Frani & the Frantics, from left: Fran Russak, Karla Major, Alayne Major and Jim Morabito
Frani & the Frantics were a vocal quartet of Fran Russak, sisters Karla Major and Alaine Major, and Jim Morabito. Fran Russak came from Carmel, New York, the others from Peekskill.
Their one and only single from the spring of 1964, “You Threw a Line” b/w “Skin and Bones” was also the first on the Giantstar label of Mahopac, owned by Raymond Meltzer. Giantstar would release three singles by the Mark IV of Poughkeepsie.
The labels of Giant Star GS 401 credit Dorothea Meltzer & Jeannie Villetto for both songs. Ray Meltzer owned Jemel Publishing, JNR Production and Music-All Inc. Copyright registration shows another song, “Why Ya Make Me Wanna Cry” which Frani & the Frantics attempted but didn’t finish.
Jeanne Villetto had previous experience in song-writing, composing songs for two singles by Claire Lane (aka Claire Litke, a member of the Ramrods): “I Dig That Guy” for the top side of Josie 904 (b/w “Run Run Run Away”), and “Curiosity” / “Isn’t It a Shame” on Petal 1020 in August, 1963.
Villetto and Litke also wrote “Do You Hear Me Call?” in 1962, but I’m not sure if this was recorded.
Alaine Major wrote to me about her time as a Frantic:
I was one of the Frantics of the group Frani and the Frantics. The “Frantics” were myself, my sister Karla and Jimmy Morabito. We recorded “You Threw a Line” backed by “Skin and Bones” in 1964 with Ray Meltzer and Jean Villetto.
Karla, Jimmy and I sang in high school. One day we saw an ad in our local Pennysaver that record producers were auditioning singers for studio backup work (for Frani). We thought that sounded like fun, so we called and auditioned. Once Ray Meltzer and Jean Viletto heard us sing (acapella), Jean decided right then and there that instead of us being studio backup singers, she wanted to form a group.
Within two weeks we were under contract. We rehearsed locally in the Peekskill area for two months most evenings and weekends with a small combo. Finally Ray and Jean decided we were ready to record. Our Mom drove us to Mars Broadcasting [in Stamford, Connecticut] for the recording sessions. Ray knew several musicians from the New York Philharmonic who made up the orchestra you hear on the record. I remember the engineer Chuck James who was truly supportive of our efforts. The studio was very crowded with the musicians on one side and we on the other. We each sang into a hanging mic. There was a lot of down time as the engineer worked on the board with Ray and Jean listening and tweaking. (I also remember hearing that Mars Broadcasting was owned by Dick Clark).
Music-All was Raymond’s company and was the name on our contract. “Why Ya Make Me Wanna Cry” was supposed to be the ‘B’ side of “You Threw A Line”, but the next week we switched to “Skin and Bones”.
At our request, “Skin and Bones” was done acapella. If you listen to it again, you’ll hear me cue Frani her note after we modulate up on the word “bones.”
The Jarlayns on Giantstar GS-402, “I Don’t Love You Anymore”, released February 1966
We played rock n roll shows with The Duprees, The Ventures, The Rivieras, and others I don’t recall anymore. It was an exciting time for three high school kids from Peekskill, NY! We became local celebrities and got invited to sing at many, many shows and events.A year later I used to do a lot of writing and I would go to the studio just to get my stuff on tape. Under the name The Jarlaynes, we recorded “Why Don’t You Call” with Karla and I playing the acoustic guitar. “I Don’t Love You Anymore” was originally just me and my guitar and Chris Dikaris [who also had a single on Giantstar] added instruments & backup vocals. I wrote both of those songs and so my name, Alayne Major, is written underneath the song title.
After high school Karla, Jimmy and I began singing as a trio again and sang at many local events and “hootenanny’s” which became popular with the advent of folk music.
Mirabai in the Poughkeepsie Journal, September 5, 1976
Karla was also a student at New Paltz. Jimmy moved on, but Karla and I sang as The Major Sisters and were invited to other colleges to perform in their hootenanny’s. We also were asked to be the opening act for several musicians at college concerts which included Chuck Berry (!), Judy Collins, Miriam Makeba and Hugh Masakela among others. This went on through 1969.After Woodstock, Karla moved to San Francisco and started a band, and I was a wife and mother. In 1970 Jimmy was drafted and went to Vietnam.
I was the impetus for Karla’s solo career through contacts I’d made. She used the stage name Mirabai. She returned from San Francisco around 1972 and moved to NYC where she was a headliner at Reno Sweeney’s, Catch a Rising Star, and The Bottom Line (she opened for Billy Joel, Kenny Rankin, Loudon Wainwright III). Her big break came in 1974 when Jimmy Cliff was going to do his first U.S. concert at Carnegie Hall and he requested Karla (then Mirabai) be his opening act. Danny Goldberg caught her performance and began managing her career at that point.
In 2006 Karla was living in Asheville, NC with her family. She got in touch with Bob Johnston who produced her album and he produced a new CD she’d written. Unfortunate personal events precluded its release, but I have the master and a couple of first CDs printed.
