Wilmer & the Dukes
Encyclopedia
Wilmer and the Dukes were an American
R&B
band in upstate New York
in the 1960s. Though they produced only a handful of singles
and one album
, they performed regularly, and had a dedicated following. One reviewer said, "In Geneva, there were two kinds of kids. Those who went to 'Wilmer' and those who didn't." They are fondly remembered by many of the college alumni from that area, and their music continues to be played today. They were also an influence on other rising musicians such as Eric Bloom
, the lead singer of Blue Öyster Cult
, and they may have been the inspiration for "Otis Day and the Knights", the 1960s fictional band in the 1978 movie Animal House. The group disbanded in 1974, but came back together for some benefit concerts in 1988, and has continued playing since then, with the last remaining of the original members, Ron Alberts, retiring in 2004. With replacement members, the new version of the band continues to perform as of 2007, as The Legendary Dukes.
, formed by Wilmer Alexander Jr. (born c. 1943), Ronnie Alberts, and Ralph Gillotte. Except for Alexander, all of the members were white, which made the band stand out even more in some of the all-black clubs that they first played in. The Alexanders lived on Wadsworth Street in Geneva, and the band used to practice at one of the garages owned by the Felice Trucking Company on Kirkwood Ave.
Alexander sang and played saxophone
, and the band was managed by Ebo Alberts, the father of the drummer, Ronnie Alberts, and the bassist, Monte Alberts. The guitarist, Doug Brown, was from the South and played Stevie Cropper-style. Ralph "Duke" Gillotte was the keyboardist and additional vocalist.
They were primarily a cover
band, playing other people's material, such as by Steve Miller
and The Rolling Stones
. Other music was from Sam and Dave and there were also saxophone based hits such as those originated by Junior Walker & the AllStars. One of their most popular covers was Lee Dorsey
's "Get Out of My Life Woman".
, mostly on the college and bar circuit. Regular venues were The "Pittsford Inn" in Pittsford, New York
, "Club 86" in Geneva
on Saturdays, and "Bristol Ski Lodge" in Canandaigua
on Fridays. They were also regular guests at St. Bonaventure University
, and known to play at the Gargoyle Park Pavilion in Olean
. In 1964 and 1965, they appeared regularly at parties sponsored by the Social Lions, a secret society
at Niagara University
in Lewiston
.
One club which helped them was The Inferno in Williamsville
, a suburb of Buffalo
. Every Wednesday night, long lines of fans formed through Glen Park
and over the bridge on Glen Avenue, many waiting for hours to get into the sold-out Inferno. Wilmer & the Dukes would play such cover songs as "Reach Out
" and "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)
" by the Four Tops
, "Shotgun" & "Road Runner" by Junior Walker & the Allstars, and "Baby Let Me Bang Your Box" by Doug Clark and the Hot Nuts
. Other acts they opened for included Wilson Pickett
and Sly & the Family Stone
. Another of their venues was a bowling alley, Clover Lanes in Rochester. The lanes would be covered over with a temporary wooden stage, Wilmer and the Dukes would play an opening set, and then a national act such as Tommy James and the Shondells, Freddie and the Dreamers
, or The Association
would be the headliner. Wilmer and the Dukes also regularly played at The Red Dog in Manilus
, a Syracuse suburb.
It was at the "Holiday Bar and Grille" in 1963 that they were first heard by Eric Bloom. He became a fan of the band, attending over 100 performances, and stayed close with them for years. In 1967, his own student band, Lost and Found, opened for the Dukes when they played at his campus, Hobart College
, and they also came to perform at his fraternity, Tau Kappa Epsilon
.
In the early 1970s, the band played several gigs at the Warehouse, in Kirkwood, New York
.
and Bakersfield, California
. However, nationally the record only peaked at #78 in Cash Box (in June), and at #80 on the Billboard Hot 100
.
"Give Me One More Chance" was a slightly bigger hit in Canada than in the band's home country, peaking at #63 on the RPM charts in July 1968. In Toronto, the single reached #18 on the CHUM chart
in June, 1968, and hit #8 at rival station CKEY. This would be the only Canadian chart action for the band, which at the time was billed as Wilmer Alexander, Jr., and the Dukes.
A 1968 follow-up single, "Heavy Time", failed to chart. However, the single's B-side
, the Jagger/Richards
composition "I'm Free", did chart in the top 30 on radio stations in both Syracuse and Rochester. This same song would much later be a hit for the Soup Dragons.
