Jason Odd
From:
Stawell, Victoria, Australia
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Posted 1 Jun 2000 12:50 am |
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Well here it is, my rough notes on the Palomino bands from around 1960 to 1969. It was assembled with a lot of scraping and prying, plus a lot of help from a few Forumites, like Jerry Hayes and Ace Tipton, although there was input from many others who are too plentiful to thank here, but thank you one and all.
There's still a bit of work to go and any input would be greatly appreciated.
THE PALOMINO HOUSE BAND 1960-1969
When steel player Red Rhodes joined the Gene Davis band at the Palomino Club in 1960, Gene had already been there a couple of years leading a group, while Red had only moved to the West coast that year.
Ace Tipton who moved to Southern California in 1960 remembers:
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| I arrived in Glendale Ca. Dec. 1960 and finally found out about the Palomino club so about 8:30pm Dec. 31, 1960 I arrived at the Pal and a guy was unloading his equipment at the door so I helped him carry it into the club and continued to talk to him while he set up to play. This was his first night there {with Gene Davis} and he remained there for several years eventually becoming the bandleader |
Gene’s group had become the dominant group at the Palomino with Speedy West leaving California in 1960, and Johnny Meeks TuneToppers splitting up, this left Gene’s group to play the week rather than alternate {two nights Each} with other groups, which had been the format in the 1950’s. When Red came in there'd already been steel players like Ralph Mooney and Ernie Ball in Gene’s Palomino group, the mainstay of the group at this stage was drummer Mel Taylor having joined in 1959.
Mel was active in the L.A recording scene and did sesionwork for the likes of Gary Paxton (‘Cherry Pie’ by Skip & Flip, ‘Alley Oop’ by The Hollywood Argyles in 1960, ‘Monster Mash’ by Bobby ‘Boris’ Pickett), Herb Alpert’s Tijuana Brass (‘Lonely Bull’), and Buck Owens.
By 1962 the group at the Palomino were Gene Davis {guitar & vocals}, Red Rhodes {steel guitar}, Delaney Bramlett {bass & vocals}, Mel Taylor {drums} and Glen D. Hardin { piano}, Glen had joined from a brief stint with the Crickets. In 1962 young Bakersfield guitarist vocalist Bobby Durham joined this line-up, but left before the year was out, having gained a solo record deal that year.
He was replaced by Jerry Inman {guitar & vocals}. Jerry had been playing in a group with Ace Tipton in North Hollywood , with Biff Adam on drums and Ace on guitar. They'd started with that line-up, but had added a bass player to fill their sound. Then Gene Davis came down and hired Jerry to work at the Palomino club and leaving the Tipton outfit without a lead singer.
It has been reported that Leon Russell was a Palomino Rider for awhile in 1962. Presumably on piano.
The 1962 group at the Palomino evolved into Gene Davis {guitar & vocals}, Red Rhodes {steel guitar}, Delaney Bramlett {bass & vocals}, Mel Taylor {drums}, Glen D. Hardin {piano} and Jerry Inman {guitar& vocals} . Around this time all the group were doing sessions for Toppa Records, Delaney Bramlett and Red Rhodes played on a Toppa session for singer Janet McBride at this stage.
While Mel Taylor even had a single on the label.
Toppa 1054 Drum Fever/That's It 1962?
Later in 1962, Washington State group the Ventures were in town and came into the Pal' from doing ‘The Wink Martindale Show’. They were asked to get up and sit in. They didn't have their drummer, but Mel sat in with them. A few months later while they were recording their ‘Twist, Vol. 2’." album the Ventures drummer was unable to continue with the group, they called Mel and he joined the group in 1962 and finished the album.
Around this time they appeared as Gene Davis & the Star Routers on the "Star Route" TV program of the hosted by Rod Cameron the cowboy actor. Red even had an instrumental 'Star Route' which became the shows theme.
For a permanent replacement Gene Davis hired Jan Curtis Skugstadt, a one time Seattle based jazz drummer who'd swithched to country and played with the bands of Ernest Tubb and Ray Price. He'd met Gene on a West Coast tour in the early 1960's and in '62 had travelled to join Judy Lynn's group in Las Vegas. On arrival there was no vacancy and Jan called Gene, who hired him to join the group.