I learned from a friend that Raymond and Jean got married and lived out the rest of their lives in Florida. Karla died in 2016, and Jimmy died on March 14, 2022.
Thank you to Alaine Major for answering my questions about the Frantics!
Thanks also to Mike Markesich for the scans of the Jarlayns single on Giantstar.
Frani and the Frantics mentioned in the Mamaroneck Daily Times on April 30, 1964
The Savage Generation came from Westchester, NY. Members were Roger Alther of Tuckahoe, Ronnie Fruscianti of New Rochelle, Tom Scarcello and Ray De Angelis of Scarsdale, and Paul Montclare of Eastchester.
They had one single on Senate Record Corp 2113 from October 1968, both sides original songs by band members. Ray De Angelis wrote the A-side, “You’re Not Going to Change My World”, which is heavy on the phasing and has great rhythm section. I haven’t heard the flip, “Mr. Sun”, written by Tom Scarcello and Ron Frusciante.
Both songs published by Pocket Full of Tunes, Inc / Egavas Music BMI, produced by Wes Farrell, and distributed by ABC Records, NY.
Savage Generation Fan Club cardThe Herald Statesman profiled the Savage Generation on March 23, 1968 for a gig the following Saturday at Westchester County Center. Besides giving the names of the group, it mentions their manager, Frank Garofaola of New Rochelle, and Brother Darby Ruane of Iona College who help the band get high profile live shows. It also says the group evolved out of a duo, The Hangmen, and a trio, The Savages.
The article has many interesting quotes from the band’s members, and also lists two songs that weren’t released, “A Dream Walks Amongst Us” written by Paul Montclare, and “Birth of a Savage”.
“Taken in Bermuda on Spring Break we played the Buccaneer Club” – Tommy
We wrote a song called “Birth of a Savage.” I would come on stage wearing a priest’s white robe with a long afro and beard and would light myself on fire with lighter fluid and the stage as well. We would sing our song, and then as things were burning, I would pick up a large empty shell that looked like a mini bomb, and I would scream, “Peace, peace, or destruction!” and then fling it out into the audience … We went on and recorded an album at the first 24-track studio owned by Jimmy [sic] Hendrix in New York City.
I think it’s likely the group did record more than just the single, but nothing else has been released to my knowledge. After writing this article, Tommy contacted me and sent the photos seen here.
A belated thank you to transoniq for finding this article, and special thanks to Tommy Scarcello for the photos of the group and fan club card.
The Savage Generation, profiled in the Herald Statesman, March 23, 1968
Raunch live at the Cellar in Ossining, 1966. From left: Tommy Walker (on drums), Jay Manning, Sandy Katz (playing the Vox Mark VI “Teardrop”) and Frank Taxiera on bass
Sandy Katz – rhythm guitar and vocals Jay Manning – lead guitar Frank Taxiera – bass Tommy Walker – drums
Raunch were from Ossining with the exception of Sandy Katz, their lead vocalist and songwriter, who was from Briarcliff Manor. Raunch’s great cover of Paul Revere & the Raiders’ “Hungry” leads off the fabulous Ren-Vell Records Presents Battle of the Bands Vol. 1 LP.
Raunch recording at Ren-Vell Studio 317 N. Central Ave, White Plains Even better is a 45 they cut for Bazaar Records, “A Little While Back” / “I Say You’re Wrong”. The A-side is a great song featuring heavy fuzz guitar and a blistering solo by Jay Manning. Jay kindly provided the photos here, including the first I’ve seen of Ren-Vell’s studio, and the story behind the band:
The Synners was the first band I had, while still in high school. It was myself (lead guitar) and my two best friends David Perugini (rhythm guitar) and Alan Raycraft (drums), and later another high school friend, Curt Mienel(bass guitar). We played at our high school a couple of times and parties. I don’t think we ever got paid, but in those days the motivation was impressing girls, not financial rewards.
I have a recording from 1965 of us playing at an Ossining High School Spanish Club banquet. Dave’s dad got a hold of an old Wollensak reel to reel and, unbeknownst to me, recorded three songs.
We graduated in 1965 and in the fall David went to college, in New Paltz, New York, so the band evolved. Alan and Curt stayed, I think we called ourselves the Invaders. I don’t really remember all the iterations of the bands. I do remember that Alan was still playing drums when we met Sandy Katz. I don’t remember how we found him, but he and I clicked. He had a great voice and wrote decent songs. His dad was in business for himself so was very savvy about copyright and publishing rights, so all of Sandy’s songs were copyrighted.
Alan finally quit, we replaced him with another Sandy, whose last name I don’t remember. Curt left and eventually we added Frank Taxiera as bass player. He couldn’t play and didn’t have equipment, he was just cool and he fit. He became a really good bassist and now plays some great blues lead, in Colorado, with some renowned bluesmen.
That’s when Raunch was born. Sandy’s dad wanted us to be The Four Seasons (clean cut, stylish), I had very long hair for 1966 and was not interested in being clean cut.
