Active Years (1965-1967)
AKA: The Nomads
Genre: Garage Rock
Base Location: Blue River, Oregon
Winners of the Northwest Battle of The Bands at the Lane County Fair in July of 66′.
Members:
- Tom Davis – Vocals
- Clark Lynch – Drums & Vocals
- Bob DiMartino – Keyboards (also played in Hot Spice from Spokane)
- Larry Harding – Lead Guitar
- Dave Jones – Saxophone
- Bob Martin – Drums
- Luis Weathers – Bass, Road Manager
- Lee Wilson – Bass
- Dennis Baldwin
- Lloyd Barnhurst
- Stan Broghn
Their cover of The Searchers’ classic Needles And Pins can be found on The History Of Northwest Rock, Vol. 5. More recently Black Winds, a gentle folk-rock ballad has resurfaced on Relics, Vol. 2 (LP), Relics Vol’s 1 & 2 (CD), Northwest Battle Of The Bands, Vol. 1 (CD), and Tymes Gone By (LP). -Max Waller from Fuzz Acid and Flowers
Black Winds was recorded in Jerden records,one the pacific northwest’s greatest (in Seattle) r’n’r labels back in the 60’s and their one and only record.
I am the original lead singer of this band. My name is Tom Davis. I am originally from Scotland and came to the US in 1963. I started the original band in Klamath Falls, Oregon under the name of the Nomads. While auditioning in Eugene, on the way to cut Black Winds, I was asked to front for an all-star band being put together by a local teenage nightclub owner. That band became Little John and the Monks.
-Tom Davis, January 28, 2003
The previously unissued “Too Many People” by Little John & The Monks was recorded in November 1965 and is now available on Ace Records Northwest Battle of the Bands, Vol 3. “Black Winds is available on Ace Records Northwest Battle of the Bands, Vol 1.
-Sam Carlson, February 12, 2003
The Little John and the Monks cover photo is a very bad look at the group and those were mostly new people from the original group. The blurred photo was taken on a hill north of downtown Eugene in late summer of 1966.
We had gone to San Francisco to purchase the silver shark skin suits we wore to play our Santa Clara, California concert after winning the Northwest Battle of The Bands at the Lane County Fair in July of 66′ where we opened with a Beatles tune Nowhere Man and it killed them!!!!
Tom Davis had a blue version of the suits shown standing looking left facing me. Lui Weathers didn’t have a suit in the photo because he was no longer our bass player but stayed on as Road Manger.
Lloyd Barnhurst died two years ago and I was told Davy Jones died many years ago.
I’d love to hear from any of them and find a better photo from what was the last before two of us got drafted. I saw Tom once after getting out of the service in about 69. -Clark Lynch, February, 2011 (Source: PNW Bands)