BONFIRE! The Return Of The Fifth Order Their 1966 garage classic Goin’ Too Far b/w Walkin’ “Life at that point was great. What a way to go bass and Mike “Muff” Away was a tremendous regional success, at the through high school! Needless to say we had more Comfort replaced time becoming the biggest selling seven-incher from girls than we could handle and it was surprising to Billy on the drums. Columbus, Ohio. Their second local hit, A figure out that you can make money too.” Jack Sender has Thousand Devils (Are Chasin’ Me) b/w Today (I another reason why Got A Letter), was picked up by Laurie for national As with most local ‘60s bands, the Fifth Order got Billy should have been release. These two records have long been started mostly for kicks. Billy Carroll, an aspiring featured more as a recognized as sterling examples of Ohio’s vibrant drummer, met guitar player Jim Hilditch in 1963. vocalist, “On stage mid-60s garage rock scene. But the story of the Both were 14 or 15 years old and went to the same Billy was an animal Fifth Order has remained untold, until now. Digging junior high. There was no real talk about putting a that the girls loved – into the band’s history, a few welcome surprises band together until February 7th, 1964, when the the crowds went nuts emerged: a third 45 that collectors were not aware two saw the Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show. “After for him and the band.” of, and – even better – a cache of unreleased that, all hell broke loose,” says Bill of this defining It was also Jack who recordings of exceptional quality. moment for a generation of teens. “We knew we suggested the name wanted to do what those Fifth Order to the guys were doing.” Bill and band – car names like Jim found two guys from Electras on stage - 1965. “the Electras” were another junior high with considered old hat. similar ideas, and the first songwriter, worked for the same program as a floor The Fifth Order became regulars on the Saturday incarnation of the band director. “I met the band at WLW-C TV4 in afternoon TV show Dance Party, hosted by Jerry was in place: Jim Hilditch Columbus for the first time,” he remembers. “Mike Rasor. This led to more popularity, more gigs – (lead guitar), Mike Berand and Dick Murgatroyd got me involved. Dick was and the first record. In late 1966, the band travelled (bass guitar/vocals), Gary always trying to help to a studio in Steger (rhythm guitar/ everyone.” While Dick Louisville, Kentucky vocals) and Billy Carroll became the Electra’s and recorded two (drums/lead vocals). manager, Jack Sender turned Jack Sender com- They named themselves out to be the perfect positions: Goin’ Too the Electras, after the songwriter for the band, Far and Walkin’ popular Buick sedan of coming up with a number of Away. the period. tailor-made songs for the Dick Murgatroyd boys. placed the master Electras 1965 l to r: Jim, Gary, Billy, Mike. The four started Around this time the Electras tapes with a practicing, alternately in had to reorganize themselves Cincinnati label “I’m truly amazed and flattered that anybody is still Billy’s living room or Jim’s basement, where they into a new band. “I always felt named Counterpart. interested in the Fifth Order after all these years,” quickly graduated from no-frills instrumental a little restricted being behind Upon release, the says Bill Carroll, lead singer of the band from its workouts to British invasion-style vocal tunes. They the drums and trying to do record exceeded all beginning to the end. Bill now lives in California, as improved rapidly, and in short order were ready to almost all of the singing. So expectations – it a regular, anonymous middle-aged guy and enjoys play out. The young band appeared at school events, we decided to bring me out Billy – best part of any gig. made it to No. 1 in his life as a husband and father. He reminisces about weekend dances and private parties. The kids dug front full time,” says Bill. Mike Columbus where it their sound, so the Electras kept rehearsing and Berand left, because his parents felt the band was sat for about four weeks, and charted all over Ohio played as many gigs as they could. It wasn’t long taking too much time away from his schoolwork. and the Midwest. Bob Harrington, the top DJ for before they cultivated a loyal following. Jeff Johnson, another school chum, came in to play local radio station WCOL, told Jack that the 18,000 copies the band sold on Goin’ Too Far made it the It got to the point biggest selling local single ever in Columbus. where they found themselves performing Diamond Records licensed it for national release, weekend engagements giving the band airplay in other states, but they all over the state – turned out to be the wrong partner for a national “Much to the break. Another problem was the lack of consternation of our promotional effort the band could provide. “We parents”, laughs Bill. were all still in high school at that time,” explains Word about the new Bill. “There was no way our upper-middle-class group spread, parents were going to let us quit school at 16 and popularity grew and the 17 to wander around on the road all the time. This first manager, Mike made it difficult to go out and push a record. So Jack Sender, songwriter and author of the Leonard, came – and we really banged it only during the vacation breaks.” band´s original material. went. But before getting fired, Leonard Shortly after the release of the record another line- the old days: “I had the greatest adolescence that a introduced the band to up change occurred. Gary Steger left and Jeff guy could have. My own car, money in my pockets, Dick Murgatroyd and Fenholt came in. “Billy and I saw Jeff play at a gig everybody knew who I was and I had more girls Jack Sender. Dick was one night and flipped over his voice”, recollects Jim than any guy should have in a lifetime. It was a major the producer and Hilditch. “We approached Jeff and asked him to join blast!” director of the popular HE KISSED ME -- Linda Byers, 16, of 252 S. Mulberry St., gasps as she talks with friend after the Fifth Order and, after a couple of days, he local TV show Dance receiving a buss from Billie Carroll, lead singer for the Fifth Order, a teen band. The band agreed. Jeff played guitar better than Gary and had appeared at Chillicothe High School as part of the WLW-C Salute to Chillicothe. Jerry Rasor Jim Hilditch, the Fifth Order’s lead guitarist, Party; Jack, a 22-year-old staged a version of his television teen show, Dance Party, in the auditorium. a killer voice.” Bill confirms this point of view. “Gary describes the heyday of the band in a similar way. college student and (photo courtesy Chillicothe D. Gazette 05/11/67) was a good guy, but Jeff really took the band to There was talk about doing another single for Laurie Records, but by then it seemed the band had pretty much run its course. Bill puts it this way: “The less serious of us wanted to chuck it in and go off to college. I was pretty hardcore and wanted to keep going. Anyway, the band kinda faded away in late ‘67, early ‘68”. Jim agrees. “At one point we simply let it go. I wanted to have people remember the band the way it had been, instead of trying to keep it going with different players. There was a certain chemistry with all the guys in the Fifth Order. We clicked; we had our own style and sound. By changing one person, that would have changed the band.” In 1968 Counterpart Records came out with a third, now very rare and virtually Fifth Order - 1967, l to r: Billy, Jeff Johnson, Muff, Jim, Jeff Fenholt. unknown 45 of two earlier recordings: I Was A Fool b/ another level. He and I harmonized really well.” The happened to The Moment I Saw You, which w The Moment I Saw You. band now played the Dance Party show every three features a mysterious harmonica that wasn’t part This happened after the weeks and was busy working the local and regional of the session as originally recorded. Fifth Order had already split and without live circuit with other local groups like the Dantes anybody’s knowledge. Very few copies were title role in Jesus Christ Superstar; he subsequently or the Grayps. In any event, the 45 did extremely well throughout pressed. And like the band, they quietly joined a later incarnation of Black Sabbath. Today the region as before, hitting the top spot on most disappeared. he runs a Christian TV show on TBS. Jim Hilditch In the spring of 1967, it was time to release another of the local charts. While Bill says that it sold as went to college and returned to the music business 45. The group went again to Ray Allen’s studio in strongly as the first 45 locally, Jeff Hilditch thinks it The ex-members went their separate ways. Billy as a manufacturers’ representative, first for Gibson Louisville and recorded a total of five Jack Sender sold even more; but no one’s really sure.