“Demotion” taken from the LP ‘The Mod Sound of . . . the Arkay IV (1964-68)’ | (Cicadelic Records 1003) 1988
The History of the Arkay IV
The Arkay IV | Demotion | (Cicadelic) 1968 | The ARKAY IV was formed in 1962 in Erie, Pennsylvania by Skip Niebauer, John Nicotra, and Bill Arnold. The first name of the band was the LIMBOS – a popular dance at the time. The group changed it’s name to the ARKAY III a few months later. The name was derived from a now defunct hi-fi amplifier company.
The ARKAY IV played the rock music current at the time – mainly instrumental rock, e.g., the Ventures, the Fireballs, the String-A Longs, etc. They played high school and college parties.
In 1963, Bill Arnold left the group to join the Navy. He was replaced by Tom Brocki. The average age in the group was 18.
January 1964 brought the British Invasion to the U.S. and the addition of Bob Sustak, a local college student, to the band, now called The ARKAY IV.
The group adopted the English look and sound, and won many Beatle “sound alike” contests, hence their great popularity with teens. During June of 1964 the band got their first original song played on the radio — “Little Girl”.
No records were pressed but the record received enough local airplay to be charted. Later this song was re-recorded and appears on their 1968 album.
In September 1964, Bob Sustak was drafted into the Army. He was replaced by keyboard player and singer Dave Massello. Massello and Niebauer became the songwriting unit of the band.
Throughout the period of ’64-’69 the band remained popular in the Erie area. The continued support of their fans was due in part to their recording activities. Between 1966 and 1969 the ARKAY IV recorded 18 tracks at various studios.
The Arkay IV | Demotion | (Cicadelic) 1968
From these, four records (three singles, one album) were released. In the summer of 1966 Bill Adleff joined the group as lead singer. He performed on most of the group’s recordings. Bill was drafted in 1967.
In November 1966 the first ARKAY IV single was released. This was “Surprise Love” and “Another Way”. One thousand copies were pressed on the group’s own MARION label. “Surprise Love” was on the charts in the region for eight weeks – climbing to 12.
In February 1967, a second single was released on MARION. This was “Down From #9” and “When I Was Younger”. Again, one thousand copies were pressed. The songs were on the local charts for six weeks.
At about the same time, the ARKAY IV sold three songs to WORLD RECORDS out of Pittsburgh. The songs were “I’ll Keep Trying”, “I Was Walkin’ ” and “You Are The One”. These were recorded at Capital’s Studios in New York using a 16 piece band. Unfortunately, none of them were released as singles.
During the summer of 1967 the group started recording at Cleveland Recording, Cleveland. Ken Hammond, their chief engineer, had a reputation for cutting ‘Hits’ e.g. “Green Tambourine”, Terry Knight, all the Grand Funk Railroad material, etc.
The Arkay IV | Demotion | (Cicadelic) 1968
“Demotion”, “Seems To Be The Thing” and “I’ll Keep On Trying” were recorded in Cleveland. The mix on “Demotion” – recorded only 4 channel – was so complicated that it had to be edited together from six pieces of tape.
In May 1968, “Demotion” and “I’ll Keep On Trying” were released as a single. Five hundred copies were pressed. The record rose to #24 on the local charts.
In the Fall of 1968, the ARKAY IV album – “For Internal Use Only” – was released. Only one hundred copies were pressed. These were pre-sold by subscription to relatives and fans of the group.
The backliner to each album was individually designed and created by the band – at a party . . . with paint, markers and rubber stamps.
1968 and 1969 saw many personnel changes within the band. Tom Brocki, guitar, went to college in Troy, N.Y. He was replaced by Vill Stomers, then Doug Philips and finally Bill Arnold, the original guitarist with the band.
Mike Redicliff became the main vocalist. John Nicotra, drums, was replaced by Mark Fainstein and then Bill Kirby.
In spite of these changes, the ARKAY IV was as popular as ever. In the summer of 1968 the group was the house rock band at Rainbow Gardens – the largest dance hall within 100 miles.
Acid Rock sound
Their format had changed somewhat: less Beatles, more Stones, Heavy Metal and Acid Rock. In September 1968, the ARKAY IV recorded a half-hour long live jam. This was dubbed “Raw Freak”. Some copies are still in circulation!
The ARKAY IV’s longest and best engagement was three months at the Village Hotel, Erie, during the summer of 1969. After that the group stopped playing for six months.
Skip Niebauer moved to Jackson, Mississippi to work at a recording studio. He returned to Pennsylvania in January, 1970, with the intention of building a recording studio. This idea eventually became American Artist Studio.
The Arkay IV | Demotion | (Cicadelic) 1968
The group reformed with Bill Arnold playing guitar during the first few months of 1970. In May 1970, Dave Massello left Erie to take a job in Canton, Ohio. This was the end of, the group’s playing activities, however, they kept writing and recording.
In August 1971, the ARKAY IV played their last job. It was at an arts festival in Akron, Ohio. Only original material was played. The band members were: Dave Massello, Skip Niebauer and Bill Kirby.
On Labor Day, 1971, a huge picnic-party-jam was held. It was called The ARKAY IV Finale Rally. All former band members and the public were invited. Amps were cranked up and tape recorders rolled for six hours. (LP liners, 1988)
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