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T-BONES
“NO MATTER WHAT SHAPE (YOUR STOMACH’S IN)”
(Sascha Burland)
Liberty 55836
No. 3 February 5, 1966
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Liberty Records was quite hot with the surfing/hot rod sounds of Jan & Dean, and moved quickly to
churn out similar products by groups like the Eliminators, the Zip-Codes, and the T-Bones. Nothing
charted, but apparently the T-Bones were successful enough to be allowed to wax not one, but three
drag-race LPs–Boss Drag (1964), Boss Drag at the Beach (1964), and Doin’ the Jerk (1965).
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By the time album number four was out the door, the T-Bones consisted of Danny Robert Hamilton (b.
Spokane, Wash.) on guitar, Joe Frank Carollo (b. Leland, Miss.) on bass and drums, and Tommy Clark
Reynolds (b. New York City) on drums and steel drums. Hamilton had worked sessions for Chad &
Jeremy, Jerry Lee Lewis, the Marketts, Johnny Rivers, Ronny & The Daytonas, and the Ventures. Carollo
had been playing bass and drums since his early teens, and had majored in music at Mississippi’s Delta
State College and Los Angeles City College. Reynolds had made and played steel drums in Bermuda.
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The T-Bones’ fourth LP (No Matter What Shape, 1966) was produced by Joe Saraceno, 1/2 of the teen
duo TONY & JOE–who handled similar duties for the Markettes, THE ROUTERS, the SUNSHINE
COMPANY, and the Ventures–and featured a contagious number created by Sascha Burland (half of THE
NUTTY SQUIRRELS) for an Alka Seltzer commercial. Hoping to cash in on the cover-a-jingle craze, the
T-Bone organization did their best with Chiquita Banana and Nabisco ditties; only the latter disk, “Sippin’
And Chippin” (#62, 1966), placed on the pop charts.
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After two more LPs, Dan, Joe, and Tommy shelved the “T Bones” name to become Hamilton, Joe Frank &
Reynolds. The trio scored hits like “Don’t Pull Your Love” (#4, 1971), “Fallin’ In Love” (#1, 1975), and
“Winners And Losers” (#21, 1976). They remained a viable force in pop music for much of the ’70s.
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