“Baby Let’s Wait/Black Lantern”- Caesar and His Romans:
“Black Lantern”: part of the soundtrack to a bizarre lost film or merely a joke?
Caesar and His Romans was an American garage band formed in Buffalo, New York in 1964 consisting of band members Dan Cook, Bill Burt, Chuck Vicario, David Burt, and Carl Durant. The group recorded two singles on the New York-based GJM Records in 1967 and 1968 and later recorded two additional singles on the now-defunct Scepter Records in 1969. “Baby Let’s Wait/Black Lantern” was the group’s second effort from '68. Under the B-side title, there is text that reads “(From the movie: ‘The Atomic Grandmother’)”. Though there is little information on the supposed film online, a description was found describing The Atomic Grandmother:
“This humorous but heartwarming story tells of an elderly woman forced to work at a nuclear power plant in order to make ends meet. At night, Granny sits on her porch and tells about her colorful past, and the family uses her to cook barbeques and power small electrical appliances. Maureen Stapleton gives a glowing performance.”
Actress Maureen Stapleton, the supposed "Atomic Grandmother" in the film
Despite this convincing description, nothing else about The Atomic Grandmother can be found. It is most likely that the film was a joke between the band and perhaps the label. Although there may never be more to the story, it's interesting to think about the possible existence of an unconventional explotation film about someone's radioactive meemaw; the sixties truly were a different time.
Ceasar & His Romans pictured sometime in the '60s
(From left to right): Dan Cook, Bill Burt, Chuck Vicario (seated), David Burt and Karl Durant.
“I Can’t Take It/Faye’s Gig”- The Inferno 5 + 1:
a haunting garage two-sider featured in a lost horror film!
The Inferno 5+1 was a Canadian garage band from Sudbury, Ontario consisting of vocalist John Bell, guitarists Lance Whitman, and Randy LaRocque, bassist Wayne Wallace, keyboardist Dave Powers, and drummer Les Maki. The band released one single in 1967 entitled “I Can’t Take It” backed with “Fay’s Gig” on Villa Records. “I Can’t Take It” is a killer, raw, primitive track with a repetitive, infectious riff that gets stuck in your head and stays there until it's had enough with you. This track was recorded at the group’s local radio station, CHNO. “Fay’s Gig” has unfortunately yet to surface online (if anyone has a recording or label transfer let us know!) Both tracks on the single are listed as being “from the motion picture ‘Attack of the Brain Demon.’” According to guitarist Lance Whitman in an article by Chris Bishop for Garage Hangover, Attack of the Brain Demon was an independent student film shown only at a Sudbury drive-in in 1967. Whitman says, as far as he knows, “I Can’t Take It” was not included in the film, but “Fay’s Gig” was.
Attack of the Brain Demon was produced by Lawrence “Larry” Zazelenchuk, a 19-year-old Sudbury High School student. Attack of the Brain Demon is only described as "Science-Fiction Terror!" on the poster for the drive-in showing; no thorough plot summaries have surfaced, but it all seems pretty straightforward. The film was shot in black-and-white 16mm film and was produced by Zazelenchuk for $3,500.
A photo of the band performing sometime in the '60s at the Inferno Club in Sudbury, Ontario
A poster for the drive-in showing of Attack of the Brain Demon
“Witch Girl/Land of the Green Sun"- The Mystrys
a garage band made up of aliens from the "land of the green sun?"
The Mystrys featured in a newspaper article highlighting the bizarre nature of the group's gimmick
The Mystrys' debut single "Witch Girl" released in June 1966 on Orbot and Leedon Records
In honor of Halloween, here’s an article about a “mysterious” garage band with a spooky novelty single you should be spinning at your Halloween parties this weekend. The Mystrys were from Melbourne, Australia. Their original lineup consisted of singer and bassist Charlie Bayliss, lead guitarist Ziggy Zapata, and drummer Malcolm McPhee. The group was started by entrepreneur and businessman Michael Kopp in 1966. Kopp’s vision for the band was to have some sort of gimmick he believed would launch them to stardom. Kopp also recruited media consultant Bob King Crawford, to be the group’s songwriter.
The gimmick Kopp developed involved the band having to wear green velvet hoods over their heads when performing and making public appearances. Instead of revealing their true identities, the band members referred to themselves with bizarre, alien-sounding names such as Ankharr, Kuff, and GMX. They claimed that they were hundreds of years old and from the “land of the green sun,” the subject of “Witch Girl’s” B-side. The band also claimed there was a fifth (and invisible) group member named Finstar.
Their debut single, the novelty track “Witch Girl” was released in June 1966 on Leedon Records. The track included bubbling cauldron sound effects, haunting female backing vocals, and horror-themed lyrics. While the single was largely ignored by major radio stations, it was a minor hit on local charts. The group appeared on Australian music television series such as Go!! and Kommotion and played shows in various locations in Victoria and South Australia. Unfortunately, Michael Kopp has a habit of passing bad checks at the height of the band's run and disappeared when the federal police came to apprehend him. Without Kopp’s financial backing, the band was forced to break up. Lead guitarist Ziggy Zapata stated, “There did not seem to be much future for a band that was a complete mystery to its targeted fan base.”
Evidence that The Mystrys aren't aliens! (from left to right) band members Kevin Thomas, Ziggy Zapata and Charlie Bayliss shown with members of The Kontacts, a group they frequently toured with