The Hondells
| Company type | Musical group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1964 |
| Founder | Gary Usher (producer), Richard Burns (credited as group's founder) |
| Headquarters | United States |
| Products | Surf rock music, albums, singles |
Number of employees | Various session musicians and touring members |
The Hondells were a surf rock group from the United States, best recognized for their 1964 rendition of the Beach Boys' "Little Honda," which climbed to No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
History
Formed in the studio by producer Gary Usher, The Hondells initially consisted of session players. Their hit single "Little Honda," penned by Brian Wilson and Mike Love of the Beach Boys, tapped into the growing enthusiasm for Honda motorcycles in Southern California during the early 1960s. The Beach Boys originally recorded this track for their 1964 release All Summer Long. Usher provided former Castells singer Chuck Girard with a copy of that album to familiarize him with "Little Honda."
Usher then assembled a group of session musicians—among them Glen Campbell, Al DeLory, Tommy Tedesco, and Richie Podolor—to produce an album centered around Honda-themed songs for Mercury Records. Although production credits went to Nick Venet, Usher was the project's main creative force. Except for "Little Honda," most songs were authored by Usher together with KFWB disc jockey Roger Christian. The album's cover displayed a quartet, accompanied by liner notes that fabricated a backstory identifying Ritchie Burns as the band's originator. The band’s name was undecided until Venet selected "The Hondells" over "The Rising Sons" and issued "Little Honda" as a single. As the track gained popularity on the charts, Usher organized a touring lineup; ultimately, "Little Honda" reached No. 9 on the U.S. pop singles chart.
Despite widespread misconception, session drummer Hal Blaine did not perform on The Hondells' recording of "Little Honda." Instead, drummer Wayne Edwards and bassist Richard Burns—credited as the group's founder—played on the track and joined the touring band. Blaine contributed drums to other versions of "Little Honda," such as those by the Super Stocks and Pat Boone.
After The Hondells achieved chart success, Capitol Records released the Beach Boys' original version as a single, which saw limited success.
In 1966, The Hondells scored another moderate hit with their cover of the Lovin' Spoonful's "Younger Girl" (Mercury 72562) before disbanding. Randy Thomas handled lead vocals.
Additionally, the band recorded commercials for Pepsi and Coty Cosmetics featuring musicians Ritchie Burns, Glen Campbell, Wayne Edwards, Dennis McCarthy, Randy Thomas (lead vocals on Pepsi advertisement), and Al Ferguson (lead vocals on Coty advertisement).
Gary Usher & Co.
Gary Usher kept producing surf and hot-rod themed music through various studio-assembled groups comprised of members from the Wrecking Crew, with drummers like Hal Blaine or Earl Palmer rotating in and out. These fictional ensembles released material under names such as the Sunsets, the Four Speeds, Gary Usher and the Usherettes (also known as the Honeys), the Competitors, the Go-Go's, the Devons, the Ghouls, the Super Stocks, the Indigos, the Revells, the Kickstands, and the Knights. Numerous tracks from these projects have been reissued on CD and are documented on Beach Boys fan websites.
Chuck Girard went on to become a trailblazer in Contemporary Christian music (CCM). Richard Burns is related to KCPR radio personality Biba Pickles.
Go Little Honda
The initial album, Go Little Honda, comprised 11 songs centered around motorcycles in addition to the title track "Little Honda." Among the contributors, Richie Podolor wrote "Haulin' Honda" and "Black Boots and Bikes." Mike Curb, who also authored the theme for Honda's "You meet the nicest people on a Honda" campaign, created "Rip's Bike." The remaining tracks were crafted by Gary Usher and Roger Christian, including titles such as "Mean Streak," "A Guy Without Wheels," "The Wild One," "Hot Rod High," "Death Valley Run," "Two Wheel Show Stopper," "Ridin' Trails," and "Hon-Da Beach Party."
The Hondells
Following Go Little Honda, the group released their second album, The Hondells, shortly thereafter. This record featured the Billboard Top 100 hit single "My Buddy Seat," co-written by Brian Wilson and Gary Usher, with its B-side "You're Gonna Ride With Me" penned by Usher and Christian. Mike Curb contributed four compositions: "The Rebel (Without A Cause)," "The Lonely Rider," "Cycle Chase," and "The Sidewinder." Additional songs on the album included "Black Denim," "Night Rider," "My Little Bike," "Lay It Down," "He Wasn't Coming Back," and "Honda Holliday."
In film
In 1965, The Hondells appeared in three feature films. They performed "Cycle Set" and provided backing vocals on "Fly Boy" in American International Pictures' Beach Blanket Bingo. They also delivered the song "The Gasser" and were heard on the title track in AIP's Ski Party. Additionally, they performed "My Buddy Seat" in Paramount's Beach Ball. Furthermore, they contributed the title song for Columbia's Winter A-Go-Go.
Albums
- Go Little Honda (1964) US: No. 119 Mercury Records SR 60940 (Stereo) / MG 20940 (Mono)
- The Hondells (1964) US: Mercury Records SR 60982 (Stereo) / MG 209820 (Mono)
- Greatest Hits (1996) Curb Records D2-77819
Singles
| Year | Single | US | CAN | AU |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | "Little Honda" | 9 | 21 | 21 |
| 1964 | "My Buddy Seat" | 87 | 19 | – |
| 1965 | "Little Sidewalk Surfer Girl" | – | 24 | – |
| 1965 | "Sea Cruise" | 131 | – | – |
| 1966 | "Younger Girl" | 52 | 11 | 18 |