"The Tikis" -- band which became "Harpers Bizarre"

I wonder if anyone has any knowledge/memory of this, and what extent their tikiness did or didn't go beyond just the name. From:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harpers_Bizarre (July '07):
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Harpers Bizarre was formed out of The Tikis, a band from Santa Cruz, California that had some local successes with Beatle-like songs in the mid 1960s. In 1967, record producer Lenny Waronker got a hold of the Simon & Garfunkel song "The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)", determined to make it into a single. The Tikis recorded it, with the arrangement featuring extended harmonies reminiscent of the work of Brian Wilson or even the Swingle Singers. The song was released under a new band name, "Harpers Bizarre" (a play on the magazine Harper's Bazaar), so as not to alienate The Tikis' fanbase. The Harpers Bizarre version of the song reached #13 on the American Billboard Hot 100 chart in April 1967, far exceeding any success that The Tikis thus far had...
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[ Edited by: Thomas 2007-07-22 13:01 ]

From
http://www.answers.com/topic/the-tikis?cat=entertainment :
The Tikis were a surf/British beat-style quartet from Santa Cruz, California, who released a pair of above average singles for Autumn Records in 1965. And had it not been for a chance decision by the band to change their name on an experimental recording in early 1967, they'd likely be better known today.

This might be a 45 single cover from that band. My friend, pop archeologist Domenic Priore (Beatsville, Riot on Sunset Strip) unearthed it, it was a juke box single, with no liner notes on the back. I remember the two songs on it very beat-sounding, non-exotic, and not very original or noteworthy...quite unlike this splendid cover, of course! :)

Always wondered if they were just a one hit wonder. Thanks for the info, Wikipedia might not always spell out the truth, but still can surprise with new info!

Or maybe there were two "The Tikis." There is no "Len Wade" mentioned in any of the Harpers Bizarre - related info. I've found. I did find a few mentions of Len Wade on the 'net though, such as (from http://music.download.com/lenwade/3600-8568_32-101033406.html ):
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Editor's review:
Wade's cut of "Everybody's Clown" is a classic example of the sound Finley Duncan forged at Playground, his longtime Gulf Coast studio. Behind Wade's pained lead, "Clown" mixes rock 'n' roll guitar and girl-group vocals into a sound that's at once playful, soulful, and dark.
Biography:
Like other sleepy southern towns, the residents of Valparaiso, Florida had no idea what Finley Duncan had going on behind the walls of his Playground Studios. Duncan, a larger than life character, had a successful amusement company which included jukeboxes, dabbled in the record biz as early as the mid 50's recording in Muscle Shoals and Nashville sporadically releasing masters to Star Day, King, and others.
In 1969 Duncan chose Florida's Emerald Coast to start his own legacy. With the help of his industry partner Shelby Singleton, Playground Recording Studio was built (later Singleton would model his studio in Nashville after the Playground design). Duncan assembled a crack studio band similar to Muscle Shoals Rhythm section where some of the pre-Playground Minaret sides were cut.
Playground Studios Gulf coast location became a haven for local black talent, touring armory groups, and other Southern outcasts...
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This appears linked to the record cover image you have posted; note the mention of "jukeboxes" and, more specifically, "some of the pre-Playground Minaret sides..." (the record cover shows that it is from the "Minaret" label).

So, there were two musical entities called "The Tikis"? Perhaps the pre-Harpers Bizarre one was a bona-fide band and the excellent record cover you share above is from more of a "psuedo" band, a (one-shot?) studio creation for the southern jukebox circuit. Just speculating here, I'm no scholar in this area.

And here is a photo of the band.

I found more info on the Tiki's, courtesy of this UK blog http://www.kristerbladh.co.uk/blog/?tag=the-tikis

The one track I listed to, for the song 'Pay Attention to Me' was definitely more influenced by Chuck Berry and the early Beatles than exotica

All 7 of the songs that the Tikis recorded are gathered together on the expanded version of the 'Feelin Groovy' CD by Harpers Bizarre. The one track I listened to was much
http://www.amazon.com/Feelin-Groovy-Deluxe-Expanded-Edition/dp/B005Q5WLZQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1367954224&sr=8-2&keywords=harpers+bizarre