Raunch played all over Westchester County. Ossining, of course, Tarrytown, Yonkers, White Plains, Armonk, Briarcliffe Manor (that’s where Sandy lived). “The Cellar”, the Ossining Recreation Department’s teen hangout had live music almost every weekend. I can’t remember all the places we played, but it was a lot. Just about every weekend and some weeknights all over the place. I don’t remember playing any bars at that point, but we did banquets and lots of dances and teen clubs.
We were very egocentric. We considered ourselves the best band in the area and thought of all the others as pretenders to the throne, at least I did.
There were a lot of “battle of the bands”, at high schools. recreation departments, clubs, all over the place. We won most of the ones we were in, so didn’t really pay attention to second place.
The two I remember not winning was one for all of Westchester County, NY in the summer of 1966, at the base of Kensico Dam, in Valhalla, NY, we came in 4th. Not really a “battle of the band” but a tryout to open for the Beach Boys, at Iona College in New Rochelle. The best bands in Westchester, New York City and from Connecticut were there. We lost out to a band called The Young Savages, really great band and they lost out, in a second round of tryouts, to a band called Chain Reaction. The lead singer was Steven Tallarico (later Steven Tyler – Aerosmith). I remember them playing “I’m Not Talking”, by the Yardbirds.
Marty Katz, Sandy’s dad, really got into it. He knew his kid was good, but he had never been in a really good band before that could showcase his music. Marty Katz owned a corporation already, so he just created a record label, Bazaar Records, he paid for everything. The actual name of the band was Raunch Inc. and we really were part of a small corporation.
Raunch at Ren-Vell StudioWe recorded everything at Ren-Vell. We were, I believe, Joe Renda’s first project. I really don’t remember the other bands on the album, there were so many bands at that time and so many places to play.
Sandy Katz wrote “A Little While Back”, and on the record, sang the harmonies. I sang the harmony when we played it live.
Sandy is playing the Vox [in the photos], he also had the 12-string model. I had a Phantom, the odd, irregular hexagon shaped guitar, but it was a real pig. Thick neck, weak pickups, tinny sounding. Unfortunately that’s what I played at the battle of the bands, because it was “cooler” than my Hagstom, which was a much better guitar.
I was a terrific guitarist, for the time, if I do say so myself. That was really all I lived for, that and girls of course. I learned everything by ear and watching better players, never had any lessons, still haven’t and I still play quite a bit. Now it’s classical and fingerstyle jazz.
Jay Manning
Update April 2016: Jay Manning reports that Tommy Walker died in 2014, and that recently Sandy Katz’s father Morris “Marty” Katz also passed away.
Thank you to Jay for his help with this article. Scan of the Raunch 45 from David Perugini. Thanks to Patrick Lundborg for his help.
The Reptiles, 1967, photo by Robin LeachRen-Vell Battle of the Bands vol. 1 Side A
The Reptiles have one cut on the Ren-Vell Battle of the Bands LP, “The Glass Toy”. It could have been a fine pop single with more polish, but the Ren-Vell studio wasn’t prepared to offer that kind of guidance or production quality.
Steve Worthy related the story of the Reptiles recording of Glass Toy to Bassman Bobb Brown:
Ron Macera was the drummer, Paul Slavin on bass, Mark Worthy on rhythm guitar and high harmony vocal on the chorus (a reversal of how we usually worked-me high harmony, him low). I played upper register rhythm guitar, because if I was doing the singing I couldn’t do any leads on guitar.
I wrote the song (probably my 3rd or 4th song ever written), full of teenage angst, and having to rhyme the works criticize, minimize and brutalize in the one bridge, shows my poetic and English major leanings. Subconsciously, I imitated my heroes the Beatles by doing something I heard said later about their songs – sad lyrics with happy music!
The only other recording session for the Reptiles was with a friend of my father named Bert Haber, who worked with Famous Music Publishing, and they were looking to get some young bands on one of their record company rosters. Bert gave us this song called “Come Take A Taste” to learn, and we so despised it, but really wanted to get in on the ground floor so we did it. I was so depressed learning it, that I wrote a song called “The Moustache Song” as a joke (“Please little girl with the moustache, blah blahh, Please don’t shave your little moustache, You’re only girl I kissed with one before”), which went on the 45 b-side. No one else had a song, so I had to sing that one as well.
Needless to say, their Broadway-type song was like a Spanky and Our Gang type tune, and our hearts weren’t in it, so it went nowhere further. The chorus sounded like “Sunday Will Never Be The Same”.
The Reptiles prided itself on always being true to the song and getting all the chords right! One of our pet peeves would be songs by bands who couldn’t get the bridge right- on “For Your Love” for example- the last two chords –they would do “A followed by Am” at the end of it, instead of C#m to B. Most bands were a little lazy that way. We used sharps and flats and major seventh chords because of our Beatle training. Me and my brother would listen to records over and over until every chord was perfect, especially with the Beatles stuff, which was our supreme role model. We even did Sgt. Pepper Stuff live like “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds”, “It’s Getting Better”, “A Day In The Life”, “Lovely Rita”.
