Wilmer & the Dukes

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Wilmer and the Dukes (originally Wilmer Alexander Junior and the Dukes) were an American R&B band in upstate New York in the 1960s. Though they produced only a handful of singles and one album, they performed regularly, and had a dedicated following. One reviewer said, "In Geneva, there were two kinds of kids. Those who went to 'Wilmer' and those who didn't." They are fondly remembered by many of the college alumni from that area, and their music continues to be played today. They were also a major influence on other rising musicians such as Eric Bloom, the lead singer of Blue Öyster Cult, and they may have been the inspiration for "Otis Day and the Knights", the 1960s fictional band in the 1978 movie Animal House.

1 History
2 Local venues
3 Recording history
4 References
5 External links

[edit] History

The band originated in Geneva, New York, formed by Wilmer Alexander Jr. (born c. 1943). Except for Wilmer, all of the members were white, which made the band stand out even more in some of the all-black clubs that they first played in. The band used to practice at one of the garages owned by the Felice Trucking Company on Kirkwood Ave.

The Alexanders lived on Wadsworth Street in Geneva, NY.

Wilmer sang and played saxophone, and the band was managed by Ebo Alberts, the father of the drummer, Ronnie Alberts, and the bassist, Monte Alberts. The guitarist, Doug Brown, was from the South and played Stevie Cropper-style. Ralph "Duke" Gillotte was the keyboardist and additional vocalist.

They were primarily a cover band, playing other people's material, such as by Steve Miller and The Rolling Stones. Other music was from Sam and Dave and there were also sax-based hits such as those originated by Junior Walker and the All-Stars. One of their most popular covers was Lee Dorsey's "Get Out of My Life Woman" (a song that was covered by dozens of other bands as well).

[edit] Local venues

The band played from approximately 1961-1977 at various locations around Upstate New York, mostly on the college and bar circuit. Regular venues were The "Pittsford Inn" in Pittsford NY, "Club 86" in Geneva on Saturdays, and "Bristol Ski Lodge" in Canandaigua on Fridays. They were also regular guests at St. Bonaventure University, and known to play at the Gargoyle Park Pavilion in Olean.

One club which helped them reach legendary status was "The Inferno" in Williamsville, New York, a suburb of Buffalo. Every Wednesday night, long lines of fans formed through Glen Park and over the bridge on Glen Avenue, many waiting for hours to get into the sold-out Inferno. Wilmer & the Dukes would play such cover songs as "Reach Out" and Sugar Pie Honey Bunch by the Four Tops, "Shotgun" & "Road Runner" by Junior Walker & the All Stars, and "Baby Let Me Bang Your Box" by Doug Clark and the Hot Nuts. The crowd would be in a frenzy by the time Wilmer & the Dukes closed each set with "Reach Out". Other legendary acts they opened for included Wilson Pickett and Sly & the Family Stone. Another of their venues was a bowling alley in Rochester. The lanes would be covered over with a temporary wooden stage, Wilmer and the Dukes would play an opening set, and then a national act such as Tommy James and the Shondells, Freddie and the Dreamers, or The Association would be the headliner.

It was at the "Holiday Bar and Grille" in 1963 that they were first heard by Eric Bloom, local college student and future lead singer of "Blue Öyster Cult". He became a loyal fan of the band, attending over 100 performances, and stayed close with them for years. In 1967, his own student band "Lost and Found" opened for the Dukes when they played at his campus, Hobart College, and they also came to perform at his fraternity, Tau Kappa Epsilon.

[edit] Recording history

The band's first single, "Give Me One More Chance", was released in the spring of 1968. It got heavy play on stations in upper New York state, but only sneaked into the lower rungs of the national charts, peaking at #78 in Cashbox (in June) in #80 in Billboard (in July). The record was also a chart hit in Toronto, Canada (less than 100 miles from Buffalo, New York). Picked up by AM rock station 1050 CHUM in Toronto, the single reached #18 on the CHUM chart in June, 1968. At this time, the band was known as Wilmer Alexander, Jr., and the Dukes.

A 1968 follow-up single, "Heavy Time", failed to chart.

The band's one album (credited to Wilmer and the Dukes) was released in 1969 by Aphrodisiac Records, out of Buffalo. Estimates are that it sold over 600,000 copies achieving gold status^{[citation needed]}. The album featured "Give Me One More Chance", "Heavy Time" and "Heavy Time"'s b-side, the Jagger/Richards composition "I'm Free", much later to be a hit for the Soup Dragons.

The band released their final single, "Living In The USA", in the summer of 1969. Another regional hit in upper New York state, the song only made it to #114 on the Billboard charts, and failed to break out nationally.

Their manager brought them to Detroit, but their work never caught on outside of the Rochester/Buffalo/Toronto area.

Wilmer and the Dukes, 1969, Aphrodisiac Records, APH6001 (included brass arrangements by a young Gap Mangione)
Wilmer and the Dukes (Original recording remastered), 1999, Forevermore Records, ASIN B000005D6L

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