The original line-up of this tempestuous US pop outfit - Ned Torney (guitar), Mark Loomis (guitar/vocals), Jo Kleming (organ), Richard Young (bass), Danny Phay (lead vocals) and Pete Curry (drums) - was assembled in San Jose, California, USA, in 1964. Gary Andrijasevich replaced Curry within weeks of the quintet's inception. The following year Torney, Kleming and Phay defected to another local outfit, the Topsiders, later known as the Other Side, while the latter's guitarist, Sean Tolby (b. 27 July 1943, USA, d. November 1990, California, USA; bass), joined Loomis and Andrijasevich. The revitalized quintet was completed by Dave Aguilar (vocals) and Bill Flores (bass). Producer Ed Cobb, already renowned for his work with the Standells, signed Chocolate Watch Band in 1966. He matched the band's instinctive love of British R&B with a tough, metallic sound, and the best of their work - "No Way Out" and "Are You Gonna Be There (At The Love-In)' (from 1967's No Way Out) - is among the finest to emerge from America's garage band genre. However, the band's potential was undermined by personal and professional problems. Several Chocolate Watch Band masters featured studio musicians, while a substitute vocalist, Don Bennett, was also employed on certain sessions. A disillusioned Aguilar quit the line-up prior to the release of 1968"s The Inner Mystique, which featured recordings made by two different singers and three different line-ups of the band. Original vocalist Phay resumed his place on One Step Beyond, but this album proved disappointing, despite a cameo appearance by Moby Grape guitarist Jerry Miller. Chocolate Watch Band finally split up in March 1970. They re-formed in 1999 to play a series of live dates and have continued to host regular reunions ever since. A new studio recording was completed in 2000 by Aguilar, Andrijasevich, Flores, latterday guitarist Tim Abbott, and new member Michael Reese.

Listen to The Chocolate Watchband at Finetune.

• Are You Gonna Be There (At The Love-In)
• Let's Talk About Girls
• Sweet Young Thing

• The Seeds
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• 13th Floor Elevators
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• Donovan
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