The Turtles

The Turtles

Company type	Band
Industry	Music
Founded	1965 in Los Angeles, California, United States
Founder	Howard Kaylan, Mark Volman, Al Nichol, Jim Tucker, Chuck Portz, Don Murray
Defunct	1970 (initial disbandment)
Headquarters	Los Angeles , United States
Products	Rock music, singles ("It Ain't Me Babe", "You Baby", "Happy Together", "She'd Rather Be with Me", "Elenore", "You Showed Me")

The Turtles emerged as a rock group originating from Los Angeles, California, in 1965. During the late 1960s, they secured multiple Top 40 singles, including notable tracks such as "It Ain't Me Babe" (1965), "You Baby" (1966), "Happy Together" (1967), "She'd Rather Be with Me" (1967), "Elenore" (1968), and "You Showed Me" (1969). Their song "Happy Together" notably achieved the number one position on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

The founding members consisted of lead singer Howard Kaylan, backing vocalist Mark Volman, lead guitarist Al Nichol, rhythm guitarist Jim Tucker, bassist Chuck Portz, and drummer Don Murray. Subsequent additions to the lineup included bassists Chip Douglas and Jim Pons, along with drummers Joel Larson, Johnny Barbata, and John Seiter.

By the end of the 1960s, diminishing commercial popularity, managerial difficulties, legal disputes, and disagreements with their label, White Whale Records, culminated in their disbandment in 1970. Following this, Kaylan and Volman (joined by Pons) became members of Frank Zappa's ensemble, the Mothers of Invention, adopting the name Flo & Eddie due to contractual constraints. After leaving Zappa in 1971, they continued performing as Flo & Eddie, gaining recognition as a comedic rock duo and session musicians collaborating with artists such as John Lennon, Bruce Springsteen, and Alice Cooper. In 1983, Kaylan and Volman resumed touring under the name The Turtles featuring Flo & Eddie. Kaylan ceased touring activities in 2018; Volman remained active until his passing in September 2025, after which Ron Dante assumed his role.

The Nightriders, the Crossfires, and the Tyrtles

In early 1963, New York native Howard Kaylan and California resident Mark Volman were students at Westchester High School in Los Angeles. Kaylan fronted a surf music ensemble called the Nightriders, which included Al Nichol on lead guitar, Don Murray on drums, and Chuck Portz on bass. Volman joined the group playing saxophone before it was renamed the Crossfires. After completing high school, they continued performing while attending college, adding rhythm guitarist Jim Tucker to their ranks.

They released a single titled "Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde" / "Fiberglass Jungle" through Capco Records and subsequently signed with White Whale Records. Aligning with the folk rock movement of the time, they adopted the moniker The Tyrtles—a creative variation influenced by bands like the Byrds and Beatles—before finally settling on The Turtles.

Shifting away from surf music toward folk rock, Kaylan and Volman abandoned their saxophones to concentrate on vocal duties. Kaylan assumed lead vocals and keyboard responsibilities (though Al Nichol performed most keyboard parts on their hit recordings), while Volman provided harmonies along with guitar and percussion contributions.

Breakthrough with "It Ain't Me Babe" and "You Baby"

The Turtles gained prominence by covering Bob Dylan's "It Ain't Me Babe", which climbed into the Billboard Top 10 during summer 1965 and served as the title track for their debut album. Following singles such as "Let Me Be" and "You Baby" reached positions within the Top 30 and Top 20 respectively. The track "You Baby" highlighted sophisticated harmonies combined with lively rhythms, representing a transition from politically charged folk rock to a style encompassing chamber pop and mainstream pop elements.

Their sophomore album You Baby did not make an appearance on Billboard's Top LPs chart. Singles including "Grim Reaper of Love" and "Can I Get to Know You Better" managed only marginal entries into the Hot 100; meanwhile, "Outside Chance," penned by Warren Zevon, failed to chart altogether. In 1966, The Turtles featured in Universal's motion picture Out of Sight, performing the song "She'll Come Back".

Early that year witnessed the departure of drummer Don Murray and bassist Chuck Portz. Joel Larson temporarily filled the drummer position before John Barbata assumed it later in 1966; Chip Douglas succeeded Portz as bassist.

"Happy Together"

The Turtles' most iconic and successful track, "Happy Together", was co-written by Garry Bonner and Alan Gordon and marked a significant milestone for both the band and arranger Chip Douglas. In spring 1967, this single dethroned the Beatles' "Penny Lane" from the top position on the Billboard Hot 100, maintaining number one for three consecutive weeks. The album featuring the song reached No. 25 on the charts, while "Happy Together" climbed to No. 12 on the UK Singles Chart. That same year, the Turtles contributed the title track to the Twentieth Century-Fox movie A Guide for the Married Man.

