The Changing Times (Bartonville)

The Changing Times at Bradley University fraternity dance, 1968

The Changing Times were a teenage group from Bartonville, Illinois that performed around the Peoria area for much of 1967 and 1968.  Members of the quintet included Danny Newby on bass and Martin Hagerdorn on keyboards.  (The other members have not yet been identified).  During their brief time together, the group released one single on the Thunder label.

The Changing Times recorded their lone 45 at the Golden Voice Recording Co. in South Pekin in 1967.  It consisted of two covers:  Jimmy Reed's "Big Boss Man" and Vanilla Fudge's "You Keep Me Hangin' On" (written by Holland-Dozier-Holland and first recorded by the Supremes).  An advertisement for the Changing Times' performance at the Canton Teen Center from November 1967 stated "Will Have A New Record Out Soon."

 

In the summer of 1967 the Changing Times were runners-up in the statewide Combo Clash at the Young America Fair (part of the Illinois State Fair).  They lost to the Holidays from Springfield.  Their biggest performance however came the next year when they were one of three Peoria groups to open for the Turtles at the Expo Gardens Youth Building on April 15, 1968.  The other two local groups were the Suburban 9 to 5 and the Coachmen.

For the next six months or so, the Changing Times continued to perform at area dances including several at Bradley University.  The group appears to have broken up by 1969.

Marty Hagerdorn eventually joined the band Souled Out, another Peoria-area group that had recorded a single at Golden Voice.  They later changed their name to the Kule-Aid Kids.  Over the years, Danny Newby played in several area bands as well including the Flying D'Rito Brothers.  Newby passed away in 1994 at the age of 44.  Hagerdorn passed in 2002.