Phillip Edward Volk (born October 25, 1945) is an American musician. As the bassist of Paul Revere & the Raiders from 1965 to 1967, Volk appeared in over 750 television shows, 520 of which were episodes of the Dick Clark production, Where the Action Is, which aired daily from 1965 to 1967. The band themselves had 23 charted hits and 14 gold albums and Volk was a member of the band during the period of its greatest success. Volk's bass lines, as heard in songs such as "Hungry", "Just Like Me" and "Kicks", helped to revolutionize how the bass guitar was used in rock music. Volk was seen frequently in such fan magazines as 16 Magazine, popular during the 1960s.
On leaving The Raiders, Volk formed a new band called Brotherhood with Raider bandmates Drake Levin and Mike "Smitty" Smith. This band produced three albums for RCA that were not commercially successful. Following the breakup of Brotherhood, Volk had a stint as a bassist with Rick Nelson in the Stone Canyon Band, headed several groups of his own, toured the country in a rock-themed stage show, produced music for other artists, and started his own record label. He is currently making personal appearances with his new band "Phil 'Fang' Volk with Family and Friends".Boron, Allison Johnelle."The Popdose Interview : Phil "Fang" Volk,"Popdose", August 8, 2011; accessed July 15, 2013.
Early life Phil Volk was born in Burbank, California to Anne-Marie "Mimi" Wagner Volk, a former singer, dancer, and actress"Obituaries: Mimi Volk", Las Vegas Review Journal, December 22, 2006; accessed August 4, 2011. and George Norbert Volk, an actor and businessman.Volk, Phil."The Chancellors", "The Official Website of Phil 'Fang' Volk", 2000-2002, accessed August 4, 2011. His father taught acting at the Pasadena Playhouse and appeared in some films.Cost, Jud."Phil Volk Interview: Fangs for the Memories" , Sundazed.com; accessed August 18, 2011. Volk was one of seven siblings, including brothers George and Danny, and sisters Irene, Marilou, Christine, and Jeannie.Schueckler, Jim and Ken Davis."George Francis Volk" profile, Vietnam Veterans' Memorial website, August 10, 2009; accessed August 4, 2011. When he was a young boy, the family moved to a farm in Nampa, Idaho, about 20 miles west of Boise.Boron, Allison Johnelle."The Popdose Interview: Phil "Fang" Volk, Popdose.com. August 8, 2011; accessed August 14, 2011.
Volk was encouraged to sing by his mother, Mimi. The first complete songs he learned were "On a Slow Boat to China" and "If You Call Everybody Darling" (the latter a hit for The Andrews Sisters). At the age of 3, he recorded these songs in a carnival trailer. His mother kept the recording, which Volk loved listening to as a child. Volk later used it in one of the cuts on the Friendsound Joyride album called, "Child Song". Volk took dance lessons and gymnastics. At the age of 13, Volk watched Elvis Presley on the Ed Sullivan Show. Excited by what he saw, he asked his parents for a guitar and they gave him one for Christmas. He learned to play his first song, "Teen Angel" on it, as well as some folk songs. He also imitated Little Richard and Buddy Holly.
At Nampa Junior High School, Volk met Drake Levin, who had moved from Chicago, in their 9th grade journalism class. At a noon dance in the school gym, the girls asked Volk to sing along with a recording of "Donna". While Levin and the girls loved the performance, many male students did not and threatened to "pants" Volk and cut off his hair after school. Levin helped him find a way out by allowing Volk to climb down a drainpipe from the second floor to escape to his father's car. The two boys were friends from that point on. At age 14, Levin came to visit at the Volk family farm, where he and Volk wrote their first song together. Levin came to live with the family for a time after his parents' marriage broke up. Levin stated that George Volk taught him some guitar licks while he lived there.Moseley, Willie G."Vintage Guitar Player article by Willie G. Moseley: Drake Levin: Fighting the Good Fight", "Drake Levin" (October 2009); accessed August 18, 2011.
The first time Volk saw Paul Revere perform with his band was at a variety show at Nampa High School. His older siblings were already well-acquainted with the group, who always drew large crowds when performing at area dances and clubs. Volk was impressed with the energy and showmanship of the band. Shortly after, his family moved from Nampa to Boise.
While attending Borah High School in Boise, Volk ran track. At the Idaho State Track and Field Meet in the spring of 1963, he was on two first-place relay teams, helping set state records in the 440 and 880 yard relays. He was fired from the band he belonged to at the time, The Chancellors, for attending this meet instead of joining them for a gig. He also performed the role of Conrad Birdie in the school musical, Bye, Bye Birdie in 1962. Volk also ran for Student Body President, but lost in a close recount election.
Volk's parents left to live in Europe when Volk was 17. His father was now selling insurance to soldiers stationed overseas. Volk left Boise in September 1963 for college at the University of Colorado in Boulder, Colorado. Intending to be a music major, he studied classical music and opera. In the meantime, he kept playing guitar in a band in his fraternity.
