Quote:

Park Avenue Playground

U.S. Males: George Eder, Mike Jones, Ron Howard and Doug Maxeiner. U.S. Males: George Eder, Mike Jones, Ron Howard and Doug Maxeiner. U.S. Males: George Eder, Mike Jones, Ron Howard and Doug Maxeiner.

Personnel:
BOB ANTON bs A
GEORGE EDER bs, gtr A B C
RON HOWARD ld gtr A B C
MIKE JONES organ A B C
PAUL KOVAK drms A B
DOUG MAXEINER drms C


45:
1(B) I Know/The Trip (USA 919) 1968/9


A late sixties Lansing, Illinois act. The Trip, a classic piece of punk dementia with driving organ, lots of fuzz, swirling sound effects and psychedelic lyrics like: 'You Say There's No Beginning/I Say You're Wrong/This Trip Is Never-Ending/It Won't Be Long', can now be heard on Beyond The Calico Wall (LP & CD).

George Eder recalls:- "The band arose from the ashes of my first band, The U.S. Males (Lansing, IL '65-'67). Because we had gone through some personnel changes, we needed a new name. I lived on Park Ave in Lansing IL. and one of the playgrounds of the local grade school was on my block. We'd always meet on the Park Ave. playground, so that's how I got the name."

"In the year and a half we were together ('67 - '69), we went through several bass players, but none stuck so I'd play bass live and in the studio as well a rhythm guitar the on recordings."

"We recorded The Trip in Lansing, MI in an old theatre that a lot of bands were using in those days. The Rotary Connection had just wrapped their recording so the vibe was in the room. There was a Hammond B3 for Mike so we put it on the record. The majority of the psychedelic sounds were added after the fact by our manager and the studio engineer."

Mike Jones wrote the 'A' side, I Know whilst I wrote The Trip. After the session, Paul Kovak had to leave the band due to parental pressure, and another ex-U.S. Males member Doug Maxeiner was rehired. Most of the 45s were used by their manager, who took them to radio stations on the mid-west and East Coast, the remainder being distributed between the band members.

The U.S. Males also recorded an earlier 45, She Cried with to quote George: "a truly bad original on the B side, we had about 100 copies made and gave them to all our friends."

George:- "My name is now George Michael. I was born George Eder but changed my name legally in '79 for professional reasons. What a mistake that turned out to be... That kid from the UK has ruined my name (at least in CA)!"

(Vernon Joynson w/thanks to George Michael)

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Quote:

"Look at the plastic people.
They want you down."

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Park Avenue Playground - The Trip
3.46mb / 2:30