tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70957134628771274072024-03-25T11:25:19.635-04:00Rip It Up R.I. - Rhode Island 1960s rock and roll bandsNightrockerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13088412526796167483noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7095713462877127407.post-82308694995859665352020-05-01T14:49:00.003-04:002021-06-09T17:39:59.618-04:00THE SPECTERS (East Providence, RI)<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width: 100%;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/SpectersRI/specters1.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/SpectersRI/specters1.jpg" width="650" style="max-width: 650px; width: 100%;"/></a></td></tr>
<tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><b>Cigarettes and scowls! From left: J. Carlos Maciel, guitar; Roger C. Reale, vocals/bass; Glenn Richards, drums; Karl Anderson, guitar; Taft Khouri, organ. Photo courtesy of Roger C. Reale.</b></td></tr>
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Fans and collectors of 1970s-80s independent rock and roll will do doubt be familiar with Roger C. Reale, a Connecticut artist who released <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvMViVt_1wWrEhGrGqkmLObtwzgfsggmw" target="_blank">one LP</a> with his band Rue Morgue (featuring future Saturday Night Live guitarist G.E. Smith) and a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxzJ7H61K9c" target="_blank">solo 45</a> in the heyday of the punk/powerpop era — the premier record collecting specialty of mine. So needless to say, I was thrilled when Roger reached out to me with exciting news bridging both of these worlds: he originally hailed from East Providence, R.I., and played in a high school band which cut an acetate demo disc. Whoa!<br />
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The Specters consisted of Roger C. Reale (then known by his middle name, Chuck) on bass and lead vocals; J. Carlos Maciel on guitar; Karl Anderson on guitar; Taft Khouri on organ; and Glenn Richard on drums. All were students at East Providence High School except for Anderson, a former art student from Barrington, who joined when he met Roger playing at a beach party. Roger recalls: <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>"The band was truly a garage band, playing at garage parties in the Kent Heights area. Our first paying gig was when we won $50 at a Battle of the Bands at Crescent Park, Riverside. The battles were a staple in the RI area, and The Specters were in many. Later, we became a regular band at Brown University and Providence College frat parties."</i></blockquote>
Another popular spot was the Venus de Milo restaurant, where Roger remembers playing with a band called The American Beatles (who were actually The Satans from Somerset, Mass., after they changed their name). "We also played at the Saxony Lounge in East Providence a couple of times, but got kicked out when the guy realized we were underage … except for Karl; he was already 21. What a riot."<br />
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As evidenced by the band photos simmering with attitude, this wasn't a lightweight band: The Specters' disembodied souls lay with the UK's rough inspired take on American blues/R&B.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>"Of course, we did all the hits of the day … except Beatles, nobody could play that stuff, ha! We did everything from Berry, to the usual American rock: "Shout," "Little Latin Lupe Lu," "Louie Louie" … but we also did Stones, Manfred Mann, and many deep Animals cuts like "Hey Gyp," and "Club A Go Go" … I still have and use the same Fender Jazz, among other basses.<br /><br />The Specters were more organ based … Animals, THEM, Zombies even, with Stones undertones. Our organist, Taft Khouri, was certainly the best muso in the group."</i></blockquote>
Roger and company had plans to release a single, and in 1966 they recorded two original tracks at the esteemed New England Recording Studios in Providence, "But You're Gone" and "Take My Leave" (both written by Reale with the latter co-written by keyboardist Taft Khouri). Had this been waxed back in the day, it would easily rank in the Top 5 garage singles from the Ocean State. You know a song is on a whole 'nother level when the singer growls the line, <i>"Everytime I think of you, girl / Makes me wanna DIE!"</i><br />
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A proper release was not meant to be — only about 10 demo acetates were pressed — and now, 54 years later, we get to hear these fantastic teenage rock and roll cuts showing Reale as already a force to be reckoned with. His voice is distinctive and powerful beyond his 17 years, and the no-frills, melodic two-to-three-minute nugget would remain a blueprint throughout his 50+ year recording career.<br />
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The band stayed together for about three years through high school, and broke up when Roger's family moved to Connecticut in August 1966 after he graduated.<br />
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A <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5d98cgi1Nag" target="_blank">double-CD collection</a> of Roger C. Reale & Rue Morgue was released last year, compiling the "Radioactive" LP from 1978 plus his unreleased follow-up album from the following year, finally getting its due exactly 40 years later.<br />
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From Roger C. Reale's press release:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Reale continues to write and record to this day. His songs have been recorded by Buddy Guy, BB King, and Johnny Winter, among others. He has been twice nominated for a Grammy, and has also been nominated for an American Blues Award. Most recently, a compilation, Roger C. Reale and Rue Morgue, The Collection, was released by Rave On Records, in October, 2019, and he continues to record solo, and with his band, <a href="https://rogercrealethemanchurians.bandcamp.com/" target="_blank">The Manchurians</a>. His music is available through Amazon, Bandcamp, and the usual outlets. </blockquote>
Glenn, Karl and Taft remained local, with Taft playing music into the 1990s. Sadly, J. Carlos Maciel passed away in 2010.<b> </b><br />
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<b>"You may leave RI, but RI never leaves you."</b><br />
<i>— Roger C. Reale, February 2020</i><br />
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<tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><b>Photo courtesy of Roger C. Reale.</b></td></tr>
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<b>THE SPECTERS<br />But You're Gone / Take My Leave<br />New England Recording Studios, Inc.</b> (unreleased acetate)<br />
<b>1966</b><br />
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<td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/audio/ri/specters1.mp3" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/turntable.png" style="max-width: 100%; padding-left: 135px; padding-right: 135px;" /></a>
<a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/audio/ri/specters2.mp3" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/turntable.png" style="max-width: 100%; padding-left: 135px; padding-right: 135px;" /></a>
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<br />Nightrockerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13088412526796167483noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7095713462877127407.post-19612564144558186272017-12-22T17:13:00.003-05:002021-06-09T17:55:21.194-04:00THE FUJIYAMA PAJAMA (locale?)<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/fujiyamapajama/fujiyamapajamaad.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/fujiyamapajama/fujiyamapajamaad.jpg" style="max-width: 250px; width: 100%;" /></a></td></tr>
<tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><b>1967 advertisement for the band's namesake.</b></td></tr>
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Closing out 2017 is yet another buried gem from the fruitful New England Recording Studios in Providence. From somewhere in Rhode Island or neighboring Massachusetts, these teens laid down a Rascals cover backed with the shamefully unreleased moody original, “Be My Girl.’ It's minor key heaven as the singer tries to sweet-talk his lady out of her silk Fujiyama Pajamas (or if he's merely admiring her from afar, perhaps he's just trying to get her <i>into</i> fancy nightwear for the evening). Not much more to say here except enjoy the tunes and hope Santa brings us some info this year! <br />
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<i>Band members, relatives and old friends: Please come forward. <a href="mailto:JayLitch@gmail.com" target="_blank">Get in touch</a>!</i><br />
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<b>THE FUJIYAMA PAJAMA<br />Be My Girl / Love Is A Beautiful Thing<br />New England Recording Studios</b> (unreleased acetate) <b><br />1967</b><br />
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<td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/audio/ri/fujiyamapajama1.mp3" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/turntable.png" style="max-width: 100%; padding-left: 135px; padding-right: 135px;" /></a>
<a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/audio/ri/fujiyamapajama2.mp3" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/turntable.png" style="max-width: 100%; padding-left: 135px; padding-right: 135px;" /></a>
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<br />Nightrockerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13088412526796167483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7095713462877127407.post-56128628039086773922017-04-01T17:14:00.003-04:002021-06-09T18:51:42.621-04:00EDEN & THE ADNAPS (University Of Rhode Island - Kingston, RI)
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<tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><b>The Adnaps in full Ahab the Arab attire at an International Day dance at URI (undoubtedly would be flagged as politically incorrect five decades later!). From left: Mike Montefusco (lead guitar), Dave Seavey (drums), Dick Cameron (rhythm guitar) and Chip Sayers (bass). Photo courtesy of Mike Montefusco.</b></td></tr>
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Funny how things come about. While speaking to Dave Seavey about his time drumming for <a href="https://thebasementwalls.blogspot.com/search/label/Checkmates%20%28NH%29" target="_blank">The Checkmates</a> in New Hampshire, he mentions that he went to the University of Rhode Island. Being a Rhode Islander, we start to chat about RI music and turns out he had a stint with British Bobby & The Balladeers, even might have played on their “Cape Cod Here We Come” 45. But what really had me intrigued was his college band with the funny name: Eden & The Adnaps, who, he recalled, cut an original tune (turns out it was actually <i>three</i> tunes). Dave graciously rescued said disc from the barn — it was literally stored in a barn, caked in mildew and all — and here we are today.<br />
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Eden & The Adnaps consisted of Mike Montefusco on lead guitar, Dick Cameron on rhythm guitar, David Seavey on drums, Chip Sayers on bass and Paul Armstrong on sax. After Chip graduated, Augie “Gus” Hansen was brought on to fill bass duties. (And it's Augie who graces the recording session.) The guys mostly stuck to campus events, however they did perform at the 1964-65 World’s Fair in New York City — unknowingly in company with <a href="https://ripitupri.blogspot.com/search/label/Florian%20Monday%20And%20The%20Mondos" target="_blank">Florian Monday & The Mondos</a>!<br />
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As for the peculiar name, it stems from an inside joke with a band from Mike’s hometown, a backwards reworking of Andy & The Pandas. (Pandas became Adnaps, and Andy was reconstructed from Ydna into Eden.) <br />
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A friend of Mike’s family in New York had connections with some NYC studios and arranged studio time at Tower Sound Studios. Three original tracks were recorded and pressed up on a 10” acetate circa late 1964 to early 1965. Too bad the two upbeat tunes, “I'm In Love With A Fink” and “Couldn’t Do That,” weren’t properly waxed at the time, but hey, better to hear them 50 years later than never.<br />
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The band stayed active throughout Montefusco’s college career, ending when he graduated in 1968. In an interesting twist, throughout the years Mike has crossed work paths (electrical engineering) with URI alumnus and fellow musician Jim DeStout of <a href="http://ripitupri.blogspot.com/search/label/Others" target="_blank">The Others</a>.<br />
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Band members, relatives and old friends: We'd love more info and photos. <a href="mailto:JayLitch@gmail.com" target="_blank">Get in touch</a>!<br />
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<td style="vertical-align: top"><a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/eden/eden3.jpg"><img border="0" width="360" src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/eden/eden3.jpg" /></a></td>
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<td class="tr-caption" colspan="2" style="text-align: left;"><b>(Left) Dick Cameron, Dave Seavey (drums), Chip Sayers, Mike Montefusco; photo courtesy of Mike Montefusco. <br />(Right) The recording lineup, at rehearsal in an empty classroom at URI. From left: Dave Seavey (drums), Paul Armstrong (sax), Dick Cameron, Augie “Gus” Hansen, Mike Montefusco; photo courtesy of Augie Hansen.</b></td></tr>
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<b>EDEN AND THE ADNAPS<br />I'm In Love With A Fink / Someday / Couldn't Do That<br />Tower Sound Studios</b> (Unreleased 10" Acetate)<br />
<b>1964-65</b><br />
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<a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/audio/ri/eden1.mp3" style="clear: left; margin-right: 0em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/turntable.png" /></a> </div>
<b>I'm In Love With A Fink</b>
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<b>Couldn't Do That</b>
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<b>Someday</b>
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<br />Nightrockerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13088412526796167483noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7095713462877127407.post-55867882457831127332017-03-02T00:05:00.003-05:002021-06-09T18:53:46.747-04:00THE OUTER LIMITS (Providence, RI)<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width: 100%;"><tbody>
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<tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><b>Out of this world at George J. West Junior High. From left: Bobby Cesario, Bobby Beauhne, Don Ivone and Billy Miele. Photo courtesy of Bobby Cesario.</b></td></tr>
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<b>UPDATE February 2017</b><br />
<i>Bobby Cesario, bass player of the Outer Limits, checked in and gave us the lowdown on his high school band, and also provided an otherworldly <u>second</u> acetate!</i><br />
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The members of the Outer Limits orbited the Mount Pleasant area of Providence in 1965. The band was formed by pals Bobby Cesario and Billy Miele when they were still in junior high. The foursome was rounded out with Don Ivone on Cordovox accordian and Bobby Beauhne on drums.<br />
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The band's first recording session yielded an acetate featuring two original compositions, “The Wash” and “Safari.” The tracks were recorded at New England Recording Studios (run by the Muffs brothers of Planet Records) in Providence in 1965 with an atypical lineup for the band: Bobby Cesario had quit for a spell and did not play on the recordings. And drums were handled by Johnny Cicerone, not Bobby Beauhne.<br />
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Don Ivone’s father, Peter Ivone, managed the Outer Limits. The band played frequently at teen dances, battles of the bands, venues such as Rocky Point, and various functions (including many weddings) all over the East Coast. Although all the members were underage, they were still able to play clubs — with chaperones. Bobby remembers one club gig in Boston where they were the opening act, and Frank Sinatra’s bodyguard was at the club with Nancy Sinatra. Of course, they were there to see the headliners, but hey, The Outer Limits can claim that Nancy’s boots walked right in front of their stage. And at one memorable club gig in Providence, the go-go dancers were actually guys in drag — and after dancing a few songs, the sweat would melt the makeup and you could see their 5 o’clock shadow!<br />
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The Outer Limits got to know local stars the Cowsills, and father Bud Cowsill took the boys under his wing and brought them down to Poughkeepsie, N.Y., to record a half dozen tracks in 1967. At this point in the band, Buehne was out and Paul Krawcyzk played drums. Unfortunately, all of the masters were lost except a two-song acetate with the songs “So Lovely” and an amped-up new version of “Safari.” With stinging fuzz guitar blasts throughout both sides courtesy of Bill Miele, it’s a shame this disc was never released back then.<br />
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The band stayed together until 1970, when they imploded after a fight at a gig in North Providence. The guys stormed off the stage, left their equipment behind, and went their separate ways.<br />
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Bobby Buehne passed away in 2002 and Paul Krawcyzk in 2007. Manager Peter Ivone passed away on Dec. 27, 2016.<br />
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<b>The original posting from April 2015:</b><br />
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<i>"You are about to participate in a great adventure. You are about to experience the awe and mystery which reaches from the inner mind to … The Outer Limits."<br />—Introduction to The Outer Limits television series (1963-1965)</i><br />
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Awe and mystery, indeed. Rhode Island's Outer Limits most likely came from the Providence area in 1966-67, then quickly spiraled into the black hole, long forgotten until a copy of their demo disc turned up at a yard sale nearly half a century later, in December 2014.<br />
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And it's too bad this crew never pressed up these tunes for official release. The instrumental "Safari" boasts a bangin' drum solo a la "Wipe Out" and then punches in some crazy out-of-nowhere organ (or is that an <i>accordian</i>?) noodling at the very end. On the hot rod vocal side, "The Wash" careens into action with screeching tire sounds and begins with the foreboding line, "Working in the body shop late one night / my eyes beheld an eerie sight." Is a "wash" some type of racing term, or does it refer to literally a car wash? Perhaps the gearheads out there can enlighten us.<br />
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According to a newspaper clipping, the Outer Limits played the second annual jam session of the Senior Y-Teen Club (YWCA gymnasium, 62 Jackson St. in Providence) on Feb. 4, 1967, along with the Times, the Prophets Of Time, the Tantrums, the <a href="http://www.ripitupri.blogspot.com/search/label/Lonely%20Things" target="_blank">Lonely Things</a>, the Six Pence, Freddy And The Unknowns, and Fire And Water Incorporated. It's unknown where they ranked in the competition, but they no doubt left skid marks across the judges.<br />
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Band members, relatives and old friends: We'd love more info and photos. <a href="mailto:JayLitch@gmail.com" target="_blank">Please get in touch</a>!</div>
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<b>THE OUTER LIMITS<br />The Wash / Safari<br />New England Recording Studios, Inc.</b> (acetate)<br />
<b>1965</b><br />
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<td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/audio/ri/outerlimits1.mp3" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/turntable.png" style="max-width: 100%; padding-left: 135px; padding-right: 135px;" /></a>
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<b>THE OUTER LIMITS<br />So Lovely / Safari<br />Unreleased acetate</b><br />
<b>1967</b><br />
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<a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/audio/ri/outerlimits2b.mp3" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/turntable.png" style="max-width: 100%; padding-left: 135px; padding-right: 135px;" /></a>
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<br />Nightrockerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13088412526796167483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7095713462877127407.post-91858849194629785062016-03-20T12:23:00.003-04:002021-06-09T20:00:51.512-04:00CRYSTAL CHANDELIER (North Providence, RI)For decades rumored to be a Texas psychedelic masterpiece, the origins of Crystal Chandelier’s “Suicidal Flowers” finally came to light in the late-2000s … and boy was I surprised to learn that this was not only a Rhode Island band, but they hailed from my home town as well! <br />
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“Suicidal Flowers” was comped back circa 1979 on the landmark “Pebbles Volume 3: The Acid Gallery” LP with the subtitle, “A mindblowing collection of 18 demented classics from the psychedelic sixties!” The sparse liner notes offered only this comical bite to nibble on: “<i>And what about Crystal Chandlier, from somewhere out in Texas, who must have eaten so much loco weed he thought he was Jim Morrisson?</i>” The piercing fuzz guitar, strong Lizard King-esque vocals and obscure, symbolic lyrics lent this one to classic status among first-generation garage/psych record collectors. <br />
