In 1960 the band were
approached by a traveling businessman about making a single for some
out-of-state vanity label: Dream Records. “I Love A Girl” and “My Only Love”
were recorded (with guest backing by Tiny Tony and the Gallahads), but in the
end, it cost the guys $300 to receive a mere fifty copies, so that was a hard
lesson learned. Stull had had enough, but upon his exit, Berry returned – bringing
with him a new original tune he’d composed while playing his grandmother’s
piano. It would be called “Granny’s Pad.”
Signed by Seattle’s
Seafair-Bolo Records, “Granny’s Pad” / “Blues Bouquet” was released by early
1963 and the town’s AM radio kingpin, Pat O’Day, entered it on KJR’s Battle of the New Sounds completion. The
instrumental became a smash regional hit – the biggest Northwest hit ever (up
until that point in time) according to Bolo’s Tom Ogilvy – and was picked up
for national distribution by California’s Dot Records (and momentarily issued as the "Viceroys Five" when the label got spooked about some other Viceroys group out there somewhere.)
When Berry took leave once
again, Rogers switched to keyboards, Kim Eggars (sax) joined on, Potter was
replaced on bass by Gary Snyder, and the Viceroys recorded the ten remaining
cuts that would comprise their upcoming album: At Granny’s Pad. When Snyder
split after a few months, Rogers assumed keyboard-bass duties forever after.
The Bolo album included three singles: “Granny’s Pad,” which begat “Goin’ Back
To Granny’s,” which begat “Granny’s Medley” (a recording that included the
region’s signature song, “Louie Louie.”).
The Viceroys had evolved
from an amateur high-society combo to a rockin’ mainstay on the Northwest dance
scene. In December 1964, after the band (along with vocalist Nancy Claire) had
returned from a nightclub booking at the Peppermint Tree in San Francisco,
Valley was lured away by the more raucous Portland band, Don and the Goodtimes.
“That Sound,” the Viceroy’s first recording with Greg Beck (guitar), was
released in September 1965 and showed a bit of the British
Invasion’s influence. A really great song that shoulda been a hit but, alas,
it somehow slipped through the cracks…
Meanwhile, the Goodtimes
scored a solid regional radio hit with valley’s “Little Sally Tease,” a tough
rocker which both the Kingsmen and then the Standells covered in 1966. In time,
Valley rose through the ranks to become “Harpo,” the official 23rd
consecutive musician to be hired as one of Paul Revere’s Raiders – but ultimately one of the band's most recognizable stars. Harpo
recorded on their Spirit of ’67 and Revolution albums, toured widely, and
appeared in innumerable slapstick spots on Dick Clark’s popular ABC-TV
traveling teen show, Where The Action Is.
The Viceroys and Goodtimes also appeared on Action.
In 1966 the Viceroys (with
new vocalist Rob Lowery) signed a deal with Columbia Records, but then – surprise! – the band was suddenly
informed that they would be marketed as the “Surprise Package.” Columbia would
go on to release three single, but the best of the bunch was an acid-dosed
rewrite of “That Sound” called “Out Of My Mind.” All the songs, in fact,
suffered from what might be called the “Columbia Syndrome” and were thusly
overproduced, under-promoted, commercial flops. This ultimately left the
Surprise Package as unsigned free agents.
In 1968 the guys signed with
Lee “These Boots Are Made For Walkin’” Hazlewood to cut an album titled Free Up.
The LP’s liner notes explain in quasi-psychedelic, pseudo-hip lingo that
it was “…created…in a very free atmosphere, with the overall concept designed
for you…” In truth, both the songs and the performances were state-of-the-art,
but the album was so rushed in production, and so delayed in release (1969),
that it was sadly destined for the bargain bins where it resided for many
years.
The freeform hippie-music
era was a trying time for many established acts – especially the Raiders with
their formulaic, corporate, approach – and in March 1967 (right after the
Seattle date on their tour) Harpo was cut loose after a tour-bus incident
rumored to have involved marijuana smoke. Then, only weeks later, both Phil
“Fang” Volk (bass) and Michael “Smitty” Smith (drums) called it quits.
In 1970 the Surprise Package
(with Gene Hubbard replacing Rogers) recorded an album as the American Eagle
for Decca Records. Once again they received only a minimal marketing effort –
which did, however, include promotional hype falsely claiming that the group
had “played at the 1966 Beatles concert in Seattle.” American Eagle did perform concerts with the likes of
Led Zeppelin, Jethro Tull, the Beach Boys, and John Mayall. Returning home to
Seattle the guys finally parted ways.
In 1972 Valley returned to
rock ‘n’ roll, forming Sweet Talkin’ Jones with Greg Beck, Andy Parypa (bassist
with the Sonics), Ron Ussury (sax, vocals), and Chris Blaine (drums). Meanwhile,
Zeufeldt had joined up with Bighorn, which for several years was a major draw
on the Northwest tavern and high school dance scene. Their first single, “I Get
High” / “Takin’ Me Down,” was released in 1974, and in ’77 Columbia issued two
addition 45s which were followed by the Bighorn
LP in 1978. By 1982 a revamped Sweet Talkin’ Jones – with Ussery out front, Mike
Rogers now on organ, Mark Whitman (ex-Springfield Rifle) on guitar, and Gary
Porter on drums – had established itself as a nightclub favorite with their own
Northwest-style R&B sounds.
[Note:
This is an edited version of an essay that originally appeared in the
“Northwest Music Archives” column of Seattle’s The Rocket magazine back in April, 1984.]
Text copyright © 1984, 2014 by Peter Blecha.
Text copyright © 1984, 2014 by Peter Blecha.