{{Short description|American garage rock band}} {{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = The Kitchen Cinq | image = File:The Kitchen Cinq.jpg | origin = Amarillo, Texas, United States | genre = {{flatlist | *Garage rock *folk rock *psychedelic }} | years_active = 1962-1968 | label = LHI, Decca | associated_acts = aliases: The Y'alls, A Handful. | past_members = *James 'Jim' Ervan Parker *Mark Gordon Creamer *Troy Dale Gardner *James Dallas Smith *Johnny Joe Stark }}
'''The Kitchen Cinq''' were an American garage rock band from Amarillo, Texas active in the 1960s, whose lineup included guitarist and songwriter Jim Parker. They evolved out of '''the Illusions''' and eventually changed their name to '''the Y'alls''', releasing records under both names, and enjoyed regional success before moving to Los Angeles, where they signed with Lee Hazlewood's LHI label and became the Kitchen Cinq. As the Kitchen Cinq they recorded five singles between 1966 and 1968, as well as the album ''Everything but the Kitchen Cinq'', released in 1967. In December 1967, they released a single under the alias '''a Handful''', but returned to their better-known moniker for their final release in 1968. ==History==
The Kitchen Cinq originally evolved out of '''the Illusions''' in Amarillo, Texas.<ref name="Thomas (AllMusic)">{{cite web|last1=Thomas|first1=Bryan|title=Kitchen Cinq - Everything but...the Kitchen Cinq (Review) |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/everything-butthe-kitchen-cinq-mw0000841707|website=AllMusic |accessdate=September 4, 2016}}</ref><ref name="Armonaitis (Parker/Cinq)">{{cite web|last1=Armonaitis |first1=Dan|title=How I Met Jim Parker and Learned More about '60s Garage Rock Band, the Kitchen Cinq |url=http://soundobservations.blogs.goupstate.com/11350/how-i-met-jim-parker-and-learned-more-about-60s-garage-rock-band-the-kitchen-cinq/|website=Sound Observations|accessdate=September 4, 2016|date=July 29, 2013}}</ref><ref name="Koch (Rockasteria)">{{cite web|last1=Koch|first1=Bob|title=The Kitchen Cinq - Everything But (1967 US, exciting garage folk psych, 2010 O Music edition) |website=Rockasteria |url=http://rockasteria.blogspot.com/2013/04/the-kitchen-cinq-everything-but-1967-us.html|date=April 15, 2013|accessdate=September 4, 2016}}</ref> Between 1961 and 1962, guitarist Mark Gordon Creamer of the Illusions invited Jim Parker to join the group who, at that time had two other members, including bassist Dale Gardner.<ref name="Armonaitis (Parker/Cinq)"/> Parker was friends with Jimmie Gilmer, who with his band the Fireballs had a hit with "Sugar Shack".<ref name="Armonaitis (Parker/Cinq)"/> The group's sound was heavily influenced by the British Invasion bands from England, particularly the Dave Clark Five.<ref name="Thomas (AllMusic)"/> The Illusions released a single on Dot Records that featured an A-side "Brenda (Don’t Put Me Down)" written by Jim Parker backed with "Secrets of Love" co-written by Parker and band Gardner.<ref name="Armonaitis (Parker/Cinq)"/>{{sfn|Markesich|2012|page=[https://archive.org/details/teenbeatmayhemco00mark/page/131 131]}} It was recorded in Odessa, Texas at a studio owned by Tommy Allsup, who had played on the same bills as stars such as Buddy Holly & the Crickets and Ritchie Valens in the 1950s.<ref name="Armonaitis (Parker/Cinq)"/> The Illusions' single became a regional hit.<ref name="Armonaitis (Parker/Cinq)"/> According to Parker, "I was the elder statesman in the group – I was 19, 20-ish then ...and we played around town, and JD Souther’s group, The Cinders, was in competition with us. We were buddies, but we got most of the great gigs because we had a full band and Mark played organ, harmonica and guitar, and we had five-part harmonies...."<ref name="Armonaitis (Parker/Cinq)"/>