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The band started out as Those Unknown and consisted of singer and lead guitarist Arnie Micarelli, rhythm guitarist Frank Giammarco, bassist Kenny Beck, and drummer Anthony Jackvony (and later Vin Vento). The first single, “The Setting Of Despair” on the United Artists label, hints at the somber direction of their next 45, though the fine flipside retains the structure of a standard mid-’60s rock and roll pop song. White label promo copies seem to be the most common, though a yellow label promo exists for a pink-and-orange stock label release. Next up, “Your Land Of Love” was released on Buddah's affiliate Cobblestone label, with the band name misspelled “Chandlier” and the song lengths written in Roman numerals. While “Land” was chosen as the a-side, Micarelli remembers that most stations played the flipside instead, and the record hit the Top 10 in the Ohio area.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/crystalchandelier/crystalchandelier1966.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/crystalchandelier/crystalchandelier1966.jpg" width="650" style="max-width: 650px; width: 100%;"/></a></td></tr>
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<b>Pre-fuzz and flowers, from left: Arnie Micarelli, Frank Giammarco, Ken Beck, Vincent Vento. Taken from the 1966 North Providence High School yearbook, nearly two years before Crystal Chandelier's first record would be released.</b></div>
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Here is what Arnie Micarelli had to say about the history of the band in July 2011:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“<i>The band was trying to do an album on Revelations but no one knew what it all meant. We actually had meetings with church priests and ministers but no one could help us. We did not want to be wrong in translating the rich symbolism in the Book of Revelation. It was so amazing that none of these so called priests could explain the last book of the Bible.<br /><br />Since no one could explain the verses I figured that I should pray for an answer and I did get on the floor. Two days later and older grandma aged woman found me on the street outside the studio in Providence and she tried to explain things to me but I did not understand and she could not speak good English so she invited me to the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses. She said that they could explain Revelation.<br /><br />So off I went in my long hair and musical attitude. To my amazement they did explain the book to us and they were the only ones that could and had a reasonable common sense scriptural explanation.<br /><br />There were three of us associated with the band that started studying with Jehovah's Witnesses and all three of us started attending meetings.<br /><br />After this I left the band and recorded more blues for an album with different musicians. However these songs and the album were never recorded professionally or released</i><i>.</i>”</blockquote>
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Efforts to find group photos and further details about Crystal Chandelier have proven unsuccessful. Anthony Jackvony passed away in 1975. Frank Giammarco's son Michael followed the sounds of his dad's electric guitar and fronts his own band, called — with a nod to his roots — <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ThoseAloneMusic" target="_blank">Those Unknown</a>.<br />
<br />
<b>Band members, relatives and old friends:</b> We'd love more info and photos. <a href="mailto:JayLitch@gmail.com" target="_blank">Please get in touch</a>!<br />
<br />
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<b>CRYSTAL CHANDELIER<br />The Setting Of Despair / It's Only You<br />United Artists</b> (SUA 50284) <br />
<b>March 1968</b><br />
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<td style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/labels/crystalchandelier_white1.jpg" style="max-width: 320px; width: 100%;" width="325" />
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<td style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/labels/crystalchandelier_pink1.jpg" style="max-width: 320px; width: 100%;" width="325" />
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<td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/audio/ri/crystalchandelier1a.mp3" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/turntable.png" style="max-width: 100%; padding-left: 135px; padding-right: 135px;" /></a>
<a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/audio/ri/crystalchandelier1b.mp3" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/turntable.png" style="max-width: 100%; padding-left: 135px; padding-right: 135px;" /></a>
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<b>CRYSTAL CHANDLIER<br />Your Land Of Love / Suicidal Flowers<br />Cobblestone</b> (CB 730) <br />
<b>Early 1969</b><br />
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<td style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/labels/crystalchandlier_stock1a.jpg" style="max-width: 320px; width: 100%;" width="325" />
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<td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/audio/ri/crystalchandelier2a.mp3" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/turntable.png" style="max-width: 100%; padding-left: 135px; padding-right: 135px;" /></a>
<a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/audio/ri/crystalchandelier2b.mp3" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/turntable.png" style="max-width: 100%; padding-left: 135px; padding-right: 135px;" /></a>
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<br />Nightrockerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13088412526796167483noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7095713462877127407.post-29563545063018266422015-10-25T23:48:00.012-04:002021-06-09T20:05:09.454-04:00THE MERCHANTS OF SOUND (Riverside, RI)<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width: 100%;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: left;"><img border="0" src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/merchantsofsound/merchants1.jpg" width="650" style="max-width: 650px; width: 100%;"/></td></tr>
<tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><b>Rockin' in Riverside — in the basement, of course. From left: Bob Weisberger, drums and vocals; Rick Fournier, rhythm guitar and lead singer; Gerry Murphy, lead guitar; Norm LaBrie, keyboards and vocals. Images courtesy of Rick Fournier.</b></td></tr>
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We can thank Dottie Dyer and her "Zounds Of Sounds!" column in the <i>Cranston Herald</i> for preserving The Merchants Of Sound, making them ripe for discovery on microfilm nearly five decades after the fact. The Merchants join The Malibus and The Alibi as the only three bands to be featured in this short-running music column. Curious as to if the two songs mentioned in the article ever materialized on a record, I contacted a very surprised and amused Bob Weisberger. Turns out this crew did indeed record two songs at New England Recording Studios, from which seven acetate demo discs were made. The records are all lost to time, but luckily at least a low-fidelity recording of the tunes exits. (These literally sound like they were recorded by a 2007 flip-phone held in front of a speaker with the television on in the background, and then dubbed onto a third-generation cassette.) As of this writing, nobody can locate their 45, so these barely listenable dubs will have to suffice. But hey, better than nothing!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/merchantsofsound/merchantsarticle.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/merchantsofsound/merchantsarticle.jpg" width="325" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;" width="325"><b>Along with the Malibus and the Alibi, the Merchants were featured in the weekly <i>Cranston Herald</i> newspaper. (Click to enlarge)</b></td></tr>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>“We Try Harder” is the slogan of The Merchants Of Sound as they launch this new series. The Riverside group consists of Richard Fournier, lead singer and rhythm guitar, Norman Labrie, organ, Gerry Murphy, lead guitar and Bob Weisberger, drums. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>They’ve played at the Summer Festival at St. Brendan’s Church, Johnson & Wales Business School, our Muscular Dystrophy radio-thon at the Coventry Shoppers Park (over WWRI), local parties, and dances in the East Providence area.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Rich lives at 289 Burnside Avenue and hopes to become a commercial airlines pilot and also be in the recording field. His birthday is April 3rd and he’s a sophomore at La Salle. He likes The Doors and Frankie Valli. His hobby is writing offbeat poetry.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Norm lives at 91 Becker Avenue and his birthdate is May 17. He’s a sophomore at East Providence High and hopes to enter the electronics field after graduation. His hobby is photography and he likes Petula Clark and the Beatles</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Gerry lives at 77 Burnside Avenue and is a sophomore at East Providence. He likes the Beatles and Eric Burdon. His birthday is November 16 and he has a gigantic string collection. His favorite song is “I’ve Got The World On A String” (couldn’t resist it!). He hopes to become an architect in the future.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Bob lives at 60 Winthrop Street and his hobby is his drums. Birthday time for Bob is March 12. He’s a freshman at La Salle and hopes to become a lawyer. He likes Englebert Humperdink, the Beatles and the Raiders.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>The boys are hoping a record company will record their compositions, “Back To You” and “I Didn’t Know You Too Well.” They’ll be playing these tunes at their future engagements. Bill Corsair, WICE, expressed interest in the group and may have them at a future hop.</i> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>— Dottie Dyer, 10-29-67</i></blockquote>
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We'll be sure to post label pictures and new rips if a copy of the 45 ever surfaces. Stay tuned.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/merchantsofsound/merchantsbizcard.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/merchantsofsound/merchantsbizcard.jpg" width="650" style="max-width: 650px; width: 100%;"/></a></td>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/merchantsofsound/merchants2.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/merchantsofsound/merchants2.jpg" width="650" style="max-width: 650px; width: 100%;"/></a></td>
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<tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><b>At Riverside Junior High School. From the left: Rick Fournier, Gerry Murphy, Bob Weisberger, Ray Gadouas (added on bass) and Norm Labrie.</b></td></tr>
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<td><a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/merchantsofsound/receipt1.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/merchantsofsound/receipt1.jpg" width="325" /></a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/merchantsofsound/receipt3.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/merchantsofsound/receipt3.jpg" width="325" /></a></td></tr>
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<tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><b>Receipts from the session at New England Recording Studios! (Click to enlarge.)</b></td></tr>
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<b>THE MERCHANTS OF SOUND<br />Back To You / I Didn't Know You Too Well<br />New England Recording Studios</b> (acetate) <b>August 1967</b><br />
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<b>Back To You</b><br />
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<a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/audio/ri/merchantsofsound1.mp3" style="clear: left; margin-right: 0em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/turntable.png" /></a> </div>
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<b>I Didn't Know You Too Well</b><br />
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<br />Nightrockerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13088412526796167483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7095713462877127407.post-76476666946470156162014-12-27T17:51:00.005-05:002021-06-09T20:18:36.376-04:00THE LONELY THINGS (Providence, RI)<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/lonelythings/lonelythingsnews1.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/lonelythings/lonelythingsnews1.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><b>Jimmy Fleet and Elwood Donnelly performing <br />in their handmade orange satin shirts (certainly <br />against the suit-and-tie dress code) at the LaSalle <br />Academy "Jam Session," October 1966.</b></td></tr>
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The Lonely Things were one of many Providence teen bands who performed at various schools, halls and battles of the bands in the mid-1960s. However, what makes these guys more than just another typewritten name on a yellowed newspaper page, forgotten to the ages except for family and friends' memories, is that they left behind a demo recording — an otherwise unreleased one-sided acetate 45rpm — capturing their lone original vocal tune for garage music fans to enjoy decades after the fact.<br />
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The Lonely Things originated at Central High School in 1965 at the age of 15, formed by vocalists Elwood Donnelly and Jimmy Fleet, drummer Mike Pappas, and his older brother Peter on rhythm guitar. During the band's two-and-a-half-year run, additional musicians with stints in the Lonely Things included John Badessa (lead guitar), Jim Auclair (lead guitar), Kenny Franco (lead guitar), and Jim Haritas (keyboards on the 45).<br />
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Mike and Peter's father, Nick Pappas, knew an engineer at New England Recording Studios — owned by Ray and Myron Muffs of Planet Records — and arranged studio time for the boys to cut two original tunes: Elwood's "Our Generation" and Peter's instrumental, "Zephyr." (The acetate with "Zephyr" has yet to surface.) One copy of the demo was mailed to a label in New York, which prompted a refusal letter saying the theme was too similar to The Who's "My Generation"! The Lonely Things also lip-synced the tune on WPRO's television show <i>Wing Ding</i>, where bands could only perform if they had a record.<br />
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Nick Pappas served as the band's manager and got the Lonely Things gigs at high schools, VFW halls and a spot at Sugarberry, a dance series that WICE AM radio held at the Alhambra Ballroom at Crescent Park in East Providence. <br />
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The band dissolved in mid-1967 due to the draft. Sadly, Mike and Peter died young, in 1990 and 2009, respectively.<br />
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An interview with Elwood Donnelly appears at the ever-cool <a href="https://www.60sgaragebands.com/lonelythings.html" target="_blank">60s Garage Bands</a> site, and check out Elwood's own Atwater-Donnelly site featuring his many current musical projects and a <a href="https://www.atwater-donnelly.com/thelonelythings.htm" target="_blank">Lonely Things page</a> chock full of old news clippings.<br />
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We'd love to hear the lost instrumental, "Zephyr." If anybody has a recording, please <a href="mailto:JayLitch@gmail.com" target="_blank">get in touch</a>!<br />
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<b>THE LONELY THINGS<br />Our Generation<br />New England Recording Studios, Inc.</b> (one-sided acetate) <br><b>1966</b><br />
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<td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/audio/ri/lonelythings.mp3" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/turntable.png" style="max-width: 100%; padding-left: 135px; padding-right: 135px;" /></a>
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<br />Nightrockerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13088412526796167483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7095713462877127407.post-43242765757075981932014-06-22T15:29:00.005-04:002021-06-09T20:22:49.538-04:00THE ALIBI (Cranston/Providence, RI)<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width: 100%;"><tbody>
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<tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><b>What, were you expecting long hair and paisley shirts? The Alibi, from left: Steve Bova (lead guitar), Anthony Mazza (bass), Mike Christy (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Dave Rossi (drums) and Joe Parenti (organ).</b></td></tr>
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Two short, fast splashes of minor-key pop-psych are captured on this unheralded 45 featuring members from Cranston and Providence. The Alibi was led by lead singer and rhythm guitarist Mike Christy, with bassist Tony Mazza and his cousin Joe Parenti on organ, along with lead guitarist Steve Bova and drummer Dave Rossi.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/alibi/alibi-cranstonherald-1000px.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/alibi/alibi-cranstonherald-1000px.jpg" width="325" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><b>Along with Cranston counterparts the Malibus, the Alibi were featured in the weekly <i>Cranston Herald</i> newspaper. Zounds of Sounds! (Click to enlarge)</b></td></tr>
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The band's lone 45 was released on a label created by (and named for) Joseph S. "Dody" Sinclair, of the Outlet Company and WJAR-TV. The article below, published in the April 18, 1968, edition of the <i>Cranston Herald</i>, tells pretty much everything you'd want to know about the band … though it does leave a couple of unanswered questions: Did their second recording session ever happen, and if so, did any material survive the decades?<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>"Sunshine," on the Dody label, reflects on Tony Mazza, Mike Christy, Dave Rossi, Joe Parenti and Steve Bova, all local boys, known as "The Alibi." The boys are hoping that "Sunshine" will soon break over the whole horizon!<br /><br />Tony Mazza, the son of Mr. & Mrs. Joseph Mazza of 2 Summer Street, Cranston, was born July 26, 1946. He has a sister Rosalie who thinks the record is tops. Tony is a graduate of CHE, 1964, and is working at WJAR-Radio as Continuity Director under Sherm Strickhouser. Tony loves radio work and hopes to become an announcer. He definitely loves music, music and more music and wants to be part of this industry as do the other members of the Alibi. Carol Bonin of North Smithfield is the lucky, engaged gal in Tony's life. With the Alibi, he plays the bass guitar and sings harmony.<br /><br />Mike Christy comes from a well known singing family, his Dad Alphonse (Star Auto Sales) and Uncle Frank Christy, with his Mello-Tones, of Reservoir Ave., Cranston. Mike was born on May 8, 1948 and is a CHE, 1965 graduate. The other Christys are brothers James (with Dad at Star Auto) and David with the Job Corps in N.J. and sisters Patty and Nikki, both attending St. Ann's School. Mike is living at 1045 Elmwood Ave., Providence, with wife Gwen and daughter Melissa. He is also noted for his own song, "Shadows," and is the lead singer and plays rhythm guitar for the Alibi. He loves the outdoors and skindiving.<br /><br />Joe Parenti, son of the Pellegrino Parenti, lives on 13 Baldino Drive, Cranston, and is a Senior at CHE. He was born on May 4, 1949. The other Parenti's are Pamela, 14, at Bain (8th grade), Dennis, 9, and Jo Ann, 6, both attending Woodridge. Joe, like Mike, is an outdoorsman. He plays the ogan and sings harmony with Tony (both cousins). Joe wants to be an architect some day.<br /><br />Steve Bova of 39 Wealth Avenue, Providence, is the son of Mr. & Mrs. Gurino Bova and is a graduate of Mt. Pleasant, 1966. His birthdate is September 4, 1946. Steve is working at North Kingstown Music and attending R.I. Jr. College. He plays the lead guitar. Steve likes cars and calls himself an automobile enthusiast and also likes swimming.<br /><br />Dave Rossi, son of the Frank Rossi's of 18 Brown St., Cranston, graduated from CHE, 1965. He was born on November 3, 1946 and has a married sister Frances. Dave is the drummer with the group and once challenged the "world's greatest drummer," Buddy Rich, when he played at Lennie's On-the-Turnpike, to a session. Buddy accepted and the event was to take place at his next appearance at the Albee Theatre, but Dave was not a union member and could not perform on stage. Dave likes the outdoors and boxing and hopes to teach drums to kids, some day. Dave told me that they always practice at Joe's house because of his organ and his Mom is always baking something good!<br /><br />The group formerly called themselves "The Sensations." Tony told me he was watching "Let's Go To The Races" and the Number One horse in the First Race was called "The Great Alibi." He made a list of names including "The Alibi" and asked Mr. Sinclair of the Outlet Company to pick one. He also liked "The Alibi" and the boys cut their first disc, "Sunshine," on the Dody banner. The future brings them their second recording date in N.Y. for Southern Music Corp. under Lucky Carle on another label, Brown University's Spring Weekend and Blackwood Music Publishers, also in N.Y.<br /><br />Rather hurriedly, I asked them their favorite performers, in order not to take them too long away from their rehearsing and munching on Mrs. Parenti's baked pastries. Here they are: Steve with Johnny Smith, Tony with the Young Rascals, Joe and Mike with the Beatles and Dave with Buddy Rich, of course, of course!<br />— Dottie Dyer</i></blockquote>
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Mike Christy stayed in the music business and is currently a sound engineer at Pisces Sound in Maine.<br />
<br />
