Before he became Patti Smith’s lead guitarist, Lenny Kaye compiled the 2 album set, Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era. Released in 1972, the two-LP set covered American garage rock and psychedelia from the years from 1965-1968, and was a major influence on punk rock. Rhino Records reissued an expanded version of the set in 1998, with 118 tracks in total. I’m profiling and rating each of these 118 tracks, working backwards.
Track 112: Hold Me by The Rumors
Release Date: 1965
From: Los Angeles, California
Rating: 8/10
HOLD ME NOW – The Rumors [2:27]
(Benson Turner/Norman Prinsky)
Personnel/BEN TURNER: vocals, organ * ED BURKEY: guitar * LARRY SCHER: bass * NORMAN PRINSKY: drums
Arranged by ED BURKEY
Produced by THE RUMORS
Recorded in Los Angeles, CA
Gemcor single #5002 (7/65)
The Rumors are one of the most obscure bands compiled on Nuggets – they only released one single, and they don’t even have their own Wikipedia article.
Their only single, ‘Hold Me Now’ was composed by singer and organist Ben Turner and drummer Norman Prinsky. The composition of ‘Hold Me Now’ is clearly indebted to ‘Louie Louie’, but there’s enough happening in the mix to make it a fun record. The swirling organ part and Eddie Burkey’s surf-influenced guitar provide lots of energy, while Turner’s vocal is assertive.
It’s hard to find much information about the band, but Prinsky went on to earn a Ph. D in English and became a professor at Augusta State University, Georgia.
Update – Dr Prinsky wrote in 2026, and supplied this info:
Greetings from Mr. or *Dr.* Prinsky, associate professor *emeritus* at Augusta University. Augusta College morphed to Augusta State University, to Regents University, to Augusta University. Band members only got one or two 45 rpm’s themselves, while dozens were given to various radio stations on a promotional trip to the hinterlands of Fresno and Bakersfield, including two early-morning TV appearances to lip sync the record.
The best version of both songs of the 45 rpm is to be found on CD “The Cicadelic 60s Volume 8” / Collectables COL 0708. Web address: http://www.oldies.com or http://www.cicadelic.com. Good photo of the core of the group on the back cover of The Cicadelic 60s, Vol. 8. “Hold Me Now,” the A-Side, is really mostly Ben Turner, as per the BMI credit to “Turner” on the 45 rpm, including the idea of the solo bass-drum intro. I was brought in, partly on the basis of my composing words, music, and arrangement, of the B-side, “Without Her,” to tweak the lyrics of the song, and did get a credit from BMI. (Compare the character “Word Man” in the movie “Eddie and the Cruisers.”
My movie applications also apply to the Tom Hanks film “That Thing You Do,” since like the main-character-drummer in that movie, I was brought in as a replacement for the original drummer. (Compare Richard Starkey / Ringo Starr, vs. Pete Best in The Beatles.) When we were a couple weeks out from our studio recording date, Bill Bell (owner of Bell Studios) asked “And what is going to be your *second* original song (since a 45 rpm record has two sides, the A-side and the B-side).
Being new to the group, I didn’t know that the group did not actually have a second original song; we had been doing just fine with “Hold Me Now.” So in the rather short time prior to the recording session, I had to compose melody, arrangement, and lyrics to “Without Her.” At the time — the very past time — I had been influenced by, among others, the British Rock group The Zombies, including their song “She’s Not There.” That influence spilled over into the minor key and sad sentiment of “Without Her.” Also, my lyrics included repeated light-vs-dark imagery and more complicated rhyme scheme than in Ben’s foundation in “Hold Me Now.” (Hey, I was going to become a college English prof.) Also, in reaction against The Beach Boys’ emphasis on blonde-ness, the girl in my song had to have “dark eyes and hair.” (An unaware prophecy of the dark hair and eyes of my future wife?) Because Bill Bell and his studio were in some amount of contact with some important people in the popular music biz, he told us that he had had Sonny and Cher’s “people” listen to the record, and that they liked *my” song a little better than “Hold Me Now.” They said that with a slower tempo and the addition of violins and comparable instrumentation, it would do well. The young Prinsky — being a youthful know-it-all — totally rejected the idea, many decades later thinking maybe he should have listened to his elders, and betters.
As to the “r” in “Prinsky,” Michael Greisman telephoned to apologize for accidentally omitting it in the caption underneath the photo of the group on the back cover of the “Psychedelic 60’s, Vol. 8)” which he had just mailed out to me. I told him that I was thrilled for having the CD (and both sides A and B of the Rumors’ songs), so the spelling was a small matter. Spelling of the name and some hesitance about ethnicity, were reasons I chose the pseudonym for the BMI credit for “Without Her,” though “Norman Prinsky” as well as “Richards” (based on my middle name) were registered by BMI. Bill Bell had strongly urged me to use my actual name for registration of “Without Her,” and — as with Sonny and Cher’s “people,” I do have regrets for not heeding my elders, and betters. (My wife — with the dark hair and eyes — has developed some concerns about my memory or “cognition problems” — of her senior citizen husband, but the details of the mid-sixties seem a counter balance. To be fair, on one of the few times I have returned to L.A., where my wife had never visited until our marriage, when Ben and Larry – of the Rumors — drove us to Sunset, especially where the Stratford-on-Sunset club was / had been located, I didn’t remember the actual playing at the club, though I did recall driving up the steep parking lot and the usual struggle — for a drummer — of getting my drums out of the car and into the venue. My joke is that although I never took drugs, I might as well have taken them, since I don’t recall some details of back then.)
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Another cool tune by a band I had never heard of before. Reminds me a bit of Them.
I really enjoy your series and envy your dedication to rank all 118 tracks on this intriguing collection. Thanks for doing that!
It’s actually expediency! Way easier writing about just one song than making huge lists and stuff. I needed some easier blog topics for the summer holidays.
I like that organ going on in the background. I wish I heard more in today’s music.
It’s like 3 minutes of bottled energy…I love the simplicity of this. I checked with a buddy of mine…he has the Rhino collection. I’m not sure which version he has though…
I don’t know if the original version was ever released on CD, so maybe he has the full shebang. I wonder if there are cheap copies now lots of people have ditched their CD collections.
I’m calling him tomorrow. He must have the CD because yes he did say cd.
Holy ____ Graham… check out Ebay…no it has not gone down…it’s pretty crazy. Are they collectors items? I saw a cassette for 420 dollars…seriously.
Might be time for an email to Mr. Pinsky at Augusta State to see about more info! 😉
Greetings from Mr. or *Dr.* Prinsky (note the “r”), associate professor *emeritus* at Augusta University. Augusta College morphed to Augusta State University, to Regents University, to Augusta University. Band members only got one or two 45 rpm’s themselves, while dozens were given to various radio stations on a promotional trip to the hinterlands of Fresno and Bakersfield, including two early-morning TV appearances to lip sync the record. The best version of both songs of the 45 rpm is to be found on CD “The Cicadelic 60s Volume 8” / Collectables COL 0708. Web address: http://www.oldies.com or http://www.cicadelic.com. Good photo of the core of the group on the back cover of The Cicadelic 60s, Vol. 8. “Hold Me Now,” the A-Side, is really mostly Ben Turner, as per the BMI credit to “Turner” on the 45 rpm, including the idea of the solo bass-drum intro. I was brought in, partly on the basis of my composing words, music, and arrangement, of the B-side, “Without Her,” to tweak the lyrics of the song, and did get a credit from BMI. (Compare the character “Word Man” in the movie “Eddie and the Cruisers.”
Thanks for writing in, and apologies for spelling your name wrong in the article. I’ve added that info to the main article.
Thanks are owed to you for aphoristically archeologically delving into the past, and helping to revive happy memories of those of us in that past. My movie applications also apply to the Tom Hanks film “That Thing You Do,” since like the main-character-drummer in that movie, I was brought in as a replacement for the original drummer. (Compare Richard Starkey / Ringo Starr, vs. Pete Best in The Beatles.) When we were a couple weeks out from our studio recording date, Bill Bell (owner of Bell Studios) asked “And what is going to be your *second* original song (since a 45 rpm record has two sides, the A-side and the B-side).
