Who is the Urge? Remember those great ‘80s comedies and the party scenes? Remember the band? Trust me there is ALWAYS a band – sharply dressed and dropping a catchy song that you’ve never heard before, but one that all the movie locals seem to know. Now imagine that ’80s movie is set in Winchester, Kentucky. The Urge provides the soundtrack! Enjoy… [2025 Shawn Chambers / Lexingtunes]
The band origins start simply enough with a couple of friends in Leonard Hall (b. 1957) and David Elam (b. 1957). The duo spent months drinking and jamming together and one evening in 1981 it came together in a driveway of all places. Elam broke out a new song “Darlene,” which provided the answer to the question they had been asking themselves: so many others are doing this why can’t we? “Darlene” made them realize not only could they do it but do it well!
Fleshing out the rest of the band proved almost ridiculously easy. They only needed to track down a few old George Rogers Clark High School classmates and deliver their pitch.
As teenagers in the early ’70s, Hall had played bass and jammed with drummer Allen Howard (b. 1956) and some other guys in a loose knit affair. Now Allen was once more on Hall’s radar. A visit from Elam and Hall followed and after the initial surprise it took very little convincing to bring Howard on board.
Chuck Harms (b. 1957) came late to the bass guitar having picked it up almost by chance while in college at the University of Kentucky. As luck would have it his roommate was Craig Currier who upon learning of Chuck’s musical aspirations helped him get a Univox bass from his family’s Currier Music Center in nearby Richmond. Two years of lessons followed before Harms was cut loose with the classic dismissal of ‘I have nothing more to teach you’.
The idea had been present from the beginning to try and land David “Trog” Banks (b. 1956). Besides being a phenomenal lead guitarist, Banks had the most band experience by a wide margin. It wasn’t just his hours spent on stage, but also his knowledge of the offstage aspects of being a working musician that was so valuable. As a member of CAIN he had studio time under his belt and their cut “Fire and Brimstone” had been featured on a compilation LP from Louisville’s WAKY a few years prior. His work in past bands such as Crossroads, Bouncing Bobby & The Bobby Socks, and CAIN showcased his versatility. In short, Davids Banks could play any type of rock. What a coup to land Trog!
The vocal duties would fall primarily to David Elam, but the band had designs on a countering female vocalist as well. Fortunately, a strong choice was already on their minds in Donna Fisher (b. 1964). Though several years younger, Donna had singing experience throughout high school and had made public appearances at some local variety shows. She was also well known to David Elam since she was dating his brother at the time. A perfunctory audition was held and the Urge was complete.
Leonard Hall had a strong vision for the band and wanted to capture the feel of the current rock movement and that meant proper stage clothes. Elam and Banks had pictured a more working-class blue jeans and tee image, but Hall was persuasive. He and Elam journeyed to Lexington to the row of small boutiques bordering UK’s campus and they walked out with armloads of geometric and animal print tops. Chuck Harms had his own image in mind and boldly purchased gold pants and a scoop neck body suit from the Merry-Go-Round (a popular women’s chain at Lexington’s Fayette Mall). Banks surprised everyone with an invite to his home where he emerged with what would become his signature look: a red JC Penney Sleepwear robe, headband, black pants and boots spray painted red with glitter highlights. Allen Howard was unapologetically “a simple country boy” and remained the lone holdout opting for nice ‘date night’ style – although there is a least one picture of him in a dashiki!
Beyond the new duds, they went a step further and took full advantage of Chuck Harms’ talents as a professional hair stylist. Each band member was pulled fully into the ‘80s with a fresh cut and style – even Banks’ long ‘hippie hair’ was permed.
Band practice would take place behind David Banks’ house on Mutual Ave in an outbuilding dubbed “The Rock Shed.” A trained electrician, Banks also worked up a lighting system from old coffee cans and generally acted as a troubleshooter for the band gear. Elam’s family ran an antiques business in Winchester, and it was their work van that became the de facto tour vehicle. Leonard handled the business side and worked on promotion and booking gigs.
The crowds were ready to party and the Urge delivered.
The early shows were fun and fulfilling. One private party was a very elaborate affair with the band chauffeured in a classic roadster with Leonard on the running board brandishing a real Tommy gun (courtesy of the local chief of police). Coming full circle, the band enjoyed a return to the halls of their old high school for a fall dance. They ultimately capped 1982 by being directly recruited by the Barbourville Chamber of Commerce to play a particularly lively New Year’s Eve Dance at the National Guard Armory.
Well, it was a dry county… we had unloaded, but then the door opened and I saw another van pull in. You oughta seen the amount of liquor there. Probably every drop in the county! – Allen Howard
The band’s big break came in January 1983 as participants in WKQQ’s “Decent Exposure” contest. The Urge had recorded a strong demo tape full of original cuts at Paul Osborne’s studio in Winchester and it secured their entry into the field of more than eighty area bands. Held at Breeding’s in Lexington, the early rounds were packed house affairs full of friends, family, and new fans.
It is so easy to envision – golden boy Chuck Harms front and center thrusting the neck of his newly upgraded Rickenbacker bass skyward while knockout Donna’s vocals soared capturing both eyes and ears equally. Flanking the sides, the two guitarists ping-ponged leads from Elam’s Flying V over to Banks’ Les Paul and back again. Leonard behind the synth crafting an aural undercurrent for everyone to ride. Choosing to remain heard rather than seen, Allen kept the marching order precise on a set of unique horn shaped, glossy black North drums.
