The Vanguards (Mendota)

The Vanguards were five teenagers from Mendota, Illinois: Tony Martin, vocals; Jack Wagner, lead guitar; Jim Larkin, rhythm guitar; Benny Sutton, bass guitar; and Gary Fitzgerald, drums.  All were students at Mendota High School.

The combo formed in 1964 and got their start playing at the local youth center, the Mendota Kanteen.  

By 1966, the group was performing throughout the northern half of Illinois, including gigs in DeKalb, Dixon, Princeton, Ottawa, Streator and even Chicago.   

In early 1966 the group travelled to the Universal Recording Studio in Chicago for a recording session.  The end result was a single which the band self-released in the summer of that year.

The 45 included "What's Wrong With You," an original written by Martin and Fitzgerald, along with a cover of Chuck Berry's "Roll Over Beethoven" on the flip side.  (The audio in the YouTube videos below was transferred directly from the master tapes not from a record.)

 

The band also made several other recordings which were never released at the time.  They included covers of "Bulldog," "Hi-Heel Sneakers" and "Kansas City,' as well as two originals:

"Cool Richie" & "Peachtree"

  

Informal live recordings done at the Mendota Kanteen in 1966 show the band doing a number of Rolling Stones' covers (Paint It Black, Satisfaction, As Tears Go By, Get Off My Cloud & The Last Time) as well as songs by as the Kinks, the Turtles and the Animals.   Their sets included a number of Ventures-inspired instrumentals as well, such as “Pipeline,” “Diamond Head,” "Walk Don't Run" and “Perfidia.”

The group continued to perform through the summer of 1967 including gigs in nearby Compton and Amboy.  By 1968 however the members had all graduated high school and went their separate ways (i.e. Vietnam), bringing an end to the band.

Fast forward to 2010, when singer Tony Martin and his wife were involved in a car accident which left him with serious spinal injuries.   A benefit was planned for Martin in January 2011.  The day before the event, all of the members of the Vanguards joined Martin at his bedside.  It was the first time in 43 years they were all together again.

Around the same time, a Vanguards CD was produced and sold to help raise money for Martin.  Incredibly, the band members were still in possession of the master tapes and acetates from their '66 sessions.  The CD included "remastered" versions of the single along with unreleased tracks (see above YouTube videos).

Tony Martin passed away in 2014.  In the 40+ years after the Vanguards he continued to sing, performing with multiple area bands such as the Old News Band, Rum and Chowder and Lonwolf.

Guitarist John "Jack" Wagner continues to write and perform music in Texas to this day.  You can listen and purchase his latest release HERE.   He also writes musical stage plays.  His most recent, Dream Catcher: The Ray Scott Story, is currently being produced by the Mystic Cat Society in Houston.

The Byrds Flock to Illinois on First U.S. Tour (July 1965)

In early July 1965, just as their single "Mr. Tambourine Man" reached number one on the pop charts, the Byrds set out on their first national tour.  

Over the course of a month, the band performed more than 25 times in ten different states.  With the exception of a weekend detour to Miami Beach for the Columbia Records Sales Convention, almost all of the shows took place in the Midwest.  The venues were mostly amusement parks, rec and youth centers, and small town ballrooms.

Using Chicago (Roger McGuinn's hometown) as their base of operations, the group zig-zagged across the middle of the country on a Trailways bus.   Traveling with the band was a troupe of go-go dancers led by L.A. freakster Carl Franzoni.

In his book, Mr. Tambourine Man: The Life and Legacy of the Byrds' Gene Clark, John Einarson detailed life on the road during the '65 tour of the Midwest:

The Byrds' trek across America was in a regular Continental Trailways excursion bus replete with standard bus seats.  No bunks, bedrooms, bars, or kitchen like today's touring buses; just your normal 60-passenger bus pulling a trailer with the group's gear (including new Fender Dual Showman amplifiers boasting 100 watts - the loudest on the market at the time - courtesy of CBS, who had recently acquired the renowned instrument maker).  

Along for the trip were L.A. scene-makers Vito [Paulekas] and Carl [Franzoni] and their entourage of crazed hippie dancers whose uninhibited gyrations caused quite a stir in the heartlands of America.   

