Now Playing: V.A "Summer Jam II" -- fake rock festival exploitation LP
Topic: Minor change or comment
After receiving some feedback on my modest scoop regarding the world's heaviest insect -- meaning Dragonfly on Megaphone -- here's an additional round of data on the early days of these tough long-hairs.
We head back to El Paso again, where the young rhythm section of Jack Duncan (bass) and Gary Davis (drums) learned their chops and paid their dues in surf-band the Pawns. The leader of this group was one David Hayes, who presumably took on vocal duties on the later 45s, at least he receives separate billing. The two would-be Dragonflies Duncan and Davis did not contribute any songwriting from what I can tell, but were definitely present for the Pawns' 1964 debut 45, produced by none other than Bobby "God" Fuller and released on Fuller's own Exeter label, which also had some early Bobby Fuller Four discs. This first 45 is a recognized surf rarity and appears in John Blair's surf discography book. The latter two 45s are non-surf and have left less of a mark, and the last one has no Bobby Fuller involvement.
THE PAWNS (El Paso, TX)
1. The Pawn / South Bay (Exeter 125) circa August 1964
2a. Meet Me Here / Lonely (Exeter 127), circa September 1964
-- credited to David Hayes & The Pawns
2b. Meet Me Here / Lonely (Coronado 127) 1965?
--re-release on another regional label
3. Lonely Weekends / What Do the Voices Say (Coronado 132) 1965-66
-- credited to David Hayes and the Pawns; Produced by Calvin Bowls
The first 45 definitely features the future Dragonfly drummer and bass player. Releases #2 and #3 may well feature these guys too, but this is unconfirmed.
Duncan and Davis left the Pawns to join a more experienced musician friend in a band called Lords Of London, based in Durango, Colorado. After some time they recruited their old El Paso friend Randy Russ who left the Infants Of Soul to join them, and the band also changed its name to Legend around this time (1967).
From the Acid Archives perspective, Dragonfly are considered a Texas/Colorado/California band.
Thanks to George G and Andrew B for valuable input. See Flashback #2 for a detailed account of Legend and Dragonfly and their late '60s LPs.
