The band members of The Family were as follows:
Singer - Rochelle Lara
Drummer - Louis Stephens
Guitar - Bobby Sizemore
Bass Guitar - Pat Flannery
While Rochelle Lara was singing in the band "Ginny and The Wolves" and performing in local Chicago nightclub venues her manager (Ed Bauman) landed a contract for her to record four songs written & produced by Bobby Whiteside. One of the songs recorded through this deal was titled "Face the Autumn". The song on the B-side to the "Face the Autumn" Forty-five is called "So Much to Remember". At the time of the recording, Ed Bauman went from being Rochelle's manager to being the manager of the band. Louie Stephens (drummer) joined the band for the recordings and remained with the band ever since. It was then decided to name the group "The Family". The Family stayed together for about four years during which they played one nighters and college gigs. Then, The Family changed their name to Raintree and recorded another 4 songs (Keep the Candle Burning, I Want to Give You My everything, Come Out Come Out & Blue Eyed Soul) under the Amaret label. Raintree continued to play for a couple of more years.
The recording of Face The Autumn sparked a friendship that would later on result in marriage. Louis Stephens & Rochelle Lara were later married and Rochelle took a new last name. Three exquisitely beautiful children were produced and they took the world by storm.
In 2005 Rochelle Stephens heard Face the Autumn playing on WDRV in Chicago during Bob Stroud's radio show. Later, in 2009 Louis & Rochelle discovered that Face the Autumn was featured as track #12 on the The Drive's (WDRV) Rock 'N Roll Roots Vol. 11 CD available at all Chicago area Borders locations.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZ_3aijCJ0k
http://www.amazon.com/Strouds-Rock-Roll-Roots-Volume/dp/B002W8Q6BA
http://www.wdrv.com/roots11.php
Well, at least the rockers who married turned out one exquisitely beautiful child (female that is) :)
ReplyDeleteI heard this song when first played in 1967 and it had haunted me since that time. I was really glad to find it again on Youtube.
ReplyDeleteHopefully a good haunted Gregg. Which YouTube channel did you find this on? I know there is one posted by the verycoolsound channel, but there was another one I saw about a year ago that went down since then. Was also wondering if you've run across it anywhere else?
ReplyDeleteWow, DrT,
ReplyDeleteSorry for the late response but I haven't been here in over a year! I can't recall which YouTube channel it was.
As for the haunting, it was a good one because it brought back so many good memories. Email for more info.
:)
DeleteThis is the link:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZ_3aijCJ0k
Someone wrote that Rochelle recorded as Rochelle and the Classmates on Betty. I can find no info on such a record.
ReplyDeleteWhat is Betty? Also, are you asking if Rochelle recorded as "Rochelle and the Classmates" on another album? Are you talking about an album, or just asking if she had another band name or stage name. Please provide more detail and send links and/or screenshots so I can better address your inquiry. Thanks!
DeleteThere doesn't appear to be a huge amount of info on this recording. Betty was the label the record was on and the song was called Ronny Boy. I've no idea of the b-side. A copy sold on ebay several years ago apparently. Rochelle then recorded two solo singles on the Got-Sue label.
DeleteI too was "haunted "by this song..all my niche experts said i was dreaming it..what a driving beat..
ReplyDeleteI lived across the street from Louie Stephens in Skokie, Illinois in the 1960's. Louie's younger brother Nick was a close friend. We used to go into the Stephens' basement to listen to music and I would sometimes play to the records on Louie's drum set. That is, until grandmother Nona came down the stairs to chase me off the kit! "Face the Autumn" was popular during the summer of '67, as I recall--just before our family moved to the Bahamas. I remember Nick asking Louie: "Is the record going to be released in the Bahamas?" I am glad that Louie and Rochelle married and often wonder what happened to Nick. Here's hoping that all in The Family are well!
ReplyDelete