The Byrds appeared in Illinois repeatedly during this month long tour.  Some of their shows however have never been properly documented.   Their performance at the Hi Society Youth Center in Peru, Illinois on July 30th, for example, has been overlooked by most chroniclers of the band.   

One of the first shows on the tour was a six hour dance scheduled at Rockford College.  The July 10th concert ran from 5:30 pm to 11:30 pm at the College Fieldhouse.  The only other band on the bill were the Chicago-based Blackstones.  The Rockford Morning Star reported that "hundreds" of teenagers enjoyed the show.

 

Earlier that same day, the Byrds appeared at Sears locations across Chicagoland with WLS DJ Ron Riley.  To the first 200 fans at each store, free pictures of the group were to be given out.  The locations and times were the State Street store 10-10:30; Irving Park & Cicero 11-11:30; Harlem & North 12:15-12:45; Oakbrook 1:30-2 pm. 

Over 10,000 teenagers showed up to see the group between the four locations.  The Rockford newspaper reported that 2,000 teenagers rioted at the Arlington Heights shopping center.

The band would not give another concert in Illinois for two more weeks, however the Byrds made national news on July 20 after an incident at the O'Hare Inn near Chicago's airport.   It was reported that the band was barred from eating breakfast at the motel when they arrived at the dining room without any shoes on.   The group eventually returned wearing cowboy boots.

 

The motel's president announced that rock 'n roll musicians would be banned from staying at the motel going forward.  He added that the Byrds dressed "more in keeping with a flophouse than a respectable motel."

The band's next performance in Illinois was their July 24th show at the Arie Crown Theater, McCormick Place in Chicago.  The 8:30 performance was part of the "Summer of Stars - '65" series.  The Shadows of Knight were the opening group.

According to Christopher Hjort's book, So You Want to Be a Rock 'n' Roll Star: The Byrds Day-by-Day, 1965-1973, the band played a gig in East St. Louis the following evening.  He mentions that the concert was possibly held at the Casa-Loma Ballroom which, if true, is actually across the river in St. Louis, Missouri.

Next the Byrds would go to Kentucky, Ohio and Michigan before finishing their tour in Illinois.  Just two days before leaving for England, the Byrds landed at the Hi Society youth center in Peru, Illinois.  

Incredibly, a Friday night concert by one of the hottest bands in the country was held in a basement venue that could fit a few hundred kids at most.   The show was scheduled from 8 to 11 pm.  Daniel Marenda, who was in attendance that night, shared on X that Chis Hillman's bass amp failed during the show and the band had to borrow one from a local group.

The next night, according to a newspaper article in the Park Forest Star, the Byrds finished their tour at the Park Forest Recreational Center in Park Forest, Illinois.

Hjort's book however presents a different series of concerts at the end of the tour:

The Byrds wind up their Midwest tour with dates in Paris, IL (playing the Pavilion in Twin Lakes Amusement Park), and a pair of hastily arranged suburban Chicago school bookings at Morton High School, Berwyn, IL, and Arlington Heights High School, Arlington Heights, IL - the latter with The Shadows of Knight in support again.

In John Rogan's book, Timeless Flight: The Definitive Biography of the Byrds, the Paris, Illinois date is somewhat confirmed by Liz Donahue, one of the members of the dance troupe:

It was amazing.  I don't think the Mid-West was ready for Carl Franzoni and the whole troupe of us.  We'd go into restaurants in the Mid-West and they wouldn't wait on us.   They thought we were something from Outer Space.  In Paris, Illinois, they actually threw us off the dance floor.  I think they cancelled the gig that night."

On Sunday August 1st, the Byrds flew out of Chicago, headed for London to begin their first overseas tour.  The days of playing small town ballrooms and rec centers in the heartland was short-lived.  Like the Kinks tour of the state in 1965, never again would the youth of Illinois get such an intimate look at one of the iconic bands of the 1960's.

