The Lyzzerds

The Termites was the name of our first band, started in 1964. Obviously a really dumb play on The Beatles, it didn't last long. We started in 7th grade while most of us were taking guitar lessons from Wayne Anderson of the Millburn Music Center. Original members were: Myke, Kev, Dave, Paul Zimmer (drums) Our first and only "gig" as The Termites was at a talent show at Delbarton School. We played (a probably-not-great version of) The Beatles' "You Can't Do That" and "I Want Your Love," an original song written by Myke's older brother Jim. We had the fever... We changed the name to The Lyzzerds and added Chip Quinn, tambourine/road manager, soon replaced by Bob. Here are some Lyzzerds gig stories.

The earliest known photo of The Lyzzerds. Probably summer 1965, we're playing at Jackie Krassner's backyard party in Springfield, NJ. (l>r)Kev, Paul Zimmer (obscured), Myke, Dave, Bob. Bob is doing his best Jagger-sulk on the mike. Note the groovy velour pull-overs!	OK, this photo is really scary! Kev, Myke and Dave are playing for a "folk-mass" at Delbarton. Bob is in the picture, so that makes it 1965, and we are in 8th grade. (l>r):Bob, Steve Sciarretta (guitar), Pete Geiss, Rick Kentz, Kev (tie askew), Rick Waldron, Keith Kulper, Jim McDonald, Myke (in back with guitar), Fr. Charles, Dave (with Framus bass), Fr. Germain, Joe, Larry Burrelle, ?, Kevin Carlin, Kevin Adams (front), Chip Quinn, ?, Bill Peck, Thane Phelps
Here we are, practicing in Dave's parents living room. (l>r) Myke (back to camera), Kev, Dave's brother Bob (seated), Dave This must be fall 1965, a bit after the first photo, since Myke now has his Hagstrom 12-string, and Kev has his then-new Framus bass (he played bass parts on a guitar before this.) Dave still has his Silvertone Model H62 #1446 "Estralina," which was replaced in 1966.	The Lyzzerds business card, early 1965. Note Bob's hand-added name: we had just fired Chip Quinn as tambourine shaker, turning it over to Bob, who could actually sing.
1962 Danelectro Convertible. We borrowed one of these from some kid in our class, whose name no one remembers, to use for The Termites debut performance at the Delbarton talent show.	Harmony H15, Myke's first electric guitar.	Fender Champ, Mykes' first amp.
Hagstrom 12 string, Myke's next electric, which he often played as a six string. His was sunburst...	Hagstrom III. Kev used one of these to play bass for the first year or so of the band, till he got the Framus in the picture above. Why were we so into Hagstrom guitars? Dunno, I guess they were cheap and they were around. They played and sounded pretty good too. The only band of any note that played them was The Association.
Kent Polaris I. Dave's first electric guitar, bought at long-defunct Dorman's House of Music just off the square in Morristown. Later smashed in a Pete Townsend frenzy. He just found another one on EBay for $25: that's $40 less than he paid for it in 1965!	Dave's second electric guitar, another Kent (model unknown), also purchased at Dorman's, also later smashed, most probably at a Christ Church dance in Short Hills. Note the beautiful (really...) lacquer sunburst finish on this cheap guitar, not possible now due to modern environmental regulations.
Silvertone Estralina. Dave ordered this guitar from the Sears catalog. It cost about $155 in 1965. He wishes he still had it, but he traded it in for his '66 Telecaster at the legendary and now gone Manny's in NYC. Like a cross between a Les Paul and a Gretsch Tenneseean, it sounded great.	'65 Fender Princeton. Dave's first amp, bought at Rondo Music, Rte. 22, Union, NJ. Killer tone, he still has it and used it for years on sage with WKGB and to record The Secret Admirers CD. Magnatone RVB-1 transistorized reverb unit. Dave had one of these... Weird for the time, it was powered by two 9-volt batteries.