Steve also wrote about the Reptiles’ rival bands, The End and The Aliens:
“The End” had Allen Spink and guitar and lead vocals, Jimmy Indusi on Guitar, Timmy Smith on console organ-sounded almost like a Hammond, Rick Selby on left-handed drums, and Pat Giordano on bass guitar. They were the second most ferocious competitors to the Reptiles after “The Aliens”. We made a comeback and beat them in a Battle of the Bands at St. Augustine’s High School finally, after a humiliating defeat at St. Ann’s when Spink stacked the deck with all of his friends. One reason the rivalry was so raw, even though personally I was great friends with the leader Allen Spink, was young testosterone when the nine of us were in a room together. We were like the Jets and the Sharks circling each other, I swear!
The Aliens were composed of Ray Marion on lead guitar and lead vocals (playing a Gibson cherry red ES335), Curt Meinel, bass (Hagstrom?), Glen Kane on drums, and a guy named Howie on Farfisa organ. They were very popular because they could be counted on to play all the standard rock ‘n’ roll songs like “Louie, Louie”, “Wipe Out”, “Bang Bang” (Joe Cuba, not Sonny and Cher), and were not adventurous at all, which is why the Reptiles and Aliens were sworn mortal enemies. Ray would do this swagger like he was so cool and shake his ass, which drove us crazy, because our impression of music at the time did not include ass shaking! Maybe he thought he was Elvis, who I both appreciate and love now, but at the time he was kind of old news to us in 1967.
Thanks to Bassman Bobb Brown for forwarding me the comments of Steve Worthy, along with the photo and the scans and transfers of the Aliens 45.
The MTA label was a faceless New York corporation primarily licensing recordings from both the East and West Coasts. Most of their California bands were signed through Leo Kulka at San Francisco’s Golden State Recorders. Their East Coast material seems to come from a variety of sources, and some bands seem to be purely studio concoctions.
One such shadowy group are the All 6, with this 1967 release. For years I thought they were a studio group like the Powers of Blue on the same label, as the only names I could ascribe to them come from the songwriters, Paul Leka (well known for writing “Green Tambourine” for the Lemon Pipers, among other hits) and Joseph Messina (credited on the label as J. Mesina).
Both are commercial pop of the time. Of the two I prefer “You Call It Love” for it’s arresting intro and consistent energy, while the A-side “Baby Hold On” has some fine organ playing. Production is credited to Cynthia and A.B. Jet Productions.
Tom Southwell and Andy StoneTom Southwell, Joe Messina and Eddie Rigano
As it turns out, they were a real group, a quintet despite their name. Tom Southwell commented below: “This was a real group from Mamaroneck, Larchmont, and New Rochelle, New York. The odd thing about All 6 is that there were only five members Their names are in the anagram A.B. JET: Andy Stone (drums), Bill Hanff ( lead vocal, electric piano), Joe Messina (organ, principal writer/leader), Eddie Rigano (guitar, vocal), and Tom Southwell (lead guitar, vocal). While All 6 were promoting this record they often were the opening act for The First Edition, B.J. Thomas, The Association, and The Four Seasons. All 6 performed in the area thru high school and college but went into other specialties: journalism, medicine, law, business, and motion pictures, respectively.”
The All 6 also backed Terry Randazzo on a 45 for MGM, “Trick or Treat”.
I asked Tom some questions about the band and he kindly answered with a short history of the group and the photos posted here.
Tom SouthwellWe really were a true performing band with costumes and routines and not just studio musicians. Our band was often hired to record the instrumental part of a vocal groups record. Some were master recordings and others were demos for writers to place songs with artists. We did quite a lot of these for Teddy and other writers. I was surprised when he put our name on that record (“Trick or Treat”). I think it may have been an accident (with our name on the envelope with the tape as it went to the place where the records are pressed… or a deal with our label MTA.)
We recorded an entire album (instruments only) for (Little) Anthony And The Imperials. All this studio work was after years of performing as a band in clubs and school dances. This was a way to gain experience for our own records when the time came. Sometimes I was in the studio working with some jazz legends.
The recordings were mostly done on Broadway across from The Winter Garden Theater, on Saturday or Sunday mornings. We would perform live the weekend evenings, and summers. I think it was Joe Messina who got us in front of MTA. Their A&R man had used us on a record or two and once Joe had a few songs they liked we recorded them. This is the way we worked, since we were all still students.
We played lots of senior proms and dances in the area (including Scarsdale High, Sleepy Hollow High, among others.) During the summers we played at the beach clubs, country clubs , and finally the New York night spots The Phone Booth, Joel Heller’s Eighth Wonder in the village, and often we were regulars at The Canada Lounge in Mamaroneck, NY. I studied guitar with Linc Chamberland from Norwalk, Connecticut, who also was a regular attraction at The Canada Lounge. Spectacular guitarist.