If you saw the Byrds on this early tour and want to share your memories, please leave a comment below or get in touch directly at:  downstatesounds@gmail.com 

July 1965 Tour Dates & Additional Info

July 3    Hollywood Bowl        Los Angeles, CA

Prior to leaving on tour, the Byrds were part of the Beach Boys Summer Spectacular at the Hollywood Bowl on July 3rd.  In addition to the Byrds, the show featured the Beach Boys, the Kinks, Sir Douglas Quintet, Sam the Sham, Sonny & Cher, the Righteous Brothers, and several others.  According to Billboard, about 15,000 people attended the concert.

July 4 Jane Fonda's house       Malibu, CA

The Byrds performed at Jane Fonda's 4th of July party.

July 5 Lakeside Amusement Park     Lakeside, CO

The Moonrakers, a Denver-area band, opened for the Byrds.

July 6 Coliseum Annex Sioux Falls, SD

July 7 Prom Ballroom St. Paul, MN

July 8 Inwood Ballroom     Spillville, IA

Hjort's book contradicts this date.  He claims that the group played in Duluth, MN on the 8th and performed at the Inwood Ballroom on the 14th.

July 10 Sears (five locations) - 10 am - 2 pm Chicago, IL

           

July 10 Rockford College Rockford, IL

         

July 11 Terp Ballroom Austin, MN

July 13 Roof Garden Ballroom     Arnolds Park, IA
         
Hjort claims that the Byrds failed to show up for this gig and that the Thunderbolts from nearby Carroll, IA play instead.

July 15 Pla-Mor Ballroom     Rochester, MN

Jul 16 & 17 Columbia Records Sales Convention, Americana Hotel     Miami Beach, FL

The Byrds flew down to Miami Beach for the weekend to attend the Columbia Records Sales Convention held at the Americana Hotel.  They arrived at the same time as some of the Miss Universe contestants which was being held in Miami Beach the following weekend. 

July 18 Idora Park Youngstown, OH

Carl Franzoni recalls being punched in the stomach during this performance (Someone in Youngstown was not a fan of his dancing). 

July 19 LeSourdville Lake Park Monroe, OH

 

Billboard reported that the Byrds performed to a capacity 2,800 people in two 45-minute performances at LeSourdsville Park, located half-way between Hamilton and Middletown, OH.  This shattered the attendance record set at the park by the Beach Boys earlier in the year.  Jim Smith, program director at WSAI and promoter of the show reported that hundred were turned away. 

July 20 Centennial Recreation Center Sylvania, OH

Hjort lists a different location entirely for this date:  The Sugar Shack in Chillicothe, OH  (He adds the band showed up two hours late.)   

July 21 Cedar Point Ballroom        Sandusky, OH

According to the Sandusky Register, the band performed for around 300 youngsters at the Cedar Point Ballroom.

July 22 Band Canyon     Bay City, MI

For details about the show in Bay City, including several first hand accounts, see Michigan Rock and Roll Legends.

July 23 Indiana Beach Monticello, IN

July 24 Arie Crown Theatre Chicago, IL

July 25    East St. Louis, IL / St. Louis, MO

July 26 Gypsy Village Nightclub Louisville, KY

July 27 Forest Park Arena Dayton, OH

 

July 28 Grand Haven Roller Rink Grand Haven, MI

In addition to the dancers and scene-makers, another person traveling with the Byrds was a young Bryan MacLean, founding member of the band Love.  MacLean was friends with David Crosby and was hired as a sort of equipment manager.

In an interview, MacLean said this about his role:   "I realize now I was just a roadie. When they were on the "Mr. Tambourine Man" tour which was cross-country, they hired a guy to be the road manager.

I remember thinking, "Why are they calling him the road manager? I'm the road manager." I referred to myself as the road manager of the Byrds for years and years before I realized there was a distinction.

After the concert in Grand Haven, Michigan, a picture ran in the Muskegon Chronicle of the band's "assistant manager" which appears to be MacLean.   The article, like so many in those days, seemed obsessed with the length of everyone's hair. 

July 30 Hi Society Youth Center Peru, IL

July 31 Park Forest Recreation Center Park Forest, IL

The Buffum Tool Co. (Champaign-Urbana)

The Buffum Tool Co. were a 1960's folk-rock group made up of students from the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign.  They played mostly original material with a sound that was heavily influenced by groups such as the Byrds, Love and Buffalo Springfield.

