O STRAIGHT
scar & The Majestics were certainly a top-notch live act in the Midwest area during the mid to late ’60s. They were schooled in the ancient art of dazzling their audiences with
their assertive chops and hard-edged soul- influenced garage-punk sounds. Having the honour of being one of the hardest hitters in the area, they went toe-to-toe with many adversaries, emerging victorious each time.
They released seven singles during their heyday, all of which have been compiled innumerably, and three of which were on the legendary Chicago U.S.A. imprint, and gigged extensively throughout the surrounding states, sharing the stage with national acts as diverse as Chuck Berry, The Cyrkle and an embryonic Kiss to name but a few.
The band had quite a fewimitators and fans alike, counting people such as Peter Cetera (then of The Exceptions), The Dells and famous wrestler Dick The Bruiser amongst their converts! Imposing in appearance and musical execution, The Majestics were the real deal: a hard working, hard playing, honest-to-goodness club act that had the unmistakable Mid-western stamp of purity, grit and high energy!
OUTTA GARY!
Back in the mid-60s bands were judged on the ferocity and precision of their live performance.A bad show in front of the right people could cement your reputation as a lame duck
but OSCAR & THE MAJESTICS won over fans everywhere they played and are now rightly remembered as “garage greats”.
ERIC COLIN REIDELBERGER muscles up and chats with Sam Mahod.
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The story starts in the tough industrial city of Gary, Indiana, a mere 25 miles from downtown Chicago, which was privy to an exciting home grown musical scene much like its surrounding states. Oscar and Sam Hamod were high school students in the early ’60s when the musical bug bit. “When Oscar was a freshman in high school he picked up an old acoustic guitar and started playing around with it. It wasn’t long before he decided he wanted to play the guitar and perform,” recounts Sam. “I followed soon after. First it was drums, but I quickly found I enjoyed playing the bass.”
The idea for the name was inspired by a trip to The Yellowstone National Park, which Oscar felt was nothing short of majestic, exactly the image he wanted to bestow on his burgeoning combo. Soon they were joined by a third brother, Bud, who played drums in the first incarnation of the band (later replaced by Vince Jackim), and family friend Bob Wheeler on rhythm guitar. The group then started to develop their repertoire, which (much like everyone else at the time) consisted of R&B and rock ’n’ roll standards plus a smattering of originals. Honing their skills in front of angry teenagers wanting to dance and score girls solidified the material, and established them as a force to be reckoned with.
“We played dances, parties, weddings,
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