Danny's Reasons

Danny's Reasons

Danny's Reasons in 1967.
Background information
Also known as Danny and the Night Sounds
Origin Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
Genres Garage rock
Years active 1962 - 1975
Labels
  • INC
  • Carnaby
  • Hand
  • Uncle Sam's
  • Great Hall
Past members Danny Stevens
Mickey Stevens
Frank Marino
Bob Gonyea
Ceedy Van Dusen
Carl Bradley
Jimmy Lawrence
Chuck Edwards
Ross Ingram
Steve Mauer

Danny's Reasons were an American garage rock band formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1962. The band, well known for a longevity which outlasted most garage bands of the era, released five singles throughout their recording career, including covers of "Little Diane" and "Under My Thumb". Although Danny's Reasons' popularity never precipitated to much national chart success, they performed regularly across the United States and have since been featured on compilation albums.

History

Frontman Danny Stevens (keyboards, lead vocals) formed the band in 1962, then known as Danny and the Night Sounds, with the first verifiable line-up including his brother Mickey Stevens (tambourine, conga, moracas), Frank Marino (lead guitar), Bob Gonyea (bass guitar), and Ceedy Van Dusen (drums). Initially, Danny Stevens directed the group to perform almost exclusively at private gathering, aside from some state fairs, for business and media figures in hopes of establishing connections in the music industry. As a result, the band earned an appearance on the region's first television show to feature live music, A Date with Dino, and were regularly scheduled at teen clubs such as the Vincent Van a-Go-Go.[1][2]

With the onset of the British Invasion, the band, renamed Danny's Reasons, evolved their musical style and their stage images between 1964 and 1965 based mainly on the work of the Rolling Stones, although the group also incorporated songs recorded by the Animals into their repertoire.[1] After hiring Bob Dylan's younger brother David Zimmeran as manager and Dick Shapiro as promoter, Danny's Reasons embarked on a Midwest and West coast college tour, which reached its pinnacle at the nightclub London Fog to support the band's sponsor, Gibson guitar, in Los Angeles.[3]

In 1966, Danny's Reasons released their debut single, a cover version of Dion's "Little Diane", on INC Records. Coupled by their follow-up, "Under My Thumb", on Carnaby Records in 1967, the two singles received enormous regional commercial success.[4] The B-side to "Under My Thumb", the band-original "Triangles", has been featured on more compilation albums than any other Danny's Reasons recording, appearing on albums such as Changes, Pebbles, Volume 22, and Essential Pebbles, Volume 2. Danny's Reasons' popularity rose still further with an East coast tour and an appearance on American Bandstand. The group closed out 1967 with almost a completely different line-up which retained the Stevens brothers, and included Carl Bradley (keyboards, vocals), Jimmy Lawrence (congas, vocals) Chuck Edwards (lead guitar), Ross Ingram (bass guitar), and Steve Mauer (drums). This configuration recorded the group's third single "One Eye Closed" on Hand Records.[1][2]

In 1968, Danny Stevens made a financial venture in the nightclub business, leasing a building in downtown Minneapolis to establish the Diamond Lil club. Inspired by the format in the Whisky a Go Go, the Diamond Lil catered to all ages and featured national acts, most notably Janis Joplin.[1] Two years later, Stevens closed the club to form another establishment in the city known as the Depot, where, on September 13, 1970, the live album Gather at the Depot was recorded. It encompasses numerous Minnesota acts, including Danny Reasons performing "One Eye Closed".[4]

The band released two more singles, "Young Emotions" and "Time", in the early 1970s, but they are not as highly regarded as their earlier work. Stevens continued to perform with variations of Danny's Reasons throughout the 1980s. In 1999, Cloud 9 Records released Danny's Reasons, a comprehensive album that contains all the group's recorded material.[4]

Discography

Singles

Album

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Danny's Reasons". minniepaulmusic.com. Retrieved October 13, 2016.
  2. 1 2 "About Danny's Reasons". dannystevensreasons.com. Retrieved October 13, 2016.
  3. ↑ "Danny's Reasons". psychedelicized.com. Retrieved October 13, 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 Shopteau, Dic (1999). "Danny's Reasons (CD booklet)". Cloud 9 Publishing.
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