We were friends with Don McLean who lived a couple blocks from me (he was a graduate of Iona Prep school where Joe, Bill, and I briefly went). Don hit it big about 1969 but he was always building a guitar or playing his individual style of music. I was a class mate of Tommy Mottola who lived down the street and we would play guitars together. This was long before he became a legend in the music business. I was already in Hollywood when he got famous.
By the way, that James Burton record (Powers of Blue) really rocks! (too bad I wasn’t at his session.)
Tom Southwell
Ed Rigano added:
This band was formed by Joe Messina. Joe was a great musician besides the organ he was as accomplished drummer and of course a great song writer. Bill H. our lead singer had a incredible voice could sing with the best of them. Andy could play drums like no one else and Tom Southwell played lead guitar, wow could he play. I backed everybody playing rhythm guitar, bass on the recordings and backing vocals to bill. We did other recordings but they were never released, I’m sure Joe has copies.
The Mystics came from either Valhalla or White Plains. Members were Jimmy Carpenito vocals and guitar, Charlie Sinerate guitar, Bob Fresta organ, Dan Liberati bass and Mike Mruz on drums.
Their first 45 from April, 1966 has two original songs by Jimmy Carpenito on their own Mystic label, the excellent jangling-guitar “Orphan” backed with “Bad to Me”, which I haven’t yet heard. These were recorded at White Plains Recording Studio. The group played on the Zacherle show at some point.
They cut a decent cover of the Peppermint Trolley Company’s “Lollipop Train” on the Ren-Vell Battle of the Bands album.
For their next single in August 1967, they recorded an original called “Ride My Pony (Come)”, featuring calliope organ playing, and written by James Carpenito and Bob Fresta.
The flip is an excellent cover of the P.F. Sloan & Steve Barri song “This Is What I Was Made For”, which had been previously been done by the Grass Roots (on Dunhill records) and Wild Life (on Columbia). All copies of the Mystics’ version have a short audible glitch that comes in about 45 seconds into the song, probably dirt or damage to the master stamper.
Jimmy Carpenito stayed active in music. I’m sorry to hear that Charlie Sinerate passed away in October 2018.
Interestingly in late 2018 I found a 45 I hadn’t known about credited to the Mystics, “Mystic” / “Laryngitis”. Both songs are instrumentals and would seem to be from about 1963 from the sound of them. The B-side, “Laryngitis” is especially good, with a menacing opening riff and good playing throughout.
Louis Viscusi wrote both songs, and arrangements are given to G. Arbach, B. Fresta, F. McConville. Besides the Westchester origin, Bob or Robert Fresta is the only name that connects this to the Mystics who played on their Ren-Vell records.
These were released on SD Records SD-16, which stood for Sön-Deane Records, with an address in a residential neighborhood at 25 Jennifer Lane, Hartsdale, NY. I found a Library of Congress listing for “Laryngitis” credited to Louis Robert Viscusi in February, 1965.
SD Records had a range of releases, including religious, school band and theater productions, and funk, most of these from the 1970s. There is an early single with a different label design by the Galaxies, “Ad Lib” / ” Laurie” on Son-Deane Records, RB-105. Jeffrey Baker wrote these Galaxies songs, copyrighted in January, 1964, and there are two others copyrighted in September, 1964, “Tranquility” and “E to G” but I don’t know if these were recorded or released.
Sön-Deane was listed as an ASCAP publisher in Cash Box in 1967 and ’68, as a mastering and reference cutter in DB Sound Engineering Magazine in 1968.
Thanks to Ron for the label shots of “Orphan” / “Bad to Me”.
This is a classic garage LP, even though it’s a real mixed-bag of styles and quality. All the bands culled from Westchester County and the northern Bronx. Judging from the songs the bands cover it probably dates to sometime in 1967. A note on the back cover says the label auditioned over 100 groups. Jimmy Carpenito of the Mystics tells me Renvell’s studio was next to Gun Town on Central Ave in White Plains.
I thought it was likely Ren-Vell advertised for bands then asked them to put up some dollars to get their cut on the album. However, since first posting about this record, a sibling of one of the members of “The” wrote to me: “there definitely was a Battle of the Bands in Westchester County to compete for participation in the album. The guys didn’t pay to have their song on the album.”
The best original song on the record is undoubtedly the Traits’ “High on a Cloud”, an antisocial ode to chemical escape written by their singer, Mike Carroll.
The Traits on the Ted Mack Amateur Hour
I got a nickel bag, my eyes are drooping, they’re starting to sag Since you left me girl, well I think that life is a drag I’ll show you girl that you can’t keep on running around Because I’m high on a cloud and I ain’t never coming down
Well you left me girl, with two feet down on the ground I’ll show you girl that you can’t keep on running around I’ll get me a bag and I’ll show you just what I can do I’ll get so high I’ll wave goodbye to you
Cause I’m high on a cloud, high on a cloud, High on a cloud, and I ain’t comin’ down no more
With lyrics like those, it would be no wonder that Ren Vell buried it at the end of the second side, but the band said they chose to be last on the album. I wonder how many listeners made it all the way through the LP! About the time this album was cut, the Traits appeared on Ted Mack’s Original Amateur Hour (taped at CBS studios on Broadway – sponsored by Geritol!) doing Paul Revere & the Raiders’ “Just Like Me”. Mack introduces them as “high school students and a machinist from Pelham, NY!” In 1969, they recorded “Nobody Loves the Hulk”, an interesting attempt to capitalize on the Marvel Comics hero that I’ll feature soon.
