Clinically Proven: The Epic Odyssey of a Band Called The Soul Clinic, Part 5

 THEY PLAYED FUNKY SOUL AND R&B... 

 PRODUCING A SOUND SIMILAR TO THAT 

 OF SLY & THE FAMILY STONE. 

 HAD THEY STUCK TOGETHER LONGER 

 DON CORNELIUS MIGHT HAVE INTROED 

 THEM AS THE "WAY ABOVE AVERAGE 

 BLACK AND WHITE BAND!" 

 THEY WERE THE EIGHT... 


 THEY WERE THE GREAT... 


THEY WERE 

Welcome back. For the last week-and-a-half we've been checking in and checking out The Soul Clinic, the edgy R&B band from York, Pennsylvania.
I was thrilled when the guys consented to this their first interview in 43 years and agreed to tell all, uncut and uncensored, right here on Shady Dell Music & Memories.

I'd like to begin today's round by reminding you that horns were making hits in the late sixties. Horns were featured in many popular soul, R&B, funk, pop and progressive rock recordings. Here's an excellent example, the Carolina Beach Music sound of the blue-eyed soul band The O'kaysions.

 "Girl Watcher" - The O'Kaysions (September 1968, 
 highest chart position #5 



S.D. KNIGHT: In previous segments we got to know a few of the members of The Soul Clinic. Now it's time to learn a thing or two about the band's lead singer, Tony Scott, who passed away several years ago. In newspaper articles published in the sixties there was apparently some confusion over Tony's age. One of them stated that Soul Clinic personnel ranged in age from 15 to 25. Rick Dillman, having joined at age 14 1/2 you were the baby in the band. When I look at pictures of Tony I get the impression that he was a lot older than 25. Please set the record straight. How old was Tony Scott?

------------------   Tony Scott 

 RICK DILLMAN: Tony was 40-ish. 

 LARRY SMITH: We didn't want to freak people out 
 by telling them Tony's real age! 

 MIKE EADS: Tony was definitely older than 25 and I think 
 he was in his early 40's already. 

S.D. KNIGHT: A band made up of seven high school and college age guys and a lead singer in his 40s is a rather unusual formation. Where did Tony Scott come from and
how did he become part of The Soul Clinic?

 RICK DILLMAN: 

 Tony's real name was Willie 
 Drummond.. but to avoid 
 confusion we can continue to 
 refer to him as Tony Scott. 
 Tony was a total hedonist. 
 He had a habit of stretching 
 the truth and saying things 
 for shock effect. Anything 
 that could improve his 
 mystique he would put 
 forward as fact. 


S.D. KNIGHT:  Any truth to the rumor that Tony Scott was "The Fifth Beatle"?  Don't answer that!

 RICK DILLMAN:  Tony once told me he sang backup for 
 Little Richard. Dick Gayman (manager of The Epics) said 
 Tony came into town with the York Fair, singing with the 
 Black Girl strip side show. I actually saw him playing guitar 
 to a large black stripper singing "Give Me Money". I had 
 snuck in to see the girls. lol. Imagine being a 14-16 yr old 
 and dealing with all these oddities, coming to terms with 
 maturation, sexuality, etc. and being in close proximity to 
 Tony's goings on...lol..Pretty cool huh...haha. A real life 
 education on the fly. Coming of age with the girls, the 
 notoriety, the access... way cool. 

 LARRY SMITH: 

 I've had both Dick Gayman 
 and Barry Shultz tell me that 
 Tony came from Canada and 
 was traveling with the Girly 
 Show band appearing at fairs 
 & carnivals. Others thought 
 he came from down south. 
 Tony decided to stay in York 
 because of a woman, of 
 course, named JOAN.  He 
 moved in with her and some- 
 time after, got a job at the 
 Cole Steel plant in York. That's where he met Dick Gayman 
 who also worked there. They would go to lunch sometimes 
 and they would talk music.  Although Tony was quite the 
 womanizer, Joan always took him back.  As I mentioned in 
 Monday's segment, Dick Gayman and Jeff Hildebrand are the 
 guys most likely responsible for drafting Tony into an early 
 version of The Epics which evolved into The Soul Clinic.  

 TED SAXON:

 I remember Tony singing 
 in a pre-Epics band called 
 The King Cobras. I played 
 guitar for them for a while 
 and Jeff Hildebrand was 
 on drums. It only lasted 
 about six months and we 
 only had one or two gigs. 


S.D. KNIGHT: Okay, guys, back to our timeline. When we
left off it was December 1967. Trumpet player Rick Dillman had joined The Soul Clinic the month before and the guys savored the experience of talking shop with David Ruffin of the Temptations in a limo at Lehigh University. Where else did The Clinic play in the final days of 1967?

 LARRY SMITH: We were back at Altland's Soul Ranch on 
 December 23rd 1967. That Christmas performance was 
 significant because pictures taken of the band show our 
 updated lineup with new member Rick Dillman among us. 
 Rick is seen below on the right end of the back row.  

 The guy in the brown V-neck is Mike Leash, our former 
 trombonist, who had joined the Air Force and was back 
 home on leave. Mike came to see us play at Altland's 
 Ranch and had some pics taken with us. As we said before, 
 when Mike left for the service in the fall of 1966, Clark Miller 
 joined the band as trombone player and singer. 

S.D. KNIGHT: It is now my pleasure to welcome Mike Leash to the conversation. Mike, what memories spring to mind when you think about your years playing trombone in the band that was then known as The Epics but is now fondly remembered by one and all as The Soul Clinic?