Band members included Phillip Ross, Frank Pytko, Frederick Thady, Donald McCrea Kennedy and Gerry Smith.  An early lineup of the band reportedly included a drummer named Snake Larsen.

The group performed primarily the circuit of bars and small venues throughout Illinois and around the Midwest.  During the "Summer of Love" however the group travelled to San Francisco and spent three weeks performing at the Matrix while crashing in Steve Miller's attic.  There they met bands such as Jefferson Airplane, Moby Grape and Quicksilver Messenger Service before returning to Illinois.

Only a few years earlier, the band was playing dances and frat parties on the campus of the University of Illinois.   In those early days the group was known as the Barbarians.

For several months in early 1966, the group was being represented by G & G Enterprises, a booking agency based in Champaign.  Eventually the group was picked up by promoter Ken Adamany and his Wisconsin-based agency.

Around that same time the band decided to change their name.  For a brief period they were known as Our Mothers Children before settling on the Buffum Tool Company.  

By the end of 1966, the group began to perform more in Chicago, Northern Illinois and Wisconsin.  In December of 1966 and into the new year, the group played a number of shows at the Cellar in Arlington Heights.  They also performed at other Chicagoland teen clubs such as the Crimson Cougar.

In late June of 1967, the band opened for the Five Americans on a few dates including Sterling, Illinois and Janesville, Wisconsin.  In July, the band continued to perform in various Wisconsin locations including La Crosse and Appleton. 

By early August, the group headed west for a gig in Colorado.  (Ken Adamany's agency maintained a satellite office in Aspen.)  Inspired however by the mass migration of young people to San Francisco that particular summer, the band left Colorado and headed straight to California.

Within days, thanks to a few key connections, the band was on stage at the Matrix, a Haight-Ashbury nightclub owned in part by Jefferson Airplane's Marty Balin.  For several weeks in August of 1967, the Buffum Tool Co served as the unofficial house band for the venue.  During that period, the group opened for the Sons of Champlin on several occasions.

While in San Francisco, Adamany likely helped arrange for the group to stay at Steve Miller's house.  Miller and Adamany had been in a band together in Wisconsin in the early 1960s.

Miller, who was renting an old Victorian mansion in Haight-Ashbury, had multiple beds set up in his attic and the house served as a gathering point for musicians and friends.  Others living there at the time included Albert King and Boz Scaggs (another former bandmate of Adamany).

The Buffum boys however were eventually asked to leave the house when the group's road manager got involved with someone else's girlfriend.  After that the band slept on the stage of the Matrix before making their way back to the Midwest.

Despite the fact that they wrote a lot of their own material, the Buffum Tool Co never officially released any music.  However they did make some informal recordings.   Phillip Ross, in a 2020 interview with the internet radio show Acid Flashback, shared two of their songs.  According to Ross, they were recorded live in a barn in Janesville, Wisconsin in 1967.  Both songs were written by Gerry Smith.

  

"Hiding In Your Mind" & "Yesterday's Dreams"

  

Sometime after returning from California, Phillip Ross left the band.  He was replaced by singer Brian Cook and bassist Larry Minton.  Both had been members of the Champaign group, Somebody Groovy.

According to comments left by Frank Pytko on the website Hollywood Hangover, the Buffum Tool Co. were the replacement act for Otis Redding after his plane crashed over Lake Monona in Madison, WI on December 10, 1967.   The Madison club where Redding and the Bar-Kays were scheduled to play was the Factory, which was owned by Ken Adamany.  The other group on the original bill was another Adamany group, Rockford's Grim Reapers (which included a young Rick Nielsen).

The Buffum Tool Co continued to perform around the U of I campus into 1968.   In February, they were listed in the Blytham Ltd. roster of bands which suggests they may have parted ways with Adamany at some point.

It is unclear when exactly the band called it quits but it was likely sometime before the end of 1968.

The Hollyood Hangover site includes a comment from Donald McCrea Kennedy which describes the bands last few gigs:  "After four years of gigging, and having decided to hang it up, we played a packed farewell gig at the McKinley YMCA gym [in Champaign], to our throng of adoring fans, and then foolishly played one more gig - a high school dance in Dixon, Illinois, where, afterwards, we had to defend ourselves with mace while fending off an attack from some 30 or so drunken redneck factory workers of that fine town."

