Уилмер және Dukes: 60-шы жылдардағы Нью-Йорк R&B тобының тарихы

Wilmer and the Dukes (originally Wilmer Alexander Junior and the Dukes) were a United States R&B band in upstate New York in the 1960s. Though they produced only a handful of singles and one album, they performed regularly, and had a dedicated following. One reviewer said, "In Geneva, there were two kinds of kids. Those who went to 'Wilmer' and those who didn't." They are fondly remembered by many of the college alumni from that area, and their music continues to be played today. They were also an influence on other rising musicians such as Eric Bloom, the lead singer of Blue Öyster Cult, and they may have been the inspiration for "Otis Day and the Knights", the 1960s fictional band in the 1978 movie Animal House. The group disbanded in 1974, but came back together for some benefit concerts in 1988. With several personnel changes, the band stayed together and played for the next 24 years as The Legendary Dukes until breaking up in early 2012.

The band originated in 1957 in Geneva, New York, formed by Wilmer Alexander Jr. (born c. 1943), Ronnie Alberts, and Ralph Gillotte. Except for Alexander, all of the members were white, which made the band stand out even more in some of the all black clubs that they first played in. The Alexanders lived on 90 Wadsworth Street in Geneva, and the band used to practice at one of the garages owned by the Felice Trucking Company on Kirkwood Ave.

Alexander sang and played saxophone, and the band was managed by Ebo (Owl) Alberts, the father of the drummer, Ronnie Alberts, and the original bassist, Monty Alberts. The guitarist, Doug Brown, was from the South and played Stevie Cropper style. Doug Brown wrote their big hit "Give Me One More Chance". Ralph "Duke" Gillotte was the keyboardist and additional vocalist. They were primarily a cover band, playing other people's material, such as by Steve Miller and The Rolling Stones. Other music was from Sam and Dave and there were also saxophone based hits such as those originated by Junior Walker & the AllStars. One of their most popular covers was Lee Dorsey's "Get Out of My Life, Woman".

The band played from approximately from 1961 to 1974 at various locations around Upstate New York, mostly on the college and bar circuit. Regular venues were The "Pittsford Inn" in Pittsford, New York, "Club 86" in Geneva on Saturdays, and "Bristol Ski Lodge" in Canandaigua on Fridays. However, nationally the record only peaked at #78 in Cash Box (in June), and at #80 on the Billboard Hot 100. Mike Gentile from Motown tried to sign Wilmer, but during a talk between Wilmer and Junior Walker at the "Warehouse" after Junior described how his hit "What Does It Take To Win Your Love" was suppressed by Motown, he decided not to sign. "Give Me One More Chance" was a slightly bigger hit in Canada than in the band's home country, peaking at #63 on the RPM charts in July 1968. In Toronto, the single reached #18 on the CHUM chart in June, 1968, and hit #8 at rival station CKEY. This would be the only Canadian chart action for the band, which at the time was billed as Wilmer Alexander Jr., and the Dukes. A 1968 follow up single, "Heavy Time", failed to chart. However, the single's B side, the Jagger/Richards composition "I'm Free", did chart in the top 30 on radio stations in both Syracuse and Rochester. This same song would much later be a hit for the Soup Dragons. The band's one album (credited to Wilmer and the Dukes) was released in 1969 by Aphrodisiac Records. The album featured "Give Me One More Chance", "Heavy Time" and "I'm Free", as well as two more singles pulled from the album: "Living In The USA", written by Steve Miller, and "Get Out of My Life, Woman", written by Allen Toussaint. Released in the summer of 1969, "Living In The USA" was another regional hit for the band in upper New York state (and also a top 40 hit in Detroit), but the song only made it to #114 on the Billboard 'bubbling under' chart, and failed to break out nationally beyond these markets. "Get Out of My Life, Woman", released in October, did not even bubble under, although it did see chart action in Pittsburgh. In the summer of 1969, Wilmer hired a young wind section to match the current sounds of BST, James Brown, and Wilson Pickett; namely Frank Grasso Trumpet, Steve Weinstein Trombone, and Peter Kanyuk Woodwinds. Their manager later brought them to Detroit, but their work never really caught on outside of the lower Great Lakes region. Still, although the original members never recorded after 1969, their live shows were a consistent draw in upper New York state, and Wilmer and the Dukes gigged steadily in and around Syracuse, Rochester and Buffalo (playing several gigs at the Warehouse, in Kirkwood, New York) until they broke up in 1974.