The Shadows of Knight -

The Shadows of Knight were an American garage-rock band that released the 1966 Dunwich albums Gloria and Back Door Men, followed by a 1970 self-titled album on Super K. They are best known for the proto-punk classic “Gloria,” originally by Them.

Members: Warren Rogers (lead guitar, rhythm guitar), Roger Spielmann (rhythm guitar, lead guitar, vocals, 1965-67), Norm Gotsch (rhythm guitar, 1965), Wayne Pursell (bass, 1965), Tom Schiffour (drums, 1965-67), Jim Sohns (lead vocals), Joe Kelley (lead guitar, bass, 1965-?), Jerry McGeorge (guitar, 1965-67), Warren Rogers (bass, ?-1966), David “Hawk” Wolinski (bass, 1966-67), John Fisher (bass, ?-1971), Steve “Woody” Woodruff (guitar, ?-1970), Dan Baughman (guitar), Ken Turkin (drums, ?-1969), Paul Scarpelli (drums, 1969-70), Jack “Hawkeye” Daniels (guitar, 1970-?), Jorge Gonzales (bass, 1971-72), John Hardy (bass, 1972-?), Don Ferrone (bass), Lee Brovitz (bass), Paul Roy (guitar)

Background

The Shadows formed in late 1964 in Mount Prospect, Illinois, when singer Jim Sohns teamed with drummer Tom Schiffour, bassist Wayne Pursell, and guitarists Norm Gotsch and Warren Rogers. The musicians came from the Prospect High School circle in Mount Prospect. Sohns played flute, clarinet, oboe, and saxophone at Prospect and also sang in the school chorus.

The Shadows played their first show in December 1964 at Mount Prospect Country Club. Local record-shop owner Paul Sampson became their manager and installed them as house band at the Cellar, his all-ages club in Arlington Heights. The group worked weekend sets there for roughly six months before audiences that often reached five hundred teenagers. Sampson also secured support appearances with the Byrds and the Beach Boys. The Shadows built their sets from blues and R&B material learned in part through British beat records, a repertoire preserved on a live Cellar tape from the pre-Dunwich period.

Wayne Pursell left for college in fall 1965, and Sohns recruited Chicago-born guitarist Joe Kelley, formerly of the Hinsdale groups the Exides and the Vectors. Kelley first took bass, then moved to lead guitar as Warren Rogers shifted to bass. Norm Gotsch entered the Navy later that year, and guitarist–singer Jerry McGeorge replaced him on rhythm guitar. McGeorge came from the Blackstones, a Cellar act that broke apart after two members received draft notices.

Royal Disc distributor Kent Beauchamp heard the Shadows at the Cellar and recommended them to Dunwich Records. Dunwich principals Bill Traut and George Badonski signed the group and brought the five-piece into Universal Recording Corporation in Chicago for a version of “Gloria,” a 1965 R&B rocker by the Irish beat group Them; backed with the Sohns–Rogers original “Dark Side.” Management proposed the Tyme after the established British group The Shadows necessitated a new name, but Sohns chose the Shadows of Knight as a nod to the British Invasion. Atlantic took over national distribution after strong Chicago sales, and Dunwich kept the group at Universal Recording through March to complete the debut album Gloria.

Gloria

The Shadows of Knight released their debut album, Gloria, in April 1966 on Dunwich.

The album presents compact, blues-based rock around the rasp of Sohns and trebly guitar figures. Schiffour drives a hard-struck backbeat across eight covers and three group originals. The repertoire includes Them (“Gloria”) and John Lee Hooker (“Boom Boom”), alongside Chuck Berry (“Let It Rock”) and Bo Diddley (“Oh Yea”). Three Willie Dixon standards occupy side two.

“Gloria” drives through a blunt three-chord figure under brash delivery. “Light Bulb Blues” hammers through sustained fuzz that hovers near feedback. “I Got My Mojo Working” sprints through a flat-out, rough-edged reading. “Dark Side” smolders through a slow, brooding lament. “Let It Rock” hurtles through a near-motorik pattern.

“Oh Yeah” simmers through piercing lead stabs before bursting into an intense rave-up. “It Always Happens That Way” lurches through a fuzz-saturated riff. “You Can’t Judge a Book (By the Cover)” clatters through a ragged, cacophonous reading. “(I’m Your) Hoochie Coochie Man” bludgeons through a gutbucket pattern with blues harp. “I Just Want to Make Love to You” tears through a frenetic reading before erupting into an explosive middle break.