 MIKE LEASH: 

 When I think back to my 
 Soul Clinic days, I have 
 immediate visions of Tony's 
 impeccable "do"; his awe- 
 some performance of  
 "You Waited Too Long" 
 by the Five Stairsteps; 
 a lot more practice sessions 
 than gigs; and a great group 
 of guys who loved R&B. 


 "You Waited Too Long" - Five Stairsteps & Cubie 
 (June 1966, highest chart position #94) 



S.D. KNIGHT: How did you get started as a musician, Mike?

 MIKE LEASH: Growing up in a musical family I started 
 playing trumpet in second grade, and was later forced to 
 baritone because there were too many trumpet players. 
 Having never seen a baritone in a soul band, I switched 
 to valve trombone during high school. While I missed the 
 glory days of the Soul Clinic due to a 4 year stint in the 
 Air Force, it certainly was an experience that ignited my 
 passion to make music my life. 

S.D. KNIGHT:  Thanks for being here, Mike. I'm going to ask you to tell us about your post-Clinic music career later on so please stick around! Continuing now with our Epic Odyssey, the year 1967 came to a close with a Soul Clinic gig at the Sunny Club in Camp Hill.

A poster listing the club's December 1967 entertainment schedule reveals that The Clinic played December 30th in 
a show headlined by The Fantastic Johnny C.

 (Caution: audio comes in hot!  Turn down loudness.) 
 "Got What You Need" The Fantastic Johnny C 
 (Feb. 1968, highest chart position #56 Hot 100/#32 R&B) 



S.D. KNIGHT: Mike Eads, what memories do you have of playing The Sunny Club?

 MIKE EADS:  We played the 'Sunny Club' on numerous 
 occasions and backed up several national acts there. 
 I remember doing Billy Stewart ('Summer-time'). 

 RICK DILLMAN:  The last time we played the Sunny Club 
 we drew almost 1000 kids and after the show the owner 
 refused to pay us. We went to the Musicians Union for help 
 and nothing ever came of it. It was one of our best 
 performances, marred by bad management. 

S.D. KNIGHT: The timeline now moves forward to 1968, a breakthrough year for The Soul Clinic. Let's take a look at a hand written list of show times for The Clinic and three other acts. Where did that show take place and who is Twila?



 LARRY SMITH: That show was for Strayer Junior College 
 in Washington, D.C. on Saturday, January 20, 1968.  Rick 
 Terlazzo was attending there at the time and the school 
 asked him to book us and some other acts. They told him 
 how much money was budgeted and Rick went to our 
 agent and sax player, Bob Hubbard, from Harrisburg. 
 That's who wrote that set list! Twila Howard was a singer 
 who at one time had an act called Twila and the Twilights 
 which included Jeff Hildebrand on drums.  At the Strayer 
 show Bob Hubbard was promoting Twila and he backed 
 her up on sax with our rhythm section. 

 As you can see from the entry in my old date book above, 

 The Intruders and George Clinton and the Parliaments 

 were the headliners of that Strayer show.

 "Don't Be Sore at Me" - The Parliaments (November 1967, 
 uncharted B side of "All Your Goodies Are Gone") 

 RICK TERLAZZO: 

 Strayer was located just 
 two blocks from the 
 White House on 14th St. 
 The Homecoming Dance 
 where The Soul Clinic 
 played was held at the 
 Willard Hotel which was 
 also two blocks from the 
 White House, only on 
 Pennsylvania Avenue. 


 LARRY SMITH: On February 3rd, 1968, a couple of weeks 
 after the Strayer show, we opened for the Artistics at 
 West York High School. 

 "This Heart of Mine" - The Artistics (January 1966, 
 highest chart position #115 Hot 100/#25 R&B) 



S.D. KNIGHT: West York High School was one of the many local venues The Soul Clinic played in 1968. I caught one of your shows at York College in March of that year while I was home from Penn State on spring break. As I pulled into the parking lot of the college that night, WSBA was playing the new one by Arthur Conley.

 "Funky Street" - Arthur Conley (March/April 1968, 
 highest chart position #14) 




 LARRY SMITH: Good memory! That York College concert 
 took place Saturday March 18th. We also played there 
 Saturday May 11th (York County Youth Council affair), 
 a private gig. The year before, on May 5, 1967, we 
 played a 24 minute set at what was then York Junior 
 College. It was a "Battle of the Bands", but we were 
 paid $300.00 total. Hey, that was 1967 $$!! Ya know??  
 Then, Saturday November 18th, 1967, we were back for 
 another show. 

S.D. KNIGHT: We now come to a major milestone in the history of The Soul Clinic... the making of your record. 
Rick Terlazzo, how did that opportunity come about?

 RICK TERLAZZO: Someone from the Bay Sound label 
 out of Baltimore heard us play "So Sharp" on stage and 
 liked it. They brought us in and we recorded it with 
 producer/engineer George Massenburg who went on 
 to record many well known acts. He also invented the 
 parametric equalizer around 1970 and is still involved 
 in the music industry. 

S.D. KNIGHT: Do you remember which venue you were playing when the Bay Sound rep discovered you?

 LARRY SMITH:  I'm not sure about this. Even back then, 
 as young as we were, we weren't suckers. You don't 
 believe every guy who comes up and says "We're gonna 
 make a record for you."! So I don't remember where. 

S.D. KNIGHT: On what date were the two sides of your single recorded and when was it released?

