Larry and the Blue Notes
| Larry and the Blue Notes | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Background information | |
| Also known as |
|
| Origin | Fort Worth, Texas, United States |
| Genres | Garage rock |
| Years active | 1962–1968 |
| Labels |
|
| Past members | Larry Slater Larry Roquemore Mike Griffins Randy Cates Jack Hammonds Rocky Shores Buddy Bates Dan Fletcher |
Larry and the Blue Notes were an American garage rock band formed in Fort Worth, Texas in 1962. The group is one of the more notable musical acts to emerge from the flourishing Fort Worth teen scene, and one of the few that had the opportunity to release a nationally distributed record. They are best known for the song "Night of the Sadist", which has been revived on several compilation albums.
In October 1962, Rocky Shores (drums) recruited Larry Roquemore (saxophone, vocals) and Larry Slater (lead guitar) to perform at a Halloween party, with Slater bringing along rhythm guitarist Tommy Shaggs. Originally, the group's set list included mostly surf music instrumentals inspired by Freddie King, whom the band held a strong admiration for. Following their first gig, Slater and Roquemore began rehearsals in new drummer Mike Griffins' garage, also accompanied by Dan Fletcher (bass guitar) and rhythm guitarist Buddy Bates. In 1964, after establishing themselves as top-tier competitors in battle of the bands tourneys in Fort Worth, Larry and the Blue Notes replaced Fletcher with Randy Cates and recruited Jack Hammonds (organ, vocals). The new members had some prior experience as vocalists, providing the group with enough expertise to replicate the lush vocal harmonies of the Beatles.
Larry and the Blue Notes became fixtures at Fort Worth's most popular venue, the Teen A-Go-Go. In 1965, the band attracted the attention of record producer Major Bill Smith, who is best known for his hand in recording national hits such as "Hey Paula" by Paul and Paula. The group entered the studio to cut the Roquemore and Slater-penned "Night of the Sadist", recording two versions: one with a saxophone instrumental and another which featured a guitar solo. However, neither version was released because Smith, concerned with the word "sadist" potentially barring airplay, had Larry and the Blue Notes dub "phantom" in place wherever the term occurred. Roquemore explains that several urban legends inspired the tune, including "the escaped mental patient with a hook on his right hand who used to terrorize parkers in Lover's Lane; a guy dressed in a gorilla suit who used to tap on car windows of couples parking late at night at my old school, Northside High; and tales of a Goat Man who was scaring the crap out of parkers at Lake Worth".
...
Wikipedia