The Urge was easily propelled into the final rounds of the Top 12. Here they faced strong competition that included bands such as The Usual Suspects, The Synthetics, Raz-Ma-Daz, The Bandit Band, Charlie’s Garage, Paul Martin & Chip Campbell, and Lyndon Jones & The Queen City Band. Unfortunately, they found themselves at the mercy of the venue. Namesake owner Doug Breeding was a touring musician and yanked his sound man for a road show and the replacement did them no favors that night. The band struggled and was unable to advance to the next round.
The exposure really was decent, though, as it opened up better opportunities, but the ride was not entirely smooth. All bands have personality conflicts at one time or another and the Urge was certainly not immune. A rift developed that couldn’t be reconciled and ultimately Donna left the band. The search for a replacement female lead singer was immediate.
Leonard placed flyers at area music stores and Joanne Ballinger (b. 1964) from nearby Berea responded. Despite being a preacher’s daughter, Joanne looked every bit the rocker. She immediately took to the band’s original tracks and the extensive catalog of cover material.
This new version hit the Winchester scene for a street dance in July 1983 to immediate approval. Soon they would become semi-regulars at Richmond’s O’Riley’s bar and would cap the year with a return to Breeding’s.
Plans were in the works for expansion. The Urge had worked up nearly an album’s worth of original material including “Darlene”, “Over and Over”, “Midnight Ride”, “10,000 Stars”, and “Rock Shed City” (a nod to their old practice space written by Allen Howard). Leonard had been in talks with the Marriot chain to play a string of East Coast hotels for $10,000 a month. More locally the band was looking at gigs in Louisville and the surrounding states. Hall was even investigating the possibility of a USO tour. They were trending in the right direction right up until the time they weren’t.
The first blow came with Allen Howard having to step down. He recalls:
I loved playing and the band… the last song we had just worked up was Van Halen’s ‘Jump’, but I had a wife and a sick son that needed me and I just couldn’t do both anymore.
Elam was a percussionist in high school. In fact, it was his set of drums that Howard played, but there was never any thought of him taking the drum throne. A practice was tried with a potential replacement for Howard but there was no chemistry there.
There were other issues brewing. Their primary songwriter was David Elam and he had become increasingly unreliable when it came to band matters. His actions were especially hard on Leonard who remembered the fun and struggle of that first year only to see success slipping away.
We couldn’t go on with David, but we couldn’t go on without him. – Leonard Hall
The fact that an Urge single was released in 1984 is almost beyond comprehension given the state of the band when the chance arose. Allen Howard was busy running his paint and wallcovering business and talking music with a homeowner during a job when a neighbor happened by. It was Jack Rains. Keenly interested in the conversation and even more interested in the songs Allen played for him, Rains was onboard and wanted to release a single. The hitch was the Urge was now no more than a skeleton crew, but the remaining members felt the opportunity too good to pass up.
The day of the recording (again at Paul Osborne’s studio) could barely have gone more wrong. Elam was sick and his vocal duties had to be offloaded to Rusty Ballinger (Joanne’s older brother). Banks and Harms were also gone by this time so sick or not Elam still had to multitrack bass, drums, and guitar. The two cuts were band staples in “Over and Over” and “Midnight Ride”. Leonard Hall played his role with a passion and Joanne’s vocals were on point as usual, but the lack of synergy was obvious to them.
Of course, the band had no knowledge of Jack Rains’ current modus operandi. Gone were the ‘60s and the days when Buttilla was used to promote country artists like Don Teague or Kenny Whalen & The Travelers. Arguably since 1973 when Rains released the Matrix 45, he had transitioned Buttilla from a working label meant to promote bands into a more self-serving role as a way to make demos. With all publishing rights secured, he would then shop the single in the hopes of landing an established artist to re-record. When the record arrived from the pressing plant with “Buttilla ASCAP” on the label there was instant backlash. Rains had taken his usual full publishing rights without prior permission or even consultation. Leonard Hall was furious and considered a lawsuit, but such affairs are pricey and he ultimately decided not to take on the fight.
To modern ears the record is a great insight into small town sounds of the early ‘80s, but it sure didn’t seem that way at the time to any member of the Urge. Hall in particular was mortified with the final product and stays flatly that he “didn’t want anyone to hear it.” Certainly, the early demos are richer in sound with the full band and their live performances were next level so this record will always be emblazoned in the collective Urge memory as ‘what might have been’ rather than what the band actually was.
Beyond those final days of the Urge the music did continue for some. That same year David Elam joined with John Buckner and Doug Blakeman to form The Crayons and took second place in a local Battle of the Bands. He would later reunite with Chuck Harms in late 1994 in Shadow Company. They would frequently appear at Gator’s Night Club in Winchester. David Elam passed away in 2017.
Joanne Ballinger traded her rock gear for evening wear and would land with Harold Sherman and Group 6 at least by the summer of 1985. She would later travel with various other musical ensembles. She remains in central Kentucky, but could not be contacted.
Original vocalist Donna Fisher Agee formed the Faded Blue Band and for nearly forty years has entertained the central Kentucky area. She is a recent recipient of Donnie Reed’s Academy of Local Musicians Award in recognition of her long music career. She resides in Richmond, KY.
A true ‘gentle giant’ David Banks entertained thousands of people over his long music career and left that rich legacy with his death in 2020.
Chuck, Leonard, and Allen all continue to live in Winchester and were invaluable in assembling the history of the Urge!
Discography:
Buttilla Over and Over / Midnight Ride* 1984
*The A / B side designation etched only in the dead wax.