{{Short description|American garage rock band}} {{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = The Dantes | origin = Worthington, Ohio, United States | genre = {{flatlist | *Garage rock *soul }} | years_active = 1964–1969 | label = Jamie, Cameo, Main Line | associated_acts = | past_members = *Barry Hayden *Dave Workman *Lynn Wehr *Carter Holliday *Joe Hinton }} '''The Dantes''' were an American garage rock band from Worthington, Ohio, a suburb outside of Columbus, who were active from 1964–1969. They became one of the biggest groups in the Columbus area, scoring a #1 hit locally with their 1966 song "Can't Get Enough of Your Love", which has become highly regarded by garage rock enthusiasts and collectors.
==History==
The Dantes formed in 1964 in Worthington, a suburb outside of Columbus.<ref name="Bishop (Dantes)">{{cite web|last1=Bishop|first1=Chris|title=The Dantes|url=http://www.garagehangover.com/dantes/|website=Garage Hangover|publisher=© Chris Bishop|accessdate=June 14, 2016|date=November 19, 2014}}</ref><ref name="Greene (Dantes/Hayden)">{{cite web|last1=Greene|first1=Bob|title=An almost Rock Star Still Doing the Thing He Loves|url=http://www.cnn.com/2012/09/16/opinion/greene-dantes-band/|website=CNN|publisher=© Cable News Network.|accessdate=June 14, 2016|date=September 16, 2012}}</ref><ref name="Beck (Dantes/Reunion)">{{cite web|last1=Beck|first1=Aaron|title=Dantes to Delve Back into '60s|url=http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/weekender/2008/05/01/9A_DANTES01_ART_05-01-08_T6_V4A29DQ.html|website=The Columbus Dispatch|publisher=© GateHouse Media, Inc.|accessdate=June 14, 2016|date=May 1, 2008}}</ref><ref name="Buckeye Beat (Dantes)">{{cite web|title=The Dantes|url=http://www.buckeyebeat.com/dantesco.html|website=Buckeye Beat|publisher=Buckeye Beat.com|accessdate=June 14, 2016}}</ref> The earliest version of the group was founded by Richard Wakefield, but he soon departed, and after several changes in lineup, their roster settled to Barry Hayden on lead vocals, Dave Workman on lead guitar, Lynn Wehr on rhythm guitar, Carter Holliday on bass, and Joe Hinton on drums.<ref name="Bishop (Dantes)"/><ref name="Office Naps (Dantes)">{{cite web|last1=n/a|first1=Little Danny|title=The Plum Beach Incident / Dave Yarnell|url=http://officenaps.com/category/garage-bands/|website=Office Naps|publisher=Office Naps.com|accessdate=June 14, 2016|date=January 13, 2013}}</ref> Singer Barry Hayden was a charismatic front man, known for his stage moves.<ref name="Greene (Dantes/Hayden)"/> They were influenced by British Invasion invasion groups, such as the Rolling Stones, and covered several of the Rolling Stones' songs live and on their records.<ref name="Bishop (Dantes)"/> The Dantes became one of the most popular bands in the Columbus area.<ref name="Buckeye Beat (Dantes)"/> The Dantes appeared in several battles of the bands.<ref name="Greene (Dantes/Hayden)"/> At a contest held at Northland Shopping Mall, they lost to one of their chief rivals in the local scene the Rebounds, but the Dantes won their next battle of the bands (where they faced off with the Rebounds again) held at Valley Dale.<ref name="Greene (Dantes/Hayden)"/><ref name="Office Naps (Dantes)"/><ref name="Dugo (Grayps)">{{cite web|last1=Dugo|first1=Miike|title=Grayps|url=http://home.unet.nl/kesteloo/grayps.html|website=Beyond the Beat Generation|publisher=Beyond the Beat Generation.com|accessdate=June 14, 2016}}</ref> Another popular group in Columbus was the Electras, later the Fifth Order (not to be confused with several other groups called the Electras during the period, such as John Kerry's band or the group from Minnesota).<ref name="Greene (Dantes/Hayden)"/><ref name="Office Naps (Dantes)"/><ref name="Music History (Fifth Order)">{{cite web|title=Stories|url=http://www.columbusmusichistory.com/html/stories.html|website=Columbus Music History.com|publisher=© ColumbusMusicHistory|accessdate=June 14, 2016|date=2014}}</ref><ref name="Break Away (Fiftgh)">{{cite web|title=Bonfire! The Return of the Fifth Order|url=http://www.columbusmusichistory.com/FifthOrder-Bonfire-Insert.pdf|website=Break-A-Way Records|publisher=Break-A-Way Records|accessdate=June 14, 2016|date=2004}}</ref>