Being new to the group, I didn’t know that the group did not actually *have* a second original song; we had been doing just fine with “Hold Me Now.” So in the rather short time prior to the recording session, I had to compose melody, arrangement, and lyrics to “Without Her.” At the time — the very past time — I had been influenced by, among others, the British Rock group The Zombies, including their song “She’s Not There.” That influence spilled over into the minor key and sad sentiment of “Without Her.” Also, my lyrics included repeated light-vs-dark imagery and more complicated rhyme scheme than in Ben’s foundation in “Hold Me Now.” (Hey, I was going to become a college English prof.) Also, in reaction against The Beach Boys’ emphasis on blonde-ness, the girl in my song had to have “dark eyes and hair.” (An unaware prophecy of the dark hair and eyes of my future wife?) Because Bill Bell and his studio were in some amount of contact with some important people in the popular music biz, he told us that he had had Sonny and Cher’s “people” listen to the record, and that they liked *my” song a little better than “Hold Me Now.” They said that with a slower tempo and the addition of violins and comparable instrumentation, it would do well. The young Prinsky — being a youthful know-it-all — totally rejected the idea, many decades later thinking maybe he should have listened to his elders, and betters.
I just like the sound of this stuff. Good one Aph.
One of my favorites so far! Love it, Whats with the Frankenstein still on the video though – strange,
As to the “r” in “Prinsky,” Michael Greisman telephoned to apologize for accidentally omitting it in the caption underneath the photo of the group on the back cover of the “Psychedelic 60’s, Vol. 8)” which he had just mailed out to me. I told him that I was thrilled for having the CD (and both sides A and B of the Rumors’ songs), so the spelling was a small matter. Spelling of the name and some hesitance about ethnicity, were reasons I chose the pseudonym for the BMI credit for “Without Her,” though “Norman Prinsky” as well as “Richards” (based on my middle name) were registered by BMI. Bill Bell had strongly urged me to use my actual name for registration of “Without Her,” and — as with Sonny and Cher’s “people,” I do have regrets for not heeding my elders, and betters. (My wife — with the dark hair and eyes — has developed some concerns about my memory or “cognition problems” — of her senior citizen husband, but the details of the mid-sixties seem a counter balance. To be fair, on one of the few times I have returned to L.A., where my wife had never visited until our marriage, when Ben and Larry – of the Rumors — drove us to Sunset, especially where the Stratford-on-Sunset club was / had been located, I didn’t remember the actual *playing* at the club, though I did recall driving up the steep parking lot and the usual struggle — for a drummer — of getting my drums out of the car and into the venue. My joke is that although I never took drugs, I might as well have taken them, since I don’t recall some details of back then.)
Thank you – I updated the post with your comments last week, but only just got to acknowledging this. Believe it or not, I had to spend a time working with English University professors last week, trying to track down some tech issues with their courses.
Thank *you* for all the work you do in maintaining this site, rich in the history of popular culture, as well as memories to us old ‘uns. An interview I did a long time ago for the site 60garagebands.com has been retrieved and placed on “http://www.cicadelic.com/rumor.htm,” which traces my history in music back to junior high school. A Kool band I was in, the “Kool Kats,” placed first on the KHJ TV show “Rocket to Stardom” (sponsored by the Yeakel Brothers Oldsmobile dealership, alluding to the hood ornament on older Oldsmobiles). (KHJ and KTLA were / are main TV stations in L.A.) The guitarist’s dad pushed his way into the studio to take a regular-8 movie of our winning performance of “Tequila” (no sound, because of the primitiveness of the dad’s equipment). Also, references in various places to my Augusta University website are now a broken link because of its being ported to “https://spots.aug.edu/nprinsky” (without the quotation marks). Some expert(s) at Wikipedia managed to restore the link to the original web address via “The Wayback Machine” project, which I discovered when checking the listing of my webpage on the writer Franz Kafka, which is listed in the concluding “Sources” section of the Wikipedia article on Kafka.