‘Year Two’ is due out in October.
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The Beefeaters “Don’t Hurt Me”
Rocky and the Flying Squirrels, published November 1965. The caption is incorrect. Should read from left to right: Mark Johnson (“Rocky”), Dan O’Banion, Paul Oakley, Bill McCollough (on drums), and Whit Snell. 
Rocky and His Flying Squirrels or earlier group. Top from left (I think): Paul Oakley with bass, Whit Snell, and Dan O’Banion; bottom from left: Bill McCullough and Mark Johnson. I would appreciate any help to confirm these IDs. The Beefeaters were part of the North Texas State University (NTSU) scene which included the Chessmen, but their story starts out 300 miles away, in San Antonio. Five students at Alamo Heights High School formed Rocky and the Flying Squirrels, wearing World War I aviator helmets and goggles, scarves, and turtle-neck sweaters in honor of their animated namesake.
Members included: Mark Johnson on lead vocals, Whit Snell lead guitar, Dan O’Banion rhythm guitar, Paul Oakley on bass, and Bill McCullough playing drums.
Rocky and His Flying Squirrels, in white from left (I think): Dan O’Banion with the Rickenbacker guitar, Bill McCullough drums, Paul Oakley with bass and Whit Snell. At left, is that Mark Johnson with the microphone, or is this person with another group? I would appreciate any help to confirm these IDs. They played live at Alamo Heights High School auditorium and the student-run Mule Barn teen club by the football stadium, but the band made plans for a bigger future.
Graduating in May, 1966, all except Paul Oakley agreed to attend NTSU (now the University of North Texas) in Denton, northwest of Dallas. Bill McCullough’s older brother David, Jr. took over on bass to replace Paul. David had been guitarist in his own group in San Antonio, Spider and the Flies.
They cultivated the sound and “mod” looks of the English groups of the period, and took a new band moniker to fit the image: the Beefeaters.
The Beefeaters’ first gig, on a flatbed truck on the commons by the NTSU student union, was a success and they started landing regular bookings at the Spinning Wheels skating rink and local frat parties. They bought a used ’56 Cadillac hearse, like other Denton groups, and adorned it with their band name and bumper stickers (“Eat More Beef” for one).
The Jackals, the Beefeaters, the Felicity with the Sweetarts, the Chevells and Chain Gang at Club Saracen on San Jacinto in Austin, Sunday, June 25, 1967. I’d like to know more about the Lebanon School Fund 
The Chessmen, Felicity, the Jackals, the Beefeaters and the Briks at Club Saracen on San Jacinto in Austin, Sunday, April 16, 1967 Within a short time, the manager of the Campus Theatre, George Rickrich, brought the Beefeaters into his Bismark Agency, which also represented the Briks, the Chessmen, Felicity, and the Jackals. Rickrich booked the bands for college parties throughout Texas and into Oklahoma, and clubs: including Louann’s, the Three Thieves, and the Cellar in Dallas; the Box in Ft. Worth; Club Saracen, the New Orleans Club, and the Jade Room in Austin where they also shopped for clothes at the Electric Rocking Horse.
The Beefeaters provided entertainment on a day-long chartered train, the Santa Fe Big Chief, for a football game at Wichita State U. in Kansas. The Campus Chat covered the journey:
… North Texas won the game … the dance bands played well despite their precarious perch in a bucking, 9- by 70-foot baggage car, and the legal age for buying beer in Kansas is 18 …
The New Sound plugged in to one of the three baggage cars around 9 and, after 30 minutes of blow switches, was in full swing … Dancers, about 50 at a time, battled flailing elbows and a lurching floor in the cramped car …
… the Beefeaters struck up, and the dancers were once again making the most of their promised 20 hours of fun …
A promo sheet for the group lists Whitfield Snell, David McCullough as contact in Denton, and David Black in San Antonio.
The Beefeaters, possibly at the Alpha Delta Pi sorority house, from left: Whit Snell, Mark Johnson (with jug), Bill McCullough (drums), Dan O’Banion, and David McCullough (bass) Towards the end of 1966, the Beefeaters entered a studio in Dallas to cut two originals by Whit Snell, “Don’t Hurt Me” / “Change My Mind”. The lineup that recorded these was: Mark Johnson, Whit Snell, Dan O’Banion, David McCullough, Jr., and Bill McCullough. Though satisfied with the recording, Whit thought the songs were not good enough, which may have been one reason why they didn’t see release on the Bismark label at the time. Tapes of the songs have circulated since, and they’re widely regarded as classics of the ’60s Texas teen sound.
