Category Archives: Springfield

Categories: New Jersey, Springfield, Venture

The 40 Fingers

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The 40 Fingers began playing in the middle sixties in Springfield, New Jersey. The original group consisted of Teddy O’Connell, lead vocals and keyboard, Bruce Colandrea, lead and background vocals, lead and rhythm guitar, Bruce Gerstein (officially called the Slug), bass guitar, and background vocals, and Wayne Massiello, drums and background vocals.

The 40 Fingers appeared on such TV shows such as Clay Cole, and Zacherley, along with appearing [billed as the Forty Fingers] at Summit High School with Lou Reed’s Velvet Underground and the Myddle Class.

On or around 1968, the group decided to add high school friend Al Fridkis on B3 Hammond organ, and have Ted O’Connell on stand up vocals. Al does not appear on this 45 for the Venture label. The single has the 40 Fingers version of the Myddle Class and Blues Project’s “Don’t Let Me Sleep Too Long”. The flip “Low Sunday” has a “Stormy Monday” kind of thing Bruce put lyrics to.

Thanks to Arnold for sending in the sound clips, scans and history of the band, co-written with Lenny.

Categories: CBM, Gray Sounds, New Jersey, Sound of Soul, Springfield, Unknown

The Abstrack Sound / Abstract Sound “Blacked Out Mind”

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Something of a mystery, my understanding is that although their second 45 has a Brooklyn, NY address on the label, the band was actually from Springfield, NJ.

The misspelled “Your Gona Break My Heart” has some cool slide effects on the intro, a fine guitar break and lots of echo. It was released with the band listed as the Abstrack Sound, on the CBM label in 1966, with a moody “Judge Him If You Can” on the flip.

On their second record, the stomping “I’m Trying” backed with the wild “Blacked Out Mind”, they’re called the Abstract Sound. This one was released twice in 1967, on the Gray Sounds and Sound of Soul labels, and was produced by E. M. Gray.

Bill Monetti and C. Catena wrote their songs, along with Denis Dreher on the second 45. However, the Gray Sounds release lists Dreher as co-writing “I’m Trying” while the Sound of Soul release gives him co-credit on “Blacked Out Mind”. BMI lists him on both songs along with Monetti, and drops Catena altogether! Obviously someone screwed up the credits somewhere along the way. To make things still more confusing, the labels are reversed on my copy!

Anyone have a photo of the group or scans of the CBM or Sound of Soul labels?