Upon induction into the Rock N' Roll Hall of Fame, most bands thank their managers or record companies. Had the Ruddy Merry been given that honor, they would have thanked Nikita Khrushchev, for it was the Cold War that spawned this magical mix of musical talent. Born from bands stationed on a remote mountain air base in Northern Japan, Ruddy Merry resulted from its members having been assigned the rigorous task of keeping the once-dreaded "Soviet Threat" under control.
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| Ruddy Merry, Capitol Records promotional photo |
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The band's story began on the campus of Syracuse University, where three of its future members met while undergoing foreign language training for the U. S. Air Force in 1965. Airmen Johnnie Maya, Gary Parrish, and Larry "Stickman" Nichols attended school for a year of Russian language study, before being assigned to Misawa Air Base, Japan. There, they formed a group in 1966 called The Slaves to entertain fellow Air Force personnel in clubs on base and downtown.
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| The Slaves |
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A year later, that group evolved into a band called The Taxmen, and this is where the Ruddy Merry first took form. Lead singer Johnnie Maya was now backed by singer and lead guitarist Chuck Stancil, Virgil Thrapp on rhthym guitar, Bill Ruess on electric organ, Skip Brown on bass, and drummer John Simms. After their discharge from the Air Force, three of these six players became the founding members of the Ruddy Merry, and two more would later join the band.
Formed in Los Angeles in December 1968 by Bill, Johnnie, and John Simms, along with former Slaves members Gary Parrish and Lani Kamano, the band landed a permanent gig in a new Long Beach club called The Gas Chamber, and soon amassed a sizable following. Named after a Christmas Holiday vodka drink, the Ruddy Merry packed them in with a live show and vocal harmonies that were simply unequaled.
In 1970, former Taxmen members Virgil Thrapp and Mike Machat joined the group, and original members Lani and Gary departed. Lani was replaced by local L.A. musician Gregg Gibson, and the ensemble was now solidified into a dynamic rock n' roll show band. Having signed several record deals culminating in an album for Capitol in 1973, the 'Merry seemed poised for musical stardom, but like many exciting and dynamic live acts, their transition into becoming hit recording artists was fraught with challenges. After nearly four-years as one of the premier rock n’ roll bands in Los Angeles, the Ruddy Merry had reached the end of its musical road.
- Mike Machat, June 2011
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An Interview With Mike Machat
60sgaragebands.com (60s): Ruddy Merry was an offshoot band comprised of members of earlier U.S. Air Force-based groups. Although you were a member of one of these combos (The Taxmen, November 1967-April 1968), you were not part of the original line-up of Ruddy Merry. Were you aware of Ruddy Merry while you were still stationed in Misawa?
Mike Machat (MM): Yes, although I became aware of The Taxmen immediately after arriving in Japan. Squadron mates took me downtown to hear "the hottest band on base," and I remember walking into this tiny Japanese beer bar while the guys were on break. I figured the group was just another typical GI bar band until they played 'Ooh Baby, Baby' by Smokey Robinson and The Miracles. I was completely blown away! The band was super-tight, harmonies were spot-on, and Johnnie's angelic falsetto was not to be believed. When the guys formed Ruddy Merry back in the States, many of us who were still in the Air Force were very excited to follow the band's progress.
By the way, the secret to the Taxmen's success, aside from the level of sheer musical talent, was the way they learned their songs. Although the term "cover band" usually connotes just copying famous groups, The Taxmen faithfully replicated the sound of the groups whose songs they were playing to a level of stunning accuracy. Listening to the band, one only had to close their eyes to experience what it would be like actually hearing The Temptations, Four Tops, Sam & Dave, The Buckinghams, Young Rascals, or Mitch Ryder and The Detroit Wheels.
By learning each instrumental and vocal part note-by-note and word-by-word, then reassembling all the parts with a full range of harmonies, The Taxmen recreated the exact sound of each record to the level of a tribute band today. This method was also used by The Ruddy Merry (we called it "pinning"), but with higher levels of complexity needed to duplicate the buttery-smooth harmonies of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, the Latin excitement of Santana, or the instrumental intricacy of Emerson, Lake & Palmer. Both The Taxmen and Ruddy Merry elevated the concept of being a cover band to new dimensions in their respective eras.
I should mention that it was Chuck Stancil who lobbied for my inclusion into The Taxmen, and for this I will be forever grateful. Another drummer had been selected to replace John Simms when he returned to the States in October 1967, but Chuck had heard me play in a rehearsal room on base, and fervently negotiated on my behalf. I became their new drummer, and the next six months were musical ecstasy.
