Biography
Contrary to F. Scott Fitzgerald's claim that "There are no second acts in American lives," American garage rock evidently follows its own logic. A raw garage rock unit called the Sloths occupied a central spot on the Los Angeles scene throughout the mid-'60s, only to vanish completely until the twenty-first century, when the members not only regrouped but finally recorded the album that had never materialized during their original run.
The group's history opened in 1964 once guitarists Michael Rummans and Jeff Briskin, both enrolled at Beverly Hills High School in Beverly Hills, California, began spending months jamming as teenage rock & roll enthusiasts and resolved to start a band. Long-haired proto-hippie Hank Daniels, newly arrived at the school, received an invitation to handle vocals; bassist Steve Dibner and drummer Sam Kamarass completed the first lineup. Drawing inspiration from the tougher British Invasion outfits of the era—the Rolling Stones, the Yardbirds, Them, and the Who—the musicians rehearsed at Dibner's house with his parents' consent, performed at parties for school friends, and made their professional bow at the L.A. venue Stratford on Sunset.
Throughout 1965 the Sloths became regular attractions at Sunset Strip clubs such as Pandora's Box, the Whisky a Go Go, Bido Lito's, the Palladium, and the Galaxy, sharing bills with Love, the Doors, the Seeds, the Electric Prunes, and the Animals. Impression Records signed them for a single, resulting in the raw yet compelling "Makin' Love" b/w "You Mean Everything," issued that same year. Pressure from his family led Briskin to exit in 1966 and enter law school; guitarist Don Silverman filled the spot briefly before bassist Steve Dibner departed and Mick Galper joined. By year's end the band dissolved, with several members later appearing in the May Wines while Michael Rummans embarked on an extended career that included stints with the Yellow Payges and the Hollywood Stars and a hit single, "My Mistake," as bassist for the rockabilly revivalists the Kingbees.
The Sloths resurfaced from obscurity in 1993 when "Makin' Love" was included on Back from the Grave, Vol. 2, prompting garage-rock collectors to locate the former members. In 2011 Mike Stax of Ugly Things magazine located and interviewed Jeff Briskin, oversaw a limited-edition reissue of the lone single (original pressings then commanding more than $6,500 on eBay), and the online fanzine 60s Garage Bands contacted Michael Rummans to publish his recollections. Briskin engaged a private detective to trace the remaining musicians; although Hank Daniels and Sam Kamrass were found to have passed away, Briskin and Rummans elected to revive the band. Live appearances resumed in 2012 at L.A. clubs with former May Wines vocalist Tommy McLoughlin on lead vocals, Dave Provost on bass, and Jose Rendon on drums. Following further personnel shifts, the 2015 configuration—McLoughlin singing, Mark Weddington and Patrick DiPuccio playing guitars, Rummans on bass, and Ray Herron on drums—entered the studio for the first time in fifty years. The resulting album, titled Back from the Grave with deliberate irony, was released by the Los Angeles indie label Burger Records.
The group's history opened in 1964 once guitarists Michael Rummans and Jeff Briskin, both enrolled at Beverly Hills High School in Beverly Hills, California, began spending months jamming as teenage rock & roll enthusiasts and resolved to start a band. Long-haired proto-hippie Hank Daniels, newly arrived at the school, received an invitation to handle vocals; bassist Steve Dibner and drummer Sam Kamarass completed the first lineup. Drawing inspiration from the tougher British Invasion outfits of the era—the Rolling Stones, the Yardbirds, Them, and the Who—the musicians rehearsed at Dibner's house with his parents' consent, performed at parties for school friends, and made their professional bow at the L.A. venue Stratford on Sunset.
Throughout 1965 the Sloths became regular attractions at Sunset Strip clubs such as Pandora's Box, the Whisky a Go Go, Bido Lito's, the Palladium, and the Galaxy, sharing bills with Love, the Doors, the Seeds, the Electric Prunes, and the Animals. Impression Records signed them for a single, resulting in the raw yet compelling "Makin' Love" b/w "You Mean Everything," issued that same year. Pressure from his family led Briskin to exit in 1966 and enter law school; guitarist Don Silverman filled the spot briefly before bassist Steve Dibner departed and Mick Galper joined. By year's end the band dissolved, with several members later appearing in the May Wines while Michael Rummans embarked on an extended career that included stints with the Yellow Payges and the Hollywood Stars and a hit single, "My Mistake," as bassist for the rockabilly revivalists the Kingbees.
The Sloths resurfaced from obscurity in 1993 when "Makin' Love" was included on Back from the Grave, Vol. 2, prompting garage-rock collectors to locate the former members. In 2011 Mike Stax of Ugly Things magazine located and interviewed Jeff Briskin, oversaw a limited-edition reissue of the lone single (original pressings then commanding more than $6,500 on eBay), and the online fanzine 60s Garage Bands contacted Michael Rummans to publish his recollections. Briskin engaged a private detective to trace the remaining musicians; although Hank Daniels and Sam Kamrass were found to have passed away, Briskin and Rummans elected to revive the band. Live appearances resumed in 2012 at L.A. clubs with former May Wines vocalist Tommy McLoughlin on lead vocals, Dave Provost on bass, and Jose Rendon on drums. Following further personnel shifts, the 2015 configuration—McLoughlin singing, Mark Weddington and Patrick DiPuccio playing guitars, Rummans on bass, and Ray Herron on drums—entered the studio for the first time in fifty years. The resulting album, titled Back from the Grave with deliberate irony, was released by the Los Angeles indie label Burger Records.
Albums
Singles