Ron Petersen and Chuck Schoning formed a duo in 7th grade calling themselves The Hi-Fi’s. Ron played guitar and Chuck the accordian. Chuck was loaned a keyboard and the band added Joel Goodman (drums), Dean Tonkins (bass), and Gary Gerke (piano). After paring this line-up down to Ron Petersen, Joel Goodman, Chuck Schoning and Jim Manolides the band would become known as The Four Frantics. With all members being underage   they played teen dances. Bob Hosko joined the band as a sax player and band changed their name to The Frantics. The band went through more personnel changes before settling in with classic line-up of Ron Petersen (guitar), Joel Goodman (later, Don Fulton then, Jon Keliehor) on drums, Chuck Schoning (keyboards), Bob Hosko (saxophone), and Jim Manolides (bass). The band continued to play teen dances in the Puget Sound region, and by 1958 had become a local sensation. They’d also attracted the attention of local label Dolton Records.

In 1959 The Frantics were to record for Dolton Records with engineer Joe Boles in the basement studio of his West Seattle home. Boles was working with Dolton Records at the time. The Frantics were wildly popular in the Northwest. Their three biggest national "hits" that made it into Billboard’s charts were Straight Flush that reached # 93 in the charts, Fog Cutter at #91 and Werewolf at #83. Their last charting success had been slated for a Halloween release in 1959 , but because of delays wouldn’t be released until January of 1960.

The Frantics played the popular tunes of the day, but wrote most of their own material.  

On the night of February 22nd 1959 when the band was chosen as Bobby Darin’s back-up band at Parkers Ballroom in north Seattle. Darin was impressed enough with The Frantics that he asked them to back him on some recordings at Joe Bole’s studio the next day. The band weren’t sure if Darin was serious, but quick arrangements were made to book the studio for the next morning, and as promised, Darin showed up with charts and lyrics for two songs he’d recently written: "Dream Lover" and "Bullmoose". After a successful, amiable session Darin and the band parted ways. It was several months later that band members found out that Darin had taken the recordings to his label Atco.

The label loved the songs, but demanded they be re-recorded in NYC using professional studio musicians. The recording of "Dream Lover" and "Bullmoose" were produced by Ahmet Ertegun and Jerry Wexler, but it was clear much of the songs’ arrangements were based on The Frantics original recordings with Darin. " Dream Lover" became one of Darin’s signature tunes as well as a multi-million seller, reaching #2 on the U.S. pop charts for a week and #4 on the R&B charts.

The Frantics remained a popular throughout the Pacific Northwest, British Columbia and up and down the US West Coast. Around this time Manolides left the group and was replaced by Jeno Landis. When the Seattle World’s Fair opened in 1962 the band was playing at Dave Levy’s’s club on 5th Avenue near the site of the fair  Throngs of Fair attenders flocked to Dave’s 5th Ave. to hear the band and The Frantics wrote and recorded the World’s Fair themed Meet Me In Seattle Twist and The Gayway Twist.

Later that year musical differences between Chuck Schoning and Ron Petersen caused the band’s line-up to dissolve and then rise as two separate outfits. Schoning’s Frantics had left their teen image behind them and become a serious R&B influenced rock outfit. As more recordings were released by The Frantics. Petersen chose to name his band as Ron Petersen and The Accents. His band later released one single ("Sticky" b/w"Linda Lou) on Jerden Records. Meanwhile Schoner’s Frantics no longer took jobs in establishments geared to the teen crowd and hung out and jammed with serious Seattle legends like Little Bill Englehart, Dave Lewis, Mark Doubleday, Larry Coryell, Sarge West, Dicky Enfield, and Don Stevenson

From 1964 and onward The Frantics spent more and more time on the road and along with it came more personnel changes. One was adding Jerry Miller, a guitarist from Tacoma. After drummer Jon Keliehor was seriously injured in an automobile wreck the band brought in Don Stevensen  from Seattle-to replace him. Various other members cameand went. In the mid 60s the band was convinced to re-locate to the San Francisco area by a four-fingered guitarist playing in a band called The Warlocks. The guitarist later went on to become a founding member of The Grateful Dead, Jerry Garcia.

The Frantics became more and more influenced by the San Francisco Sound. They even began to dabble in psychedelia by recording a single featuring the songs "Human Monkey" b/w "Someday". It was released by San Mateo based label, Action. It’s the only release by The Frantics not originally released on Dolton Records.

The band’s movement away from the traditional Frantics sound and toward the hippie-flower power, tie-dyed direction was causing another rift in the band. By 1966 the band continued to change personnel adding Bob Mosely at bass guitar. Hosko quit and Chuck Schoning was let go. For a short time the band chose to work under as the name Luminous Marsh Gas, but didn’t attract much of a following.

Shortly after the Frantics move to psychedelia, they were introduced to Skip Spence, the original drummer for Jefferson Airplan, by Marty Balin of Jefferson Airplane. introduced Spence to the group.album Jefferson Airplane Takes Off but was kicked out of the band and replaced by Spencer Dryden even before the album was released. Matthew Katz, the Airplane’s manager was also let go. He was just beginning to become one of the most unscrupulous characters to come out of San Francisco’s psychedelic scene. Spence and Matthew Katz had been joined forces and were searching for players for a new project. Peter Lewis-son of actress Loretta Young-had already signed on.

Spence and Katz had their eyes on The Frantics guitarist Jerry Miller and drummer Don Stevenson along with Bob Mosely, who had joined The Frantics shortly after their relocation to the Bay Area. All three of the Frantics agreed to join Lewis and Spence and it’s at this point The Frantics essentially became into one of the most important bands in rock history, Moby Grape.