The other great original is the Henchmen’s “Say,” written by their guitarist and vocalist John Wallin. The drummer bashes away behind a leaden fuzz riff, segueing to a relatively complex bridge. Andy Porter lays down a good, crude solo, with nice tremolo at the end.
The Henchmen also cut a number of demos at Bruno-Dean Recording Studios in New Rochelle and at United Recording including “Strangers”, “Jack of All Trades”, “Walk With Me Baby”, “Sad Clown” and “Stepping Stone”. Hear some of these on the new comp “I’ve Had Enough!” on Norton.
Of the cover songs, my favorite is “Respect” by “The”, followed by the Gyration’s take on “Stepping Stone” and the Night Rider’s version of “Jenny Take a Ride”.
Raunch’s version of “Hungry” is good, but my copy has a skip in it. Their bassist Frank Taxiera told me, “Joe Renda asked us to submit a song from about fifteen that we recorded at his studio between ’66 and ’67.” I’ve since posted more on Raunch here.
As for the rest, there are a couple light pop numbers, like “Lolly Pop Train” by the Mystics and “The Glass Toy” by the Reptiles, but they’re not bad. The most out of touch with the times is “Angel Baby” by the Vectors of the Bronx, where Carol Pecchio’s fine vocal performance is buried in echo behind the drums and bass. Some of the covers are unremarkable, but the Orphans out-of-tune vocals on the Byrds’ “Feel a Whole Lot Better” dooms that cut despite good instrumental playing.
I spent far too much time typing out the credits in the interests of ah, history. What follows is a complete list of songs and band members on the album, and links to a few of the better songs.
A1. Hungry – Raunch, from Ossining and Briarcliff Manor
Sandy Katz – rhythm guitar & vocal Jay Manning – lead guitar Frank Taxiera – bass Tom Walker – drums
A2. Jenny Take a Ride – The Night Riders, Portchester
Henry Lopez – lead guitar Cheno Lopez – guitar Dominick Gabrieli – rhythm guitar Tony Ojeda – bass Mike Lopez – drums
A3. Angel Baby – The Vectors, Bronx
Louie Glattino – drums Ronnie Salotto – organ Doug LoPresti guitar Charlie Pecchio – guitar Carol Pecchio – vocal
A4. Out of Sight – The Night Crawlers, White Plains
Geof. Greenburg – drums Bob Bloomfield – guitar & vocal Gary Kemp – guitar Rodge Altman – bass Otis Moore – vocals
A5. The Glass Toy – The Reptiles, Ossining
Mark Worthy – guitar & vocal Ron Macera – drums Paul Slavin – bass Steve Worthy – guitar & vocal
A6. Say – The Henchmen, Pleasantville
Ray Greene – organ Jimmy Porter – drums Mark Zvonkovic – bass Andy Porter – guitar John Wallin – guitar, vocal
B1. (I’m Not Your) Stepping Stone – The Gyrations, Yonkers
John Soares, 3rd. – guitar, vocal Ronnie Christmann – bass John Karlsson – guitar Nick Vitulli – organ Robert Karlsson – drums
B2. Lolly Pop Train – Tne Mystics, Valhalla or White Plains
Jimmy Carpenito – vocal & guitar Charlie Sinerate – guitar Dan Liberati – bass Mike Mruz – drums Bob Fresta – organ
B3. Didn’t Want to Have to Do It – The Hangmen, Eastchester
Joe Montclare – vocals Art Sammartino – Cordavox Jim Miranti – drums, John Bruno – bass Joe Manganiello – guitar
B4. Respect – “The”, Yonkers
Richard Kudelka – bass Sal Del Bene – drums Bill Connors – guitar Bob Kolachik – vocal & guitar Frank Longo – organ
B5. Feel a Whole Lot Better – The Orphans, White Plains
Vinny Leonardis – guitar & vocals Joe Gangemi – bass & vocal Mike Saland – guitar and vocal Ricky Pelpzman – drums
B6. High On A Cloud – The Traits, Pelham
Don Chicherchia – guitar (I believe Dom Chicerchia is correct) Bob Creaturo – guitar Mike Carrol – vocal Bobby Williams – drums Jim Klieforth – organ
Recording engineer: Ernie Rivellino A&R: Joe Renda Supervision: Pete Iarussi Renda-Rivell Studios 317 Central Ave, White Plains
There are also at least two singles on Ren-Vell, best of which may be the Mystics (covered here):
RV-318 The Sherwoods – Third Summer (That I Loved You) (by Joe Lanza) / Lonely for You, supervised by Ken Luttman.
