Roy Loney performing at the Last Squirrels show

Roy Loney (April 13, 1946 – December 13, 2019) was an American

rock music Rock music is a broad genre of popular music that originated as " rock and roll" in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s, developing into a range of different styles in the mid-1960s and later, particularly in the United States an ...

ian, best known as the original lead singer of the

Flamin' Groovies Flamin' Groovies is an American rock band that formed in San Francisco in 1965, originally co-led by Roy Loney and Cyril Jordan. After the Groovies released three albums, on Epic ('' Supersnazz'') and Kama Sutra (''Flamingo'' and '' Teenage Head' ...

. The Groovies original line-up issued releases on

Epic Records Epic Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America Sony Corporation of America (SONAM, also known as SCA), is the American arm of the Japanese conglomerate Sony Group ...

and

Kama Sutra Records Kama Sutra Records was started in 1964 by Arthur "Artie" Ripp, Hy Mizrahi and Phil Steinberg as Kama Sutra Productions, a production house. The "Kama Sutra" is an ancient Sanskrit text.Alan Betrock ''Girl groups: the story of a sound'' 1982 p.1 ...

, which ''Rolling Stone'' magazine described as an "influence on

power-pop Power pop (also typeset as powerpop) is a form of pop rock based on the early music of bands such as the Who, the Beatles, the Beach Boys, and the Byrds. It typically incorporates melodic hooks, vocal harmonies, an energetic performance, and ch ...

and

punk Punk or punks may refer to: Genres, subculture, and related aspects * Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres * Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...

…" Loney's albums with the Flamin' Groovies included ''Sneakers'' (EP), '' Supersnazz'', ''

Flamingo Flamingos or flamingoes are a type of Wader, wading bird in the Family (biology), family Phoenicopteridae, which is the only extant family in the order Phoenicopteriformes. There are four flamingo species distributed throughout the Americas ...

'', and '' Teenage Head''.''Billboard'' magazine contrasted their "gritty" sound to the "

flower power Flower power was a slogan used during the late 1960s and early 1970s as a symbol of passive resistance and nonviolence. It is rooted in the opposition movement to the Vietnam War. The expression was coined by the American Beat poet Allen Ginsber ...

" approach of their

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

contemporaries. After leaving the Flamin' Groovies, Loney remained in the music industry both as a performer and in other jobs such as a sales representative for

ABC Records ABC Records was an American record label founded in New York City in 1955. It originated as the main popular music label operated by the Am-Par Record Corporation. Am-Par also created the Impulse! jazz label in 1960. It acquired many labels befo ...

and in various San Francisco-area record stores. Besides solo projects, he fronted bands, often in collaboration with former Flamin' Groovies bandmates, performing and recording under band names including the Phantom Movers and the Longshots (which included

Scott McCaughey Scott Lewis McCaughey is an American singer, guitarist and songwriter and the leader of the Seattle and Portland-based bands The Young Fresh Fellows and The Minus 5. He was also an auxiliary member of the American rock band R.E.M. from 1994 unt ...

, Jim Sangster, and Tad Hutchinson of the

Young Fresh Fellows Young may refer to: * Offspring, the product of reproduction of a new organism produced by one or more parents * Youth, the time of life when one is young, often meaning the time between childhood and adulthood Music * The Young, an American roc ...

, and Joey Kline of

The Squirrels The Squirrels are a novelty pop band based in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 1984 by lead vocalist Rob Morgan (founder, as well, of the ''Poplust'' zine), the band went through numerous lineups, but has stuck to the aesthetic that Peter Blecha ...

). In the last two years of his life, Loney appeared with a reunited Flamin' Groovies. Before his health failed in spring of 2019, he had expected to tour Europe with them later that year. He died December 13, 2019 of "severe organ failure."

Discography

Full-length LPs or CDs unless otherwise noted. With the Flamin' Groovies: * ''Sneakers'' (EP; Snazz R-2371, 1968) * '' Supersnazz'' (

Epic Epic commonly refers to: * Epic poetry, a long narrative poem celebrating heroic deeds and events significant to a culture or nation * Epic film, a genre of film with heroic elements Epic or EPIC may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and medi ...

