The Banshees were students from Mills High School in Millbrae, a city in the San Francisco Bay Area of California. The band formed as early as 1962 as an instrumental group called The Black Knights, but changed name in 1964 when they added a vocalist. Their debut single was recorded in the recreation room of the local Presbyterian Church, and was produced by fellow high school-er Lou Dorren and issued on his fledgling Solo label in July 1965.
Presumably the inspiration for ‘They Prefer Blondes’, apart from the usual teen-beat band fixation with members of the opposite sex, was the 1953 film Gentlemen Prefer Blondes starring Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell, even if it was just the title rather than the film itself. The song is a vibrant, infectious rocker given a strong frat feel by Chris Guiver’s sax playing – and indeed he leads the charge in exemplary fashion on the break.
The
single was a local success but Dorren wasn’t happy with the quality of
the recording and so the follow-up was cut at a proper studio, Coast
Recorders in San Francisco, and issued on Solo in December 1965. ‘Never
Said I Loved You’ has a Merseybeat / folk-rock sound with strong
harmonica and harmony vocals; ‘So Hard To Bear’ is a moody mid-tempo
offering with the sax back in full effect.
In
1966 The Banshees were offered a recording contract by Mainstream and a
single was recorded in Los Angeles. This appeared on subsidiary label
Brent in November 1966 and was credited to The Ariel. I haven’t heard ‘I
Love You’ but ‘It Feels Like I’m Crying’ is an excellent up-beat,
melodic folk-rocker.
