One of the easiest things about producing Teen A Go Go was the multitude of great stories and story tellers that made themselves available to our cameras.
One of the hardest things about producing Teen A Go Go was deciding which stories and story tellers to include and who had to be left out.
The first cut Melissa edited included more than 60 people. All were great and deserving of screen time. There were many more that didn’t make the first cut that easily could have been included.
During filming we interviewed close to 100 people. One reason we rolled tape on so many was you simply never know for sure who is going to leap out of the camera and who is going to roll up in a ball like an armadillo on the highway. It happens all the time. The problem with this shoot is there simply were not that many bad interviews. Most everyone was personable, funny and full of great information and stories.
The issue we had after the first cut was finished was the film lacked continuity. Individual segments were fine enough but no personality was onscreen long enough to make a connection with the viewer. As a result the entire film seemed disjointed.
Choices had to be made. Almost half the good people we interviewed were already not in the film and we had to leave out even more. Melissa struggled with this issue for a long, long time.
I sometimes think we should cut two separate films, Teen A Go Go Group A and Teen A Go Go Group B. Both would be the same basic film; same themes, similar stories, just different musicians, fans and industry people and music. (That will be another blog, which music to include and which to leave out.)
I would like to take the space to talk about one particular man and band that has been extremely supportive of the project, almost from the beginning; Tom Kirby, drummer for the Michigan band, Tonto and the Renegades.
While Teen A Go Go focuses on bands and the scene in Fort Worth, Texas, the teen scene explosion happened all across the country. We didn’t have the budget to travel and interview bands from all 50 states, so we asked some people to tape their answers to questions we sent them and mail them back to us. Tom was gracious enough to do so and also gave us permission to use several songs from Tonto and the Renegades and sent us a cache of pictures as well.
Tom became involved with Teen A Go Go when he heard about the project on 60sgaragebands.com, Mike Dugo’s wonderful site covering all things 60’s garage. Dugo also sent us a taped interview that did not make the final edit, sorry Mike.
Tom has, over the past four years, periodically checked in offering words of support and encouragement. Whenever I sent out a mass email updating followers about the project’s progress, Tom was invariably one of the first to reply with a big ‘thanks for the info’ and always offered words of encouragement to keep plugging along.
There were several times I thought the project was dead in the water; that the obstacles were too much to over come. It was Tom’s unflagging enthusiasm and support that kept Melissa and I trudging forward.
It wasn’t just Tom that kept the momentum flowing, there were many more like him that showed indefatigable support. Melissa and I are grateful to you all.
I have attached below a short biography of Tonto and the Renegades from The Lansing City Pulse (http://www.lansingcitypulse.com/lansing/print-article-4396-print.html). You can also find more info at http://www.60sgaragebands.com/tomkirby.html. The Michigan Rock and Roll Legends site is michiganrockandrolllegends.com. There is a great fan site on Facebook that can be found at www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=47424154079. Check out "Anytime You Want Some Lovin'" on youtube, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGU7WQPxFOs.
Many good and talented people generously gave their time and talents to make this film possible. Melissa and I both appreciate the efforts made to contribute to the film. In our eyes all are equally valuable. In the days and weeks ahead I will write about more people that wound up out of the final version.
Visit www.teen-a-go-go.com to purchase DVDs and learn more about the film.
Visit www.teen-a-go-go.com to purchase DVDs and learn more about the film.
Tonto & the Renegades and the Beaux Jens were admitted rivals in their small town. The two Grand Ledge High School bands would play various parties, venues and battle of the bands, although they never shared a bill.
Gary “Tonto” Richey, bassist/vocalist of Tonto & the Renegades, recalled only brief encounters with their rivals outside of school.
Tonto & the Renegades’ story started much like their neighboring Lansing bands. Terry Slocum, guitarist and vocalist for the band, recalled a pivotal moment in his life.
“In 1964 I was 14 years old, that’s when I first saw the Beatles on Ed Sullivan,” Slocum said. “I played clarinet at that time, and I thought, ‘Man, this thing has to go!’ So I went down to Marshall Music and traded it for a guitar.”
The band, which also included Tom Kirby (drums), Bill Ford (guitar/vocals), Jeff Keast (organ), and later Dave Pung (organ), started practicing in Richey’s parents’ basement in 1964. It wasn’t long before they were winning multiple battles of the bands and becoming favorites in the Michigan teen circuit.
Today, those 45s are highly collectable and fetch hundreds on eBay from buyers across the globe.
Garage vinyl collectors mainly seek out Tonto & the Renegades' “Little Boy Blue” single, a 1967 fuzzed-out garage anthem. Slocum said he wrote and sang it for Vicky Schnepp, his then-girlfriend. The song was later featured on the second volume of the wildly influential “Back From the Grave” compilation on Crypt Records.
But back in the 1960s, the band’s cover tunes were the band’s top attraction.
“Back then, it was all about the covers,” Kirby said. “You didn’t get acceptance for your originals until you proved yourself to people — they had to like you. People came to dance, so they wanted music they knew, and they wanted it to sound how they knew it. Not that you couldn’t make it your own, but it had to be solid. After our records were on the radio and the band was well known, we could throw in our originals and people would be happy.”
Eventually the band’s song “I Knew This Thing Would Happen” charted locally on WILS. The band’s second (and final) single featured polished tunes written and produced by Dick Wagner of the Bossmen, The Frost and Alice Cooper’s band.
In the 1960s, popular radio wasn’t exclusive to major-label stars. If a local DJ happened to dig a local band’s single, he would play it, sometimes boosting it to a local hit.
Both WILS and WJIM would play local singles.
As local radio picked up on the Tonto singles, so did major record labels, including Decca and Columbia.
“We were about to sign with Columbia,” Kirby said. “We were going to take the deal because they offered us a national tour, $10,000 advance and they were going to distribute our record nationally. They were the best of the five offers.”
“It killed it. The war killed Tonto & the Renegades,” Kirby said. “After I did three tours in Vietnam, I never went back to playing. I got home in the early 1970s and got on with my life. Gary and Terry were off playing with other people.”
While the band never signed a major deal, in 2008 “Little Boy Blue” was named the #14 Top Song by Michigan Rock and Roll Legends — along with other inductees such as Marvin Gaye, Bob Seger and Del Shannon.
Also, in 2002, all four of the band’s recordings were compiled on a 45 by Misty Lane Records, an Italian label.
