Colorado 1960’s Garage Groups: S
Below is an alphabetical listing of all known (by me) vintage 1950’s and 1960’s ‘Garage’ groups from our fine State! Known members are listed – Several of these bands have more comprehensive information including cross references to other bands in which they played.
I am always looking for additional information, corrections, photos and stories – Send them my way! (crayger244@gmail.com)
The Following Bands have their own page:
Sabbat
St. John (Boulder)
The Saints (Boulder)
Members:
- Mark Julian – guitar
- Bill Gullette – drums
- Wolf Muser – guitar
- Marc Schipper
The Saints Play Boulder High UNESCO Dance – April 1962
The Saints Play Boulder High School German Dance – September 28th, 1962
The Saints at Boulder High – February 3rd, 1963
The Saints (Denver)
The Saints (or sometime Dave and the Saints) were practically the “house band” at Band Box Records
- Dave Barhite – guitar
- Joe Holenbek – lead guitar
- Rich Kimble – sax
- Daryl Kennedy drums
- Clinton Brown – bass
- Ray Anderson drums
- Doug Hole – sax
- Doug Balterson – guitar
- Balterson’s cousin – accordion
- Joe Marisco – drums
See the Band Box Record Label Discography
The Sandpipers
This group became the “Pepperbox”
The Sands of Time (Pueblo)
- Blaine Reininger (Tycoons, Sands of Time, Lime, Wheat, The Ellis Brothers, The Flying Wheel)
The Sands of Tyme (Glenwood Springs)
The Satellites
Another D-M-G label Colorado recording act (joining the Hi Seas) – This is a group fronted by Gary Stites brother and Gary’s former backing band.
Group Members:
- Sam Severin – vocals
- Bob Prose – lead guitar
- Donnie Stites – drums
Two more possible members at one time or another:
- Jimmy Acker – guitar
- Tommy Sherman – guitar
- John Maul – sax (Maul and the Cutups – The Jokers)
(a 1966 garage band publication states that John ‘recorded with the Satellites”)
May 9th, 1960 Billboard Ad
D-M-G 4001 – Dark Town Strutter’s Ball – Charted Number 10 KTLN Denver, Colorado b/w Each Night – June, 1960
The Satin Subway (Colorado Springs)
Savage Amusement (Fort Collins)
The Saxons (Boulder)
The Scavengers
The Scavengers were an Iowa band which came to Colorado and remained for a time. They formed in the mid 1960’s.
Jim Streufert, Jim Johann, Grant Gilmore, Lonnie Brown
The Schillings (Boulder)
The Schillings formed in 1964 in Boulder they had a strong connection to the Boulder based Astronauts who’s Jim Gallagher was the brother of Schilling Tim Gallagher.
Members:
- Kimm Singer – bass (Boulder High School)
- Tim Gallagher – rhythm guitar
- Donn Zarina – guitar (Boulder Fairview High School)
- Eric Hansen – lead guitar (Boulder High School)
- John Danville – drums
The Seeds/Ceeds (Colorado Springs)
This group formed in the mid 1960’s and underwent multiple name changes according to Mountain Music – a Colorado music site. Names included The Ceeds, The Trip, Maibe Handle, Broadway Muse, and The Shell Band – all in the course of a couple of years. Their single on the Emlar label goes for high dollars. I sold one over 10 years ago – Found it in the Mile High Flea Market for 25 cents. I received phone calls from Europeans asking me to play it over the phone. I sold it for around $400!
- Jerry Ahlbert – bass – deceased
- Todd Ballantine – lead guitar
- Chet Carman – guitar
- Ellen Dahl
- Clark Davis – bass
- Jack Gallupe – guitar – deceased
- Ray Hall – guitar
- Geoff Smith – keyboards
- Rick Worden – drums
45 – Emlar 1001 – Too Many People/You Won’t Do That – 1966
The Senators
The Sensations
The Sensations were students at Lamar High
Seventh House
Seventh Survey (Denver)
Mid 1960’s Denver band who would become Heavy Ash
The Shades (Lakewood)
The Shades of Dawn
The Shadows (Wheat Ridge)
Shady Grove
The Shamrocks (Pueblo)
The Shamrocks were students at Pueblo East High School
The Sharlatans (Denver)
Members were:
- Allan Jimenez – bass (3.2 Blues To Go)
The band formed around 1966 perhaps 1967 – (Information & image courtesy of Marc Gonzalez)
The Shell Band (Colorado Springs)
(The Ceeds)
The Shelltones – DENVER
See the Band Box Discography Page
45 – Band Box Records – 1964
Red Shepard & the Flock (Fort Collins)
The Shillings (Boulder)
Members:
- Steve Frey
- Donn Zatina
- Kimm Singersh
- John Danville
The Shoremen
Played a 1965 dance at Arvada High School
The Showmen (Boulder)
The Showmen formed in 1963.
