TOM PARSONS AND THE SPECTRUM - "Steal Your Heart" (Presta Records — 45-1009, 1966)

 by Achille Brunet

Tom Parsons and the Spectrum was a very elusive band, so much so no members outside of Tom were known, seemingly having left nothing else on the face of the earth except their fantastic organ-driven You Really Got Me-styled "Steal Your Heart"—up to now.

The band was formed as The Spectrums probably in mid to late-1965 by Tom Parsons, David Begley, Terry Brown, Bobby Sneeden (aka Bob Snead), and Mich Parker. Members attended West Phoenix High School in Phoenix, Arizona.

David Begley and Bobby Sneeden had been members of the Surf Beats in early 1965, and possibly before. Members were from Carl Hayden High School in Phoenix. 

(The Arizona Republic - May 15, 1965)

The Surf Beats were pretty popular and won a battle of the bands in May. They probably broke up when some members went to West Phoenix High in September and joined or formed the Spectrums.

The Spectrums rapidly stole the heart of the crowds. By the end of 1965, they were among the five most popular bands in the valley with hit recording band Floyd And Jerry, The Pendletons, "Sounds", and The Wanderers.

Drawing announcing the Camelback 

contest, Spectrums 2nd from left.

On December 10 that year, they attended the Save Camelback teen dance at the state fairground in West Phoenix, an event organized by The Teen Committee to Save Camelback Mountain, threatened since 1910 by urban development:

"Any closer, a five Battle of the Bands might shake old Camelback Mountain down to a sand dune. [...] After a week of frantic bookings and cancellations, rescues, and rebookings, the show has become something of a contest between five of the most popular bands in the Valley. They are playing the date for free, so that a maximum profit can be returned to the Foundation for the Preservation of Camelback Mountain." (The Arizona Republic - Dec. 9, 1965)

Senator Barry Goldwater, who helped with the cause, even played a few trombone notes to start the event. Floyd And Jerry opened and The Spectrums played fifth and last at midnight. The Arizona Republic described their presence on stage:

"They wear unlike satin shirts and tux pants and standard haircuts. Their strengths are instrumental improvisation and the emotional vocalizing of Parsons." 

(The Arizona Republic - December 9, 1965)

The rest of the article is also testament to tensions between the teens and the parents at that time, and the writer's exasperation:

"Today's detached, grown-up critics of rock 'n' roll might relax their extreme judgments by meeting, in person, some of the performers. Many are supervised by parents and sponsored by civic clubs. By and large, the kids are more tolerant of grown-ups than the grown-ups deserve." 

Followed by that first-class lesson in trends:

"Long hair and a hard beat and an electric mandolin and a dance called the monkey may not make much sense. But neither did the camel walk, red whoopee hats and orange spats, Helen Cane and "Boop-boop-a-doop," zoot suits, bell-bottom trousers, "'Yes, We Have No Bananas." Johnny Ray and "Three Little Fishes." and "Barney Google and His Goo-Goo-Google-y Eyes." If not an open mind, what's needed is an honest memory."

(The Arizona Republic - Feb 19, 1966)

I didn't find who won the contest, or if there was even a vote since charity was the main goal, but it might have motivated Floyd And Jerry, who started to play with The Counterpoints from the next month, to hire the Spectrums in their place for some gigs at the Tempo in February 1966, before coming back to the Counterpoints in March.

But the collaboration didn't stop there as it's around that time that Floyd and Jerry and Tom Parsons collaborated on a single by a band called The Choice. It was released on Sound Gems, distributed by Presta with the A side written by Floyd and Jerry and the B side a version of Parsons's song "Don't Listen To Friends". Not sure who plays and sings on it but it could be some early Floyd & Jerry material.

The two other Sound Gems releases date from 1968, but here the catalog number is different and matches those of Presta Records instead (45-1001) which would actually place it as anterior to all the other Presta singles, probably in 1965 or early 1966 (no Presta 45-1001 is known otherwise, starting only at 45-1002).

The single was produced by Eugene "Gene" Sturla from Scottsdale who was later a graduate at Mesa Community College. It seems to be his only musical credit.

Even if the Spectrums probably did not play on that one, the band's popularity likely led later in 1966 to their release on Presta Records, now that the contact was established, likely thanks to Floyd And Jerry.

Tom Parsons wrote both sides of the single. "Steal Your Heart" is a tough, decent garage track reminiscent of the Kinks' riffs and was only rediscovered in recent years as it was never compiled during the golden age of garage rock reissues. 

