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T H E W E S T P O R T M U S I C S C E N E
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Please feel free to send in corrections and additional stories.
There have been many posts on different websites recounting concerts, dances, and parties that made our lives rich with fond inspirations. This page is a modest attempt to make a record of those times.
LOCAL STUDENT BANDS
I think it was amazing how many very good bands sprouted up in Fairfield County, particularly those formed by students with enough courage and discipline to put on professional grade performances. This section attempts to list all of those groups and their members.
1] THE WILD SECT
Gene Baker - keyboards & vocals, Jim McDonough - guitar & vocals, Bill McDonough - bass & vocals, Mark Smollin - drums, Colin Campbell - music tech.
2] THE SHADOWS
Jason Williams - drums, Kim Halliday - bass rhythm guitars, Tim DeHuff - lead guitar, Marc Bailin - bass & vocals
3] SMOKE
Chuck Boisseau - guitar & vocals, Peter Mogren - guitar bass & vocals, John Leimseider - keyboards & tech, Marc Bailin - bass & vocals, Mark Smollin - drums percussion & vocals, Stephen Wall - guitar sax flute & vocals, Jeff Dowd - guitar & vocals, Mike Mugrage - guitar & vocals, Tom Mottern percussion & drums. Special performances by the Staples Brass; Steve Wall - sax, Dan Potter and Andy Kaunitz - trombones, and Peter Cody and Herb Whitely - trumpets.
4] MANDRAKE ROOT
Leigh Sobel - drums & vocals, Tony Prior - guitar & vocals, Chip Jackson - bass & vocals
5] THE SOUL PURPOSE
Alison Burke - vocals, Roger Smith - vocals, Hank Anderson - bass, Jim Foote - keybords, Charlie Karp - lead, Jeff Miles - drums
6] THE STRAWBERRY FUN BAND aka THE FUN BAND
Chris Higgins (aka "Liggs" from the loved ones) - lead singer, John Stowell - lead (only lead guitarist i knew in a rock band who would play sitting on a stool), Milt (can't recall his last name played a wicked sax for them), George Miller - bass
7] GOODHILL
Charlie Karp - lead guitar, ???
Goodhill was named after the road in Weston where some of the band members were from. See a video of the band playing outdoors available on youtube.
8] STYX
Tony Prior - lead guitar, Rick Castillo - lead vocals, Tim Wayne - rhythm guitar, Chip Jackson - bass, Tracey Burrows - drums
9] THE THIRD RAIL
Roger ? - lead vocals, John Williams (Jason's older brother) - bass, Mike Copeland - keyboards, Jeff Miles - drums, ??
10] THE WATERBOYS
Harry Eisenberg - guitar, Chris Janis, Steve Park, and Rob Copeland - keyboards
11] STOP WATCH
Ian McNamee, Jeff Miles, Joe Nestico, Jeb (from Barlow) They mostly played private schools. Now Ian's a song writer.
| 12] The Knights 1965-1966 |
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Dave Carchere - acoustic guitar, Brian Keane - guitar, Arty Barton - guitar, Bill Sims - drums
Brian Keane: Actually, this might have been '66. The band that played on WICC had Bill Sims and Myself, but I think it might have had Joe Nistico on organ, and one of the O'Connell brothers. At any rate, it was a later config than the band in this photo. The "Knights" played gigs in 1965 and '66 (when I was in 6th grade at Bedford Elementary school, and in 7th grade...the first year of Coleytown Junior High school). I believe Bill and I were on the radio the summer of '66, but it might have been '67. Bill played me the recordings a few years ago at a get together at his house (his sister taped it). I was prepared for public humiliation, but we actually sounded pretty good! In the interviews, you could hear that our voices hadn't fully changed yet, and that sounded pretty funny. |
13] ??
Joe Cocker Imitator - lead vocals, Robert Jackson - drums, ??
LOCAL PROFESSIONAL BANDS
1] THE REMAINS
2009: Left to right: Bill Briggs, Barry Tashen, Chip Damiani, and Vern Miller
I will always have a Loving respect for this group and it thrills me that they are still playing together on occasion. The Remains performed in Providence on 3 April 2009 after the screening of the film "America's Lost Band", the story of the Remains. The film was part of the SENE Film, Music and Arts Festival held April 2-5. Read More
2] THE RICH KIDS
PROFESSIONAL BANDS AT STAPLES FUNCTIONS
| 1] Cream – Staples Auditorium March 27th 1968 |
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| Eric Clapton - guitar & vocals, Jack Bruce - bass & vocals, Ginger Baker - drums. |
| 2] The Young Rascals 1964-1972 |
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| Felix Cavaliere - keyboards & vocals, Eddie Brigati - vocals, Gene Cornish - guitar, Dino Danelli - drums. The Young Rascals will appear at Staples high school on Feb. 19, 1967 at 1:30 p.m. not Feb. 12 as previously announced. |
| 3] The Beau Brummels |
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| Eric |
| 4] The Loved Ones |
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| Rocky Manchester - keyboards, Chris Higgins - vocals, Tony McDonald - guitar |
| 5] The Chain Reaction [The Strangeurs] |
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| Steve Tally (Steven Tallarico) - lead vocals, Don Sloan (Don Solomon) - keyboards, Peter Stahl - guitar, Alan Strohmayer - bass, Barry Shore (Barry Shapiro) - drums |
| 6] Sly and the Family Stone – Staples Auditorium, Gymnasium |
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| Sly Stone - vocals, |
| 7] The Blues Project |
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| Roy Blumenfeld - drums, Andy Kulberg - flute, Steve Catz - guitar, Danny Kalb - guitar |
| 8] Richie Havens |
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| guitar - vocals, |
| 9] Phil Ochs |
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| guitar - vocals |
| 10] Rhinoceros |
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| guitar - vocals |
| 10] James Gang 1969 - Rides Again Tour 1970 |
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| Joe Walsh - guitar & vocals, Jim Fox - Percussion, Dale Peters - Bass |
| 12] The Left Banke – Senior Prom, Class of 68 |
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| "Pretty Ballerina" is a song written by pianist Michael Brown (born Michael Lookofsky) and was a top 30 hit for his band. Renée Fladen, girlfriend of The Left Banke's guitarist Tom Finn, and object of Brown's affection. inspired the band's biggest hit "Walk Away Renée."Drums - Al Rogers, Bass: John Abbott, Guitar: George (Fluffer) Hirsh, Harpsichord: Michael Brown, Strings: Harry Lookofsky & Friends, Flute: unknown session man, Arranger: John Abbott, Lead Vocal: Steve Martin Caro, Backing Vocals: George Cameron & Tom Finn, Engineer: Steve Jerome, Studio: World United NYC, Date: Early 1966 |
| 13] The Doors 1967 |
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| The Doors were an American rock band formed in 1965 in Los Angeles, California due to a chance meeting by vocalist Jim Morrison and keyboardist Ray Manzarek. They were later on accompanied by drummer John Densmore and guitarist Robby Krieger. |
| 14] The Animals |
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| Eric Burdon - vocals, |
| 14] The Yardbirds |
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| Jimmy Paige - guitar, Jeff Beck - guitar, Keith Relf - vocals, Chris Dreja - drums, Jim McCarty - bass |
THE NINES CLUB BANDS
| 1] The Blues Magoos |
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| The band was formed in 1964 as "The Trenchcoats". The original members were Emil "Peppy" Thielhelm aka Peppy Castro - vocals and guitar, Dennis LaPore - lead guitar, Ralph Scala - organ and vocals, Ronnie Gilbert - bass and John Finnegan - drums. |
