One of the many groups that performed in Pensacola but that were not mentioned in Tommy Ratchford's exhaustive review was The Chosen Few. Although they didn't record (and therefore shouldn't be confused with any of the similarly-named bands that did), Skip Burran's band played all over Northwest Florida and into Southern Alabama, and became very popular in and around Pensacola.
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An Interview With Skip Buran
60sgaragebands.com (60sd): How did you first get interested in music?
Skip Buran (SB): I saw The Beatles on Ed Sullivan. I bought my first guitar immediately after that. I had previously taken piano for two years and had been singing in the school chorus. I had also played drums for a while in the jr. high marching band.
60s: Was The Chosen Few your first band?
SB: No, my first band was The Candymen, which became The Cynders; I don’t think we made it a year. The photo of The Cynders from the Pensacola News-Journal erroneously credited Ray Brown as lead guitar; obviously he’s playing the bass. I’m on the right. My guitar is a Sears Silvertone (the same one played by Chris Isaak with The Silvertones). I wish I still had that one!
60s: Where and when was The Chosen Few formed?
SB: In October ’66. All were students at Pensacola Junior College, and all except two (me and Ronnie) were in the same fraternity, I think.
The band included Terry Hoffman, organ/vocals (original member, became lead vocalist); Richard DeArmon, rhythm guitar/backing vocals, later bass (original member); Ronnie Barker, bass/backing vocals (original member); John Hudson, drums/vocals (original member); Skip Buran, lead guitar/vocals (original member); Bo Franklin, vocals (original member, did not stay with us long); Jay Biggers, bass (replaced Ronnie); and Terry Gay, drums (replaced John).
60s: How would you describe the band's sound? What bands influenced you?
SB: Top 40, mostly—British Invasion and ‘60s soul/pop hits. We did a little of everything we thought we might pull off. Towards the end we were covering some Jimi Hendrix, Vanilla Fudge, Cream and some of the other psychedelic acts as well.
60s: What was the Pensacola rock and roll scene like in the '60s?
SB: There were many contemporary groups and places to play. Some, like The Laymen and Soul 7, were nearly professional and played big concerts with name acts. They also recorded. I remember when The Dickens, who I was friends with, went to New Orleans to record an original number. Everyone was impressed when it appeared in Billboard after its release.
60s: Where did the band typically play?
SB: We played many venues: National Guard armories, The Place on Pensacola Beach, many city teen clubs (The TOC Club [Teenagers Of the City] was played once, but they told me for us to come back we’d have to cut our hair. We never went back), The Electric Experience teen club, fraternity parties, and Cash’s Faux Pas on Ft. Walton Beach. For a while we were kind of the regular Sunday afternoon band at Cash’s. We’d use it for a working rehearsal and work up new tunes and try them out. After they’d had a few beers, the audience didn’t seem to care what we played or how many times. We also played many school dances in NW Florida and South Alabama. Interestingly, we rehearsed at the Gulf Breeze, FL Community Center free of charge. It was away from any residences and we could stay late, 12 midnight up to 2:00 AM sometimes.
60s: How far was the band's "touring" territory?
SB: NW Florida from Pensacola to Ft. Walton, South Alabama as far up as the city of Repton (for a high school prom). We went over to Mobile, I think, and many points in between.
60s: Did The Chosen Few participate in any battle of the bands?
SB: I’m sure we did, but I don’t remember who all played or the outcomes. Many times, a battle was really just a chance to be seen and not have to do four hours’ work.
60s: What other local groups of the era do you especially recall?
SB: The Laymen, The Phatons, The Soul 7, The Dickens, The Kords, Edison Birdcaje and The 13th Hourglass—basically all the groups mentioned by Tommy Ratchford in his excellent essay on Pensacola bands. If they were a band from about 1964 through 1968, we knew them or knew of them.
60s: Did The Chosen Few have a manager?
SB: No. Terry Hoffman did double duty as a band member and taking care of business.
60s: How popular locally did The Chosen Few become?
SB: Top 10, I’d say, and for a while we probably were Top 5. We saw other bands mutate and change personnel quite a bit, and we did too, but our core was pretty stable and constant.
60s: How come The Chosen Few never recorded?
SB: No local place to do so, and no original music. We wouldn’t have been able to pay for professional recording time anyway.
60s: Do any Chosen Few recordings exist? Are there any vintage live recordings, or unreleased tracks?
SB: Yes. Terry Hoffman has tapes made from live shows. Not sure of the quality, I haven’t heard them in many, many years. He told me recently he put some of the music on CD.
60s: Did the band make any local TV appearances?
SB: I don’t remember any.
60s: What year and why did the band break up?
SB: In ’68. I went off to the Army that October. We had already lost John Hudson and Ron Barker. Jay had left to join the Air Force, and Richard had taken over bass, so we were down to four members at the end, but with a pretty tight sound for four pieces and vocals.
60s: Did you join or form any bands after The Chosen Few?
SB: Yes, much later in a country western band at a military installation in the U.K., one show only. We were approached by a local Brit about touring. Since we were all active duty military, we had to respectfully decline. I’m now in a ‘60s band called The Vynals in Memphis, TN.
60s: How often, and where, do you perform?
SB: I have just begun playing out with The Vynals and have played two very successful club gigs in Memphis. We’re booked for a charity performance in August for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. We’re booked for a club date Halloween party in the fall. One member is out ill right now, but we are looking for new gigs weekly. We all have day jobs and are doing this for the sake of the music and to have some fun. A few bucks never hurts, either.
60s: How do you best summarize your experiences with The Chosen Few?
SB: It was a really great experience with good friends who were also good musicians. We were young and inexperienced at first, but quickly became a good party/dance band. Playing live and having people dance to the music is a rush of its own. I was encouraged to keep learning the guitar from that experience. Traveling around gave us that feeling of freedom, too.
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