The Cryan 'Shames is an American garage rock band from Hinsdale, Illinois. They were originally formed as The Travelers with founding members Tom Doody ("Toad"), Gerry Stone ("Stonehenge"), Dave Purple ("Grape") from The Prowlers, Denny Conroy of Possum River, and Jim Fairs of The Roosters, Jim Pilster ("JC Hooke", so named because he was born without his left hand and wore a hook), and Bill Hughes. When the band's most successful came with their cover of The Searchers song, "Sugar and Spice".
Video The Cryan' Shames
History
In 1966, after learning that another band had the names of Tommy and "Travelers", they needed to find another name; JC Hooke who is familiar with Tommy asks if he will be interested in becoming their lead guitarist that is still needed but after learning "Tommy Kerin" (Last name pronounced Cryan) will not be available, JC has fun with his last name saying that it's "a cryan 'shame , "and thus given the band's name. After signing with Bob Monaco, promotional manager for Destination Music, their first single was supposed to be George Harrison's song, "If I Needed Someone", but was not released in the US (but included in their debut album) due to publicity issues. Soon followed by "Sugar and Spice," a Tony Hatch song that became a hit in 1963 (everywhere except in the US) for The Searchers English group. The Shames' version reached number 49 in the United States (while reaching number four on local WLS radio). Another single was released before the end of 1966 called "I Want to Meet You" b/w "We Could Be Happy". The record reached number one in Chicago and numbered 85 nationally. Both songs on the single are compositions of Jim Fairs and further highlight the band's singer harmonious abilities.
They signed a contract with Columbia in 1966, and while they never became a national success, their singles and three albums continued to sell well in the Chicago area. The band focused on releasing their first album, which was heavily influenced by The Byrds. Their album, Sugar and Spice was recorded in just two days, but reinforced by cover versions of popular songs in periods such as "We Gotta Get Out of This Place" and "Hey Joe". Overall, the album, after the October 1966 release, became a hit in Chicago and mapped out at number 192 nationally.
More singles are following their debut that meet with less success. Before the development of their second album, the band lost the Stone service. Stone was designed to fight in the Vietnam War and a change of order was followed. The second release proved more successful when mapped at number 156. Shames were experimenting with a combination of rock and psychedelic studio settings. Production and vocal harmony show signs of improvement, reflecting positively on album sales.
In 1968 several key members began to depart from band activities, notably Jim Fairs. Despite the loss, the group formed a new lineup and released their last album, Synthesis . This album marks the effort to explore the influence of progressive rock and jazz. However, compared to previous attempts, the album charted lower and was considered disappointing. The group was dissolved in December 1969, but reunited and went on tour. Jim "J.C. Hooke" Pilster and Tom Doody (Toad) are the only original members left in the current lineup. Two members of The Cryan 'Shames have died: bassist Dave Purple in June 2001, and his successor Isaac Guillory, on December 31, 2000.
Maps The Cryan' Shames
Discography
Singles
Albums
References
External links
- Official website
- The Cryan 'Shames on AllMusic
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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