The Viscanes came from Morristown, New Jersey, and included:
Donald Jack – lead guitar
John Ayers – rhythm guitar
Al Martansic – keyboards
Jerry Hyde – bass
Lou Dobrolosky – drums
Billy King – vocals
They cut four unreleased songs at Hertz Recording Studio in Newark. From the songs on the acetate, the Viscanes had a style influenced by soul sounds of the day. There’s a cover of “Ooh-Poo-Pah-Doo”, and two original songs, the uptempo “Windstorm” and a ballad, “Black and Blue”. They also recorded a loose jam of organ and guitar solos with some ad-libbed vocals.
The Viscanes played regularly at Danny’s Hideaway in East Hanover NJ, located on Route 10, attached to a bowling alley. Some silent 8mm footage of the band exists, with part of the recordings as the Front Row added for a soundtrack:
The Front Row
With a couple lineup changes the Viscanes became the Front Row:
Donald Jack – lead guitar
John Arends – rhythm guitar
Frank Knox – keyboards
Jerry Hyde – bass
Lou Dobrolosky – drums
Al Martansic – vocals
As the Front Row they made two acetates at Regent Sound Studios on West 56th St in Manhattan. One has two vocals, “The Worlds Fantasy” b/w “Hey Little Girl”. The second acetate has backing tracks for both songs, but with “The World’s Fantasy” titled “Roaches” for some reason.
“The Worlds Fantasy” is well-crafted commercial pop, with a great opening guitar lick and pounding drums. It certainly is good enough to have deserved release, but I don’t think it ever was. I can’t find copyright information on either song, and wonder if “The World’s Fantasy” was a working title.
“Hey Little Girl” is a slower ballad. Marty Foglia’s name is on the labels, probably as producer. In 1966, Foglia recorded an early Jim Croce song called “Sun Come Up” with an unknown group called the Clique that Laurie Records released.
Marty Foglia had been active in the late ’50s, running the Cecilia Records label with a handful of pop and doo-wop singles by the Criterions, Johnny Starr and Mike Figlio. He co-wrote “New Orleans Beat” with Michael Ralph Colicchio. Foglia also recorded the Viscounts, selling the masters to Madison Records which hit with “Harlem Nocturne” in 1959 and again in 1965. But I can’t find many credits for him after 1961. Some info from Pop Archives.
Donald Jack moved to Sunrise, Florida in 1975 where he opened D&J Chevron in Deerfield Beach. His sons Don and Steve contributed the photos and info on the band. Don passed away in 2001, and Jerry Hyde passed in 2006.
Thank you to Don and Steve Jack for sharing these great photos and history.
This is awesome to see my Uncles playing. I never saw them play before. I was too young to remember. Thanks Steven and Donald for sharing
So glad you were able to spend some time here! Memories like these are priceless!
I really wish you & Steve had the opportunity to go to Danny’s Hideaway when they would practice during the day, Dad took me many times & I am so grateful I got to share his love for music as well as all the talent of the entire group. The 3 of us have such a passion for music & that was Dads gift to us & he sure did pass the talent to each of us in different ways. It was so awesome when Tommy James and the Shondells came to our house in N.J. to jam with Dad! I must also mention that Danny’s Hideaway had the best burgers ! Dad would bring me one each weekend & at 2 or 3 in the morning & Aunt Janet used to yell at him for that! Lol Thanks Dad!
Hi, John here. (Ayers, Arends), My daughter Bonnie, found this site.
I was the lead singer through the Viscanes, Front Row, Windsor. Some facts are somewhat off, but it was one thousand years ago. Still kicking though. All the pictures were taken when I was lead.
I have some of the records from then as well and digitized them all.
I’m writing, playing and singing Christian Contemporary music. In my 80s, and have trouble with my fingers and voice, but that not the concern. I post them to YouTube, in order that others might find them inspiring and make them better.
My channel is new and I’ll keep adding the 20+ songs, including new ones. I’ll also be posting songs recorded in NY under Avco Embassy, with the Glass Menagerie, recorded as the Electric Duck.
It’s been a long time. My channel is named, “Reflection Media.”
Greetings John! I sure hope you are somehow alerted to this reply! It’s a pleasure to “meet” you after getting to hear your singing voice all these years! I’m Don Jack’s son (Donald) and my brother (Stephen) and I have loved the few songs we’ve been able to listen to since we were young enough to understand it.
I’d love to hear some of the music you have digitized. As a musician myself (drummer), I’ve recreated a few of the songs (The Worlds Fantasy, Hey Little Girl, and Windstorm) with a very talented musician and the updated versions really sound great.
The YouTube video on this page of the Viscanes at Danny’s Hideaway is all I have of the 8mm movies my mom (Joyce) shot, and I do have quite a few photos, all scanned, if you are interested.
I keep in contact with Dody Blank (nee Hyde, Jerry’s daughter) as she is my cousin and has some good stories. My sister (Donna) remembers you well and the rehearsals in the basement at the house. They helped piece together a lot of the details on this page, and we tried to research as much as possible, but would love to know more.
I really hope we can connect one of these days. I’d no idea you left a comment on this site, and I’ll not know if you receive a notice that I replied to it. but hope you do and hope we can connect a bit more.
My best to you ALWAYS!!
Don