The Merry-Go-Round

The Merry-Go-Round was an American psychedelic rock, Los Angeles based band, best known for the singer-songwriter Emitt Rhodes and featuring Joel Larson on drums, Gary Kato on lead guitar, and Bill Rinehart on bass. The group gained inspiration from bands like the Beatles, the Byrds, and the Left Banke for its vocal harmonies and instrumental acquisitions. They used their contemporaries' styles to create their own sound. History The band formed in the summer of 1966. Emitt Rhodes had left his former band, the Palace Guard, and began jam sessions with Gary Kato and friends. Within weeks, they were joined by Bill Rinehart, formerly of the Leaves and Joel Larson, formerly of the Grass Roots. Recorded demos resulted in the band being signed by A&M Records. By early 1967, the band released their first single "Live"/"Time Will Show the Wiser". "Live" became a sensation in L.A. and reached number 63 on the Billboard Hot 100. The group's next single, "You're a Very Lovely Woman", highly arranged and orchestrated, only reached number 94. A&M, noticing the disappointing listing, hastily released their debut album before the window of opportunity closed. The band released their only album, The Merry-Go-Round in November 1967. It stalled, reaching only number 190 and soon after Rinehart departed. He was replaced by Rick Dey of the Vejtables. Several further singles, including "She Laughed Loud"/"Had to Run Around", "Come Ride, Come Ride"/"She Laughed Loud", "Listen, Listen"/"Missing You" and "'Til the Day After"/"Highway" would be released in 1967 and 1968 but failed to chart. They started work on a second album but never completed it. After fan interest in the group dissipated, they decided to disband in 1969.