The group’s managers were disc jockey, Johnny Garber and Chuck Swisher.<ref name="Bishop (Dantes)"/> Their first single was released in March 1966 on Jamie Records, and features its A-Side, "Can’t Get Enough of Your Love", co-written by rhythm guitarist, Lynn Wehr, and arranged by lead guitarist Dave Workman, featuring Byrds' inspired 12-string guitar picking.<ref name="Bishop (Dantes)"/> It was backed with "80–96" on the flip side, a blues-based instrumental that begins similar to "Ain’t Done Wrong", by the Yardbirds.<ref name="Bishop (Dantes)"/> According to Buckeye Beat the band had intended to name the instrumental "8–69", but the record label objected, believing it would be too suggestive.<ref name="Bishop (Dantes)"/> The A-side "Can’t Get Enough of Your Love", became a huge local hit, reaching #1 on local station WCOL's charts.<ref name="Bishop (Dantes)"/><ref name="Greene (Dantes/Hayden)"/> According to Hayden: :We just know we were going to be huge stars, internationally famous, wealthy beyond imagining.<ref name="Greene (Dantes/Hayden)"/> In September 1966, the Dantes released their second single in September 1966, released on Cameo Records, featuring the Mick Jagger & Keith Richards’s "Under my Thumb" b/w Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier and Eddie Holland’s "Can I Get a Witness, also covered by the Rolling Stones.<ref name="Bishop (Dantes)"/> The group’s last single appeared on the Main Line label and was produced by Walt Mansky, coordinated by Jerry Sharell. It features another Jagger & Richard song, "Connection" on the A-side, backed with the pop-flavored "Satisfied", which featured horn, signifing a new direction for the group.<ref name="Bishop (Dantes)"/> The Dantes opened for Jimi Hendrix at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Columbus. In the spring of 1968, Dave Workman had left the band and formed Dave Workman’s Blues Group, whose roster was made up of musicians from Columbus.<ref name="Bishop (Dantes)"/> The Dantes continued until playing through 1969.<ref name="Bishop (Dantes)"/> In January 1969, they changed their name to Moonstone.<ref name="Bishop (Dantes)"/> An advertisement appeared in 1969 in the Circleville Herald for a show by Moonstone, playing with the Fifth Order and Thee Young Generation, and another ad was run in April, 1969 mentioning their appearance with the Tree and the Fifth Order. The group disbanded shortly thereafter.<ref name="Bishop (Dantes)"/>
Singer Barry Hayden left the music business, going on to work at a Honda assembly plant in Marysville, Ohio and has for years worked as the director of guided tours at the Ohio Statehouse.<ref name="Greene (Dantes/Hayden)"/> In the intervening years, he has become active again in music.<ref name="Greene (Dantes/Hayden)"/> The Dantes reunited briefly on several occasions during the 1990s and early 2000s.<ref name="Beck (Dantes/Reunion)"/> They played two reunion shows in Columbus in 2008.<ref name="Beck (Dantes/Reunion)"/> Hayden now sings the group the Professors, whose repertoire consists of covers of British Invasion hits from the 1960s.<ref name="Greene (Dantes/Hayden)"/><ref name="Infernofest (Professors)">{{cite web|title=Barry Hayden’s exciting new band|url=https://infernofest.wordpress.com/|website=Infernofest.org|publisher=Infernofest|accessdate=June 14, 2016}}</ref> Hayden, recognizing that any hopes of fame have long passed, insists, nonetheless, on doing it for fun: :It's the only thing in my life that has ever made sense. It's the one thing I'm good at. It's What I am. You shouldn't put it off—if you wait, if you think you'll get around to it someday, someday may never come.<ref name="Greene (Dantes/Hayden)"/>
The Dantes' work has come to the attention of garage rock enthusiasts and collectors. Their song "Can't Get Enough of Your Love" was re-issued on the 2005 compilation ''Psychedelic States: Ohio In The 60s Vol. 1'', put out by Gear Fab Records.<ref name="Discogs (Psych./Dantes)">{{cite web|title=Various – Psychedelic States: Ohio In The 60s Vol. 1|url=https://www.discogs.com/Various-Psychedelic-States-Ohio-In-The-60s-Vol-1/release/1724832|website=Discogs|publisher=Discogs®|accessdate=June 14, 2016}}</ref>
==Membership==
*Barry Hayden (lead vocals) *Dave Workman (lead guitar) *Lynn Wehr (rhythm guitar) *Carter Holliday (bass) *Joe Hinton (drums)
==Discography==
*"Can't Get Enough of Your Love" b/w "80–96" (Jamie 1314, March 1966) *"Under My Thumb" b/w "Can I Get a Witness" (Cameo 431) *"Connection" b/w "Satisfied" (Main Line 1366, November 1967)
==References== {{reflist}}
==Bibliography==
*{{cite book|title=Teenbeat Mayhem|first=Mike|last=Markesich|year=2012|edition=1st|publisher=Priceless Info Press|location=Branford, Connecticut|isbn=978-0-985-64825-1|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/teenbeatmayhemco00mark}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dantes}} Category:Garage rock groups from Ohio Category:Musical groups established in 1964 Category:Musical groups disestablished in 1969