Dean Kohler
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Dean Ellis Kohler is an American
rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...
musician from
Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. Most of Portsmouth is located on Portsea Island, off the south coast of England in the Solent, making Portsmouth the only city in En ...
,
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...
who has been active in various groups and as a solo artist since 1962. That year he formed Dean & the Mustangs, who later changed their name and recorded demos as the Satellites. In 1966 Kohler was drafted into the army as an MP in the
Vietnam War The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...
. While stationed in
Qui Nhơn Quy Nhon ( ) is a coastal city in Bình Định province in central Vietnam. It is composed of 16 wards and five communes with a total of . Quy Nhon was the capital of the former Bình Định province. As of 2022 its population was 481.110. H ...
, he formed the group, the Electrical Banana, who recorded several songs in an army tent, including two that were pressed into a limited number of 45 RPM records: one of the earliest known recorded covers of a
Velvet Underground The Velvet Underground were an American rock band formed in New York City in 1964. Its classic lineup consisted of singer and guitarist Lou Reed, Welsh multi-instrumentalist John Cale, guitarist Sterling Morrison, and percussionist Moe Tuc ...
song,
Lou Reed Lewis Allan Reed (March 2, 1942October 27, 2013) was an American musician and songwriter. He was the guitarist, singer, and principal songwriter for the rock band the Velvet Underground and had a solo career that spanned five decades. Althoug ...
's " There She Goes Again", and Kohler's original, "She's Gone". In 1968, when he returned from duty to Portsmouth, he assembled a backing band and recorded the single "Gooseberry Pie". Later in 1968, he formed the band, the Soft Light, who appeared weekly on a local TV show . and by the end of the decade the hard rock group, Mad Wax, who remained active into the 1970s. He chronicled his Vietnam War experiences in ''Rock 'N' Roll Soldier: A Memoir'', published in 2009. Kohler's recordings with the Satellites and the Electrical Banana are included on the compilation, ''Aliens, Psychos & Wild Things, Volume 1'', and "Gooseberry Pie" on '' Essential Pebbles, Volume 2.''


Biography

Musician Dean Kohler is from Portsmouth, Virginia and got his start in 1962 as the founder and leader of a combo, Dean & the Mustangs. The other members in the group were Joe Spear on rhythm guitar, Cecil Baines on bass, Billy Watson on drums, and Roger Thacker added as singer. In 1964 Roger Thacker left and Dean became the lead singer and still the lead guitarist. In late 1964 Billy left the group and was replaced by Lynde Gilliam on drums. In early 1965 Joe Spear left the group, and they added Cliff Eaton on keyboards and changed their name to the Satellites. At this time the group came under the influence of the
British Invasion The British Invasion was a cultural phenomenon of the mid-1960s, when Rock music, rock and pop music acts from the United Kingdom and other aspects of Culture of the United Kingdom, British culture became popular in the United States with sign ...
. In 1965, they recorded an
acetate An acetate is a salt formed by the combination of acetic acid with a base (e.g. alkaline, earthy, metallic, nonmetallic, or radical base). "Acetate" also describes the conjugate base or ion (specifically, the negatively charged ion called ...
of the songs "Will You Stay?", which displayed the influence of
the Kinks The Kinks were an English rock band formed in London in 1963 by brothers Ray Davies, Ray and Dave Davies, and Pete Quaife. They are regarded as one of the most influential rock bands of the 1960s. The band emerged during the height of British ...
, and "The Next Boy". These were the Satellites' only recordings. Their plans were interrupted in 1966, when Kohler was drafted into the army to serve in the
Vietnam War The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...
as part of the 127th MP Company in
Qui Nhơn Quy Nhon ( ) is a coastal city in Bình Định province in central Vietnam. It is composed of 16 wards and five communes with a total of . Quy Nhon was the capital of the former Bình Định province. As of 2022 its population was 481.110. H ...
, Vietnam. With the permission and support of his commander, Captain Richard Leadbetter, Kohler assembled band, the Electrical Banana. The moniker was chosen partially in reference to the front cover of the Velvet Underground's first album, ''
The Velvet Underground & Nico ''The Velvet Underground & Nico'' is the debut studio album by the American rock band the Velvet Underground and the German singer Nico. Released by Verve Records in March 1967, the album underperformed in sales and polarized critics upon releas ...
'', a lyric in Donovan's "
Mellow Yellow "Mellow Yellow" is a song written and recorded by Scottish singer-songwriter Donovan. Released in the US in 1966, it reached No. 2 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Outside the US, "Mellow Yellow" peaked at No. 8 in the UK in early 1967. Content ...
", and influenced by the book ''Fuzz, Acid and Flowers''. The group practiced and performed at military bases, sometimes wearing banana outfits. In 1967, they recorded several songs in an army tent in Qui Nhon including two that were included on a limited number of 45 RPM records single: one of the earliest known covers of a Velvet Underground song, Lou Reed's " There She Goes Again" along with the Kohler original, "She's Gone". One of the records came into the hands of the compilers of the ''Aliens, Psychos & Wild Things, Volume 1'' CD, which was released in 2000 and contained both songs. Upon returning to Portsmouth in late 1967, Kohler assembled a new group with the backing lineup of George Newsome on bass, Robert Craig on organ, and Johnny Johnston on drums to record his only official single in 1968, "Gooseberry Pie", for the Elko label, which was later included on '' Essential Pebbles, Volume 2'' in 1998. That year he formed the group the Soft light, who recorded several songs, including "Out-of-Sight", and appeared the television programs, ''Disc-O-Ten'' in 1968 and ''Saturday Session'' in 1969. In 1974 he created and produced a one-hour TV special that aired on the local NBC affiliate WAVY-TV called "Rock Me" featuring his band, Mad Wax, and other local bands. During the 1970s, he fronted Mad Wax, Dean on lead guitar and lead vocals, George Newsome on bass and vocals, and Tom Ryan on drums, a power trio that recorded an unreleased album. The band's name at first was Spectrum but after four months was changed to Mad Wax. In the 1980s and 1990s, he formed and led the 1950s/1960s tribute showband Big Bubba & the Blockbusters. He chronicled his Vietnam War experiences in the book, ''Rock 'N' Roll Soldier: A Memoir'', published by Harper Collins in 2009.


Discography


With the Satellites

*""Will You Stay?" b/w "The Next Boy" (acetate, 1965)


With the Electrical Banana

*"There She Goes" b/w "She's Gone" (limited number 45rpm, 1967)


With The Soft Light

Unreleased album of originals and covers recorded at D'Arcy Studio 1969


With Mad Wax

Unreleased album recorded at Brockington & Guess and Ambassador Studio 1974


Solo

*"Gooseberry Pie" b/w "The Next Boy" (Elko 3001, November 1968)


References


Bibliography

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Kohler, Dean Year of birth missing (living people) Living people American rock guitarists American rock singers Musicians from Virginia Garage rock musicians