Motherfox (Charleston)

Motherfox (sometimes written as Mother Fox) was an early 1970's rock band based in Charleston, Illinois.  Most of the band members were students at Eastern Illinois University at the time:

• Steve Huston - Vocals
• Clyde Sims, Jr. - Guitar
• Bruce Berry - Bass
• Dennis Ostermann - B3 Hammond Organ
• Ron Walker - Drums
• David Mitchell - Trumpet
• Steve Derry - Trumpet
• Tom Snader - Trombone

Prior to Motherfox, Steve Huston had been a founding member of Head East but left the group temporarily while attending college.  Clyde Sims and Bruce Berry had previously been members of the Fugitives in Decatur, Illinois, where they had recorded two singles as teenagers in the mid-1960's.  Sims wrote two of the group's originals:

"I Asked Her" & "(I Aint Gonna Give Up) My Way of Life"

 

Motherfox first started performing in the summer of 1971.  They were one of the first bands to play at Ted's Warehouse, Charleston's legendary rock venue / drinking establishment.

The group was soon being booked by the Champaign talent agency Blytham Ltd.  Like most bands on their roster, Motherfox played the college and bar circuit throughout Illinois and neighboring states.  They were sometimes billed as "featuring the sound of Chicago."

In May 1972, the band recorded several original tracks at Golden Voice Recording Co. in South Pekin, Illinois:

• The Change Is Comin'
• Morning
• You Gotta Live

These recordings circulated among fans of the band but never saw an official release.  Years later, Dennis Ostermann made them available on his SoundCloud page.  In addition, he shared multiple live recordings of the band, including more originals as well as an entire set from Ted's Warehouse.  

Dennis Ostermann · Motherfox 1972

Here is "Suite To The Sun," written by Clyde Sims and recorded live at Ted's Warehouse on August 25, 1972.

Motherfox were only together for a few more months before calling it quits.  Steve Huston would go back to drumming and singing with Head East by 1973.  He went on to write over half the songs on their 1975 debut album, Flat As A Pancake, and remained with the group for the next decade.  Huston passed away in 2023.

Motherfox actually re-formed in early 1975.  They ran ads in the Daily Illini and Eastern News, looking for a saxophone player and a guitarist.

By the spring they were played gigs throughout central Illinois again, including shows at the Red Lion in Champaign and Bloomington.  Their return, however, only seems to have lasted a few months.

Guitarist Clyde Sims eventually joined Jim Easter and the Artistics, a Charleston / Matoon group that first got its start in the early 1960's.  Sims recorded one album with the group in 1977.  He passed away in 2019.  

Dennis Ostermann would form the Ashby Ostermann Alliance in 1977 in Charleston.  The group relocated to the Chicagoland area where they self-released their first album in 1981.  They reunited in 2016 and released a second album a few years later.

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For more on Ted's Warehouse and the Charleston rock scene:

Missing Links (Rockford)

The Missing Links formed in the mid-1960's in Rockford, Illinois.  The band members included Russ Caltagerone (drums), Jim Smith (guitar), Allen Bell (vocals), Dick Campbell (bass) and Steve Distefano (organ).  Their music was advertised as rhythm & blues, rock and soul.  By the end of 1967, they were one of the more popular teenage groups in northern Illinois.  They performed regularly at the YMCA 220 Club in Rockford as well as many area dances and events.

By early 1968, the band went through a lineup change with Jim Smith leaving the group.  They added Pat Piper on lead guitar and Nick Pumilia on saxophone.  Both were still in high school at the time.  Most of the other members of the band had already graduated and a few were attending area colleges.

By February of 1968, the band released their first single which included covers of the Rolling Stones' "Under My Thumb" and the Temptations' "Get Ready."  The 45's noticeably "thin" sound was due to the complete lack of bass.  According to Jeff Lind's History of Chicago Rock series in the Illinois Entertainer, bassist Dick Campbell was sick on the day of the session.  Rather than cancel or replace him, the band went ahead and recorded without him.  The single was released on Marek Records.

 

Despite it's uneven sound, the record was a hit in Rockford.  Both songs topped local radio station WROK's "mini hits" chart in early February, beating out the Beatles' "Hello, Goodbye."  

Unfortunately for the Missing Links, another Rockford group, The Iron Gate, also recorded a version of "Get Ready" at the same time.  Their take on the tune would soon knock the Missing Links' version out of the top spot.

A friendly rivalry between the two bands would continue to play out in the regular "battles" held at local venues such as the Sherwood Lodge.

The Iron Gate's version of "Get Ready" :

In 1970, the Missing Links released their second single.  This time it included two originals:  "Should Have Done Better" and "Can't Take It No More."  The record was released on the Mare (Brand) label, which listed a Chicago address.  On the record, the band name was written only as T.M.L.  It is unclear who exactly was in the band during this period.

 

A pared down version of the Missing Links continued to perform in Rockford into the early 1970's before calling it quits.  In the early 1990's however, the band was resurrected, at least in name.  With Dick Campbell as the only original member, the Missing Links were reborn as an oldies / classic rock cover band.  By 1992, the band was awarded "the best of Rockford."  They would continue to win the honor multiple times and would eventually go on to be inducted in the Rockford Area Music Industry (RAMI) Hall of Fame in 2000.  Despite a number of lineup changes, the Missing Links are still performing in 2026.

North Bridge Company (Peoria)

Peoria Journal Star, November 22, 1968

The basic facts of the North Bridge Company from Peoria, Illinois were first covered by Garage Hangover way back in 2008.   According to the website, the band members included:

• Greg Schuller (lead vocals)
• Mike Somerville (lead guitar); replaced by Gary Shawgo (lead guitar, backing vocals)
• Ed Mooberry (rhythm guitar)
• Dennis Stewart (keyboards)
• Mike Creek (bass)
• Frank Ballard (drums)

For a time, the group was sponsored and promoted by a Peoria music store, S & G Music.

When the group recorded their only single in 1968 at the Golden Voice Recording Co. in nearby South Pekin, the original label was meant to read S & G but was misprinted as Sand "G":

 

Crying All Alone (Schuller) / Strange Land Strange People (Stewart)

The single was also released on the Golden Voice label. 

In November of 1968 the North Bridge Company hosted a Battle of the Bands at the Exposition Gardens in Peoria.  The event was co-sponsored by the local Bergner's and the Peoria Jaycees.  The "battling" groups included:  The Driving Reign, The Match Bachs, The 9th Century Serfs, The Winter Harvest, The Unknown Source, The Attire, Page IV, 89th Congress, The Bus Stop, The Delegation, The Organization and The Suburban 9 To 5.

A few months later the group competed in a "battle" against some of the same groups.

The North Bridge Company continued to perform at dances and teen centers around central Illinois for at least another year.  Here they are performing at the 1970 Valentine Dance at Limestone High School in Bartonville, Illinois: