The Cryan' Shames are an American

garage rock Garage rock (sometimes called garage punk or 60s punk) is a raw and energetic style of rock and roll that flourished in the mid-1960s, most notably in the United States and Canada, and has experienced a series of subsequent revivals. The sty ...

band from

Hinsdale, Illinois Hinsdale is a village in Cook and DuPage counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. Hinsdale is a western suburb of Chicago. The population was 17,395 at the 2020 census, most of whom lived in DuPage County. The town's ZIP code is 60521. The town ...

. Originally known as The Travelers, the band was formed by Tom Doody ("Toad"), Gerry Stone ("Stonehenge"), Dave Purple ("Grape") of The Prowlers, Denny Conroy from Possum River, and Jim Fairs from

The Roosters are a Japanese rock band formed in Fukuoka Prefecture in 1979. Their music has mixed rock and roll, punk rock, British blues, ska, and new wave. Originally active from 1979 to 1988, they performed at the 2004 Fuji Rock Festival before restar ...

, Jim Pilster ("J.C. Hooke", so named because he was born without a left hand and wore a hook), and Bill Hughes. The band's most successful song was their

cover Cover or covers may refer to: Packaging * Another name for a lid * Cover (philately), generic term for envelope or package * Album cover, the front of the packaging * Book cover or magazine cover ** Book design ** Back cover copy, part of co ...

The Searchers ''The Searchers'' is a 1956 American Technicolor VistaVision epic Western film directed by John Ford and written by Frank S. Nugent, based on the 1954 novel by Alan Le May. It is set during the Texas-Native American wars, and stars John Wa ...

' " Sugar and Spice".

History

In 1966, upon learning that another band was already using the name “Tommy and the Travelers”, they needed to find another name. J.C. Hooke was familiar with the Tommy of that band, and JC asked Tommy if he would be interested in joining their band instead; when Tommy Krein (Last name pronounced Cryan) declined, JC remarked that it was "a cryan' shame," thus naming the band. After the Cryan' Shames signed with Bob Monaco, the promotion manager for Destination Music, their first single was supposed to be George Harrison's song "

If I Needed Someone "If I Needed Someone" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, written by George Harrison, the group's lead guitarist. It was released in December 1965 on their album '' Rubber Soul'', except in North America, where it appeared on the J ...

"; however, due to publication issues, it was not released (although it was included on their debut album). Instead, their first single was " Sugar and Spice," a

Tony Hatch Anthony Peter Hatch (born 30 June 1939) is an English composer for musical theatre and television. He is also a songwriter, pianist, arranger and producer. Early life and early career Hatch was born in Pinner, Middlesex. Encouraged by his mus ...

song that had been a 1963 hit for the English group

. The Shames' version reached number 49 in the US and number four on Chicago radio ( WLS). Another single was released just before the end of 1966 called "I Wanna Meet You" b/w "We Could Be Happy", both composed by Jim Fairs. This record made it to number one in Chicago and number 85 nationally. The Shames signed to Columbia in 1966, and they focused on their first album release, which was heavily influenced by

The Byrds The Byrds () were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1964. The band underwent multiple lineup changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn (known as Jim McGuinn until mid-1967) remaining the sole cons ...

. Their album, ''Sugar and Spice'', was recorded in just two days, but it was strengthened by cover versions of contemporary popular songs like "

We Gotta Get Out of This Place "We Gotta Get Out of This Place", occasionally written "We've Gotta Get Out of This Place", is a rock song written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil and recorded as a 1965 hit single by the Animals. It has become an iconic song of its type and wa ...

" and "

Hey Joe "Hey Joe" is an American song from the 1960s that has become a rock standard and has been performed in many musical styles by hundreds of different artists. The lyrics tell of a man who is on the run and planning to head to Mexico after shooti ...

". Upon its October 1966 release, the album became a hit in Chicago and charted at number 192 nationally. Dave Purple and Gerry Stone left following the first album release. They were replaced by Isaac Guillory and Lenny Kerley. Follow-up singles met with lesser success, but, in August 1967, "It Could Be We're in Love" was #1 in Chicago on both WLS and WCFL. Before the development of their second album, Stone was drafted to fight in the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...

and lineup changes followed. Their second album, an experimental combination of

psychedelic rock Psychedelic rock is a rock music Music genre, genre that is inspired, influenced, or representative of psychedelia, psychedelic culture, which is centered on perception-altering hallucinogenic drugs. The music incorporated new electronic sound ...

and studio arrangements, charted at number 156. Their productions and vocal harmonies had improved, which was reflected positively in album sales. Jim Fairs and Dennis Conroy left following the release of the second album. They were replaced by Dave Carter and Alan Dawson. The group's new lineup released their final album, ''Synthesis''. The album marked attempts at

progressive rock Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog; sometimes conflated with art rock) is a broad genre of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom and United States through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early 1970s. Init ...

with

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

influences. The album charted lower than their previous effort and was considered a disappointment. The group disbanded in December 1969, but they later reunited and continue to tour. The Shames were never a national success, but their singles and albums sold well in the Chicago area. Jim "J.C. Hooke" Pilster and Tom Doody (Toad) are the only remaining original members in the current lineup. Two members of The Cryan' Shames have died: bassist Dave Purple in June 2001, and his replacement,

Isaac Guillory Isaac Guillory (February 27, 1947 – December 31, 2000) was an American folk guitarist. Career Guillory first began performing in 1965, while still attending St. Johns River State College where he became a member of The Illusions, eventually ...

, on December 31, 2000.

Discography

Singles

Albums

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Cryan Shames, The Musical groups established in 1966 Garage rock groups from Illinois 1966 establishments in Illinois