Mike Ayling Brewer - Mary Butterworth

California native Mike Ayling Brewer is a singer and guitar/bass player that participated in one of the most influential and heavy underground bands to come out of SoCal during the rise of the 60’s and 70s counterculture scene. Mary Butterworth were a heavy psych group that sparked originality and a heaviness that is only merely replicated today! He began playing the keys at the early age of 5 and from there he would learn to play stringed instruments. Brewer was pretty well seasoned once he joined MB as he had previously played in a few bands leading up to him joining. It was beyond a pleasure to speak with Brewer as we’ve been working on this interview since the Summer! I’m very excited to share this piece. Enjoy!

I was born in Los Angeles at Mission Hospital. Oct 19th, 1952. Music was introduced to me at 3 when my mom and dad bought my brother and I both plastic kid size accordions. The kind with like an octave and 5 buttons all in mini size. My Mother and father had musicians on both side of the family. My dad's father William played violin and grandma Ayling, the piano. On my moms side, two of my uncles played professionally. I would see both my uncles Phil and Johnny playing at Christmas and Easter times. At about 5 years old I joined them on my plastic accordion along with my brother on his squeeze box.

That was where I got hooked on music. Living in and being raised in South Gate (at that time), was safe and fun. No big issues with problem people. Southern Cal. and Hollywood in the late 60's was pretty awesome. I was still a young teen in those days. I started to take guitar lessons at 12 years old and played my first paid gig at 14. By the time I was in junior high, I was playing in bands. There were 5-6 other bands in my school by then. Playing an instrument and being in a band was just the happening thing. Of course it got you noticed to a certain degree as well.

I think Mary Butterworth was my 3rd band I had been in. Bands prior were: The Intangible Souls, Stage Left, and Epod. Mary Butterworth was formed primarily thru school and friends. Mike Eachus was part of another band in Downey that had just broke up. Both Mike Hunt and Mike Eachus came from that band. I believe they were called the "Up and Coming band". The original guitar player in Mary Butterworth was Steve King, who was also a member of Epod Band. At some point after the Butterworth band got going, Steve had some issues with a girlfriend that were kind of intense. He eventually quit the band because of them and then Jim Giordano joined what was to become the "Mary Butterworth Album" band.

We played some fun gigs. A couple battle of the bands. A first and second place at High Schools. Then a 2nd place at the teen age fair battle of the bands (Hollywood Palladium). We played Marina Place couple times on the rotating stage. Nights at the Marina Palace were jam packed. Three bands could set up in their own space on that stage. There were lots of other related school and dance gigs all in 1969. The Band used a mix of fender Dual Showman amps and Vox super Beatles and Misc. speaker cabs plus a Hammond B3 and a Leslie cab. It was some massive stuff to haul and load back then but we had are roadies too! always someone wanted to come along. The album Mary Butterworth came along like this. I wanted to record and release our own LP in 1969.

I called custom fidelity and they were willing to do 500 lp run with the recording for about $3,000 When we got to the studio we got all our gear set in in kind of a small space but non the less we got it going in about a half hour. Once we did the first take, the engineer came out of the both and told our guitarist to "turn down". Jim was used to his sound by cranking it a bit, so it was a real bummer for the sound. We still pressed on doing no more then 3 takes on any one cut. I was singing vocal tracks while I was playing bass. We were done in no more than 3 hours.

I was feeling kind of ripped off for the rush job, but that’s how it went. I remember we had just played at Marina Palace the night before and my voice was pretty much sung out. It was tuff making some of the notes. Some of the tracks there were only 2 takes. Still all done live for the most part. The echos that were applied to the mix the band had nothing to do with whatsoever. We had know idea what they were going to send us. Within about 45 days we got 507 album records and a total bill of $2,970.00 By then, we (The Band) had sold enough Lp's to pay my mom back her money.

The Individual band members are still alive and kicking today. Mike Eachus went on to be with the Righteous Brothers for 12 years following Mary Butterworth as their keyboard player. He still plays in his own band in Boise, Idaho. The Guitarist Jim Giordano continued playing music and started his own Music business with great success. He has spent many years now doing that. The Drummer, Mike Hunt came upon some hard times in the past 10 years but last I heard he was doing music better and had been taken back by his ex wife. That’s about the last I’ve heard from the band members. In Dec. 2021 I was offered $3,500 for just one unopened Mary Butterworth LP.

I did not sell, and probably won’t if I can keep from needing the money. I too managed to continue playing music and still have my own quartet to this day. I also started my own theme music library in 1988 and managed to write and produce over 300 music themes. They can be purchased at my online website at: www.instantmusicnow.com. Living and playing music in Southern Cal. In the 60’s will be a fond memory for all of my life. Having an original song picked to be in a Oscar winning Bill Murray movie (35 years after it was written) was just icing on the cake. Peace to you all.

-Mike Ayling Brewer

Lead singer and Bass player for Mary Butterworth

Dakota Brown