Friday Music Magic at the 2024 Birthdays of Dave “Baby” Cortez, Gary Loizzo of American Breed and Styx, and Sean Bonniwell of the Music Machine
by Robert Wilkinson
We kick off our musical weekend with R&B organ, the American Breed, and the Music Machine! Talk talk!
Our opening act features the jazzy R&B organ of Dave “Baby” Cortez (born David Cortez Clowney August 13, 1938). He was all over the airwaves in the late 50s and early 60s with a distinct style that blasted out of every transistor and car radio on the beach!
He blew the doors down in 1959 with this infinitely danceable number that went all the way to #1 on the charts! Complete with a “surf guitar” lead break, here’s “The Happy Organ”
In 1962, this was on every tinny speaker on beach boardwalks across the US! It was #9 R&B, #10 US Pop chart. Great for dancing! “Rinky Dink”
From that same year, complete with bongos and a “sheik yerbouti” beat, “Happy Weekend”
In 1963, he cranked out the smooth stroll groove of “Hot Cakes” and a “live in the studio” dance party, “Organ Shout”
From 1965, the entire 30 minute album Organ Shindig
We’ll close this brief set with his last charting tune from 1973, the sweet slow soul stylin’ of “Someone Has Taken Your Place”For our encores, Dave came back in a big way in 2011, and did an album with Lonnie Youngblood and His Bloodhounds! Here are 9 from the recording.
“Flame Gettin’ Higher, Fire Gettin’ Hotter”
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Our next two sets feature two musical birthdays of true “one hit wonders.” They each got their 15 minutes of fame, and the music they rode to the pop charts are tunes we all heard at least one time in our lives!
We begin with Gary Loizzo (Aug 16, 1945 - Jan 16, 2016) lead singer of the pop group American Breed, one of the earliest interracial bands out there. They were only with us for a few years, and gave us one gigantic hit, and a couple more charting singles. After the American Breed, Gary opened Pumpkin Studios where he produced and recorded the band Styx from the beginning, being nominated for two Grammys for his work with them.
Here’s the #5 hit by the American Breed, lip synched to the studio original. “Bend Me, Shape Me.”
As you listen to these, it’s clear the tunes were definitely “of the day,” and are derivatives of other group hits of the times, creating the pop atmosphere of US music. This “sound” was fairly ubiquitous in 1967-68.
For example, here was their first single, a very derivative sound of “Beatles Meets the Monkees and Grass Roots.” That makes sense since it's a Goffin/King song which Mike Nesmith sang during his Monkee days! "I Don't Think You Know Me"
They followed that with these tunes that made the charts in 1967. You can hear the Byrds in the first one (and a little bit of Boyce and Hart, the Knickerbockers, the Outsiders, and others…)
This is a very peculiar period video piece! “Green Light”
And then in 1968, the hit! “Bend Me Shape Me”
Here are a couple more that never made the charts, but they are supposedly among the best of the band. “Don’t Make Me Leave You” and this is a very peculiar video of “Ready Willing and Able.”
From what seems to be a “Monkees meets Jay and the Americans” inspired tune, performed live to a backing track of horns, “Cool It (we’re Not Alone)” and “Keep the Faith”
We’ll close with his production work for Styx, where he produced these and more!
Crystal Ball (1976)
The Grand Illusion (1977)
Pieces of Eight (1978)
Cornerstone (1979)
Paradise Theater (1980)
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We close the show with a celebration of the life and music of Sean Bonniwell (August 16, 1940 – December 20, 2011), founder, singer, and songwriter for the band the Music Machine. Wearing all black with mop top hair, the band was a pioneer in garage rock. You will also note where Michael Jackson got his single glove look!
From Where The Action Is, Sean and the Music Machine cranking out the very grungy and catchy “Talk Talk”
Here’s a different “live” performance (also lip synched) of “Talk Talk”
Here’s the studio version of their next hit, “The People in Me”
On American Bandstand, lip synching as was the custom back then, “Masculine Intuition”
Here’s the studio version of “To The Light”
The dark and dirty sound of maximum fuzz and distortion! “Trouble”
They did covers, and some worked better than others. Here’s a weird video set to their cover of “Cherry Cherry,” while this is a pretty good “garage rock” cover of “See See Rider”
They did this slow, almost folky version of the classic “Hey Joe,” while this may be the best cover of all! “Taxman”
These and more can be found on the first album released in 1966, (Turn on) The Music Machine
After the Music Machine, he formed the Bonniwell Music Machine. A pretty strange sound, and he ditched the glove. From 1967, with session musicians backing him, “Bottom of the Soul”
Here’s a live performance of “the Eagle Never Hunts the Fly”
A funny title! “Astrologically Incompatible”
From 1969, the studio version of the overly dramatic “Citizen Fear”
For our closer, the entire album! Beyond the Garage
© Copyright 2024 Robert Wilkinson
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