Artist:The Pyramids
Song:Penetration
Album:Rock Instrumental Classics Vol. 5: Surf
The 1964 single Penetration was a top twenty hit. It was the only chart single for The Pyramids. They only recorded one album. So this is a one hit wonder. The Pyramids were from Long Beach, CA. They formed in 1961 when all were students at Poly High. Members were Skip Mercier on lead guitar, Willie Glover on rhythm guitar, Tom Pitman on sax, Steve Leonard on bass and Ron McMullen on drums. Drake Jenkins replaced McMullen in 1964. That's when Steve Leonard wrote Penetration. John Hodge became their manager and he started Best Records just for them. They released a couple of singles. Penetration was the B side of the single Here Comes Marsha. As sometimes happens, a Riverside DJ preferred the B side. It got airplay after that. Then Hodge got national distribution from London Records. It reached #18 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album The Pyramids Play the Original Penetration! was released in 1964. This album was re-released by the reissue label Sundazed in 1995. The Pyramids appeared in the 1964 film Bikini Beach. Additional singles were released. But nothing caught on. Hodge says there were plans to record a second album but it never came about and The Pyramids split up in 1966. You can get Penetration on this Rhino various artists budget comp. Mercier, Leonard and Glover joined the band The Family Cat. It looks like they played local clubs but never recorded. After that, all the members of The Pyramids left the music business. So they are officially a one hit wonder. But as I always say, one hit is better than none. Here's The Pyramids performing Penetration on the Mar. 28, 1964 episode of American Bandstand.
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