THE JUJUS by RAY HUMMEL III

THE JUJUS - You Treated Me Bad LP (Ray Hummel III Records RH365)

Linernotes text by RAY HUMMEL III from THE JUJUS LP You Treated Me Bad (Ray Hummel III Records RH365)   Well I guess it all started with seeing Elvis Presley on Ed Sullivan’s Show in the 50s. I thought ’Oh boy, what a great thing to do, sing and play the guitar!’ I was only 9 years old. My parents bought me a cheap Sears and Roebuck guitar. I said to them, ’I don’t know how to play this guitar’ and that I needed someone to teach me. So they found me a guitar teacher named Joe. He had traveled during the war playing guitar, I think in France, when he was in World War I. He was a great teacher and in all honesty I did not do that great at sight reading music, but my parents told him to keep teaching me anyway because I enjoyed it. So he gave me lessons in the back of a record store, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. And as time passed my mother and father hit it off with Joe and they would go after my lesson and tip a few at the Old Riley Bar across the street. I don’t know if my music drove them to drinking a lot of beer or not. Meantime as I am learning to play the guitar the only audience I could find was my dog named Susie. She was a black and tan dachshund. Anyway Susie never complained about my playing, she just sat there and watched. So I figured if she liked me maybe someone else would too. One day I heard there was a band called Bob And The Rockbillies coming to the music store I took lessons at to promote their new release Baby Why Did You Have To Go on the Blue-Chip label in 1958. Well to say the least I was really impressed that they made records! Of course I asked for their autograph, and explained to them that I was just learning to play the guitar. They had a lead guitar player named Jim who said he would come to my home and work with me. Well he did come to my home. My parents really took a liking to him too. He taught me some chords, and different strums. Of course I thought he was fantastic! Being young I was very impressionable. Ray's candy apple red 1961 Corvette RAY HUMMEL III in 1958 Racing midget cars as a kid So as time passed Joe talked my parents into getting me another guitar. I have a picture of me in my bedroom with my guitar when I was very young. Anyway, by then we had moved from Grand Rapids, Michigan to the Thornapple River by Ada, Michigan. I started writing about the catfish in the river, and all sorts of crazy things that really didn’t make a whole lot of sense. By then my Grandmother Ann and Grandfather Raymond, of course Hummel, had moved on the river just down from where we lived. My Uncle Jim Hummel lived with them too, and he was a big folk music fan. Uncle Jim stood 6 foot 3 and looked like a giant to me! Well anyway we started singing songs together by the Kingston Trio, Peter, Paul and Mary, and The Limeliters, songs like Michael Row The Boat Ashore and Where Have All the Flowers Gone. Uncle Jim had a deeper voice and I of course carried the high notes. We were buddies back then, and Jim had his black Jaguar XKE, 12 cylinders! I never had seen such a large engine. My parents spoiled me with a 1961 Corvette convertible in candy apple red, with black and white competition  stripes when I turned 15 and a half. I was definitely spoiled. The girls in high school really liked my car and I really liked them, so it was a great combination. My father was in business with his mother and father. They started a plastic manufacturing business in the 50s. THE UP-RISERS (1962) For a short time (in 1962) I was the singer and guitarist of a short lived three piece rock ’n’ roll band called The Up Risers. The band was made up of two other guys from Forest Hills Central High School where I went to. I don’t remember any of the names of the guys in the band as it’s been so long. It was like a flash in the pan happening. Here today gone tomorrow! THE JUJUS at Grants (1965) As it happened I had a friend named Phil Shoemaker and we began to practice folk music. I believe back then by this time I had a Goya nylon six string guitar that I used. We would practice practically anywhere. There was a deserted ski hill that had a small building on top of it where we could go inside and the acoustics were great for practicing and also the view was awesome. I believe it was there that I first started writing Gentle Rain. I remember how excited I would get when I sang the song, and other music as far as that goes. I walked into the song and lived it! The JuJus in early '66. L-R: Max, Ray, Bill, Rod, and Rick I have to say singing is what keeps me going. If I had my choice between millions of dollars, and singing, I would take singing. I thank God everyday that I can still do it even at the age I am at NOW! I don’t know how to explain it, but I can sing 5 or 6 hours and not realize the time has passed. That’s true love and passion. It’s real, I can’t explain it. So when you hear me sing it is truly from the heart. Maybe you have felt that passion, that burning desire for something. Getting back to Phil and I and our little folk music duo, I played guitar and Phil played the gut bucket, which is a wash tub with a broom handle and piece of rope that is attached, and when you pull on the handle it causes a bass sound. The tighter you pull on the rope, the higher the tone. I personally loved Peter, Paul and Mary, The Kingston Trio, Bob Dylan, etc. One day we were practicing in the parking lot of a restaurant, and it happened that Rod Shepard from The Ju Jus heard me singing, and wanted to know if I would like to come to one of The Ju Jus practices and sing. At the time I met him The Ju Jus were playing only instrumental music, and I guess they thought that a lead singer would help. Max, Bill and Rod played in the school band at Godwin High School. THE JUJUS in front of Ray's house at the bridge by the Thornapple River, Ada, MI. ca. 1964 THE JUJUS February 1966. L-R: Bill Gorski, Ray Hummel, Rick Stevens, Max Colley, and Rod Shepard Originally The Ju Jus was just Max, Bill and Rod. There exists an unreleased live recording of them playing Beatles instrumental cover tunes at a Godwin High School dance. Of course a short time later I joined them in 1964 to make the fourth Ju Ju. Max’s little brother could not call him Junior so he called him JuJu, so that’s the way that I understand they got the name The Ju Jus. The way it appears on the You Treated Me Bad record label on Fenton is JuJus. On Bill Gorski’s first version of The JuJus logo on the bass drum when I joined them it said THE JUJUS. However, on his later drum set the name appears as The Ju Jus. We did practice for a while in the Godwin High School band room.  THE JUJUS at Godwin High school, 1964 We began our rehearsals putting together our list of songs, mainly by Gerry And The Pacemakers, The Beatles, Ritchie Valens, and as time passed we started writing our own songs. We also practiced at my father’s plastic company H & H Plastic Co. Rod Shepard’s parents also owned a house that they rented out next to theirs where we could also practice sometimes. The house was little with nothing in it so it was ideal. The first studio songs we did were put on a three song audio disc acetate record, Runaround and Hey Little Girl, both tunes I wrote for the group, plus an old George Gershwin tune called Summertime that we recorded at Fenton Records in Sparta, Michigan in an old movie theatre. After that I got the music bug! I went to work writing many more tunes for the group like You Treated Me Bad.  