Back Door Men - The unofficial Shadows of Knight website

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Chronology

1964-1965

The Shadows sprang at Arlington Heights in suburban Northwest Chicago from the High School Surf Band, an outfit from neighbouring Mount Prospect. By the fall of '65, when bassist Wayne Pursell was replaced by Joe Kelley (ex Vectors), who joined guitarists Warren Rogers and Norm Gotsch, singer Jim Sohns (pitcher of local team) and drummer Tom Schiffour, the band managed to be on at Paul Sampson's Cellar Club firmly. Bill Traut and George Badonsky gave them the chance to sign for their newborn Dunwich Records. In December guitarist Jerry McGeorge (ex Blackstones) took the place of Gotsch, just in time to enter the recording studio.

1966

On the 31st of January they made their debut as Shadows of Night with a powerful rendition of Van Morrison's Gloria, which succeeded in climbing to #10 in May; in the meanwhile Rogers and Kelley swapped the roles. Two extraordinary albums came out at a distance of six months from one to the other. In November Dave The Hawk Wolinski (former keyboard sessionman with the band) substituted for Rogers on bass, who was banished.

1967

At the end of spring McGeorge left the group and in September joined in H.P. Lovecraft; soon after Kelley and Schiffour left they too reappearing the next year with Joe Kelley Blues Band, while Wolinski turned up with Bangor Flying Circus later on. As for Sohns, in July he called other musicians and kept the original name. Dunwich got rid of them releasing a last single and giving Gloria's masters to Atlantic just for $1.

1968

The group moved to New York and became the backing band of notorious Kasenetz & Katz duo, recording the instrumental tracks of songs credited to the various Ohio Express, 1910 Fruitgum Company… nevertheless finding a gleam of success again with a single in their own name. The relation with infamous exploiters was over owing to non-payment of royalties.

1969

Kasenetz & Katz issued the third album without group's agreement, assembling rejected pieces originally written for other bands; Atco in its turn released a new version of Gloria with Jim Dolinger's overdubs (Aorta's vocalist).

1970-1971

After a swan song single Sohns recruited new mates and went on gigging at local spheres.

now

SoK feat. lead singer Jimy Sohns and bassist Lee Brovitz are still on the road with a new album on the stocks.

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Discography

(U.S. unless indicated otherwise)

Albums

Singles

*reissued as Atlantic 13138 in 1971
(1st Dunwich pressings: yellow label, no mention of Atco Records; 2nd pressings: yellow label mentions Atco Records; 3rd pressings: pink label)

**5inch cardboard disc given away with Fairmont Potato Chips

Compilations

Artists who covered The Shadows of Knight

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Extended notes to The Shadows of Knight discography

Gloria
Album notes
Released as Dunwich 666 (mono) & S 666 (stereo) (LP) in April 1966
Reissued as ltd. ed. of 2000 (LP) (Jap) in 1979
Reissued as Sundazed 5034 (LP) & SC 6155 (CD) in 1998 with 3 bonus tracks
Produced by Bill Traut & George Badonsky
Recorded at Universal Recording Corp., Chicago, IL
Engineered by Bob Kidder
Cover photo by Don Bronstein
Original album art direction by Ron Fratell
Personnel
Jim Sohns: lead vocals, tambourine & maracas
Joe Kelley: lead guitar, bass & blues harp
Jerry McGeorge: rhythm guitar & feedback
Warren Rogers: bass & lead guitar
Tom Schiffour: drums
Tracks
Gloria (Morrison) 2:34
Light Bulb Blues (Kelley, Sohns, McGeorge) 2:32
I Got My Mojo Working (Morganfield) 3:28
Dark Side (Rogers, Sohns) 2:00
Boom Boom (Hooker) 2:28
Let It Rock (Berry) 1:52
Oh Yeah (McDaniel) 2:45
It Always Happens That Way (Rogers, Sohns) 1:52
You Can't Judge A Book (By The Cover) (Dixon) 2:37
(I'm Your) Hoochie Coochie Man (Dixon) 3:52
I Just Want To Make Love To You (Dixon) 3:49
Bonus tracks of Sundazed reissue
Oh Yeah (single vers.) (McDaniel) 2:45
I Got My Mojo Working (alt. vers.) (Morganfield) 3:14
Someone Like Me (single) (Novack, McDowell) 2:18

