Excels' fame reached past U. P.

The Excels as a sextet with Clark Sullivan, Terry Quirk, Steve Contardi, Ken Forrest, Howard Ylinen and Ed Rogers

By STEVE SEYMOUR

Like their name suggests, the Excels' achievements may have been superior to those of any other rock band to come out of the Upper Peninsula in the 1960s.

The Marquette show band played extensively throughout Michigan, recorded five 45 rpm singles, opened for numerous name acts, and appeared on several celebrated television programs.

The group originated in 1963 after a chance meeting of three of the original members at Jim Boerner's music store in Marquette, explained vocalist Clark Sullivan, who grew up in Republic.

"It was June of 1963 when I met Carl Holm and Dick Manning, both from Iron River, at the store. Through Carl's persistence, the idea of forming a group took hold. Manning was a lead guitarist and gave music lessons at Boerner's, while Holm was a bass player, still in high school. With the addition of drummer John Zelinski, also from Iron River, the group was formed."

The Excels, named by Zelinski, played throughout the U. P. and Wisconsin in the summer and fall of 1963, but after a few months Manning and Zelinski had to leave due to schooling and other commitments. With future bookings already scheduled, drummer Steve Contardi and Terry Quirk (guitar, sax, vocals) joined as replacements. Contardi, who handled all the band's bookings, was from Stambaugh, while Quirk was another Iron River resident.

It was during the early months of 1964, with Sullivan, Quirk and Contardi enrolled at Northern Michigan University, and Holm still in high school, that the Excels started getting lots of exposure.

"We would have jam sessions on campus that would turn into full blown 'events.' With many of the students from different parts of Michigan and different parts of the country, we started getting booked at various venues throughout lower Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana and Ohio," Sullivan recalled.

To fill-out the band's sound, keyboard player Ken Forrest, from downstate Taylor, was added to the group. "Once we had all the members, things started coming together for us in a big way," Sullivan said.

The band's popularity expanded rapidly in Petosky and Harbor Springs. "We had the opportunity to play the Pony Tail Club in Harbor Springs which had the reputation of bringing in national talent such as Bobby Vinton and Jan & Dean. Thousands of kids on summer break made this club their home, so this venue gave us exposure to other parts of the state," Sullivan stated.

They packed the Teen Chalet in Gaylord whenever they played there and with their growing popularity, the Excels decided to shop around for a recording contract.

With a sound significantly influenced by the Beach Boys, the most popular American rock band of the era, the Excels headed to Detroit in the fall of 1964.

"Our first stop was Motown Studios, where we met the Supremes," Sullivan remembered. Although the Excels were impressed meeting one of the world's greatest acts, the group agreed that their "Beach Boys' harmony sound" would not be a good fit with Motown, which had an all-black stable of artists at the time.


Ollie McLaughlin

Next, during a stop at United Sound Studio, the group met Ollie McLaughlin, who captured a large audience as an influential black disc jockey on Ann Arbor's WHRV radio.

Owner of Carla Records, McLaughlin had a stable of artists including Deon Jackson, a talented rhythm and blues singer who recorded the smash hit, "Love Makes the World Go Round." McLaughlin also signed the Capitols to his Karen label and issued their recording of "Cool Jerk," which reached the Top Ten in the spring of 1966. McLaughlin, who also discovered Michigan-born rocker Del Shannon, and guided the career of Atlantic Records recording artist Barbara Lewis of "Hello Stranger" fame, was gaining stature in the music industry.

McLaughlin showed interest in the Excels and asked the group to send him a demo tape.

In a few days Sullivan and Quirk wrote and the band recorded "Run Girl Run" and "It Isn't So" on a small two track machine and shipped them off to McLaughlin. "Much to our surprise, he liked them and offered us a recording contract," Sullivan remembered.

At this point, the band knew little of McLaughlin's reputation in the music industry, but soon read in Billboard magazine that the fellow who asked for a sample of their work was among the country's most successful producers.

Excited to be working with McLaughlin, the Excels travelled to Detroit to properly record their two demo songs at United Sound Studio in the early summer of 1965. "We were quite new to this recording business, so this first session was a learning experience, as the sound on this record is quite raw," Sullivan noted. The songs, however, were not issued at that time.

