Zakary Thaks
Zakary Thaks | |
|---|---|
 Zakary Thaks 1966 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Corpus Christi, Texas, United States |
| Genres | Garage rock, psychedelic rock |
| Years active | 1966-1970, 2005 |
| Labels | J-Beck, Mercury, ABC-Dunhill, Cee-Bee, Thak Records |
| Past members | Chris Gerniottis Pete Stinson Rex Gregory John Lopez Stan Moore |
The Zakary Thaks were an American garage rock band from Corpus Christi, Texas, United States, which formed in the mid-1960s.[1]
The band developed out of the Marauders, a teen group which included Chris Gerniottis (vocals), Pete Stinson (guitar), and Rex Gregory (bass), and who then became the Riptides, adding lead guitarist John Lopez. By 1966, they had acquired a new drummer, Stan Moore, and had become the Zakary Thaks – the name being a mutated version of one seen in a magazine.[2][3]
Influenced by blues guitarists as well as British and American groups of the period, the band soon gained local popularity. Their first record, for the local J-Beck label, combined an original composition, "Bad Girl", with a Kinks song, "I Need You". Released in mid-1966, it became a regional hit and was picked up nationally by Mercury Records. Its success won the band a spot supporting their heroes The Yardbirds.[4]
A second single, "Face To Face" was less successful, but the band continued to tour, supporting acts including Jefferson Airplane and the 13th Floor Elevators. Later singles showed the band taking a more pop-focused approach.[1] By 1968, Gerniottis had left the band for a while to join another group, the Liberty Bell,[1] but returned later. However, the band did not repeat its early success, splitting up in the early 1970s.
In 1979, "Bad Girl" was included on the Volume 2 of the Pebbles anthology of mid-1960s garage bands,[1] and has maintained its renown among collectors of the genre. The song was also included on disc four of the 1998 four-disc Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, 1965–1968 box set. A compilation of the band's singles was issued in May 2001. In 2015, a compilation called It's the End: The Definitive Collection was released and contained all of the group's master recordings from all six singles for the first time.
Drummer Stan Moore died in 2000.[5] In 2004 and 2005, remaining members of the band reformed to perform at festivals. Bassist Rex Gregory died on January 18, 2008.[6]
Singles Discography
| Title | Year | Label | Catalog Number | Notes[7] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Bad Girl" b/w "I Need You" |
July 1966 | J-Beck | J-1006 | Later released on Mercury 72633 |
| "Face to Face" b/w "Weekday Blues" |
February 1967 | J-Beck | J-1009 | |
| "Please" b/w "Won't Come Back" |
June 1967 | J-Beck | J-1101 | |
| "Mirror Of Yesterday" b/w "Can You Hear Daddy's Footsteps" |
November 1967 | J-Beck | J-1103 | |
| "My Door" b/w "Green Crystal Ties" |
1968 | Thak | 1001 | |
| "Everybody Wants To Be Somebody" b/w "Outprint" |
1969 | Thak | 1005 |
References
- ^ a b c d Richie Unterberger. "Zakary Thaks | Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved March 4, 2015.
- ^ "It's Psychedelic Baby Mag Interview with Chris Gerniottis". Retrieved June 1, 2017.
- ^ Ben Graham (June 26, 2015). A Gathering of Promises: The Battle for Texas's Psychedelic Music...Zakary Thaks. ISBN 9781782790938. Retrieved June 1, 2017.
- ^ "Texas State Historical Association article - Zakary Thaks". Retrieved May 31, 2017.
- ^ Doc Rock. "The Dead Rock Stars Club 2000". Thedeadrockstarsclub.com. Retrieved March 4, 2015.
- ^ Doc Rock. "The Dead Rock Stars Club 2008 January to June". Thedeadrockstarsclub.com. Retrieved March 4, 2015.
- ^ "Zakary Thaks Discography". Retrieved June 1, 2017.
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