The Surprize was originally a 1966 three-piece Tampa, Florida band. Before our days as The Surprize, Buddy Good and I were singing and writing songs together. It was during those teen years that Buddy and I became known as The Skopes. We released a song co-written by our manager John Centinaro titled 'She's Got Bad Breath.' Scope Mouthwash banned the song and we then changed our group name to The Surprize.
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| The Surprize: Roger Fuentes, drums; James Marvell, lead vocals and rhythm guitar; and Buddy Good, harmony and bass guitar. Lead guitarist Paul Paradis is absent. |
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James Marvell Recalls His '60s Bands
Around 1968, Surprize members James Marvell, Buddy Good and drummer Roger Fuentes joined Mercy and recorded the million seller 'Love Can Make You Happy' written by Mercy founder Jack Sigler, Jr.
Today, I'm still traveling and reliving the the music of the '60s. Joining me is my wife Faye. Anyone interested in booking the James Marvell Show can email me at jmarvell7@yahoo.com or visit www.jamesmarvell.com.
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| Charles Fuller Productions master tape |
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Being a Garage Band is an honor as much as being a national act. Mercy made history in the '60s when our million seller 'Love Can Make You Happy' joined Elvis, Frank Sinatra and The Beatles in Cashbox and Billboard's Top 10. Booked by William Morris, we appeared on shows with other rockers such as The Association, Tommy James and The Shondells, The Byrds, Gary Puckett, Oliver and many more.
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| Mercy collage |
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Buddy and I saw the dangers of drugs in the '60s and were led to bring an anti-drug message to the youth through country music. Even while on the road with Mercy we would secretly change into our Country Cavaleer look and appear on country shows. Mercy had a clean-cut image so we would carry that into country.
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Buddy Good and I were together on USA Records, Cent Records, Warner Brothers, MGM, CSA and other labels in the '60s and early '70s. We shared lead vocals on the song 'She's Got Bad Breath.' Buddy is a super bass player and harmony singer. Our very first band rehearsed in a garage at the home of lead guitarist Paul Paris.
I believe it was Buddy who ran into John Centinaro in 1965 who was managing a record store in Tampa called Ron's Record Shop. The record store was located at the Britton Plaza Mall. Buddy invited Centinaro over to our garage rehersals and he liked what he heard! Thanks to John we started recording at an early age. In the video Buddy and I touch on our days with the group Mercy and The Country Cavaleers.
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Thank you to Chris Bishop of the excellent Garage Hangover site for permission to post the songs (the Garage Hangover Surprize page can be viewed here), and to luv2videoproductions.org for the Skopes song and the remastering on 'I Will Make History' and 'Too Bad.'
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