The Castaways Turned ‘Liar, Liar’ into Garage Rock Gold: Interview
New Book by Keyboardist James Donna on the Band’s Enduring Hit
The mid-1960s was the heyday of garage rock. Regional bands like the Syndicate of Sound, the Count Five, and the Swingin’ Medallions recording on small labels improbably mixed it up in the national charts with the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, and the Beach Boys.
The Castaways burst on the scene out of Minneapolis, Minnesota, with “Liar, Liar,” a number 12 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1965. The tune was written by keyboardist James Donna and drummer Dennis Craswell. “Liar, Liar” was recorded at Kay Bank Studios and released on Twin Cities label Soma Records.
In 2022 Donna released Liar, Liar: From Garage Band to Rockstars, The Story of Minnesota’s Castaways in the 1960s. Donna relates the band’s meteoric rise from rehearsals in his parent’s basement to opening for the Beach Boys and Sonny & Cher. It is a uniquely American story of a song that has been included on the soundtracks of major films and has been recorded by Debbie Harry of Blondie.
Donna discussed the band’s highs and lows in a recent interview. While the Castaways could not duplicate the success of “Liar, Liar,” a new lineup that includes Donna continues to perform decades later.
