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 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.
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