All the guys in the group Bill Gorski (the drummer), Rod Shepard (the bass player who doubled sometimes on lead guitar), and Max Colley (our sax player) also sang backup. Later in around 1966 we added Rick Stevens on lead guitar. They were all so much fun to work with, and as time passed we were more than friends, we were family! During the time I was with The Ju Jus I played a Rickenbacker, and later in The Ju Jus I played a hollow body electric Guild. Our first manager before Jim Geeting was Ted Kadish. We performed at the movie theatre, where Fenton Records was located and between movies we actually did live shows. We performed at several roller skating rinks too, kind of like Buddy Holly did when he first started with the Crickets. Later we performed at teenage night clubs (like the Pony Tail) and high school dances too since we were all in high school at the time, and also performed as the opening act before Chubby Checker came on stage. The JuJus with fans The Ju Jus were down to earth people just like their audience. We needed both to create the magic!  Words cannot express how much we enjoyed playing music for our fans.  I have to admit I miss them good old days. Thank goodness for this LP! Now you can enjoy The Ju Jus right in your own home! May this album bring joy into your life! Keep it spinning, and play it loud! The neighbours will love it too! Ray Hummel Lead singer/writer/guitar/harmonica WLAV top 40 charts from October 8. 1965 featuring The Beatles, and The JuJus in the lead!! THE JUJUS later lineup from '66 w. Rick Stevens, Rod Shepard, Bill Gorski, Brett Wells, and Bruce Essex THE JUJUS final lineup from ca. 1967. L-R: Rod Shepard, Rick Stevens, Ron Homrich, Ronn Burke THE JUJUS - You Treated Me Bad LP (Ray Hummel III Records RH365) THE JUJUS You Treated Me Bad LP track listing by Ray Hummel III SIDE ONE: 1. YOU TREATED ME BAD (Raymond Joseph Hummel) 1965, with WLAV Dj Larry Adderley PUBLISHING: Ray Hummel III Music (ASCAP) DATE OF RECORDING: August 1965 LOCATION: Great Lakes Recording Co. (Fenton Records) ORIGINAL RELEASE: Fenton Records 1004-A COMMENTS: You Treated Me Bad was recorded at Fenton records (Great Lakes Recording Co.) in Sparta, Michigan in summer 1965. High energy tune, excellent engineering blend from Dave Kalmbach, owner of Fenton Records, later a studio engineer for Columbia. We paid for the pressing and recording session of You Treated Me Bad / Hey Little Girl. JuJus 45 sales You Treated Me Bad was printed wrong on the record label. It should have been You Treated Me Bad, not You Treat Me Bad. The label was printed wrong on every Fenton record. The original copyright for You Treated Me Bad dates from July 23, 1965. Bill Gorski was on drums, Max Colley on tenor sax, Rod Shepard on bass guitar, and me singing lead and playing guitar. I don’t remember any vocal back up on our first 45 of You Treated Me Bad and Hey Little Girl. I remember doing the only vocal. Things have become a little fuzzy over time but as I recall Rod Shepard switched from bass guitar to lead guitar for different songs. Often he would have two guitars on stage, a four string bass and six string electric guitar. I start the tune off picking the lead riff, before Bill and Rod come in with the drums and bass. I switch between my settings on my guitar to get that driving tremble pinch strum going, then I switch back when I say Oh get ’em now. Also Max is in the mix wailing on his tenor sax, not to mention Bill’s wonderful drum parts. You Treated Me Bad hit the No. 2 spot in WLAV’s Top Forty chart of October 8th 1965. 2. AS TEARS GO BY (Mick Jagger-Keith Richards-Andrew Loog Oldham) PUBLISHING: ABKCO Music Publishing GmbH DATE OF RECORDING: 1966 LOCATION: Phil Robert’s Studio SPECIAL NOTES: Previously unreleased track COMMENTS: Yes I loved to sing this tune by The Rolling Stones. It seems like I leaned towards the ballads, but the uptempo ones were great too. We recorded this at Phil Robert’s Studio in early 1966. 3. IT’S GONNA BE ALRIGHT (Gerry Marsden) PUBLISHING: Dick James Music Ltd., Pacermusic Ltd., Parnes Music Ltd., Unart Music Corporation DATE OF RECORDING: ca. 1965/1966 LOCATION: Phil Robert’s Studio SPECIAL NOTES: Previously unreleased track COMMENTS: It’s Gonna Be Alright comes from the unreleased Phil Robert’s Studio session when we also recorded I Love Her So, She’s My Girl, There She Goes etc. 4. FINE DAY (Raymond Joseph Hummel) PUBLISHING: Ray Hummel III Music (ASCAP) DATE OF RECORDING: ca. February 1966 LOCATION: Phil Robert’s Studio SPECIAL NOTES: Previously unreleased track COMMENTS: I’m sure that on the Phil Robert’s Studio recordings of Fine Day it was me on rhythm guitar, lead vocals, and harmonica with neck brace. I’m also sure Rick Stevens played lead guitar, Max Colley tenor sax, Bill Gorski drums and Rod Shepard on bass, and some back up vocals as well. Max also did back up vocals. Although I can’t remember, I don’t recall Bill singing much. 5. COME ON CHILDREN (Raymond Joseph Hummel) PUBLISHING: Ray Hummel III Music (ASCAP) DATE OF RECORDING: ca. late 1966/early 1966 LOCATION: Phil Robert’s Studio SPECIAL NOTES: Previously unreleased track COMMENTS: One of my favorite tunes that I wrote. It has such a powerful presence! Nice vocal back up pads, lots of dynamics with Rod on bass, Max on sax, backing vocals sound like Max. Rod does a nice bass part to start and Bill joins in followed by the rest of us. I look back and I can hardly believe I wrote these tunes. Of course I am humbled by the fact that The Ju Jus established the arrangements. I will always be grateful for their added creativity on all the songs! They were very skilful. 6. CRYIN’ (Raymond Joseph Hummel) PUBLISHING: Ray Hummel III Music (ASCAP) DATE OF RECORDING: September 1965 LOCATION: Great Lakes Recording Co. COMMENTS: Cryin’ has only one version, recorded at Great Lakes studio (Fenton Records) in Sparta, Mi Fenton. As I look back, I wrote this tune and we recorded it, but I don’t remember performing it out in public with the group. As I look back, it seemed a pretty good sounding tune. I used a special gray box effects unit on it that gave me that tremolo effect on my guitar at the start and interjections in other parts of the song. Lots of great fills from Max on tenor sax, and lots of driving bass and drums from Rod and Bill. My voice sounds smooth, but then it was done in a studio with a high quality microphone, the type of which I don’t have at home. 7. HEY LITTLE GIRL (Raymond Joseph Hummel) PUBLISHING: Ray Hummel III Music (ASCAP) DATE OF RECORDING: July 1965 LOCATION: Great Lakes Recording Co. ORIGINAL RELEASE: Fenton Records 1004-B COMMENTS: The tempo changes are unique on this track! I sing lead, and play rhythm guitar. Rod and Max are doing some great fill-ins too. Bill does some fantastic drumming here and uses a splash cymbal for extra effect.  SIDE TWO: 1. FLAKE OUT (Max Colley-Larry Jansen) DATE OF RECORDING: ca. 1964 LOCATION: Unknown SPECIAL NOTES: Previously unreleased track COMMENTS: Flake Out was an early surf Instrumental that I believe The Ju Jus: Rod Shepard, Bill Gorski and Max Colley were already playing before I joined them. It was the first song they wrote before I joined them. I only strummed guitar on it! I remember us performing it at Woodland Skating Rink when we were first starting out, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. 2. DON’T LET THE SUN CATCH YOU CRYING (Gerard Marsden-Les Chadwick-Leo McGuire-Fred Marsden) PUBLISHING: Dick James Music Ltd. DATE OF RECORDING: 1964 LOCATION: Godwin High School COMMENTS: This was recorded live during a practice session at Godwin High School in 1964. We’d usually practice on Saturday afternoon when the band room wasn’t being used. Nice sax instrumental intro by Max Colley. I’m on rhythm guitar, and there’s a nice wood block effect by Bill Gorski on drums, and Rod Shepard I believe is playing guitar too. He did not play bass on this one. This could be before he started playing bass. 3. SHE’S MY GIRL (Raymond Joseph Hummel) PUBLISHING: Ray Hummel III Music (ASCAP) DATE OF RECORDING: early 1966 LOCATION: Phil Robert’s Studio SPECIAL NOTES: previously unreleased track COMMENTS: On the Phil Robert’s Studio recording of She’s My Girl, Max Colley sings back up, and plays sax. Bill Gorski of course is on drums. Max does the intro on She’s My Girl. Rod Shepard plays bass, and I also hear him singing back up. I play rhythm guitar and sing lead. 4. DONNA (Ritchie Valens) PUBLISHING: Kemo Music Co., Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp. DATE OF RECORDING: 1964 LOCATION: Godwin High School, or Woodland Skating Rink SPECIAL NOTES: Previously unreleased tracK COMMENTS: The tune Donna I remember only playing a lot when I first started, before I started writing. The recording of Donna was done shortly after I joined the group, and had only had the four Ju Jus on it: me singing and playing rhythm guitar, Max Colley on sax, Bill Gorski on drums, and Rod Shepard on bass.  