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| The Taxmen, 1968: Mike Machat, Virgil Thrapp, Chuck Stancil (back row), Bill Ruess (crouching), Johnnie Maya and Skip Brown |
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60s: How active were you in military bands after the other Taxmen were discharged and returned to the States?
MM: I played in many different bands during the rest of my tour, but before being reassigned to NSA headquarters at Ft. Meade, Maryland, I was reunited with a former member of The Taxmen.
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| Taxmen playing at the Airman's Club in Misawa, Japan, March 1968. (From left) Skip Brown, Johnnie Maya, Bill Ruess, Chuck Stancil, Mike Machat, and Virgil Thrapp |
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60s: You were in a group with Chuck Stancil in the spring of 1969 named Charlie Company. What do you recall about that group?
MM: On his way home to Atlanta, Georgia on leave, Chuck stopped in L.A. to see The Ruddy Merry. He heard them play at The Gas Chamber, and even attended a Jimi Hendrix concert with the guys. When Chuck returned to Japan, he was inspired to put together a band that would emulate The 'Merry and Charlie Company was born. Like The Taxmen a year earlier, we became the hottest band on base, although the exotic lure of The Ruddy Merry's success in L.A. was beckoning.
60s: Did you have an opportunity to form a band while reassigned to Ft. Meade in September 1969?
MM: No, but I had a job off-base in a movie theater where I set up my drums and practiced on stage every Saturday before the matinee. This allowed me to keep my "chops" up in the event I ever played in a band again, and thankfully, it paid off.
60s: Ruddy Merry had some success prior to your joining, including an appearance on Happening '69 and a full time gig at The Gas Chamber in Long Beach. Were their accomplishments prior to your joining the band an incentive, or did you view the opportunity more as a chance to play with old friends?
MM: Actually, it was both. Through Chuck's description of the group's early accomplishments and then Virgil's letters updating those events, I was well aware that they had started up the ladder to stardom. The band met with Three Dog Night producer Richie Podolor in 1969 to discuss recording possibilities, and was in a "battle of the bands" on Happening '69 with Mark Lindsey from Paul Revere and The Raiders.
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| Ruddy Merry, Long Beach Press Telegram newspaper photo circa 1968-1969 |
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On that TV show, the 'Merry competed against bands from all over the country. They won the semi-finals round, but ultimately lost to a group from Detroit with two female singers and a horn section. The featured guest band for the show that night was The Nazz with Todd Rundgren, and both groups arrived at the stage door at the same time. Johnnie recalled that fans for both Ruddy Merry and The Nazz had assembled in Hollywood and screamed for their respective bands, both of whom were attired in stylish mod stage outfits. He described the scene as a "head-turning ping-pong game" as the fans cheered each group.
60s: How did you hook up with Ruddy Merry? Who was responsible for your joining?
MM: This is where fate intervened. Taxmen guitarist Virgil Thrapp had relocated to L.A. from his native Washington state in 1969 after spending his final year in the Air Force in Vietnam. Chuck Stancil was discharged in March 1970, and visited Virgil on his way home to Georgia. They discussed the idea of forming a band to compete with The Ruddy Merry by adding a keyboard player and me as the drummer, but then Chuck returned home to Georgia, and Virgil was wisely added to The Ruddy Merry lineup that May!
In July, Bill Ruess (nicknamed "Mondo" by Gary after the film Mondo Cane), called me at NSA and said the band was going to record with a new producer, and they wanted me as their drummer. Having never been to L.A., I took some leave that September and spent a week with the guys, which pretty well sealed the deal. John Simms and I discussed the potential dynamics of the impending change in great detail, and then plans were put into motion in October to enact the Hardship Discharge I'd first been offered when my father passed away in July 1968. The Air Force granted me a six-month "early out," and after a five-day cross-country trek, I arrived in Los Angeles that November.
60s: When you joined in November 1970, John Simms was handling drumming duties, and he didn't leave the band until January 1971. Did Ruddy Merry feature two drummers during this two-month period, or did you fill in while Simms' role gradually decreased?
MM: The original plan was to have me replace John on drums, allowing him to fully concentrate on vocals and assist Johnnie in fronting the band. This made The Ruddy Merry a seven-piece group, however, and that became an interim arrangement until Simms left the band in January.
I should mention a few words about the group's live performance, and what made them so unique in the L.A. music scene. First, there was Johnnie, a star-quality lead singer and front man in the style of Jimmy Page or Steven Tyler. He was the band's focal point. Bill on keyboards was a classically trained musician who had the keen ability to match complex leads note-for-note. Virgil was a phenomenal lead guitarist who, along with rhythm guitarist Gary Parrish and bass player Lani Kamano, provided the strong dynamic vocals that so effectively complimented Johnnie's leads.
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| Ruddy Merry playing at the Gas Chamber in Long Beach, California in March 1971. (From left) Bill "Mondo" Ruess, Virgil Thrapp, Mike Machat, Johnnie Maya, and Lani Kamano. Gary Parrish was to Mondo's right |
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Gary and Lani had met during a separate tour at Wakkanai Air Force Station on the very northernmost tip of Japan, and within sight of Russia. The hard-driving leader of the early band, Parrish developed a scruffy gravelly voice that shined when he performed his signature 'A Little Help From My Friends,' sounding just like Joe Cocker himself. The band was a head-turning act, and people would come into the club thinking they were the actual artists whose hit songs were on the radio!
60s: How did you meet Ed Sherman, who acted as the band's attorney and manager. Was he instrumental in the group signing with Capitol?
MM: Entertainment attorney Ed Sherman had been representing and managing the band since spring 1969. He was their most ardent fan and promoter, having been impressed with every aspect of the group since first meeting them. Ed worked tirelessly to promote us and secured several record deals.
60s: Prior to the Capitol contract, Ruddy Merry recorded for KAPP Records. Was Sherman also responsible for that?
MM: Yes, absolutely. As with the evolution of almost any band, there is usually a series of record deals as the group builds much-needed studio experience. Our KAPP sessions were developmental at best, but served well as the necessary building block for acquiring the Capitol contract.
60s: How many recordings did you make while signed with KAPP?
MM: We recorded two sides. The first was 'Let Me Down Easy,' selected for us by our producer, Dennis Pregnolato. The second was an original song called 'Sleepwalk in the Dark' written by Lani our bass player. We played all the instruments on both tracks, but were replaced by studio musicians on 'Let Me Down Easy.' Noted studio guitarist Dean Parks played on both those tracks as well, but neither song was released.
Although the KAPP sessions did not prove fruitful musically, they spawned two significant personnel changes when Lani and Gary both left the group. Ed Sherman knew a local musician named Gregg Gibson who played bass, flute, and banjo, and he was a natural fit from the very first note of his audition. We became close friends as well as a tight musical team, and Gregg remained with the group until our last performance. Thus, the final configuration of The Ruddy Merry was established.
60s: Did things move quickly once the band signed with Capitol? Was there a noticeable difference in gig frequency or band popularity?
MM: Once we signed with Capitol our involvement in selecting songs and playing in the studio ramped up at steady pace. Not writing our own material meant recording songs submitted as demos by independent songwriters, and we selected tunes by Alan O'Day, John Martyn, and others. Because we were still playing a full schedule at The Gas Chamber, the recording sessions didn't have that much impact on our live show, so there was little difference in our playing frequency. As for popularity, however, after our first single was released, we performed in concert at the Long Beach Auditorium in June 1973 as the opening act for Neil Young's group, Crazy Horse.
60s: Ruddy Merry spent five months (November 1972 through April 1973) recording for Capitol. How often were you actually in the studio during this five month period?
MM: Our studio schedule was pretty much "on demand." We laid down drums and bass for the foundation rhythm track, then added guitar and keyboards, and finally vocals and "sweetening" with strings and percussion. This meant the entire band would be present for the early phases of each song, but the vocals were done with just Johnnie and the back-up harmonies. Sometimes a guitar, keyboard, or synthesizer lead would be added autonomously as well. Recording sessions were sequenced around our live performances and club schedule, and were held evenings, weekends, or whenever studio time was available.
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| Mondo in Capitol Records Studio "C" |
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| Virgil in Capitol Records Studio "C" |
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The Capitol Records building on Vine Street in Hollywood housed three separate studios in a ground-level rectangular structure that surrounded the original round office tower. There were also special subterranean echo chambers built into concrete bunkers 30 feet underground, and designed by recording legend Les Paul. Studio "A" was a gymnasium-size room used by big bands and orchestras, while Studio "B" was for jazz bands and vocal groups. The Beach Boys recorded there and its grand piano was played by Nat King Cole. Studio "C" was the "rock band studio," as it offered a separate vocal booth and was completely padded in cherry-red shag carpet. This room soon became our second home.
It was an amazing experience interacting with other Capitol artists. Nancy Wilson would be singing in Studio "B," while drumming legend Hal Blaine would be laying down tracks on his "monster set" in Studio "A." Johnnie was even recruited to sing back-up vocals on an Al Martino record. When The Band was across the hall recording 'Moondog Matinee,' Levon Helm came into our studio and apologetically asked if he could please borrow my 22-inch bass drum because his 24-inch drum wasn't the right sound for a particular song. They were the nicest guys in the world.
