I am a founding member of the band Count Five, and I am writing to request urgent corrections to the Wikipedia article (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Count_Five) to ensure historical accuracy and compliance with Biographies of Living Persons (BLP) policies.
Please update the article with the following verified information:
Formation: Roy Chaney and John Michalski formed the group in 1964 and invited Kenn Ellner to join drummer Skip Codell and later added Keyboardist Phil Evans; the group was thereafter known as The Squires. Following the departure of keyboardist Phil Evans and drummer Skip Cordell, and their replacement by John "Sean" Byrne and Craig "Butch" Atkinson the group name was changed to Count Five.
Lineup: Count Five consisted of:
-Kenn Ellner (Leader, frontman, Shared lead vocals, harmonica, tambourine) - John "Sean" Byrne (Shared lead vocals, rhythm guitar) -Roy Chaney (Bass guitar) - -John "Mouse" Michalski (Lead guitar), -Craig "Butch" Atkinson (Drums).
Please remove David "Dave" Eugene McDowell, as he was never a member of Count Five.
Education: Kenn Ellner, Sean Byrne, Roy Chaney, and Craig "Butch" Atkinson attended Pioneer High School in San Jose, California. John Michalski attended Blackford High School in San Jose.
"Psychotic Reaction": The song was originally written as an instrumental by all band members and played live as an instrumental for 6 months. Lyrics were later added by Sean Byrne at the request of manager Sol Ellner. The group arranged the song for months before it resulted in its final recorded version. Psychotic Reaction was released by Double Shot Records in 1966 and it peaked at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 on October 8, 1966.
Legacy In 1995 The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame designated "Psychotic Reaction" as one of the "500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll."
TV & Cable Shows Entourage (HBO) – S1E6: "Busey and the Beach" (Art gallery scene) Girls (HBO) – S2E3: "Bad Friend" Vinyl (HBO) – S1E10: "Alibi" Mythic Quest (Apple TV+) – S2E7: "Peter" Reprisal (Hulu) – S1E3: "The Emboldened Conflict" Pure (Hulu/WGN) – S1E1 Los Farad (Prime Video) – S1E2 American Bandstand (1966) Movies Snack Shack (2024) Apollo 10½: A Space Age Childhood (2022) The Greatest Beer Run Ever (2022) The Bye Bye Man (2017) CBGB (2013) Auto Focus (2002) Drugstore Cowboy (1989) Less Than Zero (1987) Video Games Far Cry 5 (2018) Mafia III (2016) Battlefield Vietnam (2004)
Covers of Psychotic Reaction:
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers 1. Studio Recording (1981) Context: Recorded during the sessions for the album Hard Promises. Citation: This version was eventually released on the box set Playback (1995), specifically on Disc 4: The Other Sides. Source: Playback Liner Notes; MCA Records (1995). 2. Live Performance (1985) Context: Recorded live at the Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles on August 7, 1985. Citation: Featured on the live album and concert film Pack Up the Plantation: Live!. Source: Pack Up the Plantation: Live! Tracklist; MCA Records (1985). 3. Later Live Versions 1991: Performed during the Into the Great Wide Open tour (e.g., Oakland, CA, November 24, 1991). 1993: Recorded during the "20th Anniversary" homecoming show in Gainesville, FL, on November 4, 1993. Source: Legendary FM Broadcasts: Stephen C. O'Connell Center (Gainesville, 1993). The Leathercoated Minds (1967): From the album A Trip Down the Sunset Strip.
- Brenton Wood (1967): Soul version on the Oogum Boogum album.
- The Positively 13 O'Clock (1967): Released as a single on Hanna-Barbera Records.
- Joey Dee and the Starliters (1967): Included on the album Hitsville.
- Television (1974): Recorded during their early live residency at CBGB.
- Shockabilly (1982): Recorded for a BFBS Radio Session.
- The Cramps (1983): Live version from the album Smell of Female.