Michael Nesmith, impressed by Douglas's work, invited him to produce for the Monkees in an effort to shift their image away from being purely "manufactured." Douglas took on production duties for their next three albums: Headquarters, Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. (both released in 1967), and The Birds, the Bees & the Monkees (1968), which he co-produced alongside the band. During this period, Jim Pons stepped in as bassist for the Turtles, replacing Douglas.

"She'd Rather Be with Me", "You Know What I Mean" and "She's My Girl"

Following up on "Happy Together," Gordon and Bonner wrote several successful tracks that made 1967 a prosperous year for the group. The brass-infused single "She'd Rather Be with Me" reached No. 3 in the United States and surpassed its predecessor's performance internationally by peaking at No. 4 in the UK. Two additional Top 15 hits followed: "You Know What I Mean" and "She's My Girl", both showcasing a psychedelic influence. That year saw the release of two albums: Happy Together, which entered the Top 30, and Golden Hits, landing in the Top 10. Notably, album artwork for Golden Hits and its 1970 sequel More Golden Hits was created by Dean Torrence of Jan & Dean fame.

By late 1967, rhythm guitarist Jim Tucker departed from the band due to the demands of touring and recording. He moved to Grass Valley, California, where he pursued a career as an electrical contractor. Tucker refuted rumors suggesting that his exit was related to disputes involving John Lennon.

The Turtles Present the Battle of the Bands

In 1968, singles such as "Sound Asleep" and "The Story of Rock and Roll" achieved moderate success within the Top 100. The group’s fortunes improved when former member Chip Douglas returned as producer. Toward the end of that year, they released a concept album titled The Turtles Present the Battle of the Bands, which featured performances as eleven different fictional bands spanning diverse musical styles. This project yielded two Top 10 singles: "Elenore" and "You Showed Me", both peaking at No. 6; "Elenore" also reached No. 7 in the UK charts. Despite these charting singles, the album itself peaked at only No. 128 on the Billboard Pop Albums chart. The track "You Showed Me", originally written in 1964 by Gene Clark and Roger McGuinn of The Byrds, became their final Top 10 hit. The band made appearances on The Mike Douglas Show in February 1968 and again in April 1969. In 1969, drummer John Barbata was replaced by John Seiter.

Turtle Soup

Towards the end of 1969, the group unveiled Turtle Soup, with production handled by Ray Davies of the Kinks. Drawing inspiration from Davies's concept album The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society, this marked his only production role for another artist. Key songs featured include "Somewhere Friday Nite" and "Love in the City". Although critics responded favorably, Turtle Soup experienced limited commercial impact, hastening the band's downturn.

Disputes with White Whale and Band Breakup

Frustrated by White Whale Records' financial instability and its attempts to transform them into a formulaic pop act similar to early Monkees, Kaylan and Volman opposed demands to dismiss bandmates, perform with hired musicians on tour, and depend on session players for recordings. This conflict resulted in the release of "Who Would Ever Think That I Would Marry Margaret?", a single that the band publicly rejected.

The Turtles ended their run in 1970 by issuing More Golden Hits, a second greatest hits compilation, alongside Wooden Head, a collection of B-sides and rare tracks. After their split, White Whale Records lost its main source of income, struggled to sustain commercially successful artists, and soon went out of business.

1970s

In mid-1970, Kaylan and Volman became members of Frank Zappa's ensemble the Mothers of Invention, with Pons joining in early 1971. Due to contractual constraints imposed by White Whale Records, Kaylan and Volman adopted the stage names the Phlorescent Leech & Eddie or Flo & Eddie. They collaborated with Zappa until December 1971, contributing to multiple albums and his 1971 film 200 Motels. Subsequently, Flo & Eddie produced several albums as a duo.

They lent their backing vocals to T. Rex's 1971 hit "Get It On (Bang a Gong)" as well as the albums Electric Warrior and The Slider. When White Whale's master tapes were auctioned off in 1974, Kaylan and Volman purchased the Turtles' masters, allowing them to license their material through Sire Records, which released the compilation Happy Together Again. In the mid-1970s, they launched a syndicated radio program titled Flo & Eddie by the Fireside broadcast from Los Angeles' KMET.