This tune Donna has got sentimental value to me as one of my girlfriends at the time of The Ju Jus was named Donna! I met her at a dance that we played at sponsored, I believe, by WLAV Radio, where You Treated Me Bad later charted at No. 2. We actually performed at a large shopping mall that had a large closed-in area where people could walk without being outdoors, it was called Rogers Plaza Mall, where I met Donna. I’ve sung that song to death. I really loved it and still do! Just like Don’t Let the Sun Catch You Crying, also one of my all time favourites!  I loved to sing Donna, I guess because I love ballads. The date of Donna has to be 1964, recorded at a practice at Godwin High School band room, or let’s say if the recording has more life to it then it was probably recorded at Godwin High School band room.  Sometimes we recorded at Rod Shepard’s rental house next to their house but the recordings sounded a little flatter or, in other words, deader. Donna was recorded in 1964 when I first joined the group, at a live gig at a roller skating rink called Woodland Skating Rink. There was a reel to reel deck in a control room at the roller skating rink. Now it comes back to me, let’s put Donna down as being recorded at the Woodland Skating Rink in Grand Rapids, Michigan kind of like Buddy Holly in Texas!!! Or it may have been recorded at a practice at the Goodwin High School practice room, it was probably recorded at both spots!!  Donna has a nice walking bass part by Rod, with Max playing lots of smooth parts on the sax! Nice dancing tunes with a ’50s feel. This is a song I feel I lived! Truly a voice from the heart from me! No better way to sing than from heart! Nice ’50s sax parts fit the mood of the tune. My voice is smooth, I wish it was as good today!  I love this old Ritchie Valens recording, of course he was killed on February 3, 1959 with Buddy Holly and the Big Bopper in private plane crash in Clear Lake, Iowa. 5. HEY LITTLE GIRL (Raymond Joseph Hummel) PUBLISHING: Ray Hummel III Music (ASCAP) DATE OF RECORDING: ca. May 1965 LOCATION: Great Lakes Recording Co. 6. SUMMERTIME (George Gershwin) PUBLISHING: Gershwin Publishing Corp., Chappell-Co Inc., Intersong Music Verlag Gmbh DATE OF RECORDING: ca. May 1965 LOCATION: Great Lakes Recording Co. 7. RUNAROUND (Raymond Joseph Hummel) PUBLISHING: Ray Hummel III Music (ASCAP) DATE OF RECORDING: ca. May 1965 LOCATION: Great Lakes Recording Co. COMMENTS: As far as members on the unreleased three song audio disc acetate record of Runaround, Hey Little Girl and Summertime, we didn’t have a bass player at that time. I sang lead, played harmonica, and rhythm guitar, Max Colley played tenor sax, Bill Gorski on drums, and Rod Shepard played guitar too. Runaround was recorded at Fenton, in Sparta, Michigan in ca. May 1965. It was the first song we ever recorded in the studio.  No bass guitar but you don’t seem to miss it much, as the sound is full. Guitar chops at beginning by Rod Shepard. I’m playing rhythm guitar and singing lead, and Bill Gorski is doing wonderful things on the drums. I come in with harmonica on a neck brace to keep the harmonica positioned close to my mouth so I can get to the microphone easily when I am singing. My voice was young then and I agree the voice was clear and pure and age had not set in yet. I was in very good health and the voice was strong and healthy and the pitches and vocal tones right on.  Runaround, Hey Little Girl and Summertime were recorded at 2:30 am! Pretty late to be up recording for teenagers! Once we got rolling things seemed to happen fast. Ray Hummel III Lead singer/writer/guitar/harmonica RAY HUMMEL III in 1967 THE JUJUS - Fine Day LP (Ray Hummel III Records RH366) Linernotes text by RAY HUMMEL III from THE JUJUS LP Fine Day (Ray Hummel III Records RH366) RAY HUMMEL III sporting his Vox Bill Wyman teardrop bass for the Fenton 7" cover in 1967! As I sit here at my home in sunny Florida I can't help but think of my original homeland, Michigan! Yes, Grand Rapids, Michigan where The JuJus formed as a group. It was such an exciting time to be involved with music! It was the time of the “British Invasion”! It was a time when our group performed at many of the top teen spots, like the Pony Tail, opening for such acts as Chubby Checker, when everyone was dancing the twist!  We were blessed with a very ambitious manager, Jim Geeting. He believed in us as a group, and invested his money and time to promote us. As I recall when he took management of the group things began to turn in a positive direction. He had us dress up kind of like The Beatles, and booked us at the top spots! The JuJus played mainly in Grand Rapids, however, they did play in some other cities and towns in the state, though they never travelled out of Michigan for gigs. The JuJus when I was with them played at such high schools as East Grand Rapids High School where we actually opened for Chubby Checker. The fans actually rolled JuJu candies at our feet! The JuJus fans went wild!  It was great fun! We played some college events, etc too and we also played at a WLAV dance at Roger's Plaza Mall, a large mall where the DJ from WLAV was there to interview us when our record hit number 2. We actually played live for the fans at the mall! It was a memorable time for both The JuJus and the fans. THE JUJUS in ca February 1966. L-R: Ray Hummel III, Max Colley, Bill Gorski, Rick Stevens, and Rod Shepard THE JUJUS goofin' around in front of Ray's house by the Thornapple River, Ada, MI. ca. 1964 THE JUJUS at Godwin High school, 1964 It was there that I met my girlfriend Donna! I think of this event as the most climactic point in the career of all The JuJus. When the record ‘You Treated Me Bad’ hit number 2 the band gained a lot of respect!  Also – as you are probably aware – The JuJus were inducted into the Michigan Rock And Roll Hall of Fame.  I just got an email about it but don't know the date or other details. One night when I was playing with The JuJus a lady in the audience took a liking to me, and it caused problems, and we had to leave out the back door with our equipment. I believe we were playing at The Pit, which was a weekly dance put on by the Saint Alphonsus Catholic Church. It was definitely a night that got out of control! I then had a young lady stop by my home to get a keepsake from me, she actually came right to my home! I wasn't home at the time, but my mother gave the young lady one of my handkerchiefs! For the other JuJus, and myself, the record brought romance into our lives! When we travelled we met lots of young ladies too! THE JUJUS at Godwin High school, 1964. During the time of The JuJus we played two different roller skating rinks, kind of like Buddy Holly did in the 1950s. We played one in Grand Rapids called Woodland Skating Rink, and another one out of town in Lowell, Michigan.  They were great fun to play! The one in Lowell was actually on the second floor of the building. It had a large metal ladder-like platform with steps that led to the rink’s back entrance. It was in this town that I also sang folk music at a county fair with Phil Shoemaker, who played the gut bucket, a wash tube with a rope that connected to a broom handle, which would produce bass sounds when you moved the tension of the rope with the broom handle! At the time we were singing in the parking lot of a restaurant! The owner heard us and gave us a job singing in his establishment! As I recall I played a Goya nylon six-string guitar at the time. Our two man act was called The Irish Jacks.  