Anyone who doesn't have a clear image of the Classics IV can be forgiven since they went through so many shifts in personnel and sound (not to mention a name change after they'd started recording).

Although they're considered a late-'60s phenomenon, owing to the chronology of their hits, the group can trace its roots back to R&B harmony, such as the doo wop music of the late '50s.

Detroit-born, Florida-raised Dennis Yost, came from a Jacksonville-area band called The Echoes. He was just old enough to remember '50s R&B when it was current and, among many other groups, loved the Five Satins.1

In addition to playing the drums, he sometimes liked to sing when they performed '50s numbers like "In the Still of the Night." After The Echoes broke up in the mid-'60s, Yost joined a band called Leroy & the Moments, which included Wally Eaton (bass, vocals), James Cobb (guitar), and Joe Wilson (keyboards). His arrival, along with the changing times, also signaled a change in the group's name, as there was no longer a "Leroy" anyway, that could go, and the name, The Moments, was already taken, so, they named themselves after Yost's Classic-model drum set, and they became The Classics, at least for a short time.

Their sound was extremely diverse by all accounts, they could cover most of the Top 40 note-for-note, which was ideal for audiences in Jacksonville but didn't necessarily give them much to work with as a recording act.

Part of their act included a tribute to The Four Seasons,2 who were still burning up the charts in those days. They were a lot alike in that both groups could sing anything and were also a virtually self-contained unit instrumentally.

When The Classics signed with Capitol Records in 1966, they made their debut with a Joe South song called "Pollyanna." The single was virtually a faux-Four Seasons record in style and sound, but it was just different and fresh enough that it might have done well, except for the fact that management of the actual Four Seasons took offense, and did their best to keep "Pollyanna"'s presence to a minimum on the New York airwaves. To top it off, the group was threatened with legal action by a Brooklyn-based vocal outfit called The Classics, who'd already charted a single.3

Thus, Florida's Classics became Classics IV, and for all of that trouble, their debut record fizzled at #103 on the Billboard charts. "Pollyanna" might have made a good debut in 1966, but releasing a remake of The Diamonds'4 1950s hit, "Little Darlin'," produced by Joe South, in January of 1967 was plain bad timing. Ironically, two years or so later, with the nostalgia craze starting to kick in, that might have been another story.

The record was actually more important for its B-side, which had a faux-Righteous Brothers5 song called "Nothing to Lose," co-authored by guitarist, James Cobb, and his friend, Buddy Buie. Cobb and Yost, sounding like Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield of The Righteous Brothers, sung co-leads.

By that time, the group had relocated to Atlanta. Their Capitol contract was behind them by the spring of 1967, and the following summer the group moved on to Imperial Records, whose sound was more R&B, was subsequently absorbed into Liberty Records and was now a much more pop/rock-oriented operation.

In 1967 things started going the group's way. Buie and Cobb had heard and liked an instrumental entitled "Spooky" (a regional hit for saxophonist Mike Sharpe). Buie came up with words and Cobb came up with a new arrangement. At this point they were discovered by Bill Lowery who produced their first national hit, "Spooky," The record, released in September of 1967, broke out in Louisville, KY, and began getting picked up by stations around the country, building slowly to a #3 national hit that winter of 1967-1968 in the U.S., and #46 in the UK. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc by the RIAA.6

Cobb, along with Buie kept writing songs, and he occasionally arranged the group's music along with the official arranger, Emory Gordy. But, he gave up playing on-stage with the band, preferring the less draining life of a session guitarist, and was replaced in the lineup by Auburn Burrell.

At the same time, Buie became the group's producer and Yost stepped up to the microphone full-time while Kim Venable took over on the drums. They were no longer, strictly speaking, the "Classics IV" but that hardly mattered, as the band's lineup situation quickly got a lot more complicated.

As they were now a national-level act with an audience across a continent, it was decided by Buie and Imperial Records that there was no reason to limit themselves to the talents of the actual members when it came to who performed on their records. In place of the members, apart from group alumnus Cobb, Classics IV's records soon began featuring some of Atlanta's top session musicians, among them drummer Robert Nix (who later performed with Lynyrd Skynyrd), while the touring membership included Dean Daughtry and Bill Gilmore on keyboards and bass, respectively, all late of Roy Orbison's band the Candymen.

All of these personnel shifts, coupled with a bumper crop of Cobb/Buie songs, made for a strong debut album, entitled Spooky, released in 1968. The only problem, in retrospect, was that the sounds were too diverse, it was hard to pin down an identity for Classics IV.

