Wilmer & the Dukes

". The group disbanded in 1974, but came back together for some benefit concerts in 1988, and has continued playing since then, with the last remaining of the original members, Ron Alberts, retiring in 2004. With replacement members, the new version of the band continues to perform as of 2007, as The Legendary Dukes. [http://thelegendarydukes.iis3.zaks.com/default.html]

History

The band originated in 1957 in Geneva, New York, formed by Wilmer Alexander Jr. (born c. 1943), Ron Alberts, and Ralph Gillotte. Except for Wilmer, all of the members were white, which made the band stand out even more in some of the all-black clubs that they first played in. The Alexanders lived on Wadsworth Street in Geneva, and the band used to practice at one of the garages owned by the Felice Trucking Company on Kirkwood Ave.

Wilmer sang and played saxophone, and the band was managed by Ebo Alberts, the father of the drummer, Ronnie Alberts, and the bassist, Monte Alberts. The guitarist, Doug Brown, was from the South and played Stevie Cropper-style. Ralph "Duke" Gillotte was the keyboardist and additional vocalist.

They were primarily a cover band, playing other people's material, such as by Steve Miller and The Rolling Stones. Other music was from Sam and Dave and there were also sax-based hits such as those originated by Junior Walker and the All-Stars. One of their most popular covers was Lee Dorsey's "Get Out of My Life Woman" (a song that was covered by dozens of other bands as well).

Local venues

. In 1964 and 1965, they appeared regularly at parties sponsored by the Social Lions, a legendary secret society at Niagara University in Lewiston, New York.

One club which helped them reach legendary status was "The Inferno" in Williamsville, New York, a suburb of Buffalo. Every Wednesday night, long lines of fans formed through Glen Park and over the bridge on Glen Avenue, many waiting for hours to get into the sold-out Inferno. Wilmer & the Dukes would play such cover songs as "Reach Out" and "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)" by the Four Tops, "Shotgun" & "Road Runner" by Junior Walker & the All Stars, and "Baby Let Me Bang Your Box" by Doug Clark and the Hot Nuts. The crowd would be in a frenzy by the time Wilmer & the Dukes closed each set with "Reach Out". Other legendary acts they opened for included Wilson Pickett and Sly & the Family Stone. Another of their venues was a bowling alley, Clover Lanes in Rochester. The lanes would be covered over with a temporary wooden stage, Wilmer and the Dukes would play an opening set, and then a national act such as Tommy James and the Shondells, Freddie and the Dreamers, or The Association would be the headliner.

It was at the "Holiday Bar and Grille" in 1963 that they were first heard by Eric Bloom, local college student and future lead singer of "Blue Öyster Cult". He became a loyal fan of the band, attending over 100 performances, and stayed close with them for years. In 1967, his own student band "Lost and Found" opened for the Dukes when they played at his campus, Hobart College, and they also came to perform at his fraternity, Tau Kappa Epsilon.

In the early 70s the band played several gigs at the legendary, albeit, shortlived The Warehouse, in Kirkwood, N.Y.

Recording history

The band's first single was an original dance track by guitarist Brown called "Give Me One More Chance", and was released in the spring of 1968. It got heavy play on stations in upper New York state and upper Pennsylvania, and was a top 40 hit in several East Coast markets -- and also, oddly, in Phoenix, Arizona and Bakersfield, California. [http://www.las-solanas.com/arsa/charts_item.php?hsid=3430] . However, nationally the record only peaked at #78 in Cashbox (in June), and as #80 in Billboard (in July).

Curiously, "Give Me One More Chance" was actually a slightly bigger hit in Canada than in the band's home country, peaking at #63 on the RPM charts in July 1968. [http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?brws_s=1&file_num=nlc008388.5849&volume=9&issue=21&issue_dt=July%2020%201968&type=1&interval=24&PHPSESSID=k115feon7o3il1c8nj0k768qt1] In Toronto, the single reached #18 on the CHUM chart in June, 1968. [http://www.1050chum.com/index_chumcharts.aspx?artist=8854] , and hit #8 at rival station CKEY. This would be the only Canadian chart action for the band, which at the time was billed as Wilmer Alexander, Jr., and the Dukes.