Band members, relatives and old friends: We'd love more info and photos. <a href="mailto:JayLitch@gmail.com" target="_blank">Get in touch</a>!<br />
<br />
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<b>THE ALIBI<br />Sunshine / Oh She Was A Beautiful Woman<br />Dody</b> (DO 335 • ZTSP 140335/36) <b>February 1968</b><br />
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<br />Nightrockerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13088412526796167483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7095713462877127407.post-18718211348084468642014-03-13T23:13:00.007-04:002021-06-09T20:25:12.320-04:00THE HOT BEATS (Bristol, RI)<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width: 100%;"><tbody>
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<tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><b>Bristol certainly caught fire when the Hot Beats took the stage. From left: Bobby Morris (drums), Dominic Rodrigues (bass), Denny Rodrigues (vocals), Dan Rogers (rhythm guitar). Horizontal with carnation: George Oliver (lead guitar).</b></td></tr>
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Hands down — Bristol High School in Bristol, R.I., gets the award for the coolest Class of 1966 in the entire state of Rhode Island. The student body yielded not only <a href="http://ripitupri.blogspot.com/search/label/Nightrockers" target="_blank">Ron Medeiros and the Night Rockers</a>, but also the band responsible for this long-forgotten, two-sided scorcher of a disc: The Hot Beats. No lightweight ballad flipside here, folks … the Hot Beats come out swinging with a Kinks-riffed girl putdown complete with blistering guitar solo, backed with a grungy "Indian-beat" instro. Yeeeoooowww!<br />
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The Hot Beats consisted of Denny Rodrigues (pronounced "Rod-rix") on vocals and tambourine, his brother Dominic "Rid" Rodrigues on bass, George Oliver on lead guitar, Dan Rogers on rhythm guitar and Bobby "Bomba" Morris on drums. The crew were all seniors at Bristol High School except for Dominic and 14-year-old guitar prodigy George Oliver. (Paul "Flyers" Ferrera, who was in the first incarnation of the band, had brought over his younger next-door neighbor to sit in on a practice. "Guys, you've <i>got</i> to hear this kid play!" The lead guitar position filled itself.)<br />
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<td class="tr-caption" colspan="3" style="text-align: left;"><b>Lofty ambitions to be bachelors … such a devil-may-care attitude with this crew! (And as you may have guessed, "Don't swear it" is a humorous typo.) From the Bristol High School yearbook, 1966.</b></td></tr>
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The band was managed by Jim Wilson, Dan's uncle who was a mere eight years older at age 24. Jim hit it off with WPRO radio personality Howie Holland, which helped the Hot Beats land slots at Rocky Point and the Channel 12-sponsored State Fair. But Uncle Jim did more than just line up performances for the crew; he also shuttled them to the gigs in his station wagon.<br />
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In June 1966, the Hot Beats cut their sole 45. (The date can be pinpointed with the number on the record label: "JW6166" translates into Jim Wilson and the date of June 1, 1966.) The songs were cut in a basement studio in Riverside, R.I., by the little brother of the best man at Jim's wedding. The project was financed with gig money — as they racked up performances, they'd divide the proceeds by one extra member and put the extra cash aside for the single.<br />
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Now, the word "Listen" is only mentioned once in the entire song. But the title would have made more sense if the pressing plant — Golden Crest in New York, infamous for styrene pressings where the labels invariably fall off — didn't trim off the beginning of the recording. In its original form, the tune started off with Denny whispering "Listen" before the drums kick in. The band was not happy to find that the engineers took it upon themselves to cut out that part. <br />
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In the pre-draft years before rock and roll turned introspective, intellectual and downright serious, teenage subject matter basically revolved around one thing: girls. Hotties, heartbreakers, cheaters and cheatees. Our man Denny lets loose with some choice words to his overbearing gal — he <i>won't</i> be tied down!<br />
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<i>You don't think like me<br />You don't think like me<br />You want to settle down<br />I want to run around<br /><br />Don't try to tie me down<br />Don't try to tie me down<br /><br />Come on listen you<br />You and me are through<br />One girl's not enough<br />Even if she's tough<br /><br />Don't try to tie me down<br />Don't try to tie me down<br /><br />You are in the past<br />Our love didn't last<br />Now you know that I<br />like to see girls cry!<br /><br />Don't try to tie me down<br />Don't try to tie me down<br /><br />Keep away - I can't stay!</i><br />
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And to top off the whole package is the label name, "Rychard." During sound check, Denny would repeat "Richard, Richard" instead of the typical "check, check." Well, turns out this was a case of wisecracking teens getting one over on the adults, yet again. When I asked George what the odd label name meant, he pointed to his groin and said, "You know, Richard." Eureka!<br />
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Releasing a 45 meant that the Hot Beats could now perform on Wing Ding, a local television show on WPRO. (Bands were only allowed to play if they cut a record.) "Listen" apparently proved too raw and wild for prime time, as the execs rejected the A-side and opted to play the instrumental flipside instead. It must have been hilarious to watch frontman Denny, relegated to the sole function of hitting the tambourine throughout the duration of "Injun" in front of the studio audience.<br />
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The Hot Beats gigged steadily and secured a spot on Saturday nights at Bambi's in Newport, a teen club of which Papa Cowsill was the co-owner. As the house band on Saturdays, they would play the breaks in between the main groups such as Mitch Ryder, the Barbarians and the Cowsills. According to Jim, the guys would give out their 45 at gigs and throw them out to the audience like frisbees. The band performed at various venues throughout Rhode Island such as the Warren Canteen and Leo's First & Last Stop Bar in Newport, and on to Connecticut and the Springfield State Expo in Springfield, Mass.<br />
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<tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><b>Ask a Rhode Islander to say "heart beat" and nine of out 10 times, you'll hear "hot beat." From the fully autographed Bristol High School 1966 yearbook at Rogers Free Library.</b></td></tr>
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The band stayed together through some of the college years, adding John "Sully" Sullivan on keyboards. Denny and Rid eventually left the band, Rit DeFelice replaced Denny on vocals, and around this time the name Hot Beats was dropped in favor of the more current-sounding Bitter Truth.<br />
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Drummer Bobby Morris joined the Navy and, an interesting anecdote, was in basic training with the lead guitarist for the Outsiders (Cleveland). Unfortunately, Bobby died after an accident in the late 1980s. Sully switched to guitar, sat in with the Barbarians for a spell, and currently plays in the Fat City Band. <br />
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George Oliver was asked to join Tangerine Zoo, but was forced to decline because he was too young! (He was only 16 years old at the time, and his parents wouldn't let him.) He then teamed up with drummer Donald "Smitty" Smith post-Tangerine Zoo in the outfit Friends Incorporated. George released a solo 45 in 1980 with the songs "My Life" (written during Friends Incorporated in 1973) and "You And I." He still writes and records music on a 16-track in his apartment, and most recently collaborated with Ron Medeiros on a song Ron had written shortly before he passed away in late 2013.<br />
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Dan and Denny still enjoy talking about music and reminiscing about their rock and roll days.<br />
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<b>January 2014: </b><b>After paying our respects at Ron Medeiros' wake, George Oliver (center), Tim Warren (right) and I headed over to the local Sip 'N Dip where Tim signed the Hot Beats for inclusion on his upcoming Back From The Grave Volume 9 series.</b></div>
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<b>THE HOTBEATS<br />Listen / Injun<br />Rychard</b> (JW6166) <b>June 1966</b><br />
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<br />Nightrockerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13088412526796167483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7095713462877127407.post-89615261158109991892013-11-07T22:53:00.004-05:002021-06-09T20:28:02.303-04:00THE NIGHTROCKERS (Bristol, RI)<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width: 100%;"><tbody>
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<tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><b><span style="text-transform: uppercase;">The night time is the right time</span>: The sun is down and the Nightrockers are up. From left: George Raposa (bass), Glenn Medeiros (rhythm guitar), Ron Medeiros (lead vocals, keyboard, harmonica), Ray Gajoli (drums), Bobby Gajoli (lead guitar).</b></td></tr>
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The town of Bristol, R.I., with the country's oldest <a href="http://july4thbristolri.com/" target="_blank">4th of July parade celebration</a>, detonated a bona fide firecracker in the summer of 1966: the lone recording of keyboardist/singer Ron Medeiros and his band the Nightrockers. In fact, Bristol High School proved to let off quite the explosion of rock and roll activity, with members of both the Nightrockers and the <a href="http://ripitupri.blogspot.com/search/label/Hot%20Beats" target="_blank">Hot Beats</a> graduating in the Class of '66.<br />
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Prior to his commanding role in major-label psychedelic legends <a href="http://tangerinezoo.homestead.com/indextz.html" target="_blank">Tangerine Zoo</a>, band leader Ron Medeiros formed the Nightrockers as a senior in high school with his brother, two stepbrothers, and a neighborhood friend. (Ron was 17, and the rest of the band descended in age down to the 9th grade!) The band included Ron "Ronny Knight" Medeiros on lead vocals, keyboard and harmonica; his younger brother Glenn Medeiros on rhythm guitar and vocals; stepbrothers Bobby Gajoli and Ray Gajoli on lead guitar and drums, respectively; and George Raposa on bass.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Senior yearbook photo, June 1966. Ambition accomplished!</b></td></tr>
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The crew practiced daily in their house and neighborhood kids, drawn to the racket, would congregate outside and listen — and then get invited inside to watch. It's clear judging by the choice of cover tunes that Ron's vision gravitated to the "tougher" side of rock and roll. In addition to the obligatory Rascals tunes and "Louie Louie" (to which the 'Rockers performed both a slow version "for the girls" and the standard fast version), a typical set list included: <br />
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<li>? & The Mysterians "96 Tears"</li>
<li>Rolling Stones "The Last Time," "Satisfaction," and "It's All Over Now"</li>
<li>Animals - many songs, including their signature "Inside Looking Out"</li>
<li>Syndicate of Sound "Little Girl" (for this tune, Ron played drums and drummer Ray sang)</li>
<li>Count Five "Psychotic Reaction" (Ron played harmonica)</li>
<li>Kinks "All Day And All Of The Night"</li>
<li>Yardbirds "For Your Love"</li>
<li>Beatles "I Should Have Known Better" (Ron played harmonica)</li>
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The son of the owner of the Venus de Milo — a popular restaurant just over the state line in Swansea, Mass., with large banquet-style seating rooms — had connections with local venues and helped the band get gigs. In one particularly memorable performance, the Nightrockers shook the Academy Theater in Fall River, Mass., after a showing of the Elvis Presley "Girls Girls Girls" movie.<br />
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The idea of recording and releasing the "Junction #1" single — the only originals the band penned — came from Ron and Glenn's stepfather. Prior to marrying their mom and moving to Bristol, Mr. Gajoli and his sons lived in the Fall River area. Mr. Gajoli worked at the <i>Fall River Herald</i> newspaper and was familiar with the nearby New Bedford, Mass., Arco recording studio and its record label. And luckily for us, in addition to financing the record, he also paid for the <i>killer</i> full-color picture sleeve!<br />
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The Nightrockers dissolved when their parents split up and the Gajoli clan moved back to Fall River. Following a brief three-gig stint with the Mojo Hands, Ron joined the Swansea, Mass.-based Ebb Tides on organ when the Robidoux brothers — keyboardist Bobby and lead singer Charlie, from neighboring Warren, R.I. — left the band. (The original Ebb Tides lineup with the Robidoux brothers had previously released the "My Baby's Gone / Summertime" 45, also on the Arco label, shortly after the Nightrockers' single.) Guitarist Wayne Gagnon joined at this time as well, forming the lineup which would eventually morph into the Tangerine Zoo. <br />
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Ron continues to play music to this day, under the alias Adrian Zoo. The rest of the Nightrockers never pursued music any further, and George Raposa passed away in the 1990s.<br />
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<a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/nightrockers/RonMedeiros-Obituary.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/nightrockers/RonMedeiros-Obituary.jpg" /></a></div>
<b>UPDATE 1/11/14:</b> Sadly, both Ron Medeiros and his brother Glenn passed away in December 2013, <a href="http://www.bristolrifuneralhome.com/obituaries.aspx?turl=http://hosting-15713.tributes.com/show/ronald-john-medeiros-97649939" target="_blank">Ron on Dec. 14</a> and <a href="http://www.bristolrifuneralhome.com/obituaries.aspx?turl=http://hosting-15713.tributes.com/show/Glenn-Paul-Medeiros-97473875" target="_blank">Glenn on Dec. 30</a>. One can only assume they're now permanent residents of Junction #1. R.I.P.<br />
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<b>THE NIGHTROCKERS<br />Junction #1 / Run Mary Run<br />Arco</b> (<b>SC-105</b>) <b>August 1966</b><br />
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<br />Nightrockerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13088412526796167483noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7095713462877127407.post-62251159820413600582013-09-09T00:33:00.009-04:002021-06-09T20:37:39.915-04:00THE GEMINI FIVE and THE ODDBALLS (Westerly, RI)<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width: 100%;"><tbody>
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<tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><b>Promotional shot taken shortly after the Gemini Five's record release. Clockwise from top left: Dave Nugent, guitar; Eugene Burrows, bass; Richard Thomas, guitar; Mitchell Spencer (center), guitar and vocals; Bobby Korrus, drums. Photo courtesy of Mitch Wayne.</b></td></tr>
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The beach parties must have been in full swing when the Gemini Five shimmied onto the scene in the early 1960s. Hailing from the scenic oceanside town of Westerly, R.I., on the Connecticut border, the Gemini Five cut one frat-inspired disc on the Planet label which, like a few of its other releases in 1965, never made it past the white-label DJ promo stage. Led by North Carolina-born Mitchell Wayne Spencer (a.k.a. Mitch Wayne) on guitar and vocals, the Five included Richard Thomas and Dave Nugent on guitars, Eugene (Gene) Burrows on bass and Bobby Korrus on drums. Unlike the legions of high-schoolers inspired by the Beatles' appearance on the <i>Ed Sullivan Show</i>, Mitch Wayne, born in 1938, began writing and performing country and rockabilly songs as a teen in the 1950s. The Gemini Five — named for the NASA spaceflight program — gigged around Westerly and nearby Norwich, Conn., and caught the ear of a rich fellow who hired them to play his son's wedding. He liked the band so much that he paid for the Planet recordings and subsequent vinyl 45 in September 1965. While the outfit basically mined the rockabilly and early rock and roll territories, Mitch realized that they must adapt to the new post-Beatles landscape, and "Can't Say No" was his resultant stab at a Fab Four-styled harmony ballad. <br />
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At some point, the Gemini Five lost Nugent and Korrus and picked up a new drummer, Eugene Rickey, and morphed into the Oddballs. The band's schtick consisted of dressing in ridiculous outfits such as a straw hat, sportscoat with a t-shirt and tie, and pants ripped at the leg. (But perhaps the oddest quality of all is that they still played straight-up rockabilly numbers in 1966!) The Oddballs headed up to Ace Recording Studios in Boston to record two tunes penned by Mitch in the late 1950s, "Rockin' In The Jungle" — complete with monkey noises by Gene Burrows — and "That's My Baby." These tracks wound up on the now-infamous Rocket label (home of Mel McGonnigle's mega-raw <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLCZ2fsA5Rk" target="_blank">"Rattle Shakin' Mama"</a> from 1958), and though the exact date is unknown, Mitch states it definitely was after the Gemini Five, placing the release most likely in early 1966.<br />
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<b>Update:</b><i> It's been discovered that the Oddballs 45 appeared in the October 3, 1964 issue of </i>Cash Box<i> magazine, placing the release date most likely around a month or two earlier.</i><br />
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<tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><b>The Oddballs live at the Ritz Cafe in Westerly, R.I. From left: Mitch Wayne, Eugene Burrows and Richard Thomas (with Eugene Rickey on drums in the background). Photo courtesy of Mitch Wayne.</b></td></tr>
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Mitch continued to play music throughout the decades, though he has lost track of his Gemini Five and Oddballs bandmates. He still enjoys a vibrant solo country career and his new music can be found <a href="http://www.soundclick.com/bands/default.cfm?bandID=845222" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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<b>THE GEMINI FIVE<br />A Go Go Baby / Can't Say No<br />Planet</b> (No. 56) <b><br>Sept. 1965</b><br />
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<b>THE ODDBALLS<br />Rockin' In The Jungle / That's My Baby<br />Rocket</b> (110) <b><br>Sept. 1964</b><br />
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<br />Nightrockerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13088412526796167483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7095713462877127407.post-67737604798024680162013-08-04T22:39:00.003-04:002021-06-09T20:39:03.482-04:00FRENCHY AND THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD (Woonsocket, RI)With its large French-Canadian population, Woonsocket, R.I., boasts itself as "the most French city in America" — so it comes as no surprise that it is also home to this mysterious little long-forgotten 45, released on the Sterling song-poem label out of Boston. "Trip" is a rudimentary three-chorder unintentionally out of sync with the heavier, noodling sounds of the nascent '70s. This wasn't an artistic statement; rather, it was a product of the band members being only 13-14 years old at the time! (However, singer Frenchy was eight years older.)<br />
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Brothers Real (pronounced "Ray-Al") and Yves "Frenchy" Carpentier wrote the songs on the band's sole vinyl release, with "Trip" supporting the single's signature tune, the ballad "We're Lonely." And as is often the case, it's the hidden rocker which raises eyebrows decades after the fact. Check out these post-Summer of Love lyrics: "Heading on a trip / Going to my nearest grave / Going down … Feel like I'm dyin' / All speeds slowing down / Slowing down." All this before the trip derails into a bizarre half-speed hallucination. But surely these young 'uns weren't setting out to create the aural equivalent of a chemical journey ... right? In contrast, the wistful a-side, "We're Lonely," is a welcome addition to the moody New England roster.<br />
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In one notable gig, the Underground Railroad performed at a YWCA in Narragansett, R.I., for an audience exclusively made up of teenage girls. Talk about living the dream.<br />
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In January 2013, Real provided the story behind Frenchy and the Underground Railroad:<br />
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"The Underground Railroad came into existence when Real Carpentier was in his early teens. He started a band with friends, but did not have the connections needed to be able to play gigs. Still, the group played school functions, local dances, and anything else they could get. The band stayed together with minor personnel changes through the subsequent months.<br />
