John Blair
(vor drei Tagen auf seiner facebook Seite hochgeladen) ·
There were only 600 copies of the uber-obscure, 1965 Jim Head & The Del Rays' album, so this story is below the esoteric line (or way above it?). It's perhaps more of interest in a "place and time" sense, but here's the story behind this undocumented (so far) band.
Jim Head & The Del Rays began in 1962 with Jim Head (drums) and Charlie Busselle (guitar) joining forces while they were going to Golden Valley Junior High School in San Bernardino, California.
After transitioning to Pacific High School, they recruited Bob McKiernan (guitar), Dave Neal (sax), and Tom Gronewald (drums). Head moved over to bass and vocals. As it was for many bands from the time period, they named themselves after a car: The Chevrolet Delray.
Their first gig was at the YMCA where they were heard by KMEN dj, Chuck Clemons who befriended the band and helped them start on a number of fairly high-profile local gigs. Over the next couple of years, they opened for the Beach Boys at the Municipal Auditorium, performed with Roy Orbison, Dick Dale/Deltones, the Ventures, Righteous Brothers, and the Surfaris, among many others. They were set to open for the Rolling Stones at the Orange Show in June, 1964, but were not allowed to perform because the Del Rays were a non-union band.
Jim Head was proficient at playing both bass guitar and drums. The Del Rays continued performing at many locations in the Inland Empire and L.A. areas through late 1966 or ’67. They won the Enchanted Forest Battle of The Bands (see poster graphic) in Lake Arrowhead, and played many times in Crestline at the San Moritz Club. Jim Messina's band, The Jesters, also participated in the Enchanted Forest gig and Messina even sat in with The Del Rays at one time.
For a short while, the Del Rays were the house band for dj Jay Michaels’ local cable Channel 18 TV show. They also found themselves performing at a number of car shows (Gary Canning Shows, et al) in Southern California.
By 1965, the band had a number of covers and originals in their repertoire, and it was suggested that they record an album. Head’s uncle was Lloyd Norman, who had a cousin (and champion race car driver) Hayden Proffitt. He convinced Profitt to sponsor the band’s debut album, especially after Head wrote “Comet Cyclone,” inspired by Proffitt’s record-setting 427 Mercury-Comet Cyclone.
The album, “Hayden Proffitt Presents Jim Head and his Del Rays” was recorded at Bill Locy’s Riverside, California, recording studio, with “Comet Cyclone” the opening track. “Del-Ray Rock” had some local airplay on local radio stations KFXM and KMEN, and the vocal number, “Darlena,” locally charted on at least one northern California radio station. KFXM also used some of the band’s music for Fontana Raceway commercials.
The LP’s cover photo was taken at Lions Drag Strip in Long Beach, California. At the time of the album’s release, Head was attending San Bernardino Valley College, Busselle and McKiernan were teaching, and Dave Neal had a job working at the Kaiser Steel Mill in Fontana.
(thanks to Jim Head for all the background information included here)
