Steve L. Daigle
“The Hidden Drummer”
Added by Michael R. Reilly, June 11, 2016
Updated 06/18/2016
Steve L Daigle – Hello Mike! Thanks for Friending me! It’s been so very many years since we were back at M.F.N.H.S. I see you like Music and History, two very important things to me also. I moved to Colorado in May of 71. Then back to Milwaukee in 75 to 77, then back to Colorado. So I have not seen very many old friends in decades. I still play Drums in a band, “Fishtank Piranhas” here in Colorado Springs. We’re playing in two weeks. If anything is filmed I’ll send it to you. (we’re just a cover band) I’m retired now with five Grandkids, three who play music, that’s nice. I think it’s great you’re the President of the Sussex-Lisbon Historical Society, very cool! You’ll have to tell me what you have been doing all these years. I look forward to any messages you send me!
Steve L Daigle – I’m always the hidden Drummer!
5/26, 10:26am: Mike Reilly – Early last year I began assembling the history of local music, mostly in our immediate area, but I know some Falls and Germantown, Hartland boys played as well.
5/26, 10:43am Steve L Daigle
June 15, 2016, Mike Reilly – Gary did not have it in his book that The Kyds formed from the Sounds of Society.Steve L Daigle – Really, I don’t remember exactly. We recorded the 45 as The Kyds but released it as the American Express. I’ll message you more information Mike.Steve L Daigle – Mike Reilly Yeah, Sounds of Society broke up when the other guys graduated in 68, I was the youngest member in that band. Then Larry Jones, and Rocky Dunst and I decided to reform a band with Michael White. The name, The Kyds, was a joke on the Young Rascals name when they became just the Rascals. For a very short time we were Captain Kyd and the Merry Kyds Klub Band, another joke on Sgt Pepper and the Lonely Hearts Club Band.
Mike Reilly – I suppose CKMKKB came before The Kyds?
Steve L Daigle – No, we were the Kyds first even though it was 68 and Pepper came out in 67, we were just goofing around, and remember the Falls was about a year behind the rest of the world! The person who would remember best is Michael W. White, (Mike White) he kept everything, Booking dates and places, were we ate on the road, what motels we stayed at, until we bought an old school bus, fixed it up like a camper. This was the Express, with Mike and I, Charlie Radtke and Ed Jakober. I’ll message Michael and ask him if he remembers what the name was.
Gary Myers – Thx for the bk mention, Mike Reilly. Since my bks cover recorded acts, I seldom mention any of the earlier, unrecorded bands in which members played. It’s a safe bet that members of the vast majority of recorded bands had previously played in other bands, perhaps even several of them, before having a record release.
Mike Reilly – Gary, I’ll bet you have tons of information on unrecorded bands/musicians that people would love to read/hear about! Didn’t you say some time ago you were considering releasing said info in a non-book format? It would be priceless!
Gary Myers – What I said is that I’ve combined all the info from both bks, along with what I’ve continued to learn, and I hope to make that available in some form while I’m still on the planet. Generally, I think the only significant interest in unrecorded bands would be from the people who were in them, or knew them personally, or remembered them for whatever reason. That audience would not include the record collectors as my bks do. IMO that would be a much more difficult audience to find/reach. It would also be way more difficult to find the info (without records, songs, artists, songwriters, etc as starting points). I haven’t tried to save info on any unrecorded bands/artists.
Steve L Daigle – The photo above is when we were still The Kyds. We changed the name to the American Express because we thought The Kyds was a pretty lame name to be on a record, but towards the end we were just called the Express. The name American Express came from a painting of an old steam train I had. The credit card company threatened to sue us for copy right infringement.
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Mike Reilly: Steve, I would like to add your information to our website under a Meno Falls music section. Would you agree to this and maybe be able to provide any early pictures, perhaps a copy of the records you made? could you contact any of your former MFHS band players for info? How about others from the HS, were there other bands/musicians/vocalists, etc?
5/26, 5:32pm
Steve L Daigle: Sure thing Mike, might take a few days to get stuff ready. Larry A. Jones is on FB, Rocky (Gary) Dunst` son also Rocky Dunst is on FB. Michael W. White is on FB. I’d need an address to send the record to.