Members:
- Lynn Poyer – guitar (Magic Music) – Boulder High School
- Rick Malm – guitar – Boulder High School
- Doug Hays – drums Boulder High School
- Gary Reed – bass – Boulder High School
- Ray Burroughs – vocals, percussion – Boulder High School (Coachmen)
- Crick Streamer – keyboards – Boulder High School
The Showmen Compete in December 11th, 1964 “Battle of the Bands” at CU
Showmen Compete in March 1965 Battle of the Bands Boulder
The Sidewinders
The Sierras
The Silver Streak
Veeder Van Dorn put a New Moonrakers group together after coming back from California and quickly renamed them Silver Streak – before finally returning back to The Moonrakers.
- Veeder Van Dorn (Moonrakers/New Moonrakers – and others)
- Bob Webber
- Denny Flannigan
- Joel Brandes
The Sixth Edition (Loveland)
- Adren Fennell (guitar)
- Sam Haugland (keyboards)
- Jon Kerns (drums)
- Cass Vickers (bass).
The group recorded in Norm Petty’s Clovis, New Mexico studio in May of 1957 laying down two unreleased tracks “Still In Love with You Baby” and “Beggar Man”.
They would later change their name to “The Daniel Paul Revelation”.
The Sixth Edition played Theta Chi CSU rush week dance September 1966
The Sixth Sense (Colorado Springs)
This band was formerly the “Chosen Few” changing their name in early 1969
Slim and the Deacons (Boulder)
The Smoke (Fort Collins)
Sneak Preview
The Snow Men
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The Snow Men included Shaun and Danny Harris – Colorado Springs natives. This band would evolve into “The Sun Rays” without the Harris brothers. The Harris brothers were also members of “California Spectrum”, “Markley”, “The Laughing Wind”, “The Rogues” and “Brigadune” – They would eventually become members of “The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band”.
45 – Challenge 59227 – “Ski Storm” b/w “Ski Storm – Part II” – 1964
The Society
Society’s Children (Denver)
The Sole (Soul) Singers (Fort Collins)
The Sonics (Pueblo)
From the Grandson of Angelio DeHerrera:
“Hello, My grandfather was in a band in Pueblo Colorado called ‘The Sonics’
- Lee Mestas (Bass Guitar)
- Joe Martinez (Vocals/Drums)
- Angello DeHerrera (Vocals/Rhythm Guitar)
- Fernando Martinez (Lead Guitar)
- Fred Brescher (Departed for Trolls)
The Sons of Beethoven (Boulder)
Member:
- Pat Hubbard (simultaneously a member of folk oriented group “The Misties”)
Played at Boulder High School 1967 at the “Senior Fry” dance
The Soothsayers (Greeley)
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This group was from Northern Colorado. They were formerly known as The Statesmen. They appeared on the KCTO TV program “Disk-O-Tay”. They appeared in KIMN’s mid 1960’s Teen Music and Dance Festival – and competed in KCHY’s Cheyenne, Wyoming Battle of the Bands.