Spending months perfecting their sound on stage, the group returned to Detroit in the summer of 1966 to record "Gonna Make You Mine, Girl," and "Goodbye Poor Boy." Both songs were credited to Sullivan, although it was Quirk who penned the b side. With national distribution through Atco Record Sales Co., operated by major label Atlantic Records, the record was predicted to be a hit by Billboard magazine. Issued as Carla 2529, the single missed the mark, "but it sure hyped us up," Sullivan noted. The record received some regional airplay in both northern and southern climes, reach No. 1 on Saginaw's WSAM on Sept. 16, 1966, and No. 23 at radio station WLOF in Orlando, Florida on Nov. 4, 1966.


"Gonna Make You Mine, Girl" at No. 1

Another single was recorded in Detroit in the fall of 1966. A Sullivan- Quirk composition, "I Wanna Be Free," was taped along with "Too Much Too Soon," written by 14-year-old Lisa Wexler, daughter of Jerry Wexler, a music producer and major player in 1960s soul music. Issued as Carla 2534, Billboard predicted the single would enter the Top 100, but it didn't catch fire.

As a live act, the Excels continued to do extremely well, commanding up to $1,200 per night while other U. P. acts were lucky to get a few hundred dollars. "We actually had a roadie," Contardi said about the band's status. Other bands were envious of the Fender equipment the Excels played, reported Greg Curran of Escanaba, a member of the 1960s band the Riot Squad.

Acting without a manager, the group worked virtually every Friday and Saturday night for years, often renting armories in places like Iron River, Marquette, Ishpeming and Iron Mountain. The band also impressed youngsters at various teen dances in Delta County.

Contardi recollected a Saturday night early in the band's career when they played the Swallow Inn, while the Rhythm Rockers were booked into Bill's Bar, the only other place in Rapid River serving liquor.

In lower Michigan, the band played in East Lansing, Cheboygan, Alpena, Bay City, Daniel's Den in Saginaw, the Roostertail in Detroit, and the Tanz Haus teen nightclub in Traverse City. A former funeral home in Holland dubbed the Edgar Allan Poe Club also hosted an Excels show, according to Contardi.

Sullivan recalled a memorable engagement at the Henry Ford estate in Grosse Point for the Ford family: "We played for the younger people, while Myron Floren of Lawrence Welk fame played for the old folks."

The Excels popularity resulted in the formation of a national fan club, which listed an address of Box 77, Bridgeport, Mich.


Daniel's Den marquee with the Excels

While the group was building on successful dates in lower Michigan, travel was putting a strain on founding member Carl Holm, who by this time was enrolled in Michigan Tech in Houghton, while the others were NMU students. Reluctantly, Holm decided to quit the group. To replace him, the Excels took on multi-instrumentalist Howard Ylinen and bassist Ed Rogers, from a Marquette area band called the Rogues. For a brief time, the Excels included six musicians, but that was soon pared to five when Forrest received his draft notice. Ylinen took over keyboard duties at that point.

By the end of the school year in 1967, Contardi graduated and quit the group to concentrate on his career. "It put me through college," Contardi said of his days as drummer with the Excels. He was replaced by Garry Stockero, drummer from the Crystal Falls' band, the Stormers.


"Little Innocent Girl" 45 single

During the summer of 1967, the Excels returned to the studio to record "Little Innocent Girl," penned by songwriting team Richard Wylie and Tony Hester. On the 45 rpm single, the tune was matched with Sullivan and Quirk's "Some Kind of Fun" as Carla 1901. Arranged by Dennis Coffey, the record reached No. 20 on CKRC in Winnepeg on July 18, and No. 24 on WKNR, Detroit, on Aug. 30, 1968.
"Little Innocent Girl" was also placed at No. 8 by Monroe's WVMO on July 17, 1968, No. 20 by Muskgeon's WTRU on July 19, and No. 2 by radio station WKNX on Aug. 16.

Lansing area musician Steve "Doc" Yankee, then a disc jockey, remembered spinning "Little Innocent Girl" on WLDR-FM in Traverse City. The 45 also reached the Top Ten on rival WCCW's weekly countdown.

Meanwhile, producer McLaughlin continued his efforts to get a hit for the Excels. In the summer of 1968, the group traveled to Atlantic Studios in New York to tape "California on My Mind" and "Arrival of Mary." "It was quite an eye opener to be recording in studios which had seen the likes of Frank Sinatra, the Bee Gees, Bobby Darin and Aretha Franklin," Sullivan remembered. "It was also the first time we had a 30 piece string and horn section on one of our records."

