The Castaways
Encyclopedia
The Castaways are an American garage rock
band from the Twin Cities in Minnesota
.
Their first and only hit single
was "Liar, Liar". Written by band leader James Donna and Denny Craswell, produced by Timothy D. Kehr and released by Soma Records
, it reached number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100
chart
in 1965
. "Liar, Liar" is featured in the films Good Morning, Vietnam
and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
. The Castaways may be seen performing "Liar, Liar" in the 1967 beach movie, It's a Bikini World
. (Their followup, "Goodbye Babe" was another local hit, but did not become a National hit.)
The song is noteworthy for the scream that precedes a guitar-led instrumental segment between verses.
, Robert Folschow and Dick Roby on guitar
, Roy Hensley on bass guitar
and Dennis Craswell on drums
. Folschow contributed the distinctive falsetto
vocal
on "Liar, Liar".
In the early 1980s two members, Folschow and Craswell, led a West Coast version of the band under the name The Castaways in Pismo Beach, California
. Folschow, who was using the stage name of Bob LaRroy, played guitar and a keytar
on many songs, including "Liar, Liar", which had the distinctive piano intro/riff. The two had local musicians such as B3 organist Dennis Hayes providing additional keyboard and bass backup.
Bass guitarist Hensley died on 8 June 2005 and was buried in Fairmont
, Minnesota
. The Castaways continue to perform today, although according to their website (http://www.thecastawaysrock.com/), Donna is the only founding member still in the line-up.
Billboard chart history
Liar, Liar b/w Sam (Soma 1433) - #12 - 14 Aug 1965
Goodbye Babe b/w A Man's Gotta Be A Man (Soma 1442) - #101 - 13 Nov 1965
Garage rock
Garage rock is a raw form of rock and roll that was first popular in the United States and Canada from about 1963 to 1967. During the 1960s, it was not recognized as a separate music genre and had no specific name...
band from the Twin Cities in Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
.
Their first and only hit single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
was "Liar, Liar". Written by band leader James Donna and Denny Craswell, produced by Timothy D. Kehr and released by Soma Records
Soma Records (U.S. label)
Soma Records was an American record company based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and owned by wholesale record distributor Amos Heilicher. The Soma name was "Amos" spelled backwards. Heilicher, along with his brother Danny, was also in the jukebox business and owned the Musicland chain of retail...
, it reached number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
in 1965
1965 in music
-Events:*January 4 – Fender Musical Instruments Corporation is sold to CBS for $13 million.*January 12 – Hullabaloo premieres on NBC. The first show included performances by The New Christy Minstrels, comedian Woody Allen, actress Joey Heatherton and a segment from London in which Brian Epstein...
. "Liar, Liar" is featured in the films Good Morning, Vietnam
Good Morning, Vietnam
Good Morning, Vietnam is a 1987 American comedy-drama film set in Saigon during the Vietnam War, based on the career of Adrian Cronauer, a disc jockey on Armed Forces Radio Service , who proves hugely popular with the troops serving in South Vietnam, but infuriates his superiors with what they call...
and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels is a 1998 British crime film directed and written by Guy Ritchie. The story is a heist film involving a self-confident young card sharp who loses £500,000 to a powerful crime lord in a rigged game of three card brag...
. The Castaways may be seen performing "Liar, Liar" in the 1967 beach movie, It's a Bikini World
It's a Bikini World
It's a Bikini World is an American musical comedy film released in 1967 starring Tommy Kirk, Deborah Walley and Bobby "Boris" Pickett of "Monster Mash" fame. The film features cameos by the music groups The Gentrys, The Animals, Pat & Lolly Vegas, The Castaways and R&B girl group The Toys...
. (Their followup, "Goodbye Babe" was another local hit, but did not become a National hit.)
The song is noteworthy for the scream that precedes a guitar-led instrumental segment between verses.
Band history
The original members were James Donna on keyboardsKeyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, Robert Folschow and Dick Roby on guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, Roy Hensley on bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
and Dennis Craswell on drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
. Folschow contributed the distinctive falsetto
Falsetto
Falsetto is the vocal register occupying the frequency range just above the modal voice register and overlapping with it by approximately one octave. It is produced by the vibration of the ligamentous edges of the vocal folds, in whole or in part...
vocal
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
on "Liar, Liar".
In the early 1980s two members, Folschow and Craswell, led a West Coast version of the band under the name The Castaways in Pismo Beach, California
Pismo Beach, California
Pismo Beach is a city in San Luis Obispo County, California, United States. The population was 7,655 at the 2010 census, down from 8,551 at the 2000 census...
. Folschow, who was using the stage name of Bob LaRroy, played guitar and a keytar
Keytar
A keytar is a relatively lightweight keyboard that is supported by a strap around the neck and shoulders, similar to the way a guitar is supported by a strap. Keytars allow players a greater range of movement compared to conventional keyboards, which are placed on stands...
on many songs, including "Liar, Liar", which had the distinctive piano intro/riff. The two had local musicians such as B3 organist Dennis Hayes providing additional keyboard and bass backup.
Bass guitarist Hensley died on 8 June 2005 and was buried in Fairmont
Fairmont, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 10,889 people and 2,962 families residing in the city. The population density was 747.5 people per square mile . There were 5,036 housing units at an average density of 345.7 per square mile...
, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
. The Castaways continue to perform today, although according to their website (http://www.thecastawaysrock.com/), Donna is the only founding member still in the line-up.
Billboard chart history
Liar, Liar b/w Sam (Soma 1433) - #12 - 14 Aug 1965
Goodbye Babe b/w A Man's Gotta Be A Man (Soma 1442) - #101 - 13 Nov 1965