Members:
- John Gibson – lead guitar – Colorado State College
- Rick Irvine – keyboards – Colorado State College
- Steve Jaynes – drums – Greeley West High School
- Rich Sallee – bass – (Higher Elevation) (Catfish Cray Blues Band) (Images) – Greeley West High School
- Dave VanOmen – guitar – Colorado State College
April 22nd, 1965 – at the Tikki
March 24th, 1966 – The Windsor, Colorado Beacon
March 24th, 1966 – The Windsor Beacon
April 7th, 1966 at the Tikki
April 22nd, 1966 – The Tikki in Boulder
May 1966 – Fort Collins
October 7th, 1966 – Windsor Homecoming Dance – The Soothsayers
The Matterhorn – February 1968
45 – Acropolis 6601 – Please Don’t Be Mad/I Don’t Know
45 – Acropolis 6612 – Black Nor Blue/Do You Need Me? – 1966
LP – Archive International – Pebbles Presents Highs in the the Mid Sixties Volume 18 Colorado – (various) with “I Don’t Know” – 1985
The Soul (Colorado Springs)
- Randy Bowen
- Jim Holleran
- Jack Rouljer
- Ernie Ellington
45 – Summit Studios – “Have It All Your Way” b/w “But Not You” – 1967
The Soul Explosion (Denver)
- Rich Velasquez – organ/horns (Bluetones)
- Bobby Dee – vocals
- Friz Sedillos – drums – deceased
- Monet Rhym – guitar
- Lee Shipman – sax
- John Carrion – bass
Additional members: Gil Cordova – bass
The Soul Explosion also played “Jax Snax” in Estes Park in 1969
The Soul Mates (Denver)
Played for Denver Manual High School’s 1968 “Fountain of Love” dance (shown below)
The Soul Pak (Pueblo)
Soul Prey (Denver)
Mark Allen Bretz (East High Denver and CU)
The Soul Revue (Colorado Springs)
The Soul Set (Boulder CU)
The Soul Setters
The Soul Sounds (Denver)
Played for Manual High School’s Snowball Dance in 1968 – They competed in the “El Gallo” Newspaper’s 1969 Denver “Battle of the Bands”
The Soul Survivors (Denver)
Visit the Soul Survivors Honor Roll Page
The Soul Syndicate
The Soul Tones (Denver)
Soul Vibrations (Denver)
The Souls (Monument)
Sound Eruptions
The Sound Explosion
Played a 1969 dance at Arapahoe High School
The Sound of Circus (Glenwood Springs)
The Sounds of Silence (Longmont)
I received a couple of emails from Thomas Hipsher this week (Sep 21) and a couple of great photos!
Thomas:
“During 1966 and 1967, a group of five guys from Longmont High School got together and formed a band called “The Sounds of Silence”. Members included Dave Wiley, lead guitar; Stan Burgess, rhythm guitar; Tom Hipsher, bass guitar; Rick Jones, drummer and Bill Conley, electric piano and organ. The group played in Longmont, Boulder, Loveland, Broomfield and Scottsbluff, NE and participated in a number of Battles of the Bands. The group disbanded at the end of the 1967 school year.“
Sounds Unlimited (Denver)
Space Time Phenomena (Denver)
The Spartans (Fort Collins)
The Spice Racq (Boulder)
Spider & the Crabs
Played Jax Snax in Estes Park 1969
Spox Creation (Littleton)
- Dave McDonald – guitar
- Doug Heath – bass
- Phil Carter – drums
- Kenny Vaughan – guitar
ASSOCIATED BANDS: Amos; The Inner Sounds
“Hello, I was in Band Box Studio on a Saturday morning with my father sometime in late 1966 or 1967. We’d gone there to investigate recording my neighborhood band that started in the fall of 1966 in Littleton. The band went through several names, The Innersounds, Spox Creation, and Amos.
Today Kenny Vaughan lives in Nashville and is a member of Marty Stuart’s band “The Fabulous Superlatives”.
The Squires (Denver)
The Squires were a backing band for Frankie Rino formed in about 1965. In November of that year the Squires headed south to the famed Norman Petty Studio in Clovis, New Mexico – home base for Buddy Holly and the Crickets as well as many others including Jimmy Gilmer and the Fireballs. They cut two tracks, “Maybe The Last Time” and “We Belong Together” both of which were not released at the time.
- Frankie Rino – vocals
- Jack Skinner – bass
- Eddie Everret – lead guitar
- James Woods – drums
- Gary Stephens – keyboards
The Squires (Fort Collins)
The Squires (Englewood)
This group of Squires formed in the 1970’s and were from Englewood High School
Members: (pictured in the photo above)
- Front Seated:
- Marty Paul
- Keith Hjelmstad
- Back:
- Jeff Menger
- Bob Kirton
- Jerry Valdes-King
- Mark Ambrozic
- Paul Klein
The Stamp Act
The Star Tones (Denver)
The Star Tones were from Regis College and played at Sam’s on Lookout Mountain – They released one single on the Denver Band Box record label. The band would evolve into the Daleks.
