posted 09 September 2000 08:30 AM         

This is for the Rockabilly Hall Of Fame website.

Basically I'm after any info on the groups that worked in the club in the 1950's, there was the Eddie Clietro Band, the Mel Ryan
Band and the Gene O'Quinn Band. Later Gene Davis joined alongside the groups of Eddie Clietro and Mel Ryan.
Gene Davis led his group there from 1958 to 1966, while inthe late 1950's there was Merrill Moore and Speedy West's group with Billy Strange. As well as the Tunetoppers led by the great Johnny Meeks after he left Gene Vincent's Blue Caps.

Steel players at the Pal included Ralph Mooney {in 1959 for Gene Davis} and Ernie Ball. Although from December 31st 1960 to early 1970 it was Red Rhodes who was the main steel player.

From 1970 to 1974 it was Jay Dee Maness on steel with more groups than ther is room to mention. After that there were many groups and Jay Dee came and went with the best of them.

It's too much to go into right now, but if anyone has any stories on the Pal' and it's group I would love to hear from them.

posted 09 September 2000 08:58 AM         

Gene Davis is a great friend of mine and is living about 4 hours from me here in Missouri. I could send him your phone number, if you like.....

P.S. He's still a great performer and guitarist and is never at a loss for words.....

posted 09 September 2000 01:18 PM         

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Herb's Steel Guitar Homesite

posted 09 September 2000 04:54 PM         

Regards,
HH

[This message was edited by Harry Hess on 09 September 2000 at 10:34 PM.]

posted 09 September 2000 05:11 PM         

My story here may be slightly off topic but I thought I'd relay it.

I had the extreme pleasure of filling in for Red Rhodes at the Palomino Club about 3 or 4 times during the late 1960s when he needed a night off for something.

On one occasion, I had some discussion with Tommy Thompson, one of the co-owner brothers of the club and he politely suggested to me after hearing me play, "Al, don't sell your truck."

I really got a kick out of his comment and it only help me to try harder to play better over time.

I told Red about Tommy's comment and he just smiled at me. Remember, Red was a real class person.

Good luck with your investigation of the bands that played in the Palomino Club in North Hollywood, California.

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Regards,
Al Gershen
Grants Pass, Oregon. USA
Fender 1000 (1957),
Fender PS 210 (1972) &
Gibson Electraharp EH-820
(1962)
Pictures of PS 210 &
EH-820 at http://www.rvi.net/~aldg

posted 09 September 2000 06:03 PM         

By 1969 The Detours were Red Rhodes {steel}, Don Holiman {vocals & bass}, Garland Frady {acoustic rhythm guitar & vocals}, Biff Adam {drums}, Tom Brooks {aka Holbrooks} on vocals and rhythm guitar, and Johnny Meeks on lead vocals, lead guitar and piano.

By 1970 the Tony booth Band had the Palomino house band gig.
Tom Holbrooks, Johnny Meeks, Garland Frady and Don Holiman all went out as solo performers.

Booth had Archie Francis, Jay Dee, Larry Booth, Al Bruno. Great group, won quite a few awards.
Other pickers who came were temps like Boomer Castleman, Jerry Cole and later Norm Cass. Larry took the band over from Tony who went out to tour more.

Jimmy Snyder followed The Booth Brothers around 72 or 73, At the time, Jay Dee Maness (steel guitar) and Archie Francis (drums}along with Norm Cass guitar) and Marvin Caves (bass) were in the band and Jerry Inman took it over around late '73.
By early 1974 Inman had Don 'buck' Felts replace Marvin, and Russ Hanson, who at the time was fronting Johnny and Joannie Mosby's
group at their club (The BanDar) in Ventura, replaced Norm on guitar.

This is possibly the best version of the Palomino Riders, it lasted from April of '74 to about July of '76. Jay Dee did leave the group for several months to work with Ray Stevens. He moved to Nashville, but decided it wasn't for him and moved back. Ethan Reilly took his place while he was gone. Ethan was not even 21 yet when he went to work at the Pal'. Ethan wound up playing with Glen Campbell and Jay Dee who was back in town rejoined the Palomino Riders.

