TIM TAMS TV

Once again prominently featuring Rick Wiesend’s falsetto lead, “Kimberly” was not as catchy as the group’s two previous releases and it received less radio airplay as a result.īy 1967 the group had splintered and the final Palmer 45, “Don’t Say Hi” was released in early 1967 as just by Tim Tam. Listed on the label as by Tim Tam and the Turn-ons with the Tim Tam Brass. Written by Milt Olsson and Rick Wiesend and produced by Olsson and Tom DeAngelo. The third hit single on Palmer Records by the group was “Kimberly”. The top prize was a stereo console, and the band decided to keep it in Frank Vargo’s basement where they rehearsed. After releasing the demo, The Satellites won WXYZ-TV’s Talent Town competition. Released in May of 1966, it was nearly as good as “Wait A Minute”, but “Cheryl Ann” was a lesser hit, peaking # 11 at WKNR and # 13 at WTRX in Flint and failing to reach the Billboard Hot 100.Ī month after the release of “Cheryl Ann”, The Satellites went to United Sound to record a demo of “I Believe” and “Midnight Hour” The demo was mixed by Les Cooley, who would soon engineer “Persecution Smith” by Bob Seger & The Last Heard. The song was composed by outside writers, and produced by Wiesend and DeAngelo along with Milt Olsson.

Tim Tam an the Turn-ons’ follow-up single, “Cheryl Ann”, was another danceable, radio-friendly single that proudly displayed its doo wop roots, highlighted by Rick Wiesend’s incredible falsetto vocal. Watch the video of 'Wait A Minute' on American Bandstand: The song also got a spin on American Bandstand, but Dick Clark mistakenly introduced “Wait A Minute” as by Tim “Tom” and the Turn-Ons. It’s contemporary rock meets doo wop sound resonated with record buyers resulting in an immediate hit in Michigan, reaching # 3 at WKNR in Detroit and # 3 at WPAG in Ann Arbor, and reportedly selling 30,000 copies during the first month of its release.ĭespite being on the small Palmer label, “Wait A Minute” became the first, and only, single by the group to reach the Hot 100 when it peaked at # 76 in early 1966. “Wait A Minute” was released in February of 1966. The label was owned by John Kaplan and Tom Schlesinger and located at 3401 Lyndon in Detroit. Now managed by DeAngelo, Tim Tam and the Turn-Ons signed a recording contract with Palmer Records.

The band members were Dave Fero on lead guitar, Frank Schiavulli on drums, Ken Sipos on rhythm guitar, Carl Sweets on bass, and Frank Vargo on lead vocals.

TIM TAMS TV

Marston was a TV personality, former archery champion, and the 1960 Miss Michigan who had started managing bands in the 1960s after promoting live concerts with Frank Sweeney of radio station WKNR. The Satellites were freshmen at Allen Park High when they signed with Ann Marston in October of 1965. The backing on the recording, which included the instrumental “Ophelia” as the flipside, was done by a young band from Allen Park High called The Satellites. The song was recorded in December of 1965 at United Sounds Systems in Detroit, and Wiesend and DeAngelo arranged and produced the session. DeAngelo, also a Allen Park High grad, was better-known as DJ Johnny Williams of CKLW. “Wait A Minute”, the song that would make them famous, was co-written by Rick Wiesend and Tom DeAngelo. The somewhat retro sound of the group, however, was a far cry from psychedelic music their name implied. The Turn-Ons name was taken from Timothy Leary counterculture catchphrase “Turn on, tune in, drop out”, used to promote his philosophy of mind expansion and personal truth through LSD. The horse was favored to win the Triple Crown, but coming down the stretch with a sizeable lead in the Belmont Stakes, Tim Tam fractured a sesamoid bone and hobbled across the finish line in second place. Interestingly enough, they took their name from Tim Tam, an American thoroughbred racehorse that won both the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes in 1958. (L to R) Nick Butsicaris, Don Grundman, Earl Rennie, Rick (Tim Tam) Wiesend, John Ogen, Danny Wiesend All were good friends and they practiced their vocals in the basement of Rick and Danny’s family home at the corner of Fox and Garfield. The group came together at Allen Park High School where they all sang in the concert and was composed of Rick Wiesend, Danny Wiesend, Don Grundman, Nick Butsicaris, John Ogen, and Earl Rennie. The group’s classic debut single, “Wait A Minute”, was a Top Ten hit on radio stations all across Michigan, and it reached # 76 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1966.

Tim Tam), the group combined doo wop with the more contemporary sound of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons to record several singles on the Palmer Records. Blessed with the high falsettso voice of lead singer Rick Wiesend (a.k.a. Tim Tam and the Turn-Ons was a six-man vocal group from Allen Park, Michigan.

Tim tams