Years active 1964–1995 Genres Surf music, Rock and roll | Active until 1995 | |
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Past members Paul JensenThomas RameyLynn WilliamsLee KraftJohn Wilkin Members Bucky Wilkin, BB Cunningham, Lee Kraft, Paul Jensen, Lynn Williams, Thomas Ramey Albums G.T.O. Best Of The Mala Recordings, G.T.O., Sandy, The Complete Recordings (1964-1968) Similar The Rip Chords, The Hondells, Jan and Dean, The Hombres, Buzz Cason | ||
Ronny & The Daytonas were an American surf rock group of the early 1960s, whose members included Paul Jensen (vocals, guitar), Thomas Ramey (bass, guitar), Lynn Williams (drums), Lee Kraft (songwriting, guitar) and John "Bucky" Wilkin (aka Ronny) (songwriting, guitar, vocals), with contributions from others such as Larry Butler (organ), Ronny Clark and Buzz Cason.
Contents
History
The group was formed in Nashville, Tennessee in 1964 when Bill Justis (best known for his hit "Raunchy") became their manager and formed Buckhorn Music with the help of Wilkin's mother, Marijohn Wilkin, a country music writer. Signed to Mala Records, a sublabel of Bell Records, their primary contribution to popular music was in injecting country-sounds into the burgeoning surf rock scene. Their 1964 debut single "G.T.O." reached No. 4 on the Billboard Pop Singles chart. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc. A subsequent single, "Bucket T" reached No. 54 on the Billboard chart that same year.
After an album and tour in 1964, Ronny & The Daytonas had another hit in 1965 with a ballad, "Sandy", and an album that reflected a similar country-inflected surfer sound. In 1966 Ronny and The Daytonas switched to RCA Records and released a romantic ballad called "Diane, Diane" and the upbeat "All American Girl", both of which had some success on the charts. The band toured for a short time after this before disbanding.
The mid-1980s saw some interest in re-uniting various band members for a few engagements. The last known appearances of The Daytonas were at a concert in upstate New York on July 4, 1995., and at the Woodward Dream Cruise in Michigan in 2000, and 2002
As of 2004, Buck Wilkin Music publishing was licensing Ronny & The Daytonas songs for the U.S. and Canada, and occasionally published their music on 180 gram vinyl media in limited production runs.
Singles
1964
1965
1966
1967
Albums
1964
- "California Bound" (John Wilkin) - 2:14
- "Antique '32 Studebaker Dictator Coupe" (Jerry Dean Smith) - 2:05
- "Hot Rod Baby" (Smith) 2:02
- "Little Rail Job" (Wilkin) - 2:19
- "Hey Little Girl" (Wilkin) - 2:16
- "Bucket “T”" (Don Atfled, Jan Berry, Roger Christian, Dean Torrence) - 2:37
- "G.T.O." (Wilkin) - 2:30
- "The Little Sting Ray That Could" (Wayne Moss, Bobby Russell, Bergen White, Neil Wilburn) - 2:07
- "Surfin’ in the Summertime" (Wilkin) - 1:50
- "Back in the U.S.A." (Chuck Berry) - 2:16
- "Hot Rod City" (Bill Justis, Wilkin) - 2:05
- "Little Scrambler" (Wilkin) - 1:49
1966
- "Sandy" (Buzz Cason, Wilkin) - 2:47
- "Hold Me My Baby" (Wilkin) - 2:44
- "Baby Say No" (Wilkin) - 2:34
- "When Stars Shine Bright" (Cason, Wilkin) - 2:44
- "Be Good to Your Baby" (Russell, Wilkin) - 3:06
- "If I Had My Way" (Russell, Bergen White) - 2:55
- "Then the Rains Came" (Wilkin) - 2:41
- "Nanci" (Wilkin) - 3:11
- "Somebody to Love Me" (Cason, Wilkin) - 2:31
- "Come Into My Heart" (Cason, Wilkin) - 3:18
- "I'll Think of Summer" (Cason, Wilkin) - 2:58
- "So in Love" (Cason, Wilkin) - 2:23
Songs
GTOGTO · 1964
I'll Think of SummerGTO · 1964
Bucket "T"GTO · 1964