Band originally known as Tommy Vann & the Echoes (see bio), the band originally got its’ start in 1962. After the departure of Tommy in 1966, the band continued as And the Echoes.
Members included Walt Caldwell (drums), Walt Anderson (guitar), John Piluk (sax), George ‘Doc’ Dochterman (bass), Jimmy Loomis (sax ex-Chaun-tels, Joyriders), and Mickey Reed (drums, sax, percussion ex-Joyriders). Mickey was killed in a car accident shortly after the departure of Vann. The group’s first record on Pulse “Million Dollar Bill” b/w “My Baby’s Got Soul” was dedicated to the memory of Mickey. Other group members included Rody Barthelmes (bass ex-RaVons, Princetons), Mark Tiernan (keyboards ex-Chaun-tels), Don Henritz (drums ex-Invictas), Paul Treffinger (drums), Don Lehnhoff (trombone)…
Loomis and Lehnhoff were offered to join the Mitch Ryder Show and moved on to New York in December 1966 along with other members from the Majestics and the Princetons.
Walt Caldwell, Mark Tiernan. Courtesy of Sam Towers
June 1969
And the Echoes could be seen at Hollywood Park, the Crystal Ballroom, The Zoo club in Brooklyn, and as house band at the Latin Casino. The group made monthly trips to Philadelphia where they appeared on the Jerry Blavat Show. Attesting to their fine musicianship, they reportedly were possibly the only band to actually play Blavat’s show live as most of the groups lip-synched to their records. On one of the shows they were accompanied by Sammy Davis, Jr. on drums. The group opened for many big names including Paul Revere & the Raiders and Roy Head at the Civic Center, The Association at Merriweather Post Pavilion, and the Temptations at the Lyric Theater. They played the “Mod ’69 Act III” show at the Painter’s Mill Music Fair (May 1969) and also performed with many stars at DJ Rockin’ Robin’s big soul shows at the Civic Center.
The band later became known as Crawdaddy. Anderson went to Abilene Road House. Dochterman became the bassist for As You Like It, and Raintree. Barthelmes moved to Las Vegas. He eventually returned to the area playing in local bands including Raintree County, Horizon, and continued to work at Sheffield Studios into the ‘00s. Tiernan went on to join Sawbuck. He toured and recorded with folk-rock legend Tim Buckley. Returning to Baltimore in the mid-’70s he joined Monopoly, Dion’s Streetheart Band, Rosco… Henritz was later with Pine Street Station.
Recordings by And the Echoes include the following:
1967 Pulse 2077 Million Dollar Bill / My Baby’s Got Soul
1967 Pulse 2078 Why Wonder / Why Wonder (Instrumental)
196* Soultrain 008 Tell Me Anything but Give Me Love / I’ve Always Wanted Someone Like You