RV-320 The Mystics – This Is What I Was Made For / Ride My Pony (Come) – not the Lee Dorsey song but an original by James Carpenito and B. Fresta
Updates:
Since writing this I’ve heard from Vinnie Leonardis of the Orphans:
I was the founder of the Orphans out of White Plains High School. We played school dances around 1965 tru 1967.
How did we get on the album? Joe Renda belonged to the same church. He had a band that played for one of the church dinner dances. They played for the older crowd. They let the Orphans get up a play a few songs for the teenagers. As I remember it about three seconds into the first song, the priest ran up to the stage waving his arms frantically to TURN THAT NOISE DOWN! Well, we got tru it. At the end of the night Joe told us about the album he was making and were we interested in being on it. Of course we gladly accepted. Thanks to father Julius for letting us finish the set.
Not sure how that song got picked for the album. We surely had better songs than that. And YES the vocals on our cut of the album were humorous.
There actually was a battle of the bands around the time that album was cut. I still have the third place plaque. I think Jimmie Carps Mystics took first place.
Unfortunately the other three members of the band have all passed on. I still have my 1964 Rickenbacker guitar that I use on gigs once in a while but nothing can replace the excitement of that era.
Doug LoPresti wrote to me with some info about the Vectors:
Although we were billed as being from the Bronx, I and three others were from Yonkers! And White Plains was part of the community of interest. I was guitar with Ron Salotto on keyboard for many years. We hooked up with Carol and Charlie and Louie later. We were a classic garage band … Louie’s basement! We called it the “Cellarino” Geez! I’m sorry we got such bad reviews for that recording! That version of “Angel Baby” was a huge hit wherever we played. It was Carol in person that made it so … without seeing her, it loses impact!
We continued through the 70’s as an active group, switched to the wedding scene as everyone did. By the 80s we all had kids and not enough time to continue. I reconnected with Carol about ten years ago, she’s in North Carolina now. I’m still friends with Ron (keyboard) but can’t find Louie. Actually there were many times when we couldn’t find him then either!
Thanks to Rockin’ Rex for info on the Ren-Vell 45s and Raunch single.
Joe Renda of Ren-Vell correction: Ernie Rivellino tells me this is not Joe Renda or Ren-Vell Studio
High schoolers from Yonkers, NY, they had this one 45 then disappeared. They may have been local competitors of the Chain Reaction who had a 45 on Date, “When I Needed You”.
The catchy “Lela” was produced by Ted Varnick, a veteran in the music biz who also produced the Forsaken, on MTA, a group I covered just a short while back.
Varnick co-wrote “Lela” with J. Lynch, and also wrote the b-side, a flimsy piece of harmony pop called “Garden of Eden” that’s not without a certain paisley charm – prescient too considering this was released in October of 1966. CBS picked it up for release in the UK, but I don’t know of this making the charts anywhere.
Weird Street Carnival from left: Bobby Magee (Shelley), Rick Garfinkel and Pete McCormick
Bobby McGee – vocals Ron Schwalbe – guitar Rick Garfinkel – guitar Dave Prop – keyboards Pete McCormick – bass Robby Bruno – drums
I really like both sides of this 45. “Subterranean Edible Fungus” is indescribable early psych inspired in equal parts by nursery rhymes and Dylan. “The Inner Truth” starts out like the Animals “It’s My Life” but quickly becomes something completely original. I would guess this 45 to be from about 1968.
Production is credited to Thorn Creatives, and the songwriting credits to Shelley (Bobby McGee), Randell (Ron Schwalbe) and Thorn (George Fragos). Other than the Portchester address on the Copra label, I knew very little about the Weird Street Carnival until I received comments from guitarists Ron Schwalbe and Rick Garfinkel.
“Sad Mud Cats (immediate predecessor to Weird Street Carnival): Robbie Bruno (I think), Rick Garfinkel, Bobby Magee, Ronnie Schwalbe (Randell). Photo taken at The Golden Fountain in Pleasantville, NY”
Rick Garfinkel sent in the photos here and wrote to me about the band:
We played together in a bunch of classic 60s garage bands, Weird Street Carnival being the last one. Prior to that, we were “Sad Mud Cats”, “The Cloud Factory”, “The Colonials”, “The Contours” (no not that Contours), “The Impalas”, and more that I have forgotten. Various members came and went along with the names over a period of about 8 years. We were based out of Mt. Kisco, NY, with members from a variety of towns within an hour’s drive; White Plains, Bedford Hills, Ossining, Chappaqua, and others. The band was constantly morphing as members (and musical styles) came and went. Most of us were constant during high school, but became seasonal when I left for college in Ohio. I would come home for Christmas and summer breaks and the band would always kick somebody out so that I could re-join.
Sad Mud Cats was apparently the name of a ragtime band from the 20s that someone Ronnie knew told him about. He insisted we we change our name from The Colonials to Sad Mud Cats, as he was not part of the original Colonials, and we basically didn’t care much what we called ourselves as long as we could play.
