Tom Cain

Tom Cain guitar player extraordinaire for the Coachmen passed away Thursday June 24, 2021 in the shadow of the Strawberry Supermoon. It was Tom along with Terry that organized and really ignited the spark that was the band in all its incarnations. He will be missed by so many. Tom was all in when it came to playing loud rock and roll guitar. From the first day we met, until he took his last breath we were brothers. The bond that we all formed growing up never ceased but only grew stronger with age. Robyn had this old photo of Tom playing his Gretch guitar.

Its fading away into the ether much like we all are. Fading memories of a band that helped shaped our lives and dreams. If Tom had not been the ringleader, there wouldn’t have been a band. Fate was in the stars that shined down on a group of teenagers trying to find an identity. Without Tom we would have been different people today. I am sure that Dan would have found his stardom through some other channel. However, we are all richer people from having been through these experiences with each other.

Robyn and Tom had known each other since kindergarden. Terry and Tom both played guitar. Even though they went to different schools they got together and formed the band. Tom saw me sit in and sing at Mayfair Hall a teen joint in the early Peoria music scene. Our original members, John Mayers and Jim Ketchum had a summertime conflict that prompted Tom to reform the band with Terry on bass guitar and Robyn on drums. We saw Dan play with his first band the Clan and Tom asked him to join. In the final version we represented four of the major Peoria high schools: Manual, Richwoods, Central, and Woodruff. This and our management accounted for our popularity. Tom was the thread that tied it all together.

Just listen to Tom’s guitar and you can hear the passion. Another moment in time that I am so glad to be able to look back on. Even though we all lived far from Peoria we came together for three reunions. Yes its not polished and slick but we were/are one of the best garage bands to come out of Peoria in the 1960’s! Here we are with a little help from our friends.

Rest in Peace brother Tom you will be missed and remembered.

Remembering Gary

September 15, 2015

Gary Richrath of REO Speedwagon passed away today. I had been thinking about him. He was another bright star to amazingly come out of the armpit of the nation, Peoria. When I was growing up in the Coachmen days, Gary was in another garage band the Suburban 9 to 5. We were all part of Hank Skinner’s Peoria Musical Enterprises. They too went into Golden Voice Studios in Pekin and cut a single 45. We reconnected in Champaign at the U of I. Gary played an outstanding lead guitar with the first incarnation of REO. I still can remember his guitar solo on their rendition of “Sympathy for the Devil”
I spent the day reading Facebook tributes and memories. The best bit was something I recalled. Gary growing up would play his lead with his back turned to the audience in case another guitar player tried to steal his licks. Gary had come a long way down many roads. May he rest in peace.

             

Another Peoria friend passed away in June. David Backstrom was Dan’s band mate in his first band, The Clan. Dan and David wrote songs together in high school. We knew him as David Jordan then. He wasn’t a big fan of the Coachmen when we lured Dan away. Years later he showed up at Mountain Bird Ranch with Dan during one of his parties. David was an incredible songwriter and musician in his own right. He played several of his songs at Dan and Jean’s  Santa Fe.

Here is a video of David on Star Search blowing us all away with his energy.

Well this is shaping up to be quite the heavenly band.

