VIKINGS
Birmingham, Alabama
The Vikings: Charles Nettles standing in the back and below, l-r: Gary Smith, Phil Whitley, Lee Lowery, Randy Carmichael, and Steve Vainrib
The Vikings of Birmingham, Alabama recorded two quite different 45s. Band members were Gary Smith, Phil Whitley, Lee Lowery, Randy Carmichael, Steve Vainrib and Charles Nettles.
Come On and Love Me is fantastic, an upbeat song with double-tracked vocals and a nice balance between Phil Whitley's lead guitar and the strummed rhythm. As exciting a single as any released at the time.
I Will Never Go is a ballad, and while not exceptional, it builds to a strong ending. Both sides were co-written by Charles Nettles and C. Putnam.
Over a year later they made a second record on the Lowery label, but the change in their sound is enormous. The a-side is another Charles Nettles original, Cherish the Love You Feel, with lavish orchestration and an arrangement influenced by English pop from the time. The flip is a cover of Tommy Roe's Golden Girl - chosen probably because the Lowery booking agency was handling both bands.
Randy Carmichael became a studio musician for Neil Hemphill's Sound of Birmingham studio in the Midfield section of the city, playing for Fredrick Knight and Bobby Womack among others. Phil Whitely went on to play with the Hard Times after their guitarist Ron Parr died in Vietnam.
Wayne Perkins joined as guitarist after the 45s were recorded.