 LARRY SMITH: Both sides were recorded at Bay Sound 
 Studios in Baltimore, MD, on Friday March 29, 1968. 
 The 45 was released on Monday May 6, 1968. 

S.D. KNIGHT: What do you remember about the Bay Sound recording session?

 RICK DILLMAN:  We brought in another trumpet player to 
 double the trumpets and also a baritone sax player. So we 
 had two trumpets, two saxes, and one valve trombone. 
 I remember having a lot of trouble getting all of us in tune. 
 Larry had some kind of a squeak in his bass drum pedal 
 that none of us could hear. The engineer kept stopping us 
 to try to find the squeak, finally oiling the pedal. We got 
 the music recorded pretty quickly after that, maybe three 
 takes each. Then we all went into the control room for 
 Tony to record the vocal track. First he insisted on the 
 lights being turned way off, then up a little for mood and 
 then he sat down on a stool and said he wasn't going to 
 sing. We said WHAT??? He said he would only sing if 
 his name was on the writing credits for the B side song 
 "No One Loves Me Anymore." We had agreed to only 
 put Mike and Ted on the song credits but Tony threw 
 a hissy fit. We finally had to agree and that's how Tony's 
 name got on the record. Tony had a bad case of LSD... 
 (Lead Singer's Disease) lol. 

 MIKE EADS:

 That's right. Ted Saxon 
 and I wrote the B side 
 song "No One Loves 
 Me Anymore." Tony 
 had nothing to do with 
 it other than maybe 
 change a word or two 
 ..... literally. He pulled 
 the old .. "lead singer 
 ego trip"... on us at the 
 last minute. He insisted 
 his name go on it as co- 
 writer or he wouldn't sing it in the studio. Guess he figured 
 he'd get some royalty money that way, not to mention his 
 ego bolstered. But Ted nor I ever got a dime for it. 
 Needless to say, neither did Tony. 

 RICK DILLMAN: As I remember it we wrote the tune 
 "No One Loves Me Anymore" collectively. Most every- 
 one in the band contributed. The writing of the tune was 
 a group effort after Mike and Ted wrote the chord 
 structure. They came up with the chording and the feel 
 of the song. Clark, Bruce and I wrote the horn parts 
 together during one practice session. Bruce wrote the 
 lyrics on the spot that same day. Larry and I dispute 
 who wrote the drum break but I can assure you that 
 I did...haha.. He was struggling with finding something 
 suitable and I came up with the bump bump ba bump.. 
 lol.. Rick T helped us with the harmony for the horn parts 
 also. We put the tune together during one practice in 
 Clark's basement where we always rehearsed. 

S.D. KNIGHT: Let's get a first hand account from the man himself, Clark Miller. Welcome to the interview, Clark! Tell us what you remember about those Soul Clinic practice sessions at your home.

 CLARK MILLER: 

 The Clinic used to practice 
 at my house in East York 
 because we had a large 
 basement where we could 
 bring all the gear. The house 
 was in a quiet suburban 
 neighborhood. Nobody 
 parked on the street. 
 Everyone had driveways 
 and well-manicured lawns. 
 You always knew when the 
 band was practicing because cars would line the street and 
 all sorts of unsavory looking characters would be wandering 
 about. 

 Neighbors, lock your doors! 

 

 The Soul Clinic’s around! 

 The basement was cool because it had access to the 
 outside at ground level, so we could sneak in and out 
 without my mom (everyone knew Doris) knowing about 
 it, or so we thought. It also had a pool table and a fridge 
 with a lighted 6 foot long sign above the table displaying 
 “Soul Clinic” that someone made in art class. 

 So, during breaks in practice, we’d all place our bets 
 on the table, hoist a few beers, and let loose our inner 
 pool sharks. The music would get quite loud in that 
 confined space and we just kept turning up the volume, 
 but no matter how loud we made it, it could not drown 
 out the thump thump thump of my mom’s high heels as 
 she was marching down the basement stairs fuming 
 with righteous indignation that we had invaded her 
 peaceful abode. And she would start her tirade in 
 grand fashion, not to the band, but to me, with me 
 looking totally embarrassed in front of my friends. 
 Fortunately, she was easily charmed, and one thing 
 that we had in the band was an abundance of charm. 

------------  Rick "The Face" Terlazzo  

 I think Terlazzo was her favorite because he was so good 
 looking, and she was always a sucker for a pretty face. 

------------  Larry "The Pacifier" Smith 

 And Larry, with his gift of gab, could pacify a charging 
 elephant, so in the end, she backed off, having felt not 
 a wall of resistance, but a warm embrace of the band. 
 Thank God, because I would have blown my stack! 
 And then there was my little punk brother Mike always 
 hanging out getting in the way, but kind of a band mascot. 
 I think he tried every form of intoxicant in existence by 
 the time he was 14. Where did he get this stuff? 
 Ah, hey, you know musicians… 

S.D. KNIGHT: Great story, thanks Clark! Alright, all that practicing paid off when The Soul Clinic went to the studio and waxed a record. It's time to hear the funky sound you cats were puttin' down, beginning with killer bee side of the single!

 "No One Loves Me Anymore" - The Soul Clinic 
 (May 1968,  B side of "So Sharp") 



Now let's turn our attention to the better known A side of that Soul Clinic 45. "So Sharp" is a cover of a record released in July of 1967 by Dyke and the Blazers, a Buffalo R&B/Funk group. "So Sharp" by Dyke and the Blazers grazed the top 40 on the R&B chart but merely bubbled under the Hot 100, never climbing above #130.

