2026 marks the 60th anniversary of The Cyrkle’s debut album Red Rubber Ball. Besides the title track, which reached #1 in Canada and #2 in the US, the album also included another AM radio gold song: Turn Down Day, which went Top 20 in both countries.
After a few more singles and a tour with The Beatles, the band went their separate ways in 1968.
Two original members, Don Dannemann and Tom Dawes, were able to transfer their musical backgrounds writing jingles for advertising agencies. Separately, the two were responsible for two iconic “bubbly” jingles back in the day; Dawes wrote for 7-UP (the UnCola), while Dannemann penned the classic Alka-Seltzer (Plop, Plop, Fizz, Fizz).
In 2016, Pat McLoughlin was a member The Gas Pump Jockeys, an Ohio based classic rock tribute band, who included songs by The Cyrkle in their set list. Since the songs would always get a positive response from the crowd, he reached out to original members of The Cyrkle to see if a reunion could be worked out. Within a year, the band was reunited and on tour.
The current band lineup includes two original “Cyrklites” Don Dannemann and Mike Losekamp. Other members include Pat McLoughlin along with Dean Kastran (formerly of The Ohio Express), Don White, and Scott Langley.
In 2024, Big Stir Records released Revival, an album full of new, original material from the band. It’s available for purchase or to stream. Recently, to coincide with the 60th anniversary of The Cyrkle’s first album, they released Revival on vinyl.
The title is spot-on as the album delivers a sound that feels both fresh and nostalgic. The album is a bright collection of songs that build on the band’s roots in sunshine pop and offers listeners a timely lift.
Standout tracks include “We Were There,” “Dance With Me Tonight,” “Centre of the World,” “Singing for Tomorrow,” and “It’s All Right, It’s OK,” whose message will resonate with listeners of a certain vintage, like me. The song was inspired by a British TV series about retired detectives that help solve new cases.
I’m joined on the Vinyl Professor Podcast to with two members of the Cyrkle to talk about the band’s history and their reunion album. One of them is original member Don Danneman – the other is Pat McLoughlin – who was the person that was responsible for getting the group back together.
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Portions of the interview also aired on my weekly radio show Oldies Without Borders.
Copyright Peter J. Maurin, The Vinyl Professor. Published under Creative Commons License: Attribution/Non-Commercial Use.
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