In early 1968, a new group was formed in the Washington, D.C. area when Mike Buker and Bill "Duke" Aires of The Mosaic Virus connected with Mike Volk and Bobby Winkler of The Chocolate Snowflake. These four talented musicians combined to create The Magic Reign but, shortly after it's initial formation, Duke Aires left the group. However, it wasn't long before others quickly came on board to form what was to be the beginning of a two-year "Reign" of accomplishment in the Mid Atlantic Region.
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| Magic Reign, 1968: Johnny Peters, Robert Christy, Bobby Winkler, Mike Buker, Mike Volk and Picky Kelly |
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| Mike Buker, 1969-1970 |
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Mike Buker Recalls The Magic Reign
January 2011
As it initially formed up, the group consisted of Mike Buker, lead vocals; Mike Volk, lead guitar/vocals; Bobby Winkler, keys/vocals; Picky Kelly, bass/vocals; Johnny Peters, drums; and Robert ‘Chris’ Christy, 12-string guitar/vocals.
Paul Christie, a radio station program manager at WEAM Radio in Arlington, Virginia, heard The Magic Reign at one of their performances and eventually proposed a management deal with the group. Paul was able to put together a recording contract for the group with Phil-A of Soul Records on their Jamie label. Phil-A of Soul was headquartered in Philadelphia and in mid 1968 the group recorded their first single there. The song was pure bubble gum, ‘Pop Goes The Weasel.’ The B-side was an original called ‘Mirrors’ written by Volk and Christy. While ‘The Weasel’ was bubble gum, ‘Mirrors’ was a very dark and moody introspective piece. A producer from New York was available for this recording session and Howard Boggess remained the group's friend and producer until the group disbanded in 1970. ‘The Weasel’ took off like a rocket in the D.C. area and put the group on the map locally. Hearing their music on local radio was very exciting and it brought an avalanche of bookings and tremendous notoriety for the group. Unfortunately, the record company failed to distribute the record and so after a few weeks of local airplay the song vanished from the airwaves. But the Magic Reign was off and running and life was very good!
The Magic Reign performed at many venues large and small and opened for several national acts. They opened for The Vanilla Fudge and Janis Joplin at the Alexandria (Virginia) Roller Rink and also opened for The 5th Dimension at D.C.'s Constitution Hall. The group was a home town favorite and was not afraid of any venue, large or small.
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In 1969, several of the band members rented a house on Jefferson Street in Arlington. Eventually Buker, Volk and Winkler wrote The Reign's next single while living there. It was called ‘Jefferson Street’ and was written in the hallway of McLean High School while the group was on break at a performance. The song was a much more serious tune than it's predecessor but was really a rock n roll “party” song—the story revolved around various “activities” at the house on Jefferson Street. Some time later, The Magic Reign recorded the song in Philadelphia and this one exploded out of the gate! The B-side was ‘Charcoal Sketch’ penned by Volk and Buker. ‘Sketch’ was a ballad about a past, but fictitious, relationship. ‘Jefferson Street’ received a positive review in Cash Box and was “top 100 with a bullet” in the Southern Music Survey. It began to climb the charts very quickly and had tremendous regional airplay. Unfortunately, the same fate befell ‘Jefferson Street’ as had come to ‘The Weasel;’ it wasn't promoted and when the initial pressing of roughly 5,000 copies sold out, it was done! But again, it served to bolster the group's reputation and completely solidified bookings in the region.
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| Magic Reign, 1969: Mike Volk, Mike Buker, Tommy Panella and Bobby Winkler |
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During the ‘Jefferson Street’ era in 1969, some personnel changes came to the group. Prior to recording ‘Jefferson Street’ Robert Christy left and was replaced by Steve Sommers. After the recording, Johnny Peters was replaced with Tommy Panella. Eventually Picky Kelly and Steve Sommers left and Mike Buker took on the dual role of bassist/lead vocalist in what was now a four-piece group. But through these various changes, keys and drums were never affected because Bobby Winkler was (and still is) an accomplished drummer and keyboardist. It should also be noted that everyone in the group sang and one of the hallmarks of the group was its four-part harmony. When they performed songs by The Bee Gees, Beatles and The Moody Blues the vocals were spot on and unequaled in the area.
Special Note: Another member of The Reign during the Jefferson Street era was Steven Croson. Steve wasn't with us long—only a few months—but made measurable contributions to the group with his high vocal range and excellent guitar and bass work. Steve later lived in Nashville and Las Vegas and went on to work with major country music artists on tour and in the studio. Steve was a great guy and a good friend, but unfortunately he passed away in August of 2010 after a 10 year battle with Cancer. He is missed by everyone who knew him.
In the fall of 1969, The Reign was asked to perform a lip sync video with Janis Joplin, Iron Butterfly and The Strawberry Alarm Clock. The Reign performed ‘Jefferson Street;’ the video was in color and it was aired on local TV in the D.C. area. This was a huge thrill for the group and the video served to continue the rise of their “Star” in the region.
The demise of the group as The Magic Reign came in early 1970 with the exit of Tommy Panella. Buker, Volk and Winkler remained as a three piece with Winkler on drums. They changed the name of the group to coincide with their original material and new direction. A recording contract from Vanguard Records was offered but in the end the three decided the terms of the contract were not acceptable. Eventually the trio broke up and Buker, Volk and Winkler went in separate musical directions.
On November 27, 2010 three of the members of The Magic Reign reunited at Jaxx nightclub in Springfield, Virginia. Mike Buker, Bobby Winkler and Tommy Panella, with help from some outstanding area players and friends, did a reprise of ‘Jefferson Street’ for an audience that was in the mood for nostalgia. Steve Sommers was present at Jaxx that evening but didn't perform.
Bobby Winkler still lives in Northern Virginia and performs there on occasion. Mike Buker and Tommy Panella live in Florida and perform on a regular basis in Florida venues. Mike Volk is a professional working in Texas. Picky Kelly is retired and living in the D.C. area. Steve Sommers is a professional working in Tennessee. Johnny Peters is a professional living in Northern Virginia and we have lost track of Robert Christy, Paul Christie and Howard Boggess. But one thing is certain; The Magic Reign continues to be remembered as one of the finest groups to ever take the stage in the D.C. area. They were a truly original group—full of color, flash and attitude. The Magic Reign loved the stage and the stage loved them back!
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| Magic Reign at Jaxx in Springfield, Virginia: Bobby Winkler, Mike Buker and Tommy Panella |
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