by Achille Brunet
This really cool and rare single with a Beverly Hills, Calif. address got collectors confused for a while. Though indeed having definite ties with California as we'll see, The Generation Gap were in fact based in Phoenix, Arizona and moreover only took up that name with the release.
Let's start at the beginning with lead singer Greg Aitken from Needles. Needles is indeed a California city, but stands right on the Arizona border, placing it almost at exact distance from Phoenix, AZ and Los Angeles, CA.
Born in Chicago, Greg Aitken moved to Needles when he was 8 and attended Needles High School in the early sixties. In 1963, he was part of the saxophone section in the High School band The Bluenotes and toured other Eastern Arizona high schools in St. Johns and Holbrook playing proms. He won the John Philip Souza award on clarinet in 1964, also playing solo perfomances on sax, and kept up with the Bluenotes until mid-1965 when they recorded a souvenir LP "Blue Note '65" that was sold at local venues (but no copy seems to have surfaced).
In Sept 1965, Greg relocated to Phoenix to attend the ASU. In 1966, he joined the In-Turns, a band formed by Central High student Glenn Rosner that was looking for a lead singer. The band included Greg's cousin Charlie Moss who also attended the ASU and introduced him to the band.
Glenn Rosner aka Gage Garnier hailed from Beverly Hills, CA and had probably moved to Phoenix with his father George who was a music director at the Phoenix Country Club. It's not shown on the picture but Glenn played organ. By 1967, he was considered one of the best organist in town at only 17.
Greg joined on lead vocals, sax and tambourine. Charlie Moss hailed from Las Vegas and played bass (but could also play a variety of wind intruments including trumpet).
(1967 Central High School Yearbook)
Aside from Greg, Glen and Charlie, the band included two other members. One of them might be Alex Witzerman, who likely left the band quickly as he's no longer with the band by Nov 1967. Still he had the time to co-write the A-side of their future single, even if he was out of the band by the time of the recordings.
The other member should be either Brian Garno or John Bryant who were both members by Nov 1967. Brian Garno, the son Vic Caesar's saxman Lou Garno, was on drums but could play bass, guitar and other things as well. John Bryant took care of the lead guitar. Both attended Central High School with Glen.
(The Arizona Republic - May 7, 1967)
The In-Turns appeared mostly at the ASU, billing their sound as "semi-psychedelic" and playing many fraternity dances. The band rapidly achieved a regular following on the campus as one of the most popular band around. Greg also kept ties with Needles and brought the band back with him to play at the 1966 Homecoming Dance at Needles High in October.
In 1967, the band had the oportunity to audition for the Red Dog club in Scottsdale, thanks to Nooney Rickett whom they had befriended and who was a regular at J.D.'s. The club signed them for two months but the manager suggested they change name for Gage Garnier & the Filly Five. Even if Greg was the lead singer and that most articles put his name forward as most were published in his hometown, Gage Garnier was really the leader of the band so it makes sense that the band should take his name.
(The Arizona Republic - May 27, 1967)
It's under that name that the band started to play at the Red Dog from April 1967, often sharing the bill with Stan Devereaux and the Trendsetters until June, then playing a Halloween party at the Safari Hotel in Scottsdale. The sound of the band, originally more rock'n'roll, turned to Rhythm & Blues to fit the club audience.
Their popularity kept increasing and after a month of break, the band started to play Mondays at Mr. Lucky in West Phoenix from November, now playing as the Gage Garnier V. It seems Mr. Lucky had a habbit to shorten band names, i.e. Stephen McGlaughlin and Themselves (dedicated article coming) that became Steph and Themselves because the name wouldn't fit on the marquee! The reason was probably the same here.
(The Arizona Republic - Nov 12, 1967)
Before leaving Beverly Hills, Glenn Rosner had become friends with Frank Kavelin (the son of legendary musician and record executive Al Kavelin) who had since become producer and arranger himself.
When the growing local reputation of the band reached his ear, Frank travelled to Phoenix in January 1968 to get the Gage Garnier V on tape. To note only the A side was produced by Frank. Glenn Rosner produced "Too Far Gone" and the song does sound like it was recorded a little later at a different session.
(The Arizona Republic - Jan 20, 1968)
On Jan 20, the band announced "He'll Make A Fool Out Of You" should be out soon, yet pointing out it was "nothing like their club act" but rather "along the line of Paul Revere and the Raiders", then coming back to their original own sound with the In-Turns.
Frank likely drove back to California with the tapes. He may have tried to place them on labels there but the songs weren't picked up, leading to producing the single themselves on their own Plush Records.
The Generation Gap (the S is a typo)
(Needles Desert Star - May, 2 1968)
The timing of the release is a bit unclear. The master numbers date the pressing as late March but the release was only announced as "released this month" on May 2. The band took the opportunity of the release to change their name to the Generation Gap, planning it in advance, maybe keeping it secret until the actual announcement in May.
To add to the confusion, the guys weren't too sure about the new name at first. I take it that they still played as the Gage Garnier V in May 7 when opening for Linda Ronstadt and the Stone Poneys at Borphy Prep gym.
The band started announcing the name change during their performances, then backed up and published an ad on May 19 asking for better suggestions. But anyway, the name was already printed on the disc for at least a month.