Halloween Lunacy

The Dave Clark Five Meet The Coachmen

Recently PBS Great Performances aired a special on the Dave Clark Five: Glad All Over. A flood of memories came back to me. The year was 1966. Paperback Writer was released by the Beatles hits #1 on the charts for 2 weeks. Paint it Black by the Rolling Stones tops out at  #1. US planes bomb Hanoi Vietnam. The Dave Clark Five set a record number of appearances, 12 times on The Ed Sullivan Show. Meanwhile in Central Illinois a strange event occurred. The Dave Clark Five now almost as famous as the Beatles do two shows in a roller skating rink in Peru, Illinois. What the? Why were they playing such a small venue? There was an afternoon matinee and an evening show at 7 pm.  Produced by Frank and Pat Bunzell local promoters that teamed up with Hank Skinner of Peoria Musical Enterprise, the concert essentially flopped. The Bunzell’s later went on to produce Peoria’s favorite “The Shags”. The Coachmen were pre Dan Fogelberg at that time. We still wore our Coachmen outfits and did some cover tunes. The concert had 3 opening acts. The Friars, The Inn Group and The Shillings. At the last minute the Inn Group cancelled. This is historically how we got our groove and eventually became the band that Dan Fogelberg would join and become a member. We rehearsed our songs and then decided to do something new. The Inn Group had been playing James Brown tunes like “Out of Sight” and “Please Please Don’t Go”. We pretty much stole these right out of their set list. I think we got to play five or six songs. The other bands were real pros and that intimidated us. Terry however stuck a turkey feather in a specially designed belt harness and shook it in a rousing rendition of “Shake A Tailfeather”. We had no fear and went for it. We smoked cigs at the stage door and signed autographs. Yes it went right to our heads. “What in the world were the Dave Clark Five doing at a place called Skaters Junction at the height of their career?” This is attributed to a Peoria blog, dated Jan, 2007 … “Probably the saddest venue for a big name group was … The Dave Clark Five, playing in a roller rink in Peru, IL. This was in the spring of 1966. I won a free ticket from WIRL and they loaded up a school bus with all us winners and we were about the only people that showed up. The show was right on the rink floor, with about a hundred folding chairs in front of them. I was no more than ten feet from the band.” When the DC5 came on stage the sound blew us away. Huge Vox amps crowded the stage. We had never heard such a powerful wall of sound. The stomping on “Glad all Over” was deafening. Meanwhile backstage they were perfect English gentlemen. I remember their starched white shirts. They seemed so clean and tall to us. I wanted to find out how my other bandmates remember that day so I emailed them. Here are some of the memories from Terry and Tom. “Dear Coachmen, Yes, Carol and I caught that PBS piece.  I had forgotten how much I liked them and mused that I never play their music anymore.  They seemed to be just nice, clean-cut guys.  As I recall they treated us well; not aloof or condescending.  I too got all of the autographs.  In fact, Dave Clark signed across the sleeve of my ruffled shirt; though many washings have erased all evidence.  At the time I really did not realize that the Dave Clark Five were so popular world-wide or that they played the Sullivan Show so many times.  I will certainly watch the PBS piece again and I will add a couple of the DC-5 tunes to may playlists. Yes, I remember how impressed I was with the sound.  These guys acted totally pro, played well and sounded terrific.  I was quite surprised how really good the sound was at that time. Seems that we played a matinee for sure; thought we played an evening show too.  It seemed that we spend some time with the DC-5 milling about while waiting for the evening show.   It was the only time I ever signed autographs at the stage door. ” Terry “I saw that broadcast too!  Almost sent a text to everyone to advise it was showing.  I love the DC5.  Glad All Over, Bit’s N Pieces, Anyway You Want It……were probably my favorites.  I remember having drank some root beer and standing by the back stage door, thinking I was going to Throw up!  I was as nervous as a whore in church!  I was in awe at the Huge sound the DC5 had!  I think the sax had a lot to do with it.  Great fill, on any song! There was another 1st for me that weekend.  My parents had already planned for a family vacation in Minnesota.  They let me stay ‘home alone’.  (Well, I was sorta alone….lol.  May have had a visitor.)  Anyway, the Monday after the concert, I enjoyed my first ever plane ride.  Flew alone, to meet up with my family.  All at the tender age of 15!  I really liked this rock star life!  (pic of me arriving in Minneapolis attached) Tom

“Was it just luck that we played this gig that launched us into a kind of local stardom? Was this part of our destiny to become the band Dan Fogelberg wanted to join? At least in our minds we were now part of the “British Invasion” quacking around Peoria with our phony british accents.” Jon

I guess I’m feeling glad all over! And we go out stomping…

Roll up roll up for the mystery tour

Tom Cain playing Magical Mystery Tour on a stereophonic record player 1967. Wish I had one of those now.

Ed Sullivan The Beatles and years of inspiration

Hey Coachmen! It was fifty years ago today that we sat mesmerized watching the Beatles as they took the US by storm. Listening now to the Ed Sullivan show on KVMRNevada City. A fateful day that changed the very essence of pop music, I can’t believe the music was so good and tight. Years of playing clubs showed. This was of course before the electronic world made any hack sound good. Every kid in america wanted to be just like them. It launched a thousand garage bands. Last night I picked up the guitar and sang Beatles songs in honor but there was something missing. Dan’s high part. We nailed those Beatles harmonies.

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