Although they called Ohio home, The Stumps recorded their lone single, 'Think Of The Good Times' b/w 'My Generation' (on Boyd Records) in Tuscon, Arizona. Together from 1964-1972, the group performed with some of the biggest hitmakers of the era, and are currently still performing locally. Bassist Mark Fraze explains how their 45 came to be, recalls performing on The Dick Clark Happening '67 Tour, describes meeting with Neil Young and more...
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| The Stumps 1965 promotional photo. |
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An Intereview With Mark Fraze
60sgaragebands.com (60s): How did you first get interested in music?
Mark Fraze (MF): After seeing the movie The Viking in second grade, I liked the theme song so much that when I returned home I worked it out on the piano and played that little ditty all day. My next serious exposure was from the orchestra teacher of my elementary school. At this time I was so moved, I took up the violin.
60s: Was The Stumps your first band?
MF: My first band was called The Vibrations. It was formed in 1963 and the group lasted a little more than a year. When another group came out with the same name we renamed ourselves The Explicits.
60s: Where and when was The Stumps?
MF: The Stumps was formed in Kettering, Ohio in 1964 by Mark Fraze (bass), Steve Common (guitar), Steve Harding (keyboards) and Tom Davis (drums).
60s: How would you describe the band's sound? What bands influenced you?
MF: We were a vocally adept four-piece band playing top 40 hits of the day. Our influences were typically all the groups of the British Invasion but especially The Beatles" and on the American side, The Beach Boys.
60s: Where did the band typically play?
MF: We started at private parties, then local dances and moved on to the larger teen spots in our city and other surrounding cities.
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| The Stumps 1966 promotional photo. |
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60s: Which of the local teen clubs did you play at?
MF: We performed at Forest Park, Kettering Skating Rink, LeSourdesville Lake, Sidney Teen Center, Piqua Hullabaloo, Springbrooke Gardens, Sugar Shack, Club Cuyhota, Lima Teen Center, Christopher Club, and Tipp City Teen Center plus many church sponsored teen clubs and armory dances spread out all over the state, to name a few.
60s: What was the Dayton rock and roll scene like in the '60s?
MF: It was amazing. Schools actually let bands bring their equipment into classrooms and play before school. Of course bands had little equipment, which made this possible. Everyone I knew was in a band. Music was the primary focus for all the kids.
I think the greatest example of the scene was the Battle of the Bands sponsored by WING Radio in the mid-'60s. In a weekend, over 400 bands signed up.
60s: How did you hook up with Bob Holiday?
MF: Bob Holiday, a popular local DJ, not only spun records at dances but also promoted them. He saw us play at Kettering Skating Rink in early 1965. He took note of the group and asked us if we needed bookings to which we obviously said yes. After many performances, he thought we offered promise and began managing the group.
He had plans; many ideas and drastic changes were made. He recommended the clothing we wore changing from a "wear anything look" to matching double-breasted suits, shirts, ties, shoes and we changed outfits every set. We kept track of the outfit changes and song lists so not to duplicate these when performing at the same spot the next time. This always made the group seem even "fresher" than it was. Horsing around between songs was frowned upon as well as excessive tuning time. Choreography was arranged to many of our songs. We also would open every set with a medley to get every performance off to a fast start.
A code of conduct was instituted. From the second you left your home to the time of your return, everything was in this contract. It even specified who you could and couldn’t talk to. It actually improved our professional image and in some cases kept us out of trouble.
Changes were even made to the way we practiced. Recording the practices, stools instead of standing and the use of headphones was instituted to perfect singing. A certain number of current hits were required to be learned on a regular basis. Having access to new releases early, Bob had us actually perform some songs the first day they were played on the radio.
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| The Stumps 1967 promotional photo. |
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60s: How did The Stumps wind up touring the Southwest?
MF: 'Think Of The Good Times' was released in the spring of 1967. The head of our record label, Bobby Boyd, then contracted us to go on tour with The Buffalo Springfield and The Five Americans. At the time the Five Americans had two number #1 records, 'I See The Light' and 'Western Union.' I was very excited to perform with them but was not familiar with Buffalo Springfield. By the end of the summer, I realized I was touring with the powerhouse songwriters for the next decade, Stephen Stills, Neil Young and Richie Furay.
One funny story: On the afternoon of our first tour performance, a fellow tapped me on the shoulder and asked if I’d help unload two vans. Not knowing the person or the group, I still gladly helped. When all was said and done, the fellow looked at our equipment and asked if we were going to really "use that stuff." When I replied "of course," he thanked me for my help and said our group could use their equipment instead. That is how I met Neil Young. The Buffalo Springfield used our amplifiers to tune-up with in the dressing room.
That tour took us through the Southwest and we relocated to Tucson, Arizona.
60s: What about the Happening '67 Tour?
