Probably best known as the founder of The W.C. Fields Memorial Electric String Band, the group that recorded the first version of “(I’m Not Your) Stepping Stone,” George Caldwell had earlier been the leader of The Bees - another popular local band that was featured in GO Magazine as well as made an appearance on the TV show, HOLLYWOOD A GO-GO. We hope to be able to provide more information on The W.C. Fields Memorial Electric String Band in a separate interview...
An Interview with George Caldwell
60sgaragebands.com (60s): How did you first get interested in music?
George Caldwell (GC): My music interest started because of my grandfather, who had a 32-piece orchestra with 20 showgirls in the ‘40's. When I was in the eighth grade attending Sun Valley Jr. High in the San Fernando Valley my grandfather came to stay with us while he played a gig in Los Angeles. I found out when I got home one afternoon that I had a beautiful eighteen-year-old grandmother. My grandfather tended to marry his singers. Her name was Sonoma. Grandpa Judy (his name was Judy Conrad) was represented by the McConky agency in Hollywood at the time. Well you can imagine I thought (that was) cool. I wanted that. In fact I wanted her. Obviously it didn't happen. But the dream lived on.
60s: Was the Bees your first band?
GC: I'm not sure of the year but one night at the Crescendo "Tigers Tail" on Sunset Blvd., a friend of mine (a DJ by the name of Dave Diamond on KBLA in the valley, he looked exactly like Clark Kent) was having a "talent contest." Dave came over to the table where I was sitting with the dancers from HOLLYWOOD A GO-GO and told me the contest was off because they're weren't enough entrants. So a couple of us said we'd do something. I sang the Stones’ "Satisfaction" - which had just hit the air - and won. The prize for winning was coming back the next weekend to sing with the house band for pay. That next week I put the Bees together cause it was so much fun. (It was) instant gratification: Sex, drugs and rock and roll. (We were together) probably a year and a half or more.
George Caldwell
Peter Ferst
Ron Reynolds
Cary Slavin
John York
Robert Zinner
We had another rhythm payer before Bob Zinner. I can't remember his name but he played a homemade nine-string. I don't know what happened to him. Because of the Byrds’ success and the sound of the twelve-string, we needed a twelve-string. I was also looking for a bass player and I ran into John York sitting in an agents front office playing a Rickenbacher twelve and I asked him if he played bass. He said yes and joined up and loaned his twelve-string to Ron to play.
60s: What type of gigs did you land?
GC: We played clubs around the Los Angeles area down into Redondo Beach; nothing very far from home.
60s: Did the Bees ever play the Sunset Strip?
GC: We Played at the Crescendo Tiger’s Tail on Sunset, at the Seawitch and at a lot of private parties in the hills. Love was playing at Bido Lidos for the most part and the Byrds were playing at Ciros.
60s: How would you describe the band's sound? Considering the Bees recorded a couple of his tunes, how big of an influence was Bob Dylan?
GC: The Stones and Dylan influenced us all...
60s: Did the Bees participate in any battle of the bands?
GC: We did one battle - at the Miss Teenage Fair where Al Burton picked us up for the TV show Way Out.
60s: Did Burton become your manager?
GC: Al Burton became our first manager. We had won the battle of the bands at the Teenage Fair and he got us signed to William Morris with John Hartman and Skip Taylor as agents. He also got us a load of Vox gear. Al was one of the producers of the pilot called WAY OUT. We were going to be the house band but the series didn't sell. I believe Al sold the idea to Ed Friendly and it became LAUGH IN. (NOTE: By this time the band had become The W.C. Fields Memorial Electric String Band).
60s: How far was the band's "touring" territory?
GC: Local clubs in the Southern California area. We also did a series of gigs at the Broadway Department stores with the woman who designed Ringo’s wedding suit.
60s: Where did The Bees record?
GC: I think they were recorded at a place near Ivar St. in Hollywood called Custom Sound. It was a small studio in Hollywood. Somebody paid for it; I don't remember whom. One was a Dylan song called "Baby Let Me Follow You Down"; the others you already know (NOTE: “Leave Me Be”, “She’s An Artist (She Belongs To Me)”, and “Forget Me Girl”).
60s: Did The Bees write many original songs?
GC: John York wrote one that had the word "chagrin" in it…that's all I remember. We probably wrote some things but mainly we were doing covers of current stuff.
60s: Do any other '60's Bees recordings exist? Are there any vintage live recordings, or unreleased tracks?
GC: We did a recording at Harmony Records that Pat Boone’s company picked up the tab for. That’s how I met Zinner. I don't remember the songs, but Ike and Tina were there, just as we got there to start our session. They were mixing I think.
60s: What do you recall about your appearance on the HOLLYWOOD A GO-GO show?
GC: I married one of the dancers, Mimi!
60s: Did the Bees make any other local TV appearances?
GC: I seem to remember that we were on a show with The Doors but I can't remember which one. It might have been 9th STREET WEST.
60s: What year did The Bees call it quits?
GC: I’m not sure; one year seemed to run into the next.
60s: You and Zinner went on to The W.C. Fields Memorial Electric String Band, correct?
GC: One night I was lying on the couch watching TV and the name just came to me on a piece of flaming lemon meringue pie. I saw the words on the screen being typed on a piece of paper - "W.C. Fields today" - and so I renamed the band the next day.
60s: After the Bees, York later played with the Byrds, and Slavin with the Factory. Did Ferst or Reynolds later play with other bands?
GC: John York was also the bass mistake on “Monday Monday” for The Mamas and Papas. He played with them for a while. Ron Reynolds and Pete Ferst just sort of disappeared.
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