Dyke and the Blazers are best known for their hit record "Funky Broadway" which cracked the top 20 R&B, reached
its zenith at #65 on the pop chart, and earned a spot on
my list of the 200 Greatest Hits of the Shady Dell at #79.

 "Funky Broadway" - Dyke & the Blazers (April 1967, 
 highest chart position #65 Hot 100/#17 R&B) 



Less than four years after the release of "Funky Broadway," lead singer Dyke Christian was shot to death at age 28.



We've waited long enough! It's time to hear the energetic cover of "So Sharp" recorded and released 44 years ago by The Soul Clinic. This record is currently selling for $75 USED on eBay. I'm glad I still have my copy!

 Get ready, gang, for the hippest trip in R&B! 

  You can bet your last money... 

 it's gonna be a stone gas, honey. 

 It is my pleasure to present an eight man 

 contingent from the White Rose City... 

 home of the real nitty gritty.  They're doing 

 a little something for us called "So Sharp." 

 Let's get some 

 hands together 

 and give it up 

 for those  

 solid senders... 

 they're no 

 pretenders... 

 you must 

 remember... 

 THE SOUL CLINIC! 

 "So Sharp" 

 The Soul Clinic (May 1968) 

 Which gig was the high point 

 of The Soul Clinic's career? 

 On which TV dance show 

 did the band perform? 

 Which Clinician threw a shoe 

 to a frenzied female fan? 

 The answers are coming up 

 Friday in Part 6 of 

 Clinically Proven! 

Have a Shady day!

Clinically Proven: The Epic Odyssey of a Band Called The Soul Clinic, Part 4

 THEY WERE INFLUENCED BY AL KOOPER'S 

 BRASS-ROCK MASTERPIECE 

 CHILD IS FATHER TO THE MAN. 

 THEY IDOLIZED R&B SHOWMEN 

 LIKE MR. PITIFUL, OTIS REDDING. 

 THEY WERE THE EIGHT... 


 THEY WERE THE GREAT... 


THEY WERE 

Welcome to week two of my interview with The Soul Clinic, the eight man R&B band from York, PA. This 9-part series represents the group's first interview since disbanding at the end of the 60s and the first in-depth discourse ever conducted with them. I am delighted to bring it to you exclusively here on SDM&M.

Last week we learned that The Soul Clinic was influenced to some extent by The Magnificent Men and other brassy soul bands but that it had its own distinctive style and opted for a funkier, grittier repertoire. We heard from keyboard player Rick Terlazzo who told us how The Concords, his Soul Clinic feeder band, came together. Today the spotlight is back on Larry Smith, leader of The Soul Clinic.

S.D. KNIGHT: Larry, I'd like you to take us through your career playing drums in bands. We already know that you were influenced as a boy by percussion icon Gene Krupa and that you had an opportunity at age eleven to sit in with jazz giant Stan Kenton and his Orchestra. Shortly thereafter, you, a little white boy, somehow wound up in an all black band called Don and the Wonders. Pick up the story from there. How did you get the chance to join The Wonders?

 LARRY SMITH: 

 This is an illustration of how 
 opportunities will come your 
 way throughout your life and 
 can have a huge impact on 
 your future. As I explained 
 Friday I learned to play R n B 
 with Don & the Wonders. 
 Their bass player was Buck 
 Generett who later sang with 
 the Del-Chords. Until that time 
 I hadn't really played much with other people, just 
 practiced on my pad and drums and played along to my 
 big sister Cheryl's 45s. It was SHE who got me the gig with 
 The Wonders. I believe it was in September 1961 which 
 means that I was AGE 11, ABOUT TO TURN 12! 

 Cheryl was 4 years older, a sophomore in HS, and dating a 
 freshman fraternity guy from a local college. His name was 
 Ron Mendenhall and he was the fraternity's "entertainment 
 director." His frat had booked DON and THE WONDERS for 
 a dance at West York Fire Hall and at the last minute their 
 drummer got THROWN IN JAIL. Cheryl says to Ron, "Hey - 
 my brother Larry can play drums!" Ron: "Really??" 

 When they first asked me I said, "NOOOOOO!" I mean, 
 good lord, these guys are PROS and in their TWENTIES!!!" 
 Then Ron says: "It pays TEN DOLLARS!!". "OK. I'LL DO IT!!!" 

S.D. KNIGHT: Ten bucks? That's the equivalent of a gazillion today!

 LARRY SMITH: Tell me about it! Although I was scared to 
 death, BUCK GENERETT took me under his wing. They 
 asked me to do a few more gigs with them and seemed 
 very pleased. Before I knew it, they asked me to be their 
 full time drummer! Since I was only 12 the only way to 
 play at and travel with them to gigs was with a PARENT 
 or LEGAL GUARDIAN present. 

 Enter VONI GRIMES... 

 Mainly to avoid being stopped 
 by the police going to and from 
 the gigs, my mother Annie 
 appointed Mr. Voni Grimes 
 my legal guardian. My mom 
 previously worked at the 
 York Courthouse and knew 
 most of the police. She now 
 was personal secretary to 
 John W. Heller III, the Attor- 
 ney for the City of York. 
 He notarized the document. 
 Voni came to EVERY gig and looked out for me, as did all 
 the band members.  Whenever we DID get stopped, the 
 police always knew VONI, (who was in the car with me), 
 and my mom ANNIE! 

 In a recent conversation with Buck Generett while 
 researching for this blog, I asked if he had any photos 
 of THE WONDERS. He didn't think so, but he said he'd 
 ask VONI. I SAID: "WHAT? IS HE STILL ALIVE??" OMG! 
 I haven't spoken to him in 50 years! 

