Stop and Start Over. The Berkshire Seven Story

E. Mark Windle 24 May 2025.

Unless you live in the clandestine world of the rare soul record collecting and are familiar with the label’s output, you’d be forgiven for being unaware of any recordings or artists associated with Stop Records Inc. After all, Stop didn’t have any huge hits. It operated on a shoestring budget. And it could even be considered a risk-taking side venture, albeit by one of the most respected behind-the-scenes musicians and producers in Nashville. But when Pete Drake decided to take a risk with a bunch of complete unknowns from Kentucky, he thought he could be onto a good thing. Drake was all about experimentation and innovation, and one particular band that caught his attention exemplified that entirely.

The Berkshire Seven bridged a gap between ‘60s garage/psyche and soul—without a hint of Nashville country music in sight. A ton of bad luck and deteriorating band member relationships abruptly ended what perhaps could have been. But the latter-day rediscovery and embracement of one particular Berkshire Seven song on an underground music scene on the other side of the Atlantic has at least ensured their legacy is preserved.

PETE DRAKE

Stop Records was founded around 1967 by session guitarist and producer Pete Drake, an Augusta, Georgia born and raised son of a Pentecostal minister. In the late 1950s Drake relocated to Music City to pursue his dreams in the industry as a musician and producer. Several country, folk, pop and religious hits have featured Pete Drake on guitar, including Tammy Wynette’s “Stand By Your Man”, Bob Dylan’s “Lay, Lady, Lay” and Elvis’ take on “How Great Thou Art”.

By 1970, Drake’s talents were enough to have him inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame’s Walkway of Stars. Pete Drake may have been a country boy at heart. But his diversity of taste and willingness to give relative unknowns a shot at the music industry was reflected in Stop Records Inc. output, which also included a number of soul and pop records.

The Berkshire Seven story starts not in Nashville, but Loyall, Kentucky. Enter lead singer Dennis Lee (aka Denolee) Pressnell, and writer of “Stop And Start Over”:

“I was raised in a middle class environment in Loyall, Kentucky. I didn’t want for much. Life was difficult only because I had a father who really didn’t love me, but it was balanced by some great ladies, including my mom, and both grandmothers.

I had polio when I was two years old. When I was sent home from hospital, I was bed-ridden for a year or so. My mother was a switchboard operator at that time. The women at the telephone company bought me a 45 rpm record player and a pile of records to keep me amused during my recovery. The record player was small enough to sit between my legs in bed. I listened and sang with those records all day and every day—there was little else to do. This was beginning of rock ’n’ roll. I couldn’t get enough of Bill Haley and the Comets, Little Richard, Elvis, Sam Cooke and Jackie Wilson. I soaked in every musical note.

THE WARLOCKS

Fast forward a few years to my college years. I was a voice major at the University of Kentucky. One day this girl, Betty Fried, approached me and asked if I’d be interested in singing for her band The Warlocks. They were about to lose their lead singer. I agreed to rehearse that night and was hired on the spot as the replacement.

I wouldn’t say The Warlocks were particularly talented, but they were enthusiastic, it was work and gave me an opportunity to perform. We’d practice in the evenings at Betty’s home in the Idle Wilde section of Lexington. Most nights there would be big crowds out in the front yard and on the street. A slightly surreal situation for us, but such a buzz.”

The band wanted to take things further and to record in the studio but first we needed a manager. Warlock’s bassist Danny Williams had an acquaintance who worked at Foushee’s Flower Shop in Lexington. Owner Henry G. Foushee was always looking for interesting new side ventures. Managing a group could just fit that bill.

One afternoon, the whole band drove down to the flower shop and put their proposal to Foushee:

“Henry took over the management of The Warlocks, but his stipulation was we must come up with a new name. Henry Foushee was one of the kindest, finest human beings I’ve ever known. He became a substitute dad to most of us, certainly to me. He was also a mentor, and always our close friend. I swear he was God-sent, not only to us, but to Lexington in general.

With the whole British influence going on at the time in pop music, and Henry’s request to come up with a more respectable name, I came up with The Berkshire Seven. We had a huge plan to record a song or two, get them on local radio, chart, appear not to be from Lexington, Kentucky…then maybe blow everyone’s mind at the Gardenside Swim Club’s Battle of the Bands event. Bill Behymer (lead guitar) had written a sing-a-long called ‘Bring Your Love To Me’ and I had another song called ‘I’m Alone’. Those appeared on our first 45, recorded in Louisville.”

Within three weeks “Bring Your Love To Me” reached #1 on WVLK. “I’m Alone” also reached #1 on WLAP. Both songs were both #1 in Lexington on the night of the Gardenside Battle of the Bands. The Berkshire Seven beat current top bands The Magnificent Seven and The Torques.

NASHVILLE CALLING

The move to Nashville to record was a suggestion by Foushee’s friend Esco Hankins, the owner of a record shop opposite Foushee’s place. Hankins knew Pete Drake well, and suggested that Drake may be able to help the boys out. Foushee called Drake’s office, and mailed him a copy of their first release along with some promotional pictures.

