The Bushes (Galesburg)

The Bushes were once billed as the "All Galesburg Group with the Big Detroit Sound."   Their combination of blue-eyed soul, psychedelia and rock made them a popular live act in western Illinois in the late 1960's.  

The group also recorded and self-released an album in 1969, Assorted Shrubbery, before calling it quits after just two years together.

Back in the fall of 1967, the Bushes started out as a quintet.  Two of the members, Joel Wilson and Ron Stockert, were students at Knox College at the time.  The other three members, John Zefo, Al Johnson and Gary Owen, all lived in Galesburg, Illinois.

The Bushes  -Dec 1968:  Al Johnson, John Zefo, Joel Wilson, Ron Stockert.  Gary Owen had left the group by then.

Wilson, the lead singer and drummer for the group, was from Upstate New York originally.   According to an article in the Knox Student, Wilson had previously been a member of a group called the In Crowd.

Ron Stockert, the talented keyboardist, was from Havana, Illinois. While in high school, Stockert played organ in A.J. & The Savages along with Jerry "Pork" Armstrong.   The teenagers released one single on Deleware Records, a Chicago-area label.   It included a cover of "Farmer John" and the original "Long Long Time," which was credited to Stockert.

In 1968, Stockert would also sit in on a recording session with Armstrong's new group, Yellow Bird.  One of the songs they recorded was a cover of "Function At The Junction," a song that the Bushes would also record for their album.  Both recordings were done at the Golden Voice Recording Company in South Pekin, Illinois.

  

A January 1968 article in the Knox Student mentions that the Bushes were hoping to record a version of "Cold Rain and Snow," previously done by the Grateful Dead.  It is unclear if that ever happened.  Instead, their first available recording was a cover of the Foundations' "Baby, Now That I've Found You."

The song was included on a double 7" compilation that came with the Knox College literary magazine, Siwasher, in 1968.  The recording was likely done on campus during one of the group's live performances.  The records were "mastered" and pressed by the Fredlo Recording Studios in Davenport, IA.

  

Sometime in late 1968 or early 1969, the Bushes traveled to the Golden Voice studio in South Pekin to record their only album.   By this point, Gary Owen had left the group and they were performing as a quartet.

Most of the songs on the album were soul covers originally done by the Temptations, the Impressions, the Miracles and others.

The three originals on the album were "The Hopes, The Dreams, The Tears" (music by Stockert, words by Johnson & Wilson), "Most Girls" (music by Stockert, words by Wilson) and the brief instrumental, "Polphony" (credited simply to Bushes).

The album was released on Growth Records (LP S 200-08) in the spring of 1969.   Listen to the FULL ALBUM:

In April the LP was listed as a top seller in several Galesburg record stores.  Despite their local popularity, the Bushes did not last.   

 

Stockert eventually got back together with Jerry "Pork" Armstrong to form a new group, the Light Brigade, in Decatur, Illinois.

The group featured Steve Hunter on guitar as well as Bruce Horn and Randy Luckenbill (Darwin's Theory, Heavy Gun).  The group went on to be part of the thriving Champaign-Urbana music scene.  They even recorded at Golden Voice but the recordings were never released.

After the Light Brigade, Stockert joined up with some fellow Champaign musicians and eventually moved to Chicago to form the band Rufus.  Stockert would go on to write and sing about half of the band's debut album which was released on ABC Records in 1973.

  

The band's second album, Rags To Rufus, which prominently featured Chaka Kahn's vocals, went gold and earned Stockert and the group a Grammy.   Stockert left soon after.   He eventally went on to play with Three Dog Night and many others.

For more on Ron Stockert's musical journey:

The Furniture, Uncle Billy & The Vagrants (Peoria)

The Vagrants from Garbagepool, England were in fact a popular Peoria, Illinois band that was active from 1965-1967.  The group was often billed as Uncle Billy & The Vagrants and was later known as The Furniture.

In addition to the name changes, the group went through a number of lineups over the course of a few short years.

According to WWCT Basement Tapes Who's Who (The Gilded Book), the group included Greg Williams and "Uncle Billy" Kendall on guitars, Dave Taylor and Robyn Sleeth on drums, "Snake" King and Ken Anderson on bass, Rick Henson on keyboards and Mike McCabe on sax.

A Garage Hangover post regarding another Peoria group, North Bridge Company, mentions the Furniture may have briefly included NBC's Gary Shawgo as well Ron Stockert and Jerry "Pork" Armstrong (though both were likely in A.J. & The Savages NOT The Vagrants around this time).

Starting in the summer of 1965, the Vagrants played a number of dances around the Peoria area.  They also performed regularly in Galesburg, Illinois at Wayne Dennis' Teen-A-Go-Go.  Dennis appears to have been the group's manager.

On Sunday October 9, 1966, The Vagrants opened for Paul Revere and the Raiders at Spaulding Auditorium in Peoria.  Tommy Roe also performed along with two other Peoria groups - The Coachmen and The Shags.

 

Sometime near the end of 1966 the Vagrants recorded their only single in Chicago for Stature Records.  Sam Cerami, the label owner, is said to have changed the band's name to The Furniture.  By December of 1966, the group was starting to be billed under the new name.

On December 28th, the Furniture (along with the Coachmen) opened for the Yardbirds at the Expo Gardens in Peoria for two shows.   The Yardbirds lineup for the show included Jimmy Page on guitar, Keith Relf on vocals and harmonica, Chris Dreja on bass and Jim McCarty on drums.  Jeff Beck had left the tour prior to the Peoria performance.  