(The Arizona Republic - May 19, 1968)
Both originals were written in early/mid-1967. "He'll Make A Fool Out Of You", the A side, was co-written by Glenn Rosner and Alex Witzerman, who as mentioned had left by the time of the release.
For once, the fast track is on the A side. The song is cool, fast paced garage track. Some harp seems to be heard in the intro. Glen's voice is accompanied by vocal harmonies throughout the song. The organ bridge is also a great demonstration of Glenn's impressive play. The papers weren't lying when they said he was good!
...I own a barber shop
Pay my taxes too
Why don't you take what I give?
I can't understand you
[...]
Wear your hair too long
He'll put you on a spot
If you sing your own song
You're the man that you stop...
"Too Far Gone", the B side, was co-written by Greg Aitken and John Bryant. By the time of the release, John too had already left the band and been replaced Doug Irvine, a native from Santa Monica, CA who first played drums before a leg injury prompted him to turn to guitar. Doug would join Phoenix Junior College in September.
The song has great lyrics. It's a slower but solid number with a noticeable pounding bassline. Charlie Moss explained using a special speaker for extra treble boost and a muted board which allowed him to get a sound by touching the strings with one hand.
Try to sweep out the brain fog
Extricate your thoughts from the mind ball
But you can't even see
You're drowning in the sea of [agony?]
You lost your dynamic health
When you fell into the river of wealth
And you were finally pulled under
In the shame of your colonial plunder
You're too far gone
The fire of defiance is torn
So no other revolution will be born
And I can see on your face
There is no place for disgrace
As I look through the door of my tomb
I can laugh at the other's doom
I have experienced it all but seems unreal
A picture on the wall
You're too far gone
It seems to relate the dark thoughts of a man who lost touch with the world, having become wealthy and powerful by exploiting others, and whose answer to the people's protest is a violent repression. The narrator seems to be the laughing spirit of one of his dead workers. The dark imagery that emanates from the lyrics and its precise construction makes it a very good song.
The song is livened up with an irregular bip (to evoke the sound of a sputnik lost in space?) Not sure what the goal is but it's original.
(Needles Desert Star - May 2, 1968)
The band had brand new bright and colorful stage clothes made by a designer in Scottsdale to accompany the change of sound and name. By that point, the band was managed by George Laibe (also manager of Stan Devereaux, and Eclectic Mouse-a project of ex-Topsy Turbys' Steve Forman-a little later), who announced touring plans for the summer throughout the Midwest and in Alaska.
At the end of May, the band (billed again Gage Garnier V for whatever reason) rented two planes they filled with equipment and flew for a two-night engagement in Midland, Texas. They were back at Mr. Lucky six nights a week at the beginning of June, filling the gap left by Steph And Themselves who were starting to get national attention and were only a few months away from becoming the successful Cornerstone pop band.
After seven weeks at Mr. Lucky, the band finally made up their mind and announed they were becoming the Generation Gap for good. Greg explained then that the new name fitted best their new style they billed as "musical rock", a restyled rock'n'roll with vocal harmonies and a wider variety of instruments like horns (that aren't in fact heard on the record). With many multi-instrumentists in the band, the aim was to be able to turn between instruments during the shows.
The band left again and toured in New Mexico and on the West Coast, ending the summer in Lake Tahoe on the Calif/Nevada border.
The release of the single had placed great hopes, and the band members had declared its success would define the future of the band. Unfortunately, maybe bummed because the single had not leveled to expectations, the band started to discompose.
Some members likely refocused on studies and by October, the Generation Gap had regressed into a trio, playing around Scottsdale and Camelback, including once at a Benefit Celebration at Mr. Lucky. Greg took up leadership, having even lost former leader and once namesake Glen Rosner that was "supposedly trying to get into his own thing". That's the last we heard of him in the press.
(Needles Desert Star - Oct 31, 1968)
Having likely lost the job at Mr. Lucky, the trio started to appear more regularly at the Roc-Inn back in Needles. The band also hired ex-YOUR FRIENDS organist Gary Gilbert in November and started to perk up again, announcing working on a third recording.
In February 1969, keeping up with a good popularity in the Needles and Phoenix area, the band signed a four-week playing contract in Hawaii for the summer. One of the crowd's favorite was their arrangement of the Rascals' "People Gotta Be Free" among other popular songs.
An amusing fact is that in March, Greg Aitken attended a lecture of the Needles Marathon Association, not as a singer, but gave a speach to the teenagers on the actual concept of generation gap.
(Needles Desert Star - May 22, 1969)
The band appeared occasionally at the Roc-Inn and Needles High until May 1969, after what they left to Hollywood for recording, then presumably leaving for Hawaii from there.
That's the last we heard of the Generation Gap. The band likely disbanded after returning from Hawaii and the aforementioned recordings never surfaced.
Drummer Brian Garno joined a 10-piece band called Calliope in Dec 1969. He drummed on a dozen of LPs in the 1980s for several Arizona artists. He passed away in 2001.
Greg Aitken
Greg Aitken later released a power pop single in the early 1980s as "Greg Aitken & 360". He worked for the Sedona school district for the past 18 years, teaching music, weight lifting and special education until he passed away in 2011 at his home in Sedona, Arizona. He was buried in Needles.
Glenn Rosner stayed in the area and now lives (I think) in Cottonwood.
_______
Thanks to Mike Markesich and Mikael for additional information on this release.
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