 TED SAXON: 

 Voni comes to my family picnics 
 every year. He is turning 90 this 
 year and amazes everybody with 
 his proficiency on the harmonica. 
 There is even a gym named after 
 him! 



 LARRY SMITH: I'm happy to say that I have spoken with 
 VONI several times in recent weeks and have obtained 
 his memoirs Bridging Troubled Waters from amazon.com. 

 VONI'S ACCOMPLISHMENTS INCLUDE: 

 * Founding member of York County Legal Services 

 * Co-founder of the York County Parks and Recreation 
 Department 

 * Received Black Belt in Judo 1960, one of the highest 
 ranks available: Soke Shihan; taught Martial Arts at 
 Penn State York, for 14 years. 

 * There is a gym named after him on College Ave in York, 
 the Voni B. Grimes Gymnasium, where he STILL works out 
 3 TIMES A WEEK! 

  Voni's biceps. Pic taken in March, 2012! 

 * Included in the 23rd Edition of Who's Who in Finance & 
 Industry 1983 

 * Included in the 7th Edition of Who's Who among Black 
 Americans 1993 

 * Included in the Platinum Edition of Who's Who Worldwide 
 1993 

 What a remarkable lifetime of giving and achievement! 
 I am honored and proud that this man touched my life. 
 I urge everyone to get his book. 

S.D. KNIGHT: A wonderful tribute to a great man, Larry! Okay, let's move on. After playing with The Wonders your next big break came when you joined the Del-Chords. What circumstances led to that opportunity?

 LARRY SMITH: My opportunity to join the Del-Chords 
 can be traced back to Jeff Hildebrand, a fellow drummer 
 who was in that group. Again, it was my sister Cheryl 
 who played a key role because she used to go see the 
 Del-Chords and I knew of Jeff through her.  I think I 
 first met Jeff one Saturday in downtown York.  He knew 
 Cheryl and he had heard of me from Don & the Wonders. 
 We became good friends. I idolized Jeff!  I loved his 
 groove and "snap" on the drums. As you can see in the 
 Del-Chords picture below Jeff was also a singer and a 
 pretty good one at that. In later groups Jeff regularly 
 played drums and sang.  

   Ike Bowers, Jeff Hildebrand, Allen "Jap" Shue 

 members of The Del-Chords, 1963  

 We interrupt this interview 

 to bring you breaking news! 

Allen "Jap" Shue, the former member of the Del-Chords on the right in the picture above, was seen last month walking into the Shady Dell to attend the historic open house. Guess who saw my post recapping the event, spotted "Jap" Shue in the picture on the left, and called it to my attention? It was none other than
my special surprise guest Mr. Dave Bupp!


S.D. KNIGHT: Dave, thank you very much for joining us!
I understand that you have some information to share that will be music to the ears of all Dell rats.

   Dave Bupp 

 Hey, Shady! “Jap” Shue was what I call “THE ORIGINAL 
 DEL-CHORD.”  He came to me at the U.S. 30 drag strip, 
 and said: “WANNA START A GROUP?” Thus the Chords 
 were born. Me and Jeff Hildebrand came up with THE DEL-
 CHORDS name. Partly because of THE DELL  and partly 
 because of The Del-Vikings, Del Satins, Etc. 

S.D. KNIGHT: Dave, I'm sure you noticed that I just did a spit-take with my coffee! This is the first time I ever heard that the Shady helped put the Del in Del-Chords. Getting that important piece of the puzzle directly from you makes my day, my month and my year and I know that Dell rats everywhere are just as excited by this revelation of yours. Thank you very much for being here, Dave!

Okay, Larry, let's get back to the story of how you joined Dave and his Del-Chords.

 LARRY SMITH: One night The Delchords were at the Oaks. 
 I remember dancing with some babe, and all of a sudden, 
 the music STOPPED. I looked up at the stage. Jeff had 
 PASSED OUT and FELL off his drum set. Like lots of guys 
 back then, he drank too much at times. A few of the guys 
 carried him into the dressing room. A few minutes later, 
 Bupp comes out on the stage, looking into the audience. 
 He sees me and shouts: "SMITH!! COME HERE!!" I go up 
 and he says, "Look, Jeff's drunk, you have to finish the 
 gig!!" OMG. MY BIG BREAK. (I mean, this is the coolest band 
 around!) I was scared to death, but I knew I could do it! 
 That's how I joined the Del-Chords. This was probably 
 late summer or fall of 1963. I turned 14 in October. 

S.D. KNIGHT: A star is born! :)

 LARRY SMITH: Within a few weeks after I started 
 rehearsing with them, Dave pulls me aside and says, 
 "Smith, we're going to be doing an outdoor show backing 
 up the TEMPTATIONS."  "We need to bring Jeff in to do 
 this show. I hope you understand." God, I was heartbroken, 
 BUT it was understandable for sure! It wasn't a total loss. 
 They performed on a flatbed trailer outside of WNOW 
 radio on top of a hill in East York. I hung out "backstage" 
 and got to go into the station for the on-air interviews 
 with the Temps. That night the guys picked me up and 
 we partied with the Temps all night in their rooms at the 
 YORKTOWNE HOTEL!!! 

S.D. KNIGHT: You might have missed out on playing drums for that Temptations show but you can always point with pride to the fact that your drumming can be heard on the Del-Chords legendary two-sider. What do you remember about that mythical studio session in Philadelphia?