The band's one album (credited to Wilmer and the Dukes) was released in 1969 by Aphrodisiac Records. The album featured "Give Me One More Chance", "Heavy Time" and "I'm Free", as well as the band's final single, "Living In The USA", written by Steve Miller
. Released in the summer of 1969, "Living In The USA" was another regional hit for the band in upper New York state (and also a top 40 hit in Detroit), but the song only made it to #114 on the Billboard
'bubbling under' chart, and failed to break out nationally beyond these markets.
Their manager later brought them to Detroit, but their work never really caught on outside of the lower Great Lakes region. Still, although the original members never recorded after 1969, their live shows were a consistent draw in upper New York state, and Wilmer and the Dukes gigged steadily in and around Syracuse, Rochester and Buffalo until they broke up in 1974.
In 1988, the group reformed for a series of sold-out benefit concerts to help pay some medical bills for the ailing Alexander. Thereafter, various members have continued touring as The Legendary Dukes, who are active as of 2007, which marks 50 years since the group's origin. The original organist, Ralph Gillotte, died in 1999. Ron Alberts retired in 2004. Eric “Mitty” Moore retired as front man and lead singer of the Legendary Dukes on January 1st, 2011 after 25 years with the band. Trombone player David DeWitt retired on September 10th, 2011 after 16 years with the Legendary Dukes. He had been the primary business manager and horn section leader for the group creating complex and often intricate horn arrangements for the band. However, the group continues with new members, and has toured as far as Houston, Texas
, and Kansas City
. The Legendary Dukes have recorded two more CDs since the reformation of the band; Committed To Soul (1994) and See The World From The Side Of The Road (2004).
Songs:
Songs:
Songs:
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
R&B
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
band in upstate New York
Upstate New York
Upstate New York is the region of the U.S. state of New York that is located north of the core of the New York metropolitan area.-Definition:There is no clear or official boundary between Upstate New York and Downstate New York...
in the 1960s. Though they produced only a handful of singles
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
and one album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
, they performed regularly, and had a dedicated following. One reviewer said, "In Geneva, there were two kinds of kids. Those who went to 'Wilmer' and those who didn't." They are fondly remembered by many of the college alumni from that area, and their music continues to be played today. They were also an influence on other rising musicians such as Eric Bloom
Eric Bloom
Eric Bloom is an American singer, songwriter and musician. He is best known as the main vocalist, and "stunt guitar" for the long-running band Blue Öyster Cult, with work on over 20 albums...
, the lead singer of Blue Öyster Cult
Blue Öyster Cult
Blue Öyster Cult, often abbreviated BÖC, is an American rock band, most of whose members first came together in Long Island, NY in 1967 as the band Soft White Underbelly...
, and they may have been the inspiration for "Otis Day and the Knights", the 1960s fictional band in the 1978 movie Animal House. The group disbanded in 1974, but came back together for some benefit concerts in 1988, and has continued playing since then, with the last remaining of the original members, Ron Alberts, retiring in 2004. With replacement members, the new version of the band continues to perform as of 2007, as The Legendary Dukes.
History
The band originated in 1957 in Geneva, New YorkGeneva, New York
Geneva is a city in Ontario and Seneca counties in the U.S. state of New York. The population was 13,617 at the 2000 census. Some claim it is named after the city and canton of Geneva in Switzerland. Others believe the name came from confusion over the letters in the word "Seneca" written in cursive...
, formed by Wilmer Alexander Jr. (born c. 1943), Ronnie Alberts, and Ralph Gillotte. Except for Alexander, all of the members were white, which made the band stand out even more in some of the all-black clubs that they first played in. The Alexanders lived on Wadsworth Street in Geneva, and the band used to practice at one of the garages owned by the Felice Trucking Company on Kirkwood Ave.
Alexander sang and played saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
, and the band was managed by Ebo Alberts, the father of the drummer, Ronnie Alberts, and the bassist, Monte Alberts. The guitarist, Doug Brown, was from the South and played Stevie Cropper-style. Ralph "Duke" Gillotte was the keyboardist and additional vocalist.