Whit Snell of the Beefeaters at the Pusi-Kat Club, San Antonio During the Christmas holiday in 1966, the Beefeaters returned to San Antonio to play the Pusi-Kat club from December 26-30 with Lord August. When the band went back to Denton in January 1967, Mark Johnson had left the band and school to travel abroad.
The Beefeaters hearse. I’m not sure who seems to be pushing it! That same January, the Denton Record-Chronicle reported the Beefeaters hearse was stolen from the NTSU campus, and they lost $4,000 worth of amplifiers, drums and guitars. Funny enough, the first report said it was the Chessmen’s hearse, but the paper corrected the story a few days later, and a later follow-up said the instruments were recovered in Gainesville.
The 1967 and ’68 school years saw the Beefeaters expand the scope of their gig territory: as far north as Amarillo, Wichita Falls, and Oklahoma City, east to Houston, Galveston and Fort Smith, Arkansas, and south to Corpus Christi, and Matamoros, Mexico.By the summer of ’68, Dan O’Banion and Whit Snell were living at the Eagle Apartments in Dallas near Don Henley and other former Denton musicians, a musically rewarding time.
The military draft pulled any band members who left college, including David McCullough, who joined the Navy, became a Corpsman, and was assigned to the Marines. During the war he was stationed in the Philippines and served on a hospital ship. Members of other groups, such as Cecil Cotton and Steve Martin of the Briks, and Mike Neal of the Jackals had already joined the reserves and returned to the scene.
The Beefeaters on stage at Gibson’s Discount Center in Kerrville: from left: Jimmie Randall, Whit Snell, Roger Brooks or Doyle Bramhall on drums, and Dan O’Banion. 
The Beefeaters on stage at Gibson’s Discount Center, Whit Snell in foreground Because of the draft taking David, and Bill McCullough leaving at about the same time, the Beefeaters went through a rotating cast of Dallas and Denton musicians filling in for short periods, including Jimmie Randall (of the Gentlemen) on bass; Roger Brooks, then Doyle Bramhall (of the Chessmen) on drums; John Talley (of the Jackals) on keyboards; and Lee Hardesty (of the Briks) on guitar.
Doyle Bramhall or possibly Roger Brooks, performing with the Beefeaters at Gibson’s in Kerrville A series of photos taken onstage at Gibson’s Discount Center in Kerrville, TX show Jimmie Randall on bass and I believe Doyle Brahmall on drums.
The Beefeaters played the Pusi-Kat in San Antonio frequently during the summer of ’68, as well as Love Street, and a show at the Teen Canteen in October, but their most notable gig in 1968 was opening for the Jeff Beck Group at Southern Methodist University’s McFarlin Auditorium on Saturday, November 9. Their frat gigs continued into 1969 when Whit Snell left the band and school.
A shorter version of these notes accompany the new remastered 7″ release of “Don’t Hurt Me” / “Change My Mind” now available on Mojo-Bone Rekkids.
Thank you to Whit Snell, Dan O’Banion, Bill McCullough, and Mark Johnson of the Beefeaters (RIP David McCullough); William Williams (Wm Wms) of the Jackals, Birdman Cantillo, Don Julio and other contributors to the now defunct Big D ’60s yahoo group and Trinity River Music flickr group, and anyone else I’ve missed.
As always, I’d appreciate more info on the group, and help correcting any errors.
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Megadeth Announce Two Summer Headlining Shows In Wisconsin
Let there be shredded cheese.
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Greyhaven, Footballhead & CHEEM Summer U.S. Tour Revealed
Eleven dates kicking off in August.
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More Dates Booked For Nonpoint, SOiL, Spineshank & (Hed)p.e. Summer U.S. Tour
Now even more even more outta control.
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L.M.I. Set to Release V on June 19th, via Horror Pain Gore Death ~ Single & Pre-Orders Live Now
Horror Pain Gore Death Productions are set to release the new EP from Lansdale Pennsylvania’s L.M.I. – V is up now for pre-order and will be released June 19th on CD and Digital formats along with merch.
L.M.I. return to Horror Pain Gore Death Productions with the new EP V! Following up on 2024’s album Failed To Feel It, Lansdale, Pennsylvania’s L.M.I. unleash five new tracks showcasing the band’s uniquely intense blend of Sludge Metal, Hardcore Punk and Math Rock.