Early bands The first band Volk joined was called The Classics. They formed in Nampa, Idaho at Nampa H.S. Volk played guitar and did some of the lead vocals. He remained with the band from 1960 to 1961. After the family moved to Boise in 1962, he joined The Chancellors with former Nampa H.S. classmate and former drummer for The Classics, Russ Bice. Volk again played rhythm guitar and did lead vocals. The Chancellors had a horn section and were a show band that also did instrumental songs. The band played the Fiesta Ballroom in Boise every Saturday night, taking turns with other local bands. These shows were well-attended by high-school aged teenagers from the Boise area. In 1963, Volk, as a member of the Borah H.S. track team, was scheduled to run in the Idaho State Track and Field Meet. Choosing to run in the meet, rather than go to a show The Chancellors were slated to play, cost him his spot with the band.
After his dismissal from The Chancellors, Levin invited Volk to join him in the band Sir Winston's Trio, a jazz-pop group, as guitarist/bassist. The band first played a place called Quinn's Lounge, but was quickly fired for being under-age. Following that disappointment, the band was asked to do a local television dance show in Boise. While in town, the trio decided to catch Paul Revere & the Raiders show at a dance club Revere owned called The Crazy Horse. Revere had seen the Sir Winston's Trio on the television show and asked if they would be interested in becoming the house band while the Raiders went back to Portland, Oregon, their new home base.
Revere insisted that the trio have a drummer if they were to play his club. Volk and Levin did not know of anyone that could join the group right away, so they asked Revere if they could borrow The Raiders' drummer, Mike 'Smitty' Smith, for the first week they played the club. Around this time, the band changed its name to The Surfers.
During the summer of 1963, The Surfers played the popular Miramar Ballroom in Boise and were given the opportunity to open for Paul Revere and the Raiders, who had recently signed with Columbia Records, at the Boise National Guard Armory. Their popularity soared with the addition of the choreography that Volk and Levin created for the band, including their "guitar battles" that involved intricate slashing movements with their guitars, all the while dancing and playing. They worked diligently on the choreography and their dance steps later became a big part of The Raiders show as well. Their most famous guitar battle came during the song "Big Boy Pete", which they later performed on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.
In August 1963, Revere auditioned Levin as a replacement for Charlie Coe, the Raiders lead guitarist. Levin, who had dropped out of high school, joined the band on the road. When Volk left for the University of Colorado on a scholarship in September 1963, the friends said goodbye at the Boise train station, not knowing that in little more than a year, Volk would also be joining The Raiders as the final piece in what would come to be considered the "classic" Raider line-up.
Paul Revere & the Raiders
In January 1965, Levin recommended Volk to Paul Revere, who needed a replacement bass player for Mike "Doc" Holliday, who was leaving The Raiders for personal reasons. Levin convinced Volk to leave school and join the band on tour. Volk sent his parents a message overseas, informing them of his decision. By the time they received it, it was too late to stop him.
Volk joined the band in Las Vegas to perform at the Pussy Cat A-Go-Go nightclub. At the end of Volk's first concert appearance, lead singer Mark Lindsay "baptized" Volk with a jug of water, making him an official member of the Raiders. Since all band members had a nickname, Revere suggested Volk call himself "Bugs" or "Bucky Beaver", due to the prominent eye teeth he often displayed with a wide grin. Disliking both of those choices, he came up with the name 'Fang'. At one show, he decided to grab some electrical tape and spell out the word 'Fang' on the back of his bass. Volk flipped it over to display the name to the audience, all the while dancing and making faces behind Lindsay as he sang lead. It became a signature bit for Volk and the group.
The Raiders first Columbia album, Here They Come!, was released on May 3, 1965. The first side of the album, with Holliday playing bass, contained songs recorded live by producer Bruce Johnston. Volk played bass on the second side of the LP, which consisted of studio recordings produced by Terry Melcher. Volk was credited as the bass player on the back of the album. However, the group photo on the front cover still showed Holliday. The album remained on the charts for 45 weeks.
Recording with the band came easily for Volk, after long weeks of touring and getting to know the band's repertoire. Melcher used Volk's understanding of musical concepts, the result of his time as a music major in college, to assist in the studio when songs were being arranged. Volk could notate, understood chord structure, and knew how to write charts. In addition, Volk could play keyboards and Melcher often used him in that capacity. The first song on which the Raiders' new signature sound was evident was "Steppin' Out", written by Lindsay and Revere. Volk and Levin worked together on their guitar parts, with Levin coming up with a repeating lead line and Volk following with the same bass line that is played throughout the entire song. The song was the band's highest charted hit to date, peaking at #46 in August 1965.
The band's biggest break proved to be a huge one. On the basis of their popularity in the Northwest where they outdrew Dick Clark's touring show The Caravan of Stars, as well as because of Roger Hart's friendship with Clark, The Raiders were signed to be the house band on a new, daily show aimed at teenagers called Where the Action Is. The show was picked up by ABC and premiered on June 28, 1965. Volk has said the show helped give him his own following, as well as establishing him as a unique personality.
By 1966, according to manager Hart, Volk was receiving as much fan mail as lead vocalist Lindsay. The band also performed on many other television shows during Volk's tenure with the group, including Hullabaloo, The Ed Sullivan Show, The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, Colosseum, Milton Berle, Batman, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, and The Hollywood Palace.
Mainstream Success