The Ardells

The Ardells was a band started by Steve Miller in 1961 when he attended the University of Wisconsin–Madison. In the fall of 1962, Steve lived in a rooming house on Frances St. in Madison and also pledged the Chi Psi fraternity on fraternity row near Langdon St. Steve taught another fellow student, Jos Davidson, to play rhythm guitar and then bass, and formed a campus band: Steve Miller and the Ardells. Steve was featured on guitar, vocals and harp, and played a version of Texas shuffle blues that hadn't been heard in the upper Midwest. Also featured in the band were a local 16 year old high school piano player named Brian Friedman, and a drummer who worked a day job as a manager in a local Kelly's Hamburger drive in. The band played mostly the University party circuit, plus a few gigs in Madison and local clubs and a couple of concerts and the Dane County Fairgrounds. (I know this because I was there...Later, I joined Corky Siegel and Jim Schwall and was the bassist for the Siegel/Schwall Blues Band from 1964-67. (Jos Davidson)

Later, at the end of the 62-63 school year, Steve left Madison and came down to Chicago. There, Steve (vocals, guitar, bass) was accompanied by Boz Scaggs (rhythm guitar, vocals), Micheal Krusing (lead guitar, bass), Denny Berg (vocals, guitar, bass), Ron Boyer (drums),Ben Sidran (keyboards). The group performed at local clubs in Chicago's Olde Towne and burgeoning blues scene through 1965 and covered a variety of song styles from the 50's and 60's, including Texas blues, rhythm & blues and solid rock 'n' roll. Three part vocal harmony by Miller, Scaggs and Berg was their trademark and made them one of the premier groups on campus. Steve Miller went on to form the Steve Miller Band, Boz Scaggs has an extremely distinguished vocal career and Ben Sidran became a major force in the modern day history of jazz and rock & roll. Micheal Krusing settled down to have a family.

Florida band

The Ardells was a band from West Palm Beach, Florida that had been together since 1959. They were originally The R-Dells (aka Ardells). Their name changed to The American Beetles in '64, and then The Razor's Edge in '66. They had one-off single as The Tones.

Pennsylvania band

"The Ardells" was another band from Chester, Pennsylvania formed in the early '60's by members Dave Hentosh and Sal Cardile. An instrumental recording by the band, "Stronger Than Dirt", appears on the garage band compilation album titled "Tougher Than Stains" and has received limited airplay on a few retro radio stations playing garage band music.