V will leave you in a daze of riffage and pummel you with it’s ripping guttural vocals, along with experimental dynamics and song structure, which makes the listener rethink what Hardcore Punk can contort and morph itself into.
For fans of Portrayal Of Guilt, early Mastodon, Neurosis, Imperial Triumphant, Drive Like Jehu, Napalm Death and Kylesa.
Listen to the single “Feelin’ Tired” at: youtu.be/j_hpB5PNoJE
Pre-order the CD for only $10 at: shop.horrorpaingoredeath.com/products/l-m-i-v-cd
Pre-order the Digital Download for only $6.66 at: hpgd.bandcamp.com/album/v
Pre-save this release on Spotify at: ffm.to/lmi
TRACK-LISTING:
- Feelin’ Tired
- Wings Of Misery
- Strangling A Broken Dream
- Living Fear
- Fever Dream In A Golden Cage
Source: ClawHammer PR
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Thomas Csorba on Truck-Camping and Memorializing Moments in Time
Texas singer-songwriter Thomas Csorba talks about what he does to keep busy in the sometimes-boring greenrooms far from home, a fan-favorite EP that can no longer be found, and experience gained working as a talent buyer for a Texas venue owner / promoter. -
“A week later I got a call from Led Zeppelin’s tour manager. He threatened to break my legs.” What happened when Led Zeppelin reformed for Jason Bonham’s wedding
Forget Live Aid and the O2 – the most exclusive Led Zeppelin reunion took place at a hotel in a small town in Worcestershire -
Sebastian Bach, Death Angel, Exhumed, Gruesome, Etc. Members Involved In New Version Of ‘The Transformers: The Movie’ Soundtrack
The soundtrack to the 80s animated film has been given a new life.
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Album Review: Armored Saint – Emotion Factory Reset
Album Review: Armored Saint – Emotion Factory Reset
Reviewed by Rich Oliver
Armored Saint are one of the mainstays of US heavy metal. A band that has been active on and off since 1982 and released some classic albums of balls to the wall, fist pumping heavy metal in the 80’s and early 90’s. They are a rare band who have retained mostly the same line up throughout their career with guitarist Jeff Duncan being the newest member (and by newest he joined the band in 1989!). The rest of the band – singer John Bush, bassist Joey Vera and brothers Gonzo Sandoval on the drums and Phil Sandoval on the guitars – have all been in the band since the very early days. Having played together for nearly 45 years, they all know what works with Armored Saint but also never sit comfortably and do the same album twice. As Joey Vera states ““Each Armored Saint record, to me, is like a new skin for the band, a different chapter. I don’t think we’ve ever repeated ourselves. Every album has been pretty different from the previous one, a snapshot in time”.
“Emotion Factory Reset” is Armored Saint in 2026 – the ninth album from the band and a right shitkicker of an album that acknowledges the bands past and heritage but sounds vibrant and punchy for modern audiences. As John Bush puts it – “We can all take inspiration from our previous records, but that was a different time. Armored Saint don’t want to make another March of the Saint. I want to keep moving forward, but we know who we are, it’s not like we’re going to dish out the new trip hop, black metal, bluegrass album.”
The band continue to straddle the line between straight up heavy metal and hard rock but bring in influences from each members own listening tastes and the songs themselves vary from fist banging heavy metal tunes such as ‘Close To The Bone’, ‘Hit A Moonshoot’ and ‘Throwing Caution To The Wind’ to groovy rockers such as ‘It’s A Buzzkill’, ‘Ladders And Slides’ and ‘Bottom Feeder’. The band also go into softer territory with ‘Buckeye’ which sees deeply personal lyrics from John Bush and also the use of slide guitar by Jeff Duncan.
Armored Saint have been on a winning streak with recent albums such as “Win Hands Down” and “Punching The Sky” and that streak continues with “Emotion Factory Reset”. The band have never been in the upper echelons of the heavy metal hierarchy being more of a cult act with a dedicated fanbase but the quality has always been there. As John Bush himself states “Armored Saint don’t release an album every year, it’s about quality, not quantity. At the end of the day,as long as we feel it’s great, that’s the most important thing”. Hard to argue with that and “Emotion Factory Reset” is another great album chock full of hard rocking metal anthems with fantastic songwriting and amazing performances. Any self respecting old school rocker and metalhead should be all over this album.
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