5/31, 5:40p
Steve L Daigle: Hello Mike, I must admit way back in H.S. I didn’t know you very well. Now at our “old” age, meeting you here on F.B. I’m sorry about that. I’ve enjoyed your posts very much. It seems we share a certain point of view that some of the “kids” from H.S. and I do not. To get to know you now is better than never knowing you. Again, I need an address to send you the record Larry, Rocky, Michael and I did in 69.
5/31, 5:56pm
Steve L Daigle: Some of the Kids photos.
5/31, 5:58pm
Steve L Daigle: Some more photos of the Kids in Lime Kiln Park and some of the American Express.
Steve L Daigle added 26 new photos to the album: American Express — with Jakob Edmunds and 2 others.—
Steve L Daigle: It is with a great sadness that I write this. Today I learned of the death of a old friend of mine. David R. Gallupe is gone. David was probably the best guitar player I was ever lucky enough to have played with. In the early 70s we were in a band called “The Players”, but David’s story started long before that. We had both started playing music at a very young age. I had a bit of talent but David was a musical genius. With his fingers on a fret board, he could play anything from Mozart to the most blistering blues and everything in between. He was so much more than just a “Player” of music. He was music. David leaves behind his wife Tami, Palmer, his son and his daughter Jamie. I know David, somewhere your guitar gently weeps. June 18, 2016
Steve L Daigle: This must have been taken in 1968.
Tim Noble: What label were The Kids records on? I’m not familiar with those records.
Mike Reilly: After The Kids the band became The American Express and recorded on the Teen Town label down in Chicago at RCA. Correct Steve L Daigle?
Tim Noble: I thought the band name was The Kyds with a Y. American Express bass player Larry Jones is from Menomonee Falls. I only know of one record by them. One side was recorded in Chicago, the other in La Crosse. I’m told the horn section was from Jr. Walker & the All Stars. Steve, did you also play in the band Magnum Opus?
Steve L Daigle: Mike Reilly The A side was done in Chicago at RCA studio B on the same board as the Monkees used on their recordings. The B side was done in La Crosse, Wisconsin. The Guitar player was Michael W. White who has had a great career playing music both in Milwaukee and Nashville. After this all ended I moved to Colorado Springs for a few years then moved back to Milwaukee. Met some guys I went to High School with. Formed Magnum Opus with Peter Alt, Steve Fredrichs, Dennis Riefsteck and me. In 1976 we all went on a tour of Europe, based in the Netherlands. Unfortunately the tour didn’t work out too well and most of us flew back home. I stayed in Paris for a few weeks. Ultimately I moved back to Colorado where I still live. Peter and Dennis still play music in Wisconsin.
Steve L Daigle: Tim Noble, It was Teen Town Records in Thiensville, Wisconsin. The same label as The Skunks, Tony and the Tygers, Unchained Mynds. They had a small demo recording studio, a Booking Agency, and a nice club to play in. It all folded around 1970 but at 16/17 years old with a recording contract, a record and a tour bus I thought we were really on our way.
Tim Noble: Steve L Daigle Thanks for the info.
Tim Noble: Any unreleased recordings?
Circle Willis: Cool vintage kit
Steve L Daigle: It was a La Baz set made in Texas. I bought it at Capital Court Music store in 1966 for about $150.00! I traded it for a Ludwig set a few months after this photo was taken.
Sharon Fisher Pullen Steve, that is exactly how I remember you!? ❤️
Cindy Ousey: So cute!
Steve L Daigle: You took this picture in the basement of St. Pauls in Menomonee Falls. My one job with the Sounds Of Society. That`s Rocky`s keyboard on the right side edge. Then the band broke up and Larry, Rocky and Michael White and I started the Kyds.
Cindy Ousey: Steve L Daigle Yes I remember, so very well. Ahhhh yes….. <3
Cindy Ousey: Magnificent memories….
Sharon Fisher Pullen: Rocky and my brother Bob were really good friends so I spent a lot of time with him! Do you remember the name of the band my brother, Rocky and Greg Shoplas was named! ????
Steve L Daigle: I`m sorry but I do not remember the bands name. When I met Rocky and Larry Jones they were in the Sounds of Society. Larry and Rocky graduated in 68 so I joined them for their last job before some of the band left for college. What was your Brothers band name?