Staples Seal
 

T H E   W E S T P O R T   M U S I C   S C E N E

 
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
Goodhill Band, from Weston CT circa 1967

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
The Knights photo by Brian Keane

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

Remains Performing 3 April 2009

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

Remains 35th Reunion Performance at Safari Sam's Hollywood California  
Reunion Poster 2006   Original 1st Album Cover 1964
Visit The Remains Website  

In the 1960s, The Remains, who started out at Boston University, signed a record deal with Epic Records, performed on the popular NBC show, "Hullabaloo," played on "The Ed Sullivan Show," and opened for the Beatles' last-ever tour, before breaking up right after that 1966 tour. In the past decade, The Remains re-united to record their first album in 36 years, toured Europe to great acclaim, were the subject of a stage musical in New York City, "All Good Things," and, most recently, saw their story made into a documentary film, "America's Lost Band."

On December 5 2010, The Remains will return to their roots to be inducted into the Boston Music Awards Hall of Fame

2] THE RICH KIDS

PROFESSIONAL BANDS AT STAPLES FUNCTIONS

1] Cream – Staples Auditorium March 27th 1968
Cream Portrait
Eric Clapton - guitar & vocals, Jack Bruce - bass & vocals, Ginger Baker - drums.

2] The Young Rascals 1964-1972
The Young Rascals Album
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
Beau Brummels
Eric

4] The Loved Ones
The Loved Ones 1966
Rocky Manchester - keyboards, Chris Higgins - vocals, Tony McDonald - guitar

5] The Chain Reaction [The Strangeurs]
 
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
Sly And The Family Stone
Sly Stone - vocals,

7] The Blues Project
The Blues Project Album
Roy Blumenfeld - drums, Andy Kulberg - flute, Steve Catz - guitar, Danny Kalb - guitar

8] Richie Havens
Richie Havens 2008
guitar - vocals,

9] Phil Ochs
Phil Ochs 1973
guitar - vocals

10] Rhinoceros
Rhinoceros First Album
guitar - vocals

10] James Gang 1969 - Rides Again Tour 1970
Yer Album Art
Joe Walsh - guitar & vocals, Jim Fox - Percussion, Dale Peters - Bass

12] The Left Banke – Senior Prom, Class of 68
Phil Ochs 1973
"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
The Doors First Album

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. The Following is a review by By BRIAN DOOHAN Staples High, Westport, 1967:

Financially, it was only a drop in the bucket, but for those who attended the Doors concert recently, it was a screaming success. The four band spectacular Was well received by all who came Opening the show, which started late, was Mandrake Root, a local group, consisting of Leigh Sobel, Chip Jackson and Tony Prior. They performed several numbers, including a parody on a deodorant commercial, and a version of the current hit, "Get Together."

Following them was another local group, the Strawberry Fun band. Appearing just before the Doors was the Coming Storm, a professional band which stayed on for more than 30 minutes. Accompanied by a psychedelic lighting show, complete with flashing colors and strobe lights, the Coming Storm went through several types of music, including blues, rock, and ballad. There was another delay while problems with the amplifiers were being corrected, and then the Doors appeared.

Their material was taken' mainly from their first Elektra album, and in eluded "Break On Through," their first single release, and a version of the "Alabama Song." After several more selections, all from the album, they swung into their current hit "People Are Strange," following this were there numbers which took up about 20 minutes altogether. Leading it off was a ballad entitled "The Crystal Ship," which was followed by their recent smash "Light My Fire." To those whose only contact with this song was through the radio or the single, the lengthy narrative opening and experimental instrumentation during the middle came as a surprise. The show was concluded by their longest and most controversial piece, aptly titled "The End A rambling, uninhibited number, "The End", changed styles several different times before comin\+*-back to the original refrain.

Although the entire cost of the concert was nearly $3,000, the student organization, which- sponsored the event, was able to break even due to the $3 admission ant the capacity crowd. Of the money spent, $2,500 went to the Doors The rest of the cost was $200 for the Coming Storm and for maintenance. The Mandrake Root ant Strawberry Fun band played gratis. THE DOORS' SECOND album for Elektra Records, "Strange Days," seems likely to become m-- the group's second gold LP in twc tries—even before it's released Advance orders of 350,000 copies indicate the record will hit mil lion-dollar status before it hits the nation's record stores Monday Thus far, the group has one gold single "Light My Fire," the best selling single of 1967. and is try ing to make two goldies in a row with "People Are Strange" which is aheady a number one record in many cities.


14] The Animals
Animals Circa 1967
Eric Burdon - vocals,

14] The Yardbirds
Yardbirds For Your Love
Jimmy Paige - guitar, Jeff Beck - guitar, Keith Relf - vocals, Chris Dreja - drums, Jim McCarty - bass

 

THE NINES CLUB BANDS

1] The Blues Magoos
Blues Magoos First Album
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.