The Inner Sanctums (Virden)

The Inner Sanctums were a teenage combo from Macoupin and Sangamon counties in downstate Illinois.  The group released a lone single in 1968 and had a brief moment of national exposure due to their appearance on the television show Happening '68.

The leader of the Inner Sanctums was bass player Dave Hogan from Virden.  Other members of the group included his younger brother, Joe Hogan, on drums; Gene Skeen of Gerard played lead guitar and sang; Mike Bates of Carlinville on rhythm guitar; and Linda Williamson from Auburn played the organ.

The band formed sometime in 1966 when most of the band members were still in high school or younger.  Other than Dave Hogan, who had been taking bass lessons at the time, the boys in the group did not know how to play their instruments when they first started.  Williamson, a former neighbor to the Hogans and the oldest member of the group, however had been playing the piano for six years when she decided to join the combo. 

By November of that year, the Inner Sanctums participated in a “Battle of the Bands” in Divernon, Illinois.  Other contestants included The Syndicates of Chatham and the Vibratones from Carlinville.  No word on who won the contest.

The Inner Sanctums would continue to perform in the area at school dances and other events for more than five years.  By the summer of 1968, the group had a standing gig at the VFW Hall in Gerard on Wednesday nights.

In an August 1967 article in the Jacksonville Journal Courier, the band was described as “having cut several records and have been extremely popular wherever they have performed.”  Despite the claim, it seems unlikely that the band had made any records at this point.

In 1968 however, the band did record a single at the Golden Voice Recording Co. in South Pekin, Illinois.  Released simply as Inner Sanctum on the studio’s house label, Thunder Records, the record included two songs written by guitarist Gene Skeen.

"Can't Make It Without You"  /  "Times Are Getting Better"

 

The group's big break came that same year when  a cousin of the Hogans attended a taping of American Bandstand in California and mentioned the Inner Sanctums to the show’s producers.  Incredibly, the show reached out to the band and asked for a tape which the group happily supplied.

Out of hundreds of submissions, the band was chosen to appear on Happening ‘68, a musical variety show hosted by Mark Lindsay and Paul Revere that aired after American Bandstand on ABC.  (For another Downstate band to appear on the show, see the Mod 4.)

In May of 1968, the band flew to Los Angeles for four days, to tape two episodes of the show.  While in California, the group reportedly met Moby Grape, the Electric Flag, Stevie Wonder and Carol Burnett.

On Saturday afternoon June 1st, 1968 the band's episode aired nationally.  Michael Christian (Peyton Place), Stephen Young (Judd) and Christopher George (Rat Patrol) were the judges for the amateur band contest.  Unfortunately, footage from the episode does not appear to have survived.   

It is unclear what song the Inner Sanctums performed on the show but apparently it went well because they advanced to the next round of the contest and appeared in another episode a few weeks later.

Despite the national exposure and a new single, not much seemed to change for the band.  An article in the Illinois State Register around the time mentioned that a St. Louis firm was going to take over distribution of their record.   If true, the distribution was fairly limited.  Fifty-plus years later, copies of the record remain scarce.

The group eventually simplified their name to just Inner Sanctum for live appearances.  They continued to perform in the Virden area at least until early 1972.

For more on the band including some details about other recordings the band made, see the Golden Voice Recording Co.'s post from 2014.

Kookie Cook (Danville)

Arlie Neaville aka Dean Carter is responsible for some of the wildest sounds to come out of downstate Illinois (or anywhere else for that matter) in the mid-1960's.

Neaville, originally from Champaign, gravitated east to Danville, Illinois in the early 60's where he surrounded himself with a gang of talented, like-minded musicians.  One of those people was drummer Richard "Kookie" Cook.

   

Cook, a member of Neaville's backing band - The Lucky Ones, was also part of the unofficial house band at Arlie Miller's Midnite Sound recording studio located on the outskirts of Danville.

It was there that Miller, Neaville and Cook, along with a handful of other area musicians, recorded dozens of late night sessions, experimenting and honing their unique sound.

