Sweet Cherry

An obscure mid-Sixties garage-punk outfit based in Trenton, Michigan, Sweet Cherry comprised lead vocalist singer Mike Carli, guitarist Ray Soucie, bassist Greg Chaivre and a drummer remembered only by his first name, Paul. Formed while its members were still in high school, in 1967 the group recorded their enduring claim to fame, the self-financed single "Funny Things Floating"/"Eight Day Blues; " prized among today's collectors as a shining example of the era's garage sound, the record was initially pressed in an edition of a few hundred copies, most of which were either given away at Sweet Cherry live dates or thrown, frisbee-style, off a local hillside by band members themselves. Following the single's release the quartet moved away from their earlier sound, instead becoming an instrumental group (with Carli on saxophone) known for playing exclusively original material, often in the shape of extended live jams. While Sweet Cherry's new direction won admiration from other area musicians, their refusal to adhere to the cover-band mentality prevalent among clubowners lost them countless gigs, and within a year they disbanded.