Among top American groups, the Beach Boys also relied on session musicians7 after 1964, but they always made sure Carl Wilson's guitar was there, and their voices were easily recognizable. Apart from Yost's singing, there wasn't a lot of unity in the Classics IV's sound. Their next couple of singles, "Soul Train" and "Mamas and Papas," didn't do more than a fraction of the business done by "Spooky."

The group recorded a second LP, which failed to sell in any serious numbers, at least initially. One song off of the album, entitled "Stormy," was given a single release and suddenly, in the fall of 1968, the group was back in the Top Five, with the song peaking at #5, and for the first time, they made the easy listening charts.

In the winter of 1969 with "Traces," another Cobb/Buie collaboration, this time with help from arranger Emory Gordy, made it all the way #2 on the Billboard Hot 100.

At this point, the group's longevity seemed assured, but an interesting shift had taken place in their output across the preceding two years; they'd gone from being a solid Rock & Roll cover band to delivering a much softer, more laid-back pop/rock sound with a Southern flavor without a lot of wattage, but closer in spirit to, say, the work of Roy Orbison.

Their singles, although they still made the Pop (aka: Rock) charts, were starting to place higher numbers on the easy listening charts. One example is the mid-1969 song, "Everyday With You Girl," which reached #19 as a Rock single and #12 on the easy listening charts.

To add to the confusion, in the new decade, the group changed its name so that they were now officially known Dennis Yost & Classics IV.

Their chart action declined throughout 1971 amid the changing tastes of the public, and the reorganization of their record label (Liberty Records at this time), which merged with United Artists, made the environment at in the studio inhospitable.

Dennis Yost and Classics IV shifted to MGM Records in 1972 and lasted through one album and a last pop hit, with "What Am I Crying For," along with a string of attempts through 1975.

By that time, Cobb, Dauhtry, and Buie had split off to form the Atlanta Rhythm Section. At this point Dennis Yost went solo, or tried to. Meanwhile, their ex-studio band emerged as the Atlanta Rhythm Section and, amid all of their other successes, enjoyed a new hit with "Spooky" in 1979, while Santana returned "Stormy" to the charts.

DENNIS YOST:

Meanwhile, Yost became a fixture on the oldies circuit alongside his one-time Imperial label-mate, Gary Lewis, and other denizens of the mid-'60s singles charts. Yost also wrote songs and became a producer, plus he secured the exclusive rights to the group name, and continued to perform into the early 21st century.

Dennis Yost was credited as the creator of the "Southern Soft Rock" sound, and was known as "the singer's singer," and "The Classic One" because of his smooth, unique voice. He was described as singing "with a tear in his voice."

Yost was inducted into The Georgia Music Hall of Fame in 1993, an honor he coveted most, because Ray Charles, his favorite singer, was inducted a few years before.

Yost continued to perform with Classics IV for the next thirty years. During the 1990s the lineup included Steve "Stevie G." Guettler (guitar, vocals), Jeff "JT" Strickler (bass guitar, vocals), Steve Farrell (guitar, vocals), Mike Wilson (keyboards, vocals) and Wes Armstrong (drums, vocals) of the Atlanta based group "The Rockerz." He also used the Nashville based group Steve Jarrell & The Sons of the Beach Band.

From 2000 to 2005 the lineup included Tom Vale (saxophone, backing vocals), Bill Johnson (keyboards), Brian Correll (guitar, backing vocals), Doug Reed (drums), and during 2005, Don Martin (bass), and Perry Williams (keyboards & sax at last 3 concerts). The final concert of "Dennis Yost" and the Classics IV was at Chenay Bay, St. Croix, Virgin Islands, on Sept.24, 2005.

On July 11, 2006, Yost fell down a flight of stairs and suffered a serious brain trauma. To assist Yost and his wife with their medical bills, a benefit concert was held on March 25, 2007, at Rhino's Live in Cincinnati, Ohio. The benefit was originally conceived by Yost's close friend Jon "Bowser" Bauman, former vocalist with Sha Na Na.

Many musical entertainers and some surprise guests from the 1950s through the 1970s performed some of their biggest chart-topping hits in tribute to Yost. Some of the artists performing that day was Denny Laine (The Moody Blues and Wings), Chuck Negron (previously of Three Dog Night), Ian Mitchell (Bay City Rollers), Pat Upton (Spiral Staircase), "Diamond" Dave Somerville, The Skyliners, Mark Vollman (The Turtles), and Classics IV guitarist, Brian Correll. The concert did not significantly benefit Yost or his wife financially, as was hoped because expenses for the concert far exceeded the money raised, leaving the event in the red. However, it was a huge boost for Yost to visit with so many old friends.

After Dennis' accident he chose Tom Garrett to replace him as lead singer for Classics IV. The plan was for Dennis to make a few yearly special appearances, and gradually have Tom take over as the leader of the band. However Dennis was only able to perform with them for one appearance in 2008.

