Lead Vocals, 6 and 12 string guitars, bass, harmonica.
Vocals, 6 string guitars, Hammond B3.
Drums.
Bass, vocals.(Post Album)
Former Band members: Adym Roy: Bass, guitar, vocals.(Album)
Errol Hughes: Keyboards(Pre-album)
Key support people: Ron Lawhon, Heidi Teten, Guy Fergerson, Matt Hanggee
The Allisons (1987-1994) were an alternative power pop roots-rock group that formed in Baytown, Texas in 1987. The Allisons influences were 50’s rock and roll (Buddy Holly, Carl Perkins, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Elvis), 60’s pop (The Beatles, The Beau Brummels, The Byrds, The Kinks, The Who, The Zombies, The Rolling Stones). Other main influences were Gram Parsons, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and Elvis Costello. Critics categorized The Allisons in reference mainly to the underground college music sounds of the 80’s (The Church, The Hoodoo Gurus, early R.E.M., The Smithereens). Fellow label mates of The Allisons on Spindletop Records were jazz greats Sam Riney and David Benoit, Stevie Ray Vaughn ‘Triple Threat’ member Lou Ann Barton, and New Orleans The Neville Brothers. Baytown, Texas was once the home of soul singer Joe Tex and is the birthplace of Texas rocker Bobby Fuller.
Founding members Karl Teten (main songwriter, vocalist, guitars) and Jim Harville (guitars, vocals) met in 1986 and formed the nucleus of The Allisons in early 1987. Teten and Harville were both recording engineer majors in college when they decided to record themselves for their school audio projects. In January of 1988, Kevin Tate (drums), Adym Roy (bass) and Errol Huges (keyboards) were added to the group line up. Mixing the elements like a lab experiment, an albums length worth of original demonstration music was engineered and produced by Teten and Harville during the spring of 1988. Errol Hughes leaves group in June of 1988 to attend college full time.
Ron Lawhon, acting manager of The Allisons by July of 1988, passed a copy of the Teten and Harville demo album project to record company CEO, Barry Wilson during the summer of 1988. With only five performances credited to the bands existence, The Allisons were signed to a national recording contract with Los Angeles label Spindletop Records.
A selection of original Rickenbacker guitar saturated jangle and harmony compositions inspired by way of The Beatles - Revolver and The Byrds - Fifth Dimension, along with a heavy electric 12 string folk-rock version of Simon and Garfunkle’s Homeward Bound, was recorded and mixed by Garth Richardson (Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rage Against The Machine) during the early autumn of 1988. Album producer was Grammy winning artist Rob Meurer, keyboardist for Christopher Cross. Guest artist on the album was violist Novi Novog (Doobie Bros., Carly Simon, John Mayall, Prince, Edie Brickell, Marianne Faithfull). Ron Lawhon leaves group as manager to attend college full time in autumn of 1988.
After returning to Houston in late October 1988 from mixing sessions in Los Angeles, The Allisons were chosen as one of the top five rocks groups in Houston to perform at radio station KLOL’s Rocktoberfest battle of the bands at Houston’s George R. Brown convention center. Playing their sixth performance in their career, The Allisons came in at number three at the Rocktoberfest. By early 1989, both bands that beat The Allisons at Rocktoberfest had disbanded. The Allison’s took top billing representing the Houston showcase at SXSW 1989 in Austin, Texas.
After six months of heavy performance, the groups self titled debut album The Allisons was released nationally in the USA on Spindletop Records in April of 1989. The Allisons was well received nationally on university and college radio, playing in heavy rotation through most of 1989 while selling out in areas of the South West, Mid-West and New England. A write up followed in Billboard magazine. A critique in CD Review magazine ranked The Allisons higher in score than the latest albums released then by The Psychedelic Furs and The Kinks! One Oklahoma City music critic raved The Allisons as, “the freshest sound since Tom Petty’s - Full Moon Fever!” May of 1989 saw Adym Roy dismissed from the group due to musical inconsistency and personal confliction within the band.