See the Band Box Discography Page
The Statesmen (Greeley)
This group was from Northern Colorado. They were formerly known as The Soothsayers)
John Gibson – lead guitar; Rick Irvine – keyboards – (Colorado State College now University of Northern Colorado); Steve Jaynes – drums (Greeley West High School); Rich Sallee – bass – (Greeley West High School) – (Catfish Cray Blues Band) (Images); Dave Van Omen – guitar – (Colorado State College)
The Status Seekers (Aurora)
Formed in 1965 out of Aurora, Colorado. They played at The Silver Slipper in Central City, Sam’s on Lookout Mountain, the Honey Comb Teen Club, and the Baby Doll Lounge in Aurora. They appeared on KTCO TV Denver’s “Disk-O-Tay”
Members:
- Styles Adamson – bass (Aurora Central High School
- Tom Behm – drums (Monocles) – Aurora Central High School
- Peter Johnson – keyboards (Monocles – The Higher Elevation – Fat Emma – Brother Son) – Aurora Central High School
- Wayne Street – lead guitar – Aurora Central High School
- Ray Johnson – keyboards – Aurora Central High School
Steve & The Chevelles (Denver)
This group was from Denver West High School
The Still Wind
The Sting Rays (Fort Collins)
The Sting Reys (Pueblo)
- Carl Finnegan – guitar (Middle of the Road (in California)
- Gilbert Razo – bass
- Larry Montoya – keyboards (Rudy Gutierrez Orchestra) – deceased
- Ronnie Houston – drums
45 – Crazy Town 101 – When You Wish Upon a Star/You’re Looking Good – 1963
45 – Crazy Town 102 – Let Them Talk/Alli Alli Auks in Free – 1963
45 – Crazy Town 104 – Just a Gigolo (Ain’t Got Nobody)/Sick and Tired – 103
The Stingrays/Swinging Stingreys (Westminster)
Members: – Mark Stubbs – Matt Raia – Bruce Davis – Dave Farnum – Mickey Staton – Cliff Horne
Gary Stites and the Satellites (Wheat Ridge)
Visit the Gary Stites Honor Roll Page
The Stonebreakers – Denver
Members:
- Jerry Barlow – lead guitar
- Jim Blackledge – drums – Denver South High School
- Stuart Gray – rhythm guitar
- Geoff Ibbott – bass – George Washington High School
The Stony Brook
Played at 1969 dance for Palmer High School
The Stonz
The Stormtroupers (Boulder)
Formed in Boulder in 1958 first as a trio then expanding before becoming the Astronauts. Visit the Astronaut page for additional group involvement – Brad Leach became the Boulder County Sheriff for a time. Jon Patterson and Bob Demmon both attended Boulder High School and began practicing together.
After they graduated they would be joined by another Boulder High student, Jim Gallagher, who was still in school at the time and only 17. (NOTE: For a very short time – prior to the addition of Gallahger, Patterson and Demmon were joined by drummer Brad Leach.)
On of their earliest gigs would be in the Colorado mountain resort town of Estes Park – at the Rock Inn. Before long Patterson would invite a fourth member to join the band, Dick Stellers. The “Stormtroupers” were now a foursome with a bigger sound.
Then, through a contact at CU – the band managed to get an opportunity to record their first single. It would be off to Chicago, Illinois to lay down two tracks on the tiny Palladium record label owned by Stan Sabka. The label only released about a half-dozen singles.
Zabka persuded the boys to find another name since “Stormtroupers” – for some – held conotations of a bad World War II memory – which was not at all intended by Patterson.
The boys thought the then burgeoning U.S. space program held nothing but a good conotation and so they settled on the Astronauts after rejecting some other ideas.
From their on the group would flourish in Colorado – land an RCA contract – and become legends in Japan where they were always wildly popular.
Below is my autographed copy of “Come Along Baby” signed by drummer Jim Gallagher in 2017. I obtained this copy from my older sister who was attending the University of Colorado in the early 60’s when the Astronauts recorded this. Band members brought several copies to the Student Union and set them out free for the taking to promote the song. Good old sis picked up a copy and brought it home to her brother!
Note: Once the Astronauts were up and running they let a member of a competing Boulder band, the “Spartans”, to join them on stage for a live gig. They like what they heard and so Rich Fifield became the 5th member. Soon after that, Sellers departed for military service. His replacement would be Dennis Lindsey and so there we had what would be the classic Astronauts’ lineup!
Visit “Doc” Krieger’s Blog site to read an extensive and great story about the Astronauts!
