The Wailers (rock band)
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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The Wailers were an American rock band from Tacoma, Washington. Formed around 1958, they are often considered the first garage rock group. They performed a hybrid of saxophone-driven R&B and Chuck Berry rock and roll.
Five 45s (four released in 1959, including "Tall Cool One", and one in 1960) and an LP release, The Fabulous Wailers (released December 1959 on Golden Crest Records), put the Wailers on the national scene. Their 1961 cover of "Louie Louie", which they recorded as a backing band for singer Rockin' Roberts, was the first to use the trademark 1-2-3, 1-2, 1-2-3 riff. Their version inspired other groups from the Seattle area, most notably the Kingsmen of Portland, Oregon, to record the same song. The Wailers' influence established the Pacific Northwest area as a center for musical innovation and the home of a long string of regional favorites playing a kind of raunchy, amateur, yet passionate, form of rock and roll.
The Wailers' song, "Out of Our Tree", was featured in the Nuggets: Original Artyfacts From the First Psychedelic Era collection.
Members
- Ron Gardner, Vocals, Keyboards, Tenor Saxophone - (Late 1960)
- Richard Dangel, Original Guitarist - (Late August 1958)
- Neil Anderson, Guitar, now a member of the Gypsy Jazz group, Pearl Django
- John Hanford, Guitar
- Mike Burk, Original Drummer - (Late August 1958)
- John Greek, Original Founder, Leader, Rhythm Guitar, Bassist, Cornet, Trumpet, Flugelhorn - (Late August 1958)
- Mark Marush, Original Tenor Sax - (Late August 1958)
- Kent Morrill, Original Piano, Vocals - (Late August 1958)
- Dave Roland, Drummer
- Denny Weaver, Guitar
- Gary Favier, Vocals - (October 1958 - June 1959)
- Gail (Gayle) Harris, Vocals - (Hired early August 1959)
- Rockin' Robbin Roberts, Vocals - (Hired August 1959)
- John "Buck" Ormsby, Bass Guitar - (April 1960)
