AZTECS, The [II]

Homebase: Waterville, WA
Stats: 1964-68
Misc Notes:
Cary Ordway ~ Guitar, Drums, Vocals
Melvin Willms ~ Guitar
Chase Hensel ~ Bass
Martin Hensel ~ Keyboards, Vocals
Larry Kendrick ~ Tenor Saxophone
Allen Thompson ~ Drums, Vocals
Kerry Coonan ~ Drums, Vocals

"The Aztecs: One of the most popular groups from Central Washington in the late '60s was called the Aztecs, who hailed from the tiny wheat farming community of Waterville, near Wenatchee. The group played dances, proms, and fairs from Okanagan down to the Yakima Valley and was particularly active in the Wenatchee area.

"The Aztecs were one of the groups recording on Julian Records, a company owned by Wenatchee radio DJ Don Bernier. They released 'World of Woe' and 'Why Can't You Tell Me' in late fall 1967 with 'World of Woe' getting extensive airplay on Wenatchee’s KMEL radio. Interestingly, the song was picked up by an Australian company in the mid-2000s to be included in a compilation album of 1960s rock and soon after generated an almost cult following on the internet. Eventually, SunDazed Records signed the Aztecs to re-release the song in the summer of 2013.

"In spring 2013, I joined up with the Chargers, a popular Wenatchee group from the sixties who have gotten the group back together and are actively gigging throughout North Central Washington. Ironically, the Aztecs and Chargers were competitors back in the late '60s and even appeared on the same stage competing in a Battle of the Bands. Out of a dozen or so bands, the Chargers took No. 1, the Aztecs No. 3.

"When the Chargers ultimately disbanded in 2015, lead guitar player Steve Barone and keyboardist and myself joined Waterdog, a popular oldies rock and roll group that plays regularly in North Central Washington. In the fall of 2018, the Aztecs were planning to release a single on Snatchee Records of an original 1966 recording called 'Night Teaser.'" (Editor note: As of 2021, there is no evidence that this single was released.)

For more information on the Aztecs, go to http://julianrecords.com/theaztecs/.

Cary Ordway, 2 November 2018 correspondence with pnwbands.com website, (courtesy of webmaster Sam Carlson)

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