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Back Door Men
Album notes
Released as Dunwich 667 (mono) & S 667 (Stereo) (LP) in October 1966
Reissued as Sundazed 5035 (LP) & SC 6156 (CD) in 1998 with 3 bonus tracks
Produced by Bill Traut & George Badonsky
Recorded at Universal Recording Corp., Chicago, IL
Engineered by Bob Kidder
Cover photo by Don Bronstein
Original album art direction by Ron Fratell
Personnel
Jim Sohns: lead vocals, tambourine & maracas
Joe Kelley: lead guitar, blues harp, lead vocal on Peepin' And Hidin'
Jerry McGeorge: rhythm guitar, feedback, lead vocal on Three For Love
Warren Rogers: bass
Tom Schiffour: drums
Dave The Hawk Wolinski: keyboards on Bad Little Woman, Hey Joe, Peepin' And Hidin' and Tomorrow's Going To Be Another Day
Tracks
Bad Little Woman (Tinsley, Catling, Demick, Armstrong, Rosbotham) 2:34
Gospel Zone (Schiffour) 3:16
The Behemoth (Pye) 2:31
Three For Love (Kelley) 2:34
Hey Joe (Roberts)* 5:39
I'll Make You Sorry (Kelley) 2:39
Peepin' And Hidin' (Reed) 2:58
Tomorrow's Going To Be Another Day (Boyce) 2:20
New York Bullseye (Pye) 2:40
High Blood Pressure (Smith, Vincent) 3:35
Spoonful (Dixon) 2:54
Bonus tracks of Sundazed reissue
Gospel Zone (single vers.) (Schiffour) 3:17
Willie Jean (single) (Trad. arr. by Pye) 2:47
I'm Gonna Make You Mine (single) (Bayer, Carr, D'errico) 2:30

*trivia: the credits given to this song are one of the most clamorous blunders in the whole rock history! Hey Joe was supposed to be written by Chester Powers (aka Dino Valente), as a matter of fact it was composed by folksinger Billy Roberts round 1958.

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The Shadows Of Knight
Album notes
Released as Super K SKS 6002 (LP) in 1969
Reissued as The Super K Kollection (Collectables 0581) (CD) in June 1994 without Under Acoustic Control
Reissued as Shake (One Way 30331) (CD) in September 1994 with 4 bonus tracks
Produced by Joe Levine & Arthur Resnick
A product of Kasenetz-Katz Ass., Inc.
Personnel
Jim Sohns: lead vocals
Woody Woodruff: lead guitar
Dan Baughman: rhythm guitar
John Fisher: bass
Kenny Turkin: drums
Tracks
Follow
Alone
Times And Places
I Am What I Am
Uncle Wiggley's Airship
I Wanna Make You All Mine
Shake Revisited '69
I'll Set You Free
Under Acoustic Control
Bluebird
Back Door Man
Bonus tracks of One Way reissue
From Way Out To Way Under
My Fire Department Needs A Fireman
Shake
Run Run Billy Porter

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Gloria
Album notes
Released as Radar RAD 11 (LP) (UK) in May 1979
Tracks
Gloria (Morrison)
Light Bulb Blues (Kelley, Sohns, McGeorge)
I Got My Mojo Working (Foster)
Dark Side (Rogers, Sohns)
Let It Rock (Berry)
Oh Yeah (McDaniels)
It Always Happens That Way (Rogers, Sohns)
You Can't Judge A Book (By Looking At The Cover) (Dixon)
I Just Want To Make Love To You (Dixon)
Bad Little Woman (Tinsley, Catling, Demick, Armstrong, Rosbotham)
Gospel Zone (Schiffour)
Hey Joe (Roberts)
I'll Make You Sorry (Kelley)
Peepin' And Hidin' (Reed)
Tomorrow's Going To Be Another Day (Boyce)
Spoonful (Dixon)

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Gee-El-O-Are-I-Ay
Album notes
Released as Edsel ED 157 (LP) (UK) in April 1985
Tracks
Gloria (Morrison)
Light Bulb Blues (Kelley, Sohns, McGeorge)
I Got My Mojo Working (Foster)
Dark Side (Rogers, Sohns)
Let It Rock (Berry)
Oh Yea (McDaniels)
It Always Happens That Way (Rogers, Sohns)
You Can't Judge A Book (By The Cover) (Dixon, McDaniels)
Bad Little Woman (Tinsley, Catling, Demick, Armstrong, Rosbotham)
Gospel Zone (Schiffour)
I Just Want To Make Love To You (Dixon)
I'll Make You Sorry (Kelley, Rolfe)
Tomorrow's Going To Be Another Day (Boyce, Daniels)
Spoonful (Dixon)
I'm Gonna Make You Mine (Bayer, Carr, D'Errico)
Someone Like Me (Novak, McDowell)

(track listing courtesy of Paul Grebenc)