The Illusions eventually changed their name to '''the Y’alls''' and released the single, featuring the fuzz-drenched "Please Come Back" backed with Lennon & McCartney's "Run for Your Life (Beatles song)" on the Ruff label, which was released in May 1966.<ref name="Thomas (AllMusic)"/><ref name="Koch (Rockasteria)"/>{{sfn|Markesich|2012|p=263}}<ref name="Helsing (It's Psych.)">{{cite web|last1=Helsing|first1=Lenny |date=May 12, 2016|title=The Kitchen Cinq|url=http://www.psychedelicbabymag.com/2016/05/the-kitchen-cinq.html|accessdate=September 4, 2016|website=It's Psychedelic Baby! Magazine|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160927002921/http://www.psychedelicbabymag.com/2016/05/the-kitchen-cinq.html|archive-date=September 27, 2016}}</ref> Later that year, they relocated to Los Angeles and changed their name to '''Kitchen Cinq'''.<ref name="Armonaitis (Parker/Cinq)"/> The group was co-managed by Tom Thacker, who made a connection with Lee Hazlewood, and Red Steagall.<ref name="Armonaitis (Parker/Cinq)"/><ref name="Marston (Cinq)">{{cite web|last1=Marston|first1=Peter|title=Lost Treasures: The Kitchen Cinq "Everything But…"|website=Pop Geek Heaven |url=http://www.popgeekheaven.com/music-discovery/lost-treasures-the-kitchen-cinq|accessdate=September 4, 2016|date=May 9, 2015 }}</ref> The group was signed to Hazlewood's LHI label.<ref name="Armonaitis (Parker/Cinq)"/> Their first release for LHI was the single, "Determination" b/w "You'll Be Sorry Someday", which came out in November 1966.<ref name="Armonaitis (Parker/Cinq)"/>{{sfn|Markesich|2012|p=144}}<ref name="Marston (Cinq)"/> It was followed by "(Ellen Francis) Ride in the Wind" b/w "If You Think..." in February 1967, "Still in Love With You Baby" b/w "(Ellen Francis) Ride in the Wind" in April.<ref name="Armonaitis (Parker/Cinq)"/>{{sfn|Markesich|2012|p=144}}<ref name="Marston (Cinq)"/> The group regularly played at the Cheetah, a large ballroom located in Santa Monica, and on several occasions appeared on the same bill as the Young Rascals.<ref name="Armonaitis (Parker/Cinq)"/> They shared the bill on occasions with Eddie Floyd, usually at small "parking lot" gigs.<ref name="Armonaitis (Parker/Cinq)"/> According to Parker, "We had regional success with the Kitchen Cinq, too.<ref name="Armonaitis (Parker/Cinq)"/> We traveled around and got to do TV shows with James Brown and all kinds of cool people."<ref name="Armonaitis (Parker/Cinq)"/> The group made appearances outside of California as far away as Florida, New York, and Connecticut.<ref name="Armonaitis (Parker/Cinq)"/> The group had only a regional fan base though, and in an effort to gain a new start for a national base their name was changed for a cameo release.
In 1967 the Kitchen Cinq went to L.A.'s Gold Star Studios where Buffalo Springfield were also working at the time, and recorded the album ''Everything But the Kitchen Cinq'' which came out in the middle of the year and was produced by Lee Hazlewood’s then-girlfriend, Suzi Jane Hokom, who also produced an album by International Submarine Band.<ref name="Thomas (AllMusic)"/><ref name="Armonaitis (Parker/Cinq)"/><ref name="Reiff (Pitchfork)">{{cite web|last1=Reiff|first1=Corbin|title=The Kitchen Cinq - When the Rainbow Disappears: An Anthology 1965-68|url=http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/20992-when-the-rainbow-disappears-an-anthology-1965-68/|website=Pithfork |accessdate=September 4, 2016|date=September 7, 2015}}</ref><ref name="Helsing (It's Psych.)"/> On ''Everything but the Kitchen Cinq'', session musicians from the Wrecking Crew, including Glen Campbell, Larry Knechtel, Carol Kaye, and Hal Blaine appeared on some of the tracks.<ref name="Armonaitis (Parker/Cinq)"/> The LP showcased the band's deft harmonies and included renditions of Neil Diamond's "Solitary Man", and Buffy Sainte-Marie's "Cod'ine".<ref name="Thomas (AllMusic)"/><ref name="Reiff (Pitchfork)"/><ref name="Koch (Rockasteria)"/> Photographs on the back of the LP jacket displayed the band posing alongside TV stars Bill Cosby and Dick Van Dyke.<ref name="Armonaitis (Parker/Cinq)"/><ref name="Koch (Rockasteria)"/> In July 1967 the group issued the single, "When the Rainbow Disappears" b/w "The Street Song" in July—their last release for LHI.<ref name="Helsing (It's Psych.)"/>{{sfn|Markesich|2012|p=144}} In late 1967, they released a single, "Does Anybody Know" b/w "Dying Daffodil Incident" credited as '''A Handful'''.<ref name="45cat (handful)">{{cite web|title='Does Anybody Know' b/w 'Dying Daffodil Incident'|url=http://www.45cat.com/record/1201us|website=45cat|accessdate=November 28, 2016}}</ref> They subsequently signed with Decca Records and in February 1968 released their last single "Good Lovin' (So Hard to Find)" b/w "For Never When We Meet".<ref name="Armonaitis (Parker/Cinq)"/>{{sfn|Markesich|2012|p=144}}
