The Salina Journal from Salina, Kansas • Page 15

SUNDAY. AUGUST 4, 2002 THE.SAUNA JOURKIXL RYAN SODERLIN The Sallna Journal Dennis Frans (left) performs with Ronny and Randy Noriand of tlie band, King iMIdas The Mufiers at the VFW, 1108 W. Crawford. King Camaraderie is special FROM PAGE B1 They finally settled on King Midas and the Muflers (purposely misspelled to distance themselves from the Midas Muffler company) after playing their first successful concert at Kanopolis. Their big break came when they signed with a local booking agent, Jim Reardon, who booked many Midwest bands.

"We advertised ourselves as the kings of the show bands," Hapgood said. "Back then, bands either played soul music or copied the English sound, which The Beatles started." The band played many "tough" bars in the '60s and '70s, several of which coirididentally happened to burn to the grovmd soon after they played there. These included the Palladiiun Club in Chase, opera houses in Ellinwood- and Ellsworth, a ballroom east of Wichita and a bar called Judge McGreevey's in Hays. "Considering some of the places we played, it was probably arson," Hapgood said. "But we did think we were cursed for awhile." The first time the band played in Salina, at the now forgotten Regatta A Go-Go on State Street, Hapgood thought they had finally hit the big time.

There was only, one minor problem Frans was too young to legally be in the club. "At that time in Kansas, you couldn't be in a bar if you were under 18, even if you were accompanied by an adult," Hapgood said. "Dennis was 15 at the time and looked about 10. Someone must have turned him in, because the next thing we knew the police were there. The bartender threw Dennis an I.D., and sure enough, the cops asked to see it.

It would have worked, too, but the I.D. said Dennis' age was 39. So Dennis spent the rest of the evening sitting in the car in the parking lot, and we were without a keyboard player for the night." Between tour dates, King Midas and the Muflers recorded three instrumental singles in 1967, 1969 and 1985. Hapgood vnrote one of these songs, and the others were cover tunes of "songs that never really made it big," Hill said. So happy together The band gets together about once a week to practice, usually at Frans' McPherson home, if busy schedules and famUy responsibilities allow.

Although they all eryoy performing for a variety of audiences, the traveling and setting up and tearing down their equipment "gets a lot harder as we get older," Hill said. But there is a sense of kinship and dedication to the music that keeps the band together after so Mm WiDdDW Lorettajtika Draperies Sheers Shades Vertical Blinds Reupholstery A slil SvSaou Fe 132 S. 5tb, Salina r-' 827-7171 Kini MI4ii A Tilt Mafliri Un Mktn iMu MtMmM, Himi Between 30 and 35 musicians have l)een members of the band at one time or another during its reign. Photo courtesy of Bob Hapgood the kings of the show many years, saxophonist Ralph Brown said. "The music is so much more important than egos everybody gets along, and that's so hard to do in most bands," said Brown, S3, who works at Lowen Sign Co.

in Hutchinson and has been with the band for three years. "The ability of these musicians and the variety of music we play makes us a lot more versatile than your average bar band." Trumpeter Mark Casebeer agreed, having observed the band change and mature during the yesirs. "I've been playing in bands since 1963, and I knew King Midas when they first started," said the 54-year-old Lindsborg contractor "We all had the same musical likes, so when I joined the band seven years ago, I already knew all the songs." Bassist Ronny Foulk almost didn't get a chance to be part of the band. While playing his first gig six years ago, Hapgood had a sudden heart attack, "and I thought the band was done before I could get started," he said. Hapgood had bypass surgery and fortvmately made a full recovery, which was a relief to Foulk.

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Singer Randy Norland, at 46, is the "baby" of the group. He rejoined the band last year after a nearly 10-year hiatus after the birth of his third son. A farmer in McPherson Coimty, Norland was a music and theater major at the University of Kansas wjho ondeisang and played in area bars. But it wasn't untU he joined King Midas that he started having "the most fun I've ever had in my life." "They are such great musicians that they can instantly adjust if I happen to come in too early or too late in a song," he said. "We're all able to read one another and get into the same thought at the same time.

1 love being with these guys." It is this tight bond, combined with dedication to the music and sheer longevity, that Hapgood said justifies his claim that King Midas and the Muflers are "Kansas' greatest rock 'n' roll band." "It's not.that we're actually the greatest band," he said. "We've just outlived everybody else." Reporter Gary Demuth can be reached at 823-6464, Ext. 109. or by e-mail at saljourml.com "TALKING FRANCES HANSEN ACROSS 1 Official records 5 Many Pace Univ. degrees 9 In the mall 13 Olympic skater Cohen tSPInsk pancake 19Blackmore Doone" 20 Continuously 21 Sing like BIng 22 Hi-tech toy need: Abbr.

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