The Friedles were the four Fried brothers from Penns Grove in southwestern New Jersey: Mike and Herman Fried on guitars, Simon Fried on bass and Milton Fried (just 14 years old at the time of their first record!) on drums.They went across the river to Ken-Del Studio in Wilmington, Delaware to make their first record “I Lost Her” / “I’m So Glad” with Milt singing lead vocals. Released as the Fried Brothers on Scope, it was mastered louder and issued again on the Hanna label. The sound may come off as somewhat crude, but there’s no denying the energy and spirit in the brothers’ delivery. “I Lost Her” was written by Mike and Milt, “I’m So Glad” by Herm and Milt.
Two other songs from their early sessions at Ken Del went unissued, “I Do Love Her”, with lead vocals by Si Fried, and “The Joke’s on You”, which I haven’t heard. Both of these were written by the Fried brothers, as were the two songs on their next record.
Issued in a cool bat-themed sleeve for some reason, “She Can Go” is kind of a cross between the Searchers’ “Needles and Pins” and the Zombies’ “Tell Her No”. “Don’t Tell Me What to Do” on the flip sounds more natural, with fine punk attitude and great harmonies. The song opens with a great bass line, and Mike and Herm Fried’s guitar playing is excellent throughout. This record credits Norris Austin on organ, and the drumming by Milt is excellent.
By 1968 their sound had become psychedelic, even as their image stayed fairly conservative. The band went to Jim Hanna’s South Jersey Recording Service in Woodstown, NJ to cut a couple songs that weren’t issued at the time. Bassist Si Fried sings “When Love”. One of the great unissued songs of the ’60s, it didn’t see the light of day until 1984, when it was released on the classic and long out-of-print Attack of the Jersey Teens compilation, which I also have to thank for the photo of the band.
The other song from this session is also excellent, “Love the Way You Love Me”, sung by Milt.
The band seems to have dissolved soon after. Milton Fried started referring to himself as Charlie, or Charlie Bumm. He and Mike Fried went back to South Jersey in 1971 to cut Mike’s song “Early in the Morning”. With the band credited as ‘Charlie Bum’, Mike plays guitar and takes the first lead vocal, Charlie played drums and sings the second lead (with the high-pitched wails), and Tom Fanty played bass. Two other songs recorded at South Jersey in ’71 feature Charlie playing all instruments and vocals: a slower version of their ’65 song “I Do Love Her” and a cover of the Marmalade’s “Reflections of My Life”. For some reason, these songs are in mono on the acetates.
Simon Fried passed away in 1999. Thank you to Charlie Fried for sending me additional songs, information about the sessions and photocopies of the acetate label scans.
Thanks also to Joe Mullin for the scan of his Scope 45.
Update: Mike Fried passed away on March 15, 2013.
I was an adjunct teacher (1 credit classes), a tutor and a lab instructor at Salem Community College after I took classes there from 1993 to 2004. I had Simon for Algebra I & II as a teacher & from then on as a friend until he passed away. There was no one else in the world like him. He was totally unique. He loved Math & Music above everything else. His students became his life. He was at the college every day from early morning until 9 or 10 at night. When nt teaching classes, he would sit in the Student Union surrounded by students who were struggling with their Math classes helping them to find easier ways to remember how to get the correct answers. He tried to make Math FUN! He was really good at it too. He was also a frustrated stand-up comic and often did comedy routines in Math class to make everyone enjoy it more.
Simon & his brothers made a final tape with 10 songs on it in 1997. I was one of the friends that was privileged to get a copy of the tape. I also have one of the Bat Records Posters featuring Norris & Jerry Austin advertising “She Can Go” & “Don’t Tell Me What To Do”. He had a bunch of them in his office at the college & gave me one when I asked. He was a wonderful friend & I still miss him.
These songs should be remastered, republished & recirculated; They were ahead of their time. 🙂
Thanks for the Frieles songs! I own their first 45 (on Hanna), and it kicks ass! I have plyed it a lot of times at parties, and it’s a winner. thanks to the Beatles I got those great sounds from the States back in the midsixties.
I only casually knew Simon “Cy” Fried in his later years. In the mid to late 80’s he was a regular at my parents restuarant. I remember that he brought an old Hoffner bass (Ala Paul McCartney style) by to see if my Mom could sell it in her Antique shop. I had never actually heard any of the Friedles tunes until I stumbled upon this site– Very cool stuff! Another side note: Cy was a teacher at Salem Community College in South Jersey and was admired by his students. I wonder if they knew about his storied rock’n roll past…
I had heard about the songs back when I knew SI back in the 80’s but this was the first time I was able to listen to them. SI never talked a lot about the band but he was a certainly a unique person with a heart of gold. I only knew him in his later years but I can say he was a great teacher and a lot of fun to be around.
I can’t believe I found this site I am such a big fan of the friedles I have a mint condition lp of attack of the jersey teens I bought it when I was 15 I am now 36 and in my own band called the whitewalls from southern california. when I heard “dont tell me what to do” I was hooked, I have had many discussions and won many arguments on what is considered the first punk song and lots have agreed with me that it is “dont tell me what to do” my band has covered that song and we always get a great response from it. I am so influenced by those couple of songs i’ve heard from the friedles. thank you so much for the great songs and the inspiration you’ve given me.
knew mike when the Freidles were hot. sorry to say that i did not get their autographed photo at that time. probably not going to happen now….
