Me and the Othur Guys

Cleveland, 1967-9

Jim Ventura, the drummer for the suburban Cleveland band Me and the Othur Guys (no connection to other similar named bands from Wooster and Cincinnati) tells about his band - "Most of the band members were from Solon. I grew up on the Cleveland Eastside in the Shaker Square area. The original members were Al Zerahanic {bass} Dave Scally (guitar), Mike Cupeole (keys) Phil Alexander {vocals) and myself on drums. Mike would be replaced by Robert Biscup (keys) from South Euclid."

"All through High School, we played at many of the local school dances as well as the Hullabaloos. We also played some teen clubs in Pennsylvania. We shared the stage many evenings with bands like The James Gang, Cyrus Erie, just to name a few big ones. We once played at Euclid Beach for the Presidential Campaign of Hubert Humphrey."

"In 1968 we won a city-wide WHK battle on the bands. We played songs from the '60s. Grass Roots, Who, Beatles, Stones, Moody Blues, mostly rock stuff. I don't believe there are any recordings. "

"In late 1969 early 1970 as some of us went off to college and Dave Scally went into the service. Phil Alexander then got together with a few of my childhood neighborhood friends (Tom Dobek & Frank Salle) from Cleveland and formed the band Circus. They had a hit with the song "Stop, Wait" Listen". Tom Dobek would go on to join The Micheal Stanley Band. After school was over I would continue to play with a local singer from Clevland named Scott Read."

Thanks to James Ventura