The Revolvers from Lake Orion, 1966 to 1967
Where the Tales of the Wizard Began: A eleventh in a series of articles regarding Detroit’s lost rockers
--
The Revolvers: Left to Right: Harold Beardsley, Ted Pearson, Don Hales, and Stan Burger.
The Revolvers hailed from the Detroit neighborhood of Lake Orion, forming in the hallways of Lake Orion High School.
According to his brother, ex-Detroit area disc jockey and program director, Bill Pearson, the band’s founder, Earl “Ted” Pearson, excelled at sports — both basketball and baseball — from his Little League diamond days up through high school. As a star player for the Oxford High Wildcats, he was scouted by the Pittsburgh Pirates and the St. Louis Cardinals. A refusal to cut his long hair resulted in his dismissal from the team; a later shoulder injury ended his baseball career. He soon formed the Revolvers at the age of 16 in 1966 with his long-time music associate, bassist Harold Beardsley.
The Revolvers shared stages with the then local MC 5 and SRC, soon signed with Elektra and Capitol, respectively.
Image Right: December 22, 1967.
Image Left: November 4, 1967. The Rationals’ guitarist Scott Morgan came to join ex-MC 5 guitarist Fred Smith in the Sonic Rendezvous Band.
Rounded out with guitarist Don Hales and drummer Stan Burger, the Revolvers frequently appeared at Club Limberlost in Leonard, Michigan, just outside of Detroit. One of the Revolvers’ gigs at the Limberlost — which hosted many gigs by the more-established SRC, the MC 5, and the Rationals — was as a prestigious undercard to Panic & the Pack opening for a-soon-to-be-signed-to Capitol Records’ SRC.
While Stan Burger came to join the Shaggs, recording a one-off single for Capitol Records, the Ortonville-born Don Hales graced the stages of Lake Orion’s Royal Oak Inn and Waterford’s 300 Bowl with Jacob’s Folly (since confirmed in a March 2024 interview with Stan Burger as Jacob’s Kelly).
By 1968, with drummer Jim Roland (previous bands, unknown) and ex-Echoes from a Broken Mirror/Good Tuesday keyboardist Paul Cervenek, the Revolvers became the harder-edged Madrigal — managed by Bob Seger associate Joe Aramini. Along the way, Marty Blair, formerly of the Whereabouts (1966 to 1967) joined on drums.
Madrigal, behind the Silverbell Hideout, 1968. Left to Right: Ted Pearson (tree), Don Hales (bass), and Jim Roland (vest; drums), and Ray Campbell (guitars; keys). Courtesy of Tom Welscher.
Left: Future Walpurgis and Phantom (aka Walpurgis) drummer Marty Blair, then on keyboards, second from right, with The Whereabouts.
Right: A undated 1967 concert data with the Whereabouts at the Silverbell Hideout.
Walpurgis in 1973 at the gates of Detroit’s Cranbrook House. Left to Right: Ray Campbell, Harold Beardsley, Jim Roland, and Ted Pearson.
The band, sans Campbell, recorded the Phantom’s Divine Comedy effort, released in March 1974 on Capitol. Prior to Roland’s return, Marty Blair sat on the drum stool alongside newly-installed keyboardist, Russ Klatt, who appears on the album.
The new and improved the Revolvers, aka Walpergis, opening for SRC m, during the Paul Cervanek-era.
Upon more line-up changes — and with only Ted Pearson and Harold Beardsley from the original the Revolvers remaining — Madrigal became Walpurgis in 1970. Under the new moniker (for a time as Walpergis), they shared the stage with SRC on August 19, 1970, at the Birmingham, Palladium with Julia (a Bob Seger-associated act) on the bill.
Upon the return of Jim Roland, and the addition of ex-Downtown Clergy keyboardist Russ Klatt, Walpurgis signed with Punch Andrews’s Hideout Productions. Rechristened as Phantom by Andrews, they recorded the 1974 Capitol Records release Phantom’s Divine Comedy: Part 1. Marty Blair, now a drummer, was a brief, non-recording member of Phantom.
Ted Pearson at the Whiskey a Go Go with Iggy Pop, Ray Manzarek and Danny Sugerman, July 1974.
Ted Pearson eventually worked with Ray Manzarek and appeared at the infamous “Jim Morrison Third Anniversary Disappearance Party” at the Whisky A Go Go on July 3, 1974. After a stint with the touring solo band Mitch Ryder, Pearson fronted — under his legal name change of Arthur Pendragon — the band Pendragon from 1976 to 1983. Pendragon’s rosters featured Rick “The Lion” Stahl from Wilson Mower Pursuit and Sincerely Yours, Joe Memmer of the Free, and Jerry Zubal of the Kwintels. Late ’70s demos by Pendragon were recorded and produced, in part, by Tom Carson, formerly of the Lazy Eggs, at his music store-studio, Fiddlers Music.
Pendragon: Top Left, clockwise: Ed Lawson, Ted Pearson, aka Arthur Pendragon, Marc Kopchak (ex-Wildwood with Billy Csernits of Mitch Ryder’s solo bands), Bob Ellis, and Rick Stahl. Courtesy of Rick Stahl.
Image Left: Paul Cervanek with Good Tuesday, aka Echoes from a Broken Mirror: Left to Right: Dave Duncan, drums, Ron Connolly, bass, Paul Cervenek, keys, Keith McCurdy, guitar, and Kevin Ohl, lead vocals.
Image Right: Paul Cervanek with Walpurgis.
Three early concert posters for the Shaggs featuring drummer Stan Burger of the Revolvers. Left to Right: February 9, 1969: Village Pub, March 28, 1969: Village Pub, July 22, 1967: Grande Ballroom.
CREDITS:
Our thanks: David McLaughlin, publisher of the private-press book, Rockin’ the Limberlost, (2009), University of Michigan Press for the Revolvers’ flyer images, Tom Weschler/Bill Pearson for the photo and Gordon Jones for the roster information on the Revolvers, Stan Burger for verifying the Revolvers and Madrigal rosters and clarifying the Jacob’s Folly vs. Jacob’s Kelly confusion, Mike Delbusso of Splatt Gallery of Walled Lake, Michigan, for the Whereabouts and SRC flyers and Shaggs posters, Tom Weschler/Bill Pearson for the Madrigal and Walpurgis photos, and rock photographer James Fortune for the Whiskey photos.
The Revolvers, Madrigal, the Whereabouts, Echoes from a Broken Mirror, Good Tuesday, and Downtown Clergy recorded no singles. It is said the Revolvers completed acetates that were never officially pressed; any radio airplay given to those acetates, are unknown.