- The Fuzztones (1984): Released on various live and garage-revival collections.
- Eugene Chadbourne (1987): Recorded during his experimental live sets.
- Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers (1991): Live in Oakland; featured on the Playback box set.
- The Vibrators (2009): Punk cover from the album Garage Punk.
- Trash-Tornados (2011): Rockabilly version from their self-titled release.
- The Murlocs (2016): Modern psychedelic studio single.
- Marty Stuart (2021): Live recording from San Luis Obispo.
- Kalonica Nicx (2025): Instrumental drum-focused cover.
Video Media
- The Murlocs (2016): Official psychedelic-themed studio music video.
- Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers (1991): Pro-shot concert footage from the Take the Highway film.
- Television (1975): Rare archival video performance at Piccadilly’s.
- The Cramps (1983): Live concert video filmed at the Peppermint Lounge, NYC.
- Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives (2021): High-definition live performance video.
Influence The band’s primary influence was The Yardbirds. Please remove all references to The Standells as an influence they were not an influence.
Verifiable Citations:
Formation: - Album: Count Five (1966). Psychotic Reaction (Liner notes). Double Shot Records. LP-DSM-1001. - Kaye, Lenny (1972). Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, 1965–1968 (Liner notes). Sire Records.
Songwriting Citations: --BMI: "Psychotic Reaction" (Work #1204066). BMI Repertoire. Hot Shot Music Inc.
- BMI Work ID 1214346: Lists Atkinson, Byrne, Chaney, Ellner, and Michalski as songwriters.
The legal songwriting credits and their associated IPI numbers are as follows: John "Sean" Byrne (Lyrics and Vocals) holds IPI number 00004940562. Craig "Butch" Atkinson (Drums) holds IPI number 00001476100. Roy Chaney (Bass) holds IPI number 00005878261. Kenn Ellner (Harmonica and Vocals) holds IPI number 00009366113. John "Mouse" Michalski (Lead Guitar) holds IPI number 00020689912. "Psychotic Reaction" is registered with BMI under Work ID #1222409.
-The song is published by The Bicycle Music Company (now part of Concord Music Publishing) under BMI Publisher ID #481239556.
-Psychotic Reaction LP (LP-DSM-1001) Liner notes Psychotic Reaction written by all members of the group after 18 months of rehearsals, experimentation, and unique innovations.
Instrumental Origins
- The title track "Psychotic Reaction" was performed as an instrumental jam for approximately six months before lyrics were added.
Psychotic Reaction LP (LP-DSM-1001) Liner notes Psychotic Reaction written by all members of the group after 18 months of rehearsals, experimentation, and unique innovations.
- Manager Sol Ellner insisted on adding lyrics to increase hit potential. - [1] -
- Unterberger: Unterberger, Richie (2000). Urban Spacemen and Wayfaring Strangers.p 89.
- Waksman: Waksman, Steve (2001). Instruments of Desire. Harvard University Press. p 258
Legacy Citations Psychotic Reaction Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Citation
- Institutional Records:
-Rock & Roll Hall of Fame "500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll . "The Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll." -Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, www.rockhall.com.Curator: James Henke Institution: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum (Cleveland, Ohio)Status: Permanent Museum Exhibit -San Jose Rocks Hall of Fame official profile.The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame included "Psychotic Reaction" by the Count Five in its "500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll" list when the permanent museum opened in 1995.
Several articles and databases confirm this induction: Industry Sources: Concord Music Publishing roster and Craft Recordings official biography.
-Concord Music Publishing: Their artist page for the band cites the inclusion as one of the "500 Most Influential Songs in Rock n' Roll History -Craft Recordings: Their official profile on the band confirms the song was selected for the Hall of Fame's "500 Songs" list.
