The band started life as The Echoes, but after they signed with
Warner, their manager Nick Boldi wanted them to change the name to "The Wild Childs." This didn't suit the band members, so they settled on The Chylds, thinking this would sound British and pick up some of the popularity surrounding such bands as
the Beatles. The band recorded a number of 45 singles at Akron Recording Studios in Akron, Ohio, at Cleveland Recording and at Gateway in Pittsburgh.The Chylds opened for bands including
The Beach Boys and
Mitch Ryder, and appeared on the TV show
Upbeat. Their single, "Psychedelic Soul," charted nationally in Billboard. The band broke up in 1968 because some of the band members got married and needed to find jobs to support a family. Only Joe Vitale went on to make a career as a musician. Their recording of "Hay Girl" was released in 1984 on the compilation LP
Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 9 by AIP Records (as #AIP-10015). ==Discography==