Karl Teten had lived in New Zealand for two years in the early 80’s completing high school there in 1984 at the age of 16. While attending school in New Zealand, Teten formed a psychedelic-Merseybeat style rock group called The Dolls House in 1982 along with founding member and fellow student, bassist Paul Winstanley. The Dolls House released an EP on New Zealand label Ima-Hit Records in January of 1984. Right before Teten left New Zealand in late 1984 both he and Winstanley made a pact that if one or the other was to get signed to a recording contract first that the other would be called upon. Keeping to his word, in June of 1989 Teten called upon Winstanley to fill the vacant bassist slot in The Allisons. With the addition of Winstanley on bass, The Allisons sound was instantly solidified with greater maturity than what was heard on their debut album. Greg Pitzer is unofficially hired as band manager in July of 1989 on a trial and error basis, in agreement with Spindletop Records.
Late summer of 1989 saw The Allisons embark on a tour to support their debut album beginning in the South U.S. The Allisons shared performances along the way with The Outfield, John Hiatt, The Reivers, The Bo Deans, and Blue Rodeo, to name a few. The Allison’s saw all U.S. East Coast dates of their autumn 1989 tour cancelled due to hurricane Hugo. Hugo’s storm surge was the highest ever recorded on the East Coast resulting in major damage hundreds of miles inland, killing 82 people.
With a break in touring, The Allisons went back in the studio in November of 1989 to record demos of several new songs for what would have became their second album, tentatively titled Authentic Western Outfits For Junior Cowboys. During the November demo sessions the 13th Floor Elevators psychedelic garage classic You’re Gonna Miss Me was recorded as a candidate for the then upcoming tribute album for Roky Erickson - Where The Pyramid Meets The Eye. Unfortunately The Allisons version of You’re Gonna Miss Me was passed up at the last minute by another version of the same song performed by Doug Sahm.
Late 1989 saw very little label support from Spindletop Records. With a cancelled tour due to a hurricane, The Allisons quickly fell into financial hardship. Due to incompetence, Greg Pitzer is dismissed as band manager in November of 1989. While resting on a high note after two solid years of local, regional and national success, The Allisons decided to take a much long needed break and unofficially disband in January of 1990 for a full year after only one year into thier three year-three album contract.
Teten continued to write new material and work independently with other studio production projects while passing up a solo Canadian recording contract offer from Onslot Records out of Vancouver B.C. in early 1991. Teten regrouped The Allisons in early 1991 with new drummer, Ralph Barr. Jim Harville leaves group due to conflicting schedule with college degree pursuit in May of 1991. Jeff Dale joins The Allisons on guitar in June of 1991. Both Barr and Dale were previously members of Houston rock group, The Chamberlains.
No longer in relation with Spindletop Records, The Allisons continued as a group in Houston recording two albums worth of unreleased new material. With a last minute write up in the Houston Chronicle, The Allisons performed an unofficial re-debut sell out performance at club Rudyards in December of 1992 before relocating to Austin, Texas in 1993.
With two back to back successful shows at Austin’s popular sixth street venue The Steamboat, The Allisons were quickly chosen as one of the top groups to play The Best Of Texas Music Festival in Austin, Texas during autumn of 1994. The Allisons were selected in the top 10 unsigned bands of Texas scheduled to play Austin’s newly built Music Hall. With Spindletop Records freshly relocated to Austin, Texas by 1994, The Allisons decided to play their performance at the festival under the pseudonym - The Beau Monde Waifs. The Allisons were scheduled to play the last day of the festival at the Austin Music Hall when the promoters pulled the plug on the entire event due to poor financial planning. The audio company, hired out of Ohio to provide live sound at the Austin Music Hall, demanded their payment up front and in full. While the promoters scrambled to gather funds from other participating clubs and venues around Austin, the audio company packed up their equipment and left town. With this experience, The Allisons decided to call it a day.
The emergence of the mid 90’s Seattle grunge scene terminated all new endeavours for The Allisons. While continuing as a proficient songwriter, Teten stepped out of the music business for the remainder of the 90’s to complete college. The original 1989 Allisons regrouped one last time for a 10 year band reunion performance in 1997 to send bassist Paul Winstanley off with a final hooray before he returned back to New Zealand.