-InfoPlease: This reference database maintains the complete alphabetical list of the 500 songs, where "Psychotic Reaction" is explicitly credited to Count Five. https://www.infoplease.com/culture-entertainment/music/500-songs-shaped-rock?hl=en-US
Media Citations:
Entourage: "Busey and the Beach". Entourage. Season 1. Episode 6. August 22, 2004. HBO. Girls: "Bad Friend". Girls. Season 2. Episode 3. January 27, 2013. HBO. Vinyl: "Alibi". Vinyl. Season 1. Episode 10. April 17, 2016. HBO. Mythic Quest: "Peter". Mythic Quest. Season 2. Episode 7. June 4, 2021. Apple TV+. Reprisal: "The Emboldened Conflict". Reprisal. Season 1. Episode 3. December 6, 2019. Hulu. Pure: "Episode 1". Pure. Season 1. Episode 1. January 9, 2017. WGN America. Los Farad: "Episode 2". Los Farad. Season 1. Episode 2. December 12, 2023. Amazon Prime Video.
Covers Citations Discogs Database: Verified the release years and album titles for The Leathercoated Minds (1967), Brenton Wood (1967), Joey Dee and the Starliters (1967), and the Trash-Tornados (2011) by cross-referencing the \"Psychotic Reaction\" master track list and artist discographies. - 45cat / Vinyl Archives: Confirmed the Positively 13 O'Clock 7\" single release on Hanna-Barbera Records (1967). - Live Archive / CBGB Residency Records: Documented Television's 1974-1975 performances through historical setlists and archival live recordings from their early New York era. - Peel Wiki & BFBS Archives: Authenticated Shockabilly's 1982 radio session recording and Eugene Chadbourne's 1987 sessions. - Official Artist & Label Catalogues:
- The Cramps: Confirmed via the Smell of Female (Enigma Records, 1983) tracklist.
- Tom Petty: Verified via the Playback box set (MCA Records, 1995) and the Take the Highway concert film (1991).
- The Murlocs: Verified via the Flightless Records official 2016 single release and video premiere.
- The Vibrators: Verified via the Garage Punk album (2009) release notes.
- Video Archives (YouTube/Vimeo): Used for date-stamping Marty Stuart's 2021 live performance at the Fremont Theater and Kalonica Nicx's 2025 percussion arrangement. 1. Studio Recording (1981) Context: Recorded during the sessions for the album Hard Promises. Citation: This version was eventually released on the box set Playback (1995), specifically on Disc 4: The Other Sides. Source: Playback Liner Notes; MCA Records (1995). 2. Live Performance (1985) Context: Recorded live at the Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles on August 7, 1985. Citation: Featured on the live album and concert film Pack Up the Plantation: Live!. Source: Pack Up the Plantation: Live! Tracklist; MCA Records (1985). 3. Later Live Versions 1991: Performed during the Into the Great Wide Open tour (e.g., Oakland, CA, November 24, 1991). 1993: Recorded during the "20th Anniversary" homecoming show in Gainesville, FL, on November 4, 1993. Source: Legendary FM Broadcasts: Stephen C. O'Connell Center (Gainesville, 1993). - Charts and Literature Citation: Billboard Hot 100 (Oct 8, 1966);
Lenny Kaye’s "Nuggets" (1972) liner notes;
Influences
- The "rave-up" instrumental break is a direct adaptation of the style pioneered by The Yardbirds.
- Manager Sol Ellner admitted the song was influenced by The Yardbirds.
- Unterberger: Unterberger, Richie (2000). Urban Spacemen and Wayfaring Strangers.p 89.
- Waksman: Waksman, Steve (2001). Instruments of Desire. Harvard University Press. p 258.
Can you please update the article on Psychotic Reaction to accurately reflect the above as well https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychotic_Reaction#:~:text=%22Psychotic%20Reaction%22%20was%20among%20the,music%27s%20more%20melodic%20electric%20guitars.
Thank you in advance for setting the record straight and your assistance in correcting these records.
Best regards,
Kenn Ellner 650 346 4573 Kenn Ellner (talk) 21:07, 8 February 2026 (UTC)