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)

JACOB'S INVESTMENT - "Easily Done - Part 1 & 2" (M-A-Y-B-E — 1355-45-04, 1967)

by Achille Brunet

Easily done indeed! Here are solid competitors for the shortest garage songs ever made. The A side is 0:30 and B side is 0:32!

"Easily Done - Part 1 & 2", amazingly pressed on wax in 1967, are fun primitive garage songs with cool organ riffs and guitar tracks but with weak vocals and would have probably gone under the radar wouldn't it be for its short time and the very fact it was actually released.

At first I thought it could be some kind of a radio spot, but it just doesn't sound like a jingle, and the title seems to indicate the songs were primarily made for a joke.

Let's see the lyrics:

Part 1:

Dark skies over the city

My baby just left me

Why must I feel so lonely

Why doesn't she love me

Part 2:

How long can I take it

The way I feel tonight

I guess I'll go on living

Guess I'll take that flight

Pretty straightforward. Only a little more than 1 minute for the protagonist to mourn the loss of his love and move on. Good for him. 

Part 2 starts and ends with the sound of a plane taking off, which I had taken at first for the sound of a vacuum cleaner.

Anyway, what I find fantastic is that these guys went all the way with the joke. They did pay for recording, pressing and publishing and apparently sold or distributed them! The groove is, of course, hilariously short on the vinyl:

I didn't find a single trace of a band named Jacob's Investment anywere and there are no names on the label credits. It might have been a studio quip, or maybe a band that toured under another name. The band name might also be another pun: maybe the person who paid for the record was named Jacob (what an investment!) The publishing company, Ben-Jon Pub. Co. could also be a lead.

The single was pressed by Royal Plastics Corporation based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They pressed a good deal of Ohio releases like Mouse & The Traps and other singles on the Fraternity label, or the Prism label so that might be a lead.

However the plant also pressed singles for bands and labels in nearby states, like the Customs Five from Indiana, Sound On Sound from Virginia, and bands from Maryland, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and even Mississippi.

There was a Jacob's Investment Club in Newport, Virginia in 1965 so who knows, but it seems to be more of a religious association.

The single bears the vanity label M-A-Y-B-E to which it's the only output.

I'd love to hear more about that mysterious single so don't hesitate if you know anything about it!