The Dovers

The Dovers
OriginSanta Barbara, California, U.S.
GenreGarage rock
Years active1965–1966
LabelsMiramar Records
Reprise Records
Past membersBruce Clawson
Tim Granada
Robbie Ladewig
Rick Morinini
Tony Rivas
Randy Busby
Nick Hoffman

The Dovers were an American garage rock band of the mid-1960s from Santa Barbara, California. The Dovers were an example of mid-1960s folk rock, psychedelic rock and pop, heavily influenced by the British Invasion and American groups such as The Byrds.

Career

The Dovers were from Santa Barbara, California, and started their band under the name The Vandells. They began their recording career very shortly after as The Dovers in 1965 with the Miramar Records release "She's Gone" / "What Am I Going To Do?", which reportedly was a minor hit in the Santa Barbara–Ventura County area. Three singles followed in late 1965 and early 1966, showing The Dovers' interest in folk and pop; none of their four singles met with national success, and The Dovers broke up shortly afterward with their final sessions taking place in May 1966.

The group recorded a total of four singles for Miramar:

A Top 40 list from radio station KIST in Santa Barbara from May 28, 1966, shows The Dovers' single "The Third Eye" listed as one of the station's "Hit Bound Sounds" of the week.

Legacy

The Dovers went largely unnoticed by music collectors until garage rock compilation albums were released in the late 1970s and early 1980s. A cult following developed around the group, who became known among collectors for their catchy songs and wistful vocals. "What Am I Going To Do" is available on Rhino Records' Nuggets box set. "She's Gone" is available on BFD Records' Pebbles, Volume 2, while "She's Not Just Anybody" is available on AIP Records' Pebbles 8, Southern California 1. The group's original bass player, Laudewig, died in the 1980s.

In 1994, short-lived New Zealand indie supergroup Pop Art Toasters released an energetic version of "What Am I Going to Do?".

In 2001, Misty Lane Records issued a 10" vinyl retrospective album that includes all 8 songs by The Dovers, called We're Not Just Anybody.

The 2009 song "Walkabout" by Atlas Sound, the solo project of Bradford Cox of Deerhunter, samples the keys from the track "What Am I Going To Do". The song is a collaboration with Noah Lennox of Animal Collective.

In 2025, Misty Lane Records reissued We're Not Just Anybody with remastered tracks only available on 12" vinyl and slightly updated cover art.

Band members

The Dovers were:

Literature

In July 2007, Jawbone Press published Riot on the Sunset Strip: Rock 'n' Roll's Last Stand in Hollywood (ISBN 978-1-906002-04-6) by American author Domenic Priore. The book featured a few pages on the history of The Dovers, including an interview with the band's guitarist and vocalist Tim Granada.

References

  1. 1 2 Chadbourne, Eugene. "The Dovers". Allmusic. Retrieved March 28, 2010.
  2. ↑ "The Dovers - We're Not Just Anybody (Side 1), 1965". Into Relative Obscurity Blog. Retrieved November 7, 2026.
  3. ↑ "The Dovers". Psychedelicized. Retrieved November 7, 2026.
  4. ↑ "WREO 970 Ashtabula Survey 06/09/68".
  5. ↑ "What Am I Going To Do?". Tiny Visions. Retrieved November 7, 2026.
  6. ↑ Review of We're Not Just Anybody. Retrieved 7 Oct 2013.
  7. ↑ "Atlas Sound w. Noah Lennox, "Walkabout"". The Fader. Retrieved November 7, 2026.
  8. ↑ "Rediscovering The Dovers: A Brilliant Garage Folk-Rock Anthology". It's Psychedelic Baby Magazine. Retrieved November 7, 2026.
  9. ↑ "Get Lit: Riot on Sunset Strip — Rock 'n Roll's Last Stand in Hollywood". Houston Press. Retrieved November 7, 2026.