Producer Gary Usher signed the new reformed group The Forte' Four to a recording contract at Decca Records. Two singles were released without much fanfare, and when The Forte IV broke up, Ernie met and auditioned for Six the Hard Way, a group of three singers and three pieces which went on the road and stayed there through 1967. When Six the Hard Way broke up, Ernie and Chuck Girard went back to Pasadena where Chuck started writing, and eventually Chuck Girard, Jack Schaeffer, Ernie and a couple of Chuck's friends recorded two demos, "Feel the Love" and "Enchanted Forest."
Gary Usher, a producer, signed The Forte' Four to a recording contract at Decca Records. Two singles were released without much attention, and when The Forte IV disbanded, Ernie met Six the Hard Way, a trio of singers and musicians that toured from 1967 onwards. After Six the Hard Way broke up, Ernie and Chuck Girard returned to Pasadena where Chuck began writing music. Eventually, Chuck Girard, Jack Schaeffer, Ernie, and some friends recorded two demo tracks titled "Feel the Love" and "Enchanted Forest."