Dr. Spec's Optical Illusion

New Orleans garage punk combo Dr. Spec's Optical Illusion formed in 1965 -- according to the Mystic Knights of the Mau Mau website, brothers Kris (vocals/guitar) and Scott Sherman (drums) first jammed with lead guitarist Marshall Clyburn on Halloween night, subsequently adding bassist Brice "Pinky" Hatchett and keyboardist Rick Stelma. First dubbed the Illusions, the group honed its repertoire of British Invasion and R&B covers on the local fraternity circuit, regularly taking top honors in battle-of-the-bands showcases as well. Along the way, the group became notorious for its ear-shattering sets, with the New Orleans States-Item even reporting that the director of a local speech and hearing center measured their cacophony at 140 decibels.

In time, the Illusions met James Migliaccio, manager of the local Mardi Gras Bowling Alley as well as owner of the tiny Flambeau label -- Migliaccio funded their first recording session, produced at Cosimo Matassa's Jazz City Studio. The resulting 1968 single, "Tryin' to Mess My Mind"/"She's the One," remains a garage cult classic, a wailing, organ-driven slab of proto-punk crunch. Credited to Dr. Spec's Optical Illusion, a name bestowed by Migliaccio's wife, New Orleans R&B shouter Joyce Harris, the record stormed the local charts but when several of the bandmembers' parents refused to sign Migliaccio's contract proposal, he responded by terminating production, ensuring both the disc's scarcity and the band's swift demise. In addition to several compilation appearances, Crypt Records officially reissued "Tryin' to Mess My Mind" over three decades later. ~ Jason Ankeny, Rovi