A soul band that started out playing the D.C./Baltimore teen dance circuit. The original line-up featured ‘Lawrence’ Larry Kidwell (keyboards), Johnny Ellison (guitar), Dennis Monk (sax), and Mike Zack (drums).
Ellison and Monk left in 1964. George Bold replaced Ellison on guitar and the group added a horn section consisting of Mike Kidwell (sax), Mike Fried (sax), Tom Blair (trombone), Bruce Morris (trumpet), and Jerry Bowles (trumpet). The band opened for the Isley Brothers in D.C. They traveled to New York where they toured as Dee Dee Sharp’s backup band in 1967. In D.C. they were seen at the Roundtable, Act IV, Bastille…
The horn section appeared on a record by another top D.C. group Nobody’s Children “I Can’t Let Go” (Bullet 1000).
Zack went on to join Puzzle, Cherry People, Nils Lofgren, Sun Country. Ellison was later with Sweet Blindness.
They released a self-titled LP in 1966 on their own LATA (Lawrence and The Arabians) label, and a couple of singles on the D.C. based HEM label (named for Herb, Eugene, Max – owners of Waxie Maxie’s record store in D.C. Their first single was picked up by the Shout label and re-released nationally. Jim Strocchia (of The Group) was studio bassist on the HEM singles.
Mike Kidwell later joined Octagon… In the ‘80s Larry Kidwell was a member of the 2nd Coming.
1966 HEM 1001 Ooh Baby / Coincidence
1966 HEM 1002 Money / I’ll Try Harder
1967 Shout 215 Ooh Baby / Coincidence
1966(LP) LATA 218 Lawrence & the Arabians