A1. “Gloria” (2:39) – Van Morrison
A2. “Light Bulb Blues” (2:34) – McGeorge, Sohns, Kelley
A3. “I Got My Mojo Working” (3:32) – Morganfield
A4. “Dark Side” (2:03) – Rogers, Sohns
A5. “Boom Boom” (2:28) – Hooker
A6. “Let It Rock” (1:54) – Berry

B1. “Oh Yea” (2:42) – McDaniel
B2. “It Always Happens That Way” (1:50) – Rogers, Sohns
B3. “You Can’t Judge a Book by Its Cover” (2:38) – Dixon
B4. “(I’m Your) Hoochie Coochie Man” (3:54) – Dixon
B5. “I Just Want to Make Love to You” (3:52) – Dixon

Sessions ran from December 1965 through March 1966 at Universal Recording Corporation in Chicago, with Bob Kidder engineering for the Dunwich operation. The original jacket identifies only “A Dunwich Production,” though label principals Bill Traut and George Badonsky signed the group and produced the “Gloria” recordings after their 1965 work with Eddie Higgins (Soulero). Kidder concurrently co-engineered Ramsey Lewis (Wade in the Water) at Universal.

Ron Fratell directed the Gloria sleeve around a Don Bronstein photograph, which places the group against a pink field around the framed Dunwich lute-player emblem. Bronstein was a prolific Chicago record photographer whose contemporary covers include Muddy Waters (The Real Folk Blues) and Wade in the Water.

Dunwich issued “Gloria” in January 1966 (b/w “Dark Side”); the single reached No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. In May, “Oh Yeah” became the second single (b/w “Light Bulb Blues”) and reached No. 39 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Gloria reached No. 46 on the Billboard 200 chart.

Back Door Men

The Shadows of Knight released their second album, Back Door Men, in October 1966 on Dunwich.

Kelley switches to lead guitar and blues harp while Rogers shifts to bass. Keyboardist David “Hawk” Wolinski joins four titles on organ and piano. The album blends feedback-laden electric blues with folk-rock and raga-tinged material. The original LP inserts a brief backwards fragment of “Willie Jean” between “Three for Love” and “Hey Joe.”

“Bad Little Woman” broods slowly with organ brought forward beneath Sohns’ menacing delivery. “Gospel Zone” clatters through a Bo Diddley pattern, reverbed handclaps, and crunching chords. “The Behemoth” coils through dense, eastern-leaning runs. “Three for Love” jangles through bright, country-tinged twang. “Hey Joe” charges through uptempo chime into a thumping wah-wah middle passage.

“Peepin’ and Hidin’” stomps through a rough barroom romp. “Tomorrow’s Going to Be Another Day” blasts through a dancefloor-ready beat. “New York Bullseye” struts through an extended twelve-bar instrumental. “Spoonful” pounds through a blunt, foot-stomping pattern.

A1. “Bad Little Woman” (2:33) – Tinsley, Catling, Demick, Armstrong, Rosbotham
A2. “Gospel Zone” (3:15) – Schiffour
A3. “The Behemoth” (2:31) – Pye
A4. “Three for Love” (2:33) – Kelley
A5. “Hey Joe” (5:20) – Roberts

B1. “I’ll Make You Sorry” (2:42) – Kelley
B2. “Peepin’ and Hidin’” (3:02) – Reed
B3. “Tomorrow’s Going to Be Another Day” (2:20) – Boyce
B4. “New York Bullseye” (2:41) – Pye
B5. “High Blood Pressure” (3:30) – Smith, Vincent
B6. “Spoonful” (2:56) – Dixon

Late-1966 sessions returned to Universal Recording with Kidder engineering for the same Traut–Badonsky Dunwich setup. The original release again carries the generic “A Dunwich Production” designation instead of an individual producer credit.

The original LP credits “Hey Joe” to Dino Valenti, although Billy Roberts wrote the song and registered it for copyright in 1962 after performing it through the folk circuit from the late 1950s. Authorship became tangled when Valenti also claimed the composition, while Niela Miller argued that Roberts adapted the chord sequence and question-and-answer form from her “Baby Please Don’t Go to Town.” The Leaves heard “Hey Joe” through Byrds performances in Los Angeles and issued the first commercial version in November 1965; a faster 1966 remake reached No. 31 on the Billboard Hot 100. The Shadows of Knight placed own brisk garage version appeared between the Leaves hit and the December 1966 Jimi Hendrix Experience single, which recast the song around the slower Tim Rose arrangement.

