The Gestures

The Gestures were a teenage American rock group based out of Mankato, Minnesota.

They are primarily known for their chart hit "Run, Run, Run" from the fall of 1964. "Run, Run, Run" has been favorably cited by some rock historians as containing a Beatle-esque, British Invasion sound, with crisp guitar playing and a quick beat.

The Gestures were: Gus Dewey (Guitar), Tom Klugherz (Bass), Dale Menten (Guitar/Vocals), and Bruce Waterston (Drums).

"Run, Run, Run" was released on the Soma label in October 1964 and became a major hit in the Midwest. Nationally, the song hit No. 44 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart. (According to the liner notes in Sundazed excellent Gestures CD, Dale Menten is quoted as saying that "Run, Run, Run" was No. 1 in the Twin Cities, No. 3 in Los Angeles, No. 1 in New York and also charted very high locally in Oklahoma City.)

The Gestures released only one more single; "Don't Mess Around" b/w 'Candlelight" was almost as big as "Run, Run, Run" regionally, but didn't chart nationally since there was confusion over which side was the A side ("Don't Mess Around" was the initial A side but it flipped over soon after). The group broke up shortly after.

"Run, Run, Run" has been featured on numerous compilations, most notably Rhino's 1998 re-release of Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, 1965–1968.

In 2008, the Gestures were inducted into the Minnesota Rock & Country Hall of Fame.^[1]

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