The Furniture's 45 was eventually released in early 1967.   The a-side was a cover of the Spencer Davis Group's "Keep On Running."  The b-side was an original tune, though strongly-influenced by the Kinks, called "I Love It Baby."

  

"I Love It Baby" is credited to Randy Moody who doesn't appear to have been a member of the band.  Thanks to a comment that Moody left on the above YouTube video for the song, we have his version of the story:

I wrote this song in 1966 for a group from Peoria, Il. who at that time were named Uncle Billy and The Vagrants. Sam Cerami, the owner of Stature Records, re-named them "The Furniture" which I wasn't wild about...We recorded this at Sound Incorporated Studios in Chicago...The engineer was the great Stu Black, who was famous for making many hits for other artists...I was approached on a Wednesday night by the agent of the Vagrants (The Furniture) who told me he needed two brand new songs sounding similar to the Kinks for a recording session THAT Saturday!...I wrote "I Love It Baby" that night and "Maybe I'm Trying Too Hard" the next night...I intended for "Maybe" to be the "A" side, but it was never released..."I Love It Baby" was receiving great airplay by DJ's who liked it even though it was the "B" side...Then for unknown reasons, Sam pulled it out of publication and off the air, so it never became as popular as it would have been otherwise...

The rumor was that Sam was an A.R. man for London Records and they viewed his label as a conflict of interests...Footnote: I never made a penny from this song despite my contract, which is typical of the Music Industry...Please forgive me if I've bored anyone with this history of the song...David R. (Randy) Moody.

Curiously the group went back to being billed as Uncle Billy (listed here as Uncle Billie) and the Vagrants in March 1967 despite having a record out as the Furniture.   

The group does not appear to have lasted much longer under either moniker.  

Guitarist Greg Williams would go on to join the Galesburg group the Buster Browns.  The Buster Browns released one single on Golden Voice in 1968 with  both songs being written by Williams.

According to the Gilded Book, which was published in 1981, Uncle Billy Kendall "went on to become a Berkeley grad" and "is now in the recording and production business." 

One additional note:   Randy Moody mentions in his comment above that the Furniture recorded his other original "Maybe I'm Trying Too Hard" but it was never released.   The Gilded Book however refers to "Maybe I'm Trying Too Hard" as the band's first 45.   It erroneously credits the song to Williams.  It refers to the "Keep On Running" as the Vagrants' second disc.

I've never seen any proof that "Maybe I'm Trying Too Hard" was ever pressed, even as a demo, but it is certainly possible.  If you have any additional information please reach out to us at:  downstatesounds@gmail.com

Frankie Gem, Ted Ramirez & The Crystals (Galesburg)

In early 1961, 26-year-old singer Frank Hilligoss aka Frankie Gem of Galesburg, Illinois released his first single, "Return To Me," on the USA label.  The record is perhaps most notable however for the instrumental on the flip side, "Crystal Rock," performed by Gem's backing band at the time - The Crystals.

The Crystals formed around 1960 and performed in Galesburg on their own as well as Gem's backing band.

The group's band leader was guitarist Ted Ramirez (pictured second from left), who was also from Galesburg.

Ramirez is credited with writing "Crystal Rock." (His last name spelled Rameriz on the USA record).

Other members of the group included Jim Sward on drums, Jim Ponce on bass, Joe Padilla on guitar and Ed Padilla on sax, piano and bongos.  Gem is shown on the far right.

Dick Hendrickson (not in photo) was an earlier drummer for the group and may have played on the record.  

The USA single appears to have been recorded at Fredlo Recording Studios in Davenport, IA.  There is no catalog number so it is difficult to determine the recording date.  Unlike the USA 45, the acetate is credited to The Crystals.

Special thanks to Marty Hancock for the information and scans!

A few months after the single on USA, Frankie Gem recorded and released another single, this time on Ardore Records out of Chicago.  According to an article in the Galesburg Register-Mail, Gem recorded the single "in cooperation with a Chicago orchestra."

The single included "Without A Girl," a tune written by Gem and  Larry Hilligoss, along with a cover of "My Love."   

The Crystals, it appears, were no longer playing or recording with Gem.   They did continue to perform on their own around Galesburg until late 1962.

As for Frankie Gem, he continued to sing and perform around Galesburg for the next several decades, recording at least two more singles along the way.  

For many years Gem was backed by another Galesburg group called The Avenue Chasers aka The Chasers.  The main members of the group included Don Bitts on bass, Frank Mangieri on accordion and Bill Ballard on drums.  Other area musicians appear to have sat in or joined them at different times, including Ted Ramirez on at least one occasion.

In 1967, Frank Gem & The Chasers recorded a cover of Leiber & Stoller's "Loving You" at the Fredlo Recording Studios in Davenport, IA.  The single was released on Le Mann Records.  The b-side, credited only to The Chasers, was a version of the instrumental "A Taste of Honey."

In 1968, details of a collaboration between Gem and a Chicago songwriter were mentioned in Billboard magazine: 

Barbara Ruth reports that her Italian-flavored tune "Sofia Mia" is to be recorded by a Galesburg, Ill. (her home town), group called Frank Gem and the Chasers on either Hickory or Dot.  

It is unclear whether that recording was ever produced.  In 1971 however, Gem recorded a single for Nashville-based Action Records.    This included two songs written by Gem and Larry Hilligoss, "Foolish Love" and "Come In Blysville."

By the mid-1970's, Gem was performing the lounge and supper clubs of Galesburg as the Frankie Gem Trio.   By the 1980's he dropped Gem and was often billed under his given name.

Frank Hilligoss passed away in 2020.  According to his obituary, "he never gave up on his music and continued singing his entire life, bringing joy to all those who listened."