This took place before The JuJus! I met Phil at the same high school I was attending called Forest Hills Central High School close to Ada, Michigan. Probably around 1963-1964. The JuJus' Max Colley at Godwin High school, 1964 Also did I mention the band The Up Risers, a trio I was with while I was in high school too This band was pre-JuJus. There was a drummer and lead guitar player from the high school I attended. It seems to me we played at the school and there exists a picture that was taken when we were on stage. The lead guitar player was called Tom Wilcox.  I can't remember the drummer’s name. I was playing my Rickenbacker guitar so it was just before I joined The JuJus, say 1963 or earlier. I had my Corvette then, and I got it when I was 16. So it could have been when I was 16 or 17 years old. Many times I am asked why I left the group and what happened to me thereafter. Towards the end of my time with The JuJus our manager contacted Drummond Records, in Detroit, Michigan, a subsidiary of Liberty Records. Our group went to see the management. They liked the group and the fact that we had follow-up records already recorded. They also respected the fact that we had a number 2 record, just under ‘Yesterday’ by The Beatles on WLAV radio in Grand Rapids. I was asked to sign a contract because I was the writer of the tunes at that time. However, at the same time I was going to get married and my future wife did not want me to travel so I turned down the contract, and left The JuJus. Max Colley left shortly after I did. I should have stayed with the band, we had it made, a recording contact offered and even a manager that had a studio The JuJus could record in. The manager Jim Geeting actually had money so he could buy the band uniforms, set up bookings at a teenage night club they had called The Island (owned by Getting) and bring big name bands in to appear with The JuJus like The Electric Prunes, or The Kingsmen. ‘Play With Fire’ was recorded later, in about 1966, at Bill Stellman's apartment in Grand Rapids. It’s just Bill and I on the recording. I played guitar and sang and used only a drummer, Bill Steelman, from Reed City, Michigan. We played music together only for a short time. This was shortly after I left The JuJus.  I don’t recall any name that we had for our two men duo. RAY HUMMEL III with his Bill Wyman Vox teardrop bass (from the 1967 Fenton 7" picture sleeve) As it turned out the marriage didn’t work out so I was back on my own. Between 1966-1967 I went to Grand Rapids Community College to study business, as my family owned a plastic company called H & H Plastics, and I was expected to go into the family business. While I was going to college, I was approached by two bands, one called The Sundowners in Caledonia, Michigan, and the other called The Legends, from Holland, Michigan. The first band I joined after The JuJus was The Sundowners. They needed a bass player. I didn't know how to play the bass guitar, but Denny Noffsinger taught me, and before I knew it I was out doing gigs with the band. As I recall we played at a lot of high school dances. I remember I played a red Vox lemon drop shaped bass, kind of like Bill Wyman from The Rolling Stones. You can see me with it on the cover of my 45 with The Legends as back-up band. The record was called ‘Fine Day’/’Gentle Rain’ just re-released on Ray Hummel III Records. Note: The same two tunes were also recorded at Chess Studios on Michigan Ave. in Chicago, Illinois, and are also re-released as another 45 rpm record on Ray Hummel III Records. Later I joined The Legends under the leadership of Ray Vasquez who played the keyboard and coached the whole band on their music as well as vocal parts. He coached us on harmony parts for such tunes as ‘Kind of A Drag’ by The Buckinghams. With this band I did the lead vocals and also, for a while, Max Colley joined us on tenor sax. Max also did harmony parts, and directed the band when we recorded ‘Fine Day’/’Gentle Rain’ at the Fenton Studio in Sparta, Michigan, where the recordings were made after-hours at a movie theater that also doubled as a recording studio. I am trying to remember how I met Ray Vasquez, I believe he called me from Holland, MI., and asked if I would like to be the lead singer of The Legends. Well in 1967 I was still going to Grand Rapids Community College, and Ray Vasquez came to the college and we went up to the third floor to the music area where Ray played for me the wonderful piano part that he had just written for ‘Gentle Rain’, later of course he went to Fenton and Chess with me to record both versions of ‘Fine Day’ / ‘Gentle Rain’. I don't remember playing anywhere with The Legends or The Traffic Jams except in the recording studios of Fenton and Chess, as well as inside their practice room. In other words they became my studio musicians for the two recording sessions. The Traffic Jams were actually many of The Legends, Max Colley and me. The idea of the name orginally came, I believe, from a manager we had briefly named Al Harig. He lived in Grand Rapids. I believe I met him while I was attending Grand Rapids Community College. I can't remember if he was attending there too, but he could have been… In fact the Japanese lady on the cover of the Fenton 45 attended the same college and agreed to dress up in her Japanese outfit for me. Also there was a picture of The Traffic Jams set up in the middle of a traffic intersection! Max did offer to be the arranger for the ‘Fine Day’ session at Fenton, although he did not actually score the music for the session. I do remember Max directing ‘Fine Day’. He basically directed the dynamics of the music. He actually stood in front of the band at Fenton directing the crescendos and decrescendos of volume within the band. He also appears as the arranger on the record. Shortly after I went to sing for the Motown label on Grand Blvd. in Detroit. I sung for Berry Gordy. The year was 1967. It was shortly after the riots in Detroit. Many buildings around Motown were burned down, but thank God, Motown survived and so did all the master recordings! They were very nice to me there. Back then they had auditions every third Saturday of the month. As I recall I was the only caucasian person there! I was asked to go into a small room that overlooked the studio, where the door had to be unlocked electronically. As I remember, Berry Gordy wasn’t very tall but he was very well dressed, and very kind to me. They were located next to a funeral home. The original studio is still there for visitors, but years ago they moved to Los Angeles, California. There were several folding chairs set up for those that were waiting to audition. There was a sign above it that read Hitsville, U.S.A. RAY HUMMEL III on the road as a one man band in the late 60s After I left the bands I decided to do a single act, playing all the music and doing the singing by myself. As it happened my first engagement was at Chase Lanes in Grand Rapids. It was owned by two gentlemen that were twins. I had a hard time at first telling them apart! It was there I developed my solo act, in a little lounge inside a bowling alley. I was there for a year and a half. It was a very intimate room where the lighting was turned down very low with candles. Quite a romantic spot! I played a Gretsch guitar similar to Gerry Marsden's, of Gerry And The Pacemakers, and did many tunes by artists from the British Invasion, Beatles, Gerry And The Pacemakers, Rolling Stones, and of course tunes I wrote for The JuJus. I also did songs by Tom Jones, Engelbert Humperdink, The Doors, Jose Feliciano, and tunes from the musical Hair. Some of my favorite tunes then were ‘Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying’, ‘Delilah’, ‘Light My Fire’, ‘California Dreaming’, ‘MacArthur Park’, ‘There’s A Kind of Hush’, ‘Aquarius’ from Hair, ‘Unchained Melody’, ‘Those Were The Days’, … the list goes on! In 1969 I contacted Artists Corporation of America, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I talked to Bill Rothe, the president of the booking agency that was booking 300 acts per week! He said he liked my audition tape and that he would put me on the road right away. I had to sign three-year contracts, and was with the agency for approximately 20 years. Times were really good back then and at times he had me booked a year and a half ahead! I gave him power of attorney to sign contracts as I did not want to hold back any offers. RAY HUMMEL III in the late '60s The first place he sent me was Fargo, North Dakota, in the month of February, 1969. It was about 40 degree below zero! I had never travelled to such a cold climate! I hit a deer in the middle of a snow storm on the interstate. I was pulling a u-haul trailer and to my amazement my equipment was not damaged!  