The songs, credited to guitarists Sullivan, Quirk and Ylinen, were released as Carla 2536. Despite a New York pedigree, the 45 did not become a hit.

Beyond their 45 rpm singles, the Excels accomplished much, including sharing the stage with some prominent rock bands. They opened shows on the Marquette campus for Jay and the Americans, as well as Little Anthony and the Imperials and opened for Chubby Checker during another concert. Other acts the Excels played with include the Newbeats, Buckinghams, Dave Clark Five, Sonny & Cher and the Association. In addition, the Excels performed shows or had mini tours with Gary Lewis and the Playboys, Paul Revere and the Raiders, Bob Seger, the Beach Boys, Turtles, American Breed, Mitch Ryder, Rick Nelson, Brian Hyland, Freddie Cannon, Jimmy Clanton, Dickie Lee, and the Barbarians.

One memorable occasion for the group was appearing on Robin Seymour's Swinging Time program on CKLW-TV in Windsor, Ontario. The Excels played "Gonna Make You Mine, Girl" on the show which featured 50 to 75 local kids demonstrating the latest dances. Spanky and Our Gang, noteworthy for "Sunday Will Never Be the Same," performed on the same episode, Contardi recalled.

An additional television appearance came in Cleveland when the Excels were featured on an early rock 'n' roll variety show called Upbeat which originated on ABC affiliate WESW-TV. Hosted by Don Webster, Upbeat included a live audience and was syndicated to 100 television markets at its peak.

By the end of 1968, Sullivan was in the first year of his teaching career and traveling for weekend gigs was getting difficult. He and the group parted ways, but the singer continued recording for McLaughlin.

Although the Excels had released four 45s, their record company still had the two songs in the can from the summer of 1965. "It Isn't So," written by Quirk, and Sullivan's "Run Girl Run" appeared in 1970, as Carla 103. The A side resurfaced in 2004 on a compilation of 1960s garage rockers called "Sigh, Cry, Die." It's the only Excels track to be released thus far on compact disc.

All the Excels songs recorded for McLaughlin show his skillful production and retain an appealing sound although none achieved the success sought by the group and label. "We were extremely excited to be working with Ollie McLaughlin. But, we came to recognize that it wasn't the right fit exactly," Contardi said about the band's time on the Carla label, which otherwise predominately issued soul recordings.

"Being with this group was an adventure for all involved. We never looked at it as a competition with other bands from the U. P. We just did our thing as they did theirs. We all had followings that propelled us to be better. The U. P. had a wealth of talent. We enjoyed working with a few of these groups and always came away with something positive that we could work into our shows," Sullivan noted.

After an adventurous trip through the 1960s, the Excels faded as the new decade dawned. Still, they came closer to national fame than any other U. P. band of the era, leaving a memorable rock 'n' roll story in their wake.

Excels- line-ups through the years
Photos courtesy of Clark Sullivan, Mark Maki and Wilma Zimmermann


The original Excels
back, Dick Manning and Clark Sullivan
front, Carl Holm and John Zelinski



The Excels
clockwise from bottom, Ken Forrest, Carl Holm, Steve Contardi, Clark Sullivan and Terry Quirk


The Excels
Garry Stockero, in middle, surrounded by, from top, clockwise, Howard Ylinen, Clark Sullivan, Terry Quirk and Ed Rogers

Labels promote wristband albums

Ringo Starr

By STEVE SEYMOUR

On his 1978 "Bad Boy" long player, Ringo Starr sang a melancholy tune called "Heart on My Sleeve."

Now, taking a cue from the ex-Beatle, fashionable fans can actually wear his latest album on their wrists.

That's right. Starr's new "Liverpool 8" is available as a conventional compact disc, digital download and as a USB wristband.

If you're not technically savvy, USB stands for Universal Serial Bus and allows peripherals to be connected to your PC by way of a small slot on the side or back of your computer.

Plugging-in Starr's pre-loaded wristband, you get his new studio album in MP3 format, a behind the scenes interview video, and track-by-track commentary from the artist. The data storage device also includes a pair of ringtunes, biography and a series of photographs.

