From the Surfin’ Classics Rise the Moonrakers
We are proud to add the Moon Rakers to our PopBopRock Honor Roll
The Moon Rakers (sometimes “Moonrakers”) formed in 1963 in Denver first known as the “Surfin’ Classics” and then the “Classics” before becoming the Moonrakers in 1965.
This from Veeder Van Dorn (Aug 2021:) “Denny, Joel and I went to George Washington. and Bob Webber and Bob MacVittie went to Aurora, We were all in the Denver/Boulder “Surfin’-Music” scene, and then we became “The Moonrakers”.
Original members were:
- Joel Stephen Brandes (bass) – Surfin’ Classics 1963
- Veeder Van Dorn III (guitar) – Surfin’ Classics 1963 – The Poor 1966 – Worked briefly with Sugarloaf
- Dennis C. Flannagan (guitar) – Beggar’s Opera Company 1966 – also worked solo
- Robert (Bob) C. Webber (guitar) – Vaqueros 1962 – Surfin’ Classics 1963 – Beggar’s Opera Company 1966 – Chocolate Hair 1969 – Sugarloaf 1970 – Worked as a duo with Gene Chalk 1976
- Roger James MacVittie (drums) – Vaqueros 1962 – Surfin’ Classics 1963 – Beggar’s Opera Company 1966 – Chocolate Hair 1970 – Sugarloaf 1970
Early on, original Surfin’ Classic guitarist Doug Dolph was replaced by Flannigan. They took on their new name during a head-to-head band competition with the very locally popular Astronauts from Boulder. The name is drawn from Ian Fleming’s work of fiction “Moonraker”.
The Moon Rakers, like several Colorado bands in the mid 1960’s, were scouted in Colorado by record label executives which resulted in a Tower Records contract (a subsidiary of Capitol Records) and four singles would follow.
Moonrakers Timeline
April 10th, 1965 with Dick and Dee Dee, the Esquires, Fugitives, Gary Lewis and the Playboys, Glen Campbell and the Righteous Brothers at the Denver Auditorium
June 6th, 1965 with Chad and Jeremy, Bobbi Martin, The Liverpool 5, Jimmy Gilmer & The Fireballs, Jimmy Griffin, the Fog Cutters and the Esquires
October 23rd, 1965 with Sonny & Cher, the Soul Survivors and Ian Whitcomb at the Denver Auditorium
November 27th, 1965 at KIMN’s Teen Dance Festival with Frankie Rino and the Squires, the Astronauts, the Soul Survivors and Johnny Rivers at the Denver Auditorium
Spring of 1966 with Dusty Springfield and Ian Whitcomb in Hollywood
March 4th, 1966 – Moonrakers at Willies in Greeley
June 1966 – Moonrakers at Aurora Plaza Grand Opening
October 8th, 1966 at the Denver Auditorium with the Mamas and Papas
Moonrakers at 1967 Mitchell High School Dance – Colorado Springs
The Moonrakers at Boulder High 1967 Homecoming Dance
March 25th, 1967 at KIMN’s Battle of the Bands at the Colorado National Guard Armory
April 7th, 1967 with The Animals featuring Eric Burdon, the Kandy Store Prophets at the Denver University Student Union
May 3rd, 1967 – Colorado State University College Days Kickoff
May 24th, 1967 – The Matterhorn – Fort Collins
June 12th, 1967 – Battle of Bands – Matterhorn Fort Collins
July 13th, 1967 – The Matterhorn Fort Collins
July 1967 – The Moonrakers at the Matterhorn – Fort Collins
May 5th, 1968 – The Moonrakers at the Exodus
May 18th, 1968 – Moonrakers Play “Stateside Woodsie” – Boulder
May 23rd, 1968 – The Moonrakers “Giant Show and Dance”
September 1968 – The Moonrakers at the Matterhorn
October 3rd, 1968 – The Moonrakers
October 1968 – The Moonrakers at Tulagi
November 1968 – The Moonrakers at the Matterhorn – Fort Collins
November 28th through December 1st, 1968 with Jimmy Gilmer & the Fireballs and Steve Alaimo at the National Custom Auto Show in Denver
December 6th, 1968 – The Moonrakers at CSU
May 1969 – The Moonrakers – at Boulder’s “Party” Night Club
October 17th, 1969 – The Moonrakers at CU Homecoming Alfalfa Field – Boulder
Moonrakers at John F. Kennedy High Denver 1969
Moonrakers 1969 Kenney High Shamrock Dance
Moonrakers 1970 Longmont High Winter Sports Dance
Bob MacVittie at Home 1973
Moonrakers’ Additional High School Appearances
South High School 1965 Royal Purple Dance; George Washington High 1965 Kampaign Kapers Dance; The Moonrakers would also play Wheat Ridge High School dance at the Denver downtown Hilton along with Astronauts on April 9th, 1965; High School dances for Aurora Central High 1965; Widefield High Jr. Sr. Prom 1965; Wasson High School General Assembly special performance 1966; Brighton High School 1969 Key Club Dance
Moonrakers Sign with Tower Records
The group was assigned to Roger Christian – a popular DJ who came from New York and then on the famed KRLA in Los Angeles. Christian became a contributing song writer and worked with Beach Boy Brian Wilson on “Shut Down”, “Little Deuce Coupe” and “Don’t Worry Baby”. Click on Roger’s image below to read his biography on my site.
