It’s every vinyl lover’s dream–to happen upon one of the rarest singles in existence. But that’s just what happened to a shadowy Pennsylvania collector, who in 1996 walked out of a Maryland record convention with a copy of a 45 by an obscure Maryland-based garage rock band called The Barons.
Just how obscure was it? No one even knew it existed. The collector’s discovery sparked a gold rush amongst vinyl fanatics for additional copies of the record, mint copies of which are fetching $1,500 dollars and up. The 45–the only one ever released by The Barons–was released on the S.R.O. label, which was most likely a one-off itself. The record hit the shelves in March 1966, and was distributed almost exclusively in the southern United States.
The discovery of the single also sparked an interest in The Barons. Turns out its members hailed from Hillcrest Heights, MD, and came together in early 1965, using a local warehouse as a practice space. There they bashed out covers of songs by British Invaders such as the Yardbirds, The Kinks, and The Animals, as well as some revamped Motown numbers and a few tunes by The Byrds.
After honing their chops, The Barons played the local garage band circuit of nightclubs (such as the American Palace, a teen-oriented club housed in the long defunct Dodge Hotel in downtown Washington, DC) and battle of the bands. Barons guitarist James A. Packett fondly recalls one such battle against local blue-eyed soul favorites Lawrence and the Arabians. The Barons won–and needed a police escort to escape angry Arabians partisans.
In early 1966 the Barons took their first stab at writing and recording their own material. The result was this amazing 45, recorded in a New York City studio in a single day. According to Barons drummer Steve Packett, A-side “Time and Time Again” was inspired by The Byrds. Like so many other young musicians of the period, Barons lead guitarist Dave Olson was so blown away by Roger McGuinn’s 12-string he went out and bought one of his own—just in time to produce a song Australian collector Mark Taylor describes as “moody with folk elements.”
At 1 minute, 42 seconds, B-side “Now You’re Mine” is a short but sweet blast of Kinks-influenced rock that one music writer has dubbed “pure teen genius.” And how: the vocals of 18-year-old James Packett are urgent and echo-laden, while Olson’s furious guitar-playing stands up beside that of Dave Davies. Steve Packett–who was a mere 15 at the time–keeps a menacing beat while riding the cymbals for all they’re worth. Both songs are garage rock gems, and if it’s proof you’re looking for you can hear ‘em both on YouTube.
At their peak the Barons were spending most of their time on the road, sleeping on club stages and earning $750 a show. Once they had the great good luck of being flown to a gig at a private girl’s school. They also appeared on a Washington, DC TV show called Wing Ding, where they gamely lip-synched “Time and Time Again” for an audience of dancers no older than they were. And then there was the time they played Greenwich Village’s legendary Cafe Wha? the night after a performance by one Jimi Hendrix (a tough act to follow, even the next day). But fame eluded the Barons, and they called it quits in the late ’60s.
Following the discovery of the single, resourceful collectors managed to track down a few copies still in the hands of The Barons. Steve Packett sold four; Olson reportedly coughed up a few as well. Nobody knows for sure how many copies are floating around, but less than 10 is the general consensus.. There would be more but–much to the consternation of all–Olson’s mom tossed out about 100 copies of the record, having tired of their taking up space in her home for decades. If you can lay your hands on a time machine, you’ll want to check out her trash can.
Where are The Barons now? Steve Packett’s a musical lifer: after The Barons dissolved he founded Sassafras Tea, and later still joined younger siblings Wayne and Bruce Packett to form the Packett Brothers. Brother James is a pastor at the Chesapeake Christian Fellowship Church in Davidsonville, MD. A couple of years ago his parishioners packed the church to watch James, Steve, and brothers Wayne and Bruce perform together for the first time in ages. Olson stuck with the band until its demise, then played briefly with Sassafras Tea. He ultimately went West to try his luck as a forest ranger.
Questions remain. Why was I unable to track down the mystery collector? I’m betting he doesn’t want desperate vinyl collectors squeezing through his dog door at night. How could The Barons have vanished some completely from the collective radar of music fans (one DC area music historian initially refused to believe they’d existed at all)? But most importantly, might there be more copies out there, waiting patiently in second-hand record store bins waiting to be found? Putting your hands on one will be like winning the lottery, so you might want to keep watch on your dog door.
GRADED ON A CURVE:
A+