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Real’s brother Yves Carpentier, whom everyone called Frenchy because of his thick Canadian accent, had written a song titled “We’re Lonely.” Frenchy wanted to rehearse the song with a band and asked if Real’s band would want to learn it. As the band got to know the song very well, Frenchy decided to look into the prospect of recording it. Frenchy came up with the money and signed the contract. It was then the group decided to include Frenchy as a member of the band, and the name was changed to Frenchy and the Underground Railroad. At the prospect of getting recorded, Real decided to write a song titled “Trip” to complete both sides of a 45rpm record. At the time of the recording, the personnel of the group consisted of Frenchy (Yves Carpentier) on vocals, Real Carpentier on vocals and bass, Gene Daigle on vocals and guitar, Bob Fissette on guitar, Rob St. George on drums, and Dave LaCasse on vocals and percussion. The band was managed by Ron Bachand and Alfred Brissette.<br />
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After the recording, the band had some success with performances. The repertoire included songs by the Rolling Stones, Santana, Grand Funk Railroad, CCR, and Chicago to name a few. Gigs included establishments in Providence, Woonsocket, the Narragansett area, and other local areas. They also appeared on the Andy Jackson (Big Ange) TV show. Soon after, the band underwent some personnel changes. Bob Fissette left, Rob was replaced by another drummer named Reggie, and Dave began playing the organ. This gave the band a new sound and it was decided that the name should change as well. The new name of the band became Purple Massid. <i>[Editor's note: Real's explanation for the odd name? "It rhymed with acid!"]</i> Purple Massid had even more success as the sound and style of the band had changed. The songs included on the 45 record were played live and received very positive responses. The band also got more creative with new compositions and took liberties with cover songs. The drummer Reggie was soon replaced by Snookie (Leslie Olson). Also, the management changed, as Ron and Alfred were replaced by Snookie’s father, Rick.<br />
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As with any other band, Purple Massid came to a crossroads, had a difference of opinion and disbanded. All of the personnel of the original Frenchy and the Underground Railroad are no longer in the music business save for Real, who has taken his creativity to theater. Real has written a full-length musical, a full-length drama, and several one-act plays. One of his one-act plays titled “Mixed Emotions” was produced in Cranston, R.I., in 2012 and published by Original Works Publishing. A preview of his musical was also shown in Putnam, Conn., in August 2012. Real’s music can be heard at <a href="http://www.reverbnation.com/realcarpentier" target="_blank">www.reverbnation.com/realcarpentier</a>."</blockquote>
<i>Band members, relatives and old friends: We'd love to see some band photos. <a href="mailto:JayLitch@gmail.com" target="_blank">Get in touch</a>!</i><br />
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<b>FRENCHY AND THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD<br />We're Lonely / Trip<br />Sterling</b> (S-518) <b><br>Nov. 1970</b><br />
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<br />Nightrockerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13088412526796167483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7095713462877127407.post-64118317314662214122013-06-11T10:33:00.020-04:002021-06-09T20:50:50.316-04:00THE MYSTIC FIVE (Hope/Scituate, RI)<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/mysticfive/alcloutier-yearbook_350px.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/mysticfive/alcloutier-yearbook_350px.jpg" width="310" style="max-width: 310px; width: 100%;"/></a></td></tr>
<tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption" width="310"><b>Singer Al Cloutier immortalized in the 1966 Scituate High School yearbook. (Click for full-size view.)</b></td></tr>
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On their lone 45, the Mystic Five from Hope, R.I., (part of Scituate) showcase their adeptness at tackling both the quintessential New England moody jangler <i>and</i> the struttin' instro. Luckily for us, they waxed two ace sides as the only proof of their existence. "It Doesn't Matter" was compiled on the <i>New England Teen Scene Vol. 1</i> LP back in 1983. <br />
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The band was formed in 1965 by Michael Moan (drums) and Alan Cloutier (vocals), who at the time were playing in a band called The Probes in West Warwick along with Tom Jorgensen (bass). Moan and Cloutier found 14-year-old lead guitarist Ricky Haslam, and the Five was rounded out with rhythm guitarist Joe Maraia. A recent transfer to the Scituate school system, Maraia was hired on the spot in the locker room after basketball practice when he announced he was selling his amp since he couldn't find anybody interested in playing!<br />
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All members were students at Scituate High School; Cloutier and Moan graduated in 1966 and the rest of the band in 1967. A popular combo, the Mystic Five won four out of five of the early battle of the bands contests throughout the state. They played mostly covers including many Rolling Stones songs. During school vacation in February 1966, the Five piled into a car and drove 100 miles south to Wallingford, Conn., on a cold, rainy Sunday morning. The destination was Syncron Studios (which later became Trod Nossel) to lay down tracks for a 45. Mike Moan's older brother financed the recording. Al Cloutier remembers: "We paid him back at about a nickel on the dollar from our record sales out of our trunk at shows. He lost money on that one." The session was performed "off the books" at the studio by a couple of engineers looking to make a few extra bucks. (This explains why the Mystic Five tapes did not turn up at Trod Nossel when recordings were being excavated for the <a href="http://www.sundazed.com/shop/product_info.php?products_id=895" target="_blank">"Don't Press Your Luck!" retrospective LP</a>.) The band actually put the finishing touches on the original tunes — with Al writing the lyrics to "It Doesn't Matter" — over the course of the car ride. In all, five songs were laid down: the two tracks from the single; "Just Like Me" by Paul Revere & The Raiders; "Wipe Out" by the Surfaris; and an original ballad called "All Alone." The tape was recovered and transferred to digital in 2014 — hear all five songs at the bottom of this page.<br />
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<tr align="center"><td class="tr-caption" width="325"><b><i>"With a beat like that, who could sit still?"</i><br />The Mystic Five are declared champions at Scituate High School's battle of the bands. The competition included the Wanderers from Scituate and the Druids from Smithfield, R.I. (Click for full-size view.)</b></td></tr>
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In spring 1966, the Mystic Five auditioned for a summer gig in Cape Cod at a Jewish hotel/resort. It was a sweet deal: the band would be put up for the entire summer, provide the entertainment for the teenagers staying at the hotel with their parents, and get paid $200 per member each week. As usual, the crew was chosen — but the deal fell through when the hotel partners got into a disagreement and cancelled the gig altogether.<br />
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The Mystic Five also appeared live on the "Dialing For Dollars" television show on WPRI Channel 12. And in true rock and roll fashion, they got suspended for skipping school to tape the episode!<br />
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It is important to note that the Mystic Five were part of a vibrant teen music scene, and ran in the same circles as a few bands profiled here on this website. With not much for a school-aged rock and roller to do in rural Hope, R.I., the band hung out in the nearest city, West Warwick — home of the <a href="http://ripitupri.blogspot.com/search/label/Idols" target="_blank">Idols</a> and <a href="https://ripitupri.blogspot.com/search/label/Satan%27s%20Breed" target="_blank">Satan's Breed</a>. "We all lived in Hope and were a lot closer to and hung out in West Warwick, not Scituate," Al says. "There was a rockin' teen center in West Warwick and that’s where most of us cut our teeth in music … We also knew and competed against the <a href="https://ripitupri.blogspot.com/search/label/Petrified%20Forrest%20%28a.k.a.%20Offbeats%29" target="_blank">Petrified Forrest</a> on many occasions. They were our neighbors on the other side of town in Coventry." (Cloutier also remembers slightly older Scituate High School students Mark and Eric Sampson, who formed the Act Of Creation and the Buzzards. Watch for a Rip It Up RI entry in the future.) <br />
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Sometime in early 1967, Mike Moan left the band and the Mystic Five changed their name to the Questionaires. One impetus of the name change was to end the frustration of being mistaken as a band from nearby Mystic, Connecticut. And moreover, the group would now contain <i>six</i> members.<br />
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Mike Moan was replaced by Ray Martin from Coventry, a "wild man," according to Al. "If we had pictures, we probably couldn't post them." (Ray passed away due to a work-related accident in 1968.) As the Questionaires, they also took on Joe Truppi as a second vocalist. Al recalls: "I needed help. I was the only one who could hold a tune (not saying much) and to get to the next level we needed better back-ups and harmonies. Joe fit the bill perfectly. He had a naturally higher voice than me and it worked together well."<br />
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<tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><b>Crumpled, but not forgotten: the Questionaires. Front row, left to right: Joe Maraia (rhythm guitar), Joe Truppi (vocals), Rick Haslam (lead guitar) and Tom Jorgensen (bass). Back row: Ray Martin (drums) and Al Cloutier (vocals). </b></td></tr>
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The Questionaires, under the management of overnight WPRO disc jockey Bud Williams, recorded at a studio in Massachusetts (possibly Fall River or the New Bedford/Dartmouth area … says Al, "All I am sure of is that it was in the basement of a little white house on a hill."). In March 1967 the band recorded seven covers including the Searchers "Sugar And Spice," Rolling Stones (Rufus Thomas) "Walking The Dog," Blues Magoos "Ain't Got Nothin' Yet," Young Rascals "You Better Run" and the obligatory "Midnight Hour." The two surprise treats here are crude versions of the Animals covering John Lee Hooker's "I'm Mad Again" and the Warmest Spring's "Hard, Hard Girl." Bud Williams had set them up with New York City producer Warren Schatz (see the <a href="https://ripitupri.blogspot.com/search/label/Petrified%20Forrest%20%28a.k.a.%20Offbeats%29" target="_blank">Petrified Forrest</a> entry), who provided the sheet music and demo cassette for "Hard, Hard Girl." Schatz came up to Rhode Island and met with them at a rehearsal, as they were covering the song for a possible release on his label, but ultimately the New York recording session never materialized. (Schatz wound up releasing <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOp6nGumtRE" target="_blank">"Hard, Hard Girl"</a> under the band name the Warmest Spring on the Cameo-Parkway label in August 1966, presumably with studio musicians.) Thankfully, Joe Truppi hung onto the 12" acetate that these tunes were pressed up onto — we've added them at the bottom of the page.<br />
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Al Cloutier joined the Idols for their last gig in July 1967 before he and Idol leader Bob Antonaccio went into the Navy together the following month. He has been living in the Washington, D.C., area since 1969, his last stop while serving in the Navy. Mike Moan lives in Connecticut and is director of security for a school district, and also has run a karate studio for the past 35 years. Joe Maraia still resides in Rhode Island and owned a convenience store on Thayer Street in Providence for 25 years. <br />
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<b>THE MYSTIC FIVE<br />It Doesn't Matter / Walk'n The Nose<br />Mystic Records</b> (MR1 / MR2) <b>1966</b><br />
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<b>THE MYSTIC FIVE<br />Syncron Studios Master Tape (Feb 1966)</b><br />
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<b>It Doesn't Matter</b><br />
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<a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/audio/ri/mysticfivet1.mp3" style="clear: left; margin-right: 0em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/turntable.png" /></a> </div>
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<b>All Alone</b><br />
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<a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/audio/ri/mysticfivet2.mp3" style="clear: left; margin-right: 0em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/turntable.png" /></a> </div>
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<b>Walk'n The Nose</b><br />
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<a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/audio/ri/mysticfivet3.mp3" style="clear: left; margin-right: 0em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/turntable.png" /></a> </div>
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<b>Wipe Out</b> (The Surfaris)<br />
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<a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/audio/ri/mysticfivet4.mp3" style="clear: left; margin-right: 0em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/turntable.png" /></a> </div>
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<b>Just Like Me</b> (Paul Revere & The Raiders)<br />
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<b>THE QUESTIONAIRES<br />7-song demo LP<br />Presto Recording Corporation acetate</b><br />
<b>Recorded 3/5/67 (incorrect year written on the label)</b><br />
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<b>In The Midnight Hour</b> (Wilson Pickett)<br />
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<a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/audio/ri/questionaires1.mp3" style="clear: left; margin-right: 0em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/turntable.png" /></a> </div>
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<b>Sugar And Spice</b> (The Searchers)<br />
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<a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/audio/ri/questionaires2.mp3" style="clear: left; margin-right: 0em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/turntable.png" /></a> </div>
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<b>Walking The Dog</b> (Rufus Thomas via The Rolling Stones)<br />
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<a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/audio/ri/questionaires3.mp3" style="clear: left; margin-right: 0em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/turntable.png" /></a> </div>
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<b>Ain't Got Nothin' Yet</b> (The Blues Magoos)<br />
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<a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/audio/ri/questionaires4.mp3" style="clear: left; margin-right: 0em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/turntable.png" /></a> </div>
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<b>Hard, Hard Girl</b> (The Warmest Spring)<br />
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<a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/audio/ri/questionaires5.mp3" style="clear: left; margin-right: 0em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/turntable.png" /></a> </div>
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<b>You Better Run</b> (The Young Rascals)<br />
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<a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/audio/ri/questionaires6.mp3" style="clear: left; margin-right: 0em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/turntable.png" /></a> </div>
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<b>I'm Mad Again</b> (John Lee Hooker via The Animals)<br />
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Nightrockerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13088412526796167483noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7095713462877127407.post-4768708726411878742013-04-29T23:09:00.008-04:002021-06-09T20:56:56.367-04:00SATAN'S BREED / ANGI-Ds (West Warwick, RI)<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width: 100%;"><tbody>
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<tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><b>Satan's Breed looking dead serious as they laugh themselves to the grave. From left: Terrence O'Donnell, Jack Zelano, Dennis Moretti, Joe Sevigny, Ronald Lemme. Courtesy of Joe Sevigny.</b></td></tr>
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When Beelzebub stepped down in North Kingstown, R.I., in colonial times to create <a href="http://quahog.org/factsfolklore/index.php?id=91" target="_blank">Devil's Foot Rock</a>, his other leg must have been planted in West Warwick, future home of five high school students gripped by the "devil's music" who called themselves Satan's Breed.<br />
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The nucleus of Satan's Breed started raising hell circa 1963 as the Angi-Ds. This young outfit featured songwriters Ronald Lemme (lead vocals and bass) and Dennis Moretti (saxaphone and vocals), along with Jack Zelano on guitar and Joe Sevigny on drums. The source of the peculiar name? Dennis' old Italian uncle. (Though its meaning is still not quite clear; perhaps his name was Angelo D?) These 15- and 16-year-old West Warwick High Schoolers luckily had the foresight to press up two of their original tunes on a blank label 45 with handwritten credits, presumably in an extremely minute quantity. "I Like Girls" bounces in a catchy, early frat garage style, complete with dual whistling (!?), handclaps, impromptu background vocal screeches and ultra-crude production. But the flipside is something else altogether. Its menacing, slow tempo bumps and grinds while Ronnie lasciviously growls 'n howls, saliva practically spilling over onto the turntable. And the hormone-spiked guttural delivery expounds matching <i>gutter</i>-al sentiments throughout four minutes of raunchy double entendres. It's no wonder that community elders raised a concerned eyebrow to this new thing called rock and roll 50 years ago.<br />
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In late 1964 the Angi-Ds restructured into Satan's Breed, adding neighborhood friend Terry O'Donnell on organ. The five-piece played venues of all sizes, from high school dances and YMCA gigs to Rocky Point amusement park and actual nightclubs. The evil moniker spooked some pious school administrators, however. The brothers at Catholic high school LaSalle Academy in Providence refused to let the Breed play at a battle of the bands, but eventually gave in to the crowd and gave the band a chance to perform. Satan's Breed hooked up with an enterprising 26-year-old schoolteacher, Al Aubin, who became their manager. (<i>Be sure to check out the press/promo pages below.</i>) In fall 1966, the crew traveled to AAA Studios in Boston to record a '50s-styled ballad, "Little Girl," and a fast, organ-dominated Animalized rocker, "Laugh Myself To The Grave." The record label name, A-L-M Records, reflected the combination of of Aubin-Lemme-Moretti. Joe Sevigny recalls:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>"The only reason we recorded this record was because of Al Aubin. We were playing at January's club in Pawtucket and Al liked us so much that he took a chance and wanted to manage us. Al financed the whole record, which cost him a considerable amount of money. We all thought we were headed to the big time but it didn't turn out that way. I'd like to thank Al for taking that chance even though it didn't pan out.</i>"</blockquote>
With three of the five members 19 years old and out of high school, Satan's Breed focused on a steady stream of gigs. The record did receive some local airplay, but failed to break into the highly competitive (and greased palm) market. The band continued on into 1968, and dissolved due to college and the draft.<br />
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In the 1970s, Joe Sevigny and Terry O'Donnell teamed up in the band Mother Goose, along with Phil Plante from the <a href="https://ripitupri.blogspot.com/search/label/Petrified%20Forrest%20%28a.k.a.%20Offbeats%29" target="_blank">Offbeats/Petrified Forrest</a>. (The band never made any recordings.) Sevigny still sits behind a drum kit for jam sessions at <a href="https://www.chanseggrollsandjazz.com/club.htm" target="_blank">Chan's jazz and blues club</a> in Woonsocket. In the decade following Satan's Breed, Dennis, Ron and Jack went on to play with drummer and future NFL coach <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Wylie" target="_blank">Bob Wylie</a>. Zelano, like so many other Rhode Islanders of retirement age, now resides in Florida. And Terry O'Donnell — we'd love to hear from you: Get in touch!<br />
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This entry is dedicated to the memories of Ronald Lemme and Dennis
Moretti, who sadly passed away in 1999 and 2009, respectively.<br />
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<a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/satansbreed/satansbreedbizcard.jpg" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/satansbreed/satansbreedbizcard.jpg" width="500" style="max-width: 500px; width: 100%;"/></a></div>
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<tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><b>From pentagram to peace sign? Mother Goose, left to right: Terry O'Donnell, keyboards; Peggy (originally from NJ), lead singer; Phil Plante, lead guitar; Joe Sevigny (in background), drums; Mike McElroy, bass. Courtesy of Joe Sevigny.</b></td></tr>
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<td><img alt="" src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/satansbreed/mg1.jpg" width="325" /></td>
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<td class="tr-caption" colspan="2" style="text-align: left;"><b>Mother Goose business cards courtesy of Gary Rawlinson.</b></td></tr>
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<td><a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/satansbreed/satansbreedpromo1.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/satansbreed/satansbreedpromo1.jpg" width="200" /></a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/satansbreed/satansbreedpromo2.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/satansbreed/satansbreedpromo2.jpg" width="200" /></a></td>
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<td class="tr-caption" colspan="3" style="text-align: left;"><b>The official Satan's Breed biography/press package from late 1966 (click for full-size view). Courtesy of Al Aubin.</b></td></tr>
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<td><a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/satansbreed/satansbreedsheetmusic2.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/satansbreed/satansbreedsheetmusic2.jpg" width="200" /></a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/satansbreed/satansbreedsheetmusic3.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/satansbreed/satansbreedsheetmusic3.jpg" width="200" /></a></td>
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<td class="tr-caption" colspan="3" style="text-align: left;"><b><b>S</b>heet music for "I Like Girls" plus two unrecorded tunes. </b><b><b><b>Anyone read music out there? </b></b>Courtesy of Al Aubin.</b></td></tr>
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<b>SATAN'S BREED<br />Little Girl / Laugh Myself To The Grave<br />A-L-M</b> (201,129 / 201,130) <b><br>Dec. 1966</b><br />
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<td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/audio/ri/satansbreed1.mp3" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/turntable.png" style="max-width: 100%; padding-left: 135px; padding-right: 135px;" /></a>
<a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/audio/ri/satansbreed2.mp3" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/turntable.png" style="max-width: 100%; padding-left: 135px; padding-right: 135px;" /></a>
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<b>THE ANGI-Ds<br />I Like Girls / C'Mere Women<br />no label </b>(FL-000) <br><b>1964</b><br />
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<td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/audio/ri/angids1.mp3" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/turntable.png" style="max-width: 100%; padding-left: 135px; padding-right: 135px;" /></a>
<a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/audio/ri/angids2.mp3" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/turntable.png" style="max-width: 100%; padding-left: 135px; padding-right: 135px;" /></a>
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<br />Nightrockerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13088412526796167483noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7095713462877127407.post-44804213301141608122013-03-08T23:48:00.002-05:002021-06-09T20:58:00.082-04:00THE STONEMEN (Fall River, MA)<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width: 100%;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: left;"><img border="0" src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/stonemen/stonemen_sitting_650px.jpg" style="max-width: 650px; width: 100%;" width="650"/></td></tr>
<tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><b>Look at those cold stares…they don't call them the Stonemen for nothing. From left: Mike Cote, Bob Boday, Nelson Araujo, Norberto Carreiro. Courtesy of Norbert Carreiro.</b></td></tr>
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FALL RIVER, MASS. – Lizzie Borden, Battleship Cove, Emeril Lagasse…and the Stonemen? <br />
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For collectors of Sixties, um, <i>rock</i> vinyl, there's no question which is the city's most notable hallmark.<br />
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Fall River is a largely Portuguese city bordering on the Southeastern portion of Rhode Island. About an hour from Boston and 30 minutes from Providence, it is close enough to either city for bands to easily gig; however, Fall River itself indeed had quite a thriving little scene back then. Yes, this is a site about Rhode Island bands — but seeing as the Stonemen's drummer hailed from our state, and the 45 was recorded in Providence, we'll gladly welcome them in with an asterisk. After all, there is no denying the killer photos and long-buried unreleased janglers we're about to unveil… <br />
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The a-side of the Stonemen's lone 45, "No More," appeared on the <i>New England Teen Scene Vol. 3</i> LP in 1991, and at the time I was familiar with the song from the <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Lyres/_/No+More" target="_blank">Lyres</a> repertoire. The sparse, ultra-lo-fi recording punctuates this devastatingly bleak tale of love lost: desperation weighs like a boulder on the heart of this Stoneman.<br />
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So, who <i>are</i> these tortured souls?<br />
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I pegged these guys for hopeless prep-school-looking dweebs, resigned to spending weekends tending to geometry homework while silently pining away for that one girl's unreciprocated smile. Well, slap me with a protracter if these guys ain't Beatle-booted <i>punks</i>. With go go dancers!<br />
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The Stonemen consisted of Norberto Carreiro (Fall River, Mass.) on rhythm guitar and lead vocals; Mike Cote (New Bedford, Mass.) on lead guitar and vocals; Nelson Araujo (Fall River, Mass.) on bass guitar and vocals; and Bob Boday (East Providence, R.I.) on drums and keyboards. The band played mostly in the Southeastern Massachusetts area, and made one trip down to New York City to perform when their 45 came out.<br />
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The two tracks from the single were recorded in early 1966 at New England Recording Studios in Providence. Nelson handled the vocals on "No More" while Norberto sang lead on "Where Did Our Love Go." The band was to attend the mixdown session at Bell Sound Studios in NYC with their manager Don Perry, but a wild evening with said go go dancers resulted in a slight change of plans. Mike Cote recalls:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>"We were partying in Fall River on Sunday night with the Go Go girls and got arrested in Fall River and spent the night in jail and went to court on Monday morning. We were supposed to take the train out of Providence early Monday a.m. and meet Don at Bell Sound in NYC. However, we couldn't get a train out until the afternoon because of our unfortunate delay and missed out on the mixing schedule that was set up for sometime Monday afternoon. So we partied in NYC that night and went to the Night Owl in the Village where the Lovin' Spoonful had played and ended up at the Peppermint Lounge. We met Don on Tuesday at Bell Sound. He had already remixed the record and we just got to listen to what he did. We were not pleased with all the reverb and echo he put into the mix. However, we just went with it."</i></blockquote>
With Norbert and Mike's departure date for the Air Force looming in June 1966, the Stonemen decided to capture five songs at Metcalf Studios in New Bedford, Mass., in April and May of 1966. Luckily for us, 48 years later, these unreleased gems — which only exist on beat-up, one-sided acetates residing in the Azores — flesh out the Stonemen legacy.<br />
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We'll let the guitars and gals do the talking here, as most details of the band's exploits are lost to the years.<br />
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An amusing side note: Without the band's knowledge, the Stonemen's agent, Fall River man-about-town and record label magnate Don Perry (of the Spi-Dells), used the backing music of "No More" and subbed in his own tearful, sobbing vocal track. He then pressed it up under the Kri-Babe moniker on the aptly named Boo Hoo label. A real head-scratcher, for sure.<br />
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Bert Carreiro now spends his time in the Azores, Portugal and Spain. He worked as a Carnival Cruise Lines entertainer and still slings guitar in a band. Nelson Araujo is retired and takes lead guitar and vocal duties in a couple of Southeastern Massachusetts bands. Bob Boday continued to drum for various blues and jazz outfits up until about ten years ago. Mike Cote still plays guitar and resides in Plymouth, Mass., sans leopard vest.<br />
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<i>Endless thanks to Norberto for the band photos and acetate scans. Acetate digital transfers and clean-up by Luis Dores</i>.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><imageanchor style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/stonemen/stonemen_jackets_650px.jpg" /></imageanchor></td></tr>
<tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><b>From left: Norberto Carreiro, Bob Boday, Mike Cote, Nelson Araujo. Courtesy of Norbert Carreiro</b><b>.</b></td></tr>
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<tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><b>From left: Bob Boday, Nelson Araujo, Norberto Carreiro, Mike Cote. Courtesy of Norbert Carreiro</b><b>.</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><imageanchor style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/stonemen/Stonemen-Academy-Theater-1_1600px.jpg" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/stonemen/Stonemen-Academy-Theater-1_1600px.jpg" style="max-width: 650px; width: 100%;" width="650"/></a></imageanchor></td></tr>
<tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><b>Live at the Academy Theater in Fall River, Mass. Courtesy of Norbert Carreiro</b><b>. (Click for full-size view.)</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><imageanchor style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/stonemen/Stonemen-Academy-Theater-2_1600px.jpg" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/stonemen/Stonemen-Academy-Theater-2_1600px.jpg" style="max-width: 650px; width: 100%;" width="650"/></a></imageanchor></td></tr>
<tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><b>Live at the Academy Theater in Fall River, Mass. Courtesy of Norbert Carreiro</b><b>. (Click for full-size view.)</b><b></b></td></tr>
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<td><a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/stonemen/stonemen_studio1_650px.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/stonemen/stonemen_studio1_650px.jpg" width="325" /></a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/stonemen/stonemen_studio2_650px.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/stonemen/stonemen_studio2_650px.jpg" width="325" /></a></td>
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<td class="tr-caption" colspan="2" style="text-align: left;"><b>Nelson, Norbert and Mike at Metcalf Studios in New Bedford, Mass., April-May 1966.</b></td></tr>
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<td><a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/stonemen/stonemen_studio3_650px.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/stonemen/stonemen_studio3_650px.jpg" width="325" /></a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/stonemen/stonemen_studio5_650px.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/stonemen/stonemen_studio5_650px.jpg" width="325" /></a></td>
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<td class="tr-caption" colspan="2" style="text-align: left;"><b>Norberto with an unidentified musician (left) and hamming it up with Mr. Metcalf off to the side.</b></td></tr>
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<td><a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/stonemen/stonemen_studio6_650px.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/stonemen/stonemen_studio6_650px.jpg" width="325" /></a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/stonemen/stonemen_studio9_650px.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/stonemen/stonemen_studio9_650px.jpg" width="325" /></a></td>
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<td class="tr-caption" colspan="2" style="text-align: left;"><b>Nelson (left) and Mike (right) tuning up.</b></td></tr>
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<td><a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/stonemen/stonemen_studio8_650px.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/stonemen/stonemen_studio8_650px.jpg" width="325" /></a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/stonemen/stonemen_studio4_650px.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/stonemen/stonemen_studio4_650px.jpg" width="325" /></a></td>
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<td class="tr-caption" colspan="2" style="text-align: left;"><b>Bobby on keys (left), and talking shop with an unidentified band (right). Does anybody out there remember these guys?</b></td></tr>
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<a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/stonemen/stonemen-newport3.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/stonemen/stonemen-newport3.jpg" /></a><br />
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<td><a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/stonemen/stonemen-newport1.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/stonemen/stonemen-newport1.jpg" width="325" /></a></td>
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<td class="tr-caption" colspan="2" style="text-align: left;"><b>The Stonemen live and in color at the Binnacle Club in Newport, R.I., at possibly one of the band's last performances before military service. According to Mike, the club was on the second floor above a laudromat, up the street from the Newport police station. Photo courtesy of Mike Cote.</b></td></tr>
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<div style="background-color: #cdd0d9; line-height: 1.4; padding: 12px;">
<span style="font-size: 18px;"><b>Stonemen reunion - Oct. 22, 2014</b></span>
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All four original members perform together for the first time in 48 years...and without a rehearsal!</div>
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<tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><b>The festivities started with a delicious Portuguese dinner at Clipper Restaurant in Fall River.</b></td></tr>
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<a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/stonemen/P1040560.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/stonemen/P1040560.jpg" /></a><br />
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<td><a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/stonemen/P1040561.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/stonemen/P1040561.jpg" width="325" /></a></td>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" colspan="2" style="text-align: left;"><b>At the Holy Ghost Club in Westport, the boys played an unrehearsed set of 50s/60s covers including "That's How Strong My Love Is," and also broke out three originals: "No More," "Where Did Our Love Go," and "I Don't Want You." </b></td></tr>
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<a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/stonemen/stonemen_sitting_650px.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/stonemen/stonemen_sitting_650px.jpg" /></a><br />
<a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/stonemen/P1040586.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/stonemen/P1040586.jpg" /></a><br />
<a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/stonemen/P1040587.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/stonemen/P1040587.jpg" /></a><br />
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<b>THE STONEMEN<br />No More / Where Did Our Love Go<br />Big Topper</b> (1107/1108) <br><b>March 1966</b><br />
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<td style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/labels/stonemen1.jpg" style="max-width: 320px; width: 100%;" width="325" />
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<td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/audio/ma/stonemen1a.mp3" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/turntable.png" style="max-width: 100%; padding-left: 135px; padding-right: 135px;" /></a>
<a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/audio/ma/stonemen1b.mp3" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/turntable.png" style="max-width: 100%; padding-left: 135px; padding-right: 135px;" /></a>
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<b>THE STONEMEN<br />#1 Fool<br />Acetate-only recording <br />Metcalf Studios, New Bedford, MA<br />April 1966</b><b></b><br />
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<img alt="" height="325" src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/labels/stonemen-acetate1.jpg" width="325" /><br />
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<b>THE STONEMEN<br />I Don't Want You<br /><i>** Lead vocal: Nelson Araujo<br />** Keyboards: Bob Boday</i><br />Acetate-only recording <br />Metcalf Studios, New Bedford, MA<br />April 1966</b><b></b><br />
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<b>THE STONEMEN<br />I Could Love A Girl (A Lot Like You)<br />Acetate-only recording <br />Metcalf Studios, New Bedford, MA<br />May 24, 1966</b><b></b><br />
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<b>THE STONEMEN<br />That's How Strong My Love Is<br /><i>** Keyboards: Bob Boday</i><br />Acetate-only recording <br />Metcalf Studios, New Bedford, MA<br />May 24, 1966</b><b></b><br />
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<b>THE STONEMEN<br />6 x 9<br /><i>** Keyboards: Bob Boday</i><br />Acetate-only recording <br />Metcalf Studios, New Bedford, MA<br />April 1966</b><b></b><br />
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<b>KRI-BABE<br />No More / No More<br />Boo Hoo </b>(BH-1/2)<b> 1966</b><br />
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<br />Nightrockerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13088412526796167483noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7095713462877127407.post-46213658865950634642012-12-22T23:46:00.003-05:002021-06-09T21:15:49.834-04:00THE PETRIFIED FORREST a.k.a. THE OFFBEATS (Coventry, RI)<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width: 100%;"><tbody>
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<tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><b>The Petrified Forrest standing on a pile of crushed cars off of Allens Ave. in Providence. A fitting metaphor? From left: Phil Plante, Richard Long, Ed Damota, Peter Stevens, Ken Grady, Phil
Damota. Courtesy of Ken Grady.</b></td></tr>
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Sure, the saying is trite, but sometimes, you <i>really</i> can't make this stuff up. Enter a young Rhode Island band, a tough Kinks cover and some offbeat major-label shenanigans.<br />
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The band — Coventry, R.I., pals Ken Grady, Phil Plante, Peter Stevens and brothers Phil and Ed Damota — at the time was going by the name the Offbeats, following stints as the Sixpence and the David Smock Five. Some recordings were made at Planet Studios in Providence (one song called "Nickels And Dimes" was recalled), but nothing was ever committed to vinyl or acetate, and whatever tapes existed have been lost to the ages. <br />
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The Offbeats' manager<b> — </b>Providence disc jockey, music director and band producer <a href="http://www.vikarmen.com/bio.html" target="_blank">Vik Armen</a> — had an "in" with New York City producer <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warren_Schatz" target="_blank">Warren Schatz</a>, who had a major-label recording studio to himself on Sundays. Schatz had written and produced a ballad with some studio musicians, "She's The Only Thing That's Kept Me Going," along with a particularly strong cover version of the Kinks' "So Mystifying." The deal Schatz proposed was that the Offbeats would get six hours of studio time in exchange for "becoming" the band that released these two tracks: i.e., gigging to promote the record. The band made up the name Petrified Forrest on the spot in the studio, and recorded two of their original tunes during the session that afternoon in New York. Unfortunately, these compositions have met with the same fate as the earlier Planet tapes. The Fontana label released the recordings from Schatz' studio project in July 1967. (Oddly, Schatz' version of "So Mystifying" also was released in June 1966 on the Laurie label under the band name the Shapes Of Things, with a different b-side. It's unknown if any impressionable teenage band was recruited to promote this version as well.)<br />
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The band rode whatever momentum could be gained by promoting a record whose centerpiece was a nearly three-year-old Ray Davies tune — that they didn't even play on! The newly christened Petrified Forrest performed many shows and opened up for Sam The Sham & The Pharaohs and the Young Rascals, and headlined at Brown University. They also played the Sugarberry dance series sponsored by WICE radio in Providence (see photos below).<br />
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Ken Grady recalls: <i>"WPRO radio and Channel 12 television were in the same building on Mason Street back then (maybe co-owned at the time), so Vik Armen got one of the Channel 12 photographers to take the pictures [for the Sugarberry brochure]. The WICE connection was Bill Corsair. We did a lot of appearances with him. Back then, WICE was a great Top 40 radio station at 1290 AM."
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After the Petrified Forrest ran its course, members Ed Damota, Phil Damota and Peter Stevens teamed up with David Smith, Joanne Polana and Peter Joubert to form the nucleus of Toast, a successful Coventry-based cover band that lasted throughout the 1970s. Ken Grady went on to teach at Coventry High School and started the school's radio program, which is still intact to this day.<br />
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<td class="tr-caption" colspan="2" style="text-align: left;"><b><b>The Petrified Forrest find themselves in fine company with the Barbarians and the Left Banke</b> as performers at Sugarberry, a dance series that WICE AM radio held at the Alhambra Ballroom at Crescent Park in East Providence. Courtesy of Ken Grady. (Click photos for full-size view.)</b></td></tr>
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<b>THE PETRIFIED FORREST<br />So Mystifying / She's The Only Thing That's Kept Me Going<br />Fontana</b> (F-1596) <b>July 1967</b><br />
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<br />Nightrockerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13088412526796167483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7095713462877127407.post-22004942692079870172012-12-09T23:51:00.004-05:002021-06-09T21:18:04.236-04:00THE MODS a.k.a. MARDS (Cumberland, RI)<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width: 100%;"><tbody>
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<tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><b>The moptop craze hits Cumberland, R.I. From left: Mike "Squeaky" Quinn, Bill Large (rear center), Tom Langlois (front center), Joe Simanski. Courtesy of Bill Large.</b></td></tr>
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I wish I could say that my initial reaction to the Mards 45 was that its loud, raw recording nicely captured the sound of the first wave of U.S. teenage garage bands. While that <i>is</i> true, alas, the first thing that came to mind was: <b>What the heck is a mard?</b> <br />
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That burning question — as it turns out, the product of a regional malapropism — as well as the rest of the story behind the cryptic band's lone single, is now answered.<br />
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The Mods were formed by Bill Large (vocals, sax), Tom Langlois (bass), Joe Simanski (lead guitar) and Paul Gadoury (drums) in the early 1960s, playing all instrumental covers such as the Ventures. They migrated to vocal tunes, and, inspired by hearing a record by local Woonsocket stars the <a href="http://ripitupri.blogspot.com/search/label/Florian%20Monday%20And%20The%20Mondos" target="_blank">Mondos</a> on the radio, said, "Hey, we can do that!" The guys, about 15 years old at the time, each pitched in $100 to record at RLM Studios in North Attleboro, Mass., (same studio as the Mondos as well!) and have their single pressed up. For the session, the Mods chose Chuck Berry's "Johnny B. Goode" and Tommy Tucker's "High Heel Sneakers," credited to Jerry Lee Lewis, who also performed a version. Tom Langlois sang lead on "Johnny B. Goode" and played rhythm guitar, with Al Donati on bass duties. Bill Large sang lead on "High Heel Sneakers" and Langlois played bass while Al Donati manned the organ. And yowza — check out Bill Large's primitive caveman growl on <i>"You know you're really gonna knock 'em dead!"</i><br />
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So, about the band name: With the tracks layed down, the band was asked for the information to put on the upcoming record's label. Well, in classic <i>Rhode Island accent</i> form, the word "Mods" was misconstrued as "Mards." (For the uninitiated, if one was to say "Mards" in this state, it would be pronounced as "Mods," or, more appropriately, "Mahds" … kind of a cross between Massachusetts and New York dialects. And apparently, the recording engineer was oblivious to the youth phenomenon going on over in England.) But despite the band's sole vinyl appearance listing an incorrect moniker, they indeed soldiered on as the Mods. The label was named for the Cumberland High School music teacher, Mr. Carney, as an inside joke. <br />
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The Mods were awarded the distinction of being the first rock and roll band to perform at the Stadium Theatre in Woonsocket, in 1963. (See article below.)<br />
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In a brief brush with fame, the Mods played at Lakeview Park in Mendon, Mass., with the Ronettes. Phil Spector was in attendance since his wife Ronnie Spector was performing, and he took an interest in the Mods, saying they had a good look and a good sound. Some demo recordings were made at WNRI radio's studio in Woonsocket, but nothing ever came of it. <br />
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Along the way, Mike "Squeaky" Quinn took over on drums, and the band continued for about a year after high school until the usual culprits — college and the draft — caused the band to wind down.<br />
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Joe Simanski later joined Woonsocket-based Northeast Expressway with the late organist Paul Charron. The Expressway, another all-cover band, kept it up through the 1970s and released one single on the Arco label from New Bedford, Mass., covers of "Groovin' Is Easy" (Electric Flag) and "Have You Noticed You're Alive" (the Buckinghams). Al Donati joined another Cumberland cover band, the Sigma IV, which played Newport often in the late 1960s. He currently plays in the Mid Life Crisis Band in Massachusetts. Tom Langlois joined the Marines after high school and now resides in North Carolina after a career in the military.<br />
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<tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><b><i>Woonsocket Call</i> article before the first Stadium Theatre gig, circa 1963. Courtesy of Joe Simanski.</b></td></tr>
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<b>THE MARDS<br />Johnny B. Goode / High Heel Sneakers<br />Carney</b> (TB-127/128) <br><b>1965</b><br />
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<br />Nightrockerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13088412526796167483noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7095713462877127407.post-47629027640808522722012-12-09T21:54:00.004-05:002021-06-09T21:21:18.218-04:00LOOS FOOS & THE FIBERGLASS CORNFLAKE (Pawtucket, RI)<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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<tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><b>Photo courtesy of Flower Bomb Songs website and Rick Sousa. Used with permission.</b></td></tr>
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I tell ya, I'm glad there are some hard-core sixties sleuths out there, otherwise there's absolutely no way I would've known this gem was from the Ocean State. As it turns out, this Pawtucket, R.I., band's story sails from across the Atlantic, courtesy of Flower Bomb Songs in the U.K. In short, songwriter, rhythm guitarist and vocalist Rick Sousa and the rest of the band (including namesake Ed Foos on bass) formed in 1962, and stayed together for an impressive seven years. Besides the typical parties and clubs, Foos & Co. also played at McCoy Stadium, home of minor league baseball team the Pawtucket Red Sox. While the radio-friendly a-side displays your average late-60s "groovy" lite-rock sounds, the psychotic flipside here is where it's at: a fuzzed-out psychedelic rock and roll confession!<br />
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<a href="http://expo67-cavestones.blogspot.com/2008/11/loos-foos-fiberglass-cornflake.html" target="_blank">Read Flower Bomb's detailed interview with Rick Sousa</a> for the complete story including vintage photos and the list of <i>rejected</i> band names.<br />
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<b>LOOS FOOS & THE FIBERGLASS CORNFLAKE<br />I Think I've Got You / Bless Me Father<br />Ace Record Co.</b> (ARS-135) <br><b>1969</b><br />
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<br />Nightrockerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13088412526796167483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7095713462877127407.post-78382691902873170952012-10-21T23:59:00.010-04:002021-06-09T21:31:48.040-04:00VIGOR FISHER (Providence, RI)<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width: 100%;"><tbody>
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<tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><b>Pimped out at the Playboy Club in New Orleans, circa 1972. Vigor Fisher (center) flanked by band mates Michael Palumbo (left) and Walter Payton (right). Photo courtesy of Michael Palumbo.</b></td></tr>
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Back in 1961, a guitar slingin' 17-year-old black kid from Providence landed a three-record deal on the major label Mala. So why is the name Vigor Fisher virtually unknown in his home state, some 50 years later? Well, for what little dent it will make, this injustice is about to be corrected.<br />
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Admittedly, I was ignorant of Vigor's genius output until I was invited to join DJ Bill Bruno on his Sunday afternoon <a href="http://www.onworldwide.com/classic/radio7.php" target="_blank">radio show</a> at WOON in Woonsocket back in April 2012. This website was recently launched, and Bill wanted me to come and spin some Rhode Island 45s with him. To open the show, he dropped the needle on the instrumental "Last Chance To Foot Stomp." Woah. <i>This</i> is a Rhode Island guy? I was on a mission.<br />
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Unfortunately, info is scant. "Big Al" Pavlow (R.I. sixties producer and author of <i>The R&B Book</i>) remembers Vigor as a talented guitar player who put on fun, energetic live shows. In fact, Pavlow recalls that he always envisioned Fisher following in a similar vein as Jimi Hendrix. The only other description comes from an online messageboard (yes, the absolute <i>worst</i> place to glean a source), where "Rocket Man" describes Fisher: <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>"By the way, the dude was about 6ft 8in, thin as a rail, poc marked face, ugly as sin, jerry curls and slicked down, shark skin jacket, pointed toe shoes, and a pimp hat at times...I saw him a couple of times at local clubs, and he was frenetic, like the white boy in back to the future. His shows were quite fun...His guitar playing was like a blend of Havens & Hendrix. [An unreleased song is discussed:] Maybe 'You Is One Ugly Chile' was never cut, and was only part of his club sets. This song is the one all the boys on the corner would sing."</i></blockquote>
Fisher kicked off his career with three Mala singles released in 1961-1962, impressively penning five of the six tracks himself. All featured Fisher's distinctive "chicken scratch" guitar style, and most likely were products of one single recording session produced by hitmaker <a href="http://bugsbowermusicbooks.com/about.php" target="_blank">"Bugs" Bower</a>. <br />
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The "hit" was the frantic rocker "Al Caplone." Was the random "L" added to avert potential slander lawsuits by the deceased gangster? ("No, hey, this purely fictional character CapLONE is only <i>based on</i> that other cat!") Or was it an egregious typo? The tune was resurrected on the final Mala single, this time in instrumental form as "Last Chance To Foot Stomp," with an organ replacing the vocal track and some slammin' percussion added to what was formerly the chorus.<br />
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A subdued instrumental two-sider on the New York-based Angie label followed in 1963 as Vigor Fisher & The Fishermen. Five years later, Fisher's final wax appearance came out on the Dot label. A straight-up soul groover, the particularly strong a-side still features a fleeting moment of Vigor's guitar noodling as the intro. And that, without fanfare, is where the Vigor Fisher tale concludes.<br />
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Sadly, Fisher died tragically young in San Francisco in April 1976, at the age of 32.
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<i>Band members, relatives and old friends: We'd love more info and photos. <a href="mailto:JayLitch@cox.net" target="_blank">Get in touch</a>!</i><br />
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• • • <br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Update 4/16/16:</b> Rhode Island drummer Dave Rossi checked in to relay his inspiring Vigor Fisher story. Dave played with <a href="http://www.ripitupri.blogspot.com/search/label/Alibi" target="_blank">The Alibi</a> in the late 1960s and continued to play in bands through the 1990s. He is now involved in the Nashville songwriting scene. </div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: left;">
<i>I grew up in the Silver Lake section of Providence in the 1950’s. I began playing music at age 9. I took lessons on trumpet at Axelrod Music in downtown Providence. I picked up drumming along the way and was playing in bands by age 12. By age 14, I began playing in local niteclubs.</i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: left;">
<i>Back then, live bands were playing everywhere and I was always checking them out.<br />It was around 1960 and I was about 14 years old. There was a grand opening for an Almacs Supermarket in Cranston. They had a band set up on a flat-bed truck. I didn’t know who they were, nor did I know that my life was about to change. </i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: left;">
<i>I got right up front. It was a 3-piece rock band. Guitar, bass and drums. The guitarist sang. He was Vigor Fisher. </i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: left;">
<i>He started the show with a single guitar chord. No band. No time. And he began to sing a slow, drawn-out intro: </i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: left;">
<i>“Put on the skillet. Put on the lead. Momma’s little baby wants – – – – – shortnin’ bread.” Pause … Pause … </i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: left;">
<i>What happened next was the most exciting thing I had ever heard come from a band!<br />Vigor BLASTED into an incredible rockin’ version of Shortnin’ Bread. His guitar playing was from another planet. His vocals were electrifying. You could feel his raw musical talent in your bones!!! </i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: left;">
<i>My heart pounded and my mouth dropped open. Vigor played, sang and clapped his hands in a style that was all his. I didn’t know it at the time, but Vigor’s playing would influence my drumming for a lifetime. </i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: left;">
<i>I went on to play with dozens of bands and hundreds of great musicians. I am a Berklee alum and studied in New York City. I’ve played over 4,000 gigs. AND thru it all – Vigor Fisher remains the most exciting entertainer I ever saw. He had Buddy Holly energy. Elvis energy. Mavin Gaye. But never an imitation. Vigor was 100% original. </i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: left;">
<i>During my playing years (1960-1990’s), I played many R&B gigs (along with jazz, rock, latin, etc.) – and when I played up-tempo, high-energy tunes, I found it quite easy to lay down some pretty hip drum beats. I never knew where they came from. They were just “there.” </i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: left;">
<i>Then one day it hit me like a ton of bricks. I was drawing on Vigor’s guitar rhythms – what I had heard as a young boy! And I thought: “Man – is that kool or what!!” Vigor Fisher was a monster. A natural raw talent. He deserves to be recognized as one of the greatest musical talents ever to come out of Rhode Island. I would support any efforts in that regard. </i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: left;">
<i>Thank you Vigor …<br />Dave Rossi</i></blockquote>
• • •<br />
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: start;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Update 2/12/15:</b> Former band mate Michael Palumbo checked in to tell us that our man Vigor headed south to New Orleans for a spell in the early 1970s.</div>
</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: start;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>"Around 1972 I played in a band with him in New Orleans. It was a trio of Walter Payton on bass, myself on drums and of course Vigor playing guitar and singing. We played for several months at the Playboy Club and after that did some other gigs around town as long as we could. At some point it just seemed everyone went separate ways and I lost track of him. Someone told me he had died a few years later and for some reason I doubted it was true. Vigor was the type of person who lived close to the edge and I thought that losing contact with him would make most people just assume he died. According to your bio it was indeed true.</i> </div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: start;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>By the way, I gave up playing music in the late 80’s, but I have some of my most fond memories working with him. The three of us had a lot of fun being spontaneous and Vigor could wing it for quite a long time and we just hung on for the ride. It was almost like he would write songs as he performed them and I recall times where it was so much fun that I would just about laugh while it was happening.</i> </div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: start;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>This unlikely trio happened because Walter and I were working at the Playboy Club with a jazz pianist in the downstairs bar area. Typical jazzy cocktail music that you would expect of the Playboy Club. Times were changing though and I think they wanted to put something different in there. There was a dance floor that was seldom if ever used. Walter and I thought we were going to be gone when Vigor came in, but he did not really have a band so we just stayed on with him. He let us know that he would be putting together his own band as soon as he could. A couple of weeks went by and I think we must have clicked because we stayed with him until he left town.</i> </div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: start;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>Something very much out of character was that we were once asked to play for a local high school band banquet. It was an all boys catholic school and even though Vigor was totally out of his element (and probably stoned out of his head), he did a really good performance for them and they really liked it. I can remember we did One Note Samba at a break-neck tempo and Vigor was amazing to hear sing it. He did it something like Al Jarreau, but long before Al Jarreau."</i></div>
</blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: left;"><img border="0" src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/vigorfisher/vigorfisherstage1.jpg" style="max-width: 650px; width: 100%;" width="650"/></td></tr>
<tr><td style="text-align: left;"><img border="0" src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/vigorfisher/vigorfisherstage2.jpg" style="max-width: 650px; width: 100%;" width="650"/></td></tr>
<tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><b>Photos courtesy of Michael Palumbo.</b></td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
• • •<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
</div>
<b>Update 5/6/13:</b> Former band member Bob Cary checked in and relayed some humorous Vigor Fisher memories. Bob played with Vigor circa 1965-66 and the lineup consisted of Vigor Fisher on guitar and vocals, Herman Pittman (Providence) on bass guitar, Al Kaufman (Warwick) on drums, and Bob Cary (North Kingstown) on trumpet.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>"This was the average night working with Vigor:</i><br />
<br />
<i>I lived in North Kingstown near East Greenwich, and every night I would pick up Al Kaufman in Warwick in my 1955 pink and white DeSoto. Drive to the Plaza Hotel in Providence. Herman Pittman would be waiting for us there but no Vigor.</i><br />
<br />
<i>So we waited. The gig was in Newport at The Paradise from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. So Vigor shows up around 8:45. We always were late. We got as far as East Providence and Vigor would say, "Hey man. Take a right." We're late now and he wants to take a right to a store for some booze.</i><br />
<br />
<i>Arriving around 9:30 or 9:45, we would rush in the front of the club which was the bar. The back room was where we played and a large dance hall. To this day, I can still hear the manager or club owner's voice coming from behind the bar yelling at Vigor for being late, all the time. Vigor would ignore him and we went to stage and gave them one hell of a show. All was forgiven, night after night.</i><br />
<br />
<i>But wait! After the gig was over, he had to have a bone dinner. Chicken. So we spent some time waiting while he had his bone dinner. Night after night, the same routine. Drive back to Providence, drop Herman and Vigor off, then Al in Warwick and I'd get home around 4:00 a.m.</i><br />
<br />
<i>Same thing but what a show we put on. He was a trip.</i><br />
<br />
<i>* * *</i><br />
<br />
<i>The band, Vigor Fisher and The Vatilities, went to New York City one day in my DeSoto. It was a big car. I don't know how he does it, but we have a recording date or audition at "Bugs" Bowers' Gotham Studios. On the way to New York he was composing songs from the back seat. We had no idea what we would play so, at the studio, we just tried stuff. Nothing any good. All off the top of his head. Not over yet. This is our Vigor New York adventure.</i><br />
<br />
<i>At night we found ourselves on stage at The Apollo Theater in Harlem performing with Mary Wells. That night we slept in my car in Brooklyn on a side street. I had no idea what was next. But it always was a trip with him.</i><br />
<br />
<i>Now figure this one out. At The Ebony Lounge in New London, Conn., we backed up Faye Adams. After the gig, it was always finding an after hours spot/club or someplace where he could have a bone dinner in usually a house. Never go straight home.</i><br />
<br />
<i>Now I'm sitting in my car on a side street in New London. I can see all the way down the street and on each side were big tenement houses. Vigor gets out of the car, walks down a half a block and goes into a house on the right side. 45 minutes later, he comes out of a house on the left side. And I'm looking straight down the street. What the…?</i><br />
<br />
<i>* * *</i><br />
<br />
<i>At the Plaza Hotel downtown in the club in the back, we were playing a 12 bar blues. No vocal, just instrumental. At every 4 bars he would play a quarter-note, hit them and I'd improvise the rest. Sort-of fill in the holes. Second chorus he'd play 2 hits, and I filled in the rest. Third chorus, add another one until the last chorus was all hits. So I asked him, what the hell was that? He said he just wanted to see how long I could play. He got tired before I did. Funny but I wrote a big band chart on that very idea. Called it, "You're Putting Me On Blues."</i><br />
<br />
<i>Vigor had a special talent. A diamond in the rough.</i><br />
<br />
<i>Thanks on behalf of Vigor. Didn't know he was gone, 1976."</i></blockquote>
Bob Cary moved to Toronto and his successful career as a trumpet player is chronicled on his <a href="http://bobcary.webs.com/" target="_blank">website</a>. Herman Pittman played in Montreal-based Duke Edwards Cycle in the late 1960s and went on to work with John Hammond. Both he and Al Kaufman passed away in the late-2000s.
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />
• • •</div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Vigor F. Fisher (February 1944 - April 1976)</b>
</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/vigorfisher/vigorfisher-obit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/vigorfisher/vigorfisher-obit.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><b>Vigor Fisher's obituary notice in <i>The Providence Journal</i>, April 13-14, 1976.</b></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; width: 100%;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/vigorfisher/WOON-4-15-12.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/vigorfisher/WOON-4-15-12.jpg" style="max-width: 650px; width: 100%;" width="650"/></a></td></tr>
<tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><b>Your host and DJ Bill Bruno at WOON studios in Woonsocket, April 2012. Bill's seemingly innocent act of spinning "Last Chance To Foot Stomp" caused the brain stomping which directly led to this endeavor. </b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
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<br />
<b>VIGOR FISHER<br />Teenagers' Blues / Al Caplone<br />Mala</b> (438) <br><b>1961</b><br />
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<td style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/labels/vigorfisher_1a_stock.jpg" style="max-width: 320px; width: 100%;" width="325" />
<img src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/labels/vigorfisher_1b_stock.jpg" style="max-width: 320px; width: 100%;" width="325" />
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<td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/audio/ri/vigor1a.mp3" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/turntable.png" style="max-width: 100%; padding-left: 135px; padding-right: 135px;" /></a>
<a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/audio/ri/vigor1b.mp3" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/turntable.png" style="max-width: 100%; padding-left: 135px; padding-right: 135px;" /></a>
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<br />
<b>VIGOR FISHER<br />Padiddle / Think Of Happiness<br />Mala</b> (442) <br><b>1961</b><br />
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<img src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/labels/vigorfisher_2b_promo.jpg" style="max-width: 320px; width: 100%;" width="325" />
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<td style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/labels/vigorfisher_2a_stock.jpg" style="max-width: 320px; width: 100%;" width="325" />
<img src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/labels/vigorfisher_2b_stock.jpg" style="max-width: 320px; width: 100%;" width="325" />
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<td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/audio/ri/vigor2a.mp3" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/turntable.png" style="max-width: 100%; padding-left: 135px; padding-right: 135px;" /></a>
<a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/audio/ri/vigor2b.mp3" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/turntable.png" style="max-width: 100%; padding-left: 135px; padding-right: 135px;" /></a>
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<br />
<b>VIGOR FISHER<br />Last Chance To Foot Stomp / The Way You Love Only Me<br />Mala</b> (448) <br><b>1962</b><br />
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<td style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/labels/vigorfisher_3a_promo.jpg" style="max-width: 320px; width: 100%;" width="325" />
<img src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/labels/vigorfisher_3b_promo.jpg" style="max-width: 320px; width: 100%;" width="325" />
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<td style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/labels/vigorfisher_3a_stock.jpg" style="max-width: 320px; width: 100%;" width="325" />
<img src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/labels/vigorfisher_3b_stock.jpg" style="max-width: 320px; width: 100%;" width="325" />
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<td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/audio/ri/vigor3a.mp3" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/turntable.png" style="max-width: 100%; padding-left: 135px; padding-right: 135px;" /></a>
<a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/audio/ri/vigor3b.mp3" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/turntable.png" style="max-width: 100%; padding-left: 135px; padding-right: 135px;" /></a>
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<br />
<b>VIGOR FISHER & THE FISHERMEN<br />Batter Up / Telstar II<br />Angie</b> (1004) <br><b>1963</b><br />
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<td style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/labels/vigorfisher_5a.jpg" style="max-width: 320px; width: 100%;" width="325" />
<img src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/labels/vigorfisher_5b.jpg" style="max-width: 320px; width: 100%;" width="325" />
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<td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/audio/ri/vigor4a.mp3" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/turntable.png" style="max-width: 100%; padding-left: 135px; padding-right: 135px;" /></a>
<a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/audio/ri/vigor4b.mp3" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/turntable.png" style="max-width: 100%; padding-left: 135px; padding-right: 135px;" /></a>
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<b>VIGOR FISHER<br />What I Got / Courage Ain't Strength<br />Dot</b> (45-17114) <br><b>1968</b><br />
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<img src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/labels/vigorfisher_4b_promo.jpg" style="max-width: 320px; width: 100%;" width="325" />
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<td style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/labels/vigorfisher_4a_stock.jpg" style="max-width: 320px; width: 100%;" width="325" />
<img src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/labels/vigorfisher_4b_stock.jpg" style="max-width: 320px; width: 100%;" width="325" />
</td>
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<td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/audio/ri/vigor5a.mp3" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/turntable.png" style="max-width: 100%; padding-left: 135px; padding-right: 135px;" /></a>
<a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/audio/ri/vigor5b.mp3" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/turntable.png" style="max-width: 100%; padding-left: 135px; padding-right: 135px;" /></a>
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<br />Nightrockerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13088412526796167483noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7095713462877127407.post-89150311923675962442012-10-08T22:53:00.003-04:002021-06-09T21:33:01.326-04:00THE NEW FOURTH REICH (Northbridge, MA)<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width: 100%;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: left;"><img border="0" src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/newfourthreich/newfourthreich_650px.jpg" style="max-width: 650px; width: 100%;" width="650" /></td></tr>
<tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><b>Achtung! The New Fourth Reich arises, from left: Dean Mathieu (bass), Buzz Tremblay (vocals & lead guitar), Ken Smith (vocals & percussion), Ray Forsythe (drums), Rodney Gallagher (rhythm guitar). Photo courtesy of Buzz Tremblay.</b></td></tr>
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<br>
Despite the incongruous "punk" sounding name, this here is a nice jangly folk rocker with crude, raw production. One of the more obscure releases on the Planet label, the New Fourth Reich were not even from Rhode Island; rather they hailed from Northbridge, Mass., about halfway in between Woonsocket, R.I., and Worcester, Mass. With the choice of a recording studio in each city, these high schoolers decided to make the 30-mile trek to Providence to record at Planet studios. <br />
<br />
The band consisted of lead guitarist Ernest "Buzz" Tremblay, Jr. (credited as songwriter on both tracks), singer Kenny Smith, bassist Dean Mathieu, rhythm guitarist Rodney Gallagher and drummer Ray Forsythe. All were juniors and seniors at Northbridge High School except for Forsythe, who attended a Catholic high school in Milford, Mass. According to Tremblay, the band's name caused friction within the band during the recording, with some members wanting to change the name for the release and others not budging on the moniker. Planet's Jewish recording engineer Myron Muffs luckily took it in stride, though warned the teens that it would make their 45 a hard sell. As Tremblay recalls, "I knew Myron was right but I'm sure he knew we just thought it was a cool name and five nerds like us weren't Nazis! We argued after we recorded the 45 but the bass player was so stubborn and one of the other guys didn't want to change it either. I wanted to call the band Comin' Generation after the b-side of the Knickerbockers' hit 'Lies.'"<br />
<br />
The song "That Girl" was written about Tremblay's future (and current) wife, who was 13 years old at the time! Tremblay noted that some members of the Cowsills were in the studio at the time and remarked how they liked the vocal harmonies. The band was together for one-and-a-half years, breaking up in 1969, and played mostly in high schools around their hometown, although they did play in North Smithfield, R.I. Guitarist Gallagher was from Halifax, Nova Scotia, and when the single was released it actually (very briefly) moved ahead of the Beatles in the Halifax charts. Tremblay continued to perform music through the decades with his wife, and currently has a <a href="http://www.reverbnation.com/buzztremblay" target="_blank">solo gig</a> in addition to taking on lead vocal and rhythm guitar duties with Upton, Mass.-based classic rock band New Bay Colony.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMneE71uny4" target="_blank">Seig heil, mofos!</a>
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<b>THE NEW FOURTH REICH<br />That Girl / We Don't Need Them<br />Planet</b> (No. 68) <b>1968</b><br />
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<td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/audio/ma/newfourthreich1.mp3" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/turntable.png" style="max-width: 100%; padding-left: 135px; padding-right: 135px;" /></a>
<a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/audio/ma/newfourthreich2.mp3" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/turntable.png" style="max-width: 100%; padding-left: 135px; padding-right: 135px;" /></a>
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<br />Nightrockerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13088412526796167483noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7095713462877127407.post-71157007360943354572012-09-28T23:39:00.005-04:002021-06-09T21:39:37.239-04:00THE IDOLS (West Warwick, RI)<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width: 100%;"><tbody>
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<tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><b>The Idols, sporting West Warwick's coolest uniforms. Top left-right: Joey Tedeschi, Ken Kerr. Center: Norm "Ogg" Lavallee. Bottom left-right: Bob Antonaccio, Denis Valerien. Courtesy of Bob Antonaccio.</b></td></tr>
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<br />
I first heard the haunting ballad "True Luv Gone Astray" on the <i>New England Teen Scene Volume 3</i> LP back in 1992, shortly after the compilation's release. It was a standout track, and to say that I was surprised is an understatement when 20 years later I learned that this was in fact a Rhode Island band. Naturally, I <i>needed</i> to find out more about the Idols, so in February 2012 I got in touch with songwriter Bob Antonaccio, who gladly provided photos and the history of the band.<br />
<br />
And for as somber and orchestrated with harmonies as the a-side is, the single's flipside, "Haunted House," speeds 100mph in the opposite direction. As the title suggests, it's an instrumental track punctuated with screams, hollars, growls and general frightening calamity…the kind of naive exuberance only found in pre-war teen garage 45s.<br />
<br />
An interesting side-note, Al Cloutier of the <a href="https://ripitupri.blogspot.com/search/label/Mystic%20Five" target="_blank">Mystic Five</a> joined the Idols for their last performance in July 1967, before he and Bob left for Navy boot camp.<br />
<br />
In his own words, here is Bob's story of the Idols:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"The Idols' rock and roll destiny was launched in the town of West Warwick, R.I., in February of 1964. The band was comprised of Charles Erinakes (guitar), Ken Kerr (guitar), Denis Valerien (keyboards), Norm "Ogg" Lavallee (drums) and Bob Antonaccio (lead vocals and percussion). Joey Tedeschi replaced Charles in 1965. Joey, Ken, Denis and myself went to West Warwick High School, and Oggie went to Coventry High School. The Idols' manager was Richard Lavallee, the brother of our drummer Norm. He was a great PR manager who kept us well stocked with gigs.<br />
<br />
The group played at various battle of the bands and high school and college mixers, and gained notoriety with constant exposure for songs played, influenced by the British Invasion rock groups. While playing the nightclub circuit, the band was discovered by disc jockey Joe Thomas from WPRO AM and was featured on the radio station billing as "The Rolling Stones of West Warwick." The Idols played at the Rocky Point Palladium in Warwick, R.I., and the Lakeville Ballroom in Lakeville, Mass., as the warm-up band for various Top 40 performers while touring for WPRO.<br />
<br />
The Idols' music showcase was a combination of Top 40 hits and original songs written by Denis Valerian and Bob Antonaccio. Between 1965-1966, recording sessions were scheduled with over 10 original Idols songs on tape. (<i>Editor's note: We'll be sure to share these when they are uncovered!</i>) The highlight came in 1966 when the band released "True Luv Gone Astray" and "Haunted House" on LUV Records, recorded at Ace Recording Studios in Boston.<br />
<br />
The band continued to perform weekly gigs until 1967, when the Vietnam War was raging and the federal government apparently needed the band members more than the public that we loved to entertain. Bob Antonaccio, Ken Kerr, Denis Valerien and Norm Lavallee all joined the military. Our last performance was July 1967 at the West Warwick Youth Center, where we had experienced many great receptions as one of the featured rock groups for four years.<br />
<br />
Upon returning from Vietnam service in 1971, Bob Antonaccio continued to perform with The Second Helping, a rock band featuring many of the songs that The Idols had performed in the '60s.<br />
<br />
Norm “Ogg” Lavallee and Joe Tedeschi have since passed on.<br />
<br />
Rock on garage bands of the '60s!"<br />
<br />
<i>—Bob Antonaccio, April 2012</i></blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><imageanchor style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/idols/idols2.jpg" style="max-width: 650px; width: 100%;" width="650"/></imageanchor></td></tr>
<tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><b>The Idols' last performance, July 1967, at the West Warwick Youth Center. From left: Ken Kerr, Norm Lavalee, Bob Antonaccio (holding cake), Denis Valerien, Al Cloutier (of the Mystic Five).</b><b> Courtesy of Bob Antonaccio.</b></td></tr>
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<hr />
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<b>THE IDOLS<br />True Luv Gone Astray / Haunted House<br />Luv</b> (201,306 / 201,307) <br><b>1966</b><br />
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<td style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/labels/idolsluv1.jpg" style="max-width: 320px; width: 100%;" width="325" />
<img src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/labels/idolsluv2.jpg" style="max-width: 320px; width: 100%;" width="325" />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" colspan="2" style="text-align: left;"><b>Note that the record labels list Joey Tedeschi and Ken Kerr as the artists, with "Played and Sung By The Idols" in very small print underneath. This was an error by the pressing plant, but the cost to redo the labels was too expensive, so the band kept them as-is.</b></td></tr>
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<td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/audio/ri/idols1.mp3" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/turntable.png" style="max-width: 100%; padding-left: 135px; padding-right: 135px;" /></a>
<a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/audio/ri/idols2.mp3" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/turntable.png" style="max-width: 100%; padding-left: 135px; padding-right: 135px;" /></a>
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<br />Nightrockerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13088412526796167483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7095713462877127407.post-82543053411162085052012-09-13T22:30:00.005-04:002021-06-09T21:39:25.672-04:00RAY GEE AND THE COUNTS (Woonsocket, RI)<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left; width: 100%;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/raygee/raygee_650px.jpg" style="max-width: 650px; width: 100%;" width="650"/></td></tr>
<tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><b>Getting the hoedown started in scenic Northern Rhode Island, from left: Stuart "Tiny" Ranslow (rhythm guitar), Richard Charbonneau (drums), Ray "Gee" Gouin (lead guitar) and Ray Lamberto (organ). Photo courtesy of Ray Lamberto.</b></td></tr>
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<br />
According to everybody's favorite quasi-legit information source, Wikipedia defines hootenanny in one incarnation as "an old country word for 'party.'" Well, that sure sounds like what Woonsocket, R.I.'s own Ray Gee And The Counts brought on back in 1965. Though rather than riding the crest of the British Invasion wave, the Counts' lone single is a throwback to the Buddy Holly era of rock and roll, with nary a Beatles or Stones lick found in the grooves. In fact, "Hootenanny Baby" even turned up on a bootleg compilation, "Echoes Of Buddy Holly," featuring cover versions of his songs and (apparently) Buddy Holly soundalikes as well. The flipside, actually listed as Side 1 on the labels, is a bizarre instrumental, less conducive to doing the mashed potato or the swim than to busting out jerky futuristic robotic movements.<br />
<br />
Details on the band's existence are scant, though organ player Ray Lamberto (yes, the band contained no less than <i>two</i> Rays) kindly lent the band photo and personnel info. <br />
<br />
After the Counts, Stuart "Tiny" Ranslow signed on as organ player with the Bobby Shannon Group, a long-running, popular cover band that was a mainstay at the St. James Hotel in Woonsocket. Ray Lamberto continued to gig six nights a week — between three different clubs — for the next 42 years. And Ray Gouin is keeping his moniker alive, still performing regularly as Ray Gee and The Silver Dollar Band at Casa Fernandes in Glendale, R.I.<br />
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<hr />
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<b>RAY GEE AND THE COUNTS<br />Hootenanny Baby / Arabic Jazz<br />Planet Records</b> (No. 54) <br><b>May 1965</b><br />
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<td style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/labels/raygeepromo1.jpg" style="max-width: 320px; width: 100%;" width="325" />
<img src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/labels/raygeepromo2.jpg" style="max-width: 320px; width: 100%;" width="325" />
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<td style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/labels/raygee1.jpg" style="max-width: 320px; width: 100%;" width="325" />
<img src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/labels/raygee2.jpg" style="max-width: 320px; width: 100%;" width="325" />
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<td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/audio/ri/raygee1.mp3" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/turntable.png" style="max-width: 100%; padding-left: 135px; padding-right: 135px;" /></a>
<a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/audio/ri/raygee2.mp3" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/turntable.png" style="max-width: 100%; padding-left: 135px; padding-right: 135px;" /></a>
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<br />Nightrockerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13088412526796167483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7095713462877127407.post-12484033063534377732012-09-01T21:20:00.004-04:002021-06-09T22:03:45.440-04:00THE MONTEREYS (Cranston, RI)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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For garage fans, this disc rounds out the trifecta of killer Planet label releases (in good company with the Malibus and Shawkey Se'au, natch). The fast 'n frantic instrumental a-side "Blast Off" was comped on the "Strummin' Mental Volume 2" LP in the mid-1980s, though the single itself has proven incredibly elusive through the years. This may be due to the fact that the record never made it past the
"Radio Station Copy" promotional stage: no blue-label stock copies were
ever pressed. The ballad flipside, typical for the time, is a moody teen tale of love gone bad. We caught up with band leader Michael Russo and he gave us this info behind the Cranston, R.I.-based band:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"<i>As for the year I started the band, it would have been 1961. I was 14. We played for school dances, weddings, showers, Knights of Columbus dances, and appeared on Hootenanny, a local TV show, and a local country and western TV show named for the star, Eddie Zack, because my uncle Bill Zompa was his drummer. We were the first band to open a show at a now-defunct amusement park named Crescent Park in East Providence, with Little Eva ("Locomotion") and Freddie "Boom Boom" Cannon ("Palisades Park"). The band had five players, me on lead guitar and vocals, Carmine Albano
on organ, Morris LeBelle on bass, Lou Pazienza on sax, and Dave Tancredi
on drums. After that I lost track of everyone.</i>" </blockquote>
Rip It Up R.I. would like to acknowledge the deceased brothers Donald and Aleck DePetrillo, who also performed with the Montereys.<br />
<br />
Russo later played in a surf-pop group, playing songs by the likes of the Beach Boys and Jan And Dean, but despite an original tune called "Vicki," no recordings were ever made.
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<br />
<hr />
<br />
<b>THE MONTEREYS<br />
Blast Off / You Never Cared<br />Planet</b> (No. 57) <b>1965</b><br />
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<td style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/labels/montereys1.jpg" style="max-width: 320px; width: 100%;" width="325" />
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<td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/audio/ri/montereys1.mp3" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/turntable.png" style="max-width: 100%; padding-left: 135px; padding-right: 135px;" /></a>
<a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/audio/ri/montereys2.mp3" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/turntable.png" style="max-width: 100%; padding-left: 135px; padding-right: 135px;" /></a>
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<br />Nightrockerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13088412526796167483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7095713462877127407.post-72517749510991887052012-07-20T12:15:00.003-04:002021-06-09T22:03:31.496-04:00THE LOST SOULS (Pawtucket, RI)These Lost Souls were high school students from the Darlington area of Pawtucket who won a battle of the bands at <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocky_Point_Amusement_Park" target="_blank">Rocky Point</a> for a prize of studio time at Boston's AAA Studios plus 500 copies of their record. (Although in this questionable "prize," the "winners" had to pay for the studio time — which was often in the wee hours of the night/morning ... sounding much like a ploy for the studio to get some extra $$$ during off-hours at the expense of eager young talent.) Thanks to the book <i>Fuzz Acid & Flowers</i>, we know that the band personnel included Frank DiLorenzo on lead guitar and vocals, Joe Gamba on drums, Mike MacTavish on keyboards, Dennis Ptak on guitar and Randy Roy on bass. Randy entered the Navy and was replaced by Gary Graveline, and when Dennis and Mike left, Mike was replaced by Steve Lemos. According to Gary, the band's repetoire consisted of about 100 cover songs of the day, and in fact "Leaving" was the only band original, penned by Frank. The two-guitar interplay at the end was DiLorenzo's attempt to cop a Jeff Beck style. For the flipside, the Lost Souls chose a well-executed Hollies cover, done up just how we like it in New England teen garage style. But apparently their hormone-induced changing of the line "If it gets too late I've got a bed that <i><b>we</b></i> can use" (in place of "<i><b>you</b></i> can use" from the Hollies version) proved too racy for Providence's main local radio station, and the vinyl's fate of decades of obscurity was sealed.<br />
<br />
<i>Band members, relatives and old friends: We'd love more info and photos. <a href="mailto:JayLitch@gmail.com" target="_blank">Get in touch</a>!</i><br />
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<hr />
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<b>THE LOST SOULS<br />Leaving / Step Inside<br />Musicor New Talent Series</b> (NTS-436) <b>1969</b><br />
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<td style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/labels/lostsouls2.jpg" style="max-width: 320px; width: 100%;" width="325" />
<img src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/labels/lostsouls1.jpg" style="max-width: 320px; width: 100%;" width="325" />
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<td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/audio/ri/lostsouls1.mp3" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/turntable.png" style="max-width: 100%; padding-left: 135px; padding-right: 135px;" /></a>
<a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/audio/ri/lostsouls2.mp3" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/turntable.png" style="max-width: 100%; padding-left: 135px; padding-right: 135px;" /></a>
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<br />Nightrockerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13088412526796167483noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7095713462877127407.post-43875822094360967092012-04-20T14:53:00.005-04:002021-06-10T10:49:31.989-04:00THE MALIBUS and BASTILLE (Cranston, RI)<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width: 100%;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/malibus/malibus_0004_850px.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/malibus/malibus_0004_850px.jpg" style="max-width: 650px; width: 100%;" width="650" /></a></td></tr>
<tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><b>The Malibus, looking quite jovial despite the heartbreakers who inspired their perfect debut 45. From left: Peter Place, Joe Broccoli, Peter Bulger and Jack Henehan. Photo courtesy of Pete Bulger.</b></td></tr>
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When one thinks of teen garage records from Rhode Island, the Malibus 45 from 1966 on Planet Records is the long-running crown jewel. The band's first vinyl outing is a stunning two-sider, with the one-two punch of garage punker "Cry (Over Her)" on the opening side and the moody Zombies-esque "Leave Me Alone" on the flip. A true indication of its greatness, "Cry" was chosen for inclusion on the very first <i>Back From The Grave</i> compilation LP back in 1983, while its counterpart appeared on the very first <i>New England Teen Scene</i> LP volume the same year. <br />
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The band — Jack Henehan, Joe Broccoli, Peter Place and Pete Bulger — sprung from Cranston, R.I., lasting from 7th grade all the way through college at the University of Rhode Island. Broccoli, Place and Bulger went to Cranston High School East, while Henehan attended Bishop Hendricken. The Malibus gigged heavily in venues of all sizes ranging from school dances to private functions to opening slots at large auditoriums for major-label acts such as the Byrds and the Left Banke.<br />
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A faster, but far tamer version of "Cry" was cut two years later in 1968, paired with a new ballad flipside. Some copies of this 45 came with a dynamic fluorescent bumper sticker. The two tracks also surfaced as part of a monthly flexi-disc series in Massachusetts sponsored by Pepsi. However, this record spotlighted the b-side, "I Miss You," and relegated "Cry" to an abridged version which abruptly fades out as the disc's groove space ends. <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>(The etching in the dead wax area reads "Pepsi #8" so theoretically there are at least seven other artists who received this treatment. The ones I've found accounted for are the Ramrods, the Fabulous Frauleins, the 5 P.M., and the Royal Knights (Maine). If anybody out there remembers where these cryptic flexis originated from, we'd love to find out more information.)</i></blockquote>
At the end of the decade, coinciding with some lineup changes, the Malibus changed their name to Bastille, and in 1972 the band self-released its only vinyl output, the "Trying To Be Free / Music Ship" 45.<br />
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In May 2013, drummer and resident pack rat Pete Bulger unearthed a treasure trove of Malibus memorabilia … and we've got 'em all scanned and showcased below. These relics reinforce just how popular the band was and the breadth of their busy performance schedule — including television appearances and even road trips to the Atlantic City (N.J.) Steel Pier and Expo 67 in Montreal.<br />
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Be sure to also check out the fine <a href="https://www.garagehangover.com/" target="_blank">Garage Hangover</a> site, who were the first to feature the <a href="https://www.garagehangover.com/?q=Malibus" target="_blank">complete Malibus/Bastille story</a>!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; width: 100%;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/malibus/malibus_650px.jpg" style="max-width: 650px; width: 100%;" width="650"/></td></tr>
<tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><b>Early promotional shot. Photo courtesy of Garage Hangover site.
Used with permission.</b></td></tr>
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<td><a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/malibus/malibus_0000_850px.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/malibus/malibus_0000_850px.jpg" style="max-width: 325px; width: 100%;" width="325"/></a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/malibus/malibus_0005_850px.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/malibus/malibus_0005_850px.jpg" style="max-width: 325px; width: 100%;" width="325"/></a></td>
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<td class="tr-caption" colspan="2" style="text-align: left;"><b>At right, the Malibus rockin' Rocky Point Amusement Park in Warwick, R.I.</b></td></tr>
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<td><a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/malibus/malibus_0001_850px.jpg"><img border="0" width="360" src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/malibus/malibus_0001_850px.jpg" /></a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/malibus/malibus_0003_850px.jpg"><img border="0" width="290" src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/malibus/malibus_0003_850px.jpg" /></a></td>
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<td class="tr-caption" colspan="2" style="text-align: left;"><b>Sideburns … the later years.</b></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; width: 100%;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/malibus/malibus_0008_1200px.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/malibus/malibus_0008_1200px.jpg" width="650" style="max-width: 650px; width: 100%;" width="650"/></a></td></tr>
<tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><b>Channel 4 in Boston television appearance, Sept. 18, 1965.</b></td></tr>
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<td><a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/malibus/malibus-mirror-67.10.05.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/malibus/malibus-mirror-67.10.05.jpg" width="325" style="max-width: 325px; width: 100%;"/></a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/malibus/malibus_journal-66.12.31.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/malibus/malibus_journal-66.12.31.jpg" width="325" style="max-width: 325px; width: 100%;" /></a></td>
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<td class="tr-caption" colspan="2" style="text-align: left;"><b>The Cranston Mirror gives props to its hometown rockers in the Oct. 5, 1967, issue (left). "Drummer Boy" (right) twirls his sticks at the "Stars of Tomorrow" talent show and Christmas festival at the Albee Theater, Dec. 30, 1966. This photo appeared on the front page of the <i>Providence Journal</i> on Dec. 31, 1966.</b></td></tr>
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<table border="0" style="width: 100%;">
<tbody>
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<td><a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/malibus/malibus-herald-67.10.05.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/malibus/malibus-herald-67.10.05.jpg" width="325" style="max-width: 325px; width: 100%;" /></a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/malibus/malibus-journal-67.10.03.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/malibus/malibus-journal-67.10.03.jpg" width="325" style="max-width: 325px; width: 100%;" /></a></td>
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<td class="tr-caption" colspan="2" style="text-align: left;"><b>The <i>Cranston Herald</i> Oct. 5, 1967, (left) and the <i>Providence Journal</i> Oct. 3, 1967, promote the Malibus' appearance at the Expo 67 world fair in Montreal, October 1967.</b></td></tr>
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<table border="0" style="width: 100%;">
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<td><a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/malibus/malibus-herald-66.12.22.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/malibus/malibus-herald-66.12.22.jpg" width="200" style="max-width: 200px; width: 100%;" /></a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/malibus/malibus-herald-67.06.15.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/malibus/malibus-herald-67.06.15.jpg" width="200" style="max-width: 200px; width: 100%;" /></a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/malibus/malibus-herald-68.04.18.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/malibus/malibus-herald-68.04.18.jpg" width="200" style="max-width: 200px; width: 100%;" /></a></td>
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<td class="tr-caption" colspan="3" style="text-align: left;"><b>The local boys received lots of press in the <i>Cranston Herald</i>: Dec. 22, 1966; June 15, 1967; April 18, 1968.</b></td></tr>
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<table border="0" style="width: 100%;">
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<td><a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/malibus/malibus_0013_850px.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/malibus/malibus_0013_850px.jpg" width="325" style="max-width: 325px; width: 100%;" /></a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/malibus/malibus_0010_850px.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/malibus/malibus_0010_850px.jpg" width="325" style="max-width: 325px; width: 100%;" /></a></td>
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<td class="tr-caption" colspan="2" style="text-align: left;"><b>Program from the aforementioned talent show on Dec. 30, 1966, with Malibus promo shot and bio.</b></td></tr>
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<table border="0" style="width: 100%;">
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<td><a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/malibus/malibus-soundin-1.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/malibus/malibus-soundin-1.jpg" width="200" /></a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/malibus/malibus-soundin-2.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/malibus/malibus-soundin-2.jpg" width="200" /></a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/malibus/malibus-soundin-3.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/malibus/malibus-soundin-3.jpg" width="200" /></a></td>
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<td class="tr-caption" colspan="3" style="text-align: left;"><b>Dig the Malibus illustration! Unfortunately, no photos of the Malibus and their Wing-Ding Dancers have turned up </b><b>.</b></td></tr>
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<td><a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/malibus/malibus-seventeen-1.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/malibus/malibus-seventeen-1.jpg" width="200" /></a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/malibus/malibus-seventeen-2.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/malibus/malibus-seventeen-2.jpg" width="200" /></a></td>
<td><a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/malibus/malibus-seventeen-3.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/malibus/malibus-seventeen-3.jpg" width="200" /></a></td>
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<a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/malibus/malibus_0014-b_850px.jpg" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/malibus/malibus_0014-b_850px.jpg" width="650" style="max-width: 650px; width: 100%;"/></a></div>
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<tr align="left"><td><img border="0" src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/bands/malibus/bastille.jpg" style="max-width: 650px; width: 100%;" width="650"/></td></tr>
<tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption"><b>A few years, tokes, and wardrobe changes later ... Bastille, from left: Sam Gingerella, Pete Bulger, Rick Nielsen, Peter Place, Ray Renzi and Jack Henehan. Photo courtesy of Ray Renzi and Garage Hangover site. Used with permission.</b></td></tr>
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<b>THE MALIBUS<br />Cry (Over Her) / Leave Me Alone<br />Planet Records</b> (No. 58) <b>1966</b><br />
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<td style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/labels/malibuspromo1.jpg" style="max-width: 320px; width: 100%;" width="325" />
<img src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/labels/malibuspromo2.jpg" style="max-width: 320px; width: 100%;" width="325" />
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<td style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/labels/malibusstock1.jpg" style="max-width: 320px; width: 100%;" width="325" />
<img src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/labels/malibusstock2.jpg" style="max-width: 320px; width: 100%;" width="325" />
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<td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/audio/ri/malibus1a.mp3" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/turntable.png" style="max-width: 100%; padding-left: 135px; padding-right: 135px;" /></a>
<a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/audio/ri/malibus1b.mp3" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/turntable.png" style="max-width: 100%; padding-left: 135px; padding-right: 135px;" /></a>
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<b>THE MALIBUS<br />Cry / I Miss You<br />Malibu Records</b> (MC-1) <b>1968</b><br />
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<td style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/labels/malibusmalibu1.jpg" style="max-width: 320px; width: 100%;" width="325" />
<img src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/labels/malibusmalibu2.jpg" style="max-width: 320px; width: 100%;" width="325" />
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<td style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/labels/malibusflexi_label_650px.jpg" style="max-width: 320px; width: 100%;" width="325" />
<img src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/labels/malibusflexi2_650px.jpg" style="max-width: 320px; width: 100%;" width="325" />
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<td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/audio/ri/malibus2a.mp3" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/turntable.png" style="max-width: 100%; padding-left: 135px; padding-right: 135px;" /></a>
<a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/audio/ri/malibus2b.mp3" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/turntable.png" style="max-width: 100%; padding-left: 135px; padding-right: 135px;" /></a>
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<b>BASTILLE<br />Trying To Be Free / The Music Ship<br />no label</b> (RITE-5355) <b>1972</b><br />
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<td style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/labels/bastille1.jpg" style="max-width: 320px; width: 100%;" width="325" />
<img src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/labels/bastille2.jpg" style="max-width: 320px; width: 100%;" width="325" />
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<td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/audio/ri/bastille1.mp3" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/turntable.png" style="max-width: 100%; padding-left: 135px; padding-right: 135px;" /></a>
<a href="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/audio/ri/bastille2.mp3" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.thebasementwalls.com/images/turntable.png" style="max-width: 100%; padding-left: 135px; padding-right: 135px;" /></a>
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<br />Nightrockerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13088412526796167483noreply@blogger.com3