Zakary Thaks
Encyclopedia
The Zakary Thaks were an American garage band
from Corpus Christi, Texas
, formed in the mid 1960s.
The band developed out of the Marauders, a teen group which included Chris Gerniottis (vocals), Pete Stinson (guitar), and Rex Gregory (bass), and who then became the Riptides, adding lead guitarist John Lopez. By 1966, they had acquired a new drummer, Stan Moore, and had become the Zakary Thaks – the name being a mutated version of one seen in a magazine.
Influenced by blues guitarists as well as British and American groups of the period, the band soon gained local popularity. Their first record, for the local J-Beck label, combined an original composition, "Bad Girl", with a Kinks song, "I Need You". Released in mid-1966, it became a regional hit and was picked up nationally by Mercury Records
. Its success won the band a spot supporting their heroes, the Yardbirds.
A second single, "Face To Face" was less successful, but the band continued to tour, supporting acts including Jefferson Airplane
and the 13th Floor Elevators
. Later singles showed the band taking a more pop-focused approach. By 1968, Gerniottis had left the band for a while to join another group, the Liberty Bell, but returned later. However, the band did not repeat its early success, splitting up in the early 1970s.
In 1979, "Bad Girl" was included on the Pebbles
anthology of mid-60s garage bands, in addition to the similarly concepted Nuggets: Original Artyfacts From the First Psychedelic Era, and has maintained its renown among collectors of the genre. A compilation of the band’s singles was issued in May of 2001.
Drummer Stan Moore died in 2000. In 2004 and 2005, remaining members of the band reformed to perform at festivals. Bassist Rex Gregory died on January 18, 2008.
Garage rock
Garage rock is a raw form of rock and roll that was first popular in the United States and Canada from about 1963 to 1967. During the 1960s, it was not recognized as a separate music genre and had no specific name...
from Corpus Christi, Texas
Corpus Christi, Texas
Corpus Christi is a coastal city in the South Texas region of the U.S. state of Texas. The county seat of Nueces County, it also extends into Aransas, Kleberg, and San Patricio counties. The MSA population in 2008 was 416,376. The population was 305,215 at the 2010 census making it the...
, formed in the mid 1960s.
The band developed out of the Marauders, a teen group which included Chris Gerniottis (vocals), Pete Stinson (guitar), and Rex Gregory (bass), and who then became the Riptides, adding lead guitarist John Lopez. By 1966, they had acquired a new drummer, Stan Moore, and had become the Zakary Thaks – the name being a mutated version of one seen in a magazine.
Influenced by blues guitarists as well as British and American groups of the period, the band soon gained local popularity. Their first record, for the local J-Beck label, combined an original composition, "Bad Girl", with a Kinks song, "I Need You". Released in mid-1966, it became a regional hit and was picked up nationally by Mercury Records
Mercury Records
Mercury Records is a record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Motown Music Group in the US; both are subsidiaries of Universal Music Group. There is also a Mercury Records in Australia, which is a local artist and repertoire division of Universal...
. Its success won the band a spot supporting their heroes, the Yardbirds.
A second single, "Face To Face" was less successful, but the band continued to tour, supporting acts including Jefferson Airplane
Jefferson Airplane
Jefferson Airplane was an American rock band formed in San Francisco in 1965. A pioneer of the psychedelic rock movement, Jefferson Airplane was the first band from the San Francisco scene to achieve mainstream commercial and critical success....
and the 13th Floor Elevators
13th Floor Elevators
The 13th Floor Elevators were an American rock band from Austin, Texas formed by guitarist and vocalist Roky Erickson, electric jug player Tommy Hall, and guitarist Stacy Sutherland, which existed from 1965 to 1969...
. Later singles showed the band taking a more pop-focused approach. By 1968, Gerniottis had left the band for a while to join another group, the Liberty Bell, but returned later. However, the band did not repeat its early success, splitting up in the early 1970s.
In 1979, "Bad Girl" was included on the Pebbles
Pebbles
Pebbles may refer to:* Pebbles, small rocks* Pebbles , Boston-area radio DJ* Pebbles , British-trained thoroughbred racehorse of the 1980s* Pebbles Flintstone, a character in The Flintstones animated television show...
anthology of mid-60s garage bands, in addition to the similarly concepted Nuggets: Original Artyfacts From the First Psychedelic Era, and has maintained its renown among collectors of the genre. A compilation of the band’s singles was issued in May of 2001.
Drummer Stan Moore died in 2000. In 2004 and 2005, remaining members of the band reformed to perform at festivals. Bassist Rex Gregory died on January 18, 2008.