Back then I was using Echolette speakers and echo unit made in West Germany. I insured my equipment through a company connected with Lloyd's of London, as I was afraid it may get damaged in transit. Actually, on my first booking to Fargo, I met a group that came by bus who claimed they were The Animals! I don't know if it was true or not? While I was performing in Minot, North Dakota, Karen and Richard Carpenter, from A&M Records came to hear me sing, as they were in town to do a concert. Also in Minot, I met a relative of the guy that produced The Sonny and Cher Show, he lived in Vancouver, British Columbia, in Canada. He invited me to come and see him but since I was so far away and had already signed contracts I could not go. ABOVE: RAY HUMMEL III with different instruments in the late 60s I was performing at a Holiday Inn in Marshfield, Wisconsin when I heard a voice that sounded very familiar. He was singing along. It was Pernell Roberts the star of the western series Bonanza. I invited him up to sing and as I recall he sung ‘Cotton Fields’. He actually had a room just down the hall from me! He was there teaching students at one of the colleges about acting. He travelled by bicycle! I believe I was on floor two or three and he actually brought his bicycle up to his room with him! I continued to travel right down the middle of the United States from Montana to Florida. Frequent stops were made in Wisconsin, Minnesota, North and South Dakota, Iowa, Tennessee, Nebraska, Florida, Indiana, Illinois, upper and lower Michigan, etc. RAY HUMMEL III After many years on the road I wanted to record again. I missed the record business and being an active part of it. I longed to record again. After hundreds of letters to record companies, publishers, producers, I made contact with Chuck Chellman, from Philadelphia, who had moved to Nashville and was active as a producer, publisher and had his own label called Renegade Records. I contracted him to be my producer and immediately I began receiving demo reel to reel tapes from many major publishers and labels, of songs for me to consider for my recording session. After months of rehearsal and sifting through the mounds of material I decided on four tunes. I would record ‘Can't Keep A Good Memory Down’, ‘Daily Grinds And Neon Signs’, ‘For Whatever It's Worth’, and ‘Don't Point Your Finger’. I set the date for the recording session and booked a flight to Nashville, Tennessee, where I obtained a motel room, and each day my producer would pick me up and I would go to his office and rehearse. Finally, I was ready and on the fourth day we went to the studio. It was located in Goodletsville, Tennessee, and run by Fred Carter, who had a daughter that would later become a very successful country recording artist. The musicians and back-up singers did their parts perfectly the first time through! True professionals! I used Mel Tillis’ studio back-up singers, two male and two female singers, I believe they were called The Statesiders. Also Sonny Garrison who at the time was playing steel guitar and dobro for Jerry Reed, played on the session. My producer tried to get Elvis Presley's drummer, D.J. Fontana for the session, but he had a previous obligation...  I stayed and continued to polish my lead vocals. The tunes were later originally pressed at GRT Records, a subsidiary of RCA Records in Nashville, Tennessee. The first two tunes to be released were ‘Can't Keep A Good Memory Down’ and ‘Daily Grinds And Neon Signs’ on the Renegade label in 1978. I decided to release it first in my home state of Michigan and it received airplay on 29 out of 34 country stations. I wanted to get enough stations playing it so I could get help from Tommy Gelardi in Detroit, who was connected with Martin and Snyder Distribution, who handled distribution for juke boxes in the Detroit and Canadian areas. Finally, when they were convinced that the record was good they purchased 1,000 records for juke boxes plus helped me get airplay on the powerful 50,000 watt channel CKLW in Winsor, Ontario, Canada. Then things started to happen! At this point I felt my record had good potential and decided to contact a distributor that would promote and distribute my 45 rpm record to 1,000 radio stations and 137 distributors across the United States. I contacted Joe and Betty Gibson at Nationwide Sound Distributors in Nashville, Tennessee. At that time they were distributing such artists as the group Alabama, who later went to RCA, The Kendalls, etc. They promoted my record to 100 Billboard stations. RAY HUMMEL III in around the early '80 Later I thought why not take the record to other parts of the world. I started my correspondence, and made contact with Manfred Vogel who was the publisher of a country magazine called Country Corner in West Germany, and he also said he would take my record to Radio Cologne and also Radio Luxembourg, the most powerful radio station in the world at the time. I believe over 1,000,000 watts. I understand it covered most of Europe. The Nashville recordings were also promoted in France, Sweden, Japan, Australia, Denmark, etc. To say the least, I was very excited! As a result of the Nashville recordings I was asked to do shows with such country stars as Little Jimmy Dickens, Justin Tubbs (Ernest Tubbs’ son), Jack Greene, Skeeter Davis, Charlie Walker, etc. All Nashville recordings artists, many of whom had million selling records. RAY HUMMEL III, August 1983 On my first visit to Nashville, I had seen Roy Clark in Boots Randolph’s Club in Printer’s Alley.  It was a very nice club with a small balcony.  I saw Johnny Rodriguez sing, who had just got signed.  I actually got up and sung, I believe, ‘For The Good Times’ or some other tune and Johnny said he liked my singing. This was in 1977. Also on that first visit to Nashville my mother actually came with me.  We flew from Grand Rapids, I believe, to Chicago, O’Hare Airport.  While waiting to take the plane to Nashville I met Don Gibson who had country hits out. He invited me to come to his studio called Hickory Records in Nashville. As I recall I had met him before when I was playing in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, at a place called Dexter's. Don heard me sing along with his band, and felt that I would sound good on tape. It was during the same time I had begun doing a lot of writing.  Ray Hummel III country tux photo, ca. 1984 RAY HUMMEL III country tux publicity photo from around 1984 was used for Grand Ole Oprey shows club ads Also, when I went to Nashville again in 1984 I set up an appointment to see Eddie Kilroy who at the time produced records for Jerry Lee Lewis, Mickey Gilley, Louise Mandrell, etc. It was during the Country Music Awards so it had to be in October of 1984. He had just had lunch with Jerry Lee Lewis and then had the appointment with me.  