| Jim Jones & The Chaunteys |
After joining in the early '60s, Jim Jones started putting his own stamp on The Torquays. As The Chaunteys, and then Jim Jones & The Chaunteys, Jones' leadership led to the band becoming one of the more popular groups throughout Ft. Worth, Texas and the Southwest. Once Beatlemania hit, The Chaunteys remained popular and even hit the road to California, where they became houseband at Disneyland. The group stayed together until 1970; Jones would continue on for awhile in the music business before becoming very successful in construction. Looking back, he's very thankful that his experiences with The Chaunteys provided the opportunity to perform with some of the best musicians of the era.
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An Interview With Jim Jones
60sgaragebands.com (60s): How did you first get interested in music?
Jim Jones (JJ): My mom was formerly a majorette at Paschal High School in Ft. Worth. She had a studio that taught baton to girls citywide. She also formed a drum and bugle corps for competition named The Cowtown Cadets. She did not have enough drummers and I was volunteered in 1962 at the age of 12 to learn to play drum cadences and join. I did and that year we won the state drum and bugle championship in Lubbock and later the same year the national championship. I don't know if it was the music or the girls, but I was hooked.
60s: Was Jim Jones and The Chaunteys your first band?
JJ: No. I don't know how he got my name (probably from the attention we got in the papers) but David Morris (guitar player) called me and asked if I wanted to play drums in his band, The Torquays. I joined David, Freddie Cisneros, and George Bargas in 1962. We quickly realized none of us could sing and asked Becky Sharp to join us. She was a singer fresh off the Louisiana Hayride. She had been looking for a band and the group was together till late 1963.
60s: Where and when was Jim Jones and The Chaunteys formed?
JJ: We formed in Ft.Worth, Texas in 1965. David Morris left the band (The Torquays) in late '63. I was elected to take the reigns. I changed the name to The Chaunteys, and added Red Young (keyboard/ vocals) and Jimmy Don Smith (guitar/vocals). The group was together until late 1964. The caliber of talent in that group was outstanding, and it warranted three members wanting to start their own groups. Red, Becky and Jimmy went on their own. We parted best of friends. With Freddie as my lead guitar, I added Larry Robinson (rythm guitar), Dennis Schneider (bass), and Doug Tyson (saxophone). In 1965 the name was changed to Jim Jones and The Chaunteys.
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That was the 1965 band line-up. Other members throughout the years were Rick and Ralph Goad, Charlie Mitchell, Rick Utter, Buddy Bates (bass); Tim Abel, Troy Vinson, Steve Pettit, Terry Haynes, Steve Woods (guitar); Frank Cagigal, Paul Smith, Bob Dodd (keyboards); Mickie Rausch, Ross Dinkins, Bryan Cagel, Dean Pauley (trumpet); Kay Harris (vocals); and Bill Asa, Steve Mitchell, Walter (Willy) Francis (additional drummers).
60s: How would you describe the band's sound? What bands influenced you?
JJ: Rock, blues, and pop. Influences were Motown, James Brown, Chuck Berry, Freddy King, Muddy Waters and The Bobby Blue Band.
60s: What was the Ft. Worth rock and roll scene like in the '60s?
JJ: Well, we had an early start on the '60s. We were still lingering from the '50s and Motown was working its way down to us. Then in 1964, all hell broke loose. The Beatles had arrived and everyone who could pick up a guitar started a teen band. They were coming out of the woodwork. It was a good time though for both teenagers and musicians. Sixties teens finally had their own music, and musicians were getting better. The '60s produced some of the most creative work ever. We were finally realizing there were more chords than C, A minor, F, and G.
60s: Where did the band typically play?
JJ: Until 1965, bars mainly. We did play school dances, armories, etc. In 1965 The Beard brothers opened Teen A Go Go and The Box. At that point bands finally had a place to play and teenagers had a place to go listen and dance. My dad (Big Jim) was contracted to build stages, concession stands, and dance floors for Ray and Dennis Beard. The Box used to be a bowling alley on the west side of Ft. Worth. Dad built out the inside for Ray and Dennis.
