To All My Fraternity Brethern there is one group I saved till last. These guys have played at every College and University in the country, mainly, actually almost exclusively at Fraternity parties. And boy were they some parties.
In 1955 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, "The Tops" were formed from a group of students attending Lincoln High School. The group was organized by Doug Clark in an attempt to earn money playing at nearby UNC fraternity parties and other school functions. The Tops first played for Phi Delta Theta fraternity and continued on to play for most every other one there after that night.
The following year, the group broke up and founded a new group called "Doug Clark's Combo." This group continued playing the local fraternity scene as well as the Square Club in Durham, NC on Sunday nights. After picking up a new song called "Hot Nuts," (listen to it here!) the group became recognized for this instant hit. From this song arose...DOUG CLARK AND THE HOT NUTS!
From the mid-50's to today, Doug Clark and the Hot Nuts have been playing their addictive music at colleges and universities all across the United States. Their style of telling dirty jokes and singling out audience members has proven extremely successful for the band. Although the Hot Nuts have often been booked for "censored" shows, the crowd ALWAYS ends up begging for the raunchy style that has made them famous.
"During the 40 years the Hot Nuts have been together, changes in personnel have been on the average. Doug, John and Tommy are the three remaining original members of the group. Doug and John have been together since its first beginning. Tommy Goldston has been with the group since 1958 taking over on piano replacing Thomas Booth and doing a good job with the vocals. Prince Taylor, one of the members of the original "Tops" began with the group in 1959 when Ralph was given a leave of absence. After Ralph's return, Prince began singing with another group but returned to become a permanent member, although he has been in and out for several reasons.
The original music of the Hot Nuts is a product of the joint efforts on the part of all of the members; the lyrics are often adlibbed and have provided audiences with wit and humor unabashed by sophistication and unrestrained by set patterns or scores. Doug Clark has combined musical talent, creativity, and a hell-of-a-sense of humor to bring to his public not only good rock'n roll but also a brand of wit, and that is unequalled anywhere. Let's hope that we never see Doug and his boys fettered in tuxedos (or in chains; they get a little rowdy every now and then) and that they will remain the same insincere, wild group they are, for their services to the uninitiated and the initiated alike are second only to their musical ability, and their humor is guaranteed to make TWO OLD MAIDS laugh. If you are the least bit prudish or puritanical, you will not like the "Hot Nuts" albums nor will you enjoy their performances, so you might as well not waste your money on them; if on the other hand, you are like millions of others who know how to laugh and don't blush too easily, then waste your money on some good bawdy music and fancy talkin."
(text above is an excerpt from an informational book constructed by the Hot Nuts)