BN-26487, September 1969) * ''

'' (

Kama Sutra The ''Kama Sutra'' (; sa, कामसूत्र, , ; ) is an ancient Indian Sanskrit text on sexuality, eroticism and emotional fulfillment in life. Attributed to Vātsyāyana, the ''Kama Sutra'' is neither exclusively nor predominantly ...

KSBS 2021, July 1970) * '' Teenage Head'' (Kama Sutra KSBS 2031, April 1971) * (plus various singles, see

) Other: * Roy A. Loney – ''..Artistic As Hell..'' (EP; label given as A-F, "Produced by Roy A. Loney for Albertson Frost Productions", 1978) * Roy Loney and the Phantom Movers (''hereafter just "Phantom Movers"'') – ''Out After Dark'' (Solid Smoke Records – SS-9001, 1979) * Phantom Movers – "Return To Sender"/"Neat Petite" (12" single, Solid Smoke, 1979) * Phantom Movers – ''Phantom Tracks'' (Solid Smoke 9002, 1980) * Phantom Movers – "Hanky Panky"/"With A Girl Like You" (12" single, Solid Smoke, 1989) * Phantom Movers – ''Contents Under Pressure'' (War Bride 9003, 1981) * Phantom Movers song "Different Kind" appeared on various artists recording ''Rising Stars Of San Francisco'' (War Bride 9005, 1981) * Phantom Movers – ''Rock'n'Roll Dance Party'' (War Bride 9006/Rockhouse LPL 8203, 1982) * Phantom Movers – "Lana Lee"/"Magdalena"/"Goodnight Alcatraz"(45 RPM single, Rockhouse, 1982) * Phantom Movers – ''Fast and Loose'' (Double Dare Productions DD-701 / Lolita 5017, 1983) * Phantom Movers – "Beware Of The Ghoul"/"Down The Road Apiece" (45 RPM single, Lolita, 1983) * Roy Loney – ''Live'' (Lolita 5018, 1984) * Phantom Movers – ''The Scientific Bombs Away!!! '' (Norton Records 209, 1988) * Phantom Movers – ''Five or Six by Five Live'' (EP, Norton EP-010, 1991) * Phantom Movers cover of "

With A Girl Like You "With a Girl Like You" is a song by English rock band the Troggs, released as a single in July 1966. On the back of the success of " Wild Thing", "With a Girl Like You" topped the charts in the UK, and was similarly a success across Europe, but ...

" appeared on various artists recording ''Groin Thunder: Trogg Noize from Around the World'' (Dog Meat – DOG 026, 1992) * Roy Loney and the A-Bombs – ''Boy Meets Bombs'' (EP, Norton EP-019, 1993) * Roy Loney and the Longshots (''hereafter just "Longshots"'') – ''Action Shots!'' (Marilyn USMLP 1024, 1993) * Longshots – ''Full Grown Head'' (Shake/Cargo SAL-210, 1994) * Longshots "Long Shots Theme" and "Get Off The Phone" appeared on various artists recording ''The Beat Goes On...'' (Shake The Record Label, 1994) * Longshots "Teeny Weeny Man" appeared on various artists recording ''Hodge! Podge! Barrage! From Japan!! Volume 2: Trash Compilation '' (1 + 2 Records – 1+2 CD 052, 1994) * Longshots – ''Kick Out The Hammmmons'' (Impossible Records IMP 037, 1995) * Roy Loney & The Young Fresh Fellows: "I Couldn't Spell !!*@!" appeared on various artists recording ''Turban Renewal: A Tribute To Sam The Sham'' (Norton ED-234, 1996) * Longshots – ''Record Party'' (Rock & Roll Inc. Records R&R-INC 714, 1998)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Loney, Roy 1946 births 2019 deaths American rock singers American rock songwriters