The Stratocasters
The Street Carnival (Colorado Springs)
The Sub Cellar Dwellers
Sun Fox
Sunday Funnies (Fort Collins)
The Sundowners (Aurora)
SunshineWard (Boulder)
This was a one recording gig out for the 1967 version of the Astronauts
- Rich Fifield – guitar (Spartans – Astronauts – Sunshine Ward – Hardwater – Climax)
- Ron “Stormy” Patterson – guitar (Astronauts – Stormtroupers)
- Mark Bretz – drums – deceased (Astronauts)
- Rod Jenkins – guitar (Astronauts – Nu-Set)
- Robert McLerren – guitar (Astronauts – Hardwater)
RCA 9227 – Sally Go ‘Round the Roses/Pay the Price – 1967
The Super Band
The Super Band at the Exodus – October 1967
45 – Capricorn CA-100 – I Ain’t Got Nobody/Acid Indigestion – 1967
- Bob Yeazel (guitar) – Beast 1968 – Sugarloaf 1971 – Later did some work with The West Coast Pop Experimental Band – deceased
- Roger Bryant (bass) – Beast 1968 – West Coast Pop Experimental Band – Diamondhead – Leather Souls – deceased
- Jimmy Greenspoon (keyboards) – West Coast Pop Experimental Band – Three Dog Night
- Ron Morgan (guitar) – The Wild Ones – West Coast Pop Experimental Band, The Electric Prunes, Three Dog Night, Leather, Moby Grape, Standells, Association) – deceased
Myron Pollock (drums) (Chocolate Hair, Sugarloaf)
Sur Royal Da Count
LP – Archive International – Pebbles Presents Highs in the the Mid Sixties Volume 18 Colorado – (various) with “Scream Mother Scream” – 1985
The Surfin’ Classics (Denver)
- Joel Barndes (bass) – Moonrakers 1964
- Veeder Van Dorn (guitar) – Moonrakers 1964 – The Poor 1966 – did some work with Sugarloaf in studio
- Doug Dolph (guitar)
- Bob Webber (guitar) – Vaqueros 1962 – Moonrakers 1964 – Beggar’s Opera Company 1966 – Chocolate Hair 1969 – Sugarloaf 1970 – worked with Gene Chalk as duo 1976
- Bob MacVittie (drums) – Vaqueros 1962 – Moonrakers 1964 – Beggar’s Opera Company 1966 – Sugarloaf 1970 – Brother Sun
The Surfin’ Mergers (Denver)
Members included Eddie Gallegos and Randy Walrath – Gallegos was a member of 3.2 Blues To Go
(business card image provided by Marc Gonzalez)
The Surf-Riders
Members:
- Rich Novak – drums – Regis High School
- Nick James – guitar – Regis High School
- Charlie Van Ausdall – lead guitar
- Tom Novak – guitar – Mt. Carmel High
- Larry Sferra – bass – Regis High School
The Surf Tones/Surftones – Broomfield
Female vocalist Barbara Gillard member
The Sutter Street Mining Exchange
Bobby Swanson & The Sonics
Visit the Sonics Page (click here)
- John Sunderland (rhythm guitar/keyboards) – also with The Emeralds – The Roadrunners
- Bobby Swanson – (lead singer/guitar) – Also with The Roadrunners – Dean Carr & Corvettes – Performed also with drummer Ronnie Kae
- Lonnie Nantz (drums) – deceased
- Thom Sorenson (upright electric bass)
From Sonics member John Sunderland – January, 2018:
Hello. I came across the PBR website this evening and loved scrolling through all of the 50’s and 60’s bands that I knew and sometimes played with. There was one listing that caught my eye … The Sonics. I was one of the original Sonics and joined the group in late 1959. The band was actually called Bobby Swanson and the Sonics and we played regularly for the KIMN radio dances at Mammoth Gardens (it was a roller skating rink at the time).
The Swinging Question Marks (Denver)
The Questions Marks competed in the El Gallo Newspaper’s 1969 Battle of the Bands
The Swinging Stingrays (Westminster)
The Symbol of Sound (Timnath)
The Syndicate
Members
- Larry Higgins – drums (Freddie & the Hitchhikers – Four Gigolos – Saints – Daleks – Pete Tracey Trio – Triangle)
- Ray Sekera – bass (The Checkmates with Frankie Rino, Pete Tracey Trio – The Daleks – Triangle)
- Joe Apricio – guitar (Daleks) – (deceased)
Pete Tracey and Larry Higgins are Pop Bop Rock Honor Roll Inductees
PopBopRocktilUDrop 