I was not playing on the record, but was in the studio at the time of the recording. I had just gotten back from Ohio that day and didn’t have time to learn the nuances (ha) of “Subterranean Edible Fungus”. I can’t really recall any of the details of the recording session, even where the studio was. It might have been Portchester, but I couldn’t swear to it. The guitars on the record are Pete (“Limey”) McCormick and Ronnie, and if I remember correctly, Pete overdubbed the bass. Dave Prop was on the Hammond organ, and I don’t remember who was playing drums, probably Robbie Bruno. I just watched from the control room and harassed the rest of the guys that night, but slid back into the group for the rest of my time in NY.
As an interesting side note, we actually had a long debate on whether to call the song or the band Weird Street Carnival until someone, probably Bobby, came up with Subterranean Edible Fungus as an alternative. We unanimously decided that we didn’t want that to be the band name, so it became the song. I read last night on some website, that has another after-the-fact video to the song, that the song was written (and named) as the result of a bad mushroom trip; no truth in that whatsoever. Other than the occasional joint, we were drinkers, not dopers, and certainly not into psychedelics.
We recorded quite a bit during the mid-60’s with various combinations of band members under various names at various studios. The only one I can definitely remember was a session at CBC Studios in NYC with “The Contours”, one of the earlier groups, in 1964. We cut 4 demos, none of which were ever picked up. Later we recorded – and I have no idea where – as The Colonials (after Bobby Magee joined the group, but before Ronnie Schwalbe, with myself and Pete McCormick on guitar, Tom Connolly on bass, and Ray Smith on drums). That record did get pressed on the Tru-Lite label, and was readily found on juke boxes throughout the area at the time. The “A”-side was “Little Miss Muffet”, the flip side was “Do-Pop-Si (Down Down)”. They were of the bubble gum genre and while doing my Google search came across a rip-off version on U-tube; our song, our name, but not us. I have the original 45s of both of the records that were commercially pressed, although after 40+ years, it would take someone with a lot more digital know-how than I to make them sound anything like they used to.
Bobby Magee was a unique character, who modeled himself after Bob Dylan (in a way), and was a pretty creative writer. He lived in Ossining, not far from Sing Sing prison, and we would spend countless hours there listening to him expound on a variety of subjects as we tried to learn his latest songs. As well as writing most of our original stuff, he also played guitar at times, although it inhibited his “emoting” at the microphone, so that was rare, indeed. We were all relatively versatile musicians and often would switch around during a set to play something else. I recall playing the keyboards for our version of “Summer in the City”, and often played bass, sometimes even the drums. We would just rotate around the stage and swap instruments.
The opening chords played behind Bobby’s Dylanesque opening to “Fungus” are, according to him, the chords to the Lord’s Prayer. Bobby was (or perhaps, is) a unique and strange guy; haven’t kept up with him, nor heard from him since 1968. Ronnie, was the real driving force of the band; he arranged for most of the gigs, made sure everyone got there (or if not, that a replacement was), took care of business and was in it for the pure fun of playing. We worked together in White Plains during the daylight hours when I was home from college, and stayed in touch into the early 70s, but after I moved to Florida, we lost touch.
“The Cloud Factory (? – can’t really remember): Ronnie Schwalbe, Rick Garfinkel, Evan Elliott (drums), Donny Connahan, Dave Prop (organ). Ronnie Schwalbe and Donnie Connahan were the Ron and Don of the Rondons.”
Pete McCormick continued to play with anyone he could for as long as I knew. Up until about 15 years ago, my phone would ring in the middle of the night – 2:00 or 3:00 am – and it would be Pete, wanting me to hear the latest thing he was working on, some new digital/electronic guitar, or saying he was on vacation in Ft. Myers (an hour south) and I should drive down and jam with him. It was Pete’s passing that started my whole quest to find these guys. Little by little, I’ve been finding them and will continue until the spark is extinguished.
It was a great time to have a guitar in your hands; a great time for music and living.
Rick Garfinkel
Thank you to Rick for the information and photos.
“Same group as above: Rick Garfinkel, Dave Prop, Evan Elliott. This group was thrown together for a few gigs at about the same time as Weird Street…part of the morphing process.”
This site is a work in progress on 1960s garage rock bands. All entries can be updated, corrected and expanded. If you have information on a band featured here, please let me know and I will update the site and credit you accordingly.
I am dedicated to making this site a center for research about '60s music scenes. Please consider donating archival materials such as photos, records, news clippings, scrapbooks or other material from the '60s. Please contact me at rchrisbishop@gmail.com if you can loan or donate original materials
Karla, Jimmy and I sang in high school. One day we saw an ad in our local Pennysaver that record producers were auditioning singers for studio backup work (for Frani). We thought that sounded like fun, so we called and auditioned. Once Ray Meltzer and Jean Viletto heard us sing (acapella), Jean decided right then and there that instead of us being studio backup singers, she wanted to form a group.