The 1962 group at the Palomino was now Gene Davis {guitar & vocals}, Red Rhodes {steel guitar}, Delaney Bramlett {bass & vocals}, Jan Curtis Skugstadt {drums}, Glen D. Hardin {piano} and Jerry Inman {guitar& vocals}.
Jan remembers James Burton constantly sitting in with the group and played with Gene whenever he could.
Jan Curtis lasted until 1963 then worked in the bands of Jimmy Bryant and Sammy Masters before returning to Seattle in 1964 and starting a studio there in 1965, which is still active to this day.
Jan was replaced by Archie Francis in 1963 alongside the group of Gene Davis {guitar & vocals}, Red Rhodes {steel guitar}, Delaney Bramlett {bass & vocals}, Glen D. Hardin {piano} and Jerry Inman {guitar & vocals}
Later in 1963 Delaney Bramlett was replaced by Glenn Cass {aka Kastner or Kass} on bass.
By 1964 Glen D. Hardin would leave the group to play with the Shindogs, this outfit was the house band for the Shindig T.V show which started in 1964 and folded in 1966, Delaney Bramlett was also part of the house band with James Burton.
By 1965 the 'Star Routers' were still going through line-up changes, Gene and Red were still using Glenn Cass on bass, while Johnny Carver had replaced Jerry Inman who was leading his own club band elsewhere. It's quite possible that Jerry Cole {guitar} was involved with the group around this time. While Archie Francis had left and was in Roger Miller's group.
Bill Graham who moved to California from Texas to join Roger Miller's group remembers
| Quote: |
| Jerry Cole did play some with Gene. Jerry was already a fixture around town when I moved there in '65 |
In early 1966 Gene Davis left the Palomino Club, he was hired away to join Roger Miller's road band as MC, opening vocalist, road manager and rhythm guitarist. He lasted about a year then went out on his own again.
Meanwhile Red had inherited the Palomino band and they became the Detours.
ACM award in 1966 *Night Club of the Year, the Palomino Club
THE DETOURS
There's a lot I don't know about this group, it was basically Red's outfit at the Pal' after Gene Davis split in early 1966 to join Roger Miller's roadband. Johnny Meeks was working with the group, when Gene left. Interestingly enough, I think that Jerry Cole and Johnny Meeks were continually swapping the role as lead guitarist through 1966 to 1969, both working there at different times.
In 1966 Doyle Holly was with the Palomino band for about 6 months after leaving Buck Owens Buckaroos, at this stage the members of the Detours at that time were Red Rhodes [steel] Don Holiman [bass] Archie Francis [drums] Glen Hardin [keyboards] Johnny Meeks [Lead] and Doyle Holly [Vocal,and rhythm Guitar] . Apparently Doyle had replaced Gene Davis in the group.
Archie Francis had rejoined having tired of touring with Roger Miller and decided to work in the LA area. Glen Hardin had also finished with the Shindig TV show when it went off air in early 1966, the last show had been shot in late 1965.
After Doyle Holly left the group in 1966, Delaney Bramlett rejoined for a time, although he went out and played the club scene with his new wife in 1967 as ‘Delaney & Bonnie’, a rock and soul based act.
Other people that worked with the Detours include Earl Ball {piano}, Bobby Wayne {guitar & vocals}, possibly Lloyd Emmanuel Jr {guitar}, while Johnny Carver would have left around 1966, his first solo album came out in 1967. Johnny Paycheck may have swung by there quite a bit at one stage having split Nashville and was basically broke and bumming around the clubs. He actually had one of Red's old steel guitars and used to play steel a bit as well as bass and guitar.
By 1967 drummer Biff Adam who'd been working in the Fresno area for a couple of years in another club band moved to Simi Valley and also joined the Detours. He apparently made a promise that if he didn't get any success within a year he was going to quit, which made me think that maybe the 'Live At the Palomino' LP was cut in 1968.
Anyway the Detours were by 1968 Red Rhodes, Biff Adam {drums}, Dennis Hromeck {guitar & vocals, maybe piano}, Jerry Cole {lead guitar& vocals}, the Cass {Kastner} brothers Glen {bass} and Norm Cass {guitar}
Norm had hit L.A in 1965 and was befriended by Ace Tipton and Garland Frady, working the L.A clubs. While Dennis Hromeck had played bass in Wynn Stewart's group the Tourists in 1967. Glen Cass first joined the Palomino band back in about 1963 when Jerry Inman, Red, Archie Francis and Glen D. Hardin were veterans of the Gene Davis group.
