Towson / Bainesville area soul/Motown cover band that played the local teen center, CYO, frat party circuits. An early ‘60s line-up featured Jay on lead vocals replaced with Pat O’Brennan, John Beever (guitar), Bob Blomeier (bass), Paul Dardozzi (keyboard), Bob Myers (drums), Fred Rogers (trumpet), Jimmy Wilson (trumpet), Bob Shipley (sax), Bob Bartel (trombone). Beever was later replaced with Chuck Beaty. O’Brennan left the group around 1964 to form a folk trio. He was replaced with male vocalist Dana Turner and a black vocal trio called the Danettes consisting of Elaine Chafflin, Yvonne Cook, and Nancy Briscoe. Turner later fronted the Casuals. Vocalist Clay Hunt also fronted the Princetons in late ‘60s.
In May 1966 the group took top honors in the WITH sponsored Battle of the Bands at Marlboro Park Speedway. They appeared as one of the first bands to play the new 1521 Club dances at the Parkville Armory hosted by WCAO’s Paul Rodgers.
In late 1966 Bob Shipley, and Jimmy Wilson were offered jobs with the Mitch Ryder band. Ryder left in December along with other local musicians recruited from the Majestics and the Echoes.
Below: Bob Myers circa 1967, and his union card
The 1969 line-up included a black male vocal quartet backed by Beaty (guitar), Blomeier (bass), Rody Barthelmes (keyboards ex-RaVons), Myers (drums), Ray DeMoss (sax ex-Majestics), Rex Little (trumpet), and Randy Fillmore (trumpet ex-Majestics). A recording of this group is featured as the instrumental flip side of the Baltimore Bays Soccer Team theme song sung by Alana Shor titled “It’s A Gold and Red World.” Song written by WCAO announcer Alan Field.
DeMoss moved to Las Vegas. Myers played for Renaud & the Junction and also eventually relocated to Las Vegas. Fillmore later joined Celebration. Beaty played for Bob Brady’s Con Chords, Coyote, Dan Patch…
