After Kirk Wilde left radio (1975), he continued to stay up on music and wrote extensively about everything–including this history. Steven Smith, editor at QZVX
Washington State had produced its share of major recording artists before 1959, from Bing Crosby (Tacoma & Spokane) to Bonnie Guitar (SW Seattle) to Quincy Jones (early transplant to CD Seattle) the Fleetwoods (Olympia) and Jimmie Rodgers (II)-(Camas WA). They were outside the purview of the following unique “NW Sound”…
It was in early 1959 that a readily identifiable movement developed, soon to produce dozens of bands fronting a unique regional sound. It was represented–barely–on the national charts that year by four instrumentals. The main export market was California, where numerous imitators would, within 3 years, adopt a mostly thinner guitar-based sound called “surf music.”
The Northwest scene was primarily urban and working-class, which probably accounts for its R&B inclination. Yet, of the artists here presented, only Seattle’s Ron Holden & Dave Lewis were black.
Holden would have one national hit (#7 in 1960), but we choose to play his strong follow-up, which was ignored. Many bands covered Lewis’ material, like “J.A.J.” Seattle’s Dynamics covered Lewis’ song. (Listen to it HERE).
Many bands cross-fertilized this organ-and-sax-based sound through the mid-’60’s. It was predominantly original material. All the artists here are from Puget Sound, the northwest corner of Washington, except for the Raiders (Spokane & Idaho) and Don & The Goodtimes (Portland).
While not Revere’s original, “Night Train” would become obligatory for NW bands. Another popular northwest record was “Little Sally Tease” by Don & The Goodtimes from 1965.
Any competent history of the genre must place heavy emphasis on the Wailers. Not to be confused with Bob Marley’s later Jamaican group, the Wailers were the Archetype. They defined the sound, influencing everyone else. From Tacoma, it was a large ensemble, including full-time sax, full-time keyboards and five walk-on vocalists, all startlingly talented and charismatic. The leader was songwriter-keyboardist-singer Kent Morrill — a sweeter-sounding, white, deadpanned Little Richard.
“TCO” made it to #36 and they appeared on American Bandstand (1959) when all Wailers were still teenagers. It charted again in 1964 at #38, but they were forever stereotyped and hamstrung by radio stations as “a surf band only.”
Not strictly Wailers, Rockin’ Robin Roberts and Gail Harris sang exclusively with the group after RRR’s tour with Tacoma’s Little Bill & the Bluenotes.
Robin, a crewcutted chemistry student, provided the only physical animation of the live show. He is best known as the answer to the trivia question, “who saved the song ‘Louie Louie’ from obscurity?” He and the Wailers found the forgotten classic and were arguably the first to arrange its now-famous rock instrumentation. He recorded it three years before the national hit version. “Louie” became his/their most-demanded song, compelling versions from every band in the region, including (in chronological order), the Viceroys, Raiders and Kingsmen. (WA locals never did buy Portland’s Kingsmen’s version of their “Teen National Anthem.”)
Harris is white and 15 years old when you hear her. (!) She broke every heart in the place.
Little Bill recorded his Louie take early, perhaps two days before RRR’s. He presented quite an image onstage — a barely walking hipster with a cane.
We play little by the Raiders and only one by Tacoma’s Ventures because their careers are well-documented elsewhere. The Raiders would be forced by Dick Clark to “clean up” their act and wear clown suits. They played a strong Louie (Listen HERE) on the circuit before the Kingsmen.
The Ventures leaped to L.A. with “Walk Don’t Run,” their first hit in 1960. (Watch the video on ad free Vimeo – click on the start button 2x, once will take you to Vimeo andthen click again to start the video.)
The Ventures’ reputations would be progressively ruined by Liberty Records, their contracts forcing them to turn out a quota of pop pap. Still, their albums sold respectably to thousands of would-be guitarists.
Tacoma’s Sonics, led by Gerry Roslie, live on as underground legends. Nobody before or maybe since has attacked R&R so aggressively, still within actual chord-songs. They certainly produced the rawest shakeup to that mid-’60s point in history. “The Witch” was their biggest regional hit.
The Sonics released some other astonishing stuff, like their version of “Louie Louie” and “Shot Down.”
North Seattle’s Frantics had fine minor hits in ’59: “Fogcutter” and “Straight Flush” (Listen to both HERE).
Jimmy Hanna fronted the Dynamics with serious R&B covers: “Busybody” (Listen HERE).
Jeff Afdem, leader of the Dynamics, banged his head against the unyielding wall of fame nearly as long as Kent Morrill and Rich Dangel.
North Seattle’s Counts also had horns. Here’s their original ‘Turn-On-Song” (Listen HERE).
Seattle’s Viceroys had a local hit with “Granny’s Pad,” but this follow-up rocks more: “Goin’ Back to Granny’s” (Listen HERE).
The Unusuals had a big hit in hometown Bellingham with “Babe, It’s Me” (1966) (Listen HERE). Seattle radio wouldn’t play it and it went no further. But singer Kathi McDonald (Click Here) went on as a sought-after voice, including replacing Janis Joplin.
North Seattle’s Merrilee Rush had the first hit version of “Angel of the Morning” (#7 Billboard in 1968). But she also composed, played keyboards and rocked with the Statics and Merrilee & the Turnabouts. As a trio, the Statics presaged punk.
Outside of “the NW Sound,” respect to West Seattle’s Bonnie Guitar, who had the first hit version of “Dark Moon” (1956) (Listen HERE). Bonnie discovered and produced Olympia’s Fleetwoods (Listen HERE).
{We’ll limit this seminar to the ’50s and ’60s, and to particular parts of it. Yes, Seattle had a significant psychedelic scene in the late ’60s, but we’ll leave that for someone else to journal — except to note that Jimi Hendrix was from Southeast Seattle and had been working sessions out of state the whole decade.}
Apologies and respect for hundreds of others who made this scene happen.
