Ebb Tides

Columbus, OH-based garage outfit the Ebb-Tides formed in 1963--according to the book Fuzz, Acid & Flowers, singer/guitarist Don Kyre, lead guitarist Mike Wheeler and bassist Mike Whited were just 14 at the time, with 10-year-old drummer Dan Waldron rounding out the lineup. The group quickly earned notoriety for headlining a series of sock-hops sponsored by local station WCOL; while playing the 1964 Ohio State Fair, the Ebb-Tides were discovered by talent scouts from the local NBC television affiliate and invited to appear on the station's teen music show Dance Party. The broadcast exposure resulted in an invitation to join 1965's "Shindig All-Star Review," with the band backing tourmates Bobby Sherman and Del Shannon; that same year, the Ebb-Tides issued their debut single "Little Women," recorded in Nashville for release on the Clark label. The following year, Ben VanDervort--an insurance salesman visiting relatives in Columbus--was persuaded to join the band, assuming vocal duties as well as the stage name ‘Benny Van'; his influence distinguished 1967's psych-rock effort "Séance." The Ebb-Tides soon split, with VanDervort and Waldron reuniting in Tree; in 1970, VanDervort changed his name to J.D. Blackfoot, issuing a series of LPs under that name during the decade to follow. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide