The NPM evolved out of a junior high school folk music fan group of friends in the mid-1960's. Initially calling themselves Papa Bear & the Pressure Cookers, this early lineup indluded Steve Braden, David Braden, Gary Burkhart, Bruce Herrick and Stu Saxx. This group only performed a couple of times in public before school activities and personal interests drove a change in the lineup, with Steve and Stu both leaving the group.
Ken Day joined the band, and this became the grouping that continued through the members' high school years, performing at various events and fraternity parties. This lineup was David Braden on lead guitar, keyboards and vocals, Ken Day on bass guitar, keyboards and vocals, Bruce Herrick on rhythm guitar and vocals, and Gary Burkhart on drums.
This group also provided the programming and production for their pirate radio station WDAM, allegedly located in Bedlam, Indiana. Using a transmitter built by Gary, the station played the top 40 music fancied by the band members, along with commercials advertising imaginary businesses and products. Much of the musical production for commercials was done by Ken and Bruce, under the names Jack and Dave. Copy was written by Bruce and performed by the band members, along with many others. Contributors included Geoffrey Hope, Steve Braden, David and Eileen Herrick, and others lost to memory.
David Braden then left the group for college, replaced for a brief period by a pick-up guitarist. That proved an unhappy addition, and – along with other interests drawing on the members – the group disbanded in 1967. But having discovered the college radio station, Gary, Ken and Bruce joined it to continue their radio ambitions. Fearing the draft, Gary joined the Air Force and worked as a broadcast engineer for the Armed Forces Radio and Television Network in Europe; Ken and Bruce continued at the college station until graduation, still playing and recording music together as the duo Jack and Dave.