 LARRY SMITH: 1964 was a big year for the band. Before 
 I joined in the summer of '63, they had made a deal with 
 Chris Huber, the manager of WHITE OAKS PARK. This 
 likely occurred sometime in 1962. Chris also became the 
 Del-Chords first manager. Hence, they became the de- 
 facto house band there. I was "enlisted" in 1963 and by 
 the summer of '64, we were packing the joint nightly! 

 In the early fall of 1964, we were contacted by Fran 
 Williams from Impala Records. Unbeknownst to the rest 
 of the band, Ronnie Serale (bass & keys), had mailed a 
 tape to Impala. They apparently liked what they heard! 
 Shortly thereafter, (a month?), we left for Philly on a 
 Sunday night for our first recording session. It was 
 certainly my first time in a "real" studio. I was 15 for 
 God's sake! And I was pretty nervous. We had two 
 cars, the bigger one pulling a trailer. 

 We arrived at the studio on North Broad Street in Philly. 
 It was above the well-known Chips Record Distributors. 
 As Ike Bowers recalls: "We had to go up one lonnnnng 
 staircase, the length of TWO stories! It was really steep; 
 almost straight up!" Once we got our gear set up, there 
 was mic placement, sound levels, etc. Then we rehearsed 
 the tunes. I'm not sure if we did some tracks right away 
 or waited. In my recent conversations with Buck and Ike, 
 they verified that there were other bands recording that 
 same night! Ike recalls the one group was from Washing- 
 ton, DC and had a moderate hit with "Hit and Run Lover". 
 This was just one room with sound baffles, a vocal booth 
 and control room. Remember, these sessions went on well 
 into the wee hours. We'd record like 5 or 6 takes of a 
 song, band only. Then the vocals were added to the music 
 tracks.  Meanwhile, the next band would be laying down 
 their rhythm tracks. There was a lot of "down time". 

 Which leads to one of my favorite and most vivid memories. 
 It was a long night and of course we'd get hungry. So out 
 we'd go in search of rations. There we were, walking down 
 Broad Street looking for A) CLOSE FOOD, B) CHEAP FOOD. 
 About a block away on the next corner, we saw a WHITE 
 CASTLE!! Our prayers were answered!  Yay...close AND 
 CHEAP!! Burgers were 10 cents apiece!! Cheeseburgers 
 were 15 cents! That night we recorded "Everybody's Gotta 
 Lose", "Your Mommy Lied to Your Daddy," both written by 
 Dave Bupp, and "Daddy's Lonely" by Buck Generett.  The 
 Del-Chords single was released at the end of the year. 


 "Your Mommy Lied to You Daddy" - The Del-Chords 
 (December 1964, B side of "Everybody's Gotta Lose 
 Someday") 



 LARRY SMITH: I played drums with the Del-Chords for a 
 year-and-a-half.  When I left, Jeff Hildebrand rejoined 
 the group for the short time remaining before it dissolved 
 and the Mag Men formed.  

---   Buck Generett & Dave Bupp, Aug. 2005  

S.D. KNIGHT: Larry, you started out in those two bands with Buck Generett: The Wonders and the Del-Chords. After you left the Del-Chords your career intersected with those of other future members of The Soul Clinic including lead singer Tony Scott. I understand that you have assembled, for the first time ever, a comprehensive list of bands and personnel that will enable us to trace your branch of the Soul Clinic family tree.

 LARRY SMITH: I did it with help from Dick "Butch" Gayman, 
 Barry Shultz and Buck. We came up with the following list 
 of bands related to The Epics and The Soul Clinic.  They 
 follow the comings and goings of some of the best vocal 
 and instrumental talent that York had to offer in the 60s. 
___________________________________________
___________________________________________


 Don & the Wonders (Fall 1961 - Spring 1963) 

 Larry Smith (drums) 
 Edward "Buck" Generett (bass gtr, vocals) 
 Donald "Duck" Generett (gtr, lead vocals) 
 Ervin Generett (vocals) 
 Ray Price (vocals) 
 Herman Banks (vocals) 
 Ronnie Scott (kbds, vocals) 

 As I said before, I joined The Wonders in the fall of '61. 
 The nucleus of the band consisted of Don "Duck" Generett 
 and his two brothers. Sometimes we were joined by Ronnie 
 Scott, who played keyboards with the Quin-Tones. 

 Great news, Shady! A reliable source saw this picture of 
 The Wonders in Friday's Part 3 post, recognized the un- 
 identified members and contacted me over the weekend! 
 The Wonders personnel in the photo are Buck Generett, 
 front and center with guitar, his brother Ervin on far left, 
 Herman Banks to the right of Ervin, Ray Price at ctr. rear, 
 Don "Duck" Generett to the right of Ray, and on the far 
 right is Ronnie Scott from the Quin-Tones.  This picture 
 was taken around late 1960 or early '61 before I joined 
 The Wonders. There is no drummer in the photo, because, 
 according to my good friend Buck Generett, they always 
 had trouble finding a good, dependable drummer. They 
 sometimes were no shows! 

 Over the weekend I also had the pleasure of speaking 
 with Ervin Generett for only the second time in 50 YEARS! 
 According to Ervin, the original WONDERS began in 1955. 
 Edward (Buck) was in Junior H.S. at that time. The group 
 toured in 1957 and 58, playing much of the famed "Chitlin 
 Circuit" including the big stops: The Regal Theater in Chi- 
 cago, The Fox in Detroit, The Howard Theater in Wash- 
 ington, DC, The Uptown in Philly, and...the MECCA of all 
 soul and r n' b performers, the WORLD FAMOUS APOLLO 
 THEATER in Harlem, NY! 

