Band Members :
- Mike Love -- drums, percussion (1963-71)
- Ray Mills -- lead guitar (1963-71)
- Bobby Sims -- rhythm guitar (1963-68)
- Bobby Stampley -- bass (1963-71)
- Joe Stampley -- vocals, keyboards (1963-71)
- Ronnie Weiss - guitar
- Jim Woodfield -- guitar (replaced Bobby Sims) (1968-71)
Related acts :
- Mouse and the Traps (Ronnie Weiss)
- Rio Grande (Ronnie Weiss)
- Joe Stampley (solo efforts)
Bio :
Years before Joe Stampley began his ascent to country stardom, he
fronted a Louisiana rock band, the Uniques, who were quite popular in
the South, although national attention eluded them. The group were
ironically named in light of their failure to establish a truly
distinctive style. They were adept at blue-eyed soul, covering William
Bell's "You Don't Miss Your Water" and Art Neville's "All These
Things," landing a huge regional hit with the latter tune. They were
also capable of waxing good, original, Southern-flavored pop-rock,
especially on "Not Too Long Ago," another big Southern hit. And, oddly
enough, they also did an all-out, raunchy, R&B-hued garage-band
stomp, "You Ain't Tuff," which gives the band a somewhat misleading
image among garage band collectors.
The Uniques, when it came down to it, were a band content to
deliver whatever the audiences wanted. That was an asset as far as
finding live work, and most likely a hindrance in carving a significant
creative niche for themselves. While they couldn't be considered a
significant group, they were capable of crafting some enjoyable, if
diffuse, singles. Joe Stampley's vocals were also admirably versatile
and expressive, if not as soulful as one of his main regional rivals,
John Fred. Most rock listeners will agree that the best Uniques records
outshine Stampley's solo work by the length of a football field.
~Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide
The Uniques - 1966 - Uniquely Yours Paula LPM/LPS-2190
In this day and age if they're recognized at all, Louisiana's The
Uniques can probably trace that recognition to the fact lead
singer/keyboardist Joe Stampley's successes as a country artist. That
said, most folks including Stampley fans probably don't realize that he
started his musical career as a member of a talented garage/blue-eyed
soul quintet.
Fromed in 1963 and fronted by singer/keyboardist Stampley and his
bass playing brother Bobby, the rest of the band consisted of drummer
Mike Love, lead guitarist Ray Mills and rhythm guitarist Bobby Sims.
Playing a mix of garage, soul and pop material the band apparently
became quite popular touring throughout Louisiana, Arkansas, and
Eastern Texas, eventually attracting the attention of the Shreveport,
Louisiana-based Paula Records. Signed in 1965 by Paula, over the next
year they released a string of singles:
- 1965's 'Not Too Long Ago' b/w 'Fast Way of Living' (Paula catalog number 219)
- 1965's 'Too Good To Be True' b/w 'Never Been In Love' (Paula catalog number 222)
- 1965's 'Lady's Man' b/w 'Bolivar' (Paula catalog number 227).
While none of the singles was a breakout hit, Paula management was
happy enough with the results to finance an album. Released in 1966,
"Uniquely Yours" featured a mixture of garage, blue-eyed soul, and
sappy MOR pop. About half of the selections were band originals
credited to Joe. As lead singer Stampley was also quite good. His voice
wasn't the most distinctive instrument you've ever heard, but it was
commercial and quite versatile, allowing him to easily navigate between
the band's diverse catalog. Certainly not a big surprise, the group
were at their best on blue-eyed soul numbers and tougher,
garage-influenced songs like the harmonica-propelled opener 'You Ain't
Tuff', their cover of Roy Head's 'Treat Her Right', 'Fast Way of
Living' and 'Strange' (which should've been a big radio hit). In
contrast their more commercial numbers like 'From Heaven To a
Heartbreak', 'Not Too Long Ago', and 'Never Been In Love Before'
sounded prefabricated and rather lame. The funny thing about this
record was that with the exception of their cover of 'House of the
Rising Sun' (which was notable for Stampley's weird clipped vocals and
clumsy performance), nothing here was exceptional. None of the songs
were particularly original and there wasn't a single over-the-top
performance to knock you over. At the same time the album had more than
it's share of charm and appeal, leaving you with the impression these
guys were probably loads of fun to have seen in a club setting. Paula
also tapped the album for a pair of singles:
- 1966's 'Strange' b/w 'You Ain't Tough' (Paula catalog number 231)
- 1966's 'All These Things' b/w 'Tell Me What To Do' (Paula catalog number 238)
In case anyone cared, Lloyd Thaxton contributed some of the dullest liner notes you'll ever read.
Info from : http://www.geocities.com/badcatrecords/UNIQUES.htm
Tracks : A1 You Ain't Tuff (K. Henderson - L. Puckett) - 2:19
A2 From Heaven To a Heartbreak (P. Davidson - Dale Hawkins) - 2:0
A3 Midnight Hour (Steve Cropper - Wilson Pickett) - 2:09
A4 All These Things (N. Neville) - 3:58
A5 Not Too Long Ago (Joe Stampley - M. Kilgore) - 2:21
A6 Fast Way of Living (R.C. Stampley - J. Rhodes) - 2:30
B1 Treat Her Right (R. Head) - 2:48
B2 Georgia (On My Mind) (Hoagie Carmichael - S. Gorrel) - 3:04
B3 Strange (Joe Stampley - R.C. Stampley) - 2:09
B4 Never Been In Love Before (Joe Stampley) - 1:50
B5 Don't Be a Fool (J. Carr - Joe Stampley) - 1:54
B6 House of the Rising Sun (traditional - arranged by Joe Stampley - S. Lewis) - 3:07
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