To play, the wristband is simply unfastened and inserted into the USB socket. With the "drag and drop" function, the data is transferred to the computer or vice versa.

While Capitol Records is aggressively promoting the new format, it may also be turning customers off with a warning on the package which reads: "This product is sold as is, without any warranties. You bear the entire risk as to the quality and performance of this product; if this product is defective or results in damage to your property, you assume the entire cost of repair. To the extent permitted by law, Capitol Records, Inc., its affiliates, distributors, and retailers will have no liability for monetary relief; your only recourse is to return the product within 30 days of purchase."

If customers aren't scared off my that, they'll open the package to find a reusable wristband consisting of a rubber molding shell with a friction fit locking band. The user gets a durable product offering an extremely portable way to transport music, videos, photos and other data.

That his record label is promoting 67-year-old Starr's latest project with this emerging technology demonstrates how eager the industry is to find a way to appeal to customers when downloading music has become the norm.

The record industry first put its big-toe into the USB pool just last June when a 30th anniversary edition of Bob Marley's reggae classic, "Exodus," was released as a USB stick. The release contained the album's original ten tracks, videos from Marley's live performances at London's Rainbow Theater and computer wallpaper featuring Marley's image. Some 4,000 copies were manufactured for folks who paid $45 to join the Bob Marley Passport Fan Club.

Rock band Matchbox Twenty pushed the envelope last October by issuing "Exile on Mainstream" as a USB wristband, available only at Best Buy stores. Fans who purchased the computer device received the 17-track greatest hits album, two videos, and a digital booklet containing album art. The rockers, headed by lead singer Rob Thomas, will sell wristbands with live concert recordings when the band is on tour this year.

But, Matchbox Twenty has nothing on country superstar Willie Nelson who has been using the concept extensively. Audience members who attend the singer's concerts can buy USB wristbands of the show they've just witnessed when they leave the event. Fans can experience or re-live the show on computer, copy it to compact disc, or upload it to an iPod or MP3 compatible device.

The country legend's wristbands were promoted for a July 4, 2007 Independence Day show and other dates at the price of $25 each. Concerts from 2000, 2002, 2005 and 2006 are also available.

All Access Today, a company based in Austin, Texas, is in talks with the major record labels to issue additional USB wristbands and develop the format beyond the realm of a mere novelty or promotional item. Company spokesman Jake Crownover predicted that 15 to 20 acts will be selling wristbands during this summer's concert season.


Ringo Starr Wristband

Since it was just released last week, it's too early to tell if the wristband version of Starr's "Liverpool 8" will be successful. Because so few titles have been issued in the USB format, sales comparisons may be difficult.

Folks I've shown the one-size-fits-all wristband were intrigued by the concept and surprised by the amount of extra content.

The album itself contains 12 new tracks written and produced by Starr and Dave Stewart, the male half of the Eurythmics, the synth/pop duo which included Annie Lennox and recorded a string of hits in the 1980s topped by "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)."

Stewart brings a fresh approach, evident on the title track, to Starr's 14th studio album. Since last August, the former Mop Top has also released a long overdue 20-track greatest hits package, "Photograph," and a pleasing live album with his studio band, the Roundheads, called "Soundstage." The appealing "Liverpool 8" completes the affable drummer's hat-trick.

With that in mind, I have to plug a certain USB wristband album into my computer.

U. P. CD aids anti-mining effort

Greg Brown

By STEVE SEYMOUR

Internationally renown musician Greg Brown knows the power and purpose of folk music.

His "Yellow Dog" album, drawn from an Aug. 26, 2005 performance at the historic W. C. Peterson Auditorium in Ishpeming, describes a way of life in the Upper Peninsula being threatened by a proposed metallic sulfide mine in northern Marquette County.

That single show continues to reverberate as proceeds from the disc benefit the Yellow Dog Watershed Preserve, an organization dedicated to protecting the area being targeted by Kennecott Minerals Co. for a controversial nickel and copper mining project that opponents say threatens to irreversibly damage a fragile ecosystem. The by-products of this type of mining, sulfuric acid and heavy metals, pose a serious environmental risk, including water pollution, critics contend.

"I'm proud to be here. Proud to stand up for a little river," Brown told the audience during his performance at the 1,100 seat venue, built in the 1930s.
But Brown almost didn't make the engagement. Due to flight delays, he arrived two hours late. While folks at the show may have been getting restless, Brown made up for it by performing reworkings of old favorites and fresh material from his fabled "notebook."

