Wes Dakus was a renowned Edmonton, Alberta musician who led several instrumental and British Invasion-styled bands throughout the '60s and had a lengthy solo career.
Wes Dakus & The Club 93 Rebels formed in 1958 and often interchanged personnel with Edmonton's Nomads. They were signed to Quality Records in 1960 and released "El Ringo" that year. Touring as the backing act for several other prominent artists, including Buddy Knox, which established the band as seasoned professionals allowing them to record material as Wes Dakus & The Rebels with famed producer Norm Petty (Buddy Holly & The Crickets, The Fireballs) starting in 1962. Later sessions in 1964 also produced recordings for Dakus himself and erstwhile member Barry Allen's side project as a solo artist. There were also singles released under the name The Dundeeville Players featuring guitarist George Tomsco.
In 1965 'The Wes Dakus Album - With The Rebels' was released on Capitol and spawned several singles including "Hobo" and "Come On Down". In 1966 an album of additional tracks was issued on KAPP in the US as "Wes Dakus's Rebels". In Canada the album was not released but split into several individual singles as solo recordings for the band's various members including Wes Dakus, Stu Mitchell, Barry Allen and Dennis Paul.
RPM Magazine voted Wes Dakus & The Rebels Canada's "Top Instrumental Group" in 1964 and 1965.
Barry Allen went on to a prominent solo career and as lead vocalist in Painter and Privilege; Rebels guitarist Bob Clarke died on December 13, 1998; Dakus opened a recording studio in the 1970s called Sundown Recorders in Edmonton.
with notes from Shawn Nagy, Gord Baker, Eric Brandt and Norm Bright.
Singles
as WES DAKUS
1964 Pedro's Pad/Sidewinder (Quality) 1631X
1964 Las Vegas Scene/Sour Biscuits (Quality) 1660X
1965 Hoochi Coochi Coo/Feel Good (Capitol) 72305
1966 She Ain't No Angel/Snooper (Capitol) 72350
1966 We've Got A Groovy Thing Going/Bach's Back (Capitol) 72396
1967 Mama's Boy/Midnight Hour (Capitol) 72442
1967 Shotgun/Lobo, The Ferocious Dog (Capitol) 72457
as WES DAKUS AND CLUB 93 REBELS
1960 El Ringo/Creepy (Quality) 1250
1964 Pink Canary/Road Block (Quality) 1982X
as THE DUNDEEVILLE PLAYERS
1964 Wheels/Woodpecker (DOT) 16744
1964 Replica/Sunday (???)
as WES DAKUS & THE REBELS
1965 Hobo/Rolling Back (Capitol) 72213
1965 Come On Down/Honeybun (Capitol) 72259
1967 Manipulator/Come On In (Capitol) 72484
as THE NEW SOUNDS OF WES DAKUS
1968 Organized/The Chaser (Capitol) 72532
Albums
1965 The Wes Dakus Album - With The Rebels (Capitol) T-6120
1966 Wes Dakus's Rebels (Kapp) KS-3536
2006 Wes Dakus & The Rebels - Volume 1 (Super Oldies)
2007 Wes Dakus & The Rebels - Volume 2 (Super Oldies)
Video
Compilation Tracks
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