Before he died, he and his friend, Garrett, worked closely together to develop the current line-up. The band Dennis chose, and one that continues with the Classics IV trademark is: Tom Garrett (lead vocals), Kevin Lloyd (bass guitar), Tim Ridgeway (drums), Joe Sadler (guitar), Garard Motague III (sax & flute) and James Yoder (keyboards).

Dennis Yost died at the age of 65, on December 7, 2008.

In 2011 the group released a new CD called A New Horizon. The album contains 2 new original songs, the title cut and "Teenage Lovers," marking the first new material from the band in over 20 years. This album is the first release since the passing of Dennis Yost and, as he wished, the legacy continues with a mix of old and new.

DISCOGRAPHY:

ALBUMS:

Year / Title / Label & Catalog #

VINYL LPs:

• 1968 / Spooky / Imperial #12371.
• 1968 / Mamas and Papas/Soul Train / Imperial #12407.
• 1969 / Golden Greats, Volume 1 / Imperial #16000.
• 1970 / Traces / Imperial #12429 (as Classics IV featuring Dennis Yost).
• 1970 / Song / Imperial #11003.

EPs:

• 1973 / "What Am I Crying For?"/"Rosanna"/"Make Me Believe It" / MGM South #MSH-702 (as Dennis Yost and The Classics IV).
• 1988 Lil' Bit of Gold featuring the band's four hits, "Spooky," "Traces," "Everyday With You Girl," and "Stormy" / Rhino #R3-73004 (rare, gold, 3-inch CD), (as Classics IV featuring Dennis Yost).

CDs:

• 1988 / The Very Best of Classics IV / Capitol #91472.
• 1992 / The Greatest Hits / EMI Special Products #57402.
• 2002 / Best Of Dennis Yost & The Classics IV / Taragon Records #1091.
• 2011 / A New Horizon / on The Classics IV record label and via digital download.

SOUNTRACKS:

* 2004 / "Spooky" was featured in the soundtrack of and episode of Six Feet Under an HBO television series.

SINGLES:

As CLASSICS IV:

• 1967 / "Spooky"/"Poor People" / Imperial #66259.
• 1968 / "Soul Train"/"Strange Changes" / Imperial #66293.

AS CLASSICS IV FEATURING DENNIS YOST:

• 1968 / "Stormy"/"24 Hours of Lonliness" / Imperial #66328.
• 1969 / "Traces"/"Mary, Mary Row Your Boat" / Imperial #66352.
• 1969 / "Everyday With You Girl"/"Sentimental Lady" / Imperial #66378.

AS DENNIS YOST & THE CLASSICS IV

• 1969 / "Change of Heart"/"Rainy Day" / Imperial #66393.
• 1970 / "Midnight"/"The Comic" / Imperial #66424.
• 1970 / "The Funniest Thing"/"Nobody Loves You But Me" / Imperial #66439.
• 1972 / "What Am I Crying For?"/"All in Your Mind" / MGM South #7002.
• 1973 / "Rosanna"/"One Man Show" / MGM South #7012.
• 1975 / "My First Day Without Her"/"Lovin' Each Other" / MGM #14785.

LINE-UPS:

LEROY & THE MOMENTS, later, THE CLASSICS, MID-60s:

• Dennis Yost (Drums, vocals.)
• Wally Eaton (Bass guitar, vocals)
• James Cobb (Guitar.)
• Joe Wilson (Keyboards.)

CLASSICS IV, 1966:

• Dennis Yost (Drums, vocals.)
• Wally Eaton (Bass guitar, vocals)
• James Cobb (Guitar.)
• Joe Wilson (Keyboards.)

CLASSICS IV, Winter 1967-1968:

• Dennis Yost (Lead vocals.)
• Wally Eaton (Bass guitar, vocals)
• Auburn Burrell (Guitar.)
• Joe Wilson (Keyboards.)
• Kim Venable (Drums.)

CLASSICS IV, IN STUDIO, 1968-1969:

• Dennis Yost (Lead vocals.)
• Wally Eaton (Bass guitar, vocals)
• Auburn Burrell (Guitar.)
• Joe Wilson (Keyboards.)
• Robert Nix (Drums.)

CLASSICS IV, ON THE ROAD, 1968-1969:

• Dennis Yost (Lead vocals.)
• Bill Gilmore (Bass guitar, vocals)
• Auburn Burrell (Guitar.)
• Dean Daughtry (Keyboards.)
• Kim Venable (Drums.)

DENNIS YOST & THE CLASSICS IV, 1970s:

• Dennis Yost (Lead vocals.)
• Wally Eaton (Bass guitar, vocals)
• Auburn Burrell (Guitar.)
• Joe Wilson (Keyboards.)
• Robert Nix (Drums.)

