Taped at the Thirsty Whale in Minoqua sometime in the early 80s.
The Torquarys - 1965
Paul Smith, Tom Guenther, Alan Ives, Jim Chase
The Torquay's started in 1964 at Webster Stanley Junior High School in Oshkosh WI and lasted until the
Summer of 1969 when they changed the name of the band to The Friends. The Torquays were popular playing
teen dances, sorority and fraternity parties, beer bars and weddings. The Torquays also played many Oshkosh High
School dances and functions including a live performance of "And Even the Wind" written by Alan Ives
and accompanied by the Oshkosh High School Concert Band at Music For Moderns "Opus 13".
Click Button to listen to
And Even the Wind - Alan Ives
Recorded by The Torquays in 1966
Tom Guenther -1966
The Friends - 1969
Alan Ives, Tom Guenther, Larry Wolff, Jim Chase, Mark Hammond, Mike
Jankee
The Friends - 1970 Mark Hammond, Tom Guenther, Alan Ives
Jim Chase, Larry Wolff, Chris Henning
The Friends - 1970 Chris Henning, Larry Wolff, Steve Witte, Bill Graves,
Alan Ives, Jim Chase, Tom Guenther
Here are a couple tunes The Friends recorded
during the Summer of 1970 at Target Studios in Appleton, WI
Steve Witte, Jim Chase, Tom Guenther
Bill Graves, Larry Wolff, Chris Henning
The Friends - 1971 Bill Graves, Chris Henning, Steve Witte
Larry Wolff, Jim Chase, Tom Guenther
These 2 barn pictures were take by Jules Blattner
in back of the Target Studios in Neenah, WI just west of 41 & BB.
The Friends - 1972 Jim Chase, Bill Graves, Steve Witte, Tom Guenther
Chris Henning, Larry Wolff
The Friends "doo/dah" Band - 1974
Tom Guenther, Jim Hoagland, Larry Wolff, Jim Chase
Walter Dean Gerhan, Bill Graves
1975 The Friends opened for The Monkees at
the Country Aire in Appleton
The Monkees went to an after bar party at Bill's
house and Patti got their autographs.
Doo Dah - 1975
Bill Graves, Larry Wolff, Jim Chase
Jim Hendrick, Tom Guenther
s
The Friends - 1976 Bill Graves, Jim Hendrick, Jim Chase, Tom Guenther
Oshkosh - The Friends Recorded live at Club Sierra
in Green Bay on July 8, 1976
(Click on button to listen)
The Friends - 1978 Jim "Choo-Choo" Chase, Jim "Slide" Hendrick
Tommy "Almond" Guenther, Billy "Williams" Graves This picture was taken at the Second Chance
in Peoria Il by our good friend Rick Bowers.
The Friends Live in Concert - 1980
The Friends - 1980 Bill Graves, Tony Vallera, Tom Guenther
Dan Mueller, Jim Chase
The Friends - 1981 This picture was taken in the back room at Zivko's
"Rock & Roll Palace"
The Friends - Bar Hoppin The Friends recorded thier 1st album in the early 80s
titled "Bar Hoppin"
Bar Hoppin was written and recorded by The Friends at Irish Saxe Studio by Jim Hendrick
and mixed by Andy Waterman at the Shade Tree in Lake Geneva
Here are few songs from Bar Hoppin
Lucky One
There Is a Rock & Roll
Good Hearted Woman
I'm Gonna Miss Her
Time Bomb
Open Your Eyes
Jimmy's Song
In 1981 The Friends recorded their 2nd original album called "A Night To Remember".
The album was recorded at Irish Saxe Studio in Appleton WI by Jim Hendrick
and was mixed by Andy Waterman at The Shade Tree in Lake Geneva, WI.
The album was never released and Tony Vallera left the band soon after its completion.
Here are the eleven songs from "A Night To Remember"
writen and recorded by The Friends.
A Night to Remember
Insatiable
You're Gonna Pay For That
Stroke of Luck
I don't Think Our Love is Gonna Last
No One But You
Go For It
Harry Scarry Woman
Hurricane
Spaceship
The Whale Song
The Friends - 1985 Bill Graves, Joe Weisgerber
Tom Guenther, Jim Chase
Joe Weisgerber replaced Tony Vallera in the early 80s
and was an incredibly talented guitar/bassist.
The Friends - 1985
Tom Guenther, Jim Chase, Gary Ormsbee, Bill Graves
Tom is playing a Simmons electronic drum kit
The Friends - 1986 Gary Ormsbee, Bill Graves, Jim Chase, Tom Guenther
Bobby Evans joined The Friends in the
late 80s replacing Gary Ormsbee. The Friend eventually
became a 3 piece with Jim Chase, Bobby Evans and
Tom Guenther and play some gigs as the Dairyland Kings.
The Friends played their last gig in September of
1994 at Dawn & Woody's in Beaver Dam.
The Friends Reunion Band- 2000 Marc Hatzinger, Tom Guenther, Jim Chase, Bobby Evans, Tony Vallara
The Friends -2012
No longer a Reunion Band.
The Friends -2012
Tony Vallera, Tom Guenther
Jim Chase, Marc Hatzinger
Tommy Almond
Dick Mango
East Coast Tony
Keyz West
Next public dates are:
April 7th 2018 - The Hill - Omro ~ 6:00pm ~ No Cover
May 20th 2018 - Lady of Lourdes Picnic - Depere ~ 12:00PM ~ No Cover
July 7th 2018 ~ Oshkosh Sawdust Days Mainstage ~ 4:15pm ~ No Cover
Booking The Friends ~ (920) 235-7197
Big Wave Productions Tom Guenther Owner/Agent
