Count Five
| Count Five | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| origin | San Jose , United States |
| Genre (s) | Garage rock |
| founding | 1964, 1987 |
| resolution | 1969, 1999 |
| Founding members | |
| John "Sean" Byrne († 2008) | |
Singing, tambourine , harmonica
|
Know Ellner |
guitar |
John "Mouse" Michalski |
| Roy Chaney | |
| Craig "Butch" Atkinson († 1999) | |
Count Five was a garage rock combo from San José, California .
Band history
John "Mouse" Michalski and Kenn Ellner founded The Squires in 1964 in San Jose. After a short time under this name and a few line-up experiments, John Byrne, Roy Chaney and Craig "Butch" Atkinson were permanently cast and they were renamed Count Five. John Byrne, nicknamed Sean, previously played in Dublin with The Scorpions. The band first performed in Dracula costumes. In 1966 they released the album Psychotic Reaction and that fall appeared on episode # 1748 of the television show American Bandstand , which aired on November 12, 1966. They then played several gigs, including with The Animals and Iron Butterfly , and appeared on American television. By 1969, they released several more singles when they broke up.
In 1972 the sampler Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, 1965–1968 , was released, on which Psychotic Reaction was recorded. The sampler increased the band's profile, and several bootlegs and re-releases of the debut album have since appeared.
The band got back together on April 11, 1987 for a reunion concert . The recordings were released under the name Psychotic Reunion Live . Atkinson passed away in 1999.
Roy Chaney and John Byrne have been playing together under the name The Count since 2002. In 2008, Byrne also passed away.
reception
Critics described the band as untalented, apart from Kenn Ellner's voice and occasional Michalski's lead guitar appearances. They had a top five hit on the US Billboard charts in 1966 with their song Psychotic Reaction , which is now considered a garage rock classic and has been covered by Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers , The Cramps and Joey Dee , among others & the Starliters .
Discography
Albums
- Psychotic Reaction (1966)
- Psychotic Reunion Live (1987)
Singles
- Psychotic Reaction / They're Gonna Get You (1966)
- Peace of Mind / The Morning After (1966)
- Teeny Bopper, Teeny Bopper / You Must Believe Me (1967)
- Contrast / Merry-Go-Round (1967)
- Declaration of Independence / Revelation in Slow Motion (1968)
- Mailman / Pretty Big Mouth (1969)
Web links
- Count Five at Allmusic (English)
- Count Five at Discogs (English)