We played all the teen clubs: Teen A Go Go, The Box, Action A Go Go, Hullabaloo, Jollytime, Everman Teen Center, Mansfield Teen Center, Holiday A Go Go, Frisky a Go Go--you name it. After Teen A Go Go, everyone put "A Go Go" behind their name and would hold a dance.
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60s: How far was the band's "touring" territory?
JJ: West to Midland/Odessa, North to Oklahoma, East to Louisiana, and South to Laredo. We also moved to California in 1965 and played from Oceanside to Los Angeles while we were the houseband at Disneyland. My parents had to assume legal guardianship for the band to make the trip and go to school there.
60s: What inspired your trip to Disneyland?
JJ: Two of the biggest city-wide battle of the bands talent competitions were held in Ft.Worth to showcase all kinds of talent. There were dancers, comedians, singers, barbershop, and bands, etc. Every band worth their salt competed at both. One was Ward's Talented Teen, and the other Stars of Tomorrow. We won both, not only in the band competition, but were the overall winners of Stars of Tomorrow. We headlined the Stars of Tomorrow concert at Will Rogers Memorial Auditorium. At the Stars of Tomorrow competition I met Kay Harris. She is pictured in the middle of the back seat of the car. She was a dancer and singer in the competition. I asked if she wanted to sing in our band. She did, and we later recorded 'Together We Belong.' It was unknown to me at the time that she was dating Gary Lewis of Gary Lewis and The Playboys. I think they had gone to school together. One day she came to me and said Gary liked the song and wanted us to come to L.A. In order for us to support ourselves, Gary arranged an audition for Sonny Anderson, the music/ talent coordinater at Disneyland. We took a chance and got the job. We played the Space Bar catering to teens. The other photo is of us on stage at the Space Bar, Disneyland at Anaheim. Al Ramsey, Gary's bass player, spent a lot of time with our band showing us the ropes. He got us an additional audition in L.A. for the TV show Where the Action Is. We came in second to Paul Revere and The Raiders out of 250 bands.
60s: Did Jim Jones and The Chaunteys participate in any other battle of the bands?
JJ: Yes. we played against The Naturals, Larry and The Bluenotes, The Jades, The Cynics, The Barons, The Sonics, Jack and The Rippers and on and on. We held our own with them and won our fair share.
60s: What other local groups of the era do you especially recall?
JJ: The Naturals because I grew up with Jimmy Rutledge. We both played drums side-by-side at Rosemont Jr. High and went to Paschal High School together. He also had the equivalent of a prodigy on guitar in Dean Parks. Jimmy, Dean and I were as close as you can get, and still be rivals. The others were The Committee, and Jon and Robin. Red Young's band was The Committee and Becky Sharp was Robin of Jon and Robin. Those were close ties.
As for other acts, we appeared with B.J. Thomas, Doug Sahm, Jefferson Airplane,The Five Americans, Roy Head, Bruce Chanel, Mitch Ryder and The Detroit Wheels, Paul and Paula, Casa Manana Playhouse Actors, Helen Mashburn, Dean Parks, Jimmy Rutledge, Chisai Childs, Neely Reynolds, The Byrds, Teddy Neeley Five, Bill Day and The Peppermints, Sonny Smith, Chuck Berry, Sonny and The Sunglows, Ace Cannon, Dobie Gray, Fats Domino, Donna Loren, Jon and Robin, Charles Christie and The Crystals, Duke Ellington, Paul Revere and The Raiders and Jerry Lee Lewis. I appeared personally on drums with Jerry Lee Lewis, Fats Domino, Vic Dana, Ted Weems Orchestra, Shirley Cothran (Miss America 1975), Ray Sharp, Bruce Chanel, Jesse Lopez, Donna Loren and Roy Head.
60: Did Jim Jones and The Chaunteys have a manager?
JJ: Yes, Joni Jones. I inherited her. We did not miss many weekends of work at all.
60s: How popular locally did Jim Jones and The Chaunteys become?
JJ: Very popular, but all the good bands were.
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60s: What were the circumstances leading to the opportunity to record?
JJ: Mark Stevens (Local deejay at KFJZ) told us we needed a calling card. We had already had some experience recording, and we had one song called 'Baby Better Git On Home.' Mark liked it, and we headed to the studio.
60s: Where did Jim Jones and The Chaunteys record? What do you remember about the recording session(s)?
JJ: We recorded at Sound Studios below KXOL Radio. I remember being told to make the song more exciting. Paul Bacon of Paul and Paula was there. Mark Stevens suggested clapping. Paul suggested making party noise in the background. The lead and background were recorded purposely on one track to make it sound live. Mark and Paul got so into it; they both started singing, clapping and making the party noise in the background themselves. The engineer was having a fit because they were drowning out the song.
60s: Did Jim Jones and The Chaunteys write many original songs? Who was the band's primary songwriter?
JJ: Yes. I did most of the writing, but also got a few songs from studio archives.
60s: Do any other '60s Jim Jones and The Chaunteys recordings exist? Are there any vintage live recordings, or unreleased tracks?
JJ: Yes, there is one album and over 30 individual songs. We recorded at Pasadena Sounds in Pasadena with Huey Meaux, San Antonio with Sunglow Records and Ricci Ware, and Jones Studios for Leland Rogers. A lot of unreleased materials exists, and some were not released by choice. To my knowledge, I am unaware of any live recordings or existing footage of the band.
60s: Did the band make any local TV appearances?
JJ: We made appearances at WBAP in Ft. Worth, were regulars on WOAI Swingtime with Bruce Hathaway in San Antonio, and I don't remember the call letters in San Diego but appeared several times on a local bandstand type show when living in California.
60s: What year and why did the band break up?
JJ: 1970 we shut down. Not all quit and we even started a group called Greenwood that was short lived in college. Guys got drafted, some went off to college other places, some got married and wanted to slow down. We felt we had other avenues in music we wanted to explore.
I later played with Jan Ann Ray, Departure, and a show group called Good Times in Dallas in the '70s. I also freelanced with Ted Weems Orchestra, and was involved with Helen Mashburn and The Miss Texas Pageants.
60s: What keeps you busy today?
JJ: After the '70s, I followed in my Dad's footsteps in construction and am building schools, hospitals and medical facilities. I enjoy anything to do with the water. Several years back I got my Captains license, and regularly boat and fish.
60s: How do you best summarize your experiences with Jim Jones and The Chaunteys?
JJ: It afforded me an opportunity to do what I loved most and perform with some of the best musicians ever--not only in my own groups but all the artists we opened for, accompanied, or actually played with. I was also able to travel to places I might not have otherwise gone and meet people along the way I would never have known, and will never forget. To say it was a wonderful, amazing, once in a lifetime experience would be an understatement.
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45s/Singles:
Baby (Better Get On Home) / ? (Keye 10)
Nothin's Going Right (Keye)
Together We Belong (Keye)
Backside (Keye)
Sweet Dreams Of You (Sunglow)
Baby May I (Sunglow)
Blue Heaven (Sunglow)
Soul Clap (Sunglow)
It's True (Sunglow)
Angel (Sunglow)
Satisfaction Guaranteed (Sunglow)
Dim Stars (Sunglow)
Turn On Your Lovelights / If You Know How To Start (deejay copy--Capri 516)
Turn On Your Lovelights / If You Know How To Start (Capri 516)
She's A Doll / Kiwi Boogie (Manco 1068)
Playboy / The Rain Came (Pacemaker Records, PM-242)
Sparkle & Shine / Three Squares (Paradise 5001)
Next Exit / One Fine Mice (Sunglow 131)
LP:
Soul Clap (Sunglow SLP 113)
Unreleased:
Cigarette Lighter Blues
The Clock
Stormy Monday
Can't Sit Down
...plus seven instrumentals...
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