Biography
Illinois Speed Press emerged from Chicago with a potent blend of R&B and country channeled through twin lead guitars, a formula that quickly elevated the group to local prominence, secured a major-label deal, and prompted a relocation to Los Angeles, ultimately launching extended careers for its two principal guitarists. Although the band itself peaked as a late-1960s Chicago act, its origins stretched back to the late-1950s ensemble known as the Capitols (unrelated to the later soul group of the same name), which performed at area high schools and the YMCA.
A succession of name alterations—some chosen, others forced—began in the early 1960s, each mirroring evolving musical tastes. In 1961 the unit became the Mus Twangs (or Mus-Twangs), as recounted by Linda Amicarelli in her 1997 Alabama Music Hall of Fame article. At that stage the musicians functioned chiefly as an instrumental combo and issued a surf-styled reading of Irving Berlin’s “Marie,” backed by “Roch Lomond,” on the local Nero imprint; Mercury Records subsequently licensed the single for wider release on its Smash subsidiary. Limited commercial traction followed, and after the British Invasion diminished demand for instrumentals, the group incorporated more vocals by 1964, rebranding as the Gentrys and expanding its repertoire to include material by the Beatles and the Righteous Brothers. That moniker proved short-lived once a Memphis outfit asserted prior rights, prompting another change to the Rovin’ Kind by late 1964.
Personnel coalesced around a core that included Alabama-born guitarist and singer Paul Cotton, a member since 1959 whose early heroes encompassed Les Paul, Scotty Moore, Duane Eddy, and James Burton, alongside Chicago native Kal David, whose blues and R&B leanings had previously led him to the Exceptions—a band that briefly recorded for Vee-Jay and featured future Chicago member Peter Cetera plus future Buckinghams contributor Marty Grebb. With Cotton and David supplying the dual-guitar drive, the Rovin’ Kind cut several singles for Dunwich; supporting players at the time were keyboardist and vocalist Mike Anthony, bassist Keith Anderson (later replaced by Rob Lewine), and drummer Fred Page. The two guitarists remained the focal point. Although none of the singles achieved major success, the band itself triumphed in a regional contest against roughly eighty competitors, earning a trip to Los Angeles for an appearance on American Bandstand—where the group lip-synced two numbers—and a club date in San Francisco. Greater payoff arrived back in Chicago when, during a Whiskey-A-Go-Go engagement, producer James William Guercio discovered them, signed the act, and arranged a deal with Columbia’s Epic imprint under the Illinois Speed Press name.
The resulting sound fused rock & roll, soul, and country, shaped by the contrasting preferences of its members. After relocating to Los Angeles, the group served a stint as house band at the Whiskey-A-Go-Go and supported Steppenwolf and Chicago, both also produced by Guercio; in 1969 and 1970 they shared bills with the country-rock band Poco. Their self-titled debut album leaned toward David’s R&B sensibilities yet contained several Cotton compositions, among them “Get in the Wind,” later reinterpreted by Poco, alongside country touches. Critical approval outweighed modest chart impact. The follow-up, Duet, shifted further toward country and appeared in 1970, by which point internal differences had surfaced. The band dissolved that year as Cotton and David pursued separate paths: David favored a stronger R&B direction, moved to San Francisco, and, alongside ex-Electric Flag bassist Harvey Brooks, formed the Fabulous Rhinestones, who issued their own recordings and performed with John Lennon and Yoko Ono. Cotton remained in Los Angeles, where Richie Furay—recalling their shared bills with Poco—invited him to audition as a replacement for departing co-founder Jim Messina; Cotton secured the position and remained with the group well into the twenty-first century. He died on August 1, 2021, at age 78. Kal David died on August 16, 2022, at age 79.
A succession of name alterations—some chosen, others forced—began in the early 1960s, each mirroring evolving musical tastes. In 1961 the unit became the Mus Twangs (or Mus-Twangs), as recounted by Linda Amicarelli in her 1997 Alabama Music Hall of Fame article. At that stage the musicians functioned chiefly as an instrumental combo and issued a surf-styled reading of Irving Berlin’s “Marie,” backed by “Roch Lomond,” on the local Nero imprint; Mercury Records subsequently licensed the single for wider release on its Smash subsidiary. Limited commercial traction followed, and after the British Invasion diminished demand for instrumentals, the group incorporated more vocals by 1964, rebranding as the Gentrys and expanding its repertoire to include material by the Beatles and the Righteous Brothers. That moniker proved short-lived once a Memphis outfit asserted prior rights, prompting another change to the Rovin’ Kind by late 1964.
Personnel coalesced around a core that included Alabama-born guitarist and singer Paul Cotton, a member since 1959 whose early heroes encompassed Les Paul, Scotty Moore, Duane Eddy, and James Burton, alongside Chicago native Kal David, whose blues and R&B leanings had previously led him to the Exceptions—a band that briefly recorded for Vee-Jay and featured future Chicago member Peter Cetera plus future Buckinghams contributor Marty Grebb. With Cotton and David supplying the dual-guitar drive, the Rovin’ Kind cut several singles for Dunwich; supporting players at the time were keyboardist and vocalist Mike Anthony, bassist Keith Anderson (later replaced by Rob Lewine), and drummer Fred Page. The two guitarists remained the focal point. Although none of the singles achieved major success, the band itself triumphed in a regional contest against roughly eighty competitors, earning a trip to Los Angeles for an appearance on American Bandstand—where the group lip-synced two numbers—and a club date in San Francisco. Greater payoff arrived back in Chicago when, during a Whiskey-A-Go-Go engagement, producer James William Guercio discovered them, signed the act, and arranged a deal with Columbia’s Epic imprint under the Illinois Speed Press name.
The resulting sound fused rock & roll, soul, and country, shaped by the contrasting preferences of its members. After relocating to Los Angeles, the group served a stint as house band at the Whiskey-A-Go-Go and supported Steppenwolf and Chicago, both also produced by Guercio; in 1969 and 1970 they shared bills with the country-rock band Poco. Their self-titled debut album leaned toward David’s R&B sensibilities yet contained several Cotton compositions, among them “Get in the Wind,” later reinterpreted by Poco, alongside country touches. Critical approval outweighed modest chart impact. The follow-up, Duet, shifted further toward country and appeared in 1970, by which point internal differences had surfaced. The band dissolved that year as Cotton and David pursued separate paths: David favored a stronger R&B direction, moved to San Francisco, and, alongside ex-Electric Flag bassist Harvey Brooks, formed the Fabulous Rhinestones, who issued their own recordings and performed with John Lennon and Yoko Ono. Cotton remained in Los Angeles, where Richie Furay—recalling their shared bills with Poco—invited him to audition as a replacement for departing co-founder Jim Messina; Cotton secured the position and remained with the group well into the twenty-first century. He died on August 1, 2021, at age 78. Kal David died on August 16, 2022, at age 79.
Albums