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___________________________________________


 The Epics version 1-a (1962 to 1964) 

 Glenn ???, then Ron Botterbusch (drs) 
 Ed Myers (vocals) 
 Larry Wrightzel (vocals) 
 Barry Shultz (gtr) 
 Tom Fisher (bs) 
 Steve Luckenbaugh (kbds) 
 Dave Martin took over (kbds in '63) 
 Ed Furst (trumpet, vocals) 
 Mike Leash (valve trmb) 

 Above you see the earliest version of The Epics which 
 existed from 1962 to 1964. 

___________________________________________
___________________________________________


 The Del-Chords (Summer 1963 - Early 1965) 

 Dave Bupp 
 Adrian "Buddy" King 
 Bill "Cheeks" Schlosser 
 Larry Smith (replaced Jeff Hildebrand) 
 Jeff Hildebrand (replaced Larry Smith) 
 Edward "Buck" Generett 
 Otto "Spike" Sexton 
 Edward "Ike" Bowers 
 Allen "Jap" Shue 
 Don Sponsler 
 Dale Saxon 
 Ernie Banks 
 Ron Serale 

 The dates above represent the year-and-a-half that I was 
 a member of The Del-Chords. I was just about to turn 14 
 when I joined. I was a "snot-nosed" kid who got to play 
 with and learn from some of the best musicians and singers 
 anywhere!  These guys were key "players" in the local 
 music scene in the 60's. They were the ones we "looked 
 up to". Keep in mind that only EIGHT of the people listed 
 above performed on the recordings. There were actually 
 FOUR additional singers and there were several "versions" 
 of The Del-Chords just like there were different versions 
 of The Epics, with members flowing in and out and back! 
 The version I played with (1964), was essentially the guys 
 listed above. (They didn't ALL show up sometimes.) 
 It's a good thing too; the stage could get REEEALLY 
 CROWDED!! As noted Jeff Hildebrand was drummer for the 
 Del-Chords' before and after my tenure with the band. 

___________________________________________
___________________________________________


 The Epics version 1-b (June 1964 to Sept 1965) 

 Jeff Hildebrand (drs, vocals) 
 Barry Shultz (gtr) 
 Tom Fisher (bs) 
 Dave Martin (organ) 
 Tony Scott (Lead Vocals) 
 Ed Furst (trumpet, vocals) 
 Mike Leash (valve trmb) 

 Around June of 1964 The Epics underwent a change of  
 personnel which included bringing Jeff Hildebrand in on 
 drums. Tony Scott joined the band as lead vocalist and 
 we believe that Butch Gayman and Jeff Hildebrand are 
 the ones who recruited Tony, the colorful character who 
 later sang lead on The Soul Clinic's "So Sharp" record. 

___________________________________________
___________________________________________


 The Valentines (March 1965 to June 1965) 

 Jeff Hildebrand (drs) 
 Don "Duck" Generett (lead vocals) 
 Edward "Buck" Generett (vocals, gtr) 
 Otto Sexton (vocals, bass) 
 Ron Serale (organ) 
 Carolyn "Cissy" Holmes (formerly of The Quin-Tones) 

 Shady, I am aware that you have featured the Del-Chords 
 and The Quin-Tones on your blog in the past. With that in 
 mind we included a band that will be of interest to you and 
 many of your readers.  In 1965 members of the Wonders 
 and the Del-Chords formed a short lived group called the 
 Valentines which included Cissy Holmes of the Quin-Tones. 
 During this period Jeff Hildebrand bounced back and forth 
 between The Epics and The Valentines. 

___________________________________________
___________________________________________


 Starlite Lounge Band (Spring and Summer 1965) 

 Larry Smith (drs) 
 Barry Shultz (gtr) 
 Ted Saxon (bs) 
 Dave Martin (organ) 
 Bruce DeLauder (tenor sax) 
 Tony Scott (sang with band occasionally) 
 Guest appearances by 
 Dale or Thad Saxon (Both: bs, gtr, kbds) 

 The Starlite Lounge Band was basically a pickup band. 
 For months, Ted Saxon and I played at a tiny "shit-hole" 
 called the STARLITE Lounge. We'd play every Friday and  
 Saturday. I think it was at the corner of South Court Ave 
 & East Charles Lane. Back then South Court was just an 
 alley! 

   Bruce Delauder  

 This is where I met saxophonist 
 Bruce De Lauder. Barry Schultz 
 and Dave Martin joined in while 
 performing with the Epics during 
 the same time frame. Sometimes 
 one of Ted's brothers (Thad & 
 Dale) would sit in on keys or 
 guitar. Tony Scott also frequented 
 the joint. This ultimately is how we 
 (Ted, Bruce and I), joined up with 
 the Epics. 

___________________________________________
___________________________________________


 The Epics version 2 (Oct. 1965 to Sept. 1966) 

 Larry Smith (drs) 
 Barry Shultz (gtr) 
 Ted Saxon (bs) 
 Dave Martin (organ) 
 Bruce DeLauder (tenor sax) 
 Tony Scott (vocals) 
 Ed Furst (trumpet) 
 Mike Leash (valve trmb) 

 The final version of the Epics came together in the fall 
 of 1965. According to Barry Shultz, when Ted Saxon 
 came in, Tom Fisher joined The Emperors on bass. 

