The Uniques were an American rock band based in Louisiana with Joe Stampley at the helm. They were active from about 1965 to 1970, recording most of their material at Robin Hood Studios, located in Tyler, Texas. They released their material on Paula Records of Shreveport, Louisiana. Their two biggest hits were "Not Too Long Ago" and "'All These Things", which Stampley would re-record in his country solo career and take to the top of the charts.
The song "All These Things" was written by a newscaster in Louisville, Kentucky, named Tom Maxedon, written as a love song for his wife Carrie. In a time of need for supplemental income, Maxedon sold the rights to the song for $200 to an unknown producer making his rounds around the radio stations. The song hit the charts in 1966, and Maxedon's home station, WAKY in Louisville, began playing the song in their regular rotation in respect to Maxedon. "All These Things" became a nightly staple on WAKY, regularly one of their top-requested songs each night for over 10 years. The song stayed in the top 40 for just a few weeks nationwide, but was a local phenomenon in Louisville for over a decade.
In the fall of 2010, The Uniques were inducted into The Louisiana Music Hall of Fame during their 45th anniversary reunion concert at the Piney woods Palace in Springhill, Louisiana.
The song "You Ain't Tuff" was also featured on the Nuggets: Original Artyfacts From the First Psychedelic Era collection.
Their actual LP releases on Paula records in chronological order were:
- Uniquely Yours (LPS 2190) 1966
- Happening Now (LPS 2194) 1967
- Playtime (PS 2199) 1968
- The Uniques (Paula LPS 2204) 1969
- Golden Hits (LPS 2208) 1970