Dean Kohler

Dean Ellis Kohler is an American rock musician from Portsmouth, Virgina who has been active in various groups and as a solo artist since 1962. That year he formed Dean & the Mustangs, who later changed their name and recorded demos as the Satellites. In 1966 Kohler was drafted into the army as an MP in the Vietnam War. While stationed in Qui Nhơn, he formed the group, the Electrical Banana, who recorded several songs in an army tent, amongst which a version of Lou Reed's "There She Goes Again" and Kohler's original, "She's Gone" were pressed as an acetate and have come to the attention of garage rock enthusiasts. In 1968, when he returned from duty to Portsmouth, he assembled a backing band and recorded the single "Goosebury Pie". Later in 1968, he formed the band, the Soft Light, and by the end of the decade the hard rock group, Mad Max (not to be confused with the German group of the same name), who remained active into the 1970s. He chronicled his Vietnam War experiences in Rock 'N' Roll Soldier: A Memoir, published in 2009. Kohler's recordings with the Satellites and the Electrical Banana are included on the compilation, Aliens, Psychos & Wild Things, Volume 1, and "Goosebury Pie" on Essential Pebbles, Volume 2.

Biography

Musician Dean Kohler is from Portsmouth, Virginia and got his start in 1962 as the founder and leader of an instrumental rock combo, Dean & the Mustangs. The other members in the group were Cecil Baines on guitar and Lynn Gilliam on drums.^[1] In 1964 they added Cliff Eaton on keyboards and changed their name to the Satellites.^[1] At this time the group came under the influence of the British Invasion and added vocals.^[1] In 1965, they recorded an acetate of the songs "Will You Stay?", which displayed the influence of the Kinks, and "The Next Boy".^[1] These were the Satellites' only recordings.^[1]

Their plans were interrupted in 1966, when Kohler was drafted into the army to serve in the Vietnam War^[2][1] as part of the 127th MP Company in Qui Nhơn, Vietnam. With the permission and support of his commander, Captain Richard Leadbetter, Kohler assembled band, the Electrical Banana.^[3][1] The moniker was chosen partially in reference to the front cover of the Velvet Underground's first album, The Velvet Underground & Nico and influenced by the book Fuzz, Acid and Flowers.^[1] The group practiced and performed at military bases, sometimes wearing banana outfits.^[1] In 1967, they recorded several songs in an army tent in Qui Nhon including two that were included on an acetate single—a version of Lou Reed's "There She Goes Again" along with the Kohler original, "She's Gone".^[1] The acetates were pressed in ten copies, one of which later came into the hands of the compilers of the Aliens, Psychos & Wild Things, Volume 1 CD, which was released in 2000 and contained both songs.^[1][4]

Upon returning to Portsmouth in late 1967, Kohler assembled a new group with the backing lineup of George Newsome on bass, Robert Craig on organ, and Johnny Johnston on drums to record his only official single in 1968, "Gooseberry Pie", for the Elko label,^[1][5] which was later included on Essential Pebbles, Volume 2 in 1998.^[6] That year he formed the group the Soft light, who recorded several songs, including "Out-of-Sight", and appeared the television programs, Discoteen in 1968 and Saturday Session in 1969.

During the 1970s, he fronted Mad Max, a power trio that recorded an unreleased album.^[1] In the 1980s and 1990s, he played in the 1950s/1960s tribute band Big Bubba & the Blockbusters.^[1] He chronicled his Vietnam War experiences in the book, Rock 'N' Roll Soldier: A Memoir, published by Harper Collins in 2009.^[1]

Discography

With the Satellites

• ""Will You Stay?" b/w "The Next Boy" (acetate, 1965)

With the Electrical Banana

• "There She Goes" b/w "She's Gone" (acetate, 1967)

Solo

• "Goosebury Pie" b/w "The Next Boy" (Elko 3001, November 1968)

References

Bibliography

• Kohler, Dean Ellis (2009). Rock 'n' Roll Soldier: A Memoir (1st ed.). New York, New York: HarperTeen. ISBN 978-0061242557. 
• Markesich, Mike (2012). Teenbeat Mayhem (1st ed.). Branford, Connecticut: Priceless Info Press. ISBN 978--0-06-124255-7.