The Lemon Pipers' story is a classic from the late sixties. Classic in that they were actually two bands. They were the hard rocking/blues/country/folk/psychedelic band from Oxford, Ohio, and they were the bubblegum pop band they were forced to be by the Kama Sutra record label they signed to, not realizing that they would have little to no control over their material.
It is somewhat surprising then that they were allowed to record their own songs in addition to the the many bubblegum pop tunes penned by producer Paul Leka and songwriting partner Shelly Pinz. They made two records, both released in 1968, and both records included plenty of the Leka/Pinz material and a reasonably heathy dose of Lemon Pipers originals. The bubblegum fans that bought those records must have wondered what was going on when the bands' originals came out of their speakers.
The Wikipedia entry about the Lemon Pipers is mostly accurate. How do I know this? My older brother was the bass player in the Lemon Pipers, and in February 1968 when Green Tambourine hit #1, he had his fifteen minutes of fame, and then some. Gold record on the wall, all very cool. For my brother, the best moment of all was when the Lemon Pipers played the Fillmore (and Winterland) on a bill that included Spirit, Traffic, and Moby Grape.
My brother, we'll call him Steve Walmsley, since that is his name, loved Moby Grape, and admired their bass player because he was excellent. Moby Grape were standing in the wings checking out the Lemon Pipers, and Bob Mosley, bassist with Moby Grape, gave my brother the thumbs up from the wings. Of all the star moments that happened on the roller coaster of having a #1 one-hit wonder, that was the moment most cherished by Steve. And why not? Getting approval from one of your idols (when you're nineteen), well, ain't that the shit.
Here's a picture of Steve (left), Ivan Browne (vocals and guitar), and Bill Bartlett (lead guitar, vocals) from the early days of the band:
The band also included Bill Albaugh (drums) and Bob Nave (organ and vocals). And here's one of Steve in 2007 in Cincinnati at a Lemon Pipers reunion concert:
I saw them live on the Green Tambourine tour in June 1968 with my parents in Cleveland. Rotary Connection opened, with the amazing five-octive voice of Minnie Ripperton. I was 13. I also saw that 2007 reunion in Cincinnati.
I put together a playlist of the Lemon Piper originals and chosen covers from their two albums, with no Leka/Pinz songs. It is of it's time certainly, but if you want to know how very not bubblegum they were, this will do it. Each song plays in YouTube.
The Real Lemon Pipers tracklist:
Catch Me Falling (Lemon Pipers) Lead Vocal: Browne
Straglin' Behind (Albaugh/Bartlett) LV: Browne
No Help From Me (Browne) LV: Nave
No Help was surprisingly the flip side of the Green Tambourine single, but not on the album
I Was Not Born To Follow (Goffin/King) LV: Browne
Through With You (Bartlett) LV: Browne/Bartlett
Ask Me If I Care (Eric Ehrmann) LV: Browne
Hard Core (Lemon Pipers) LV: Nave
Turn Around Take A Look (Bartlett) LV: Bartlett/Browne
Fifty Year Void (Lemon Pipers) LV: Nave
Wine And Violet (Lemon Pipers) LV: Bartlett/Browne
Dead End Street/Half Light (Lemon Pipers) LV: Nave/Browne
The Lemon Pipers split in the spring of 1970. All five members stayed active in music in one way or another. Bartlett and Nave formed Beachwood Farm. Then in 1972 Bartlett and Walmsley formed Starstruck. After Walmsley was replaced by David Goldflies (later of Allman Brothers), Starstruck recorded Bartlett's version of Leadbelly's Black Betty. The same recording would be used later when it was credited to Bartlett's Ram Jam (Interestingly, that means that Bill Bartlett was a one-hit wonder, twice). Walmsley played in Backporch Light with Kieth Sherman and Slipstream with Meg Davis, and then in the band that backed the soul vocal group The Fabulous Determinations. Walmsley and Albaugh joined Bruce Newman in Medicine Wheel. Bartlett joined and later Newman left. Walmsley, Albaugh, and Bartlett played in local bands Midnight Fire in the 80s and Mystical Presence in the 90s. Walmsley last played in Second Nature from 2003-2009. All of these bands played in the Southern Indiana/Ohio area.
Ivan Browne moved to California, became a postal carrier, played and recorded music with his wife in the Ivan and Isa Band, and carried on his minor celebrity as lead singer of Green Tambourine. Bob Nave became a financial consultant by day and a popular jazz DJ on WNOP-AM in the 70s and then at WVXU-FM from 1984 to 2005. In 2006, Nave was a founding member of Cincinnati's Blues Merchants.
2007, 2008, and 2017 saw Lemon Pipers reunions with Browne, Walmsley and Nave in Cincinnati.
Albaugh passed away in 99, and Nave died in 2020.
There's a good article from Cincinnati Magazine in 2008 called Off The Charts. Lots of details, and all four surviving members were interviewed.
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