Little Rock Film Festival 2009

In the mid-1960s, rock bands from all over the country formed to put their own stamp on the emerging sounds coming out of England. These bands produced a primitive style known as “garage” which foreshadows the sound of Punk by more than a decade. Director Harold Ott’s obsession with 1960s garage bands led to his discovery of the Lost Souls, from his hometown of Jacksonville, Arkansas. Through interviews with the original band members, the story of The Lost Souls was revealed along with photographs and memorabilia from their private collections. The Lost Souls were a four-piece combo: Fil Griggs on guitar and vocals, Mike Petray on lead guitar and vocals, Danny Goldman on drums, and Mike Corbin on bass. The group formed in May of 1966 and developed a large following in the Central Arkansas area. They traveled to a small recording studio in Concord, Arkansas to cut their sole 45 rpm record: Lost Love b/w My Girl on Leopard Records. The record received air play on Little Rock mega-watt AM station KAAY and sold well in the area. The Lost Souls played an opening song for James Brown at Barton Colosseum in the summer of 1967, but soon after the group was no more. Following the band’s interviews, the Lost Souls record was re-released on a compilation CD titled Lost Souls Volume 1: Garage and Psychedelic Rock from Arkansas 1965-1971, earning a whole new audience of fans for a record made over 40 years ago.