DC Share Revival: Psychedelic Jukebox: [1967] The Baroques

In the summer of 1967, while psychedelic sounds were sweeping across San Francisco and London, a small group from Milwaukee prepared their only full-length record in Chicago. The Baroques, formed in 1966, were composed of Jay Borkenhagen, Jacques Hutchinson, Rick Bieniewski, and Dean Nimmer. They had already performed locally as The Complete Unknowns, but their identity coalesced with the arrival of Borkenhagen, whose baritone voice and keyboard playing gave their work an unusual, dark character. Chess Records, historically devoted to blues and rhythm & blues, startled many observers by signing them, their first rock-oriented act. The label placed them in its Ter-Mar Studios at 2120 South Michigan Avenue, where countless blues sessions had already been cut, and asked veteran producer Ralph Bass and engineer Ron Malo to capture the material that would become The Baroques.

The sessions in March 1967 produced both the self-titled album and a debut single. Catalogued as Chess 2001, the 45 paired Mary Jane as the promoted A-side with Iowa, A Girl’s Name on the reverse. Internal master numbers confirm that both tracks were laid down in the same block of sessions. Catalog data identifies them as TM-2116 and TM-2117, sequential recordings that suggest a cohesive workflow in those Chicago rooms. While Chess placed the marketing weight on Mary Jane, its reception was turbulent. Within a week of local airplay, Wisconsin stations pulled it, assuming the lyrics endorsed drug use. The musicians had intended the opposite, but the ban ensured controversy.

That very ban elevated the status of Iowa, A Girl’s Name. Though presented as the flip side of the 45, Chess made it the opening track on the LP, slotting it at A1 ahead of Seasons and Mary Jane. In doing so, the label highlighted a song that condensed the band’s style into less than three minutes. Its length, about two minutes forty-five seconds, was perfect for radio play, and the theme—using the state of Iowa as a female name—was a playful yet austere lyrical choice. For many listeners, the song was their first encounter with the band’s sound. Local critics in Milwaukee stressed how their tone differed from California groups, emphasizing its somber and insular atmosphere rather than sunshine-drenched harmonies.

The album, issued as Chess LP-1516 in mono and LPS-1516 in stereo, was manufactured at multiple plants, including RCA’s Indianapolis facility. Surviving copies demonstrate the varied pressing strategies Chess employed as it tested the waters of rock distribution. On the back sleeve, the track list credits Borkenhagen for the songwriting, and design credit went to Jerry Griffith, who fashioned a cover distinct from the label’s blues output. With Ralph Bass’s production and Malo’s engineering, the LP sat in the same catalog series that contained Pigmeat Markham and Wayne Cochran, but sounded worlds apart.

Listening to Iowa, A Girl’s Name reveals why Chess may have considered it an effective opening statement. The drums are taut, the guitar lines jagged but concise, and Borkenhagen’s voice leads with a brooding presence. In contrast to the accusatory haze of Mary Jane, this track is more elliptical, more teasing in its lyrical conceit. Milwaukee’s underground press later emphasized how the cut set the stage for the entire album, shaping expectations before the listener reached the controversial centerpiece.

There are stories told in Wisconsin about the record’s reception. Nimmer recounted that for a while people said that their album outsold Sgt. Pepper in Milwaukee, a claim more mythical than statistical but one that demonstrates the pride attached to their achievement. Whatever the numbers, the LP circulated actively in the region. Collectors today still seek original pressings, particularly promo mono copies, which have achieved high prices at auction compared with other garage-era albums.

Archival work has since kept the song alive. An alternate take surfaced in compilations decades later, giving enthusiasts a glimpse of another studio pass. Reissue programs like Sundazed’s limited pressing for Record Store Day 2017 and Ace’s later CD packages preserved the original running order, underscoring the importance of Iowa, A Girl’s Name as the band’s official introduction. Those reissues clarified pressing details and restored the mono mix that Milwaukee fans had first encountered.

The Baroques’ tenure was short; after one more self-financed single in 1968 they dissolved, their contract with Chess having lapsed. But in that brief span, they left behind a document that straddled Midwest garage intensity.

Saturday, August 23, 2025

Psychedelic Jukebox: [1967] The Baroques - Iowa, A Girl's Name

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