Lazy Eggs Enterprise 45 I'm Gonna Love You

The Lazy Eggs “I’m a Clown” / “Poor Boys Always Weep” on Enterprise

Today a new contributor, R.D Francis, profiles the Lazy Eggs in the first in a series of articles on Michigan bands.

The Lazy Eggs; image courtesy of Mike Dugo’s ’60s Garage Bands.com

Fronted by Tom Carson, the Lazy Eggs began in 1959 as TC and the Good Guys, with Gary Praeg, Sam Moceri, Clem Riccobono, Tom Pointe, and Bob Krause. Impressed with their writing and live performances, Carson’s band signed a management contract with Bob Swartz. While they never shared a stage, Swartz also managed the earliest beginnings of Bob Seger’s career with his band, the Last Heard.  The Lazy Eggs’ first big bar gig was working as the houseband at the Red Carpet Lounge on Warren and Outer Drive in Detroit; they replaced Bob Seger and the Last Heard who moved onto the Roostertail. After the folding of Seger’s old label, Cameo-Parkway, he signed with Capitol Records in 1968; the Last Heard became known as the Bob Seger System.

Lazy Eggs Enterprise 45 I'm Gonna Love YouAs the Beatlesque the Lazy Eggs, the band released their first single, “I’m Gonna Love You b/w As Long as I Have You” (E-5060; both composed by Riccobono) for Detroit’s Enterprise Records in 1967 (not in 1965 as mistakenly web-cataloged).

Lazy Eggs Enterprise 45 I'm a ClownTheir second single, “I’m a Clown b/w Poor Boys Always Weep,” (E-5085; Praeg composed the A-Side; Moceri the B-Side) appeared shortly after. After the release of their singles, and the departure of guitarist Tom Pointe, Ron Koss—noted for touring and recording with Wilson Pickett, Merv Johnson, and Hank Ballard, as well as his Motown session work—joined, remaining with the band until their early 1969 demise (other sources place the end, later, at 1972).

“I’m a Clown b/w Poor Boys Always Weep” debuted on Ontario’s CKLW-AM “The Big 8” on March 6, 1967. Achieving a minor placing on Detroit’s “Keener 13” WKNR-AM’s Top 40 chart, the single peaked at #28 on CKLW-AM, and at # 15 and #11 on Flint, Michigan’s smaller WTAC 600 AM and Ann Arbor’s WPAG 1050 AM, respectively. The chart success led to WKHM/WKNR’s Robin Seymour (later of CKLW-AM) hosting the band’s performances of both sides during a March 11, 1967, episode of Swingin’ Time airing on CKLW-TV’s Channel 9.

Tom Carson continued to work on stage with Bob “Catfish” Hodge in the Catfish Blues Band. Carson wrote the lyrics for “Catfish” on Get Down, the band’s 1970 debut on Epic.

Pacesetters Correc-Tone 45 The Monkey WhipGary Praeg also gigged on Detroit’s local stages as a member of the R&B flavored the Pacesetters (not to be confused with the West Coast soul group that cut “I’m Gonna Make It b/w What About Me, Baby” in 1968 on New Orleans’ Minit). Also featuring Ron Koss on lead guitar, along with drummer Vin Scalabrino, and future the Rockets’ bassist John Fraga, the Pacesetters—inspired by Major Lance’s chart-topping dance-craze hit, “The Monkey Time”—cut the one-off 45-rpm/7” “The Monkey Whip b/w Around the World” (CT-3476), released on the Detroit-based Correc-Tone on September 14, 1963. (Both sides were written by Motown writer-arranger, William Witherspoon.)

By 1970, Gary Praeg formed Katzenjammer with ex-Lazy Eggs’ bassist Angelo Palazzolo and drummer Chris Birg; they soon took over the houseband gig at Detroit’s Roostertail. Katzenjammer recorded no singles.

Tom Carson, along with former Lazy Eggs’ Clem Riccobono and Sam Moceri, founded Detroit’s Fiddlers Music in 1970. Dealing in instrument sales and rentals, as well as recording and releasing private press singles and albums, Fiddlers closed its doors in 1980. Gary Praeg founded Cloudborn Studios in the mid-’70s and recorded light-rock and jazz-influenced albums as Shivers and Dove Grey.

Clem Riccobono passed away in 2014; Sam Moceri and Tom Pointe in 2018.