The B side is a new recording of "Don't Listen To Friends", and is a fine country/folk rock song that has been barely heard since. I'm not 100% sure but it's possible they re-used the backing track for the Choice version and had Tom sing a new vocal track on it.

(thanks again to Craig Roythorne for the file)

The label and the related company, Buena Vista Productions, were owned by Earl Perrin, producer and manager in Phoenix, AZ. Perrin came from Chicago but had attended school in Phoenix in the 1950s for health reason. He later owned several radio stations in Arizona from the early '60s, including the only 50,000 watt station in all Arizona. 

He founded Presta Records in 1963 and managed among others Bobby Barnett and Phoenix duo Floyd And Jerry who went national with their second single on Presta, which was then distributed nationwide by RCA-Victor. Presta issued a dozen of records between 1966 and 1968. Perrin also owned the Buena Vista Club in Safford, AZ. 

(The Arizona Republic - January 28, 1967)

The single was issued in September 1966 and was likely sold locally. But in January 1967, it seems the Spectrum was already in the rearview mirror for Tom who then played with a band called The Smile. 

Tom Parsons and The Smile played on January 29 at J.D.'s nightclub in Salt River Flats in Phoenix,—a club where Phil & The Frantics were the house band,—and shared the bill with Floyd And Jerry. The Mile Ends (of "Bottle Up And Go", 1966) from Tempe, AZ just South-East to Phoenix also did a happening at the door.

That weekend in Phoenix, you could have also seen the Bittersweets ("In The Night", "She Treats Me Bad"), the Young Men ("Go!"), and the Dearly Beloved ("Flight Thirteenth"), now ain't that cool!

The band then updated their name to "Smyle" and occasionally served as backing band for Floyd And Jerry in 1967 after the Counterpoints, which had backed them live and on their two first Presta singles had disbanded in August 1966 when two members were drafted.

(The Arizona Republic - May 24, 1968)

In early 1968, Tom Parsons left Smyle for local psychedelic band The American Way and became their lead singer. They apparently had some original songs but no recordings are known. In May, their gig at Pollet's Palace on Thomas Road & 29th street in Phoenix brought down the house.

An ad for Pollet's Palace with Tucson band the Missing Links.

(The Arizona Republic - Oct 27, 1967)

However, Tom Parsons apparently quarelled with the band, as he parted with the American Way a couple months later and went back to his previous band who had apparently kept playing with Floyd & Jerry, also as Tom Schultz and the Smyle.

"Tom Parsons [...] has split from the acid-rock combo and has rejoined his old Smyle friends. Tom will continue playing lead and supplying the back-up vocal."

(The Arizona Republic - July 21, 1968)

Soon, Tom Parsons left Smyle again and joined Tucson Soul band Stan Devereaux And The Trendsetters, only to split with them in October 1968 in the hope of starting his own band again.

I'm not exactly sure what happened and I lost track of Tom after that date. The band Smyle kept playing at least until 1969.

(The Arizona Republic - Oct 26, 1968)

Earl Perrin released singles on Presta until he passed away during Oct 1968 and the company disappeared.

One Tom (Tommy) Parsons collaborated with Lee Hazzelwood and Al Casey for a local single under the name of Slobo in 1984 and is credited on various Lee Hazlewood releases of the 1990s and 2000s, but I can't confirm he's the same one.

Against all odds, Buena Vista Production was reactivated in 2018 by Floyd Westfall, formely of Floyd & Jerry, and John Hesterman, former member of the 1960s Phoenix garage psych band the Grapes Of Wrath ("Not A Man" on Storm, and the unreleased at the time "Have A Good Time On Me"). The company based in Payson and Glendale, AZ stayed active as a publisher, manager, recorder, and counselor until 2025.

THE RESTLESS NATIVES - "Wilderness Of Monkeys" b/w "I Had A Spring" (Bantam Records — 3235, 1966)

by Achille Brunet

"Theme songs became the thing for the movies a decade or so ago and every multimillion dollar production had one. Now the same dodge is being tried in the book industry." 

So is introduced the article of the Philadelphia Daily News presenting "Wilderness Of Monkeys", one of the very few, if not the only example of a 1960s rock single actually issued to promote a novel. The thing had indeed become commonplace for movies or commercials, but for a book, that was unheard of.

