Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

TURTLES, The

US vocal/pop group formed in LA '65 with Howard Kaylan (b Howard Kaplan, 22 June '47, NYC) and Mark Volman (b 19 Apr. '47, LA): began as Nightriders '61 with bassist Chuck Portz, guitarist Al Nichols (b 31 March '45); added drummer Don Murray and became the Crossfires, made singles, added rhythm guitarist Jim Tucker but split '65. Incited to re-form by new White Whale label, changed name to Tyrtles, then Turtles; updated ecstatic harmonies of early '60s surf music and rode folk-rock boom, starting with cover of Bob Dylan's 'It Ain't Me Babe' (top ten '65); more hits with P. F. Sloan songs 'Let Me Be' and 'You Baby' (turned down his 'Eve Of Destruction', one of the biggest hits of '65); 'Happy Together' was no. 1 '67, their best, written by Gary Bonner and Alan Gordon from unknowns the Magicians, who then wrote similar no. 3 'She'd Rather Be With Me'; more hits '67--9 were pop gems with classic production incl. 'Elenore' and 'You Showed Me', both top six from overloaded concept LP Battle Of The Bands '68: they were never satisfied to be a pop band, dabbled in psychedelia and lost touch. Nichols, Kaylan, Volman were the founders left at the end; John Barbata had replaced Murray before the big hit; Chip Douglas replaced Portz, himself replaced by Jim Pons; John Seiter (ex-Spanky) replaced Barbata, who went to Crosby Stills Nash and Young, later Jefferson Starship. Turtle Soup '69 was prod. by Kinks' Ray Davies; they split '70, their last hit ironically 'Eve Of Destruction' after all (it barely made Hot 100 '70). Pons, Volman and Kaylan went to Frank Zappa, the last two as vocal duo Phlorescent Leech and Eddie, then Flo and Eddie (pseudonyms forced on them by White Whale's lawyers); became noted backup singers for Marc Bolan, Keith Moon, Bruce Springsteen, the Knack, Psychedelic Furs; also prod. DMZ, Good Rats etc; released Rock Steady With Flo And Eddie '81 with reggae pick-up band incl. Augustus Pablo (issued on CD '87).