He was a very nice man to talk with. He said he liked my first Nashville recordings with Chuck Chellman and was surprised they were my first Nashville efforts. He said he would like to produce my records but said it would cost $35,000.00 to produce 4 tunes! I decided it was too expensive for me so I backed down from the offer. However, Eddie Kilroy has produced many gold records. At that time, during the Country Music Awards, I also went to Willie Nelson's publishing company.  So many of the country stars were in town. When I went to Willie's company, he was there to my surprise!  I was so shocked I think I said hello, and then probably talked to his office girl! I believe I probably got some tunes from him to record, but never did use them.  He was standing up working with a reel to reel machine mounted on a platform.  His office was located close to my producer Chuck Chellman's office. Also Waylon Jennings office was close by. My producer was also good friends with the RCA people, those working at the studio and office that many of the RCA artists recorded at, like Elvis Presley. I also went to Dolly Parton's publishing company to gather tunes to consider recording. Dolly wasn’t there but Walter Hale, the man that ran Dolly Parton's publishing company, was. As I recall he had an English accent, and could have originally been from England.  Also, as I was driving in Nashville, I passed a yellow Cadillac in which Kenny Rogers was driving!  As I mentioned before, I set up an appointment with Eddie Kilroy, who at the time ran Playboy records for Hugh Hefner. He drove a truck as I recall and had an old English sheep dog. As I visited him in his office, I noticed he had a picture of his wife.  As I recall she was sick at the time. I believe Eddie later became the president of Tree Publishing, the largest publishing company in Nashville.  Also, very important, I visited Shelby Singleton’s Publishing and recording studio where such people as Johnny Cash recorded. They were connected, or should I say it was the Nashviile location for Sun records. I realize the original Sun was in Memphis, Tennessee, but they later moved to Nashville. I recall seeing a Johnny Cash 45 on the wall... I met the nephew of the owner, Sidney  Singleton.  I asked him for good material to record and also mentioned that I needed a producer for a project I was working on of 25 of the most popular country tunes that all sold over a million copies. He asked that a guitar be brought down and asked me to sing. I probably did something by Willie Nelson like ‘To All The Girl's I've Loved Before’ or ‘Angel Flying Too Close To The Ground’.  After I had sung he said he had a producer for me by the name of Walt Cunningham, who at the time was producing Patti Page who made the big hit ‘Tennessee Waltz’. I’d already had an offer from Eddie Kilroy to produce my records but, as you recall me telling you, he was very expensive, however, well worth it if I had the funds.  Anyway, Sidney called Walt Cunningham and he came right down and we talked.  As I recall he was young, and seemed like he would be easy to work with.  Plus there was something about him that suggested he would be a very hard worker, and just might be able to get to the right people for me, as he lived in Music City. What a great place to live where the music business was truly alive!  Radio interview with RAY HUMMEL III Ray Hummel III meets Little Jimmy Dickens Also, prior to my 1984 Nashville visit, I sat down with a large stack of records and looked for the person that had written the most number one hits! That person turned out to be Ben Peters. He had his own publishing company at the time. I called him and when I got to Nashville I set up an appointment to see him. I drove to his home which I believe was in Brentwood, Tennessee. I drove into his driveway and I couldn't believe it! It looked like an apartment building! He was also a recording artist and at one time was on Liberty Records, that same label The JuJus would have been on if I would’ve signed that contract with Drummond Records in Detroit, as it was a subsidiary of Liberty records! As I entered his home we entered a large room which was filled with gold records! I had never seen so much gold before! They were everywhere! On the walls, on the ceiling, it was quite a sight to behold! I was blown away! I did not realize it at the time but I found out later that that year he was voted the number one country songwriter of the year by the Country Music Association. In 1990, I received a phone call from my mother.  She said she was on the floor and could not move. I drove immediately to her home and had the ambulance pick her up. She had had a stroke. For many months she was in hospital. As it turned out I would take care of my mother for 20 years. I stopped travelling, but started attending a church in Grand Rapids called First Assembly of God. I became a believer and got active in the music. The church holds 5,000 people, and has a 60 piece orchestra and 300 voice choir! I could definitely get active in music here, I thought! I joined the choir, and later discovered some of my new Christian friends were active in music ministries, and told me about the TCT Network that had stations up and down the eastern part of the United States. Many of the stations were local but from time to time would video tape programs that would be aired across the whole network. So I started singing on Christian television, singing many southern gospel tunes that were similar to the country music I had been playing, but of course with a completely different message! Meanwhile I had been talking to my father in Florida, and one day he told me he had lung cancer. So my mother and I made arrangements to move to Florida so I could take care of both my mother and father. My father lived until October 28, 2001. Now it was my mother and I. She did well for a while but later went completely blind, could not walk, and had other medical issues. She passed away on November 6, 2010 from COPD; very serious breathing problems. During the time of my parents’ illnesses I continued to go to church, and decided to make Calvary Chapel my home church here in Florida.  I joined the choir, but later decided that I would go on my own and prepare music of my own and other artists for Christian music concerts. So presently I am busy here in Florida working on Christian concert material. Christian contemporary rock, southern gospel, traditional, songs I have written, etc. are all in my plans. My first two Christian recordings are finished and I am in the process of releasing two tunes I just wrote called ‘They Love Jesus All Around The World’ and ‘Do As Jesus Would Do’. If you would like to hear them in their entirety just go online to www.cdbaby.com They are copyrighted, and published, so they are legal for airplay in case you may know of a Christian station that would be interested in your area. Your prayers for my music ministry would be greatly appreciated. Keep the music of The JuJus playing! Have fun playing The JuJus music! Turn it up loud! The neighbors will enjoy it too! Ray Hummel III    Lead singer/writer/guitarist/harmonica player of The JuJus. THE JUJUS Fine Day LP track listing: SIDE ONE: 1. YOU TREATED ME BAD (Raymond Joseph Hummel) PUBLISHING: Ray Hummel III Music (ASCAP) DATE OF RECORDING: Summer 1965 LOCATION: Great Lakes Recording Co. SPECIAL NOTES: Unreleased demo 7" acetate Single track COMMENTS: The JuJus unreleased first demo acetate recordings of You Treated Me Bad / Hey Little Girl sound rougher, and more unpolished than the actual released versions from the classic 1965 Fenton Single. 