Joe Centifanti, guitar
Jerry Centifanti, guitar
Steve Brajak, bass
Paul Softich, drums
The Next of Kinn’s “A Lovely Song” is a favorite of mine. Buckeye Beat has the full story on the band, including the photo above – below is a quick summary of their story:
The Centifanti brothers were from Youngstown, and Steve Brajak and Paul Softich other members were from nearby Struthers and Boardman respectively. These kids were young! No older than 10 when they started, and all of 10-14 when they cut “A Lovely Song” at WAM/United Audio studios in the fall of ’67.
Pete Pompura, bassist for the Pied Pipers (who cut the wild 45 “Stay in My Life” on Hamlin Town) contributed the lyrics for “A Lovely Song” and helped the Next of Kinn write “Nosey Rosie”. Jerry Centifanti sang lead on both songs, with Pied Piper vocalist Dennis Sesonsky on backup.
However the band went back into the studio, and the feedback-laden “Nosey Rosie” was dropped in favor of a good version of “Mr. Soul” for the record’s release in January of ’68, with the band’s name abbreviated to Next of Kin on the labels.
I finally heard a dub of the WAM acetate of “Nosey Rosie” not long after I first wrote this post about the Next of Kinn. Let me say it’s all that I had hoped it could be – three minutes of tough feedback layered over a simple backing with vocals similar to “A Lovely Song”. Wow! I can’t think of any other examples of guitar sounds this wild before the second side of the Velvet Underground’s White Light/White Heat, released several months later in early ’68! Time to rewrite music history again!
The Next of Kinn – Nosey Rosie
Huge thanks to MTM for Nosey Rosie.
The lead guitar and singer, Jerry Centifanti, presently lives in Youngstown, Ohio and is planning a “Rockfest 2009” for August 15 and 16th. All the famous musicians and bands will make more history on this day. My band …The Pied Pipers may even make an appearance.
🙂
I’m sure you get a=t least one of these a day, but I can’t get over how amazing these kids were. I love both songs and have listened to them each about 10 times today. If only there was more. I also like the bands from Iowa (where I live). The Acheson family own body shops here in town – I wonder if it’s the same guys from the band – they’re about the right age. Thanks for the most wicked cool blog around!
Hey Pete, if you need a guitar player, I’m available. I just want to thank you for all the help and support you gave a bunch of snot nosed kids (us). The Pied Pipers ruled Youngstown, and I spent many nights mesmerized by you guys. I even got to do a gig with you once when Dennis couldn’t make it, at the ripe old age of 12! What a rush. If a Pied Piper reunion is in the works, I’ll be there. I know Lenny, Gula, and Dennis are still around. All you need is Tod Stevenson and Les to round it out. Also, getting Brad Naples back behind the kit would be awesome. He was the most amazing drummer. WOW. Thanks for everything.
Jerry
Thanks Christi for the kind words. Not the same family as the one in Iowa. I’d have to lay all of the credit (blame?, hehe) for those recordings on Pete Pompura for encouraging us, and my dad, Joe Sr. for paying for everything. Amzing what noise you can make through a Vox Super Beatle on 11.
Jerry
Hi Pete……:)
I read your comment that Jerry Centifanti posted to YRRH site. YRRH would love and be honored to have “The Pied Pipers” to our fest. I consider the Pipers one of the first rock bands that the area had,along with of course “The Human Beinz”….
So if you wish to attend please let me know so I can send you and the others an invitation. This is by invitation only,so most people you may remember,for they remember you.
Jac YRRH
From Jerry Centifanti–
I’m playing and singing lead on everything except Mr. Soul, (just the back up harmony),hence the nasty, scratchy guitar sound with no tone, feeling or balls at all. My brother gets the credit for writing the music on the original tunes, but in reality I wrote it. The bass player wrote his parts also. No sour grapes here, hehe. The feedback was overdubbed. I just stood in front of my 4-12 Beetle cabinet and let it wail, then they patched it in at the intro and at the ending. The hand claps are actually two small pieces of wood hit together, there’s a screw driver hitting an old Coke bottle, and a tambourine. It was quite a memorable experience, and Dennis and Pete were great guys. Dennis was around 17 or 18 then, and Pete was probably 21 or so. These guys were local stars then and I’m sure they had better things to do, but they actually took us under their wing and helped us, especially Pete. He encouraged us to go into the studio and held our hands through the entire process. He was a fantastic guy and I looked up to him. Still do. We did countless jobs with them at Idora, at both the Ballroom and The Kove as well as Champion and the Freakout. I have photos from those sessions buried in boxes I retrieved from my mother’s house.
This is from Steve Brajak. I had the pleasure of playing with these great guys. I love you all. Great memories. Went to Ohio U to play football. Gave up on the rock and roll. Got into tamburitza (Serbo-Croatian) and have played all over the country with the finest musicians in that field.
Steve was from Boardman. Paul was from Struthers. Sorry for the correction.