A 1968 follow-up single, "Heavy Time", failed to chart. However, the single's b-side, the Jagger/Richards composition "I'm Free", did chart in the top 30 on radio stations in both Syracuse and Rochester. This same song would much later be a hit for the Soup Dragons.

The band's one album (credited to Wilmer and the Dukes) was released in 1969 by Aphrodisiac Records, out of Buffalo. Estimates are that it sold over 600,000 copies, achieving gold status. Fact|date=February 2007 The album featured "Give Me One More Chance", "Heavy Time" and "I'm Free", as well as the band's final single, "Living In The USA", written by Steve Miller. Released in the summer of 1969, "Living In The USA" was another regional hit for the band in upper New York state (and also a top 40 hit in Detroit) [http://www.las-solanas.com/arsa/charts_item.php?hsid=19563] , but the song only made it to #114 on the Billboard charts, and failed to break out nationally beyond these markets.

Their manager later brought them to Detroit, but their work never really caught on outside of the lower Great Lakes region. Still, although the original members never recorded after 1969, their live shows were a consistent draw in upper New York state, and Wilmer and the Dukes gigged steadily in and around Rochester and Buffalo until they broke up in 1974.

In 1988, the group reformed for a series of sold out benefit concerts to help pay some medical bills for the ailing Wilmer. Thereafter, various members have continued touring as The Legendary Dukes, who are active as of 2007, which marks 50 years since the group's origin. The original organist, Ralph Gillotte, passed away in 1999. Ron Alberts retired in 2004. However, the group continues with new members, and has toured as far as Houston, Texas, and Kansas City. [ [http://www.thelegendarydukes.com The Legendary Dukes ] ] The Legendary Dukes have recorded two more CDs since the reformation of the band. The 1994 CD "Committed To Soul" (on Forevermore Records) has a slightly "softer" edge to it, while the self produced 2004 release "See The World From The Side Of The Road", returned to the harder, energy laden sound of the original band with current line-up adding a decidedly more modern approach to it.

Discography

* "Wilmer and the Dukes", 1969, Aphrodisiac Records, APH6001 (included brass arrangements by a young Gap Mangione)
* "Wilmer and the Dukes" (Original recording remastered), 1999, Forevermore Records, ASIN B000005D6L

Songs:
* Living in the U.S.A.
* Count on Me
* Get Out of My Life, Woman
* I Do Love You
* Love-Itis/Show Me
* Heavy Time
* St. James Infirmary
* Get It (instrumental)
* I'm Free
* Give Me One More Chance
* Gettin' Over You
* But It's Alright

The Legendary Dukes (1994) Committed To Soul (Forevermore Records)Songs:
*Bring The Magic Back
*Baby, Now That I Found You
*One Way Ticket
*Rock Steady
*It Won't Be Wrong
*I Still Do
*Mountain Of Love
* I Got The Will
*You Are All I Need
*Obsession
*Happy Ever After
*Them Chancges
*"Bonus Track" - Whiter Shade Of Pale

The Legendary Dukes (2004) See The World From The Side Of The Road (self Produced)Songs:
*White Boy (Instrumental)
*Yellow Moon
*It's Your Thing
*What's Going On
*Give Me One More Chance
*Have A Little Faith In Me
*Evil Ways
*Jailhouse Rock
*Magic Carpet Ride
*Drift Away

Notes

References

* [http://www.ericbloom.net Eric Bloom's biography]
* [http://vinylpodcast.com/?p=39 Vinyl podcast]
* [http://home.rochester.rr.com/wls1/hof1960s.html Rochester Rock 'n' Roll Discography for the 1960s]
* [http://www.demonmusicgroup.co.uk/content/648.chtml Demon Music Group information]
* [http://www.las-solanas.com/arsa/charts_item.php?hsid=13711 Play history for "I'm Free"] at WBBF
* [http://www.metalsnowball.com/testsite.html Metal Snowball Records information]
* [http://www.1050chum.com/index_chumcharts.aspx?artist=8854 CHUM Chart for 1968]
* [http://funky16corners.wordpress.com/2007/01/11/wilmer-the-dukes-living-in-the-usa/ Discussion of the single "Living In The USA"]
* [http://thelegendarydukes.iis3.zaks.com/history.htm Official Site for The Legendary Dukes, with a history of Wilmer and the Dukes]

External links

* [http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000005D6L Amazon reviews and sound clips]