. and San Francisco. They were great and exciting too, but in my ongoing research for my rock & roll trilogy, I find few websites about the local bands I listened to, danced to, and knew. I think that needs to be fixed, and I'm just the chick to do it! Give me a week or so to get up all the stuff I have--you're going to love it.

I intend not only to jog your memory about these cool musicians, I'll also keep you updated about what some of them are doing today and where you can catch their current gigs. You'd be surprised at how many have stayed in the area and are still rockin' the audiences. And if you weren't around back then, but you love the music, join us as we trip back in time!

If you have any information, stories, photos, videos, gig dates, and etc. that you'd like to share, please do so! (I even welcome guest bloggers--the possibilities are endless!) And let me know if you'd like me to link to your blog or site! Simply click the Contact tab at the top of the page and fire me an email.

Have a great summer, wherever you are! Next entry will be posted in a day or two... you know you wanna come back...
SK Waller

Jesus "Jess" Porras - The Mixtures

2010-12-26T10:16:00.000-08:00

Jesus “Jess” Porras, an Oxnard native who was a founding member of The Mixtures, a Ventura County R&B band that scored regional hits in the early 1960s with songs like Rainbow Stomp and Olive Oyl.

Porras died Dec. 26, 2010 at age 69 in San Diego, where he and his wife of 45 years, Bobi, had lived since 1972. He worked as a learning disabilities specialist at San Diego State University.

Porras was a skilled musician who could play the violin, saxophone, flute, guitar and piano. The Playboys, a band he co-founded at Oxnard High School, morphed into The Mixtures in 1960. The band’s name was a nod to its racially mixed lineup, which included Latino, African-American, Native American and Caucasian musicians. Under the guidance of Eddie Davis, a music promoter based in Los Angeles, the group — with Porras playing saxophone — went from playing high schools and local roller rinks to packing SoCal nightclubs like Rainbow Gardens in Pomona and Legion Stadium in El Monte. The Mixtures served as the house band for Parade of Hits, a weekly live music series that aired on Los Angeles television station KCOP. On the show, they backed up such artists as Roy Orbison, Frankie Avalon, Bobby Rydell and Paul Anka. The group’s only album, Stompin’ at the Rainbow, was recorded in 1962 and featured covers of Peter Gunn, Peppermint Twist, So Fine and Besame Mucho. This past October, Minky Records reissued the album on CD with several bonus tracks. Saticoy resident Dan Pollock, who played guitar in The Mixtures, remembers Porras fondly.

“I’ve known Jess for over 50 years and he’s more like a blood brother than a friend,” Pollock wrote on Porras’ memorial guest book at http://www.legacy.com. “He taught me more about the fundamentals of music than anyone ever has and he introduced me to the great music from Mexico and other Latin countries.”

Porras eventually left The Mixtures and formed a new group, The Top 5. He was drafted in 1964 and, after a stint in the military, he went to San Diego State University, where he earned a master’s degree in speech pathology and audiology.

In addition to his wife, Bobi, Porras is survived by his daughter, Rina; his son, Joaquin; and a granddaughter, Adhara.