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I remember the day when the Brothers Four actually performed for my Lincoln High School classmates, at an assembly...this must have been around 1964-5....the girls were actually swooning a little bit, at these guys, who were, I thought, too old for the high school ladies!..they were probably only in their early/mid- twenties at the time...Mr. Foley had a great speaking voice too, and was an on-air radio personality for years.
In response to this article Puget Sound Media contributor and radio veteran Bruce Caplan wrote in with his suggestion of a PNW band that he would like to see listed among the PNW greats.
""I would like to add another Northwest group to Kirk Wilde’s list. Dick Foley and I were childhood friends and I so admire all of his wonderful achievements with the Brother’s Four and his accomplishments after leaving the group. Here’s a sample of The Brother’s Four and their fantastic talent"! ........... Bruce Caplan
https://youtu.be/KItOrWmHTIw
Ann,
I think you were my daughter's music teacher at Parkview elementary in the 1980s? At Puget Sound Media we would be happy to obtain your information and photos and do some stories on Dan. I have a couple of his KOL airchecks that I have yet to release here. I got the best one from overseas of all places. Dick Stark, over at KPUG, was his friend and I am in touch with Dick.
My brother was Danny Holiday. I have many stories and pictures of being with Dan as he was West Coast Manager of A&M records mid 6Os, after KPUG.
Ann Gray (“Transistor Sister”)
Danny Holiday was a KPUG star in the 1960s and I listened to him on stations including KSER till his passing. He is much missed. All best to you in 2021 - Bruce Scholten (Durham, UK)
Bruce....Danny was one of the greats who came out of KPUG.
And A&M Records was started, I believe, by Herb Alpert...there was a guy who really knew how to build a musical career!
The M in A & M was Jerry Moss. Not to be confused with Jeanne Moos.
Right--Quincy and Ray Charles are pretty big names to leave out. They collaborated together when both were living in Seattle, '48-'50. Charles recorded his first charted hit, a blues, in Seattle. But they weren't parts of the later Puget dance scene.
(But then, neither were Bonnie Guitar or the Ventures.)
Dick...you have stumped me. I thought I could get the answer by looking at the record label. All I see is its God given name....Little Green Thing.
Steve,
It was some radio contest either to come up with a more exciting name than just "thing" or to win a copy of the record or maybe just a catch phrase that hung around for a little while. It lodged in one of my lobes and I never forgot it.
"Little Green Thing With a Picture of a Duck on It"
Dick & Steve ~ I must confess I was not aware of the "Little Green Thing" by any other name ... music history trivia. My understanding was it was named after one of KJR deejay Lan Robert's inane buzzword phrases. Jerry Dennon took the trio into the famed Kearney Barton Audio Recording Studios in Seattle in the spring of '64 to cut the instrumental. I should mention one of my favorite guitarists of that era in the PNW. Joe Johansen was part of the Dave Lewis Combo and played with a number of other area groups during that time. He was highly praised by all local musicians.
I would like to know more about Joe Johansen...I think he died of heroin abuse...but back around 1968. he was in a local band named "Floating Bridge"...I took some girl to a venue in Seattle, called "The Trolley", and danced like crazy to those guys!
Jay,
You're most likely right about it being Lan Roberts. All I could remember was that it was a radio promotion of some kind. Maybe it wasn't a contest at all. But are you thinking Lan used that phrase before the song was written?
Dick ~ That's my understanding. I always assumed it was just a clever way to possibly assure some early airplay at KJR.
"J. A. J.", the 1962 Northwest hit by The Dynamics was also written by Dave Lewis. There was, at one time, a guitar player in the band named Jerry Allen. Dave used to call him "Jive Ass Jerry"... thus the title J. A. J.
Good trivia there, Jay, especially since I never even heard that J. A. term until many years later. A great time for us (not we) music lovers.
I bet google does too. But that might be cheating.
I just Googled "full name of Dave Lewis’s “Little Green Thing”" and got nothing. Maybe Yahoo has it. . .yes! And it's just as I remembered. My gray matter may be slowly decomposing but my amygdala is alive and well.
Q. Who remembers the full name of Dave Lewis's “Little Green Thing”?
A. I do.
Dick,
That is really interesting. I knew Seattle was a jazz hub, love Jazz Alley, but that is interesting. You and I should do a story on that. You can tell it and I can help put the media together to make it easier for the storyteller.
Somebody once referred to Ron Holden's first record as a double-sided one-hit wonder. The A-side was the beautiful "Love You So" and the B-side was a rocker called "My Babe" that made me think of Little Richard. It was released on the Eric, Nite Owl and Donna labels in the United States and on Apex in Canada. Seattle radio leaned on both sides equally and frequently, and the disc must have kept every decent jukebox in town filled with nickels and dimes.
Ron's father was Northwest jazz legend Oscar Holden. His brother Dave and sister Grace worked in various area bands. Dave met Sam Cooke back when they were both playing at some little club. Grace was still singing the blues as recently as 2010. The Holden kids attended Garfield High School at 23rd Avenue and East Jefferson Street a few years behind Quincy Jones.
Seattle was a hot stop on the jazz circuit in the 1940's and 1950's and it was all happening in the Central Area. Duke Ellington, Ernestine Anderson, Lionel Hampton, Count Basie, Billie Holiday, Ray Charles and many others played dates there. Ray couldn't afford rent and lived in a music lover's bedroom for a time.
There were stage shows at Washington Hall, still standing at 14th Avenue and East Fir Street, and there were dozens of night clubs on Jackson Street from 12th Avenue down to the waterfront.