1980s

During the 1980s, Flo and Eddie hosted radio shows on KROQ-FM in Los Angeles and WXRK in New York City while also composing soundtrack music for children's series such as Care Bears and Strawberry Shortcake. They contributed backing vocals on Alice Cooper's album Flush the Fashion (1980) and Bruce Springsteen's track "Hungry Heart" from The River. Rhino Records reissued the Turtles' original albums in 1982.

In 1983, they provided backing vocals for British New Wave group Espionage, produced by Roy Thomas Baker. That same year, Kaylan appeared in the comedy film Get Crazy. Kaylan and Volman reclaimed legal ownership of "the Turtles" name and began touring under the moniker the Turtles Featuring Flo and Eddie with new supporting musicians. In 1984, they participated in the Happy Together tour across the U.S., sharing the bill with Gary Puckett & the Union Gap, Spanky & Our Gang, and the Association.

In 1987, they appeared in a music video for "Happy Together" promoting the film Making Mr. Right. Rhino released previously unreleased material with the album Shell Shock along with a retrospective CD titled 20 Greatest Hits. The following year, Rhino issued Turtle Wax: The Best of the Turtles, Vol. 2, featuring standout album tracks and B-sides.

The hip-hop group De La Soul sampled the Turtles' "You Showed Me" on their 1989 debut album 3 Feet High and Rising. Kaylan and Volman filed a $2.5 million lawsuit for damages but settled out of court for $1.7 million in 1991. This case established an important precedent regarding crediting and royalty payments for sampled content within rap music and other genres.

1990s

In 1991, Music Club Records issued the Turtles' compilation Happy Together: The Best of the Turtles in the United Kingdom. Two years later, Rhino Records released Captured Live, a recording from their 1992 concert tour. Sundazed Music brought back all the original Turtles albums in 1994, while in 1999, Varèse Sarabande presented Happy Together: The Best of White Whale Records, which included numerous singles by the band.

Original drummer Don Murray died on March 22, 1996, at the age of 50.

2000s

The Turtles' hit "Happy Together" was prominently featured in the 2002 movie Adaptation, highlighting the strong bond between the Kaufman brothers; it played during the film’s closing credits. The track was also used in the end credits of the 2005 film Imagine Me & You. In 2009, the band released a greatest hits collection titled Save the Turtles: The Turtles Greatest Hits through their FloEdCo label, with distribution handled by Manifesto Records.

2010s

Starting in summer 2010, the group toured across America as part of the Happy Together: 25th Anniversary Tour under the name The Turtles Featuring Flo & Eddie. This oldies concert series maintained the "Happy Together" branding and included performances alongside pop artists from the 1960s and 1970s such as Gary Puckett, Mitch Ryder, Mark Lindsay, Mark Farner, Gary Lewis, and Micky Dolenz. The lineup expanded in 2015 to feature acts like the Buckinghams, the Cowsills, the Grass Roots, and the Association.

In 2016, two comprehensive box sets were released encompassing the full Turtles catalog: The Complete Original Album Collection and All the Singles. The following year saw separate expanded reissues of all six albums.

Due to medical advice following heart and back surgeries in 2018, Kaylan ceased touring activities; session musician Ron Dante took over his touring duties.

2020s

Jim Tucker, original rhythm guitarist, passed away on November 12, 2020, at age 74. Drummer John Barbata died on May 8, 2024, aged 79. Mark Volman succumbed to a brief illness on September 5, 2025, at age 78.

Former members

• Howard Kaylan – lead vocals, keyboards (1965–1970, 1983–2018)
• Mark Volman – harmony/backing vocals, guitar, percussion (1965–1970, 1983–2025; deceased)
• Al Nichol – lead guitar, keyboards, backing vocals (1965–1970)
• Jim Tucker – acoustic/electric rhythm guitars, backing vocals (1965–1967; deceased 2020)
• Chuck Portz – bass guitar (1965–1966)
• Don Murray – drums (1965–1966; deceased 1996)
• Chip Douglas – bass guitar, backing vocals (1966–1967)
• Joel Larson – drums (1966)
• John Barbata – drums, percussion (1966–1969; deceased 2024)
• Jim Pons – bass guitar, backing vocals (1967–1970)
• John Seiter – drums (1969–1970)
• Ron Dante – lead vocals, guitar (2018–2025)

Discography

• It Ain't Me Babe (1965)
• You Baby (1966)
• Happy Together (1967)
• The Turtles Present the Battle of the Bands (1968)
• Turtle Soup (1969)