Biography
Based in Houston, Neal Ford & the Fanatics never extended their reach far beyond Texas, yet they stood out among the many psychedelic and garage acts that thrived only regionally. Their approach lacked the raw abandon of Austin’s 13th Floor Elevators, instead favoring a fuller, more luminous tone that absorbed British Invasion influences while incorporating swirling, insistent organ lines and an R&B groove uncommon in most garage ensembles. The very traits that set them apart—greater pop accessibility and a lighter touch than their Texas counterparts—ultimately worked against them, as labels pushed the band toward even more commercial settings that yielded no payoff. Their catalog nevertheless left a compact but enduring mark, documented on Ace’s 2013 compilation Good Men.
Born in San Antonio, Neal Ford passed part of his childhood in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula before returning to Texas for high school in Houston. He first led the Ramadas, a group devoted mainly to R&B covers, and caught the ear of Texas record executive Major Bill Smith. The Ramadas issued two singles on Philips in 1963, then shifted to New World under the name the VIPs. British Invasion sounds soon captivated Ford and his musicians, an influence that persisted until late 1964, when he resumed performing after a year of military service. By early 1965 the Fanatics’ roster stabilized with Ford on vocals, Steve Ames on guitar and vocals, W.T. Johnson on bass, Lanier Greig on keyboards, John Cravey on drums, and Johnny Stringfellow on guitar. Their debut single, “I Will Not Be Lonely,” appeared on Gina Records and registered locally in Houston; steady club work around the city sustained momentum even while Ford answered another military call. The band continued playing in his absence, and upon his return at year’s end they recorded the tracks that introduced Neal Ford & the Fanatics in early 1966. Shortly afterward Ames departed, replaced on lead guitar by Jon Pereles, who also traded vocals with Ford. The September 1966 release “I Will If You Want To” became their strongest seller to that point, drawing notice beyond Houston and prompting more commercially oriented sessions that autumn.
“Gonna Be My Girl” ignited across the Houston area in early 1967, raising hopes of wider success, though its follow-up “Wait for Me” fell short of the same regional impact. Throughout the year the group drew large crowds across the Gulf Coast and stockpiled material for an album—surplus tracks that later surfaced on the Ace collection Good Men. After Stringfellow was drafted, Hickory issued the self-titled debut LP in November 1967. The album failed to connect, as did the increasingly mainstream singles issued in 1968. A final single surfaced on ABC in 1969 before the band dissolved. Ford kept performing into the 1970s, including with the Neal Ford Foundation, which released an album in 1972, yet the group’s reputation among garage enthusiasts rested chiefly on its earliest, most incisive recordings and its stylistic range.
Born in San Antonio, Neal Ford passed part of his childhood in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula before returning to Texas for high school in Houston. He first led the Ramadas, a group devoted mainly to R&B covers, and caught the ear of Texas record executive Major Bill Smith. The Ramadas issued two singles on Philips in 1963, then shifted to New World under the name the VIPs. British Invasion sounds soon captivated Ford and his musicians, an influence that persisted until late 1964, when he resumed performing after a year of military service. By early 1965 the Fanatics’ roster stabilized with Ford on vocals, Steve Ames on guitar and vocals, W.T. Johnson on bass, Lanier Greig on keyboards, John Cravey on drums, and Johnny Stringfellow on guitar. Their debut single, “I Will Not Be Lonely,” appeared on Gina Records and registered locally in Houston; steady club work around the city sustained momentum even while Ford answered another military call. The band continued playing in his absence, and upon his return at year’s end they recorded the tracks that introduced Neal Ford & the Fanatics in early 1966. Shortly afterward Ames departed, replaced on lead guitar by Jon Pereles, who also traded vocals with Ford. The September 1966 release “I Will If You Want To” became their strongest seller to that point, drawing notice beyond Houston and prompting more commercially oriented sessions that autumn.
“Gonna Be My Girl” ignited across the Houston area in early 1967, raising hopes of wider success, though its follow-up “Wait for Me” fell short of the same regional impact. Throughout the year the group drew large crowds across the Gulf Coast and stockpiled material for an album—surplus tracks that later surfaced on the Ace collection Good Men. After Stringfellow was drafted, Hickory issued the self-titled debut LP in November 1967. The album failed to connect, as did the increasingly mainstream singles issued in 1968. A final single surfaced on ABC in 1969 before the band dissolved. Ford kept performing into the 1970s, including with the Neal Ford Foundation, which released an album in 1972, yet the group’s reputation among garage enthusiasts rested chiefly on its earliest, most incisive recordings and its stylistic range.
Albums