Their first national release was the single "That Girl Was My Girl" on Mala Records in 1966. Starting in 1967, they expanded their lineup to include more
brass instruments, and regularly toured the Midwest, opening for
Dickie Lee,
Rufus Thomas,
The Shangri-Las,
Bobby Vee, and
The Everly Brothers. Soon after meeting Thomas and Lee, they booked time at
Sun Studios and recorded the single "
No, Not Much", a cover of a 1950s hit by
The Four Lads. The local disc (released on Goldust Records) was picked up for national distribution by
Buddah Records, and the tune saw nationwide success, becoming a hit in several major metropolitan areas in the U.S. and climbing to #85 on the
Billboard Hot 100 early in 1969. A second single on Buddah, "Portrait of My Love", missed the charts, and a full-length that had been recorded was shelved; it has yet to see release. The group appeared on
American Bandstand in 1969 following the single's success. Later in 1969,
Certron Records released their single "High on a Rainbow" b/w "First Reaction", which also did not chart but was a regional success. During this time, the group's wardrobe consisted of
tuxedos fitted with
bell bottom trousers. They disbanded in 1972; that same year, Little Joe Hupp released a locally produced full-length,
Heavy Metal Whale, under the name Smoke Ring, which did not feature any of the band's previous members. The members, Mike Smith, guitar and vocals, Mike McKern, drums and vocals, Ralph Goldhiem, keyboards and vocals, Joe Lalich, bass and vocals, Scotty Hastings, drums and vocals. This song was recorded at Shue records engineered by Garth Fundis in Nashville. The next band, were some of the members (including lead vocalist
Tommy Shaw) continued under the name
MSFunk in 1973, basing themselves out of
Chicago. The group was inducted into the Nebraska Music Hall of Fame in 1995, and has regularly reunited for regional concerts since then. ==MSFunk==