Gregory Dee & the Avanties
While growing up in Minneapolis during the early - mid 60's, I was blessed with dozens of opportunities to see great bands like Gregory Dee & the Avanties. The big regional hit for Gregory Dee & the Avanties was an instrumental titled The Grind which show cased the great Gregory Dean Maland on Hammond Organ. Gregory Dean Maland changed his middle name to Dee because it must've sounded better. The Grind is available on a 2 CD boxed set titled The Big Hits of Mid-America...the SOMA records story 1963-1967. SOMA backwards spells AMOS. Amos Heilicher was the great man at the wheel of the legendary record company. I can't remember how I acquired this promo copy 45 record pictured above. It's always been a favorite spin from my collection. I especially love the haunting song Keep Me. I'm not sure which cut was intended to be the A-side, but considering the song Because of You is a more up-beat tune, I would suspect it was the intended hit. My 45 record still plays fine. It's a bit scratchy, but there are no skips. These songs are still mesmerizing without the aid of CD quality clarity or re-mastering.
RL
Wow! I used to be in a Minneapolis band called "The Whole Lotta Loves" we covered this song back in the early 1980's.
ReplyDeleteI always loved Gregory Dee and this is one of my very favorites.
I remember seeing him do a comeback show at Goofy's Upper Deck club in downtown Minneapolis (where the Target Center is now) back around 1982 or so. It was apparent to all that he'd had some problems in life. Still it was nice to see him out and about again. Even if he didn't have the Hammond anymore. The Grind just didn't sound right on a Fender rhodes.
Ernie Batson (Hypstrz/Lotta Loves)