In 1976 Brian Mark and The Marksmen with Billy Graham {ex-Glen Campbell} took over the Pal' gig.
The band was Billy on fiddle, Curtis Stone on
bass, Billy Joe Walker, Jr. and Harry Robinson on guitars,John Hobbs on piano, John Noreen on steel, Mikey (Moon) Porter on drums.

1977 Ira Allen came in after the Marksmen left, Jay Dee Maness played steel with this group, but only for a short time. and then...Pete Grant may have
come in on steel.{?}

Jimmy Snyder came back around 1978-79 and one of his groups was Archie Francis drums, Pete Grant on steel guitar, Doug Atwell was playing fiddle, Rex ? on guitar and Wayne Durham on bass {ex-Strangers}, Wayne split after a year and Jimmy continued until 1981.

Jay Dee worked with hm for a little while and he had a singer Lane Brady in 1981.

There's more, but the club closed down in 1995 and it's pretty much deserted as far as I know, although I have heard that there'sd been attempts to make it a supper room.

posted 09 September 2000 11:03 PM         

quote:

---

In 1960,61 and 62 The Palomino was THE PLACE in the valley.Standing room only crowds and great pickers.

---

Boy, you are right about that, from 1960 on the Pal' had pickers like steel player Red Rhodes joining New Years Eve 1060/1961. The Gene Davis group of 1960 consisted of Mel Taylor on drums {having joined in 1959}, Gene Davis {lead guitar & vocals} , Norm Raleigh {bass}, Jimmy Snyder {rhythm guitar} and Red on steel guitar.

The early 1960's band continued to evolve into 1961 with Clyde Griffin joining not long after Red's arrival.
There were more line-up changes with Leon Russell on piano, Glen Campbell joining as lead guitarist and Delaney Bramlett replaced Norm Raleigh on bass.

posted 10 September 2000 12:59 AM         

Re: "Al Gershen, got your story, you bought Red's Fender in 1964 after Red bought a new one right?"

That's correct. Red acquired a single neck 10 string Fender 800 when they first came out and sold me his Fender 1000. This agrees with his short autobio that he wrote for The Steel Guitar Record Club"s No 10 LP Album, "Velvet Hammer" by Red Rhodes.

Hi Boomer:

Re: "Al - I believe that was Tommy Thomas, the co-owner with his brother Billy Thomas."

You may be correct. I just don't remember for sure.

Al Gershen

[This message was edited by Al Gershen on 10 September 2000 at 01:01 AM.]

posted 10 September 2000 05:38 AM         

I'm not sure when Sheri took over, but in the late 1980's there was Cliffie Stone's talent show with Jay Dee and the like.
I'm sure it was Sheri who ran the club on it's last legs, but I do seem to remember reading that for a couple of years during the great LA sleaze rock boom {remember Guns & Roses anyone??} the club went rock for a while.
Nothing definate though, the 1980's are currently a dim patch on my history of the club.

posted 10 September 2000 10:44 AM         

I went to the Palamino several times in the early 90's, but haven't been in LA long enough since then to go back, till now. I thought I had heard that the Palamino had closed. I seem to remember that it was on Lankershim. Yesterday I drove almost the full length of Lankershim from the 5 Fwy. to the 101 and didn't even see the building I remembered! (I did make it to Dr. Hogly Wogly's Tyler Texas Barbeque on Sepulveda for lunch though...)

Remember the scene from "Every Which Way But Loose" (I think) that they shot in the Palamino? Where Clint Eastwood meets Sondra Locke. Ah, memories...

posted 11 September 2000 04:48 PM         

When I came back to LA after a bunch of years away (Viet Nam and the like) I went back to the Pal only to find it greatly changed (1985 time frame), but I did hear a couple of good blues groups there.

Things change but there was still Little Nashville a short way down the road. Not the same, but fun none the less. Now it is gone also.