The Red, Biff, Jerry Cole, Cass bros, Hromeck version of the Detours cut Red's 'Live At The Palomino' album, around 1968, the recording was produced by Don Peake and Robert Reiter, and engineered by Bill Halverson. This may have not been released until 1969. . The LP opened with the prominent Californian DJ Larry Scott's introduction "Hi, I’m Larry Scott from KBBQ and now live at the award-winning Palomino Club - Red Rhodes and The Detours!"
The Cass brothers and Jerry Cole also had a song ‘Crazy Horse ‘ {credtited to the writing team of J. Cole-G. Kastner-N. Kastner } recorded by the Ventures for their LP ‘The Horse’ in 1968.
This lineup didn't last either, Cole moved on as did the Cass brothers, Dennis Hromeck apparently was in Ralph Mooney's club band in Las Vegas with Bobby Wayne by early 1969 and by mid 1969 joined Merle Haggard's Strangers.
Looks Bobby Ray {Robert G. Shamblin}was the Palomino bassist around this time as a Detour with Biff.
ACM awards...
1968 Night Club of the Year, the Palomino Club*
1968 Steel Guitar award for Red Rhodes {for the live LP?}
By 1969 The Detours were Red Rhodes {steel}, Don Holiman {vocals & bass}, Garland Frady {acoustic rhythm guitar & vocals}, Biff Adam {drums}, Tom Brooks {aka Holbrooks} on vocals and rhythm guitar, and Johnny Meeks on lead vocals, lead guitar and piano.
Don had worked with the Detours before, then worked at the Aces Club with Jay Dee Maness, Carl West and Earl Ball in Eddy Drakes band, then in 1968 he worked another club with Gene Davis & the Star Routers, with Gene {guitar& vocals}, Archie Francis {drums} and Jay Dee Maness {steel guitar}
Garland Frady had been around the Pal for years and was a constant winner at the club's talent contest,to the point he was barred just often enough so that he could win once a month!
This version of the group backed Johnny Meeks as JOHNNY MEEKS & THE DETOURS for the album 'Skip A Rope' {1969} on the budget Custom label . While they cut this album Red and Johnny also played on Gene Vincent's 1969 album ‘I'm Back and I'm Proud'.
Biff didn't leave the Pal until December 1969, or at least that's when he joined Merle Haggard's Strangers, reuniting with Dennis Hromeck while Red Rhodes went on to the First National Band in late 1969 with Michael Nesmith.
Also circa 1969, the budget 'Crown' label also released an album called, "Buckaroo" by "Norm Kass (with a "K") & the Buckaroos. The group was most likely Red Rhodes on steel and various "Detours" I assume.
1969 ACM award for Night Club of the Year was awarded to the Palomino for the Johnny Meeks fronted version of the Detours.
By 1970 the Tony booth Band had the Palomino house band gig.
Tom Holbrooks, Johnny Meeks, Garland Frady and Don Holiman all went out as solo performers.
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Jason Odd
From:
Stawell, Victoria, Australia
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Posted 2 Jun 2000 4:02 pm
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A little update.
Thanks to Tom Bradshaw, I hear that in 1960 when Red joined the Gene Davis band, the group already consisted of Norm Raleigh {bass}, Jimmy Snyder {rhythm guitar}, Gene Davis {lead guitar, voc}, Mel Taylor on drums.
Apparently Red mentions that Leon Russell, Glen Campbell, Glen D. Hardin, Delaney and Clyde Griffin all went through the early 1960's group.
I get the impression when Red's sessions increased he got steel players to fill in on certain nights, like Sneaky Pete Kleinow and later Buddy Emmons.
It's interesting to note that in the early 1960's, Sneaky Pete, Johnny Meeks, Norm Raleigh and Mel Taylor formed the Norm Raleigh Band {aka} 'Sir Raleigh & The Coupons' and worked the Lazy X Club in North Hollywood, they used to do Beatles songs as part of their act!
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The future ain't what it used to be |
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