___________________________________________
___________________________________________


 The Epics Soul Clinic (Oct. 1966 to Dec. 1966) 

 Larry Smith (drs) 
 Mike Eads (gtr) 
 Ted Saxon (bs) 
 Rick Terlazzo (organ) 
 Bruce DeLauder (tenor sax) 
 Tony Scott(vocals) 
 Ed Furst (trumpet) 
 Clark Miller (valve trmb/vocals) 

 Around the fall of 1966 we replaced our keyboard 
 player Dave Martin.  I "stole" Rick Terlazzo from 
 The Concords. Soon after Rick joined, we changed 
 the name of the band to The Epics Soul Clinic. That 
 name was only used for maybe three months until the 
 end of 1966 or the beginning of '67. 

S.D.KNIGHT: Little D, you have a couple of promotional pics taken around this time which show the band transitioning from The Epics to The Epics Soul Clinic.

 RICK DILLMAN: The outdoor group shot below, taken at 
 the historic York County landmark Wildcat Falls, a tourist 
 spot along the Susquehanna River north of Wrightsville, 
 shows the Epics/Epics Soul Clinic transition in progress. 

 Trombone player Mike Leash had enlisted in the Air Force 
 and had been replaced by Clark Miller (above ctr. kneeling). 
 Clark was recruited from the Concords by Rick Terlazzo, 
 (far left), shortly after Rick arrived in The Epics. Original 
 Epics trumpet player Ed Furst and original guitar player 
 Barry Shultz are second and third from left. Guitarist Mike 
 Eads and I had not yet left The Concords to join Larry's 
 band. 



 In the picture above trumpeter Ed Furst is fourth from left 
 and guitarist Barry Shultz is on the far right. Not long after 
 this Mike Eads replaced Barry and Barry went over to the 
 Concords. A year later I left the Concords and replaced 
 Ed Furst. The new trombone player, Clark Miller, is seen 
 standing on the left side behind Tony Scott and Larry. 

------------------   Clark Miller 

 LARRY SMITH: Clark was an important acquisition. 
 He was a great trombone player, but he also had 
 singing ability.  He sang lead and background vocals. 

___________________________________________
___________________________________________


 The Soul Clinic (Jan. 1967 to Aug. 1969) 

 Larry Smith (drs) 
 Mike Eads (gtr) 
 Ted Saxon (bs) 
 Rick Terlazzo (organ) replaced 8/68 by Steve Crusty Holder 
 Bruce DeLauder (tenor sax) 
 Tony Scott (lead vocals) 
 Ed Furst (trumpet) replaced 11/67 by Rick (Little D) Dillman  
 Clark Miller (valve trmb/vocals) 



 RICK DILLMAN: Suffice it to say that by early 1967 the 
 band was called The Soul Clinic and the image above shows 
 the lineup that was in place around that time. Mike Eads, 
 who replaced Barry Shultz on guitar a couple of months 
 earlier, is on the far left and original trumpet player Ed Furst 
 is second from right. 

 LARRY SMITH: As we noted earlier Rick Dillman was the 
 last to join the band in November of '67 replacing Ed Furst 
 as our trumpet player. The band list above also shows that 
 our organist Rick Terlazzo left The Soul Clinic in the summer 
 of 1968 and was replaced by Steve Holder. The Soul Clinic 
 stayed together until the summer of 1969. 

___________________________________________
___________________________________________

S.D. KNIGHT: A huge thank you to Larry, Butch, Barry and Buck for compiling those band lineups, a monumental task that no one else has ever undertaken!

Now let's get back to the timeline of major events in the history of The Soul Clinic. It's late 1967 and Rick Dillman has just joined the band. The Soul Clinic's classic lineup is now
in place, the group of guys that went into the studio a few months later and made the record. We'll get to that story shortly but first let's talk about the band's close encounter with one of their soul heroes at a gig in December of '67. What happened?

 RICK DILLMAN: A few weeks after I joined we went to 
 Bethlehem for a show at Lehigh University. As it happened 
 the Temptations were also playing there that weekend. 

 LARRY SMITH: We did not perform with the Temptations. 
 In fact, I'm not sure we knew they were there until we 
 arrived. We played at Lehigh often. Our gig was at a 
 fraternity. The Temps probably headlined the stadium 
 or something. A few of us tracked down where they 
 were staying and basically stalked them! We rented 
 a room on their floor. 

 When we saw David Ruffin 
 heading for his limo, we 
 made our move... 
 "Mr Ruffin, Mr Ruffin!!" 
 He was so nice.... 
 it started to rain, so he 
 invited us into his limo. 
 There was a LARGE 
 MINK BLANKET 
 hanging down the back 
 of the front seat and 
 onto the floor! He said: 
 "C'mon in, it's ok." 
 "BUT IT'S RAINING!" 
 We were reluctant, but 
 excited. We talked for a 
 few minutes then left. 

 "I Wish It Would Rain" - The Temptations (February 1968, 
 highest chart position #4) 

 RICK DILLMAN: 

  I have a souvenir from that 

 encounter. I got my group 

 picture autographed by 

 David Ruffin. When he 

 signed it he wrote 

 "to Little 'D'." Incidentally 

 there's one other thing 

 that I remember about 

 that trip to Lehigh. 

 Otis Redding died in a 

 plane crash that same 
 weekend, December 10th. 

 Who is Willie Drummond 

 and what's he got to do 

 with the price of eggs in China? 

 How did the Soul Clinic get 

 the chance to make a record? 

 What went whack in the studio? 

 Find out Wednesday in Part 5 of 

 Clinically Proven! 

Have a Shady day!