Tower Of London on Montgomery

[The Raven]

God bless the internet! I been lookin for this record for 25 years with not even a hint of it anywhere other than a label scan that Mike K. sent me back in '98

And now here it is - the one and only folk punk blastin (imho) totally KICKASS 45 by Maryland band Tower Of London who apparently are still together and in their 70's. They posted both sides of their 1967 two-sider 45 online; one side is a crucial original called 'Perpetual Dreamer' and the other side has what is my all time fave cover of Substitute with organ and 12 string as lead instruments and great snarlin vox :

https://www.bandmix.com/mike1274406/

 

[Dave Baldwin]

Second hardest-to-score 45 on Montgomery, and a great two-sider. When I interviewed label maven Leonard Schwab
circa 1992 he only had one copy of the single in his files and didn't want to part with it (although I did get a cool 8 x 10"
promo pic of the band and one of label-mates The Curfews from him). Also met three band members including
lead singer/bass player Shep Tullier who was still involved in music and local politics in Anne Arundel County then.
Shep was a Louisiana boy, and reminded me of some of the great 60s rock singers from down there like Ray Genovese
of The Moon Dawgs who had that special talent and style that defined the kind of music we all celebrate here.

 

[bosshoss]

Love it. Mostly I love everything on Montgomery. I can't think of one (garage genre) Montgomery I don't like. Dave, which do you rate as hardest to score? (I imagine it's the Spectrum Five?)

 

[Dave Baldwin]

Love it. Mostly I love everything on Montgomery. I can't think of one (garage genre) Montgomery I don't like. Dave, which do you rate as hardest to score? (I imagine it's the Spectrum Five?)

Correct-a-mundo! Although The Spectrum Five were not a Maryland-based group.
There was a local rumor that The Brass Tacks also had a 45 on Montgomery, but
Schwab told me that he never recorded them or released anything. He also managed
The Creatures/The Creatures Incorporated (Jet Set/Oxon Hill) who were a Rome, NY
group relocated to the D.C. suburbs. Schwab was 'proudest' of the Adapters 45, which
he leased to Moonglow for West Coast release through his connections with the Righteous
Brothers and Phil Spector (probably my least favorite release on the label, though not bad).
His partnership with Ray Vernon/Vernon Wray produced the boss Mister's Virtue (Vector),
who were a bunch of college kids who attended Penn State University (Go Lions!)

 

[tymespan]

I think Misters Virtue went to West Chester State College (now West Chester University) in my hometown of West Chester, PA

 

[Dave Baldwin]

I think Misters Virtue went to West Chester State College (now West Chester University) in my hometown of West Chester, PA

View attachment 4274

Bob Bosak was the one who told me Penn State, but you may be right. He had several handbills/posters
and other photos of the band...but no 45s though.

 

[The Raven]

Wow! that's amazing Dave

Even more amazing, i'm really really good friends with TONS of folks in the Tullier family, they're actually an old Annapolis family. I even played in a band Aaron Waesche (who i believe is Shep's nephew) and one of the actual Tullier kids (Alison Tullier) used to release records for a band i was in on a label that she ran in the 2000's

 

[The Raven]

I guess i was so stoked to just come across the Tower Of London's awesome music i didn't instantly make the connection to all these close friends of mine (partially because some of the Tullier folks have different various last names cuz of marriage and such)

Spectrum Five is still my fave record on the label. Once again, i never saw an actual copy of it til a few years ago when an original member posted their copy on the 'Tube, tho i first heard it back in the late 90's (and again thanx to Mike K. who put 'All Psyched Out' on mix tape for me)

 

[Dave Baldwin]

I guess i was so stoked to just come across the Tower Of London's awesome music i didn't instantly make the connection to all these close friends of mine (partially because some of the Tullier folks have different various last names cuz of marriage and such)

Spectrum Five is still my fave record on the label. Once again, i never saw an actual copy of it til a few years ago when an original member posted their copy on the 'Tube, tho i first heard it back in the late 90's (and again thanx to Mike K. who put 'All Psyched Out' on mix tape for me)

Never seen a near mint Spectrum Five 45...they always seem to be about G+ at best...