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THE DEL-RAYS

BIOGRAPHY

The Delrays were from Mascoutah, Illinois. Their bass player was Denny Ambry. Their guitarist was Tom Bowles. Their drummer was Don "Barney" Biever. Rich Lang was on guitar. Their sax player was Jim Lang. They played small venues in Southern Illinois during the mid 1960s. They opened for The Beatles at Busch stadium in St. Louis at one time. They mostly played at a place called "Collinsville Park Ballroom" as the weekly act.

The same Delrays (in one word) recorded another single at Stax for the Stax subsidiary Arch in 1968, produced by Nick Charles and Steve Cropper (see the Arch listing in the "various singles" post 68 lists.

They were a good cover band and opened for the Beatles when the Beatles played in St. Louis. Nick Charles was a DJ for KXOK radio AM and was their manager. After the band broke up, the Lang brothers members of the Delrays formed a band called The Guild.

(thanks to Sarah Gordon, Pierre Daguerre and Patrick Mangner)

My Father, Mick Jones  was not a member of The Del-Rays, but was asked by a DJ at KMOX in St Louis to arrange and play keys on the song "I Wanna Do It" as the band rarely carried a keyboard player. The song was recorded at Stax Records in early 1965 and featured Rich Lang on guitar and his brother Jim played sax. The other members are correct with the exception of the fact that, as many bands did in those days, a studio drummer was used. Dad says he was a 14 year old black kid that was literally just hanging around outside the studio. According to my father, the recording was indeed at the Stax Records location. Unfortunately a photo is not available that we know of.  

(thanks to Regan M. Jones)

The B-side of their second 45 "Always Something There To Remind Me" is actually sung by future Doobie Brother Michael McDonald ("What A Fool Believes" etc.) who joined the Delrays for a few months before joining "The Guild" with the Lang Brothers.

(thanks to Stuart Hutchesson)

It is Russ' wah-wah guitar you can hear on "Lollipop Lady" and guitar pieces through-out "Always Something There To Remind Me". While Mike McDonald went on to live the rest of his story, Russ Bono has over the years achieved local (St.Louis) as well as a brief period of  Vegas and West Coast fame in the mid 70's and early 80's. Teamed with his sister Mary Burns, their band as well as a stand up routine, played the local clubs as "Burns and Bono". They were able to elevate themselves to Las Vegas and Tahoe, California stardom in the mid to late 70's. Unfortunately, business disagreements got in the way, and the act split. Today Russ has a thriving Children's Song CD business of which he performs and produces and is doing quite well with it. 

(thanks to Russ Bono's nephew, Vic Rossi.
 
Rich and his brother formed a band called The Guild, top Midwest band in the area for yrs., two of the members went on to win Grammy’s.  Tom Kelly and Mike McDonald.  Rich also co-produced a record for the now deceased Greg Guidry, and recorded Gretchen Wilson as well,.

(thanks to Cathy Lang)

STAX DISCOGRAPHY

Singles

Stax 162 : Don't Let Her Be Your Baby / I Want To Do It (Marry You)
Arch 1301 : Lollipop Lady / Always Something There To Remind Me

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