I was Herman’s roommate at Wesley in our sophmore year in 1967-8. It was really neat having a regional music celebrity for a roomy but he was a great, down to earth guy who never let that stuff go to his head and he really made the place bearable. The Friedles music was great and they played at a few of the school dances. The kids all loved them and they were the kind of tight band that only brothers could form. I often think of him when I go down memory lane. In fact, I found this website by googling him, Penns Grove and the Friedles. That was 41 years ago and now we’re 60 years old. Hard to believe.
Herman, after all these years I’m still across the bridge but closer to Newark now. Let me know if you want to get together and talk over old times and catch up.
You were a true friend through tough times.
My Best to You Always,
Jim McMillan
Hi Jim, I have not seen them lately – but the last time I saw them (here in Pennsville at the Acme) Michael & Herman were living in our town (Pennsville – where the Del Mem Bridge is) on Hook Road somewhere. Herman has not worked for many years.
Simon used to take care of everyone & Michael kind of took over (although I am not sure how well he was doing it) after Si was gone.
Milton teaches Math somewhere in Arizona & has for years.
I am not sure what happened to Herman but when I have seen him he almost never speaks to anyone & just does whatever his brothers tell him to. I think whatever happened to him – his mind was affected & he cannot take care of himself. It’s really sad because he sounds like he was a really great guy in school.
I know other people who grew up with them & it is even sadder that they were not able to reach the heights with their music – they had such great potential & were such nice people.
My father is Milton Fried ,what a surprise for me to stumble across this site! I grew up listening to my father sing and play the drums in amazement.I used to take out the old albums and look at them,along with the old photos.I will be sure to pass this site on to him.
Hi Dotti,
Thank you for the update on the Fried brothers. It’s so sad that Simon has passed away and Herman has had a tough time of it. I’ll see if I can meet up with him in Pennsville one of these days soon and thank him for helping me through those trying years at Wesley. Maybe we can have a few laughs and jam a little on guitar. (Herman if you read this I’m a little better guitar player now).
Thank you,
Jim McMillan
As a member of a few bands playing in the Wilmington, Delaware area at that time, I can tell you that he friedles made a big impresison on all of us and on the kids listening to Wilmington radio station WAMS. Getting a record on their was our life’s goal, and they did it! We were all followers of Wilmington’s Enfields, who had a few hits on the radio, but the Friedles came from across the river and blew us away with a very energetic sound. It still sounds great today!
I thought their most famous song was “THIS LITTLE GIRL OF MINE”
All through my teenage/adult life,I’ve sang a song with only the 3 words that I could recall…”I Lost Her”,and wondered where it came from.My hubby would ask what it was,and I really didn’t know.He said a guy that he works with also sang it the same way…(we’re both in our late 50’s)Finally I googled myself to this site and the mystery has been solved!
Growing up,my very young Mom always had WAMS 1380 on all day,and obviously this song was catchy enough to be retained in my teenage psyche…just listened to it again and it was just as catchy and cool as it was back then.I’ll pass this along to my hubby’s co-worker.Thanks so much for solving this mystery and The Friedles were a great group!
Melissa Fried,
Hi, I Knew your father and his brothers when they were first getting started. Please tell him I said Hi. He knows me as Rusty, daughter of Paul Riley who owned the second hand store in Pennsgove. I just pulled out a small picture I still have of the boys. I have lived in Arizona for the past 28 years and the last time I saw Milton was when me and my father when to see him play in Philly.
To All the Friedle Fans. Our brother, Mike, passed away on Friday, March 15, 2013 of a heart attack. We will all miss him.
Herman and Milton (Charlie) Fried
Hi Charlie and Herman,
I’m very sorry to hear about Mike’s passing. All my condolences to you and your families. Best,
Chris
Mike went to school with my husband and me. He played baseball with Steve and was a pretty good baseball player. He was such a nice person! Sorry to learn of his passing.
I was on the track team with Mike Fried, and he was pretty good at the quater mile (now 400 m race).
Susie Cali,
My brother Tom and I grew up with the brothers. Their house was right behind ours and Milton and I were best childhood friends. I remember hearing them practice on those hot, humid New Jersey summers when all the windows were opened.
Hello Susie Cali. Many good memories from those days. We sometimes played stick ball in the parking lot near the Fried’s house. Where is your brother Tom these days?
The Fried brothers were my cousins (my mom and their dad were siblings). Growing up, I spent endless hours with them, especially Si, as he was only a year younger than me. Unfortunately, I lost touch with them in the mid to late 70’s. Until I found this site, I did not realize that Mike had passed…. really sad. I hope that Herman and Milton are doing well.
Si became a good friend of mine in the early 80s. He seemed a bit frustrated with the music by that time, and just gave his all to his math students at Salem County Community College. He was truely a one of a kind individual
I just had one of those moments where someone pops back into your head – Si Fried. I was a student at Salem Community, and while I did not have him for a teacher, I love music and used to sit with him for what seemed like hours. I really loved him – he had that type of unique personality that people gravitated to. He was such a good dude. Rest in Peace my brother.
I am the son of Herman Fried. I am looking for contact i formation. Please help. I changed my name from Fried to Conover as a young adult. I truly am Herman’s son. The last time I saw him, I was in grad school in NYC.
Jason Conover
jbconover @msn.com
Or contact through FaceBook