"The Northwest sound started with a group from Tacoma... The Wailers... with their recorded hit 'Tall Cool One.'"
- Michael Willmore - Vancouver Sun
One of the most dominating forces in the 60s Northwest music scene. The Wailers are an American rock band from Tacoma, Washington. Formed around 1958, they are often considered the first garage rock group. They perform a hybrid of saxophone-driven R&B and good old Chuck Berry rock and roll.
Five 45s (four released in 1959, including "Tall Cool One," and one in 1960) and an LP release, The Fabulous Wailers (released December 1959 on Golden Crest Records), put the Wailers on the national scene. Their 1961 cover of "Louie Louie," which they recorded as a backing band for singer Rockin' Robin Roberts, was the first to use the trademark 1-2-3, 1-2, 1-2-3 riff.
Their version inspired other groups from the Seattle area, most notably the Kingsmen of Portland, Oregon, to record the same song. The Wailers' influence established the Pacific Northwest area as a center for musical innovation and the home of a long string of regional favorites playing a kind of raunchy, amateur, yet passionate, form of rock and roll.
"We got our start at McChord Air Force base because our original guitar player, Richard Dangel, was an Air Force brat. His dad was stationed there at the time. They used to have jam sessions there on the weekends and a friend of mine told me I should check it out. I went out there, played a song I had just written, "Dirty Robber"....and I was accepted into the band. That band, after a few changes, became The Fabulous Wailers. We recorded our first album, went on Dick Clark's American Bandstand, toured the country, started our own record label, Etiquette Records...first release was "Louie Louie'....played and recorded a bunch more songs, and influenced a lot of famous bands and people...like The Beatles, The Stones, Jimmy Hendrix, Paul Revere & the Raiders, The Ventures, The Kingsmen, Van Morrison, Pete Townsend, etc., and are still playing today...about to release a 50th Anniversary CD with The Ventures called "Two Car Garage".....and who knows what the future will bring?! That's sort of our career in a nut shell."
- Kent Morrill
The Fabuous Wailers
50th ANNIVERSARY CD !!!!!
1. I Hear You Knockin' Keep A Knockin'
2. Surf Rider
3. Rebel-Rouser
4. Wailin'
5. Out Of Our Tree
6. Let's Go
7. Tequila
8. Needles and Pins
9. Beat Guitar
10. Dirty Robber
11. Wild Weekend
12. California Sun
13. Tall Cool One
14. When You Walk In The Room
15. Wipe out
16. Road Runner
17. Black Is Black
18. Louie Louie
Two Car Garage is an historic CD with music from Don Wilson and the Ventures as well as The Fabulous Wailers. Both bands began in the late 1950's as garage bands in Tacoma, Washington. Collectively the influence of their ground breaking music has been felt in almost every genre of music for over five decades. Although the song list may look familiar ("Surf Rider" was featured in Pulp Fiction and "Louie Louie" is one of the most covered songs in the world) you have never heard any of these songs quite like this. Two Car Garage features seven songs by the Ventures (including a saxophone for the first time on many of their tracks), seven songs by the Wailers and four songs featuring members of both groups. These tracks have the vocals of not only Don Wilson of the Ventures, but also those of the Wailers' Kent Morrill. The bands are together for the first time, fifty years in the making, at long last Two Car Garage is a reality. Be you a long time fan of the Ventures or the Wailers or just a fan of good music, this fifty year celebration of these two legendary bands belongs in your collection.
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The Fabulous Wailers Discography
1961 - Louie Louie/MaryAnn - Rockin Robin w/The Wailers - 45 - ET 001
1961 - Mashi/Velva - 45 - ET 002 (Instrumentals)
1961/2 - Wailers At The Castle - LP - ETLP 1 (with Rockin Robin & Gail Harris)
1962 - Doin' The Seaside/Stompin' Willie - 45 ET 004 (instrumentals)
1963 - We're Goin' Surfin'/Shakedown - 45 ET 006 (vocal/instrumental)
1963 - Seattle/Partytime U.S.A - 45 ET 007. (Instrumental/Vocal)
1966 - Think Kindly Baby/End Of The Summer - 45 - UA - 50065 (vocals)
1966 - You Won't Lead Me On/Tears - 45 - UA-500110 (Vocals)
1967 - I'm Determined/I Don't Want to Follow You - 45 VIVA 614 (vocals)
1968 - You Can't Fly/Thinking Out Loud - 45 - Bell 694 (vocals)
1968/69 - Walk Thru The People LP - Bell Rec.. Bell 6016 (vocals)
The last single 45 recording for Etiquette Records was by Rockin' Robin Roberts in 1967.
The title was You Don't Love Me/You Weren't Using Your Head (ET 45 - 026) with the Wailers.
Robin also recorded the first Etiquette single, Louie Louie (ET 45 001) with the Wailers.
1965 MERRY CHRISTMAS (Sonics, Wailers & Galaxies) ETCD 025
1998 releases:
* Wailers: At The Castle Norton NW 902),US,1998,NEW: (2 extra tracks)
* Wailers: The Fabulous...(Norton NW 901),US,1998,NEW:(tracks from the original album, singles,& unreleased)
* Wailers: The Fabulous...(Golden Crest CR-3075),US,1962,2nd issue,b/w cover photo
* Wailers: Livewire!!! (Norton NW 904),US,1998 NEW (compilation of the best mid-60s stuff,+ 2 unissued tracks)
* Wailers: Tall Cool One Imperial LP 12262),US,1964,stereo * Wailers: The Wailers Wail (Golden Crest CR 3075),US,60s,mono, (reissue of 'Fabulous', with song titles on cover)
* Wailers: Wailers,Wailers Everywhere (Etiquette ET-ALB 023),US,1965, 1961 recorded by Rockin Roberts with The Wailers.
* The 'Wailers Outburst'' LP containing 'It's You Alone'
2009 release
Recently collaborated with the Ventures, a new CD to be released early 2009 titled: “Two Car Garage” comprised of 18 instrumentals and vocals.
Hello Wailers, Once again played your song Hold and once again it got great a response! We always introduce it as a Wailers tune. Look to see you in the future. Mark(The Other Guy)
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