#43 Steve Grier - Rockin Roadrunners / #44 Tommy Roger - The Nightcrawlers / #45 Tom Wynn - We The People / #46 Bobby Shea - The Tropics
100 drummers I’ve seen and heard in my lifetime
This post “100 drummers I’ve seen and heard in my lifetime” I’ll be flashing back to 1965-1966. In my book “Notes of a Young Drummer 1966-1969” I write about the many bands I heard, especially that very special, mid 60s period.
My post and writings have been in chronological order. My first post was 1966, hearing Bobby Caldwell with the band, The Fantastic Group.
These (4) bands and drummers should have been in my early post.
But, here they are now.
I heard all 4 bands at my favorite teen club called, The Tiki Club. It was located on Pine Street, downtown Orlando. All four of these groups had a following and reputation. All of these groups had 45 records. Central Florida, and Florida (in general) produced many popular 60s bands. There were numerous others, great sounding groups, that didn’t have records or media promotion.
I never saw The Allman Joys (aka) Allman Brothers, or Tom Petty. I may have seen The Royal Guardsmen, at The Tiki Club. There were national acts that performed there. I saw, Sam The Sham, Q Mark & The Mysterians, Detroit Wheels and more, at The Tiki Club.
Drummer #43 is: Steve Grier. The band was, The Rockin Roadrunners. I went to Junior High School with drummer, Steve Grier. He was a very good drummer, in the style of Keith Moon, Dino Danelli and Sandy Nelson. He played a great double bass drum Ludwig drum set. I heard this group perform several times. Steve Grier has been the owner of Discount Music Center, in Orlando, for several decades.
The Rockin Roadrunners rhythm guitarist and vocalist was Charlie Lytle. Charlie had an abundance of charisma on stage. He was a real people person. As a grown up-Charlie became one of the most successful music industry sales representatives in history. Charlie worked for the Korg-Marshall company. He was legendary in the music manufacturing business.
After the Beatles on Ed Sullivan, the flood of kids forming bands, The Rockin Roadrunners became a very good Central Florida group. That period of time as a musician and fan of music is the greatest of all time (goat)
Band and drummer #44 is Tommy Ruger. The Nightcrawlers formed in Daytona Beach. They were the first Central Florida band to produce a 45 record with major radio airplay. I saw them at The Tiki Club, downtown Orlando.
Their tune, Little Black Egg, was a local hit on the radio. When I saw them, because of their record, it was like seeing a national act.
They were more than a teenage dance band, because of their record. It was an interesting time. Though I don’t play guitar, I learned to play the intro to Little Black Egg in 1966.
I don’t remember much about their song list or repertoire except, Little Black Egg. They sounded very polished and professional. Their sound has been described as sparse folk rock, popularized by The Byrd’s, The Beau Brummel’s and other post- British Invasion mid-1960s bands. I would agree.
Drummer #45 is Tom Wynn. We The People, was formed in Orlando. I heard them one time. Where else? The Tiki Club, downtown Orlando. I stood in my usual spot, off to the side of the stage where I could hear the band, and watch the drummer. All (4) of these performances took place in the period of, a few months. I was 16-years old at the time.
We The People, had a record called, My Brother, The Man, which I really liked. It was played regularly on WLOF-Channel 95.
WLOF was Central Florida’s most popular AM Radio Station in the 60s. My memory of seeing and hearing, “We The People” is very positive. They had an original sound.
Like, The Nightcrawlers, I don’t remember any other songs except their records. A band having a record, getting radio airplay was different. Guitarist, Tommy Talton and drummer, Tom Wynn, would eventually form the group, Cowboy. They released four albums on the Capricorn Records label in the 1970s.
Drummer #46 is Bobby Shea. The band is The Tropics. The Tropics, were from Tampa, but played in Central Florida. Again, I saw The Tropics at The Tiki Club. I remember them more because of their song-list and live performance.
In 1966, The Tropics won The International Battle of The Bands in Chicago. They outperformed more than 1000 bands. They acquired a recording contract with Columbia Records and released a record called “Take The Time.”
The elusive capture of a “hit record” was the prize for most 60s groups. As a performing band, The Tropics were the best. Because they were so popular and always playing gigs, it may have been the reason they weren’t as successful as recording artist.
When I saw and heard them, they duplicated The Beatles, Paperback Writer and Rain. I never heard another band replicate The Beatles as well as, The Tropics.
They were very similar to The Beatles as a band, each member playing their instrument and singing for the best performance possible.
As I mentioned, when music became a popular thing for teenagers to do, play an instrument, sing, join a band, Florida was a great place to be. All 4 of the bands I re-visited here, could have had major industry success.
That’s another topic.