They were primarily a cover
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
band, playing other people's material, such as by Steve Miller
Steve Miller (musician)
Steven H. "Steve" Miller is an American guitarist and singer-songwriter who began his career in blues and blues rock and evolved to a more popular-oriented sound which, from the mid 1970s through the early 1980s, resulted in a series of successful singles and albums.-Early years:Born in Milwaukee,...
and The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
. Other music was from Sam and Dave and there were also saxophone based hits such as those originated by Junior Walker & the AllStars. One of their most popular covers was Lee Dorsey
Lee Dorsey
Lee Dorsey was an African American pop/R&B singer during the 1960s. Much of his work was produced by Allen Toussaint with instrumental backing provided by the Meters.-Career:...
's "Get Out of My Life Woman".
Local venues
The band played from approximately from 1961 to 1974 at various locations around Upstate New YorkUpstate New York
Upstate New York is the region of the U.S. state of New York that is located north of the core of the New York metropolitan area.-Definition:There is no clear or official boundary between Upstate New York and Downstate New York...
, mostly on the college and bar circuit. Regular venues were The "Pittsford Inn" in Pittsford, New York
Pittsford (village), New York
Pittsford is a village in Monroe County, New York, United States. The population was 1,418 at the 2000 census. It is named after Pittsford, Vermont, the native town of a founding father....
, "Club 86" in Geneva
Geneva, New York
Geneva is a city in Ontario and Seneca counties in the U.S. state of New York. The population was 13,617 at the 2000 census. Some claim it is named after the city and canton of Geneva in Switzerland. Others believe the name came from confusion over the letters in the word "Seneca" written in cursive...
on Saturdays, and "Bristol Ski Lodge" in Canandaigua
Canandaigua (city), New York
Canandaigua is a city in Ontario County, New York, USA, of which it is the county seat. The population was 11,264 at the 2000 census...
on Fridays. They were also regular guests at St. Bonaventure University
St. Bonaventure University
St. Bonaventure University is a private, Franciscan Catholic university, located in Allegany, Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. It has roughly 2,400 undergraduate and graduate students....
, and known to play at the Gargoyle Park Pavilion in Olean
Olean, New York
Olean is a city in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. Olean is the largest city in Cattaraugus County, and serves as the financial, business, transportation and entertainment center of the county. It is one of the principal cities of the Southern Tier region of New York.The city is...
. In 1964 and 1965, they appeared regularly at parties sponsored by the Social Lions, a secret society
Secret society
A secret society is a club or organization whose activities and inner functioning are concealed from non-members. The society may or may not attempt to conceal its existence. The term usually excludes covert groups, such as intelligence agencies or guerrilla insurgencies, which hide their...
at Niagara University
Niagara University
Niagara University is a Catholic university in the Vincentian tradition, located in the Town of Lewiston in Niagara County, New York. Originally founded by the Congregation of the Mission in 1856 as Our Lady of Angels Seminary, it became Niagara University in 1883. The University is still run by...
in Lewiston
Lewiston, New York
Lewiston is a village in Niagara County, New York, United States. The population was 2,781 at the 2000 census. The village is named after Morgan Lewis, an early 19th-century governor of New York. It is part of the Buffalo–Niagara Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area.The Village of Lewiston,...
.
One club which helped them was The Inferno in Williamsville
Williamsville, New York
Williamsville is a village in Erie County, New York in the United States. The population was 5,573 at the 2000 census. The village is named after Jonas Williams, an early settler...
, a suburb of Buffalo
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
. Every Wednesday night, long lines of fans formed through Glen Park
Glen Park, Williamsville, New York
Glen Park is a walking park in Williamsville, New York. It is bordered by the Glen Falls waterfall on Ellicott Creek, and the inactive Williamsville Water Mill.-History:...
and over the bridge on Glen Avenue, many waiting for hours to get into the sold-out Inferno. Wilmer & the Dukes would play such cover songs as "Reach Out
Reach Out I'll Be There
"Reach Out I'll Be There" is a 1966 hit song recorded by the Four Tops for the Motown label. Written and produced by Motown's main production team Holland–Dozier–Holland, the song is one of the most well-known Motown tunes of the 1960s and is today considered The Tops' signature song...
" and "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)
I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)
"I Can't Help Myself " is a 1965 hit song recorded by the Four Tops for the Motown label.Written and produced by Motown's main production team Holland–Dozier–Holland, the song is one of the most well-known Motown tunes of the 1960s...
" by the Four Tops
Four Tops
The Four Tops are an American vocal quartet, whose repertoire has included doo-wop, jazz, soul music, R&B, disco, adult contemporary, hard rock, and showtunes...
