SRC

SRC emerged as a standout act within Michigan’s thriving rock community during the middle and later years of the 1960s. Unlike contemporaries the MC5 and the Stooges, the group pursued a more refined musical path shaped by intricate instrumental interplay and occasional classical touches that pointed toward the progressive rock developments of the following decade, all while retaining the raw drive associated with the Detroit sound.

The band’s origins traced to the merger of two prominent mid-’60s Michigan garage outfits. The Fugitives, hailing from the Detroit suburb of Birmingham, featured Gary Quackenbush on lead guitar, his brother Glenn Quackenbush on organ, Steve Lyman on rhythm guitar, John Boyles on bass and lead vocals, and E.G. Clawson on drums. Active on the local teen-club circuit, the Fugitives issued an album on the Hideout label titled The Fugitives at Dave’s Hideout, although the recording actually took place at the Quackenbush brothers’ residence despite the simulated audience sounds.

Seeking a fresh direction by 1967, the Fugitives parted ways with John Boyles. Their manager, Hugh “Jeep” Holland, then brought in Scott Richardson, formerly of the recently disbanded Chosen Few, whose members had included Ron Asheton and James Williamson, both later of Iggy & the Stooges. With Richardson installed as vocalist and Robin Dale handling bass, the ensemble adopted the name the Scott Richard Case. Holland promptly booked studio time, yielding the A-Squared Records single “I’m So Glad” b/w “Who Is That Girl.” The A-side, a Skip James blues cover, achieved strong regional success. Creative differences soon surfaced, however, prompting the musicians to dismiss Holland; in retaliation he issued an unreleased track, “Get the Picture,” on an A-Squared single credited to “The Old Exciting Scott Richard Case.”

By 1968 the group shortened its name to SRC and secured a deal with Capitol Records, which released the self-titled debut album SRC that autumn. Strong local sales in Detroit supported East Coast touring, yet bassist Dale departed before year’s end and was replaced by Al Wilmot.

For the follow-up, Milestones, most tracking occurred at the band’s rehearsal house, with final overdubs completed at Detroit’s Tera Shirma Recording Studios, the same facility used for the first album. Although Milestones earned favorable critical notices, commercial performance lagged behind the debut. Before its early-1969 completion, Steve Lyman was removed, leaving SRC as a single-guitar unit. While two California dates promoted the release, most performances remained in Michigan. That fall Gary Quackenbush split with his colleagues, prompting the arrival of Ray Goodman on guitar for the third album, which was cut entirely in the band’s home studio.

Traveler’s Tale appeared in March 1970; by its release Goodman had already exited and Gary Quackenbush had returned. Disappointing sales led Capitol to drop the band in 1971, even though a fourth album’s worth of material had been captured at SRC’s increasingly advanced facility. During this period Al Wilmot departed, with Richard Haddad, also known as Richard Michaels, assuming bass duties. Big Casino Records issued the single “Born to Love” b/w “Badazz Shuffle,” which generated minimal interest, and the group began performing as Blue Scepter. Blue Scepter landed a contract with Motown’s Rare Earth imprint, which released “Out in the Night” b/w “Gypsy Eyes” in early 1972; poor sales followed, and a completed Blue Scepter album remained unreleased.

In early 1973 Richardson and Haddad elected to exit and form the Fallen Angels, prompting the remaining members to disband. The unreleased fourth album’s recordings surfaced in 1993 as Lost Masters. Renewed interest in Michigan rock later prompted reunion performances in 2011 and 2012.