Cobwebs
and Strange/
The Greenhalgh
Band
Detroit,
Michigan
1967-1971
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John and Bill
first had a band (along with Ralph Allen
and Tony Slongo) in 1964 called Johnny and
the Junglemen. They were booed off the
elementary school stage. In 1967, they
formed another band for a talent show and
did a credible version of "Happy Together"
as well as a showband version (horns,
etc.) of "Strangers in the Night"!
Bill, Howard, Dean and Mark formed
"Cobwebs and Strange" in 1967. They won a
battle of the bands contest at Cobo Hall
(Detroit), winning some equipment. The
band did a lot of Doors, Who and Mothers.
Also some Motown and Moby Grape.
John replaced Mark Levine in 1969 and the
band did a lot more vocal harmonies, even
doing an unplugged portion at midshow (way
ahead of our time!). Howard was Jewish and
he got us many, many Bar Mitzvah and sweet
sixteen gigs.
All over northwest Detroit, Southfield
etc., Dean's drum solos were a highlight.
The band got tighter and tighter as time
went on and sets included songs by Elvis
("Stuck On You"), Chuck Berry, Beatles,
Stones ("Sympathy For The Devil") Guess
Who's "Shakin'' All Over", etc. We did an
outstanding version of "Yes It Is" by the
Beatles and we also did "You Can't Do
That". We played some very eclectic stuff!
We did a rousing version of "Ring of Fire"
as kind of a joke, but people loved it! We
started doing other "Country" stuff, cuz
we were listening to "Modern Sounds in
Country and Western Music", by Ray Charles
(my dad had the album) We covered "Crying
Time". We also covered some Moby Grape
i.e. "Boysenberry Jam", from the live
album. Our Guitarist, Howard, loved the
Who, and this is true, he learned the
whole album NOTE FOR NOTE!!!!! So we
always let him go nuts doing some of that
stuff center stage! Course, I could go on
and on, but you get the picture.
By 1969 the band was known as
"Greenhalgh's" band because when some guy
was printing up flyers for a show ay a
high school gym, featuring lotsa bands, he
forgot the name "Cobwebs and Strange" so
he just put "Greenhalgh's Band" on the
flyer. The name stuck and was used till
1971.
Remember, never trust a guitar player who
can't play Chuck Berry!!!
Long Live George!!! -John
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Personnel:
Bill
Greenhalgh - Bass
Howard Deitch - Lead Guitar
Dean Donaldson - Drums
Mark Levine - Farfisa Organ (1967
-1969)
John Kanaras - Piano, Rhythm Guitar (1969
- 1971)
Paul Gilbert - Equipment
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Influences:
The Who,
Beatles, Doors, Mothers, Elvis
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Setlist
Sample:
Shakin'
All Over, Stuck On You, Oh, Carol, Yes it
Is (Beatles), You Can't Do That,
Boysenberry Jam (Moby Grape), Six Rock N
Roll Points (original).
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Equipment:
Howard - Gibson SG, Fender Super Reverb
amp
Bill - Gibson EBOF Bass w/ built-in
fuzztone, 100 watt Kustom top
w/ 2 Electro Voice "Eliminator"
speakers
Dean - double set of red "pearl" Rodgers
drums
Mark - Farfisa Organ
John - any piano available, Gretsch
Tennessean Guitar with 100 watt Kustom
amp
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Rehearsal
Space:
Paul
Gilberts mother's basement, John's
garage
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Band
Vehicles:
Mike
Magy's old blue van, Paul Gilbert's yellow
Mustang
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Fashion
Statement:
Black
vests, Nehru shirts (sometimes)
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Best
Gig:
Redford
High School -1971
The lineup was:
The Stonewall Blues Band (featuring Chuck
Santoni on drums, who later was a disk
jockey on WABX-FM), The Greenhalgh Band
and Sky. Sky had just signed a record deal
and all the bands got to use Sky's board
(the first time we ever used one). The
board was operated by famed record
producer Jimmy Miller who produced
Sky's album. The sound was awesome and The
Greenhalgh Band blew the other bands off
the stage.
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Gig
from
Hell!:
A sweet
16 party in Southfield MI. The father was
looking for his daughter in whose home the
party was being thrown. He found her in
the closet with Paul Gilbert. We had to
beat a retreat outta there!
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Last
Gig:
See best
gig, (we think)...it was 30 years
ago!
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Comments:
Hello to all we
gigged with - Dave Garbula, Sticks Mahoney, Corky,
Chicky Ferris, Bill Cassidy, McKissac Santoni, Doug
Feiger, John Khoury, Mike Gizzy, Ko Kanaras, Paul
Laman, Tom Laman, Wet Willie, Ralph Allen, Tony
Slongo, Mary Gutzi, Lee Bruton.
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Dean, Bill, Howard
and Mark, 1969
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Dean,
1970
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Where
are they now?
John Kanaras, Bill
Greenhalgh and Paul Gilbert, November,
2000
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Howard Deitch is the director of a psychiatric hospital in
Boston, MA, Bill Greenhalgh is the president of a
transportation company in Oakland county, MI, Dean Donaldson
was a roofer when last we heard, John Kanaras is an attorney
in Rochester, MI, Mark Levine lives in California (I think),
Paul Gilbert lives on a mountaintop in the Smoky
Mountains.
Bill Greenhalgh passed on Nov.
4, 2002 of cancer. He is truly missed by all.
Information contributed by John
Kanaras
All photos courtesy of Paul Gilbert
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