Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

The Monarchs?

Was it Brian Rossi and The Golden Eagles who later became Columbia recording artists The Wheels? Van Morrison played with The Eagles at the Plaza Ballroom and then he joined the Gamblers who became Them.

Both bands sounded very similar.

If I am correct, here is some more information:

The Wheels first single was a cover of "Gloria," backed by "Don't You Know," Keyboard player Eric Wrixson played with both Van Morrison's Them and The Wheels. The band "Them" seemed to have a revolving door policy for it's lineup. This was due in part to Van Morrison's moody persona.

Their second single was "Bad Little Woman"/"Road Block" (released in February 1966. A version of "Bad Little Woman" was issued in the US on Aurora Records, with the band's name changed to the Wheel-A-Ways to avoid confusion with Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels.

Their third single was "Kicks," and "Call My Name."

Brain: You cracked the case. Well done.

I must thank Paul for his guess. It made me think about Van Morrison's previous life before Them. I knew that there had been another version of Gloria and could not connect the Wheels with your primary clue. Your avian clue made me consider the Golden Eagles and then after a lot of thought and some research it all fell into place.

That was a hard one Peter.

And I was going round and round trying to figure out how the Gamblers were "avian".

"Bad Little Women" was covered by Chicago's Shadows of Knight, who did the best-remembered Stateside cover of "Gloria", too!

Good work, Brain, er, Brian...

That's the only problem with my christian name.

Transpose two consonants and you end up with Brain. It's easily done. Roughly 10% of the correspondence that I receive is transposed in that manner. I am so used to it now, that I just ignore it when it happens.

Did it ever occur to you that it could be intentional sarcasm?

LOL...

One would hate to think that, but it has occurred to me from time to time, that it was transposed that way intentionally.

Most of the time, I think it's just simply an error on the writers part. Perhaps it's some sort of freudian slip who really knows?

And, to paraphrase the good Doctor:

"Sometimes a slip is just a slip."

And I guess you slipped when you said "consonants", eh, Brian?

Roy - I wanted to thank you but you do not have an email on your profile and I cound not read your return address. Can you email me offine?

"Sometimes a slip is just a slip."

Yep. Thanks Paul! I meant to say vowels. I have been a bit under the weather with a nasty flu strain that hit me hard yesterday and as a result the old brain is not functioning as well as it normally does.

Hope you are on the mend Brian and well done those were the three singles issued on the Columbia label worth between 100 and 350 pounds,the latter being the most valuable, Strangely the second release, for a time,was mispressed wrong B Side, but least valuable.

I would never have got the answer but without wishing to be a spoil sport the original poser was misleading or probably more to the point I Misinterpreted it. I assumed they had covered a song that had been a hit, Gloria was not a hit in UK it was a "B" side. I was also looking for a solo artist but Peter did say lead singer so I suppose there was an implication that they covered a group's song.

Out of interest Peter who was the member who later worked with Morrison because based on this photo I am struggling to find the connection.

http://www.irishshowbands.net/bgwheels.htm

Roy: It was Herbie Armstrong. The following is in support of this claim

Moondance
Recorded Live in New York in 1978
(bootleg CD)
LIVE LINE label

Moondance (4:41)
Wavelength (6:08)
Into The Mystic (4:49)
Checkin It Out (3:38)
Brown Eyed Girl (3:49)
Kingdom Hall (5:54)
Hungry For Your Love (4:08)
Natalia (4:14)
Wild Night (5:28)
Caravan (7:48)
Total time: (50:41)

Recorded live in New York at The Bottom Line, on November 1, 1978
Musicians:
Bob Tench: guitar
Peter Van Hooke: drums
Micky Feat: bass
Herbie Armstrong: guitar
Katie Kassoon, Anne Peacock: vocals
Peter Bardens: keyboards

Yep concede that a tenuous link indeed but to be fair he did actually play on the legitimate album Wavelength in 1978.