The Gestures

One of the first American garage bands to write and perform British Invasion-derived material, the Gestures only recorded two singles in the mid-'60s. But one of those, "Run, Run, Run," was an excellent effort indeed, with its blend of surf-styled guitar, terrific pummeling drums, and Beatlesque harmonies. It made #44 nationally in late 1964, and made the Top Ten in several cities, but the Minnesota group only made one follow-up before disbanding. Recording for a tiny regional label, there wasn't enough of a support network to build the Gestures into a bigger act, although some strong original songs — which employed pleasing harmonies and unusual, almost jazzy chord structures — indicated that the group had considerable potential. As it was, they're just another in a line of young groups whose prospects were short-circuited by limited opportunities, although "Run, Run, Run" is now acknowledged as one of the earliest and best garage 45s, especially after it was reissued on Pebbles, Vol. 9.