Bronstein returned for the Back Door Men cover, which positions the group against brickwork beneath oversized blue-and-black display lettering. His other Chicago sleeve work from the same period includes the Cryan’ Shames (Sugar and Spice), photographed at Pipers Alley.

Dunwich issued “Bad Little Woman” in August 1966 (b/w “Gospel Zone”); the single reached No. 91 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. “I’m Gonna Make You Mine” followed in November (b/w “I’ll Make You Sorry”) and reached No. 90 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. In February 1967, Dunwich paired “Willie Jean” with “The Behemoth.” In August 1967, the label paired “Someone Like Me” with “Three for Love.”

Shadows of Knight

The Shadows of Knight released their self-titled third album in 1970 on Super K.

The album pairs Sohns with new guitarist Woody Woodruff, bassist John Fisher, and drummer Ken Turkin in the second-generation lineup. Uncredited session players expand several arrangements with orchestral parts. The repertoire spans psychedelic studio layering and fuzz-heavy hard rock, with covers drawn from Buffalo Springfield (“Bluebird”) and Howlin’ Wolf (“Back Door Man”). West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band bassist Shaun Harris contributes “Times and Places.”

“Follow” bounces under brass-and-organ backing with Sohns’ delivery mixed far forward. “Alone” grinds under rough backing with Sohns’ delivery mixed far forward. “Times & Places” skips through bouncy passages, veers into heavy lead breaks, then closes on a rehearsed crescendo. “I Am What I Am” rattles from a chiming intro into muffled, abrasive clatter and cuts off abruptly.

“Uncle Wiggley’s Airship” roars out of extended feedback, lumbers through abrupt stops and starts, then trails into a detuned tail. “I Wanna Make You All Mine” snarls through tight fuzz before a blaring guitar solo breaks loose near fade. “Shake Revisited ’69” surges through a steady beat and repeated chant before a wah-wah coda screeches to a halt.

“I’ll Set You Free” lurches through uneven measures into two unruly fuzz improvisations. “Under Acoustic Control” swells through a rising feedback drone that feeds directly into “Bluebird.” “Bluebird” charges through a rough extended reading with two rambunctious instrumental breaks. “Back Door Man” trudges from a hoarse opening yell into a slow electric grind.

A1. “Follow” (2:17) – Levine
A2. “Alone” (2:06) – Levine, Feldman
A3. “Times and Places” (2:40) – Harris
A4. “I Am What I Am” (2:48) – Baughman, Sohns
A5. “Uncle Wiggley’s Airship” (3:56) – Baughman, Sohns
A6. “I Wanna Make You All Mine” (2:40) – Sohns, Woodruff

B1. “Shake Revisited ’69” (3:28) – Levine, Resnick
B2. “I’ll Set You Free” (4:55) – Sohns, Fisher
B3. “Under Acoustic Control” (0:28) – Sohns, Fisher, Turkin, Woodruff
B4. “Bluebird” (5:40) – Stills
B5. “Back Door Man” (4:00) – Dixon

Sessions spanned 1968/69 for Super K under Jerry Kasenetz and Jeffry Katz, with Joey Levine and Arthur Resnick in the production team. Kasenetz and Katz concurrently ran productions for 1910 Fruitgum Company (Simon Says) and Ohio Express (Ohio Express); Levine and Resnick also co-produced the Ohio Express recording “Yummy Yummy Yummy.” Disputes over musical direction led Levine and Resnick to oversee instrumental overdubs by uncredited session players.

Joel Brodsky photographed the Shadows of Knight cover, which suspends the four member faces against a dark planetary scene with Earth at left. Brodsky’s same-year cover credits include The Doors (The Soft Parade) and The Stooges (The Stooges).

Team issued “Shake” in September 1968 (b/w “From Way Out to Way Under”), which reached No. 46 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and No. 37 on the Canadian RPM chart. Shadows of Knight contains a separate recording titled “Shake Revisited ’69.”

