“My generation’s music is still pertinent and important to our generation which is the largest group of humans. Our generation still controls/affects much of what is happening in the world so what we experienced still has an effect. Many of the cultural shifts we went through are still present, but that is quickly changing.”

Garrett Oostdyk: Blues Rock Kaleidoscope 

In the mid 1960s Champaign became the epicenter of a regional music explosion and a Mecca for professional musicians. In March of 1968 the Finchley Boys lineup was established that led the way in blues-oriented and original progressive music. George Faber (vocals, harp), Garrett Oostdyk (guitar), Larry “Tabe” Tabeling (bass), and J. Michael Powers (drums), took their innovative sounds and dynamic stage show to new fans in virtually every college campus, concert hall, and teen center in Illinois. Other Midwestern states followed – Indiana, Iowa, Wisconsin, Missouri and Ohio – and then on to New York, Toronto and San Francisco. One of their most highly-acclaimed shows, reported on the front page of the Chicago Tribune as the concerts breakout performance, was as one of the top acts at the Kickapoo Creek Rock Festival. Joining them were Canned Heat, B.B. King, Delaney and Bonnie, among other music legends on that Memorial Day weekend in 1970. 

(Photo: Garrett Oostdyk of Finchley Boys, a legendary hard psychedelic bluesy rock band from Illinois)

Known for their great live shows and theatrical antics – including a live boa constrictor five years before Alice Cooper made it famous – the Finchley Boys were considered ahead of their time. They started recording in the fall of 1968 and throughout 1969. Those songs would not be heard until 1972 with the release of Everlasting Tributes. By 1983, already a top collector's item, the album would be bootlegged on vinyl and then CD. Several songs were culled from the recordings and added to various compilation albums and CDs. The popular album was bootlegged again on CD twice in 2004. Over the years, there have been several legitimate requests to re-release Everlasting Tributes and the band agreed to allow a re-mastered vinyl release on Anazitisi Records in Europe, a deluxe CD release by Parasol Label Group's Reaction Recording in the U.S. and recently an ultimate reissue of this classic hard-psych album by Catalonia-based label, Guerssen. Including two killer tracks that were left off of the original tracklist.

Interview by Michael Limnios

How has the music and Rock Counterculture influenced your views of the world? What moment changed your music life the most? 

Being part of the whole rock scene for quite a few years made it more obvious that music is the universal language. Whether playing at a rock festival, a college concert, bar, a teen music club, or a high school concert, the music, delivered with emotion, is a common denominator to us as humans.

How do you describe band’s sound, music philosophy and songbook? 

Live the sound was a loud full mix of unique drumming, big sound of an 8 string bass, blues harp along with distorted-echoplexed- wah-wah guitar. This stood out from the then current pop sound locally and on the radio. Studio sound was close to the same with some overdubs though songs like Restrictions and Outcast were greatly reduced in length.

Our backgrounds were mostly from 50-60’s rock with a lot of input from the Chicago blues scene plus Yardbirds, Stones, Animals. But we did a lot of jamming that we recorded which helped us create our originals. The jamming was influenced by some of the farther out music but also by George Faber’s extensive blues knowledge.  Our 1st gig was 2 sets and included 11 originals and songs like Hit the Road Jack, I put a Spell on You, Spoonful. (1/1/68 we hadn’t heard any Cream LPs so this was Spoonful our version). We played Spoonful. and Help Me Baby (Sonny Boy Williamson) through our last reunion concert 2019.

“The start up of huge music festivals exposing large groups of people to new music, psych drugs, pot, tarot cards, hippies, free love, and older music (blues) that seemed to resonate. With new freedoms came the freedom to expand pop music beyond 3 chords coming in at a minute and 50 seconds with the chorus in by the first 12 seconds.” (Photos: The Finchley Boys)

What keeps a musician passionate after six decades in rock n’ blues music?

I guess the old adage-being a musician is not something you do, it’s who you are.

I started on violin at 6 years old and grew up with my uncles playing guitar. I got my first electric guitar in 1965 and started a band in college. My next band, Somebody Groovy, started playing outside of Chicago into the Champaign area. That’s where I met George and Tabe and that led to restarting the Finchley Boys January 1968.

After a reunion in 2016 George and I started writing and recording new music and we’re still at it.

Why do you think that the Finley Boys music legacy continues to generate such a devoted following?

I think I understand the appeal of the band from seeing us live 55-60 years ago. Alternative music and looks delivered by a tight professional band were easily recognized. We had the hair, the clothes, the equipment, roadies, a snake and the sound people weren’t expecting but appreciated. This might sound weird but we were a full time band. People would ask what we do for a real job and were excited to hear we didn’t have any, and become fans of a group on the way up. (so it seemed) That put us at a more successful level in their minds and that made the whole scene pretty cool. It seemed like we were on an a musical adventure together.