"I brought out my notebook tonight. I'm gonna sing a bunch of stuff I never sung before. I figure it's been a nutty day already, why not take it on home that way," the singer-songwriter stated.


Yellow Dog CD

With that Brown launched into a satisfying set of nine original tunes, including "Laughing River" and his take on "Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone."

"You'd think some things in this life would be so obvious such as taking care of our rivers," Brown told the audience.

Brown is not a newcomer to safeguarding the environment through the performance of his folk songs. He's been involved in protecting rivers in Montana and his home state of Iowa.

The folk singer routinely fishes the Yellow Dog River, known as a unique habitat for native brook trout. Over 50 miles in length, the main branch begins in the Ottawa National Forest at the boundary between Marquette and Baraga counties. The river runs through the Yellow Dog Plains, a remote wilderness area which has been routinely logged, but is otherwise virtually untouched.

The few people in the area reside in Big Bay, the 265-person community famous as the backdrop for several scenes in the 1959 film "Anatomy of a Murder."

Brown's "Yellow Dog" album is the first release on the Earthwork Archive Series. Earthwork is described as "a Michigan-based independent record label, songsters collective and community of friends." The Earthwork Musical Collective "serves to facilitate and encourage the creation, production and promotion of original music in the state of Michigan and beyond."

While Brown has long allowed his music to be used to support awareness for environmental and social concerns, fans know other parts of his musical history, as well.

He grew up in Earlville, Iowa, where his father was a Pentecostal minister. The youngster was introduced to music by his mother, who played electric guitar, and his grandfather, a banjo player. His professional career began at 18, when he ran hootenannies at New York's infamous Gerde's Folk City.

Later, he moved to the west coast, living in Portland, Los Angeles and Las Vegas. He landed a gig "ghostwriting" for Buck Ram, the manager who penned "Only You," a Top Five hit for the Platters in 1955.

While Brown traveled with a band for a few years, he eventually returned to Iowa where he wrote songs and performed hundreds of shows in Midwestern coffee houses and clubs. By the 1980s, he had built a solid musical reputation through constant touring and frequent appearances on Garrison Keillor's A Prairie Home Companion program broadcast live on National Public Radio.

He also founded Red House Records which has released over 200 discs by acts such as Ramblin' Jack Elloitt, Pat Donohue, and John McCutcheon.

The prolific Brown also has recorded 26 albums under his own name. "One Big Town" and "Further In" were praised by influential Rolling Stone Magazine. He also counts two Grammy award nominations to his credit.

In addition, Brown has been widely acclaimed as a songwriter and his material has been performed by a wide variety of musicians, including Willie Nelson, Carlos Santana, Lucinda Williams, Michael Johnson, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Joan Baez, Ani DeFranco and Shawn Colvin. He married singer-songwriter Iris DeMent on Nov. 21, 2002.

Although "Yellow Dog" captures Brown at his peak, rough-edged baritone and songwriting wit in top form, a question remains. Are enough people listening?

Recently, Rebecca Humphries, director of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, announced the agency was delaying a decision on the permits requested by Kennecott until more information could be obtained.

Regardless of the outcome, Brown has used the best traditions of folk music to make an eloquent point in an effort to preserve an irreplaceable part of the Upper Peninsula's ecological heritage.

Singles by U. P. bands coveted

The Henchmen VI

By STEVE SEYMOUR

The western Upper Peninsula contributed to the burgeoning music scene of the 1960s with singles which are coveted today.

I've discovered just how highly desired these items are after picking-up recordings by three U. P. bands recently.

My collection has been bolstered with tracks by the Henchmen VI from Ontonagon, the Vigilantes, another Copper Country group; and Danny and the Galaxies, who called the Ironwood area home.

If you're wanting to add vintage U. P. recordings to your stash, the giant internet auction site Ebay is one place to start.

I went there to look for a 45 rpm single by Danny and the Galaxies, a popular western U. P. attraction in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Heroes in Ironwood, Johnson's Music Store proudly displayed a framed black and white photograph of the group performing at their business in about 1959.