You'd think L.A. could support a couple more good Country dance halls with big dance floors and live music.

Wonderful days, those were, but there is still a lot of good music out there to hear.

jdg

------------------
MSA D-10
'63 Gibson Hummingbird
16/15c Hammered Dulcimer

posted 11 September 2000 11:52 PM         

You asked above:

"Al Gershen , it's a little off topic but did you play steel on a recording by the McGinnis brothers?

Yes, it's true. I recorded a couple of songs on the album and their was another steel player (I don't remember his name) used on some of the other songs. I have the LP somewhere and if I can dig it out, I'll contact you by e-mail and give you more information.

As an additional comment about the Palomino Club, I would like to say that one of the reasons I enjoyed going there, besides hearing the great musicians and singers there, was that there were always great musicians and singers in the audience to chat with. (If my wife isn't reading this, the women there were also something!)

It was always a real enjoyment for me to go there and perhaps the most fun was when they did their weekly talent contest. You got to hear it all.

Al Gershen

[This message was edited by Al Gershen on 11 September 2000 at 11:54 PM.]

posted 12 September 2000 06:28 AM         

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CJC

posted 12 September 2000 08:33 AM         

Joe, I suppose one of these days I'll remember to ask Sammy Masters what happened to Cal Worthington..he'd be the man to ask on that subject.
Danny Spinks, thanks for that info, I think Del's live LP was issued in early 1974 on United Artists, but that's a guess on the release. I had no idea that Al Bruno played on it though. Billboard magazine also gave it a good revue in 1974.
Al Gershen, I do belive you have summed up the spirit of the Pal' and what everyone has been trying to say all along. But you put it so well. I'm hoping to get a little bit on the talent night and some of the comdey acts for the web page.
Anyone remember country-comedy pantomime Bill Taggart, a native of Inglewood CA. He worked at the Pal' from late 1963 to the mid 1960s at least..

Dan, I've been meaning to catch up with you in regards to your stint with Thumbs {and Stu Schulman as well?}

posted 13 September 2000 01:09 AM         

jacket features a picture of doug, bryant, and an unknown guy on stage at the mule kick. doug has told me who that other guy is, but i cannot recall.

he also told me who the musicians are on it--i think he said joaquin on some tracks and al somebody (bruno? vernon?), and ??; trouble is doug's memory is not what it once was, so it is tough to say. some of the steel does sound like joaquin for sure. the songs are all originals.

doug has had a varied career. he made this one lp, and a half dozen or so singles. he spent a lot of time as a dj on stations in the greater los angeles area and also did stunt work in pictures and serials. the mule kick label still exists. in fact he put out a couple of cassettes i helped him out with--one on joaquin and another on the great billy hughes (of "tennessee saturday night" fame), who was a crony of doug's back in the late 40s/early 50s when billy was recording in los angeles and playing at murphy's and elsewhere.

question for you all: the speedy/jimmy box set booklet contains a great full page pic of 4 people on stage at the mule kick. it is near the rear of the booklet, page 51 or 53 as i recall. from right to left, the people are jimmy bryant, doug mcginnis, curley cochran, and unknown. who is the unknown guy on the far left???

i asked speedy about this recently and he speculated it might be gene davis, but it doesn't look like any pictures of gene i have seen.

i do hope someone in this forum can spin some yarns about curley cochran--he was a knockout--very primitive and bluesy, instantly recognizable. speedy told me only that he was a great player who "never made it out of the beer joints". he is deceased.

[This message was edited by Mitch Drumm on 13 September 2000 at 01:18 AM.]

posted 14 September 2000 08:52 AM         

If I remember correctly, it seems Billy Ray Cyrus used to come in and sing on some talent nights. This was way after the Palomino's prime, but it was still lots of fun and a "hub" for musicians to come and hang.

posted 14 September 2000 08:34 PM         

Thanks for the messaages everyone, Jim Bob, amazing to hear that Cal is still with us..now if he'd just do a TV show!