It has been 18 years since The Allisons recorded their one and only album. Excluding DIY labels , The Allisons are currently the only 60’s styled power pop rock group from Houston (4th largest city in the USA) that were signed to a professional recording contract with a nationally released album in over 40 years.
-Craig Gillford 2006
Hi THE ALLISONS
Come check out this exclusive FREE Download of the title track from the new Mel Davis album "It's About Time!" Available for a limited time only at: www.MelDavisExclusive.com
THE ALLISONS , I hope all is well. We've been mad busy...Just so you know ahead of the game...you can pre-order the amazing AloneMe album 'Sketch' from
http://www.nettlerecords.com
The first 150 copies are gonna be signed and shipped out to be with you on the actual day of release! That's a lot of stamp lickin! Don't forget, you can order more than one copy if you feel the urge! Thanks in advance for supporting this great band. Nathan
I know I just sent you a comment, but I have some very exciting news! My song, "Are You Available" from my CD, Decked Out will be played on the Oxygen Channel's "Bad Girls Club" tomorrow night. My song will be aired in the first 5 minutes when DeAnn is driving and chatting in the car with a guy she likes:)
This my first song on TV, so I'm pretty excited, can't you tell?
Tuesday, April 10th
Oxygen Channel -
Bad Girls Club
10:30pm/9C.
"A Little Ditty about Steve and DeAnn"
DeAnn and Steve's relationship is put to the test when they get into an argument and Steve kisses another girl. When Aimee tells Jodie that she thinks Kerry is in competition with her, Jodie confronts Kerry. 31 mins. (TV-14-DL)
Bad Girls Website: www.badgirlsclubonoxygen.com
Thought you might like to know, so you can check it out.
Just wanted to give you and all of your friends a heads up that I will be sharing the stage with Glider, Jim Bogios and David Immergluck's from Counting Crows litte side project and Chuck Prophet, at the Washington Music Festival at the corner of 3rd and B Streets in West Sacramento on Sunday April 22 starting at 12 pm. Bands include, me, Brittany Shane (www.brittanyshane.com), Glider (www.myspace.com/gliderwithjimandimmy) and Chuck Prophet featuring Counting Crows own Jim Bogios on drums (www.chuckprophet.com).
West Sacramento has done all sorts of cool stuff in this neighborhood and they are throwing this party for FREE to celebrate! There is parking at the North End of 4th street at the Broderick Boat Ramp.
For more info, Call Kurt Overmeyer at (916) 617-4535.
qOne more thing.... Jim and Immy will be doing a brief Meet and Greet right after their set, so bring you Counting Crows stuff for autographs!
If you would like an e-invite to our cd release party at Stubbs please send us your e-mail! Your printed invite will get you 2 dollars of a 5 dollar E.P. as well as enter you in a raffle to win cds and t-shirts. Don't worry, it will just be the one e-mail, we won't continually harrass you. Thanks!
hey there THE ALLISONS
thanks for adding us a friend recently. 2007 is going well already, we should be recording a new EP soon, watch out for bulletins and uploads
A link with songs to download is in the plans. Most of The Allisons members are still in their 30's so everyone is mainly interested in what they are doing now. Surprisingly, the new awareness of The Allisons in various circles has created a quest for something to be created. It is nice to have old efforts looked upon as once historically genuine and not forgotten. There were several performances filmed of The Allisons including hours of studio work. I have two albums worth of master tapes to be cleaned up for a possible release in the near future. A buddy of mine owns a professional analog-digital studio in Santa Cruz, CA. In between BBQ invites I have been told to, "bring your tapes and let's get to work!"
I remember your gigs being listed in the Public News, but I don't think I ever made it to a gig. From the songs you have here I missed some very good music. I love the site, the graphics are very good ( especially the Rics)and the band stories are fun to read.
Jim
Lead Vocals, 6 and 12 string guitars, bass, harmonica.
Vocals, 6 string guitars, Hammond B3.
Drums.
Bass, vocals.(Post Album)
