Got a second copy of The Omens recently from the original organ player. Here's what he had to say about his time with the band:
Mike,
I only kept the record as a memento of my time as the organ player for the Omens, from July 1965 to June 1966. While I performed on the demo tape that got the band the contract for the 45, I became ill, had to leave the group, and did not perform on the July 1966 recording. It's been a while since I've seen any members of the group. I bumped into drummer Tim Jones in 1990 shortly before moving to California. Guitarist Gene Cooper was living in San Diego for a long time, and I've heard that he recently moved to Northern California. Organist Al Patka passed on in 2009, and singer Don Revercomb passed in 1994. Time flies. Being in a band, that played at all the popular places, sure made my Junior year in high school a lot of fun.
Sincerely,
Duane O'Donnell
And here's another reply after asking about some of the bands he remembers:
Mike,
Peter and the Wolves sounds familiar. I looked them and saw they were based in Palatine, Illinois. The Omens played some battle of the bands in that area so it is possible we shared the same stage. Wild Ones sounds familiar too, but there were so many groups in the mid 60's, and a marvelous assortment of venues to perform at. My favorite Omen gig was opening for the Troggs (Wild Thing) in Gary, Indiana at the Purple Poodle teen club. Times were different then. My wife and I work a duo. We played a 50th birthday party last week, and will be at a retirement home on the 31st. Music is still a lot of fun. More so since I retired, and have time to devote to it as a full time hobby with no day gig to worry about.
Duane