The Shadows Of Knight

In the early to mid-1960s, Chicago, Illinois maintained one of the most active garage rock communities, where the Shadows of Knight ranked among the most popular and hardest-edged acts on the city's teen circuit while also achieving rare national prominence. A member of the group once observed, "the Stones, Animals and Yardbirds took the Chicago blues and gave it an English interpretation. We've taken the English version of the blues and re-added a Chicago touch." Although numerous American ensembles absorbed the blues via the Rolling Stones and comparable U.K. bands, the Shadows of Knight counted among the earliest, and their strongest recordings merged urban blues swagger with the raw power of tougher British Invasion acts.

The band originated in 1964 in Chicago's northern suburbs. First called the Shadows, the original lineup featured lead singer Jim Sohns, lead guitarist Wayne Peppers, rhythm guitarist Norm Gotsch, bassist Warren Rogers, and drummer Tom Schiffour, most of whom had attended Prospect High School in Mount Prospect, Illinois. Peppers departed within a year and was succeeded by guitarist Joe Kelley; the group built a following through parties and school dances in communities such as Mount Prospect and Arlington Heights. In 1965, Jerry McGeorge replaced Gotsch on rhythm guitar after the latter entered military service, and the ensemble changed its name to the Shadows of Knight—partly because Prospect's athletic teams were called the Knights—to distinguish itself from the established British act known as the Shadows.

That same year the Shadows of Knight became the regular house band at the Cellar, a teen club in Arlington Heights. Their popularity produced weekend audiences of 500 to 600 and attracted Chicago producers Bill Traut and George Badonski of Dunwich Records. The label signed the band, and in spring 1966 it issued a cover of Van Morrison's "Gloria" that preserved the swagger of Them's original while altering one lyric ("She come into my room" became "She call out my name") to improve radio access. The single reached the Top Ten; follow-up "Oh Yeah" climbed only to the Top 40 yet confirmed the Shadows of Knight as Chicago's leading act. An album titled Gloria appeared quickly, and by the close of 1966 the second LP, Back Door Men, was available. That release introduced Dave "Hawk" Wolinski, who replaced bassist Warren Rogers and also played keyboards.

Although the group stayed a strong live draw in the Midwest, further singles such as "Bad Little Woman" and "I'm Going to Make You Mine" barely registered on the Hot 100. By 1967 McGeorge, Kelley, and Wolinski had departed; Sohn dismissed the remaining members and kept the band's name. In 1968 he placed the group with Super K Productions, the company behind bubblegum acts the Ohio Express and the 1910 Fruitgum Company. Super K arranged a Buddah-distributed release on Team Records, and the single "Shake"—recorded with Sohn backed by session musicians—reached number 46. An album simply titled The Shadows of Knight later appeared on Super K, featuring new members Woody Woodruff on guitar, John Fisher on bass, and Ken Turkin on drums. The lineup reportedly supplied uncredited studio support for other Super K artists. Additional singles produced no further hits, and after several years of low-profile performances the band dissolved in the mid-1970s.

In the early 1990s Sohns assembled a new version of the Shadows of Knight for oldies-circuit appearances. After leaving the group, Joe Kelley formed a blues band and performed in Chicago clubs for years. In 1967 Jerry McGeorge helped create the psychedelic band H.P. Lovecraft. Dave "Hawk" Wolinski later worked with Chicago, Rufus & Chaka Khan, the Neville Brothers, and Michael Jackson. Jim Sohns died on July 29, 2022, at age 75 following a stroke.