First published in August 1965 by Dutton, Judith Paige Mitchell's book "A Wilderness Of Monkeys" tells the story of attorney Will Barrett, who's job is to prove that Jacques Gariura, a M.D. who set up a clinic in Leesburg, Virginia, has been slandered by his former perverted colleagues. He goes to Leesburg, uncovers abortion, miscegenation, and adultery. He precipitates a suicide, sheds a mistress, mixes it up pretty good with the ladies, and in the process wins his case.

Bantam's 1966 edition.

The reviews were positive, including in legal periodicals praising its realistic trial scenes and the book quickly became a popular success, though its approach of some daring topics got it to be banned in Memphis, Tennessee.

Judith Paige Mitchell aka Paige Mitchell was born Judith Paige Segel. A native of New Orleans, she lived in Jackson, Mississippi where she was married to Civil Rights attorney Alvin Binder. She worked as a medical artist, illustrating a textbook of physiology. She started to write her first novel "A Wilderness Of Monkeys" in 1963 and also studied law for a year only to strenghen its autencity. The book was published in 1965 and after divorcing, she moved to Los Angeles that year. She also turned to painting, ultimately adding music to the list with this single.

The single by The Restless Natives was made one year later for the paperback print of the novel in November 1966, a year after the first edition. Paige Mitchell was the one to come up with the idea. Her paperback publisher, the well established Bantam Books, was so impressed by the song she wrote that they went as far as establishing a new firm, Bantam Records.

"We at Bantam expect such great things from 'Wilderness' that we formed a record company just to promote the book," said Miss Margolis to The Register.

"They call it diversification" answered Mitchell to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

"Wilderness Of Monkeys" is a fast upbeat rocker, sung with a powerful voice by a male singer, backed with female harmonies. Where the title of the book served obviously as an metaphor, the song has in fact nothing to do with the story told in the novel and instead refers to the actual wilderness, speaking of monkeys, fish, sand, hot rocks, oceans and so on. If that was metaphoric too, I didn't grasp it.

Take me where the fishes fly

Take me where all the monkeys cry

Take me (yeah) in the wilderness of monkeys

The flip side, "I Had A Spring", is a slow atmospheric ballad sung with harmonies by a female vocalist (probably the same singer who did backing vocals on the A side) and might feel at home on a Garage Girls compilation. (I'll make a better transfer than this one when I get the chance)

Paige Mitchell was probably the first author to write a rock 'n' roll theme song for her own book, at least Bantam representatives proudly presented her as such, but she wasn't making a stong case for it.

"One day when I didn't have anything in particular to do, I thought it might be amusing to write a song to go with my book. I don't know any music, but a tune comes into my head and I set it to lyrics." she explained to the Philadelphia Daily News.

After bringing the song to Bantam, the publisher most likely hired a studio band for the work. Since Paige Mitchell lived in Los Angeles, the Wrecking Crew and the likes obviously come to mind. However, Bantam Records was established in New York City. Either way, a local band might also have been hired for the job. 

(Cash Box - Nov 12, 1966)

Note: they mixed Allen and Paige's names in credits 

for "Once I Had A Spring". There is no "Miss Allen".

All articles refer to The Restless Natives as a "new rock 'n' roll group". The name was obviously made up in relation to the theme song. I didn't find any band touring under that name, I don't think any gig was done to promote the single either but the band might have had other activities under a different moniker. Articles gave no information on the band. If Bantam took care of it, Paige Mitchell herself may have not known much about the band and recording.

Though it's not precised on the actual release, the copyright entry credits Paige Mitchell for the lyrics and Raymond Allen for the music.

Raymond Allen (miscredited Allan on the label) may have been the producer of the session and the one to find the musicians. He could also have been the male singer of the theme song, for all I know.

I couldn't identify him with certainty. Among the better possibilities in California, he could be Raymond L. Allen who co-wrote a song for the Allegro's in 1959. The Allegro's were from around Cucamunga, CA and the single was later picked up by a Los Angeles label. In the case he was more from the publishing world, there was also a publicity director by that name in Los Angeles in the mid-1960s, and also a magazine publisher in South Pasadena.

If he was rather from New York, I have even fewer leads. There was a veteran actor from New York who performed actively in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania and was also singer and dancer in a chorus for a musical in March 1966. But that seems unlikely.

With one man and one woman sharing credit on the 45, I first supposed Allen and Mitchell may have been the two singers heard on the single, but Paige, though often mentioning writing the songs, never said she sang them.

Anyway, as for Allen and the actual band, the mystery remains.

Paige Mitchell went on tour in various cities to plug the Bantam paperback edition of her novel. The book was successful but the record likely had nothing to do with it. It was already selling before that. 