Via Christians’ industry contacts, the Moon Rakers appeared on bills with the Righteous Brothers, Sonny and Cher and the Dave Clark Five.
Vaqueros/Classics/Surfin’ Classics
The Vaqueros were Bob MacVittie and Bob Webber joined by future Soul Survivors Gene Chalk and Allen Kemp.
The next formation would become the Classics/Surfin’ Classics with Moonrakers Veeder Van Dorn, Joel Brandes, Bob MacVittie along with Bob Webber.
The Poor
The Poor were an interesting assemblage of Colorado rock and roll ‘all-stars’ formed in early 1967. They headed off to California to make their mark but after a few attempts – gave it up. Allen Kemp, Pat Shanahan and John Day from the Soul Survivors came on board joining Randy Meisner, Veeder Van Dorn from the Moonrakers and Randy Naylor.
Beggar’s Opera Company
Soul Survivors Gene Chalk and Bob Webber joined up with Denny Flannigan and Bob Macvittie to form this short-lived band in 1967.
March 10th, 1967 – Colorado School of Mines
Chocolate Hair
Jerry Corbetta of Sugarloaf fame put this band together – Bob Raymond from the Soul Survivors was joined by Myron Pollack, and Bob Webber – and later on Bob MacVittie.
Sugarloaf
The group was very popular around the Colorado front range appearing at Red Rocks Amphitheater, Tulagi’s in Boulder, Lakeside Amusement Park and more.
The members would migrate to other Colorado 60’s era bands with Bob MacVittie and Jerry Corbetta landing with the nationally successful Sugarloaf of “Green Eyed Lady” fame. Veeder Van Dorn would also play briefly with Sugarloaf.
Moonrakers Discography
45 – Tower – You’ll Come Back b/w I Was Wrong – August, 1965
Song charted number 1 for two weeks on Denver radio station KIMN on September 13th, 1965
45 – Tower – I’m All Right b/w Come One, Let’s Move – October, 1965
Song charted number 2 for two weeks on Denver radio station KIMN on November 8th and November 15th, 1965
45 – Tower – Trip and Fall b/w Time And a Place – March, 1966
45 – Tower – Baby Please Don’t Go b/w I Don’t Believe – June, 1966
Both side charted number 19 for 1 week on Denver radio station KIMN on July 4th, 1966
“Baby Please Don’t Go” on Local Charts:
- Number 3 on KIMN radio Denver, CO June 6th, 1966
- Number 29 on WLOF radio Orlando, FL July 8th, 1966
“I Don’t Believe” on Local Charts:
- Number 3 on KIMN radio Denver, CO June 6th, 1966
- Number 24 on KLZ FM radio Denver, CO May 27th, 1966
45 – Shamley – He’s A Comin’ My Lord b/w Love Train – May, 1969
“He’s A Comin’ My Lord” on Local Charts
- Number 26 on KIMN radio Denver, CO May 24th, 1969
45 – Shamley – Together With Ime b/w No Number To Call – August, 1969
“Together With Him” on Local Charts:
- Number 38 on KIMN radio Denver, CO September 6th, 1969
45 – Shamley – 7th Star b/w Not Hidin’ Anymore – December, 1969
LP – Shamley – Together With Him – 1969
LP “Together with Him on Local Charts:
- Number 9 on KIMN radio LP charts Denver, CO September 13th, 1969
LP – Take 6 – (various artists) – KIMN Summertime 21 All Time Hits Vol II – with “You’ll Come Back” –
45 – Liberty – Sugarloaf – Jerry Corbetta compositions – Green-Eyed Lady Charted Number 3 Hot 100 b/w West Of Tomorrow – July, 1970
45 – Liberty – Woman (co-written by Jerry Corbetta, Bob Webber and Bob McVittie
45 – United Artists – Bach Doors Man/Chest Fever (co-written by Jerry Corbetta and Bob Webber – June, 1971
45 – Claridge – Don’t Call Us We’ll Call You (co written by Jerry Corbetta) Number 9 Hot 100 – November. 1974
45 – Claridge – Stars In My Eyes (composer Jerry Corbetta) – Number 87 Hot 100 – June, 1975
LP – BFD – Pebbles Vol. 10 – with “You’ll Come Back” – 1980
LP – Archive International – Pebbles Presents Highs in the the Mid Sixties Volume 18 Colorado – (various) with “I Don’t Believe” – “Baby Please Don’t Go” – “I’m Alright” – 1985
CD LP – A Major Record Label – Anthology – 2006
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45 – Australia – 1970
45 – Canada – October, 1965
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