Out of the remnants of the Kitchen Cinq, some of its members evolved into '''Armageddon''', a moderately successful progressive rock outfit,<ref name="Armonaitis (Parker/Cinq)"/> issueing just one self-titled album on Amos Records.<ref>[http://www.allmusic.com/artist/armageddon-mn0001294805/discography/all Armageddon's only album on Allmusic]</ref> Jim Parker went on to become a member of one of the post-Van Morrison lineups of Them.<ref name="Armonaitis (Parker/Cinq)"/> In the 1970s, he played in the rock group Baby, who opened for popular stadium rock acts as REO Speedwagon, Aerosmith, Black Oak Arkansas, and Exile.<ref name="Armonaitis (Parker/Cinq)"/> In the mid-1970s, he moved to Nashville and worked at a grocery store with future country star, John Anderson.<ref name="Armonaitis (Parker/Cinq)"/> Together, they co-wrote several songs, including "I’ve Got a Feeling (Somebody’s Been Stealin’)", and through this association, Parker drifted into country music.<ref name="Armonaitis (Parker/Cinq)"/><ref name="Marston (Cinq)"/> In the early 1980s, he recorded and toured with popular country outfit Dave & Sugar, and has since, become an established professional songwriter in Nashville.<ref name="Armonaitis (Parker/Cinq)"/> In addition to his musical career, he has also worked as a licensed relator since 1979.<ref name="Armonaitis (Parker/Cinq)"/>
The Kitchen Cinq's work has come to the attention of garage rock enthusiasts with reissues of ''Everything but the Kitchen Cinq'' and the release of ''When the Rainbow Disappears" an Anthology 1965-68'', which features the group's complete recorded work, compiled by Alec Palao, who personally sought out the members of the band in researching the project.<ref name="Helsing (It's Psych.)"/><ref name="Neff (Cinq)">{{cite web|last1=Neff|first1=Joseph |title=Graded on a Curve: The Kitchen Cinq, When the Rainbow Disappears: An Anthology 1965-1968|url=http://www.thevinyldistrict.com/storefront/2015/09/graded-on-a-curve-the-kitchen-cinq-when-the-rainbow-disappears-an-anthology-1965-1968/|website=The Vinyl District|accessdate=September 4, 2016|date=September 3, 2015}}</ref><ref name="Attic (Cinq)">{{cite web|title=The Kitchen cinq - When The Rainbow Disappears : An Anthology 1965-68 |url=http://lightintheattic.net/releases/1714-when-the-rainbow-disappears-an-anthology-1965-68|website=Light in the Attic|accessdate=September 4, 2016}}</ref><ref name="Reid (Cinq)">{{cite web|last1=Reid|first1=Graham|title=The Kitchen Cinq Rediscovered (2015): Amarillo, California in the Sixties, y'all|url=http://www.elsewhere.co.nz/absoluteelsewhere/7257/the-kitchen-cinq-rediscovered-2015-amarillo-california-in-the-sixties-yall/|website=Elsewhere |accessdate=September 4, 2016|date=November 27, 2015}}</ref>
==Membership==
*Jim Parker (guitar and vocals) *Mark Creamer (guitar and vocals) *Dale Gardner (bass and vocals) *Dallas Smith (guitar) *Johnny Stark (drums)
==Discography==
===Singles===
====As the Illusions====
*"Brenda (Don’t Put Me Down)" b/w "Secrets of Love" (Dot)
====As the Y'alls====
*"Please Come Back" b/w "Run for Your Life" (Ruff 1016, May 1966)
====As the Kitchen Cinq====
*"Determination" b/w "You'll Be Sorry Someday" (LHI 17000, November 1966) *"(Ellen Francis) Ride in the Wind" b/w "If You Think..." (LHI 17005, February 1967) *"Still in Love With You Baby" b/w "(Ellen Francis) Ride in the Wind" (LHI 17010, April 1967) *"When the Rainbow Disappears" b/w "The Street Song" (LHI 17015, July 1967) *"Good Lovin' (So Hard to Find)" b/w "For Never When We Meet" (Decca 32262, February 1968)
====As a Handful====
*"Does Anybody Know?" b/w "Dying Daffodil Incident" (LHI 1201, December 1967)
===LP=== *''Everything but the Kitchen Cinq'' (LHI, 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=https://archive.org/details/teenbeatmayhemco00mark}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kitchen Cinq}} Category:Musical groups from Texas Category:Garage rock groups from Texas Category:Musical groups established in 1962 Category:Musical groups disestablished in 1968 Category:Culture of Amarillo, Texas Category:1962 establishments in Texas