“Next thing we knew, we received our invite to record in Nashville, with Pete Drake as a producer” says Denolee. “That was probably the spring of 1968. The session took place at Music City Recorders on 19th Avenue South. Almost overnight here we were in the company of our heroes. The sound engineer was Scotty Moore, the world famous guitarist and legendary buddie of Elvis. Pete introduced us to Porter Wagoner, Jerry Reed and Dolly Parton. Porter had an office in the building beside Pete’s Window Music.

By the time we left Nashville, we had laid down ‘Stop And Start Over’, ‘Battle Of Chicago’, ‘I’ve Tried’ and ‘Crazy Kind Of Feeling’. The band line-up at that time was yours truly (lead singer), Sonny Bayes (lead guitar), Betty Fried (keyboards), Danny Williams (bass guitar), John Calkins (saxophone) and John Joseph (trumpet). Billy Armstrong replaced our original drummer, who was drinking too much and not showing up for practices.”

“You have to understand that nothing happened quickly with Pete Drake. At the time, he was very busy individual. We respected that. He had all those CBS artists he worked with in Nashville. Then he was involved in projects like Bob Dylan’s ‘Nashville’ Skyline LP, and spent quite a bit of time in England working on the George Harrison’s “All Things Must Pass”.

It was probably nine months to a year before ‘Stop and Start Over’ was actually released. In that particular period, most of the group members were about to be drafted for the Vietnam War. I received my draft notice the day the record became #1 in Lexington. That was tough: watching a dream coming to fruition, then the hard facts of reality, such as going to war pulling at you.”

The timing may have been wrong for Denolee, but ‘“Stop and Start Over”’ did receive a second round of appreciation when it was rediscovered on the UK rare soul scene in the 1980s. Championed by DJs Jim Wensiora, Colin Law and others, the appeal to record collectors and dancers was undoubtedly its frantic tempo and stop-start phrasing, structurally similar to another popular record on the scene—Mel Wynn and the Rhythm Aces’ ‘Stop Sign’.

“The Berkshire Seven returned to Nashville in the summer of 1969 to work on an album” says Denolee.

“We recorded three songs that were never released. Only one of those three songs were good enough to work with. One thing led to another and nothing was ever done with it. We were supposed to go back to Nashville for more studio work, but the group was full of strife and the trip was never made. By 1973 we scattered to the four winds. Betty Fried got married just after ‘Stop And Start Over’. She moved to Michigan with her husband. John Calkins committed suicide in San Francisco. Larry Sallee was my best friend in the group—I visited him just a week before reading of his passing. He had liver disease, big time. Pat Schneider just disappeared. Billy Armstrong lived in Lexington as did Sonny Bayes. Sonny still works in his sister’s printing company. I have no idea about Danny Williams. John Joseph lives in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. He contacted me several years ago when the Berkshire Seven myspace.com page was set up. I’m sure he’s doing well. Bill Behymer married his childhood sweetheart. At last report, they were living somewhere in California. Bill and I were never close. He was the original spaceman, and a difficult guy to get to know.”

BACK IN NASHVILLE

After leaving the group, Denolee was a record salesman for Transcontinent Record Sales. Then he returned to Nashville, where he continued to work with Pete Drake and Window Music Inc. on artist promotion for around six months, before a longer period with Acuff-Rose as Pop Music Promotion Director. there, Denolee connected with artists from a diverse range of genres and to a high level of commercial success. However, there are mixed feelings:

“For all my efforts and success at Acuff-Rose, I was rewarded with a $10.00 a week raise. I wasn’t impressed. In hindsight, I should have walked out the door for the insult. But that wasn’t playing the game in the music business, especially when working for a power structure as large as those guys. Wesley Rose was the personal manager for Roy Orbison, The Everly Brothers, Sue Thompson and several other famous recording artists. It didn’t end well for me working there to be honest. But even though I still feel I was black balled, I have no regrets.”

Denolee went on to record through the next two decades, in association with country song-writing duo Foster and Rice, and with friend and legendary session bass player Tommy Cogbill.

“Mid 1982, Tommy called me to work as a producer on a project of his. We re-worked ‘I Can’t Help Myself’ and a new song given us by Fred Foster who owned Monument Records and had Combine Music, Inc., one of the finest music publishing companies in Nashville. Tommy played Fred one of my demos and got permission for us to record ‘Our Love Goes On’. There is a second version of my singing ‘I Can’t Help Myself’, produced by Tommy. However, before the session could be mastered and worked, Tommy died from cancer.

If it wasn’t for bad luck, I’d have no luck at all. After Tommy’s passing, I wasn’t worth a nickel. It was devastating to lose him. Especially when he was the one person in the business I believed in, and I was placing my hopes and dreams in him. I am most proud of the work we did though. And will always wonder: what if?”

(Copyright 2025) E. Mark Windle is an independent freelance writer and biographer. He has also worked as a senior writer with Story Terrace (London, UK), and for Sheridan Hill / Real Life Stories LLC (North Carolina, USA). For more information on writing services or to discuss potential commissions reach out to Mark at https://windlefreelance.com/