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Raw 'n Alive At The Cellar, Chicago 1966!
Album notes
Released as Sundazed 5006 (LP) & SC 11013 (CD) in November 1992
Recorded live at The Cellar, Chicago, December 1966
Produced for Here 'tis Records by Bob Irwin & Jeff Jarema
Digitally remastered by Bob Irwin & Vic Anesini
Layout by Jeff Smith for Pictures & Designs
Personnel
Jim Sohns: lead vocals
Joe Kelley: lead guitar, blues harp on Tomorrow's Gonna Be Another Day
Jerry McGeorge: rhythm guitar, bass on Everybody Needs Somebody To Love
Tom Schiffour: drums & vocals
Dave The Hawk Wolinski: bass, electric piano on Everybody Needs Somebody To Love
Tracks
I Got My Mojo Working (Morganfield) 4:07
Oh Yeah (McDaniel) 3:45
Tomorrow's Gonna Be Another Day (Boyce) 2:24
It Takes A Long Time Comin' (Pye) 2:44
Let It Rock (Berry) 2:06
Hey Joe (Roberts) 4:23
Gospel Zone (Schiffour) 1:56
Got To Get You Off My Mind (Burke, Burke, Moore) 1:47
Everybody Needs Somebody To Love (Burns, Burke, Wexler) 3:29
Don't Fight It (Pickett, Cropper) 4:02
Spoonful (Dixon) 3:43
Dark Side (Rogers, Sohns) 1:59
Gloria (Morrison) 6:12

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Live With Gloria
Album notes
Released as Donewitch (Performance) D5CD (mini-CD) in August 1993
Recorded live in Rockford, IL, 1972
Personnel
Jim Sohns
Jack Hawkeye Daniels
Charlie Hess
Bob Harper
Eric Blomquist
Gary Levin
Tracks
The Hunter
I Just Want To Make Love To You
Talk Is Cheap
High School Daze
Shake
Gloria
Goodnight (I'm Having A Nervous Breakdown)

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Dark Sides - The Best Of…
Album notes
Released as Rhino R2 71723 (CD) in August 1994
Compilation produced for release by Bill Inglot & David McLees
Compiled by Jeff Jarema, David McLees & Bill Inglot
Remastering by Bill Inglot & Ken Perry
Art direction: Monster X
Design by Julie Vlasak
Tracks
Gloria (Morrison)
Dark Side (Rogers, Sohns)
Oh Yeah (McDaniel)
Light Bulb Blues (Kelley, Sohns, McGeorge)
It Always Happens That Way (Rogers, Sohns)
I Got My Mojo Working (Morganfield)
You Can't Judge A Book (By The Cover) (Dixon)
Bad Little Woman (Tinsley, Catling, Armstrong, Rosbotham)
Gospel Zone (Schiffour)
I'll Make You Sorry (Kelley)
I'm Gonna Make You Mine (Bayer, Carr, D'errico)
Peepin' And Hidin' (Reed)
Willie Jean (Trad. arr. by Pye)
The Behemoth (Pye)
Someone Like Me (Novack, McDowell)
Three For Love (Kelley)
Shake (Resnick, Levine)
My Fire Department Needs A Fireman (Kasenetz, Katz)
Alone (Levine, Feldman)
I Am The Hunter (Sohns, Fisher)

Back to discography |

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Charts

Singles

Gloria/Dark Side (Dunwich 116)
Released on Jan. 31st 1966
Hit no. 10 (US national chart)
Hit no. 1 (Chicago local chart)

Oh Yeah/Light Bulb Blues (Dunwich 122)
Released on May 12th 1966
Hit no. 39 (US national chart)

Bad Little Woman/Gospel Zone (Dunwich 128)
Released on Aug. 5th 1966
Hit no. 91 (US national chart)

I'm Gonna Make You Mine/I'll Make You Sorry (Dunwich 141)
Released on Oct. 24th 1966
Hit no. 90 (US national chart)

Shake/From Way Out To Way Under (Team 520)
Released in Oct. 1968
Hit no. 46 (US national chart)

Albums

Gloria (Dunwich 666)
Released in April 1966
Hit no. 46 (US national chart)

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Links

other relevant links

songs

Gloria [tab] [bass tab] [lyrics]
I Got My Mojo Working [lyrics]
Boom Boom [tab] [lyrics]
Let It Rock [lyrics]
(I'm Your) Hoochie Coochie Man [chords] [tab] [lyrics]
I Just Want To Make Love To You [chords] [lyrics]
Hey Joe [chords]
Spoonful [lyrics]
I'm Gonna Make You Mine [chords]

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URL: http://web.tiscali.it/wrongway/
Webmaster: Roberto Feruglio
Revised: Jun 2, 2003