2. HEY LITTLE GIRL (Raymond Joseph Hummel) PUBLISHING: Ray Hummel III Music (ASCAP) DATE OF RECORDING: Summer 1965 LOCATION: Great Lakes Recording Co. SPECIAL NOTES: Unreleased demo 7" acetate Single track COMMENTS: The flipside of The JuJus unreleased first You Treated Me Bad / Hey Little Girl demo 7" acetate single. This version has never before been released in any form! It sounds a bit more unpolished than the actual released version from the Fenton Single. 3. FINE DAY (Raymond Joseph Hummel) PUBLISHING: Ray Hummel III Music (ASCAP) DATE OF RECORDING: 1967 LOCATION: Great Lakes Recording Co. ORIGINAL RELEASE: Fenton Records  2188 SPECIAL NOTES: Recorded by RAY HUMMEL III WITH THE LEGENDS COMMENTS: The topside of Ray's 1967 solo Single from the Fenton label  was recorded as RAY HUMMEL III WITH THE LEGENDS, and Ray personally thinks that this 45 was catching him at his best recording. The Legends (from Holland, Michigan) of I'll Come Again and Back From The Grave Vol. 1 fame were used to back Ray up on this gem of a track! 4. GENTLE RAIN (Raymond Joseph Hummel) PUBLISHING: Ray Hummel III Music (ASCAP) DATE OF RECORDING: 1967 LOCATION: Great Lakes Recording Co. ORIGINAL RELEASE: Fenton Records  2188 SPECIAL NOTES: Recorded by RAY HUMMEL III WITH THE LEGENDS COMMENTS: The flipside of Ray's 1967 Fenton Records solo single. There were amazingly only 500 copies of the rare Fenton original 7" ever made. The Fenton 45 used to be self released by Ray Hummel, who was also acting as the producer of the recording session, as well as the main distributor of the record. 5. THERE SHE GOES (Raymond Joseph Hummel) PUBLISHING: Ray Hummel III Music (ASCAP) DATE OF RECORDING: 1965 LOCATION:  SPECIAL NOTES: Unreleased studio track COMMENTS: The unreleased studio track There She Goes may remind  a bit of Bob Dylan, thanks to Ray's harmonica parts, but the sound and style of this track is still typically JuJus featuring Ray Hummel III as a whole.   6. I DON'T WANT TO SEE YOU AGAIN (John Lennon / Paul McCartney) DATE OF RECORDING: 1964 SPECIAL NOTES: Unreleased practice room demo COMMENTS: The JuJus only recorded version of the Peter And Gordon track I Don't Want To See  You Again hails from an early, unreleased '64 practice room recording. 7. DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME (Rick Stevens / Bill Gorski) DATE OF RECORDING: 1966 PRODUCED BY: James Geeting SPECIAL NOTES: Unreleased demo 7" acetate Single track COMMENTS: The JuJus early demo version of Do You Understand Me has been lifted from an audiodisc demo acetate single that was  recorded shortly after Ray's departure from the band. It is featuring Rod Shepard on lead vocals/bass, Rick  Stevens on lead guitar, and Bill Gorski on drums. It originally used to be coupled with a great surf garage instrumental entitled Assault on the flip. 8. ASSAULT (Rick Stevens / Rod Shepard / Bill Gorski) DATE OF RECORDING: 1966 PRODUCED BY: James Geeting SPECIAL NOTES: Unreleased demo 7" acetate Single track COMMENTS: The flipside of The JuJus early, unreleased  Do You Understand Me acetate plays a raw surf garage instrumental killer track, that will definitely put The JuJus on the surf map. It was recorded as a three piece featuring Rick Stevens on lead guitar, Rod Shepard on bass, and Bill Gorski on drums. The master recording was produced by the bands own manager James Geeting. SIDE TWO: 1. I'M REALLY SORRY (Rick Stevens) DATE OF RECORDING: 1966 PRODUCED BY: James Geeting ORIGINAL RELEASE: United Records, no release # DATE OF RELEASE: 1966 COMMENTS: Classic recording of The JuJus from after Ray Hummel III's departure of the band. The master recordings were produced by the band's manager, James Geeting. The JuJus have self released I'm Really Sorry as the A-Side (according to the labels) to Do You Understand Me on their own United Records label (made by Fenton Records) in1966. 2. DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME (Rick Stevens / Bill Gorski) DATE OF RECORDING: 1966 PRODUCED BY: James Geeting ORIGINAL RELEASE: United Records, no release # DATE OF RELEASE: 1966 COMMENTS: Another classic JuJus track that has appeared on several compilations over the years, most notably on Back From The Grave - Vol. 1 made by Crypt Records. They've put a motorcycle into the studio for the recording, At one point during the recording you can hear the motorbike crash into a crate of Coke bottles. Truly a highlight in The JuJus recording career!  3. FINE DAY (Raymond Joseph Hummel) PUBLISHING: Ray Hummel III Music (ASCAP) DATE OF RECORDING: 1965 SPECIAL NOTES: Unreleased Studio Track COMMENTS: Completely unreleased studio recording of The JuJus version of Fine Day, with backing vocals. One of the by far best versions of Fine Day that the JuJus have ever recorded! 4. I LOVE HER SO (Raymond Joseph Hummel) PUBLISHING: Ray Hummel III Music (ASCAP) DATE OF RECORDING: 1965 SPECIAL NOTES: Unreleased Studio Track COMMENTS: THE best version of I Love Her So there is! This version has never before been released anyplace else! Possibly Ray Hummel's favorite unreleased JuJus track! Max Colley's highly skillful tenor sax part is a real treat on this recording. 5. FLAKE OUT #2 (Max Colley / Larry Jansen) DATE OF RECORDING: Ca. 1964 SPECIAL NOTES: Unreleased practice room recording COMMENTS: Here comes another track that clearly shows the influence of surf in the JuJus music. There exists just three takes of the surf garage instrumental tune Flake Out on Ray Hummel III's reel to reel tapes totally. We've already used the better one of the first two almost identical sounding takes of Flake Out for our first JuJus LP on Ray Hummel III Records a while ago. Flake Out #2 however hails from a later recording session that shows the JuJus in much tighter sounding form! 6. I'LL BE THERE (Bobby Darin) DATE OF RECORDING: Ca. 1964 SPECIAL NOTES: Unreleased practice room recording COMMENTS: The JuJus were actually covering from the Gerry And The Pacemakers version of the Bobby Darin tune. This is their finest version of it! 7. PLAY WITH FIRE (Nanker Phelge) DATE OF RECORDING: Ca. 1966 SPECIAL NOTES: Unreleased home demo COMMENTS: This early unreleased solo recording of Ray Hummel III hails from around late '66, and is featuring just Ray Hummel III on lead vocals, guitars, along with Bill Steelman on drums, but nevertheless this is a high energy Michigan '60s garage version of the Rolling Stones track that burns, and undoubtably the best way to sign off this 2nd LP on Ray Hummel III Records! Ray's guitar playing style on this track is similar to that from The JuJus hit record You Treated Me Bad, same voice too! RAY HUMMEL III Promobio from 1981 THE JUJUS / RAY HUMMEL III DISCOGRAPHY: THE JUJUS - Runaround / Hey Little Girl / Summertime (Audiodisc acetate) May 1965       RECORDED: May 1965, at Great Lakes Recording Co. (Fenton Records) MEDIUM: 8 inch three song audiodisc acetate SPECIAL NOTES: Never released COMMENTS: Runaround, and Hey Little Girl were written by Ray Hummel. Summertime is a rocking 60s garage version of the Gershwin classic. THE JUJUS - You Treated Me Bad / Hey Little Girl (Audiodisc acetate) July 1965 RECORDED: July 1965, at Great Lakes Recording Co. (Fenton Records) MEDIUM: 7 inch three song audiodisc acetate SPECIAL NOTES: Never released COMMENTS: The early demo versions of You Treated Me Bad / Hey Little Girl slightly lack in brilliance compared with the final version from the actual released record on the Fenton label. Both sides were inked by Ray Hummel. THE JUJUS - You Treated Me Bad / Hey Little Girl (Fenton Records 1004) August 1965 RECORDED: August 1965, at Great Lakes Recording Co. (Fenton Records) MEDIUM: 7 inch Single SPECIAL NOTES: You Treated Me Bad was misspelled on the label COMMENTS: You Treated Me Bad has hit the No. 2 spot on WLAV’s Top Forty chart of October 8th 1965. Various tracks were recorded for a planed JuJus LP, but then after Ray’s departing from the band in ca. late February 1966 (he got married and had to take care of his wife) all plans for an upcomming LP were buried, and the tapes were never released. THE JUJUS - Do You