The Ardells
Encyclopedia
Steve Miller's Band
The Ardells was a band started by Steve MillerSteve Miller (musician)
Steven H. "Steve" Miller is an American guitarist and singer-songwriter who began his career in blues and blues rock and evolved to a more popular-oriented sound which, from the mid 1970s through the early 1980s, resulted in a series of successful singles and albums.-Early years:Born in Milwaukee,...
in 1961 when he attended the University of Wisconsin–Madison
University of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
. In the fall of 1962, Steve lived in a rooming house on Frances St. in Madison and also pledged the Chi Psi
Chi Psi
Chi Psi Fraternity is a fraternity and secret society consisting of 29 active chapters at American colleges and universities. It was founded on Thursday May 20, 1841, by 10 students at Union College with the idea of emphasizing the fraternal and social principles of a brotherhood...
fraternity on fraternity row near Langdon St. Steve taught another fellow student, Jos Davidson, to play rhythm guitar and then bass, and formed a campus band: Steve Miller and the Ardells. Steve was featured on guitar, vocals and harp, and played a version of Texas shuffle blues that hadn't been heard in the upper Midwest. Also featured in the band were a local 16 year old high school piano player named Brian Friedman, and a drummer who worked a day job as a manager in a local Kelly's Hamburger drive in. The band played mostly the University party circuit, plus a few gigs in Madison and local clubs and a couple of concerts and the Dane County Fairgrounds. Later, Davidson joined Corky Siegel
Corky Siegel
Mark Paul "Corky" Siegel is an American musician, singer-songwriter, and composer. He plays harmonica and piano. He plays and writes blues and blues-rock music, and has also worked extensively on combining blues and classical music...
and Jim Schwall
Jim Schwall
Jim Schwall is an American musician, singer-songwriter, and photographer. He is best known as a co-founder and member of the Siegel-Schwall Band.-Musical career:...
and was the bassist for the Siegel-Schwall Band
Siegel-Schwall Band
The Siegel–Schwall Band is an American electric blues band from Chicago, Illinois. The band was formed in 1964 by Corky Siegel and Jim Schwall , and still tours occasionally.-History:...
from 1964 to 1967.
Later, at the end of the 62-63 school year, Steve left Madison and came down to Chicago. There, Steve (vocals, guitar, bass) was accompanied by Boz Scaggs
Boz Scaggs
William Royce "Boz" Scaggs is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. He gained fame in the 1970s with several Top 20 hit singles in the United States, along with the #2 album, Silk Degrees. Scaggs continues to write, record music and tour.-Early life and career:Scaggs was born in Canton,...
(rhythm guitar, vocals), Micheal Krusing (lead guitar, bass), Denny Berg (vocals, guitar, bass), Ron Boyer (drums), Ben Sidran
Ben Sidran
Ben Sidran is an American jazz and rock pianist, organist, vocalist and writer born in Chicago, noted for his work with the early Steve Miller Band.-Biography:...
(keyboards). The group performed at local clubs in Chicago's Olde Towne and burgeoning blues scene through 1965 and covered a variety of song styles from the 50's and 60's, including Texas blues, rhythm & blues and solid rock 'n' roll. Three part vocal harmony by Miller, Scaggs and Berg was their trademark and made them one of the premier groups on campus. Steve Miller went on to form the Steve Miller Band
Steve Miller Band
The Steve Miller Band is an American rock band formed in 1967 in San Francisco, California. The band is managed by Steve Miller on guitar and lead vocals, and is known for a string of mid-1970s hit singles that are staples of the classic rock radio format.-History:In 1965, Steve Miller and...
, Boz Scaggs
Boz Scaggs
William Royce "Boz" Scaggs is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. He gained fame in the 1970s with several Top 20 hit singles in the United States, along with the #2 album, Silk Degrees. Scaggs continues to write, record music and tour.-Early life and career:Scaggs was born in Canton,...
has an extremely distinguished vocal career and Ben Sidran
Ben Sidran
Ben Sidran is an American jazz and rock pianist, organist, vocalist and writer born in Chicago, noted for his work with the early Steve Miller Band.-Biography:...
became a major force in the modern day history of jazz and rock & roll. Micheal Krusing settled down to have a family.
Florida Band
The Ardells was a band from West Palm Beach, FloridaWest Palm Beach, Florida
West Palm Beach, is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and is the most populous city in and county seat of Palm Beach County, the third most populous county in Florida with a 2010 population of 1,320,134. The city is also the oldest incorporated municipality in South Florida...
that had been together since 1959. They were originally The R-Dells (aka Ardells). Their name changed to The American Beetles in '64, and then The Razor's Edge in '66. They had one-off single as The Tones.