Cook, however, was not strictly a session man.   Kookie was also a bandleader and a singer that released at least two singles under his own name.  In addition, Cook wrote and recorded several incredible songs that went unreleased at the time but eventually saw the light of day.

Other members of Kookie's band (according to the above promo photo) included Karl Reed, Mark James, Johnnie Dee and Dave Diamond.

Cook's first single, released as Kookie and Satalites, was a cover of the Duane Eddy instrumental "Rebel Walk" backed with "Boy Meets Girl," an original song penned by Neaville and Miller.   The two Arlies also produced the record which was released on the Chicago label GMA in 1964.

 

In the spring of 1964, Kookie recorded two more instrumentals in Chicago, again under the name the Satalites.  Both songs, "Space Race" and "Space Monster," were again credited to Neaville and Miller.  Both would remain unreleased for 40 years.

 

The next year, Miller and Neaville started their own record label in Danville, Milky Way Records.  While the label only released a handful of singles, one of them was by Cook.

Listed simply as Kookie on the record, the single included a cover of Roy Orbison's "Ooby Doody" with the original "You Took Her Love" on the flip side.  The song was credited to Miller, Neaville and Cook.

 

The single was reviewed in the November 13, 1965 issue of Cash Box.  Both songs received a grade of B, with "Ooby Dooby" labelled a "lite tuned reading of the Roy Orbison oldie," while "You Took Her Love" was described simply as "mournful lost love."

Nothing in Kookie's official releases however can adequately prepare the listener for the songs that Cook recorded but never released.   

In 2004, Ace subsidiary Big Beat Records released The Midnite Sound of the Milky Way.  Researched and compiled by Alec Palao, the collection gathered a number of unissued songs recorded at Arlie Miller's studio, including several tracks by Kookie.

The liner notes do not provide specific dates for Kookie's unissued songs, but it appear that many were recorded in 1966 or early 1967 - sometime after "Ooby Dooby" but before the Milky Way label folded.

Several songs clearly bare a sonic resemblance to the Dean Carter releases around that same time.  Kookie's pounding drums and tortured screams even match Carter's intensity and wild abandon.   Prime examples include Cook originals such as "Working Man," "Revenge," "Misery," and "Don't Lie." 

 

 

In the liner notes of Midnite Sound of the Milky Way, Arlie Miller said this about the songs, "On most of his stuff, Kookie had the original idea, and Neaville and I would help on it, or one of his band members.  I had 'Workin' Man' all leadered up and ready to send to [pressing plant] RCA, but Kookie said forget it, he knew that we weren't gonna get any hits."

Just like that it was over.  Soon after, for a few reasons, the Milky Way label came to a sudden demise.  There is no evidence that Cook recorded ever again.

If not for the Midnite Sound of the Milky Way compilation, the far out sounds of Kookie Cook would have been completely lost and forgotten. 

_

The last single released on the Milky Way label was Dean Carter's mind-blowing take on "Jailhouse Rock." For more about "one of the most otherworldly rockabilly singles ever made" see Plastic Crimewave's recent edition of The Secret History of Chicago Music.

In addition to Midnite Sound of the Milky Way, please be sure to check out Big Beat's other compilation, Dean Carter - Call of the Wild!

Ben Cooley, Bill McManners & The Arkansas Travelers (Champaign-Urbana)

The Arkansas Travelers were, oddly enough, not from Arkansas at all.  Instead, the popular Illinois country band originated from the Champaign-Urbana area.

Ben Cooley of Seymour, Illinois was the band's leader and guitar player.   His brother, Ken Cooley, was also in the group along with Bill McManners and Lyle Dillman.  

By 1963, Tommy Morgan had replaced Dillman.  Ron Riddle of Bloomington also joined the group on pedal steel at some point.

In the 1960's the Travelers were regulars on WHOW radio in Clinton as well as Uncle Johnny Barton's "Corn Belt Country Style" television show on WAND-TV in Decatur.   The popular program was broadcast across several stations in the Midwest and lasted for nearly six years.  As a result the group had their own fan club at the time and even released a newsletter, Travelers Trails.

The band performed regularly at festivals, fairs and hillbilly jamborees around the state alongside Barton and other local country and bluegrass groups.  They were often on the bill when stars of the Grand Ole Opry and other country performers came through central Illinois.  