DENNIS YOST & THE CLASSICS IV, 1970s:

• Dennis Yost (Lead vocals.)
• Bill Gilmore (Bass guitar, vocals)
• Auburn Burrell (Guitar.)
• Dean Daughtry (Keyboards.)
• Kim Venable (Drums.)

CLASSICS IV, 1990:

• Dennis Yost (Lead vocals.)
• Steve "Stevie G." Guettler (guitar, vocals.)
• Jeff "JT" Strickler (bass guitar, vocals.)
• Steve Farrell (guitar, vocals.)* Mike Wilson (keyboards, vocals)
• Wes Armstrong (drums, vocals)

CLASSICS IV, 2000-2004:

• Dennis Yost (Lead vocals.)
• Nashville based group: Steve Jarrell & The Sons of The Beach Band
• Tom Vale (Saxophone, backing vocals.)
• Bill Johnson (Keyboards.)
• Brian Correll (Guitar, backing vocals.)
• Doug Reed (Drums.)

CLASSICS IV, 2005:

• Dennis Yost (Lead vocals.)
• Don Martin (Bass guitar.)
• Perry Williams (Keyboards & sax at last 3 concerts.)
• Nashville based group: Steve Jarrell & The Sons of The Beach Band
• Tom Vale (Saxophone, backing vocals.)
• Bill Johnson (Keyboards.)
• Brian Correll (Guitar, backing vocals.)
• Doug Reed (Drums.)

CLASSICS IV, 2006 (After Yost's accident):

• Tom Garrett (Lead vocals.)
• Kevin Lloyd (Bass guitar.)
• Garard Motague III (Saxophone, flute, backing vocals.)
• James Yoder (Keyboards.)
• Joe Sadler (Guitar, backing vocals.)
• Tim Ridgeway (Drums.)

CLASSICS IV, 2011

• Tom Garrett (Lead vocals.)
• Kevin Lloyd (Bass guitar.)
• Garard Motague III (Saxophone, flute, backing vocals.)
• James Yoder (Keyboards.)
• Joe Sadler (Guitar, backing vocals.)
• Tim Ridgeway (Drums.)
• Paul Weddle (Saxophone.)

1The Five Satins were an American doo-wop group, best known for their 1956 million-selling song, "In the Still of the Night." You can find the lyrics to this song on MP3 Lyrics at: The Five Satins In the Still of the Night.

2The Four Seasons were an American vocal, pop and rock group who became internationally famous in the mid-1960s. The Vocal Group Hall of Fame has stated that the group was the most popular rock band before The Beatles. Since 1967, they have been known off and on as Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, though not identified as such on any of their records. You can find the lyrics to many of The Four Seasons' songs by visiting their artist page on MP3 Lyrics at: The Four Seasons.

3The (original) Classics was an American vocal group formed in 1958 in Brooklyn, New York. You can find out more about them by visiting their artist page on MP3 Lyrics at: The Classics.

4The Diamonds were a Canadian vocal quartet of the 1950s and early 1960s who rose to prominence performing mostly cover versions of songs by black musicians. You can find the lyrics to many of The Diamonds' songs by visiting their artist page on MP3 Lyrics at: The Diamonds.

5The Righteous Brothers were the musical duo of Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield. They recorded from 1963 through 1975, and continued to perform until Hatfield's death in 2003. Their emotive vocal stylings were sometimes dubbed "blue-eyed soul." You can find the lyrics to many of The Righeous Brothers' songs by visiting their artist page on MP3 Lyrics at: The Diamonds.

6The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a group which represents the recording industry distributors in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors, which the RIAA says "create, manufacture and/or distribute approximately 85% of all legitimate sound recordings produced and sold in the United States." The RIAA participates in the collection, administration and distribution of music licenses and royalties and is responsible for certifying sales silver (100,000), gold (500,000), platinum (1,000,000), and diamond (10,000,000) albums and singles in the USA.

7Session musicians, (aka: studio musicians), are instrumental and vocal performers, who are available to work with others at live performances or recording sessions and are used in any situation where musical skills are needed on a short-term basis. Typically session musicians are used by recording studios to provide backing tracks for other musicians. Usually such musicians are not permanent members of a musical ensemble and often do not achieve fame in their own right as soloists or bandleaders. Ironically the studio musician has to be highly skilled with sufficient ear training, sight reading, versatility, be able to perform in a range of different settings, and learn parts rapidly. The terms "session musician" and "studio musician" are now synonymous, though in past decades the latter term more typically described musicians who were associated with a particular record company or recording studio.

(Biography written by Bruce Eder, augmented and edited by bri4daz.)