The Hondells

The Hondells benefited from Brian Wilson’s finest donation to an outside act when they received “Little Honda,” a standout hot-rod number that climbed into the Top Ten during 1964. Although the Beach Boys cut their own rendition the same year, they never promoted it as an A-side single. In keeping with the pattern of numerous mid-’60s Southern California ensembles, the Hondells existed mainly on record despite a steady supply of picture sleeves; producer Gary Usher assembled their tracks from shifting pools of Los Angeles studio players rather than a fixed band. The hit itself spotlighted guitarists Glen Campbell and Richie Podolor alongside drummer Hal Blaine. After its success, touring lineups were hastily organized, yet recordings continued to rely on seasoned session contributors such as Podolor.

No subsequent single matched the impact of “Little Honda,” yet the project yielded an unexpected volume of output—two albums and thirteen singles—before activity ceased in 1970. Gary Usher and Roger Christian, both of whom had previously collaborated with Brian Wilson on early Beach Boys material, supplied most of the group’s initial songs. Wilson earned only one additional songwriting credit on a Hondells track, the Usher co-write “My Buddy Seat.”

Despite their constructed roster, the Hondells delivered strong results. Their body of work stands as the finest hot-rod material outside the Beach Boys and Jan & Dean, surpassing the routine fare Usher generated for various exploitation albums while never eclipsing the quality of “Little Honda.” When production duties later passed to Mike Curb, the group reached the middle of the Top 100 with a version of the Lovin’ Spoonful’s “Younger Girl,” though the Critters’ concurrent recording outsold it substantially.