Mark Volman, a founding member of The Turtles, died on Sept. 5. He was 78. The Turtles were one of my favorite bands back in the day, and Volman was my favorite member: the frizz-haired, bespectacled singer and guitarist. Their hit singles “Happy Together,” “She’d Rather Be With Me,” “You Know What I Mean,” and “Elenor” exemplify the best of bubble-gum pop. Formed in 1965, the band consisted of Volman, Al Nichol, Chip Douglas, Johnny Barbata, Jim Tucker, and Howard Kaylan; after they disbanded in 1970, Volman teamed up with Howard Kaylan as the comedy and rock duo Flo & Eddie (Flo & Eddie were touring till 2018). Volman told Goldminemag two years ago, “When I started in the group, I was a secondary member. My live show, entertainment, my performances were good, but they weren't really adequate to carry the part in terms of me being a solo singer. Those things came at a later date, and it got better as we did.” He added that “We were just kids from high school trying to play some surf music and when the business aspect all came down around us, it just was an awful lot to handle.”
“Happy Together” (Volman with horn and funny hat): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sq3awlDqAVo&list=RDsq3awlDqAVo&start_radio=1
