Ronny & the Daytonas

Ronny & the Daytonas
OriginNashville, Tennessee, United States
GenresSurf rock, rock and roll
Years active1964–1967, 1980’s-1995, 2000, 2002, 2015
LabelsShow Biz, Mala, RCA, Sundazed
Past membersPaul Jensen
Thomas Ramey
Lynn Williams
Lee Kraft
John Wilkin

Ronny & the Daytonas were an American surf rock group, whose members included John "Bucky" Wilkin (aka Ronny Dayton) (songwriting, guitar, vocals), Paul Jensen (vocals, guitar), Thomas Ramey (bass, guitar), Lynn Williams (drums), and Lee Kraft (guitar), with contributions from others such as Larry Butler (organ), Ronny Clark (studio guitarist), and Buzz Cason.

History

The group was formed in Nashville, Tennessee in 1964 when Bill Justis (best known for his hit "Raunchy") became their manager and formed Buckhorn Music with the help of Wilkin's mother, Marijohn Wilkin, a country music writer.[1] Signed to Mala Records, a sublabel of Bell Records, their primary contribution to popular music was in injecting country-sounds into the burgeoning surfrock scene. Their 1964 debut single "G.T.O." reached No. 4 on the Billboard Pop Singles chart.[2] It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc.[3] A subsequent single, "Bucket T" reached No. 54 on the Billboard chart that same year.

After an album and tour in 1964, Ronny & The Daytonas had another hit in 1965 with a ballad, "Sandy", and an album that reflected a similar country-inflected surfer sound. In 1966 Ronny and The Daytonas switched to RCA Records and released a romantic ballad called "Diane, Diane" and the upbeat "All American Girl", both of which had some success on the charts. The band toured for a short time after this before disbanding.[4]

In 1965, Buzz Cason and John "Bucky" Wilkin recorded the single "Bay City" / "Tiger A-Go-Go" as Buzz and Bucky. The single did not enter the Billboard Hot 100, but peaked at number seven on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart.[5]

The mid-1980s saw some interest in re-uniting various band members for a few engagements. The last known appearances of The Daytonas were at a concert in upstate New York on July 4, 1995,[4] at the Woodward Dream Cruise in Michigan in 2000 and 2002, and at The Baby Boomer Legends concert at "The Factory" in Franklin, Tennessee on April 24, 2015.

As of 2004, Buck Wilkin Music publishing[6] was licensing Ronny & The Daytonas songs for the U.S. and Canada, and occasionally published their music on 180 gram vinyl media in limited production runs.

Discography

Singles

1964

  • "G.T.O." / "Hot Rod Baby" (Mala 481) (#4)[7] (CAN #7)[8]
  • "California Bound" / "Hey Little Girl" (Mala 490) (#72) (CAN #37)[9]
  • "Bucket "T"" / "Little Rail Job" (Mala 492) (#54) (CAN #5)[10]

1965

  • "Little Scrambler" / "Teenage Years" (Mala 497)
  • "Beach Boy" / "No Wheels" (Mala 503)
  • "Sandy" / "Sandy" (instrumental) (Mala 513) (#27)
  • "Tiger A-Go-Go" / "Bay City" (Amy 924) (by Buzz and Bucky, John "Bucky" Wilkin with Buzz Cason) (#107)

1966

  • "Somebody to Love Me" / "Goodbye Baby" (Mala 525) (#115)
  • "Antique '32 Studebaker Dictator Coupe" / "Then the Rains Came" (Mala 531)
  • "Dianne, Dianne" / "All American Girl" (RCA 47-8896) (#69) (CAN #73)[11]
  • "I'll Think of Summer" / "Little Scrambler" (Mala 542) (#133)
  • "Winter Weather" / "Young" (RCA 47-9022)

1967

  • "Walk in the Sun" / "The Last Letter" (RCA 47-9107)
  • "Brave New World" / "Hold Onto Your Heart" (RCA 47-9253)
  • "The Girls and the Boys" / "Alfie" (RCA 47-9435)

Albums

1964


1966

  • Sandy (Mala 4002)
  1. "Sandy" (Buzz Cason, Wilkin) - 2:47
  2. "Hold Me My Baby" (Wilkin) - 2:44
  3. "Baby Say No" (Wilkin) - 2:34
  4. "When Stars Shine Bright" (Cason, Wilkin) - 2:44
  5. "Be Good to Your Baby" (Russell, Wilkin) - 3:06
  6. "If I Had My Way" (Russell, Bergen White) - 2:55
  7. "Then the Rains Came" (Wilkin) - 2:41
  8. "Nanci" (Wilkin) - 3:11
  9. "Somebody to Love Me" (Cason, Wilkin) - 2:31
  10. "Come Into My Heart" (Cason, Wilkin) - 3:18
  11. "I'll Think of Summer" (Cason, Wilkin) - 2:58
  12. "So in Love" (Cason, Wilkin) - 2:23

References

  1. ^ [1] Archived July 19, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ "The Hot 100 : Sep 12, 1964 | Billboard Chart Archive". Billboard.com. 1964-09-12. Retrieved 2014-05-24.
  3. ^ Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Discs (2nd ed.). London: Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. p. 182. ISBN 0-214-20512-6.
  4. ^ a b [2] Archived July 19, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2013). Top Pop Singles 1955-2012 (14th ed.). Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. p. 722. ISBN 978-0-89820-205-2.
  6. ^ [3] Archived May 18, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  7. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2015). The Comparison Book Billboard/Cash Box/Record World 1954-1982. Sheridan Books. p. 432. ISBN 978-0-89820-213-7.
  8. ^ "RPM Top 40-5s - September 28, 1964" (PDF).
  9. ^ "RPM Top 40&5 - December 7, 1964" (PDF).
  10. ^ "RPM Top 40&5 - February 1, 1965" (PDF).
  11. ^ "RPM Top 100 - October 10, 1966" (PDF).