The Chocolate Watchband

The Chocolate Watchband is an American garage rock band that formed in 1965 in Los Altos, California. The band went through several lineup changes during its existence. Combining psychedelic and garage rock components, their sound was marked by David Aguilar's lead vocals, songwriting, as well as proto-punk musical arrangements. The band's rebellious musical posture made them one of the harder-edged groups of the period with many critics labeling them as America's answer to the Rolling Stones.

The Chocolate Watchband was signed to Tower Records in 1966 and released their first single, "Sweet Young Thing", in 1967. Later in the year, the band released their debut album, No Way Out. Though the album did not chart nationally, the band had a huge following in San Jose and the San Francisco Bay Area. In 1968, their second album, The Inner Mystique, was released and included the band's most popular song, a cover version of "I'm Not Like Everybody Else". By 1969, with Mark Loomis dropping out in the middle of the recording sessions, the band released a final album, One Step Beyond, however it did not include David Aguilar on vocals and was not as highly regarded or indicative of their past work. The Chocolate Watchband officially broke up in 1970 with no intent of ever reuniting again.

This band should not be confused with The Chocolate Watch Band, a London-based UK group that issued two singles on Decca Records in 1967.

Singles

 * "Sweet Young Thing" b/w "Baby Blue" (Uptown 740) (1966)
 * "Misty Lane" b/w "She Weaves a Tender Trap" (Uptown 749) (1967)
 * "Are You Gonna Be There (At the Love-In)" b/w "No Way Out" (Tower 373) (1967)

Albums

 * No Way Out (Tower ST 5096) (1967)
 * The Inner Mystique (Tower ST 5106) (1968)
 * One Step Beyond: (Tower ST 5153) (1969) (as The Chocolate Watchband)
 * Get Away (Orchard 3716) (2000)
 * At the Love-In Live! (Roir 8272) (2001)
 * Revolutions Reinvented (Twenty Stone Blatt BAMF 41) (2012)
 * This Is My Voice (Dirty Water Records DWC1117) (2019)

Compilations

 * The Best of the Chocolate Watchband (Rhino RNLP-108) (1983)
 * Forty Four (Big Beat WIKA 25) (1984)
 * Melts in Your Brain...Not On Your Wrist! (Big Beat CDWIK2 249) (2005)

Members

 * Danny Phay - lead vocals  (1965; 1968–69)
 * David Aguilar - lead vocals, harmonica, keyboards, guitars, synths  (1966–67; 1999–present)
 * Bill Flores - bass, backing vocals  (1966–69; 1999–2001)
 * Mark Loomis - lead guitar, keyboards  (1965–67; 1968–69)
 * Sean Tolby - rhythm guitar  (1966–67; 1968–69)
 * Gary Andrijasevich - drums, backing vocals  (1965–67; 1968–69; 1999–present)
 * Chris Flinders - lead vocals  (1967)
 * Tim Abbott - lead guitar  (1967; 1999–present)
 * Mark Whittaker - drums  (1967)
 * Ned Torney - guitar  (1965; 2003-2004 ; keyboards  1968-69)
 * Michael Reese - guitar (1999–2001)
 * Alec Palao - bass, backing vocals  (2001–present)
 * Derek See - guitar, vocals, keyboards  (2015-present)
 * Jo Kemling - keyboards  (1965–66)
 * Rich Young - bass  (1965)
 * Daryl Hooper - keyboards, guitar (2012-2015)