Rock Reconstruction

"Students at the science department sponsored dance Friday, February 27, enjoyed the music of the Rock Reconstruction."

I don't know what year that article was written for the San Marcos Daily Record, but it would have had to been in 1969 or 1970. I think if memory serves me correct, it was Craig Connally our bass player who came up with the name of "Rock Reconstruction." I also believe he simply found those words in the dictionary, put them together and that was it. We also toyed with the idea of naming the band "Toe Jam" but Rock Reconstruction won out.

We played a mix of the rock music that was popular of the day - Grand Funk Railroad, Iron Butterfly, Mountain, etc. One of my favorite songs to perform (and which funny enough, caused me the most anxiety) was "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" by Iron Butterfly which had a long (very long) drum solo in the middle of it.

At some point in our very short career three members of the band (Craig, Barry and David) were asked to join a large choir ensemble that was a part of the First Baptist Church of San Marcos, called "Sound 70." Think "Up With People" except with lime green and yellow spandex. It was a strange hybrid of gospel and popular music. "Close To You" by the Carpenters was a big number. The outfit was led by Terry Stephens, a young charismatic fellow who made the whole experience a lot more fun that it could have been.

Terry wanted to have a rock band that would perform a few popular songs apart from the choir to add a little spice to the performance. Terry had established that band which featured members Paul Lyon, on trumpet; Howard Lyon, trombone; Vernon Hartman, drums; Billy Martin, trumpet; David Bynum, sax; Barry Bynum, guitar and Craig Connally on bass. I would replace Vernon Hartman on drums upon his leaving of the group.

The band was named Liberation Suite and as of that time, we were not yet Christians. Churched, but not Christ-following believers. We still kept Rock Reconstruction going on the side in addition to our work with "Sound 70."

As members of the Baptist ensemble, Rock Reconstruction was awarded precious rehearsal space in the "R.A. Hut" which was a little building separate from the main church building. One day at a rehearsal, Paul Lyon and his brother Howard showed up at a rehearsal. There had been some talk about them joining the band which I was totally against, since I despised brass instruments. I considered those instruments to be about as far from rock and roll as they could possibly be.

I don't remember voting on it, but Paul and Howard joined the band and we officially became "Liberation Suite," and an entity apart from Sound 70. It took a little while, but I eventually fell in love with the brass section.

Teen Club

Rock Reconstruction would eventually include members, Barry Bynum on guitar, Craig Connally on bass, Mark Marlow, guitar, Denny Wiggaman, lead vocals, Ed Sullivan, Drums (we had two drummers for quite awhile), David Bynum, band manager and me. We played wherever we could. Somehow we managed to get some frat party gigs in Austin even though we were way underage. Even though there was that huge difference in age between the band and the college audience, they still loved us. Our constant rehearsing was paying off.

One of the venues that we frequently played was the Teen Club that was held at the city park in San Marcos. The lady that ran the teen club was pretty strict and frequently walked out into the crowd of dancers with a ruler and measured the distance between them. Rock Reconstruction was probably her worst nightmare. At the time, we were all doing drugs of various kinds and even kept a bottle of whiskey tied to a rope and floating in the cold San Marcos River that ran next to the building that the Teen Club was held in.

I’ll never forget one of the last nights we played at the Teen Club. By that time we were starting to draw a pretty good crowd. I don’t know if it was the whiskey (probably) or what, but Denny launched out into the crowd during one song that we were jamming on and proceeded to lead the entire crowd in a giant swirling circle, all the while banging on a cowbell. I had borrowed a friend’s Ludwig drum set that night and I remember him sitting in front of the drums watching me play and begging me to kick them off the stage a-la Keith Moon of the Who. I obliged and sent drums flying out into the audience. Chaos ensued and that was pretty much the end of our run at the Teen Club.

It all began here - for me.

I grew up on a farm between San Marcos and Austin, Texas near the town of Uhland and attended grade school in nearby Kyle which was about six miles from our farm.

My best friend at Kyle Elementary was Craig Connally and we continued to be friends throughout elementary school. The Beatles had come on the scene right about the time I was in third grade, and that year Craig and I formed a pantomime band called, "The Little Beatles" with two other friends from school, Jerry Holder and Greg Bell. I played the part of John Lennon and Craig played the part of Ringo Starr. The school had a talent show that spring and we entered the "Little Beatles" in it. We were up against a rival high school band called, "The Big Beatles" if you can believe that. They were probably a little more polished than we were (though we did wear Beatle wigs and black suits) but we had the "cuteness factor" going for us and we won the competition hands down. I'll never forget the popping of the flash bulbs going off as we played. I thought it was because we were cool; looking back now, I imagine it was because we were cute. We won $5 that night and I'm not sure how we split it up, but we were rich and famous now.

Right around 7th or 8th grade, Craig's family moved to San Marcos, and I ended up hanging out in San Marcos in my free time with Craig and his new "big city" friends.

When I reached 8th grade I got my first set of drums - a blue sparkle Sears & Roebuck set. The bass drum had a crest on the front head where you could paste your initials. I remember sitting down at the drums and being completely flabbergasted on how to play that many drums at one time ( I played bass drum in school band). After much effort and multiple listenings to the accompanying "How to play drums" 45 rpm record that came with the set, I finally figured it out and eventually got the hang of it.

Meanwhile Craig bought a "Framus" bass guitar and we hooked up with a fellow by the name of Mac Walling. Mac's father owned Walling's Creamery, an ice cream parlor that sat on the bend in the road across from where the Texas State University theater building is now. Mack played guitar and fancied himself as a sort of Jimi Hendrix of the instrument, even to the point of setting a bum spare guitar on fire at the end of, what else, Jimi Hendrix's "Fire."

We practiced at Mac's house and Mac became (or was) the leader of the band. I remember learning songs like, "Mustang Sally" with Mac shouting in the background to me, "Play louder! Play louder!" Many blisters were birthed during those rehearsals.

Our first gig was at Buda Junior High School in May of 1969 where I attended 8th grade. We had a contract and everything. It was signed, "Play all night, $30, Royce Swaim, principal." Mack named the band, "The Xperience." Our business cards said, "Soul, Rock and Pop for all occasions." I will never forget that first gig for as long as I live. I went from a "nobody" to a "somebody" overnight. I had my mother make my first stage costume for that evening. A white puffed sleeve shirt and vest with brown bell bottoms that had fringed around the cuffs. Mack wore black knee high boots, white pants and a long haired (not that long) wig.

That summer of 1969 I went to Florida to visit my grandparents for a couple of weeks. When I came back I had been replaced by another drummer and the band was playing "big time" clubs in San Marcos. I was crushed.

Craig gave me a call one day and told me about a new guitarist who had moved to San Marcos from Lubbock, Texas. He had heard that this guy was a hot guitarist and was looking to play in a band. Heck, I was looking to play in a band too, so this would work out perfect.

The three of us agreed to meet at a little market near Craig's house in San Marcos. I was killing time looking around the aisles of the little store when he came in. "Hi, I'm Barry." He had horned rim glasses like Buddy Holly and since Buddy and Barry were both from Lubbock, that made sense. We made a little small talk which I can't remember for the life of me and I guess we agreed to get together and practice. The band's name would be "Rock Reconstruction" and for me, this would also become the very root of the beginnings of Liberation Suite.