What was the deal with the drummer of Spanky & Our Gang?

If you check out the classic YouTube videos of 60s folk pop band Spanky and Our Gang (“Sunday Will Never Be The Same”, “Like To Get To Know You”), the drummer sticks out like a sore thumb. Whereas Ms. McFarlane and the guys out front act like typical pop minstrels of the era, drummer John Seiter seems to be doing his own thing. Looks like he’s either completely bored, or just playing to his own inner metronome. And his Native American getup was quite interesting. Anyone know what his deal was?

 

That was a character he was playing. He was supposed to be the "stoic Indian." It was based around his hat. I believe he dropped that schtick when they toured Europe in the spring of '68.

 

Thanks for the info. One of the more strange things that came from the 1960s. At least he had more charisma and charm than Pete Best. (And better drumming chops too!)

 

And for no particular reason, let's give Pete Best another kicking. Pathetic.

 

The drummer?? That whole group of guys were a bit out of place in the pop world at the time - “like to get to know you” in my top 30 all time favorite songs

 

He later joined the Turtles where he replaced John Barbata, who was a much better drummer. Not that John Seiter was a bad drummer, but he seems to have ben especially well-liked.

 

I love that song also...I'm a big fan of Spanky and Our Gang. Bob Dorough worked with the band on that album.

 

That whole album is pretty good - growing up my mom had it and I listened a lot to it

 

Probably just "stick-synching" to a member of the Wrecking Crew, anyway.

 

Boy oh boy, that group sure had the 60’s schtick down pat.

 

I was just joking.

 

On a sidebar, I just learned a couple of years ago about the noted bluesman Little Brother Montgomery's history with Spanky & Our Gang.
He played piano on some of their recordings and they covered some of his songs.

 

Wow, that's interesting...never heard that before.

 

Sunday Will Never Be the Same and Lazy Day were recorded in New York. Like to Get to Know You was recorded in Los Angeles and did feature Hal Blaine on drums. John Seiter played on 3 of the songs on their 2nd album and 2 on the 3rd. The Gang recorded the half of the backing tracks for their first album but i'm unsure how many how were recorded before he joined to joined.

He and his band backed them on Prescription for the Blues on the 2nd album and Mecca Flat Blues (his composition) on the 3rd

 

Sure, but they gave a damn about their fellow man....

 

I don't mean to cut down people looks. When I watched them on a ED Sullivan rerun, I was distracted by the guy in the glasses. His hairdo looked like a really bad toupee. He was a good singer, though.

 

Please don’t ever joke about Pete Best again. It’s a sensitive thing on SH.tv. Please read the forum rules regarding Pete Best. Thank you!

 

Lefty Baker

 

Well I imagine if you're PB who's had to endure endless criticism for most of his adult life merely because he wasn't as good a drummer as Ringo Starr, you'd fail to see the "joke".

 

Pete Best is a public figure (VERY public, in his case), and as such will naturally be a target for opinions expressed by others. There's simply no way of getting around this.

While there's no reason anyone should go out of his/her way to be cruel, there's also no reason to ignore the part of your sentence that begins with "because," or to pretend that it's anything other than truthful.

 

You can think what you like, most fair minded people would agree, the guy has endured enough criticism throughout his life without some clown not only having yet another go at his drumming but throwing in a few extra barbs about his personality.

 

Whatever you do,
do not make fun of Stuart Sutcliffe !

 

That is really weird, even by 1960’s standards.

 

Thanks for the advice although I think you'll find he's dead so he probably wouldn't be too bothered.

 

How so? It would seem to be a well-worn trope by then