 Though many remember only their 1967 hit "Happy Together,"
the Turtles were one of the more enjoyable American pop groups of the 1960s,
moving from folk-rock inspired by the Byrds to a sparkling fusion of
Zombies-inspired chamber-pop and straight-ahead good-time pop reminiscent of the
Lovin' Spoonful, the whole infused with beautiful vocal harmonies courtesy of
dual frontmen Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman. Though they hit number one in 1967
with the infectious "Happy Together," the Turtles scored only three more Top Ten
hits and broke up by the end of the '60s. Kaylan and Volman later joined Frank
Zappa's Mothers of Invention during the early '70s and also recorded themselves
as Flo & Eddie, but were on the oldies circuit with a revamped Turtles by the
mid-'80s.
Born within two months of each other in 1947 (though on
opposite coasts), Howard Kaylan (b. Howard Kaplan) and Mark Volman attended the
same school, Westchester High in Los Angeles (Kaylan had moved from New York as
a child). The two sang in the school's a cappella choir, where Volman soon heard
about Kaylan's instrumental surf group, the Nightriders (which also included
choir members Al Nichol on lead guitar, Don Murray on drums and Chuck Portz on
bass). Volman joined the group just before they became the Crossfires in 1963.
After high-school graduation, the Crossfires continued on while its members
attended area colleges (picking up rhythm guitarist Jim Tucker along the way).
The group finally got its big break in 1965 after local disc
jockey and club owner Reb Foster heard them. Foster liked the Crossfires so
much, he became their manager and found the group a contract with White Whale
Records. The sextet changed their name to the Tyrtles (an unveiled homage to the
Byrds, soon amended to the correct spelling) and recorded a Bob Dylan cover as
their first single. The song's fusion of folk with glittering rock & roll was
also lifted from the Byrds, and "It Ain't Me Babe" reached the Top Ten in August
1965, just three months after "Mr. Tambourine Man" had hit number one.
Moving from the songwriting talents of Dylan to the new "king
of protest," producer P.F. Sloan, the Turtles hit the Top 40 twice more during
1965-66 with "Let Me Be" and "You Baby," after which Murray and Portz left (to
be replaced by John Barbata and, for a short time, bassist/producer Chip
Douglas). Though the Turtles had appeared to run out of steam by the beginning
of 1967, the group stormed back with a song they'd heard in a batch of demos, a
surefire hit written by Gary Bonner and Alan Gordon. "Happy Together" spent
three weeks at number one on the American charts, and proved to be one of the
biggest hits of the year. The Turtles' next three singles were written by
Bonner-Gordon, and each hit the Top 20: the number three hit "She'd Rather Be
with Me" (which eclipsed even "Happy Together" in terms of international
success), plus "You Know What I Mean" and "She's My Girl." Chip Douglas, who had
arranged the horns on "Happy Together," left the group to work with the Monkees,
and was replaced by Jim Pons (formerly with the Leaves). Original member Jim
Tucker left the group as well, after a tour of dingy pubs in England caused more
than a bit of disillusionment about the group's lack of success.
Like so many other pop groups in the late '60s, the Turtles
felt they had to stretch artistically to keep pace with their more critically
respected rivals, and beginning with "You Know What I Mean," the Turtles'
revolving-door cast of producers and arrangers made their sound progressively
more psychedelic, though they were still much closer to the pop/rock mainstream
than to the era's premier psychedelic groups. The group asserted their rights in
late 1967, and self-produced the disappointing "Sound Asleep," which was the
band's first single after "Happy Together" to miss the Top 40. White Whale
Records demanded an outside hand be brought to the studio, so the Turtles
compromised by going back to Chip Douglas. The result, "The Story of Rock and
Roll," was shut out of the Top 40 as well, prompting the career-saving "Elenore"
in September 1968, which hit number six (the best placing by a single actually
written by the Turtles). The inevitable concept LP came in November 1968: The
Turtles Present the Battle of the Bands, on which the group attempted to sound
like (and even dress up as) 11 distinct bands -- one for each song on the LP. It
was an interesting concept, and a measured success, with "Elenore" to its credit
as well as another number six hit, "You Showed Me" (originally written and
recorded by the Byrds). Drummer John Seiter joined the Turtles after the
recording of Battle of the Bands, replacing Barbata (who had left to work with
Crosby, Stills & Nash).
After White Whale attempted to record Monkees-style, with the
vocals of Kaylan and Volman added to a generic studio backing track, the duo
rebelled and attempted to get back to the band aesthetic. Inspired by the Kinks'
recent Village Green Preservation Society LP, the Turtles recruited frontman Ray
Davies to serve as producer for their 1969 LP Turtle Soup. Two singles from the
album, "You Don't Have to Walk in the Rain" and "Love In the City," both failed
to reach the Top 40. Kaylan and Volman formed their own label, Blimp Records,
and signed a few acts, including folksinger Judy Sill, who wrote the Turtles'
last recording, "Lady-O." More wrangles with White Whale, on top of the lack of
chart success, had destroyed the Turtles by 1970, though. White Whale continued
to raid the vaults during the year, releasing old singles, a second hits
compilation and an album of rarities (Wooden Head).
Before the end of 1970, though, Kaylan, Volman and Pons had
joined Frank Zappa's early-'70s edition of the Mothers of Invention. (The use of
the Turtles' name or even their own names in a musical context was
illegal according to an earlier contract, so Kaylan and Volman appeared as the
Phlorescent Leech & Eddie.) Besides touring with Zappa, the trio appeared on
four of his albums from 1970 to 1972: Chunga's Revenge, 200 Motels, Live at the
Fillmore and Just Another Band from L.A. After Zappa was injured in an onstage
altercation, though, the re-christened Flo & Eddie toured with several of the
Mothers for awhile, and recorded five LPs for themselves between 1975 and 1981.
The duo also did session work, composed music for childrens' movies (The Care
Bears, Strawberry Shortcake) and broadcast their own radio show on L.A.'s KROQ
and later New York's WXRK. By 1984, the Turtles' name had reverted back to the
group, and Volman and Kaylan began touring with a new lineup as the
Turtles...Featuring Flo & Eddie. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide
Contact Grabow for more information or to book the
Turtles...featuring Flo & Eddie for your next corporate or private event.
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