Travis Pike's Tea Party (1967-1970)
Of all the songs Travis Pike's Tea Party recorded, “If I Didn't Love You, Girl” is the only one that actually made it on to vinyl, which certainly makes it rare, if not valuable.  The flip side is “The Likes of You,” one of the first “chamber rock” songs, ever! 

FREE MP3 DOWNLOAD of

"If I Didn't Love You Girl"

(You'll find an MP3 excerpt from "The Likes of You" at www.morningstone.com.)
"And The Lights All Went Out In Massachusetts"

Squire D. Rushnell went on to become VP of Children's
Programming and Late Night Programming for the ABC
Television Network. 

 Squire D. Rushnell came to WBZ-TV, Boston, with a mandate to create "contemporary" programming for Group W (Westinghouse Television).  He hired Travis Pike's Tea Party to provide music for the irreverent variety show he called "Here and Now," but when Squire's "Here and Now" proved too controversial for "there and then," the show was cancelled, leaving the Tea Party without bookings for the summer ahead.
The Tea Party's "If I Didn't Love You, Girl" had just been released on the Alma label and the cancellation of the show only meant they'd be available to promote the record — or so they thought until WBZ, long-time number one rock radio station in New England, switched to “easy listening,” and the program director at rival WRKO refused to play the record, ever, no matter how many fans called in! 
*So, Travis went to meet WRKO Program Director Mel Phillips in the lobby of the same building in Kenmore Square where Travis' father had once been a VP of RKO, Executive Producer of Documentaries and in charge of TV Film operations for WNAC-TV.  Mel said that by doing the WBZ TV show, Travis had gone over to the enemy.  Now WRKO had triumphed, he would see to it that the Tea Party would never be played in Boston, again!  So, in the lobby of WNAC-TV, Travis grabbed Mel by his mutton chop sideburns, kissed him goodbye and set out for California!

*(So I now believe.  For years, I thought the fellow I confronted in the lobby was Harvey Mednick, the guy that booked Travis Pike's Tea Party on the Harbor Cruise.  But I just heard from Harvey and he said it wasn't him.  Then, Shel Swartz, President: WRKO/The BIG 68 Remembered!, suggested I visit http://wrko.org/_clips/c701000.htm and there I found a photo of program director Mel Phillips, muttonchop sideburns and all!  So, apologies to Harvey.  I revised the legend and state it above exactly as it may have occurred!)
Travis Edward Pike, 6 May 2004