TC and the Good Guys:
Tom Carson — lead guitar, vocals
Tom Pointe — rhythm guitar, vocals
Clem Riccobono — bass, vocals
Sam Moceri — drums

The Pacesetters:
Ron Koss — lead guitar
Gary Praeg — rhythm guitar
John Fraga — bass guitar
Vin Scalabrino — drums

The Lazy Eggs:
Tom Carson — lead guitar, vocals
Tom Pointe — rhythm guitar
Sam Moceri — keyboards, vocals (rejoined in 1963)
Clem Riccobono — bass, vocals
Bob Krause — drums

Other Lazy Eggs members:
Ron Koss — lead guitar (joined around 1963)
Gary Praeg — rhythm guitar, vocals (joined around 1963)
Angelo Palazzolo — bass
Chris Birg — drums

Note: The single, “My Baby Don’t Care b/w The Hammer Song,” released in 1968 on the Sunspot label—that is oft-compilation and web-cataloged with the Detroit Eggs—is a different Lazy Eggs: one led by Sid Herring; he later formed Watchpocket, a Southern Rock concern with Steve Cropper. While not directly relevant to the Detroit Lazy Eggs-subject of this article: 45-rpm aficionados take note that the Sunspot-45 in question is actually a cover of the Gants’ “My Baby Don’t Care,” which was Sid Herring’s previous group. Another band covered at Garage Hangover, the Wanted & Co., also covered “My Baby Don’t Care” with a 1968 single. Terry Montgomery, the brother of the Gants’ bassist Vince Montgomery, was a member of the Sceptres.

Lazy Eggs Enterprise 45 Poor Boys Always Weep

You can enjoy all four sides — and two TV appearances — of the Lazy Eggs with this convenient, catch-all playlist on You Tube.

Article written by R.D Francis.

Courtesy of Mike Dugo’s ’60s Garage Bands.com, by way of late drummer Sam Morceri

8 thoughts on “The Lazy Eggs “I’m a Clown” / “Poor Boys Always Weep” on Enterprise”

  1. Great job on the history of talented souls. I am still close friends with Gary Praeg. Tom Carson was my guitar hero. Gary and I had a deal with Private Stock Records around 1970 with our band Shivers. Our single was This Old Heart of Mine, produced by Ken Sands, who worked with many Motown acts. (Marvin Gaye) I also had a song co-written with Dick Bosey, recorded by Al Hudson and One Way. (MCA Records) Dick was the program director at CKLW radio.

  2. Hi, I believe I have met Gary Praeg. Can you direct me to more information about him and his band, The Lazy Eggs or Katzenjammer. Are there any posters that I can buy of the Lazy Eggs or Katzenjammer?

    1. Jamie,

      It’s wonderful to hear from you. I am glad you discovered the article.

      Everything that I know about the band — and Gary Praeg — is within this article; however I offer a more expanded history regarding Tom Carson’s production career with Fiddlers Music in the pages of “It’s Psychedelic Baby Magazine.” I did speak with friends and musical associates: none were able to offer photos of ‘the Eggs or ‘Jammer. My reaching out to family members of other Eggs members — they also are looking for ‘Eggs ephemera, themselves — proved unfruitful; not even an errant, old photo. Thus, all I have to offer is the fuzzy screencap from their Detroit local TV appearance.

      My current understanding that Mr. Praeg and Mr. Carson are still with us, but both in poor health these days.

      Thank you again for your interest in the Eggs; it makes me even happier that I wrote the piece.

      Keep Rockin’,
      R.D

    1. Mike,

      Thank you so much for providing the link. I do remember your site and I am glad the web archive preserved it. Your site has been long gone and doesn’t pop — at least in my research — to have found it. I would have used the photos and credited you if I did. As I said: the family members of ‘the Eggs have nothing and they were asking me for photos; they really want the two singles, which are impossible to find.

      This is incredible! For anyone asking about Lazy Eggs photos: Mike’s old 1960s Garage Band site has them; please click through on the link to see. God bless Sam for talking to you back then and providing them. That just may be the end of the well on ‘Eggs ephemera.

  3. Thanks for your response, R.D. The entertainment newspaper scans were from my collection (I won a batch on eBay) so I’m sure I have those in larger file sizes. The other photos were from Sam; I’ll have to check to see if I have them in better quality. I’m in occasional contact with Chris so I’ll send him what I have if he’s interested in posting them.

  4. Enjoyed the article,anything about 60’s r+r in and around Detroit. Brings memories like canned heat playing inside royal oaks farmers market on a stage made out the funky tables that the flowers, veggies, and the like we’re sold on. Don’t remember who opened for them..anybody got memories of their favorite highschool r+r bands.this article was a catalyst.

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