Later Activity

After the 1970 Shadows of Knight album, Jim Sohns kept the group active through further personnel changes and club work. Guitarist Jack “Hawkeye” Daniels replaced Steve Woodruff, while bassist John Fisher gave way to Jorge Gonzales and later John Hardy. Session bassist Don Ferrone followed Hardy as the lineup continued into the middle of the decade. Sohns later stepped away from regular touring and worked as road manager for Chicago band Skafish from 1978 through 1980, often joining their encore for “Gloria.”

Joe Kelley remained in Chicago blues after his 1967 departure and led his own band. His later work included appearances with Howlin’ Wolf, Willie Dixon, Freddie King, Buddy Miles, and the Chi-Town Blues Band. Kelley also worked with the Outsiders and played on recordings connected with the group.

Jerry McGeorge moved from H.P. Lovecraft into session work and advertising sessions through the 1970s. He also performed and recorded with country musicians Waylon Jennings, LaWanda Lindsey, Johnny Bush, and Bucky Allred. McGeorge left professional music near the end of the decade as progressive hearing loss became a concern and entered the automobile industry, where he later held executive posts with Volkswagen of America and Jaguar Cars.

David “Hawk” Wolinski carried the broadest recording career among the former members. After Bangor Flying Circus, he formed Madura with guitarist Alan DeCarlo and drummer Ross Salomone. James William Guercio produced the Columbia albums Madura and Madura II, and the trio appeared in Guercio’s 1973 film Electra Glide in Blue. Wolinski joined Rufus in 1977 as keyboardist and songwriter, contributing to albums from Ask Rufus through Stompin’ at the Savoy. He wrote “Ain’t Nobody,” which Rufus and Chaka Khan recorded for Stompin’ at the Savoy and took to number one on the Billboard R&B chart in 1983. Wolinski continued through the decade as a songwriter, producer, and soundtrack musician.

Sohns moved into production and live sound work in the early 1980s, with Chicago acts including Off Broadway, the B’zz, and Trillion among his clients. A cocaine conviction sent him to prison in 1983, where he formed Jimy Sohns and the Cons and performed at correctional facilities and regional festivals. Sohns returned to outside work in 1986 and revived the Shadows of Knight name with Chicago musicians drawn from Tyrant and later lineups that included Michael and Cindy Gotshall. He continued that version of the group through the remainder of the decade.

Nuggets Legacy

Lenny Kaye placed the Shadows of Knight near the front of the garage-rock canon when he selected “Oh Yeah” for the 1972 Elektra double album Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, 1965–1968. The track opened side two, and Kaye described the group with the term “garage-punk rock” in his accompanying notes. Sire Records returned the anthology to circulation in 1976, while British broadcaster John Peel used “Light Bulb Blues” in his first punk special that December and revisited the group after Radar reissued Gloria in Britain in 1979.

Collectors extended that reassessment through Pebbles, Volume One: Artyfacts from the First Punk Era. The compilers included “Potato Chip” on the limited 1978 pressing and the wider BFD edition the following year. The track came from a five-inch Auravision flexi issued in 1967 and followed a short radio segment with a “Gloria” excerpt and band introductions. The Shadows of Knight consequently became one of the few comparatively established Nuggets acts represented on the first Pebbles collection, where the compilers otherwise concentrated on scarce regional singles.

Rhino’s compilation team expanded the connection in its twelve-volume Nuggets LP series. Nuggets, Volume Two: Punk placed “Gloria” and “I’m Gonna Make You Mine” on opposite sides in 1984, giving the group two selections on a fourteen-track program. Nuggets, Volume Six: Punk, Part Two returned to “Oh Yeah” in 1985. Rhino carried “Gloria” into the CD era on Even More Nuggets: Classics from the Psychedelic Sixties, Volume Three in 1989. These releases circulated three separate Shadows of Knight singles through the garage revival instead of reducing the group to “Gloria.”

Revival bands also returned to “I’m Gonna Make You Mine.” The Fuzztones performed the song in New York by 1982 and retained it in their 1984 live repertoire. San Diego group the Tell-Tale Hearts recorded the song amid their 1983–86 activity, although their version remained unreleased until the later High Tide anthology. Primal Scream gave the song its clearest contemporary release when the Scottish group placed a cover on the twelve-inch edition of “Gentle Tuesday” in 1987 and carried it into that year’s live sets. Together, the compilation appearances and revival versions established the Shadows of Knight beyond their original Chicago hit cycle as a recurring source for the 1980s garage revival.

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