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the Rhythms / Fantastic Rhythms


Wintersville, 1966-1968

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The Rhythms were a band of Wintersville high school students. The original band members were Wendell Keyser (drums), Danny Everly (bass), Dave Nelson (lead guitar and vocals), and John St. John (rhythm guitar). The band started in early 1965. 

The band's set list included hits of the day, with Rascals and Paul Revere and the Raiders songs included.

The played locally in the Steubenville/Weirton area for a couple years. They also appeared on a Wheeling, WV radio show. They also played the "Come Alive" TV show in Pittsburgh. For that appearance, the band chartered a bus and brought a bunch of fans along for support. The TV show was one of the high points for the band.

After a year or so, Sam Keyser (Wendell's brother) took over on bass, and the band added a keyboard player, Ricky Stein. This lineup played on the 45 and lasted to the end of the band.

The made one 45, recorded at Gateway and pressed there using the operations master numbers. The A side "The Thing Of The Past" is a very good moody teen garage recording. The band was listed as the Fantastic Rhythms - John St. John's idea - but they never used the Fantastic superlative for anything else but the record. According to Wendell, they pressed 2000 45s and sold or gave away the entire lot. "The Girl In Lace" was played a few times on a couple local stations.

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 The band's gear included a Heathkit amp for Ricky Stein, Ludwig drums for Wendell, Hagstrom bass played through a Ampeg bass amp for Sam, and Gibson Les Paul, Fender, and Hagstrom guitars.

The band broke up when Wendell and the others graduated high school in the summer of 1968.

Discography
The Thing Of The Past / The Girl In Lace - B&B Productions 1435, March 1968

Thanks to Wendell Keyser