Turtles

The Turtles are an American rock band led by vocalists Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman, later known as Flo and Eddie. The band became notable for several Top 40 hits beginning with their cover version of Bob Dylan's "It Ain't Me Babe" in 1965. They scored their biggest and best-known hit in 1967 with the song "Happy Together". The band, originally a surf-rock group called the Crossfires, was formed in 1965 in Westchester, Los Angeles, by high school friends Kaylan, Volman, Al Nichol, Chuck Portz, Don Murray, and Jim Tucker. The band re-branded themselves as a folk rock group under the name the Tyrtles, the intentional misspelling inspired by the Byrds and the Beatles. However, the trendy spelling did not survive long and the name changed to the Turtles. After some success in the late 60's, the band disbanded in 1970 before reforming in 2010 with original members Flo and Eddie as the lineup.

Links To Peel
Peel mentioned on his 12 October 1999 show admitting that he stole a copy of the band's debut album from KMEN record library while he was in San Bernadino. After playing Cinerama's version of the Turtles' 'Elenor' track on the show, Peel mentioned how he obtained the group's album:


 *  'Mine is a copy stolen from the record library of KMEN radio station in San Bernadino: I think I can face up to that one now, confront the guilt that I've felt all these years...I used to play this on the radio station I worked for in Oklahoma City. Whenever I did, I got death threats from right-wingers in the state of Colorado, who took violent exception to it and felt that I was some kind of Commie infiltrator. Nuts, of course: I wish I had been.'

On the same show, Peel played the Turtles' track 'Eve Of Destruction', written by P.F. Sloane and mentioned how he got hostile responses from right wingers in 60's America because of his playing of P.F. Sloane's songs, which generally had an anti-war theme:


 *  'P.F. Sloane had a great song called Sins Of The Family which he did himself, which was another one which, when I played that on the radio, got a lot of hostile response from the John Birch Society in Colorado. Why they took exception to me I don't know. I think it's because I was keeping jobs from their boys returning from 'Nam, that kind of stuff. Although only one job, really. to be honest, but they didn't like me at all. Very hostile.'

Shows Played
1967
 * 15 March 1967 (Radio London): 'Happy Together (7"single)' London

1972 1975 1989 1992 1999
 * 01 July 1967: She'd Rather Be With Me
 * 01 August 1972: Flyin High (LP - You Baby) White Whale
 * 17 March 1975: She'd Rather Be With Me
 * 08 March 1989: I'm Chief Kamanawanalea (We're The Royal Macadamia Nuts) (album - Present The Battle Of The Bands) London SHU 8376 / White Whale
 * 24 December 1992: 'Santa And The Sidewalk Surfer (Compilation LP-Rockin' Christmas)' (Rhino)
 * 12 October 1999: 'Eve Of Destruction (LP-It Ain't Me Babe)' (White Whale)