Danny and the Galaxies

Fronted by lead singer Danny Sullivan, the rockabilly group traveled to Minneapolis to record "If You Want To Be My Baby," a Sullivan original, and "Ad Lib," an instrumental penned by lead guitarist Greg Winn. Put to tape at Kay Bank Studio, the songs appeared on the Darbo imprint which was listed as a division of Kooba Enterprises. Sullivan demonstrated a vocal style between Elvis Presley and Buddy Holly on his song, while the second tune, without vocals, was shown as being performed by just the Galaxies. The record, catalog #1595, also featured bassist Andy Abraham and Bernie Michelli, a drummer from Bessemer.

Surprisingly, I discovered a copy of their original 45 being auctioned on Ebay, but I wasn't the only interested party. After 15 bids, the prized 45 sold for $339. I was shocked, not because I didn't win, but because the piece of old vinyl sold for so much.

Not long after, however, I found a compilation LP called "Minnesota Rock-A-Billy-Rock, Vol. 3," which sold at a much more modest price, but still contained both tunes.

The Vigilantes

My bidding on a "surf" 45 by the Vigilantes had a different result, however. The single being auctioned was recorded at Cuca Studio in Sauk City, Wis. and appeared on the custom HerMi label. The top side, credited to V. Scerny, was called "Warm Wind," while the flip was an original band composition titled "Caterpillar Crawl." Both songs were instrumentals, with the A side showcasing guitar and drum solos while its companion included an outstanding sax workout.

For a "mere" $96.66, I was able to sneak by another bidder at the last second and take home this bit of rare plastic. I had never paid that much for a 45 and probably never will again.

But, I told myself that only a few hundred copies of this rare single, released in 1962, were pressed. And, because it's listed as #0001, it is the first and probably the only release on the obscure HerMi imprint.

By the way, the Vigilantes originated with Jim Brogan, who still lives in the Ontonagon area. Another band member was Greg Kobe, now playing keys and sax for the lower Michigan-based band Voo Doo Doctors. The Vigilantes also included the late Lloyd Hugo of L'Anse, Don Hermanson, Don Heikkila and Jay Mihelich.

The "rare" tag is also squarely affixed to the single released in March, 1967 by the Henchmen VI, which apparently included the Roman numerals in its moniker to distinguish it from other groups with similar names. This rock 'n' roll combo, including Scott Heinske (vocals and lead guitar), Joe DeHut (rhythm guitar), Bob Durant (bass), Art Moinlenen (organ), Jay Jackson (drums), and Jeff Jackson (tambourine), traveled to the Cuca Studio in early 1967 to make their claim to fame.

They taped Heinske's compositions, "Is Love Real" and "All of the Day." The first track featured a garagey guitar break while the second number had a Byrds-influenced feel, not uncommon for the period.

After the recording session, the band returned to Ontonagon and waited for their shipment of 45s to arrive from the label's pressing plant, 250 miles away. But, their anticipation was spoiled when the young men opened the shipment to find that half the 500 records they ordered were damaged in transport.

Despite that bad luck, the Henchmen VI were town favorites in tiny Ontonagon. They practiced at the local fire hall and played all the local venues. The popular group performed at parties in White Pine and at Gogebic Community College in Ironwood.


Rob Kirk (in red) and the Henchmen VI

One of their most memorable dates was opening for the pop group the Left Banke, famous for the song "Walk Away, Renee." They also played with Rob Kirk and the Word, from Sault Ste. Marie, another act which recorded for Wisconsin's venerable Cuca label. Several promotional photos of the Henchmen VI exist, including one of the band posing with Kirk. The Sault resident released a single titled "Girl Talk" in June, 1967.

As the Vietnam War dragged on, however, luck ran out for the Henchmen VI as Uncle Sam and the draft broke up the group. DeHut, who now plays mostly Christian rock, is the only member of the group still living in the Ontonagon area. Sadly, Heinske died in the late 1990s.

Today, the Henchmen VI single, Cuca 6731, is nearly impossible to find. I've never even seen a photograph of the label and it isn't on Ebay for any price.

Remarkably, the group's recordings have appeared on several CD compilations of garage band music, including the "Cuca Records Story, Vol. 3," and "Michigan Mayhem, Vol. 2." It might be impossible to get the Ontonagon band's original 45, but anyone can enjoy their music in the digital format as part of those collections.

Now, you know why I continue to covet those old U. P. singles.

Scans of Henchmen VI 45 label courtesy of
Robert Jarod Steckmeyer.

