We were
organized by Dick Baker after his previous band, the Blue
Jeans broke up in 1961 or so. Our manager was Ollie Shell of radio
station KNEW. We released a single; ‘Little Laurie’, and it's flip,
‘Guitar
Movement’. The instrumental, Guitar movement, actually went on to have
more response, although the song ‘Little Laurie’ was to be the A side.
That song was actually done in studio by the Blue Jeans.
After I joined
the
Army in 1964, and both Ed and Jim left for other reasons, Dick
continued
with other musicians as the Trebletones for some years, I understand.
The Blue Jean’s
songs
‘Little Laurie’ and ‘Guitar Movement’... We used to sell the
record
at the dances we did. We also put up posters on telephone poles,
playing Wallace to Grand Coulee Dam. We did go on tour to the
Seattle
area once. Those were great days,
It's amazing
that
a couple of years then were so meaningful, and by now a couple of years
is a blink of an eye.
I also haven't
kept
up at all with any of the members including Dick. I only ran
across
entries regarding the Trebletones recently while surfing the web.
Jim Littleton
bought
a club in Spokane and his brother Ed became a pharmacist. Jim was bass,
Ed was lead. Of course Dick was drums.
I live
near
Adelaide, Australia now. It is good to hear from the past.
Larry
Wilson,
December 2009
Robin, Ed, Jim, Larry,
Dick
I joined as the
Sax
player after I graduated from Gonzaga Prep in 1964 and played with the
group till I went into the Air Force in March of 1966. We played
about a 200 mile radius of Spokane but not much in Spokane
itself.
There wasn't as much money in Spokane as there was in the outlying
areas.
Dick was on drums, I was on sax, Kenny Martello was on Bass, Dave
Barnett
was on rhythm and Jerry Lewis played lead. Garry and Dave have
since
gone on to the big band in the sky. I have not been in touch with
Dick. Ken has been a friend since the good old days and has done my
phone
work over the years. I even have two of the old posters that we
used
to put up on the telephone poles in the towns that we would be playing
in.
Dave Bailey,
Otis
Orchards, December 2009
I am Robin Knoke, known as "Little
Robin"
in those days. I used to play organ or piano with both the Zephyrs
and the Trebletones. I also sang, emulating Rockin' Robin
Roberts,
Kent Morrill and others... Dirty Robber, Geneieve and Rosilie were some
of my favorites. I also did a good job playing Floyd Cramer when
a piano was available.
We traveled around in my '48 Packard
hearse.
We did a lot of gigs at Idaho State
Line
Gardens and Silver Spur. At Silver Spur I often dressed in drag for a
falsetto
version of "Fever" - Fun times...
It's been 50 years but I was able to
locate
Jim Littleton, Dick Baker, and Paul Markham just last month.
Crap!
We're all in our 70's!
They're still hanging around Spokane
Valley.
Dick Baker was Best Man at my wedding.
After getting married, I formed a
band
in Pasco called "The Night Sounds" - but that's another story.
I live in White Salmon, Washington
now,
have a baby grand but don't play much anymore.
Robin Knoke, April 2013
