The name “Warner Brothers” is rarely associated with the American Midwest. But in this case, brothers Larry and Al Warner recycled the iconic name for their own (presumably very local) plans to dominate the entertainment field from their home base of Peoria, Illinois. As a group, Larry (on keyboards and lead vocals) and Al (guitar) were assisted mainly by Kenny Elam (bass) and Tommy Stovall (drums). Formed in the early ’60s, the band lasted in one form or another until the mid-’70s.

The Warner Brothers could first be heard on the local Peoria-based Kandy Kane label with a surf-like instrumental, “Study Hall” https://youtu.be/zfCsz0bptUs b/w “Centipede” as the Warner Brothers Combo.
Trying to break out nationally, they inked a deal with the West Coast-based Everest label. While they released three singles on the label in 1964-65, Everest was primarily a budget-oriented label claiming national distribution capabilities, however lacking musical direction, and without a promotional department to support the releases the records received little airplay and even fewer sales.

Once they started writing lyrics, their songs took a humorous twist. Back in the Midwest, it was their “Alley Oop”-style novelty song “Please Mr. Sullivan” https://youtu.be/8TmAY4m32MM, released on the Chicago-based Destination label in 1965, that broke them in the Windy City. After another Destination single the following year, the Warner Brothers landed briefly on Dunwich Records. That single was a completely deranged raver from Larry Warner titled “Lonely I” https://youtu.be/S7ekzwlnPeo backed with a version of Gerry Goffin-Carole King’s “I Won’t Be the Same Without Her” https://youtu.be/-RImLU-Y38Y.

The Warner Brothers kept busy playing Chicago clubs, hops with WLS deejay Art Roberts, as well as dates as far flung as Las Vegas, New York and Newfoundland.

At the tail end of their career, the Warner Brothers released two singles on the obscure Illinois labels Balance and Rampage circa 1967-68. During that period, they also participated in a recording session for Wisconsin-based guitarist/vocalist Jackson “Jay” Taylor and his Elvis-style ballad “Turnaround” b/w “I Understand” (Cuca 6758).

While the Warner Brothers never achieved the industry domination they had hoped for, their songs continue to be brought back to life on various garage rock compilations. “Study Hall” has been included on the 1988 Dutch compilation Private Rock & Roll (White Label Records WLP8941) as well as Ho-Dad Hootenanny: Beer Blast Blow Out ’65 (Ho-Dad 40-OZ). “Please Mr. Sullivan” is included on the 1994 various artist compilation Pebbles Volume 6: Chicago (AIP 5023). “I Won’t Be the Same Without Her” is included on the various artist compilation The Best of Dunwich Records on the Sundazed label.

In addition, two completely forgotten 1966 Dunwich outtakes, “Oleo Margarine” https://youtu.be/MhFRgl-8Fdg and the raunchy “Dirty Ernie” https://youtu.be/3XsZGluMSgU were discovered in the vaults and finally issued on If You’re Ready! The Best of Dunwich Records…Volume 2 (Sundazed SC 11019).

Discography

1964 Study Hall b/w Centipede (Kandy Kane 408) (as the Warner Brothers Combo)
1964 The Cuckoo b/w The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face (Golden Crest CR 586)
1964Three Little Fishes b/w Mairzy Doats (Everest 2043)
1964 Do the Hog / Comin’ Home Baby (Everest 2050)
1965 Varoom b/w Guitar Blue (Everest 2057)
1965 Please Mr. Sullivan b/w I’m Goin’ Your Way (Destination 612)
1966 Little Darlin’ b/w I’m Goin’ Your Way (Destination 617)
1966 I Won’t Be the Same Without Her b/w Lonely I (Dunwich D-131)
1967 Three Cheers b/w Lost (Balance 2002)
1968 Beauty and the Beast b/w Cry Baby (Rampage RR-1702)