Only a couple of newspapers found worthwhile to mention the record. Most articles have nothing to say about the music itself and rather praise Mitchell's versatility. One Pennsylvania article called them "lilts". In December, another journalist mentioned the record slightly more extensively and the description isn't very flattering:

"I took [...] her record and headed for home where I played the theme song to "A Wilderness Of Monkeys" on the stereo. [...] Paige Mitchell may be a talented novelist and painter, but when it comes to rock and roll songs, The Beatles don't have a thing to worry about!"

The record went way under the radar at the time. DJ copies were sent to radio stations at strategic points in the country in California, New York and Texas. Someone from Austin, Texas recalled his father who was in the DJ business in the mid-60s had given him the promo, possibly after playing it or renouncing to play it (I too own a promo copy). Stock copies were pressed and sales-tested in Dallas, Texas but since they are as scarce as DJ copies, I assume it wasn't very conclusive.

(The Register from Santa Ana, California - Dec 11, 1966)

"[Paige Mitchell] has a second book due out in the spring, 'Love Is Not A Safe Country' and has already cleffed the companion tune." (Philadelphia Daily News from Philadelphia - Nov 23, 1966)

The novel was indeed published in March 1967 (and in 1968 by Bantam) but as for the theme song, it unfortunately stayed in a drawer. "Wilderness Of Monkeys" would be the first and last attempt of this kind. Bantam Records never made anything else.

'Love Is Not A Safe Country' addressed topics that were very controversial in the South and articles report her move to Los Angeles, just before the publication, had something to do with it. 

"'My Jackson friends told me how glad they were I didn't write my [first] novel about the race question,' Miss Mitchell said. 'But my next one [...] IS about the race question.' So, before hardcover publication last year, the lovely 33-year-old author packed up household goods and 3 children and moved from Jackson, Miss. to Los Angeles, knowing she'd broken the code and would no longer be welcome at home." (Cleveland Plain Dealer - Nov 1966)

But that didn't stop Mitchell. Placing authenticity in the center of her work as a novelist, she went as far as taking flying lessons to research her third novel. Due to its popularity, "Wilderness Of Monkeys" was reprinted in 1968 by Dell. The paperback cover ventured into more sensual territory:

Paige Mitchell kept ties with music as in 1966-67 she collaborated with Leon Uris on the musical version of Uris' book "Exodus" planned for Broadway, and occasionally wrote song lyrics. 

She wrote several novels turned on topics of the era including integration and civil rights. She later worked in television in the 1980s as a writer and producer, with topics mainly focused on true crime.

Paige Mitchell passed away in Los Angeles in 2010.

Paige Mitchell in 1965.

RICH AND THE CAPRIS - "Darling" b/w "Tell Me" (Audio Recording Studios, Inc. — Acetate, 1964?)

by Achille Brunet

(Euclid News-Journal - May 14, 1964)

Rich And The Capris were from Cleveland, Ohio and formed around 1964. Apparently started as a six-piece, I assume one member left judging by the above picture in which a guy was cut out. 

In May 1964, the band played every Friday night from 8pm to midnight at the K. of C. Hall on Euclid Avenue and, in July, every Thursday and Saturday at the Hires Lounge on the same avenue. They also attended a "mixer" held at the gym of the St. Joseph High School on July 31st.

It's probably around that time that the band went to Audio Recording Studios, Inc. and recorded two songs, "Darling" and "Tell Me", that were made into an acetate.

Founded in 1953, Audio Recording Studios were at the time located on 1405 E. 6th Street in Cleveland, Ohio, downstairs from the WKYC station. 

The songs were never properly released but "Tell Me" surfaced online from an acetate with no band name. The artist was unidentified for more than a decade until a properly labeled acetate was sold in 2025.

"Tell Me" is a rough, desperate garage folk jangler with pop vocals. As for the intended A Side, "Darling", it has yet to be heard but I guess it's a weaker pop/twist side.

As of 2026, both tracks are still unreleased. Despite having found several ads and a picture of the band, I still don't know who the group members were so I'd appreciate more info.

There was a band called The Capris in 1960 in Amherst, Ohio but as they changed their name to Ronnie & The Rainbows in 1961 I don't think they're related.

AD GALLERY:

(Euclid News-Journal - May 7, 1964)

(Euclid News-Journal - July 2, 1964)

(Euclid News-Journal - July 25, 1964)

(Euclid News-Journal - July 30, 1964)