The Trashmen's biggest hit was 1963's ' Surfin' Bird', which reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the latter part of that year. 'Surfin' Bird' as first success Cover of the 1995 reissue of the album featuring the hit single A song called 'Surfin' Bird' was conceptualized by Steve and was instantly liked by their audience at shows. The group gained an interest in surf rock after listening to Dick Dale. Don left the band and was replaced by Bob Reed, picked from an audition. Steve made the decision to call the band 'The Trashmen' when a friend of Don's showed them an album by guitarist Tony Caire, alias Kai Ray, titled 'The Trashmen's Blues.' The group was primarily an instrumental group, with occasional lead vocals by Steve. Steve and Dal left with him.ĭon (Woody) Wood, a bass player, joined the group. However, disagreements on musical direction between the two caused Tony to leave the band. In February or March 1962, the two returned. In Spring 1961, the group took a break as Tony and Jim had to go into the military. 'Jim Thaxter and the Travelers' was then formed with the following line-up: Jim Thaxter on lead vocals and guitar (tuned to a bass guitar) Tony Andreason on lead guitar Dal Winslow on rhythm guitar Tom Diehl on piano and Steve Wahrer on drums. Jim was a singer who was looking to front a band. Tony met Jim Thaxter through Steve and Dale. In 1957, at the Crystal Coliseum, Tony and Mike met Steve Wahrer, a drummer, Dallas 'Dal' Winslow, a guitar player, and a saxophone player. Tony, Steve, Dal, and the saxophone player played as The String Kings for a brief time period. Mike wasn't part of the group, due to being more interested in country music. Tony Andreason and Mike Jann were friends who learned and played guitar together, starting in 1955. The original line-up of the group featured guitarists Tony Andreason and Dal Winslow, bassist Bob Reed, and drummer Steve Wahrer.Īlong with Colorado-based contemporaries the Astronauts, the Trashmen have been described as 'the premier landlocked Midwestern surf group of the '60s.' The band took their name from 'Trashman's Blues', a song written and recorded in 1961 by Minneapolis musician Kai Ray (Richard Caire, 1935–2017), who later wrote songs for the band. The Trashmen were an American rock band formed in Minneapolis in 1962.

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