Gary Lee Usher (December 14, 1938 – May 25, 1990)[1] was an American rock musician, songwriter, and record producer, who worked with numerous California acts in the 1960s, including the Byrds, the Beach Boys, and Dick Dale. Usher also produced fictitious surf groups or hot rod groups, mixing studio session musicians with his own troops (Chuck Girard, Dick Burns and others). These bands included the Super Stocks (with the hot-rod song "Midnight Run"); the Kickstands;[2] the Hondells with their No. 9 US pop single "Little Honda"; and others.
Gary Usher | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Gary Lee Usher |
| Born | December 14, 1938 Los Angeles, California, United States |
| Died | May 25, 1990 (aged 51) Los Angeles, California, United States |
| Genres | Rock and roll, surf music |
| Occupation(s) | Songwriter, record producer |
| Years active | 1960s–1990 |
| Labels | Capitol, Columbia, Together, Lan-Cet |
| Website | www |
The Ghouls and Dracula’s Deuce
editIn 1964, Gary Usher, already known for his work in surf and hot rod music, ventured into the world of horror-themed novelty music with a studio project known as The Ghouls. Rather than being a formal band, The Ghouls were a studio ensemble under Usher's direction, primarily recorded as a one-off for the album Dracula's Deuce. The record blended surf rock with horror-comic themes and featured a mix of instrumental and vocal tracks. Each song leveraged macabre humor, with pun-filled titles like "The Little Old Lady from Transylvania" and "Be True to Your Ghoul," offering satirical nods to contemporaneous hits by Jan and Dean and the Beach Boys.[3]
Vocalist Richie Burns, who had previously collaborated with Usher on Black Boots and Bikes, lent his voice to Dracula’s Deuce, often using a Boris Karloff-like lilt reminiscent of Bobby “Boris” Pickett’s famed “Monster Mash.” Tracks like “The Graveyard Shift” bore noticeable similarities to “Monster Mash,” while others, such as the haunting “Monsterbilly Heaven,” stood out as unique entries in the genre.
Though the record did not achieve mainstream success, Dracula’s Deuce has since become a cult favorite, appreciated for its mix of ghoulish humor and surf rock sensibility. Despite its niche appeal, the album remains available on streaming platforms and has a loyal fanbase that revisits it during Halloween.
Death
editUsher died of lung cancer at his home in his hometown of Los Angeles, California, on May 25, 1990, at the age of 51.[4] Survivors include his wife, Sue, three sons and a daughter.
Selected discography
editProduction
edit- Go Little Honda (1964, The Hondells)[5]
- Hondells (1964, The Hondells)[5]
- Hit City '65 (1965, The Surfaris)[5]
- It Ain't Me, Babe (1965, The Surfaris)[5]
- In Action (1966, Keith Allison)[6]
- An Esoteric Qabalistic Service (1966, Rev. Ann Davies with the Builders of the Adytum Choir)[7]
- Gene Clark with the Gosdin Brothers (1967, Gene Clark)[5]
- Younger Than Yesterday (1967, The Byrds)[1]
- The Peanut Butter Conspiracy Is Spreading (1967, The Peanut Butter Conspiracy)[5]
- Of Cabbages and Kings (1967, Chad & Jeremy)[5]
- The Great Conspiracy (1967, The Peanut Butter Conspiracy)[5]
- Present Tense (1968, Sagittarius)[5]
- The Ark (1968, Chad & Jeremy)[8]
- The Notorious Byrd Brothers (1968, The Byrds)[1]
- Waiting for the Electrician or Someone Like Him (1968, The Firesign Theatre)[5]
- Sweetheart of the Rodeo (1968, The Byrds)[5]
- Wackering Heights (1972, The Wackers)[9]
- Going Public (1977, Bruce Johnston)[10]
- "Sanctuary" (1984, Celestium)[11]
Songwriting
edit- "409" (1962, The Beach Boys)[1]
- "Lonely Sea" (1962, The Beach Boys)[12]
- "Ten Little Indians" (1962, The Beach Boys)[13]
- "In My Room" (1963, The Beach Boys)[1]
- "Beach Party" (1963, Frankie Avalon)[14]
- "Mag Wheels" (1963, Dick Dale and the Del-Tones)[15]
- "We'll Run Away" (1964, The Beach Boys)[16]
- "Comin' On Too Strong" (1965, Wayne Newton)[17]
- "The Truth Is Not Real" (1968, Sagittarius)[18]
- "The Blue Marble" (1969, Sagittarius)[19]
- "Don't Give In to Him" (1969, Gary Puckett & The Union Gap)[20]
- "(Friend)Ships" (1971, Gary Usher)
- "Sanctuary" (1983, Celestium and later Laura Branigan and the J-Pop artist Reimy)[11]
- "Let's Go To Heaven In My Car" (1986, Brian Wilson)[21] (Note - Gary Usher's son, Gary Usher Jr., played the guitar solo)
- "Christmas Time" (1986, Brian Wilson)
References
edit- ^ a b c d e "Gary Usher Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
- ^ David N. Howard, Sonic Alchemy: Visionary Music Producers and Their Maverick Recordings, 2004, ISBN 147685209X: "Ever since Usher's early surf and hot rod days, he had been creating fictitious studio groups such as The Super Stocks and The Kickstands, imaginary bands to sate the hungry surf and hot rod record-buying audience."
- ^ "Dracula's Deuce: Revving Through Gary Usher's Horror-Themed Hot Rod Record". buttondown.com. Retrieved 2024-10-31.
- ^ "Gary Usher; Co-Writer of Beach Boys Hits". Los Angeles Times. 2 June 1990.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Colin Larkin, ed. (1992). The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 2565. ISBN 0-85112-939-0.
- ^ "Vinyl Album: Keith Allison - Keith Allison In Action (1967)". 45worlds.com. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
- ^ "Ann Davies – "An Esoteric Qabalistic Service" (1975, Gatefold, Vinyl)". Discogs.com. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
- ^ "The Ark - Chad & Jeremy | Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
- ^ "Wackering Heights - Wackers | Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
- ^ "Going Public - Bruce Johnston | Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
- ^ a b "Celestium - Sanctuary". 45cat.com. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
- ^ "Surfin' U.S.A. - The Beach Boys | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
- ^ "Surfin' Safari/Surfin' U.S.A. - The Beach Boys | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
- ^ "25 All-Time Greatest Hits - Frankie Avalon | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
- ^ "Mag Wheels - Dick Dale & His Del-Tones | Song Info". AllMusic. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
- ^ "All Summer Long - The Beach Boys | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
- ^ "Coming on Too Strong - Wayne Newton | Song Info". AllMusic. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
- ^ "Present Tense - Sagittarius | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
- ^ "The Blue Marble - Sagittarius | Song Info". AllMusic. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
- ^ "Greatest Hits [Deluxe] - Gary Puckett, Gary Puckett & the Union Gap | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
- ^ "Let's Go to Heaven in My Car - Brian Wilson | Song Info". AllMusic. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
Further reading
edit- McParland, Stephen J. (2000). The California Sound - An Insider's Story. The Musical Biography of Gary Lee Usher. CMusic Publishing. ASIN B006VXTC3Q.
- McParland, Stephen J. (2013). The Brian Wilson Project. Berlot. ISBN 978-2954483405.
External links
edit- Gary Usher at AllMusic
- Gary Usher at IMDb
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