Stories and Tales

"I was sitting innocently in my dorm room at U of H, looking to get in as much trouble as possible in late 1966, when my old high school surfing chum, Clay Stewart, came by to tell me of a scene he'd fallen into in S.A. that he was convinced I needed to be a part of. I'd written some poetry, and my first song called "Day For Love", and Clay explained some friends had formed a psychedelically oriented band playing music the likes he'd never heard before. Jazz, folk, rock, and pre-Pythagorean tunings all combined with great beatlesque harmonies. So much for college. I cashed in the pre-paid tuition and was off to S.A..

I'll never forget the first practice I heard. It was in Bobby Grossman's living room. I couldn't believe the sound. Don Harding leading the raga-rock sound playing a Gretch country gentleman, Will (then Billy) Bellamy played bass, Rex Foster played an electric 12 string, Clay Stewart played bongos and congas, and Jimmy Newhouse played drums. The three part harmonies were absolutely ethereal and Newhouse' drumming was really intricate. He sounded like a small factory or something.

Soon thereafter Bob Lenz came in from U. C. Santa Barbara with a young jazz singer named Kitty at the suggestion of Phil Krumm, who had the dubious job of managing the whole famn damily. Lenz was a classically trained product of two M.I.T professors, totally brilliant,but so high strung there wasn't enough valium in production to keep him from losing it at a moment's notice. He took my Day For Love song and arranged it bossa-nova style, which worked perfectly. He left the group immediately after smashing his Les Paul on the floor of a recording studio while attempting a perfect 1st take on some demo they were trying to nail down.I think Kurt Linhof joined in at Jimmy's behest before the first, and probably most memorable gig, the grand opening of Steve Perron's club" The Mind's Eye", where they opened for The 13th Floor Elevators.

Other gigs included the Doris Miller Auditorium in Austin with the Conqueroo.I think Will left for Cal. meaning to re-assemble there, but it didn't work out. What did work out years later was the group Joker Moon, which he and Don (then "Don Earl") Harding formed with Merrily Weeber, but that is Will's tale to tell."

'Hi' to all who remember......."

_George Maillot, April 2002