The Shags (from Milwaukee, Wisconsin) are best remembered today for their excellent song 'Stop and LIsten.' Although he was a founding member, John Sahli left the band prior to the recording of this song, and before they recorded an LP under the shortened moniker The Shag. Switching his focus to commercial design, Sahli left the rock 'n' roll lifestyle behind after his stint with The Shags ended, but is grateful for the experiences he gained while a member of a 1960's rock group.
For more on John Sahli and The Shags, visit the Astor Theater Web site...
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| The Shags, 1965, L-R: Paul (Green) Greenwald, Mike Lamers, John Sahli; Don Luther is in back |
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An Interview With John Sahli
60sgaragebands.com (60s): How did you first get interested in music?
John Sahli (JS): The four of us listened to a lot of records in the fifties.
60s: Was The Shags your first band?
JS: The Shags was my (our) first band. The Shags (Shag) lasted for about seven years.
60s: Where and when was The Shags formed?
JS: The Shags was formed in 1964 by Paul Greenwald, me, Mike Lamers and Don Luther.
The members were Paul Greenwald: drums, flute, congas, vocals; John Sahli: guitar, harmonica, vocals; Mike Lamers: guitar, congas, autoharp, percussion, vocals; Don Luther: bass guitar, percussion, vocals; Raymond McCall: guitar, keyboard, vocals; and Gordon Elliot: guitar, harmonica, congas, vocals.
60s: How would you describe the band's sound? What bands influenced you?
JS: Folk, rock, blues combination at first. The Shags had a big beat, which brought the dancers to the floor. We later gravitated to a psychedelic and hard rock sound. At first some folk (Spider John) and blues (Bo Diddly) groups influenced The Shags and then The Rolling Stones. More than the sound, The Shags style appeared outlandish with our dress and special costumes, lighting, fog and special effects.
60s: What was the Milwaukee rock and roll scene like in the '60s?
JS: The Milwaukee scene was much alive with good rock and rhythm and blues groups. Dance clubs were doing great business. National recording groups had influences on many local groups. The Shags at first played some Stones and other pieces, but then went on to become of Milwaukee's first original rock music band, coming up with all our own tunes.
60s: Where did the band typically play?
JS: We played art parties, schools and some small bars at first, then got a gig at a large dance club named O'Brad's and became the "home" band, which really put us on the map locally.
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60s: Did you play any of the local teen clubs?
JS: The Shags didn't play teen clubs at all.
60s: How far was the band's "touring" territory?
JS: The southeastern Wisconsin area covered the touring area.
60s: Did The Shags participate in any battle of the bands?
JS: The Shags didn't participate in this type of events. We played with other national name bands at some large outdoor concerts though.
On July 25 to 27, 1969, at Milwaukee's State Fair Park, The Midwest Rock Festival was held with this line-up: Buffy Saint Marie, Led Zeppelin, 1st Edition, Pacific Gas & Electric, S.R.C., Shag, Sweetwater, Blind Faith, Delaney & Bonnie, Taste, Mc5, John Mayall, Jeff Beck, Jethro Tull, Johnny Winter, Bob Seger System, Jim Schwall Blues, Joe Cocker and Zephyer. This concert was known as the Woodstock of the Midwest.
60s: What other local groups of the era do you especially recall?
JS: The Baroques, The Robbs, Twisting Harvey, Junior and The Classics and too many more to mention.
60s: Did The Shags have a manager?
JS: Yes, The Shags had a manager right from the beginning, Paul Pattengale. He did the bookings and later moved to California with the band.
60s: How popular locally did The Shags become?
JS: The Shags became one of the most popular bands of its kind in Milwaukee in the mid-sixties.
60s: How did The Shags become involved in the Milwaukee Sentinel Rock 'N' Roll Revue?
JS: This occurred after my departure from the group and I couldn't come up with any details about this event. I had a large design job at the time, which begged all my time. Ray McCall replaced me at lead guitar. Paul, who now resides in California, could possibly fill you in on this. Note: The Milwaukee Sentinel Rock 'N' Roll Revue was held in the Milwaukee Auditorium and resulted in an LP release, including The Shags' cover of The Rolling Stones' 'Get Off Of My Cloud.' (Update, May 2010: Patrick Lundborg's research has raised doubt whether the group featured in the The Milwaukee Sentinel Rock 'N' Roll Revue was the same band as Sahli's Shags. As of now, it appears likely that it was an entirely different "Shags.")
60s: What were the circumstances leading to the band's opportunity to record the Raynard single?
JS: The Shags wanted to leave a mark with a 45-rpm record and had the opportunity to do so with ‘Dance Woman.’
60s: Your second 45, 'Stop & Listen,' was released on Capitol. How did that come about?
JS: The Capitol people heard about The Shags and offered them studio recording time. Out of that, ‘Stop and Listen’ was recorded and gained some notoriety nationally.
60s: Where did The Shags record the 45s? What do you remember about the recording session?
JS: I was with The Shags during their first recording (Raynard: Dave Kennedy Recording Studio, Milwaukee), but was not with The Shags at the Capitol session. The first session went well with the instrumental tracks put down first and then the vocal tracks added at the end. At the Capitol session, Ray McCall used a fuzz guitar, giving the track a unique sound.
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60s: The Shags later shortened names to The Shag. Why?
JS: When recording with Capitol, it became apparent that there was another recording group call The Shags, so to end the conflict the "s" was dropped and from then on the group was known as The Shag.
I did not make the move to California with The Shag but am aware of the studio (Pacific High Recording Studio in San Francisco) and also recording there at the same time was The Grateful Dead.
60s: Did The Shags write many original songs? Who was the band's primary songwriter?
JS: Apart from the very beginning, The Shags wrote all their own tunes. Paul did the lyrics and John came up with the sound. After John left the group, Ray McCall contributed some lyrics and sound arrangements. After Ray left the group, Gordon did some lyrics and music.
60s: Do any other Shags recordings exist? Are there any vintage live recordings, or unreleased tracks?
JS: The Shags had been tape recorded on several occasions, both live and studio, but the tapes have all disappeared.
60s: Did the band make any local TV appearances? Does any home movie film footage exist of the band?
JS: Not to my knowledge. There has been film footage of performances but I can't find anyone who can come up with any footage.
60s: What year and why did the band break up?
JS: I believe it was 1972 in California. Each member had other interests that took over and the band split up.
60s: Did you join or form any bands after The Shags?
JS: No I didn't. I continued my art and design career.
60s: What keeps you busy today?
JS: Commercial art and design has been my career and I still do free-lance work although I'm semi-retired. My photography keeps me busy today.
60s: How do you best summarize your experiences with The Shags?
JS: In short, being a part of Shags was an exciting part of my life. Coming up with new tunes, working them out and then performing live gave me an opportunity to experience something that most people never do. Being in the public eye, however insignificant on the larger scale, was still a thrill to be there locally. It takes a bit of guts to form a group, stick your necks out and hope for the best. Fortunately for us in Milwaukee it worked out in our favor.
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