Kid Rock player has U.P. ties

Jimmie Bones

By STEVE SEYMOUR

Jimmie Bones, keyboard player for pop star Kid Rock, has an affinity for northern Michigan.

A musician's musician, Bones has family roots in the Upper Peninsula and contributed to three songs on the "Escanaba in Da Moonlight" soundtrack. If that wasn't enough, his U. P. connection also includes performing and vacationing north of the Mackinac Bridge.

Kid Rock

A "key" member of the Twisted Brown Trucker Band for a dozen years, Bones has recorded and toured with Kid Rock, the Dearborn native who released the incredibly popular "Rock N Roll Jesus" album last October.

Bones was waiting for a flight at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, when we were finally able to chat after playing telephone tag for several days.

At the time, he had recently performed at the Video Games Awards in Las Vegas, broadcast on the Spike network, which highlighted Kid Rock's smash hit "So Hott."

Bones explained he met Rock in the mid 1990s while the two were involved in separate projects at a Detroit recording studio.

While Bones has worked with bluesmen Robert Bradley and R. L. Burnside, as well as Uncle Kracker, his career is most closely associated with Kid Rock. Rock, also known as Bob Ritchie, broke on the national scene in the fall of 1999 with the song "Cowboy," on which Bones received a co-writer credit.

Not long after, Bones became involved in the "Escanaba in Da Moonlight," the motion picture comedy starring Chelsea native Jeff Daniels. Bones worked with soundtrack producer Alto Reed, the long-time sax player for Bob Seger, along with Jim McCarty, guitarist for The Rockets and Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels. The three musicians wrote and performed "Deer Track Blues," "Escanaba Mama" and "M35."

Bones was quite pleased with his musical collaboration with Reed and McCarty, two highly respected veterans of the Detroit rock 'n' roll scene. The soundtrack, which also featured songs by Michigan natives Glenn Frey and Ted Nugent, appeared on Reed's Harmonie Park International label.

Bones, who grew up on the family farm near Bad Axe in Michigan's Thumb area, was already quite familiar with the Upper Peninsula before he contributed to the movie soundtrack.

His Grandfather Trombly grew up near Rock in northern Delta County, while is father, James Trombly, was raised in Escanaba. His mother's Warchock side is traced back to the Shingleton area in Alger County.

Born James Trombly in Detroit, the musician was tagged "Trombone" and finally "Bones," as a kid. "I was pretty skinny, anyway," he said

Bones spent time on vacation in the Munising area where his grandmother lived, and played stops at Marquette and Mackinac Island when he was on tour with Robert Bradley's Backwater Surprise.

More touring will be on tap for Bones this year when Kid Rock and the Twisted Brown Trucker Band play dates around the world. While he has performed in many European countries, Bones is looking forward to his first concert dates in Japan.

With the stress of travel and being away from home, Bones said touring is difficult. "It's hard but we make it work," he said.

And, Bones does work hard. As a member of the Twisted Brown Trucker Band, he has shown his versatility, playing keyboards, organ, piano, harmonica, clavinet, synthesizer, synth bass and Jews's harp. Other members of the band include Marlon Young, lead guitar; Jason Krause, guitar; Stefanie Eulinberg, drums; Aaron Julison, bass; Paradime, turntables; Larry Fratangelo, percussion; Rayse Biggs and David MacMurray, horns; and Barbera Payton and Stacy Plunk, background vocals.

Called by Rock the "Loudest Band in America Today," the group is adept at many musical genres, sometimes mixing them all into one song.

Among the many hits the band will play in concert this year is "All Summer Long," which includes interpolations of Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Sweet Home Alabama" and Warren Zevon's "Werewolves of London."

Specifically, the song borrows the keyboard line from "Werewolves" and the title and guitar riff from the Skynyrd classic to create a nostalgic look back to the late 1970s.

In the song, Rock recalls a 1979 trip he made to an unspecified area in the north of the state where he fell in love with a 17-year-old girl. The infectious tune includes the line, "It was summertime in northern Michigan."

"We all take pride in being from Michigan. 'All Summer Long' represents where we're from. But, it could be anywhere kids congregate around a lake," Bones said in explaining what the song means to him.

During his off-time, Bones stays at his home north of Lapeer where he does his own logging to "stay in shape" until the next tour comes along.