, "Shotgun" & "Road Runner" by Junior Walker & the Allstars, and "Baby Let Me Bang Your Box" by Doug Clark and the Hot Nuts
Doug Clark and the Hot Nuts
Doug Clark and the Hot Nuts, also known as Doug Clark and his Hot Nuts, The Hot Nuts and, since the death of Doug Clark in 2002, Doug Clark's Hot Nuts, is a rhythm and blues, rock and novelty band that has played party and club dates for more than fifty years...
. Other acts they opened for included Wilson Pickett
Wilson Pickett
Wilson Pickett was an American R&B/Soul singer and songwriter.A major figure in the development of American soul music, Pickett recorded over 50 songs which made the US R&B charts, and frequently crossed over to the US Billboard Hot 100...
and Sly & the Family Stone
Sly & the Family Stone
Sly and the Family Stone were an American rock, funk, and soul band from San Francisco, California. Active from 1966 to 1983, the band was pivotal in the development of soul, funk, and psychedelic music...
. Another of their venues was a bowling alley, Clover Lanes in Rochester. The lanes would be covered over with a temporary wooden stage, Wilmer and the Dukes would play an opening set, and then a national act such as Tommy James and the Shondells, Freddie and the Dreamers
Freddie and the Dreamers
Freddie and the Dreamers were an English band who had a number of hit records between May 1963 and November 1965. Their stage act was based around the comic antics of the 5-foot-3-inch-tall Freddie Garrity, who would bounce around the stage with arms and legs flying. The group remained active...
, or The Association
The Association
The Association is a pop music band from California in the folk rock or soft rock genre. During the 1960s, they had numerous hits at or near the top of the Billboard charts and were the lead-off band at 1967's Monterey Pop Festival...
would be the headliner. Wilmer and the Dukes also regularly played at The Red Dog in Manilus
Manlius, New York
Manlius, New York may refer to the following places Onondaga County, New York:*Manlius , New York*Manlius , New York...
, a Syracuse suburb.
It was at the "Holiday Bar and Grille" in 1963 that they were first heard by Eric Bloom. He became a fan of the band, attending over 100 performances, and stayed close with them for years. In 1967, his own student band, Lost and Found, opened for the Dukes when they played at his campus, Hobart College
Hobart and William Smith Colleges
Hobart and William Smith Colleges, located in Geneva, New York, are together a liberal arts college offering Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science and Master of Arts in Teaching degrees. In athletics, however, the two schools compete with separate teams, known as the Hobart Statesmen and the...
, and they also came to perform at his fraternity, Tau Kappa Epsilon
Tau Kappa Epsilon
Tau Kappa Epsilon is a college fraternity founded on January 10, 1899 at Illinois Wesleyan University with chapters in the United States, and Canada, and affiliation with a German fraternity system known as the Corps of the Weinheimer Senioren Convent...
.
In the early 1970s, the band played several gigs at the Warehouse, in Kirkwood, New York
Kirkwood, New York
Kirkwood is a town in Broome County, New York, United States. The population was 5,651 at the 2000 census. The town is named after James P. Kirkwood, who was an engineer responsible for constructing the local railroad....
.
Recording history
The band's first single was an original dance track by guitarist Brown called "Give Me One More Chance", and was released in the spring of 1968. It got heavy play on stations in upper New York state and upper Pennsylvania, and was a top 40 hit in several East Coast markets and also in Phoenix, ArizonaPhoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
and Bakersfield, California
Bakersfield, California
Bakersfield is a city near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley in Kern County, California. It is roughly equidistant between Fresno and Los Angeles, to the north and south respectively....
. However, nationally the record only peaked at #78 in Cash Box (in June), and at #80 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
.
"Give Me One More Chance" was a slightly bigger hit in Canada than in the band's home country, peaking at #63 on the RPM charts in July 1968. In Toronto, the single reached #18 on the CHUM chart
CHUM Chart
The CHUM Chart was a ranking of top 30 songs on Toronto, Ontario radio station CHUM 1050 AM, from 1957 to 1986, and was the longest-running Top 40 chart in the world produced by an individual radio station...
in June, 1968, and hit #8 at rival station CKEY. This would be the only Canadian chart action for the band, which at the time was billed as Wilmer Alexander, Jr., and the Dukes.
A 1968 follow-up single, "Heavy Time", failed to chart. However, the single's B-side
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
, the Jagger/Richards
Jagger/Richards
The songwriting partnership of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, known as Jagger/Richards , is a musical collaboration whose output has produced the majority of the catalogue of The Rolling Stones....
composition "I'm Free", did chart in the top 30 on radio stations in both Syracuse and Rochester. This same song would much later be a hit for the Soup Dragons.
