The Royale Monarchs were a Southern California
surf band of the late 1960s, signed by radio personality
Bob Eubanks as house band at his
Cinnamon Cinder night clubs, regulars on his ''Hollywood Dance Time'' and ''The Cinnamon Cinder'' television shows.
History
The original group included founder,
Dan Anthony, (formerly Jaramillo) vocals and lead guitar, Roger Stafford lead vocal and rhythm guitar,
Wilson Smith
Wilson Smith (21 June 1897, Great Harwood at Blackburn; – 10 July 1965, Woolton Hill at Newbury) was a British physician, virologist and immunologist. He was part of the group that first isolated the influenza virus and developed one of the ...
later replaced by George Haraksin on drums, with
Jack Schaeffer
Jack Schaeffer (born March 19, 1946 in Los Angeles, California) is an American musician. He invented a musical instrument, the Strumbola. on tenor saxophone and
Ed Loewe rounding out the group on bass guitar. While playing the
sock hops they often performed as backup band for touring recording artist,
Jan and Dean,
The Hondells or
The Honeys. While at the Cinnamon Cinder they backed up weekly such acts as
Jackie DeShannon, Dick and Dede,
The Ronettes,
Little Stevie Wonder,
The Coasters,
The Rivingtons and
Chuck Berry.
Producer
Gary Usher signed the newly reformed group, The Forte' Four to a
recording contract
A recording contract (commonly called a record contract or record deal) is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist (or group), where the artist makes a record (or series of records) for the label to sell and promote. Artists ...
at
MCA/Universal
MCA Inc. (originally an initialism for Music Corporation of America) was an American media conglomerate founded in 1924. Originally a talent agency with artists in the music business as clients, the company became a major force in the film ind ...
and released several singles on
Decca Records
Decca Records is a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis (Decca), Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934 by Lewis, Jack Kapp, American Decca's first president, and Milton Rackmil, who later became American ...
.
Ernie Earnshaw
Ernie Earnshaw is a musician and recording artist. He began playing drums with the Royale Monarchs. The Monarchs were a popular surf-band of the 1960s, at the Bob Eubanks Cinnamon Cinder night clubs, in Los Angeles and performed on Sam Riddell' ...
, of
Love Song took over on drums and Guy Watson on bass in the new group. Guitarist
Glen Campbell joined as a
session musician
Session musicians, studio musicians, or backing musicians are musicians hired to perform in recording sessions or live performances. The term sideman is also used in the case of live performances, such as accompanying a recording artist on a ...
on recordings adding back up harmony along with Usher. The group's first single under the Royale Monarchs name was "Sombrero Stomp", featuring Schaeffer on tenor sax.
Roger Stafford died on January 27, 2012, in
Visalia, California, following complications after kidney failure. He was aged 69.
Discography
Royale Monarchs
*''Whole Lot of Shakin Going On'' (1962) (Dell)
*''Sombrero Stomp'' (1962) (Dell)
*''The Cinnamon Cinder Show'' / Bob Eubanks (1963–65) (TV)
*''My Babe'' (1964) (Dell)
*''(Hey) Surfs Up'' (1964) (Dell)
*''Great Balls of Fire'' (1964) (Dell)
*''Teen Scene'' (1964) (Dell)
*''Cinnamon Cinder Show Christmas Special'' / Bob Eubanks (1965) (TV)
Collector-oriented compilation albums containing their tracks
*''At The Rockhouse, vol 11'' (Eagle)
*''Red Hot Rock 'N' Roll'' (Red Hot)
*''High School Favorites'' (Teen)
*''I Want Rock'' (White Label)
The Forte Four
*''Can't You See I'm Trying'' (1966) (Decca)
*''Don't Let The Sun Shine On Me'' (1966) (Decca)
*''I Don't Wanna Say Goodnight'' (1966) (Decca)
*''The Climb'' (1966) (Decca)
*''Viva Las Vegas, Original Soundtrack'' / "The Climb" (1964) (MGM)
*''The Cool Ones, Original Soundtrack'' (1967) (Warner Bros)
References
External links
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*
*
Royale Monarchs Discography Group Photo from "Surf's Up"
Musical groups from Los Angeles
Rock music groups from California
Surf music groups
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