...changed my title. After all, it was about the teen dances (hops) of the late '50s, early '60s when brother Gary started the band. Cherry Pie was a favorite (recorded by Skip and Flip in the early '60s) and after the Beatles explosion we couldn't get enough of the "mod" look—including Beatle boots and wild (for the time) apparel. I'm about 3/4 way through the photo album

Northern Indiana Venues and Rogers Park, Goshen

 

Our first time at Tippy...it was a big deal.

'64 ad for the 3rd season at the park:

Rogers Park dance sign. Small price to pay

Battle of the Bands with the Majestics:

One of several articles in the Goshen News about The Dukes and plans to make record..

Ads (and Rockin' the pavilion)...

Early Dukes Resumés

 Gary, ready to head out for a job. I'll never forget taking this picture.

Hollywood Shores, Baldwin Lake, MI, 1960

L-R: Paul Oaks, Dave Redding, Gary Jones, Sonny Cripe and Tom Pinkerman

Dance Ads—Early Dukes

Rogers Park, Summer 1962

ReDuked: I'm not sure exactly when the original band dissolved (Gary, Sonny Cripe, Dave Redding, drummers Dave Plank, Paul Oaks and finally Terry Trindle). Version two of the band here not long after reforming. From left, Geoff Hartzler, Keith Kilmer, Dave Workman, Gary Jones, Tim Melphi, Gene Jones.

Sherwood "Sonny" Cripe, December 22, 2012

Moose Lodge, Goshen, December 22, 1959

Tom Pinkerman, bass, Sonny, guitar/vocals, Gary, guitar/vocals, Dave Plank, drums...looks like Chamberlain Gym to me

A "scrapbook" page of items from 1961, from an update I did  back in the '80s of the old 'book,...

Business card my brother hung on to...Music You Like...

Many a weeknight "practice" (rehearsal) in mom's, dad's living room...

 

Unfortunately, one channel is distorted in the copies sent to me of the original live recording

A response to Les Eads...

I was sent mp3's from a performance I taped in Naperville, IL in 1968. I'd "lost" the original 7-1/2" ips reel to reel tape somewhere and couldn't believe it reappeared. Unfortunately, the right track is distorted (I think I made another, better recording at another time there but memory doesn't serve me.

Sounds like you're having fun playing. I play once in a while with musician buddies. Tried out a couple of bands in the last few years but I felt like the (much) older keyboard guy.

I've received quite a few emails the last few years from Dukes fans. My friend, former Duke bass player after Skip and band "roady", fan, all around cool music fanatic, Micheal Kiser just reminded me how cool it is that the band touched many lives.

The band you saw at Dukeskeller/Rogers Park was probably:

Dave Workman, sax/vocals/"emcee", last I heard is in Texas, schoolteacher
Andy Purvis (Jay Andrew) on the west coast, Washington State I believe.
"Skip" Walters, bass, who knows where he is, years ago I heard Hawaii
Keith Kilmer, drums, passed away, or
Dave Carbeener, drums after Keith, not known

Soon after we got our Vox equipment—2 Super Beatle Amps, 1 Bristol Bass Amp, later replaced with a Foundation Bass Amp—and of course, my Continental Organ. Micheal Kiser and I agree...when the Super Beatles were running the heat from the head smelled like rock and roll!

The "old schoolhouse" photo sometime in summer of 1966 (Photo by Gordon Moore)

The Dukes Around 1959-60

Probably 7th, 8th grade…I wouldn't say "prodigy". I had "perfect" pitch—it's not quite as perfect these days—I played piano, then drums for the Dukes. Then dad made me quit so I could "apply myself in high school". But Keith Kilmer, Geoff Hartzler and I started a band when we were sophomores, becoming the new Dukes band when brother Gary and Dave Workman joined in.

L-R, top: Gary Jones, me, Dave Plank, Sonny Cripe, L-R, bottom: Dick Coy, Dave Redding and Tom Pinkerman.

Ready to cut our first record in 1965

Photo with our "D" letter sweaters.

...though Gary Jones (guitar, top, middle…whe started the original band in 1959-60) and Geoff Hartzler (bass, bottom, right) weren't on this recording it's good to see them here. This picture taken by photographer Gordon Moore after the Dukes regrouped. Gene Jones, piano, Keith Kilmer, drums and Geoff won a Goshen Moose Lodge talent show, Gary joined the "new" Dukes and we hired Dave Workman (top right, saxophone).

From Mitchell Moore—thanks, Mitchell

Gene,
I was a HUGE fan of the Dukes back in the 60's. Grew up in Paulding Ohio, near Van Wert. I went to see you guys in Cold Springs, Antwerp, Van Wert, Ft. Wayne...you name it, I would load up my car and bring all my friends to hear you guys! I became better friends with Dave and Sharon Workman and visited them in Goshen a couple of times.

I was inspired by you guys and later moved to LA, where I've lived for the past 32 years. I've worked as a Studio Singer and have had a great life here in LA doing music, etc. But I must say, the Dukes were my early inspiration! I'd like to hear more about you guys. Gene, thanks for your music and your artistry.....you touched many lives....including mine!

Mitchel Moore
Los Angeles, CA

Post 10/31/10

Another GHS graduate contacted me about the availability of some recordings. Among other projects I have going on I've sent digital versions of Do It Now and I Don't Love You Anymore to Dukes fans from my 45s and hope to make copies of Baby, Please Come On Home and Walkin' The Dog which I have on a 15 IPS 1/4" tape. Also, I have .m4a files of First Time I Saw Her and Take Your Love, the last recordings made in Chicago at Signett Records. (The sound quality of those two is very bad and I'm trying to "tweak" them.

We loved playing the Hullabaloo club in Ft. Wayne among other venues nearby like Cold Springs resort and theTom and Jerry dances in Van Wert, Ohio.

My brother, Gary (who founded the Dukes), made VHS videos of the two reunion jams held in Goshen in the late '80s and I'm sure there are others floating around.

Some Early (Indiana '60's Bands) Dukes History

The Dukes cut "Dave's Jam" at Midwest Records in Osceola, Indiana in around 1963-64. It was an instrumental featuring Dave Workman on saxophone. It was never distributed or sold and I have the original vinyl "master".

Gene Jones' Do It Now/I Don't Love You Anymore (written sometime between 1964 and 1965) along with Baby, Please Come On Home (Jones) and a cover of Walkin' The Dog and were recorded the week of January 31, 1966 at RCA Studios in Chicago. Do It Now and I Don't Love You Anymore were released on Fujimo Records but never had any real distribution. 1,000 45's were pressed and most were sold at local record and music stores in northern Indiana. It got airplay on local radio stations and also on ...CKLW (Windsor/Detroit). With the right "push" it could have done quite well nationally. There are a few copies out there — I ended up with only two.

There is a compilation of songs floating around that has the Dukes, Tempests (Elkhart) and other '60s "Michiana" bands on it. I don't know who put it together but think it's in CD format. A fellow musician had it on his iPod ...and I know that several songs are incorrectly credited to the Dukes.