The band's one album (credited to Wilmer and the Dukes) was released in 1969 by Aphrodisiac Records. The album featured "Give Me One More Chance", "Heavy Time" and "I'm Free", as well as the band's final single, "Living In The USA", written by Steve Miller
Steve Miller (musician)
Steven H. "Steve" Miller is an American guitarist and singer-songwriter who began his career in blues and blues rock and evolved to a more popular-oriented sound which, from the mid 1970s through the early 1980s, resulted in a series of successful singles and albums.-Early years:Born in Milwaukee,...
. Released in the summer of 1969, "Living In The USA" was another regional hit for the band in upper New York state (and also a top 40 hit in Detroit), but the song only made it to #114 on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
'bubbling under' chart, and failed to break out nationally beyond these markets.
Their manager later brought them to Detroit, but their work never really caught on outside of the lower Great Lakes region. Still, although the original members never recorded after 1969, their live shows were a consistent draw in upper New York state, and Wilmer and the Dukes gigged steadily in and around Syracuse, Rochester and Buffalo until they broke up in 1974.
In 1988, the group reformed for a series of sold-out benefit concerts to help pay some medical bills for the ailing Alexander. Thereafter, various members have continued touring as The Legendary Dukes, who are active as of 2007, which marks 50 years since the group's origin. The original organist, Ralph Gillotte, died in 1999. Ron Alberts retired in 2004. Eric “Mitty” Moore retired as front man and lead singer of the Legendary Dukes on January 1st, 2011 after 25 years with the band. Trombone player David DeWitt retired on September 10th, 2011 after 16 years with the Legendary Dukes. He had been the primary business manager and horn section leader for the group creating complex and often intricate horn arrangements for the band. However, the group continues with new members, and has toured as far as Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
, and Kansas City
Kansas City, Kansas
Kansas City is the third-largest city in the state of Kansas and is the county seat of Wyandotte County. It is a suburb of Kansas City, Missouri, and is the third largest city in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. The city is part of a consolidated city-county government known as the "Unified...
. The Legendary Dukes have recorded two more CDs since the reformation of the band; Committed To Soul (1994) and See The World From The Side Of The Road (2004).
Discography
- Wilmer and the Dukes, 1969, Aphrodisiac Records, APH6001 (included brass arrangements by a young Gap MangioneGap MangioneGaspare "Gap" Mangione is a jazz pianist, composer, arranger, and bandleader from Rochester, New York, United States.Born and raised in Rochester, Mangione's younger brother is Grammy-winning flugelhornist Chuck Mangione. Members of a music-loving family, both Gap and Chuck took up instruments...
) - Wilmer and the Dukes (Original recording remastered), 1999, Forevermore Records, ASIN B000005D6L
Songs:
- Living in the U.S.A.
- Count on Me
- Get Out of My Life, Woman
- I Do Love You
- Love-Itis/Show Me
- Heavy Time
- St. James Infirmary
- Get It (instrumental)
- I'm Free
- Give Me One More Chance
- Gettin' Over You
- But It's Alright
- Committed To Soul, 1994, Forevermore Records
Songs:
- Bring The Magic Back
- Baby, Now That I Found You
- One Way Ticket
- Rock Steady
- It Won't Be Wrong
- I Still Do
- Mountain Of Love
- I Got The Will
- You Are All I Need
- Obsession
- Happy Ever After
- Them Chancges
- "Bonus Track" - Whiter Shade Of Pale
- See The World From The Side Of The Road, 2004, self released
Songs:
- White Boy (Instrumental)
- Yellow Moon
- It's Your Thing
- What's Going On
- Give Me One More Chance
- Have A Little Faith In Me
- Evil Ways
- Jailhouse Rock
- Magic Carpet Ride
- Drift Away
External links
- Vinyl podcast
- Demon Music Group information
- Play history for "I'm Free" at WBBFWBBFWBBF is a radio station located in Buffalo, New York and broadcasting at a frequency of 1120 kHz on the AM band with a daytime power of 1000 watts....
- Metal Snowball Records information
- CHUM Chart for 1968
- Discussion of the single "Living In The USA"
- Official Site for The Legendary Dukes, with a history of Wilmer and the Dukes
- Amazon reviews and sound clips