MF: By 1967 the group had played on several occasions for Dick Clark. The "Happening '67 Tour" was one of his initial forays in the psychedelic arena. Living in Tucson, The Stumps were asked to join the western swing of this tour. We’d been through Beatlemania, the Go-Go dancing, Hullabaloos and now it was time for the "Hippie" movement. Happening ’67 sent a shock through this conservative, matching blazers little Ohio band. Now we were face to face with San Francisco-types, visually and musically. Personally I felt really out of place. The Stumps were definitely the most "conventional" group there. There was no way the group could grow hair or change fast enough to fit in so we filled the ‘traditional" role.
The Seeds, The Yellow Payges, The Rubber Maze and The Stumps were the musical groups but there were many non-musical attractions--Psychedelic light, smoke and glow shows, "hippie" art and clothing exhibits and of course plenty of black lights and posters.
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| 'Think Of The Good Times' on Boyd Records. |
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| 'My Generation' on Boyd Records. |
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60s: What were the circumstances leading to the Boyd 45?
MF: We had been recording for a couple of years having no success with the record labels. Our manager, Bob Holiday, sent our tape to Boyd Records and basically that was it. They called and said "you’re signed, be in Texas by June to start your tour." I actually thought we might be playing really big dances.
The Stumps recorded 'Think Of The Good Times' first in the fall of 1966 at Columbia Studios in Nashville and again around Easter in Phoenix, Arizona, in the spring of 1967. The Nashville experience was not what we expected. Our new drummer, Jim Wagner, was a Keith Moon clone. He was only 14 or 15 and before the session, I told him to just play like hell and you’ll be fine. He really let loose but in such a way that when we tried to go back later and overdub a straighter snare beat, it just wouldn’t work. The B-Side was a cover of The Who’s 'My Generation,' which had not (yet) been released in the U.S. The Nashville folk did not get the stuttering and the feedback and the session producer, who had just finished a Sonny & Cher project was no help.
Bob Holiday had a previous managing and booking relationship with The McCoys of 'Hang On Sloopy' fame and our A-Side was sent to lead guitarist, Rick Zerringer, aka Rick Derringer, for suggestions. His advice was to simplify and get a better dance beat. As mentioned, we couldn’t overdub, so a newer version was cut in Phoenix, Arizona with a much hipper producer. This was the version released.
60s: Did The Stumps write any original songs?
MF: We essentially were not prolific songwriters but possibly better arrangers. Quite a few songs were penned but not what we thought were good enough to compete on the charts.
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| Backstage bion Dallas with Stephen Stills, 1967. |
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60s: Do any other '60's Stumps recordings exist? Are there any vintage live recordings, or unreleased tracks?
MF: We have many vintage practice, live and studio recordings of the group including the follow-up to our first 45. It was a psychedelic rendition of Martha and The Vandellas' 'Heatwave.'
60s: Did the band make any local TV appearances? Does any home movie film footage exist of the band?
MF: Many short clips of the group appeared on local TV but no home videos exist that I know of. I do have a very large scrapbook dating back to 1963 overflowing with pictures, articles, etc.
60s: What year and why did the band break up?
MF: The Stumps continued with various different musicians from 1964 through 1972. We were based primarily in Dayton, Ohio. By 1972, I felt my music career had gone as far as it could go in my hometown and it was time to move on.
60s: Did you join or form any bands after The Stumps?
MF: Through a former Stumps guitar player, I received an offer to join the group Roadapple from Atlanta, Georgia in 1972. We recorded one LP, which was never released.
I moved to Tucson, Arizona in 1975 and started a country swing group called Loose Boots. We recorded one locally released album and a few members went on the L.A. with me when I became the Music Director for the motion picture Shame, Shame On The Bixby Boys.
After I was married and had a family, again I moved back to Dayton. I performed in several oldies groups, Kling, Norman and The Beach Heads, and The Holiday Aid Rock & Roll Orchestra, to name a few.
60s: What was the impetus for The Stumps' 40-year reunion? Are there any definite plans to perform together again?
MF: I was a graduate of Fairmont West High School, class of 1967. A good friend of mine was the head of the Fairmont West Class of 1968 30th Reunion. I told my friend, "You get the place and I’ll form the band." This is what happened and we had a Stumps reunion in 1998. We recorded a double CD set with more than 30 songs, which was well received.
This scenario happened again 10 years later for the 40th Reunion of the class of 1968. Not only did we play at the reunion but also concerts at the Fraze Pavilion, a 4000 seat venue in Kettering, Ohio and entertained at the Kettering "Holiday at Home" Labor Day celebration.
The Stumps have also been contracted to perform for the 40th Reunion of the Class of 1969 this coming summer plus additional concerts throughout and around the city of Dayton.
60s: How do you best summarize your experiences with The Stumps?
MF: They were the most memorable days and experiences, which cannot be duplicated today. I am not only nostalgic for that period but at the same time almost feel sorry for the musicians of today. The '60s, "Summer of Love" hippie experiment and the intense musical excitement won’t happen again. My thanks for all that were there for me and my group and another thanks for those who were there for your own '60s garage bands.
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| The Stumps 2008 Reunion. |
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