In 1960, the Arkansas Travelers opened up for a 15-year-old Brenda Lee at the Champaign County Fair.  Also performing that weekend was Webb Pierce, Carl Smith, Red Sovine and Stonewall Jackson.

In 1964, the Travelers shared the stage with a young John Hartford at the Le Roy Fall Festival.  Hartford, who had been a DJ at WHOW, would have been well known to the group and country fans in the area, long before "Gentle On My Mind."

In a 1996 article, Ben Cooley mentions that the band in its heyday performed on shows with Loretta Lynn, Tex Ritter, Ray Price, Smiley Burnett, Porter Wagoner and Billy Walker.

In addition to playng live, the Travelers produced more records than nearly any other country act from downstate Illinois in that era.  Between 1958 and 1964 the group recorded and released at least 10 singles on three different labels.  

Their first record, "My Blue Eyed Baby" b/w "The Sun Shines Brighter," was released in 1958 under the name Bill & Ben and the Arkansas Travelers.   It was a Starday Custom pressing (#715) released on their own Traveler Records.  The address on the label was 601 E. University, Champaign, Illinois.

The second 45, released in 1960, was also a Starday Custom pressing (#878) on Traveler Records.  This time they were credited simply as the Arkansas Travelers.  The address given was P.O. Box 61, Seymour, ILL.

 

"You Ask Me" was written by Ben Cooley, while "Just One More" was written by Bill McManners.

Next the Arkansas Travelers recorded at least four singles for Ben Baldwin Jr. and his Benz Record Company in Champaign.   The label produced primarily records for square dancing.

1207  Arkansas Travelers - "Arkansas Mountain Rag" / "Travelers Boogie" 1961

1208  Arkansas Travelers - "Whadausay" (caller: Ben Baldwin Jr.) / "Whadausay (Instr.)" 1961

1211  Arkansas Travelers - "Wooden Heart" (caller: Ben Baldwin Jr.) / "Wooden Heart" (Instr.) 1961

1215  Arkansas Travelers Orchestra - "Loose Goose" / "Randy Lynn Rag" 1962

Between 1961 and 1963, the group also released three 45s on the Nashville label, which essentially consolidated the Starday Custom pressings under a single label name.   The recordings were done at the Starday Studios in Nashville, TN.   It was very likely during one of these trips to Tennessee that the Travelers performed at the Grand Ole Opry as well as Ernest Tubbs Record Shop.

5013  Ben & Bill and the Arkansas Travelers - "My One Mistake" / "Monkey See Monkey Do"  1961

(Some later pressings list the artist as Ben Cooley and the Arkansas Travelers. )  

 

"My One Mistake" was written by Ben Cooley.   "Monkey See Monkey Do" was written by McManners.

For the next few releases, the group dropped "Arkansas" from their name and were simply known as the Travelers, at least on record.

5110  The Travelers - "Make Believe World" / "Lips That Do The Talking"  1963

"Make Believe World" was written by Ben Cooley and Tom Morgan, with vocals by Cooley.   "Lips That Do The Talking" was written and sung by Bill McManners.

5154  The Travelers - "Most Of The Time" / "Passions Over Conscience"  1963

 

Ben Cooley handled the vocals for both sides and wrote "Passion."  McManners penned "Most Of The Time.

The group's last known release was in 1964 on the Midwest Record Company out of Champaign.  Other central Illinois artists on the label included Marvin Lee (Flessner) from St. Joseph, Junior Garner from Decatur and Jack Reno who was a radio personality that worked at WHOW at the time.

4004 The Travelers -  "I Even Fooled Myself " / "Keep Your Money (And Save Your Breath)"  1964

 

Both songs were were written by Tom Morgan.   Vocals for "I Even Fooled Myself" by Ben Cooley while Morgan sang "Keep Your Money."

Ben Cooley and the Arkansas Travelers continued to perform live until at least 1975.  However, there is no evidence that the band recorded anything after 1964.

The Arkansas Travelers at WHOW circa 1963:  Bill McManners, Ben Cooley, Ken Cooley, Tom Morgan