As to why people who never saw us but like the recorded music, I’m not quite sure. We used to say (“we had the sounds the kids are diggin’) and maybe that’s still true. Maybe straightforward music with no digital editing or auto-tune has a place in this crazy current music world. I guess good songs and performances still hold up over the years.

“It would seem that the blues is the backbone of R’n’R. From that spine of chord progressions, passions, sounds a new music evolved. Certainly rock guitar playing is derived from that jacked up amplified sound but also from the tone and feel of the actual notes making a blues scale delivering the emotions of the artist. It is important to preserve the blues as a disinfectant for the spread of disco and its ilks.” (Photo: The Finchley Boys are George Faber, Larry Tabeling, J. Michael Powers, and Garrett Oostdyk c.1968)

Are there any memories from gigs, jams, open acts and studio sessions which you’d like to share with us?  

We had many many great gigs with crowds large and small but I guess two would stand out. The Kickapoo Creek Rock Festival is one. The festival was held less than 50 miles from Champaign where we and a dozen or so other bands were based. We had been opening for national acts for awhile so this seemed like it would be a natural for us as we weren’t a cover band. We had gigs out of town that Friday and Saturday and we were scheduled for Sunday. We left our motel a couple of hours away and headed in. When we got there the cops (state police) weren’t letting anyone in. Fortunately I had a signed contract so they let us through. Soon the stage manager wanted us to move up our time to get the crowd going. We had recognized many in the crowd before we started  and when we hit the stage the crowd went crazy. People as far as you could seen. Mid-set people jumped on stage and the whole event was a little surreal. The overall reaction to our performance from the audience and the press was amazing.

Second most memorable was opening for the Faces in Chicago. Now we had met Rod Stewart and Ron Wood hanging out after their Jeff Beck Group gig in Chicago. Rod had noticed George’s Finchley Boy button and said “what’s that, I’m from Finchley” So sets 1 and 4 were in front of small crowds so we played 1 and 4 with Faces playing 2-3. After their last set,, in the dressing room, Rod saw George again with a button. So after them talking awhile Rod and Ron came up and played the last set with us! All blues numbers. 

Studio session. Outcast at Chess Studios, Chicago February 1969. That Friday/Saturday we had gigs in Chicago so we stayed overnight and headed to the famous Chess studio. John Baruck had set up the session and he and Genevra Shirley came up to produce the session with Stu Black as engineer. I’d say everything went great as the results still sound good. I point this session out as it’s the only time we had a producer ,someone on our side of the control room window there. Without a third party in the control room we struggled with engineers not understanding what we we doing and how we wanted to sound.

“I guess the old adage-being a musician is not something you do, it’s who you are. I started on violin at 6 years old and grew up with my uncles playing guitar. I got my first electric guitar in 1965 and started a band in college. My next band, Somebody Groovy, started playing outside of Chicago into the Champaign area. That’s where I met George and Tabe and that led to restarting the Finchley Boys January 1968.” (Photos: Garrett Oostdyk / The Inmates, an early band of Garrett Oostdyk c.1965)

What do you miss most nowadays from the music of the past? What are your hopes and fears for the future of?

It seemed that there was always something coming out, a new sound, a new feel, something you hadn’t heard or thought of… I miss the sound and feeling of a bands working together to create a great record with great songs. Knowing that the players actually could play through a whole song without all the digital help tools. I really don’t listen to current music but my fears for music are that everything just seems like it’s just recycled stuff from the past.

What were the reasons that made the 1960s to be the center of Psychedelic Blues/Rock researches and experiments?

The start up of huge music festivals exposing large groups of people to new music, psych drugs, pot, tarot cards, hippies, free love, and older music (blues) that seemed to resonate. With new freedoms came the freedom to expand pop music beyond 3 chords coming in at a minute and 50 seconds with the chorus in by the first 12 seconds.

How did the blues shape rock and roll? Why is it important to we preserve and spread the blues? 

It would seem that the blues is the backbone of R’n’R. From that spine of chord progressions, passions, sounds a new music evolved. Certainly rock guitar playing is derived from that jacked up amplified sound but also from the tone and feel of the actual notes making a blues scale delivering the emotions of the artist. It is important to preserve the blues as a disinfectant for the spread of disco and it’s ilks.

What is the role of music/musicians in today’s society? What is the impact of your generation’s music on the sociology-cultural implications?

It seems that today's pop main purpose is to keep the kids happy and dancing. I’m pretty sure my parents felt the same way. My generation’s music is still pertinent and important to our generation which is the largest group of humans. Our generation still controls/affects much of what is happening in the world so what we experienced still has an effect. Many of the cultural shifts we went through are still present, but that is quickly changing. Fortunately, when statistically analyzed, our music still gets lots of digital clicks indicating importance to the current generations as well.

(Photo: Garrett Oostdyk of Finchley Boys, a legendary hard psychedelic bluesy rock band from Illinois)