The Sparkles were associated with the garage-band and psychedelic rock scene of 1960s Texas, as epitomized by their classic underground hit 'No Friend Of Mine'. The line-up changed few times before 1962, and Stanley Smith finally recruit Harold "Lucky" Floyd (drums and vocals), Donnie Roberts (guitar) and Bobby Smith (bass). Their first recording was the single 'U.T.' under the small label Caron. This third incarnation proved a great hit among the clubs of West Texas, notably the Music Box and The Village Swinger. Indeed, in 2000, local legend Joe Ely described them as the "city's best rock'n'roll band" in the history of the Lubbock music scene published by Texas Monthly. Interestingly, The Sparkles boasted a pair of drummers, with one, the flamboyant Harold Floyd, also lending his voice to their performances. 1966 would constitute a turning point for The Sparkles. Larry Parks -drummer for Roy Orbison, turned producer in Nashville, Tennessee- invited them to sign with Hickory Records, the historic music label founded by Roy Acuff and Fred Rose in 1954. The band came up with 'The Hip', which proved an immediate hit in Austin and extremely popular within the fraternity scene at the University of Texas. On a roll, The Sparkles then recorded 'Something You Said' followed by 'Jack And The Beanstalk'. In 1967, The Sparkles, already a decade old, recorded their chef-d'oeuvre 'No Friend Of Mine', with Nunn's raging guitar riffs and Floyd's remarkably tense vocals. This fiery tour de force would be consecrated by its inclusion on the first CD set of the legendary compilation 'Nuggets: Original Artyfacts From The First Psychedelic Era, 1965-1968'. Following their final single, 'Hipsville 29 B.C.', for Hickory Records, The Sparkles once again entered rocky waters, with Nunn and Holt finally deciding to throw in the towel in 1968. Floyd, Smith and Marriot immediately set sail for California, along the way renaming their group The Pearly Gate. This brief interlude would include a handful of appearances on the ABC sitcom 'Judd, For The Defense'. Legend has it, they were also scheduled to perform before Bobby Kennedy the evening of his tragic assassination on June 5th 1968... Returning to Texas, Floyd, Smith and Marriot resurrected The Sparkles, bringing into the fold Steve Weisberg, future guitarist for John Denver. But Floyd's departure in 1975 for California to join Red Wilder Blue spelled the end of this group's 15-year musical odyssey, a tumultuous journey typical of such modest rock'n'roll heroes posthumously crowned by multiple thematic compilations. However, the one you're now holding constitutes the very first anthology dedicated to these incredible Texans.

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