The Chocolate Watch Band
| The Chocolate Watchband | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | The Hogs |
| Origin | San Jose, California, United States |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 1965–1970 1999–present |
| Labels | Tower |
| Website | www |
The Chocolate Watchband is an American garage rock band formed in 1965 in San Jose, California. The band went through several lineup changes during its existence, and developed a sound heavily influenced by the Small Faces and the Rolling Stones. Combining psychedelic and garage rock components, their sound was marked by David Aguilar's lead vocals, and the experimental intensity of an early proto-punk band. The band's rebellious musical posture made them one of the harder-edged groups of the period.
The Chocolate Watchband was signed to Tower Records in 1966 and released their first single, "Sweet Young Thing", in 1967. Later in the year, the band released their debut album, No Way Out. Though the album was nationally unsuccessful, the band became a frequent attraction in San Jose and the San Francisco Bay Area. In 1968, their second album, The Inner Mystique, was released and included the band's most popular song, a cover version of "I'm Not Like Everybody Else". By 1969, the band released their final album, One Step Beyond, however it was not as highly regarded as their past work, and the band broke up in 1970.
This band should not be confused with The Chocolate Watch Band, a London-based UK group that issued two singles on Decca Records in 1967.
The Chocolate Watchband was formed in the summer of 1965 by Ned Torney and Mark Loomis, who had previously played guitar together in a local band known as The Chaparrals in the previous year. The two were joined by other local collegies Rick Young (bass guitar), Pete Curry (drums), Jo Kemling (organ), and Danny Phay (lead vocals) to form the first version of the Chocolate Watchband, a name that was originally meant to be taken as a joke. All five musicians had a background rooted in rock and roll and blues, with each one having spent time on the local club circuit. The band was locally popular as they integrated cover versions of British Invasion groups, particularly The Who, into their live repertoire. Curry was soon replaced by Gary Andrijasevich, a jazz drummer from Cupertino High School. They never recorded any commercial releases, but rare demos by the group appeared in the 1990s. The band was gaining popularity until Torney and Phay accepted an offer from a rival band, The Otherside, to join their group. Kemling followed soon after, effectively dismantling the first version of the band.
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