The Enfields

The Enfields
Background information
Origin Wilmington, Delaware, United States
Genres
Years active 1964 (1964)-1967 (1967)
Labels Richie
Past members
  • Marc Morgan
  • Ted Munda
  • John Bernard
  • Bill Gallery
  • Gordon Berl

The Enfields were an American garage rock and psychedelic band from Wilmington, Delaware who were active in the 1960s. They were led by guitarist and songwriter Ted Munda, and their style was highly influenced by the British Invasion and folk rock. They were considered the top group in Wilmington at the time and enjoyed several local hits, though they failed to reach a wider national audience. The Enfields broke up in 1967, but Munda went on to form the group the Friends of the Family.

History

The Enfields were formed in 1964 as merger between two Wilmington, Delaware bands called the Playboys and the Touchstones.[1][2] Ted Munda and Gordon Berl were members in the Playboys, and John Bernard, Bill Gallery, Robin Eaton, and Charles Jenner played in the Touchstones, a surf rock band.[1] Once the two bands merged, their lineup and roles were as follows: Marc Morgan on vocals, Ted Munda and John Bernard on guitars, Bill Gallery on bass, and Gordon Bell on drums, often with Munda and Berl on harmonies.[1][3] Munda was also the band's primary songwriter and the band's style was influenced by acts such as the Beatles, the Zombies, and the Beau Brummels.[4][3] They needed a name for the band and wanted to find something decidedly English, in keeping with the popular British invasion currently in vogue, so they chose the name the Enfields in honor of the famous British rife named after the city of Enfield.[1]

In 1966 they cut three singles released on the Richie label, beginning with their first "In the Eyes of the World," which became a big local hit, and was followed up with an even bigger hit with the folk rock-influenced "She Already has Somebody" b/w "I'm For Things You Do," both penned by Munda[1][4][3][5][6] By this time, the Enfields had become the most popular group in Wilmington, however their local success failed to translate into wider national recognition.[1][3][2] Their next single featured a ballad on the A-side, "You Don't Have Very Far," b/w the harder and more compulsive "Face to Face."[1][3][5] In early 1967 they released their last single "Twelve Month Coming" b/w the fiery rocker "Time Card," but the single failed to chart.[1][3][5] Disappointed with their lack of success, the group broke up shortly thereafter.[1]

Following the group's breakup, guitarist Ted Munda formed the Friends of the Family with two musicians, Wayne Watson and Jimmy Crawford, who had played in another local outfit the Turfs.[1][4][3][2] The new band had a jazzier and more progressive approach.[4] They went into Philadelphia's Virtue Recording Studios to record six demos, which came to the attention of Kama Sutra Records, but did not result in a contract.[1] On July 24, 1968 the Friends of the Family shared the bill with the Who, the Troggs, and Pink Floyd at JFK Stadium, but due to inclimate weather the show had to be halted.[1]

In the intervening years since their demise, the Enfields' work has come to the attention of garage rock collectors and enthusiasts and has appeared on several compilations such as Classic Sounds of the 60s assembled by Get Hip Records.[3] The Enfields' complete recordings have been anthologized on The Enfields/and early Friends of the Family, put out by Distortions Records.[3][7][8][2]

Membership

Discography

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 "The Enfields/The Friends of the Family (New England 60s Garage 1966)". Psychedelic Rock 'n' Roll. Psychedelic Rock 'n' Roll. March 22, 2009. Retrieved November 22, 2015. - This source has Gordon Berl's name spelled as "Bell," however other sources spell it as "Berl," which is the likelihood.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Patterson, Beverly (June 19, 2012). "Forgotten series: Ted Munda – The Enfields / Friends Of The Family (1993)". Something Else!. Something Else!. Retrieved November 22, 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 n/a, Jason (September 28, 2009). "The Enfields/Friends of the Family". The Rising Storm. The Rising Storm.com. Retrieved November 22, 2015.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Unterberger, Richie. "The Enfields: Artist Biography". AllMusic. All Media Network, LLC. Retrieved November 22, 2015.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Markesich, Mike (2012). Teen Beat Mayhem (First ed.). Branford, Connecticut: Priceless Info Press. p. 67. ISBN 978-0-9856482-5-1.
  6. ↑ Young, Morgan. "Mid-Atlantic Spotlight: The Enfields - She Already Has Somebody/I'm For Things You Do". On the Flip Side. On the Flip Side. Retrieved November 22, 2015.
  7. ↑ Unterberger, Richie. "The Enfields/Friends of the Family: Review". AllMusic. All Media Network, LLC. Retrieved November 22, 2015.
  8. ↑ "The Enfields/Friends Of The Family – The Songs Of Ted Munda". Discogs. Discogs®. Retrieved November 22, 2015.
  9. ↑ (I know the family--this is Elise)
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