In 1966 The Raik's Progress released their lone garage-psychedelic single, coupling "Why Did You Rob Us, Tank?" with "Sewer Rat Love Chant." Although the titles suggested an eccentricity comparable to the early Mothers of Invention or the Red Krayola, the lyrics turned out less unconventional than those titles implied. The music, however, stood apart for its period, with "Sewer Rat Love Chant" ranking among the first garage-level explorations of raga-rock. The flip side followed a similar path yet carried a more pronounced folk-rock Byrds influence. Both tracks later appeared on the Sundazed CD Sewer Rat Love Chant, which also included ten previously unreleased live recordings from a 1966 concert, most of them shaped by the straightforward British Invasion R&B style associated with Them and the Animals.
The Fresno band is chiefly remembered for featuring teenage Steve Krikorian, who resurfaced in the late 1970s and early 1980s under the name Tonio K. At the time, Krikorian served as the group’s singer and bassist. A link to Ross Bagdasarian, better known as David Seville, led to a contract with Liberty Records. The musicians performed several Hollywood engagements and appeared at San Francisco’s Fillmore Auditorium in 1966, only to disband by early 1967. Of the original members, Duane Scott achieved the highest subsequent profile in the music business, working as a recording engineer.
