The Novas (Texas band)
| The Novas | |
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| Background information | |
| Origin | Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas, United States |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 1963–1968 |
| Labels | |
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Novas were an American garage rock band from Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas, who were active in the 1960s. Noted for their harmonies, they became one of the most popular bands in the local area and toured throughout the Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana region, enjoying a following outside of their immediate vicinity. The group released a single featuring the song "William Junior" in 1966. In the intervening years since their breakup, the Novas' music has come to the attention of garage rock collectors and enthusiasts and their collected work is included on two anthologies.
The Novas were made up of members from Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas and formed in 1963 when guitarists John Salih and David Browne began playing as a duo, eventually expanding into a combo by adding Mike Mullen on bass and Gary Madrigal on drums. They adopted the name the Novas, taken after the popular compact-sized automobile of the time, the Chevrolet Nova. The band specialized in playing popular surf rock instrumentals of the day made popular by acts such a s the Ventures, the Surfaris, and the Astronauts and did some vocal numbers by Chuck Berry as well as "Louie Louie" by the Kingsmen. They made their first impression at a Junior High School talent show when they were cheered on by screaming girls, in similar fashion to the euphoria surrounding the Beatles' recent inaugural visit to the United States in February 1964. They became the most popular band at their school and eventually in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. They eventually developed a sound which included rich vocal harmonies, which enabled them to do songs that most bands could not do and earned them a reputation as having the best harmonies of any rock band in North Texas. The Novas used black 1950s model Cadillac hearse with their band's logo painted on the side to travel from gig to gig and carry their equipment. The band played at popular clubs in the Dallas and Fort Worth area. Several establishments were teen clubs such as Panther Hall, Teen a Go Go, the Action a Go Go, as well as the infamous adult strip club the Cellar, which clandestinely allowed teenage groups to perform.
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