Mortimer

Mortimer arose from a subsequent lineup of the Teddy Boys, a group based in Hyde Park, New York, that issued several singles on MGM and Cameo Records across 1966 and 1967. The musicians adopted the name Pinocchio & Puppets to issue a two-sided instrumental single on Mercury in 1967. At that point the quartet—Guy Masson on vocals, drums, and percussion; Bob Ronga on vocals and guitar; Tom Smith on vocals and guitar; and Tony Van Benschoten on vocals, bass, and guitar—adopted the name Mortimer and entered a production agreement with British producer Daniel Secunda, brother of Procol Harum manager Tony Secunda, through his company B.B.& D. Productions, Inc. Phillips granted the band a recording contract, resulting in a self-titled album that appeared in 1968. Ronga participated in the initial sessions, yet after his departure his contributions were replaced and his likeness removed from the sleeve. The release attracted little attention, prompting the remaining members to relocate to England and approach Apple Records for a deal. After George Harrison approved the trio following an audition inside the Apple offices, the musicians secured a contract and commenced work on a new album. Peter Asher produced the project, which included the Paul McCartney composition “On Our Way Home,” subsequently retitled “Two of Us” for the Beatles’ own recording. The album was prepared for a 1969 launch but was abandoned once Allen Klein assumed control of Apple and instituted cost-cutting policies. The group disbanded shortly thereafter, fading into relative obscurity within Beatles lore. Cardinal’s cover of the 1968 album track “Singing in the Sunshine” drew modest renewed attention, and Rev-Ola’s 2006 reissue of the debut album brought fuller exposure. More than ten years afterward, RPM Records retrieved the long-unreleased Apple recordings from storage and issued them.