The Earls of Babylon were a Rock band known for their blend of Pop and Garage Rock who gained some regional fame in the 1960s, particularly with their hit “Hi Ho Silver Lining.” After a brief career, the band went inactive in 1967. The recent news of their reunion and new music, including original members Earl Valentino and Earl Byrd, marks a significant return for the group.
On October 25th, The Earls of Babylon emerged with the Wicked Cool Records release of “My Little Frankenstein.” The track was written and Produced by Wicked Cool artists Brian Ray (Paul McCartney, Etta James) and Steve Conte (New York Dolls, Michael Monroe).
The 50+ year absence of the Earls from the public eye was spurred by news of Jeff Beck releasing a version of “Hi Ho Silver Lining” that became a UK hit. Beck’s rendition left the duo discouraged and disillusioned. The two went their separate ways in late 1967, Valentino joining the Coast Guard to avoid combat in Viet Nam while Byrd joined a religious cult in upstate New York (reportedly drifting deeply into psychedelic drugs, but finding himself eventually).
Decades later, Valentino and Byrd reconnected to reminisce and catch up on lost years, and saw that their original single was still on the jukebox in their hometown. When everyone sang along, they decided to play together again.
Both Earls had been listening to The Underground Garage on SiriusXM where they discovered music by Brian Ray and Steve Conte, two artists signed to “Little Steven” Van Zandt’s Wicked Cool Records. They reached out to Ray and Conte, and the team of Ray & Conte wrote “My Little Frankenstein” for The Earls and Produced the record – their first single since 1967.
The single has been released on vinyl by Wicked Cool Records with the B side being a brand new version of their hit, “Hi Ho Silver Lining” (written by Scott English and Larry Weiss).
The 7-inch vinyl single is available from brianray.com with a limited number of copies signed by both Brian and Steve.
The Earls of Babylon story continues, with Steve and Brian reportedly working with them on a follow-up single for possible release in 2025.
