Pop Bop Rock Honoree: Ronny Kae

Ronny Kae

Denver’s Supreme Rock Drummer!

We are proud to induct Ronny Kae of into to the Pop Bop Rock Honor Roll!

Ronny Kae

Ronny Kae was Band Box’s most visible local recording act in the Denver area during the 1960’s – releasing six singles and a rare Band Box long play as well. Thanks to the liner notes on his Band Box LP entitled “Swingin’ Drums”, we have the following information to share.

Ronny (real name Ronny Kleitman) came to Denver from New York. He was born in Brooklyn and attended New York City Community College before coming to Denver where he attended the University of Denver (at the time of his Band Box LP release – most likely sometime in 1962).

Recording On Band Box

The “Swingin’ Drums” LP release is a bit difficult to follow in the progression of Band Box recording releases. Ronny’s earliest matrix number on Band Box is 201 – which appears to be the very first release in the Band Box 45 catalog. If so, this release should have come out sometime in 1958 or perhaps 1959. The catalog does contain a single numbering oddity – that being Leo Frazier’s Band Box 0003 release “If I Could Be Your Friend” b/w “He’s Your Savior, He’s Your Friend”. This too could be the very first Band Box release – Very little is known about Leo or this release.

After Band Box 201 by Ronny Kae, it would be awhile before he would appear again on the label, at least from a catalog numbering stand point. This brings us to his LP release on Band Box -“Swinging Drums” Band Box 1006. The LP contains 12 compositions, including “Bonfire Part 1”, “Warsaw Concerto”, and “Twist’n Rumble” all of which appeared as singles in 1962. However, the title cut or what could now appear to have been the title cut – “Swinging Drums” for which Ronny is best remembered, is not on the album.  “Swinging Drums” actually reached the number 1 spot on Denver’s KIMN Radio.

Blog sites and Web Sites report that Ronny performed as a session drummer at times with Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett and Bobby Darin. The liner notes on his Band Box LP states that “Ronny has played his drums from the East to the West coast’s distinguished clubs and hotels. Ronny leads his own orchestra, and has become a familiar personality on television and radio.”

Dave Barhite, guitarist for the Band Box group the Saints. was a good friend of Ronny’s and said that members of the Saints often backed Kae up on local appearances as well as in the studio.  Barhite says that Ronny was a character and he would often visit the local radio stations delivering modest enticements to get his record played.  Barhite explains, “He did this not so much to sell records because we were in a very small market here in Denver back then, but to promote his name in order to book local venues.”

Ronnie Kae played Arvada High School’s homecoming dance in 1964.

May 19th, 1963 – The Hartford Courant

November 8th, 1963 – The Greeley Daily Tribune

Cash Box Trade Ad April 24th, 1964

December 31st, 1964 – The Morrill Mail

Gary Stites and Ronny Kae

The strategy worked with Ronny landing gigs at local high schools and colleges.  Barhite further recalls that local and national teen recording star Gary Stites would occasionally work alongside Kae and actually was included in some Band Box sessions.  We have not confirmed this.

Larry Higgins of Freddie & the Hitch-Hikers says that Gary was ‘long gone’ to pursue his recording career before Kae entered the Band Box record studio so most likely Stites made occasional appearances with Ronny in the early stages of his career.

Higgins remembers seeing Ronny often hanging around the Band Box studio in north Denver.

Long-time music store “Drum City”  was Ronny’s retail endeavor and located in Wheat Ridge which he started up around 1965. It continues on  to this day flourishing with his two son’s guidance.  After his Band Box days, Ronny would start up his own record label, Honey Records, running it out of Drum City – He would cut a few more singles for other labels as well.

Ronny Kay on Boogaloo Bag

Ronny passed away in 1993.

Ronny Kae Discography

Band Box 201 – “Boom, Boom” b/w “Caravan” – 1967

The catalog number is out of sequence for the pressing date

Band Box 289 – “Bonfire Part 1” b/w “Tangerine” – January, 1962

The Sleeve artwork shown here most likely didn’t make it from the Band Box in-house artists to a printed picture sleeve.  But if it did it would fetch a nice dollar!

Band Box 300 – “Twistin’ Rumble” b/w Warsaw Concerto” – 1962

Band Box 336 – “Swinging Drums”* b/w “A Flight For Drums” – June, 1963

*Charted Number 28 KIMN Denver, Colorado June 19th, 1963

Image below is probably a second pressing

KIMN May 22nd, 1963 – Swinging Drums Number 50

KIMN May 29th, 1963 – Swinging Drums Number 42

KIMN June 5th, 1963 – Swinging Drums Number 36

KIMN June 12th, 1963 – Swinging Drums Number 32

KIMN June 19th, 1963 – Swinging Drums Number 28

KIMN June 26th, 1963 – Swinging Drums – Number 34

Band Box 339 – “Drums Fell Off A Cliff”* b/w “Let There Be Drums” – September, 1963

 

KIMN October 2nd, 1963 – Drums Fell Off A Cliff – Number 50

KIMN October 9th, 1964 – Drums Fell Off A Cliff – Number 46

KIMN October 16th, 1963 – Drums Fell Off A Cliff – Number 40 

KIMN October 23rd, 1963 – Drums Fell Off A Cliff – Number 20 

KIMN October 30th, 1963 – Drums Fell Off A Cliff – Number 10

KIMN November 6th, 1963 – Drums Fell Off A Cliff – Number 4

KIMN November 13th, 1963 – Drums Fell Off A Cliff – Number 2

KIMN November 20th, 1963 – Drums Fell Off A Cliff – Number 3

KIMN November 27th, 1963 – Drums Fell Off A Cliff – Number 11

KIMN December 4th, 1963 – Drums Fell Off A Cliff – Number 32

WGR Buffalo, New York – January 30th, 1964 – Drums Fell Off A Cliff – Number 77 (Instrumental)

Band Box 362 ‘ “Swimming Drums” b/w “The Lurch” – April, 1965

An interesting accounting sheet from Band Box for the Ronny Kae April of 1961 session

Band Box 380 – Taste of Honey b/w Drum City – 1968

Band Box Special 506 Limited Edition Oldies – “Swinging Drums” b/w “A Flight for Drums”

Band Box Special 507 Limited Edition Oldies – “Let There Be Drums” b/w “Drums Fell Off A Cliff”

Band Box (Unreleased) – “Broadside” b/w “What The World Needs Now Is More Drums”

45 – Honey 10521 – “Drums Are Back” b/w “Nostalgia” (By Ronny Kae and the Drum City Band)

45 – Scene SPO 1487 – “The King Is Dead” (both sides) – 1977 (as “Ronnie Kaye”)

45 – Jewel  – 80834 – Night Train b/w I Won’t Mention It Again – Ronnie Kaye with the Al Morgan Trio

45 – Honey 11778 – Wipe Out b/w Harry Play Those Drums – 1978

45 – Swinging Record Co. TTS 120 – “Swinging Drums” b/w “Swimming Drums” with the Saints- UK

Band Box LP

Band Box 1006 – “Drums Fell Off a Cliff

Autographed Cover