Hillbilly Music Comes Back To Tampa

In 1966 I tried my best to put together a real rhythm and blues band. I wanted horns, keyboards, girls in short dresses and somebody who could do a split at the crash of a cymbal. First a piano player would quit then none of the girls would show up. I finally ended up with three drummers and me, a bass player. Fortunately one of the drummers could play guitar and he taught another one a little bit. Voila, a band. Obviously we couldn't play the r&b that I had hoped for so we began to write hillbilly songs. I mean, let's face it, I had always been writing hillbilly songs.

We named that band Your Local Bear and one of our first shows was on a bill with Jimi Hendrix. Timing is everything in the music business and I'm something of a wizard at it. The Byrds were yet to record Sweetheart Of The Rodeo and the Eagles weren't even a grain of cocaine on the counter top.

That band failed spectacularly but I loved it. The smoking remains morphed into something that we called Duckbutter. It was full of magic and sweetness and bad taste. Folks around here still have their favorite Duckbutter stories. The myth out shadows the band here. So what? Here's some of that stuff with some of the Wally Watson Band onboard.

Duckbutter!

If you lived in Tampa/St. Pete or if you were in Miami in the late '60's and early '70's you know Duckbutter. All of the innocence and all of the naughtiness of the era was embodied in this lame brain, hillbilly, punk outfit. We were supposed to be famous. Big deal!

We were a real rock'n'roll band. We worked with Canned Heat, Dion, John Mayall, Van Morrison, the Chambers Brothers, Michael Bloomfield, Dave Van Ronk and the Allman Brothers. We toured with Bo Diddley, Gene Vincent, Chuck Berry, the Coasters and Bill Haley & the Comets. Bo Diddley wanted to produce us. So did Berry Oakley.

A Duckbutter show had comedy, magic, drama and rocked and rolled like nothing else. It was dumb and it was sweet.

This is a medley that we put together for Phil Gernhard, our producer. It was recorded on a little Sony stereo deck that we borrowed with a little help from Terry Kane. The usual lineup for the band is here: Harry Hayward on vocals; Gary Dobbins and Pete Yorkunas on guitar; Doug Wingate on drums; and me on bass. In addition, Steve Hill is playing piano and Spencer Hinkle is playing congas. Pete doubled on banjo, too.

When we walked out of Electric Lady after recording the "real" record a month later, Phil grumbled to me, "Your demo is better." It was. It is.

I Miss Gary Dobbins

In 1967 I attempted to start a rhythm and blues band, horns, keyboards, backup singers, the whole deal. Nobody ever showed up for practice. I finally took the three drummers, had one teach another one to play guitar, I played bass and we started a hillbilly band instead, Your Local Bear. Talk about your mothers and your inventions! I loved that band. Nobody else did. We played on a bill with Jimi Hendrix and I thought we should change the world.

That band eventually morphed into Duckbutter. I was sure that this one was gonna change the world. Save it, too. Oh well.