Musical history just permeated the walls of that place, and you never knew who might be in the building. One of our Friday night sessions had to be postponed when Studio "C" was commandeered for a two-day jam with, among others, Leon Russell on keyboards, Nino Tempo on sax, and Ringo Starr on drums. Johnnie and I once ran an errand up to Peter Tevis's office, and met George Harrison as he got out of the elevator! For guys who'd grown up listening to all the great music that came out of that iconic building, our experience at Capitol was literally a dream come true.
60s: What are your recollections of producer Peter Tevis? How did you get affiliated with him?
MM: Ed Sherman worked hard for months formulating the deal that led to our contract with Capitol, and Peter was assigned by the company to produce our album. He’d been a singing cowboy actor in “spaghetti westerns” and then gained notoriety producing the soundtrack for an adult entertainment film named “Flesh Gordon.” This was to be his first effort producing a new rock band. Through Ed, Peter had scouted the band at the Gas Chamber and then directed our live audition in Studio “A” at Capitol, a session conducted at 4:00AM one night after we’d played five sets at the club.
60s: Is Ruddy Merry's 'Sweet, Sweet Loretta' the same song that was recorded by The DeFranco Family?
MM: Yes, it is. The DeFranco Family burst onto the music scene in the summer of 1973, and 'Sweet, Sweet Loretta' was released as the B-side of their first hit 'Heartbeat, It's A Lovebeat' three months after our version first received national airplay. Incidentally, the opening banjo lick on our record has often been compared to the similar-sounding intro of 'Sweet City Woman' by The Stampeders. It was the same banjo player on both records!
60s: Ruddy Merry's Capitol contract was not renewed a month after Tevis was let go by the company. Were these two acts mutually linked? If not, did Capitol provide a reason for not renewing the group's contract?
MM: I believe it was a case of the record company fulfilling its contractual obligation by releasing two singles, and then when neither song became a hit, releasing the band from any further involvement. We recorded a total of 13 sides at Capitol – enough for our first album, had the singles become hit records.
60s: Ruddy Merry disbanded five short months after wrapping up the recording of the album. Was it a shock for it all to be over so quickly after what must have been a highpoint in the group's history, or was it a natural progression due to other circumstances that unfolded during that time?
MM: Quite frankly, I think the band's performing "arc" had been completed. Our musical roots spanned from Motown to Woodstock to The Doobie Brothers, and the industry was heading in new directions like stadium rock and disco. Said Johnnie, "We sounded so much like everybody else and were so good performing live, that when we transitioned to playing canned songwriter music, we literally lost our essence." The band was taken from the 'round peg' of their high energy stage show and crammed into the 'square hole' of becoming a "bubble gum" commercial pop act. Additionally, we were approaching the ripe old age of 30 and had other things we wanted to do in our lives. It was simply time to move on.
I should mention that every one of us played together in other bands for the next few years (Johnnie and me, Virgil and Bill, me and Gregg) just to earn money before heading back to college or launching new careers. Bill graduated with honors from medical school and became a pathologist while Johnnie served as a disco deejay before starting his own video production business. Gregg began a construction company and Virgil headed north as a consultant for oil drilling in Alaska. Original catalyst and founding member, Gary Parrish became a real estate attorney in Florida, while Lani Kamano moved back to his native Hawaii. John Simms started a career with Boeing, and I became an artist and writer in the aerospace industry which led to my writing this interview on behalf of the band.
After leaving Capitol and forming his own record label, Peter Tevis signed Johnnie as one of his first solo acts and recorded the English and Spanish release 'If I Could Love You' which cracked the Billboard Top 100 Easy Listening Charts in 1976. Concurrently Johnnie, Virgil, and another partner opened a nightclub in Huntington Beach CA called Joshua's which combined live rock bands on stage with imported New York disco deejays – a novel concept at the time.
It's also interesting to note that of the five final members of The Ruddy Merry, only Bill Ruess and I are still playing music today, albeit in "classic rock" bands, doing many of the same songs we played as far back as The Taxmen. Now musical brethren, the veteran members of The Ruddy Merry still keep in touch using social media and digital technology that would have been regarded as pure science fiction back in 1973!
Special thanks to Mike Dugo and 60sgaragebands.com for making it possible to share the untold story of one of L.A.'s most noteworthy rock bands from a musical era long ago.
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| Ruddy Merry, 1973: Virgil Thrapp, Mike Machat, Bill "Mondo" Ruess, Johnnie Maya and Gregg Gibson |
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