Capture The Art Blog's

Greg Presmanes formed his first high school band The Echoes in Atlanta, Georgia. Drummer Doug Freedman was the other stable member ; others came and went until Presmanes secured the services of his cousin Bob Levinson, who renamed the group The Fly By Nights.

They recorded their sole 45 in the Summer of 1967. Just 300 copies were pressed with the band’s name spelt « Fly-Bi-Nites ». The top side is a fine cover of the Young Rascals Come On Up, with a danceable beat and great guitar bass. The nugget here, however, is the fabulous original Found Love, a dramatic pop-punker with hypnotic keyboards, dynamic bursts of guitar and dreamy vocals.

Presmanes recounts the band’s story in Psychedelic States : Georgia Vol. 1 liner notes. He left them in the Spring of 1969 ; the band continued, changed their names to the Solid Soul and shifted into funky RnB territory. They released a 45 on the local Lovett label which was picked up by the Capitol subsidiary 123.

Johnny Jones & the King Casuals

Peachtree 102

20433 - Soul Poppin
20434 - Blues for the Brothers

Johnny Jones was born in 1936, and by the early 1950’s was living in the hotbed of urban blues, Chicago. Over the years he would play with both Junior Wells and Freddy King. Jones would move to Nashville, Tennessee in the early 60’s. There he worked as a studio guitarist and formed the band the Imperial Seven.

The King Casuals (some references list ‘Kasuals’) were formed in Nashville in the early 60’s. Early members included Jimi Hendrix on guitar and Billy Cox on bass. It’s not clear when Johnny Jones joined the group on guitar and vocals, but there are references to Jones and Hendrix having played together (possibly as the house band on a Nashville TV show).

Sometime after 1965 Hendrix and Cox both left the King Casuals. Cox would reunite with Hendrix a few years later in the Band of Gypsies. Read more HERE

Southern Gospel Singers of Atlanta, GA
17851 – One Day I Got To Go Home
17852 - Last Mile Of the Way

Spiritual Knights
20135 ~ Send Down Power
20136 ~ Glad I'm Saved


The Soul Searchers :
Nobody Knows/Strengthen Me (NRC 377)

The Gospel Keys :
Jesus My Friend/I Got The Holy Ghost (NRC 524)

Echoes of Zion Singers :
Lord I Come To Thee/ A Prayer (NRC 612)