Understand Me / Assault (Audiodisc acetate) 1966 RECORDED: 1966 MEDIUM: 7 inch audiodisc acetate SPECIAL NOTES: Never released COMMENTS: Recorded shortly after the departing of their lead singer Ray Hummel. Do You Understand Me is an unpolished demo of the song that was later released on United Records. Assault is a killer surf garage instrumental. THE JUJUS - Do You Understand Me / I’m Really Sorry (United Records) 1966       RECORDED: 1966 MEDIUM: 7 inch Single SPECIAL NOTES: Was released with Picturesleeve COMMENTS: The record was pressed by Fenton Records, but the label name has been changed to United Records for this release! RAY HUMMEL III - Fine Day / Gentle Rain (Audiodisc acetate record) 1967 RECORDED: 1967, at Great Lakes Recording Co. (Fenton Records) MEDIUM: 7 inch audiodisc acetate SPECIAL NOTES: Never released COMMENTS: Both songs were first recorded and demoed at Great Lakes Recording Co. (Fenton Records), and then rerecorded at Chess Records in Chicago. Backing group on these recordings were The Legends (of I’ll Come Again / I’m Just A Guy fame) RAY HUMMEL III - Fine Day / Gentle Rain (Fenton Records 2188) 1967       RECORDED: 1967, at Great Lakes Recording Co. (Fenton Records) MEDIUM: 7 inch Single SPECIAL NOTES: Was released with Picturesleeve COMMENTS: Only 500 copies made. The bandname The Legends has been crossed off from all the labels of this ultra rare folk garage gem. Both sides could have been classics. Various Artists LP: BACK FROM THE GRAVE - Vol. 1 (Crypt RR-66) including THE JUJUS - Do You Understand Me RECORDED: 1966 MEDIUM: 12" LP record SPECIAL NOTES: Was first released with a super limited glow-in-the-dark cover in 1983! COMMENTS: The ultimate best 60s Punk compilation ever made! An official one too! It contains THE JUJUS track Do You Understand Me from the United Single! THE JUJUS - Ray Hummel III Presents: You Treated Me Bad (Ray Hummel III Records RH365) LP RECORDED: 1964 to February 1966 (see for full track listing above) MEDIUM: 12 inch vinyl LP record SPECIAL NOTES: Comes with booklet, plus seperate song-info-sheet COMMENTS: The ultimate JuJus vinyl LP collection. Features 14 of the very best tracks ever recorded by the classic JuJus original lineup including Ray Hummel III, Rod Shepard, Max Colley Jr., Bill Gorski, and Rick Stevens. Comes with extensive linernotes by Ray Hummel III. THE JUJUS - Fine Day (Ray Hummel III Records RH366) LP RECORDED: 1964 to 1966 MEDIUM: 12 inch vinyl LP record SPECIAL NOTES: Comes with a 2-sided poster inside COMMENTS: Contains no less but 15 more of the very best cuts from 1964 to 1966 ever recorded by this legendary 60s garage, folk-garage, and surf garage rock and roll outfit from Grand Rapids, Michigan. Comes with extensive linernotes by The JuJus main songwriter, lead singer, guitarist, and harmonica player Ray Hummel on the back of the poster. RAY HUMMEL III - Fine Day / Gentle Rain (Ray Hummel III Records RH367)        RECORDED: 1967, at Chess Records (2120 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL.) MEDIUM: 7 inch vinyl Single SPECIAL NOTES: An all analogue vinyl 45 that was mastered DIRECTLY from the original reel to reel mastertape! The first 65 copies came signed by Ray Hummel III on the frontcover, and were numbered on the plain white innersleeve. Only 265 copies were released with Picturesleeve. 35 copies came sleeveless. COMMENTS: Contains previously unreleased versions of Fine Day / Gentle Rain that were recorded at Chess Records in 1967. This is different from any other versions! Ray was using The Legends of I'll Come Again - fame for backing band on both sides. Both tracks are only available on this already hard to find 2-sider! Only 300 copies made! The first 265 copies were issued with super rare original Fenton Fine Day / Gentle Rain Picturesleeve from 1967 (unsold leftovers from the 60s, and guaranteed no dupes!)

RAY HUMMEL III & THE LEGENDS - Fine Day / Gentle Rain (Ray Hummel III Records RH367)

RECORDED: 1967, at Great Lakes Recording Co. (Fenton Records) MEDIUM: 7 inch vinyl Single SPECIAL NOTES: Comes with original Fenton Picturesleeve from 1967! COMMENTS: A straight top class reissue of RAY HUMMEL III's super rare lone solo 45 from the Fenton label. One of the finest Michigan '60s folk garage 2-siders ever made! For fans of Bob Dylan, The Byrds etc.! Both sides were recorded at Great Lakes Recording Co. (Fenton Records) in 1967. Limited to 500 copies totally, but only about half of them were released with original Fenton picturesleeve from 1967, the rest of them came sleeveless! The first 65 copies were signed by RAY HUMMEL III on the frontcover! ROD SHEPARD (r.i.p.) THIS BLOG IS DEDICATED IN MEMORY OF ROD SHEPARD who has unfortunately died on cancer in October 2011. SPECIAL THANKS: to TIM WARREN of Crypt Records (Back  From The Grave) for all the additional photo material, and inspiration! Order THE JUJUS LP on Ray Hummel III Records from one of the two following links below: ORDER NOW for CHF 19 Swiss Franks (plus CHF 9 shipping) Distribution: Feathered Apple Records THE JUJUS / RAY HUMMEL III press book and photo album:                                    Above: Ray's folk duo THE IRISH JACKS (1964) From Godwin Heights High School's Wolverine Pictorial (May 6, 1965)                                     From NEWS-ADVOCATE (February 9th 1967) From Rockford Nite Times (March 30th 1972) Advertisement for some shows at the Cypress Lounge from around March 1972 Article by WARREN GERDS from Green Bay Press-Gazette (February 7. 1974) From Blitz #23, November 1977 Swedish article from Kountry Korral #2 April 1981 Ray Hummel III Fan Club Newsletter (1981) Front cover Ray Hummel III Fan Club Newsletter (1981) Page 1 Ray Hummel III Fan Club Newsletter (1981) Page 2 Ray Hummel III Fan Club Newsletter (1981) Page 3 Ray Hummel III Fan Club Newsletter (1981) Page 4 Ray Hummel III Fan Club Newsletter (1981) Page 5 Ray Hummel III Fan Club Newsletter (1981) Page 6 Ray Hummel III Fan Club Newsletter (1981) Page 7 German article from Country Corner #8 Aug/Sep 1981 Article from Goldmine #89 (October 1983) Ray Hummel III and The JuJus on the frontcover of  R.P.M. issue #4  / February - March 1984 Dave Walters' famous Ray Hummel and The JuJus interview/Fenton story from R.P.M. #4 (Feb-March 1984) Dave Walters' famous Ray Hummel and The JuJus interview/Fenton story from R.P.M. #4 (Feb-March 1984) Dave Walters' famous Ray Hummel and The JuJus interview/Fenton story from R.P.M. #4 (Feb-March 1984) Dave Walters' famous Ray Hummel and The JuJus interview/Fenton story from R.P.M. #4 (Feb-March 1984) From R.P.M. #4 (Feb-March 1984) Checkout "The Lost JuJus Album" on their discography! MIKE DUGO's JUJUS interview with ROD SHEPARD from 60sgaragebands.com (ca. 2008): PART 1 MIKE DUGO's JUJUS interview with ROD SHEPARD from 60sgaragebands.com (ca. 2008): PART 2 MIKE DUGO's JUJUS interview with ROD SHEPARD from 60sgaragebands.com (ca. 2008): PART 3 MIKE DUGO's JUJUS interview with ROD SHEPARD from 60sgaragebands.com (ca. 2008): PART 4 MIKE DUGO's JUJUS interview with ROD SHEPARD from 60sgaragebands.com (ca. 2008): PART 5 JUJUS LINKS: Ray Hummel III Records: http://homepage.swissonline.ch/featheredapple/rayhummel3records.html Feathered Apple Records:  http://homepage.swissonline.ch/featheredapple/index.html Crypt Records (the fine folks behind the Back From The Grave series):  http://www.cryptrecords.com/ 60sgaragebands.com: http://www.60sgaragebands.com/ Fantastic must read JUJUS interview by Dr. J. from Michigan Rock And Roll Legends.com: http://michiganrockandrolllegends.com/mrrl-hall-of-fame/109-jujus Grand Rapids Rocks: http://www.grandrapidsrocks.com/bands/jujus.php Garage Hangover: http://www.garagehangover.com/?q=taxonomy/term/683 Blitz Magazine Blogspot: http://blitzmag.blogspot.com/2007/01/shape-of-things-to-come-by-michael_17.html Western Michigan Music Hysterical Society: http://www.westmichmusichystericalsociety.com/jujus