The Corporation (American band)

Last updated
The Corporation
The Corporation LP.jpg
Cover of the band's debut album
Background information
Origin Milwaukee, United States
Genres Psychedelic rock
Years active1968–70
Past membersKenneth Bernard Berdoll
John Alexander Kondos
Nicholas Alexander Kondos
Patrick Daniel McCarthy
Daniel Vincent Peil
Gerard Jon Smith

The Corporation were an American psychedelic rock band, active in the 1960s.

Contents

History

The Corporation formed in 1968, when the Kondos brothers joined up with members of a band called Eastern Mean Time, and they started appearing at the Galaxy Club, located in Cudahy, Wisconsin, a southeastern suburb of Milwaukee. [1] A few months later, they were discovered by Capitol Records executives, while playing at The Bastille club. [2]

The Corporation members were Daniel Peil (born Daniel Vincent Peil in Superior, Wisconsin; September 26, 1942 – January 3, 2012) [3] on lead vocals; Gerard Jon Smith on lead guitar and backing Vocals; John Alexander Kondos on guitar, flute, harp, piano, and backing vocals; his brother Nicholas Alexander "Sandie" [4] Kondos on drums and backing vocals; Kenneth Bernard Berdoll on bass and backing vocals; and Patrick Daneil McCarthy on keyboards and trombone. [2]

Their debut, self-named album was a regional hit in early 1969 and was in the Billboard Top LP Chart for four weeks, while hitting number three in Milwaukee and doing relatively well in Little Rock, Arkansas. [5] The whole second side was taken up by The Corporation's version of John Coltrane's "India."

Except for appearances in Chicago and St.Paul, the band remained local, without television appearances or corporate promotion. A European tour was in the planning stages, but it fell apart when disagreements with Capitol Records surfaced. [5]

Within two years, The Corporation made two further albums, Hassels In My Mind and Get On Our Swing, on the Age Of Aquarius label, a custom rock imprint of Cuca Records. Cuca was a Wisconsin recording studio and pressing plant whose output was subsequently anthologised by Ace Records in a 3-volume CD. [5]

The band broke up in 1970. [1]

Aftermath and legacy

Guitar player John Alexander Kondos in the 1970s and 1980s toured the club and bar circuit with various groupings of musicians such as John Kondos and his Fabulous Galaxies, Eastman Blues Band, and others. He died in June 2007 from cancer. [4]

Vocalist Daniel Vincent Peil, in August 1979, lost his wife and all their three children in a house fire. In the early 1980s, he started singing with various semi-pro groups, such as Dan Peil and Friends, and toured throughout Minnesota, North and South Dakota and Wisconsin. He married briefly in the mid 1980s and had two children. In 1988, after divorcing his second wife, he started a relationship with Marlene Lindgren, and, in 1991 while in Denver, Colorado, they had a son, Daniel. Peil returned to Minnesota, with his family, settling on a farm there. He died on January 3, 2012, at age 69. [3]

In the years after the band's demise, The Corporation's first, eponymous LP acquired a large audience for its "great musicianship" and "original melodies." [2] [6]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ace Frehley</span> American musician (born 1951)

Paul Daniel "Ace" Frehley is an American musician who was the original lead guitarist, occasional lead vocalist and founding member of the rock band Kiss. He invented the persona of The Spaceman and played with the group from its inception in 1973 until his departure in 1982. After leaving Kiss, Frehley formed his own band named Frehley's Comet and released two albums with the group. He subsequently embarked on a solo career, which was put on hold when he rejoined Kiss in 1996 for a highly successful reunion tour.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gene Vincent</span> American rock musician (1935–1971)

Vincent Eugene Craddock, known as Gene Vincent, was an American rock and roll musician who pioneered the style of rockabilly. His 1956 top ten hit with his backing band the Blue Caps, "Be-Bop-a-Lula", is considered a significant early example of rockabilly. His chart career was brief, especially in his home country of the US, where he notched three top 40 hits in 1956 and 1957, and never charted in the top 100 again. In the UK, he was a somewhat bigger star, racking up eight top 40 hits from 1956 to 1961.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Jayhawks</span> American country and rock band

The Jayhawks are an American alternative country and country rock band that emerged from the Twin Cities music scene in the mid-1980s. Led by vocalists/guitarists/songwriters Gary Louris and Mark Olson, their country rock sound was influential on many bands who played the Twin Cities circuit during the 1980s and 1990s, such as Uncle Tupelo, the Gear Daddies and the Honeydogs. They have released eleven studio albums, with and without Olson, including five on the American Recordings label. After going on hiatus from 2005 to 2009, the 1995 lineup of the band reunited and released the album Mockingbird Time in September 2011; Olson left the band for the second time after the tour to promote the album. After another hiatus in 2013, the 1997 lineup led by Louris reunited to play shows in 2014 to support the reissue of three albums originally released between 1997 and 2003. Since then, the band has continued to tour and record, releasing the albums Live at The Belly Up in 2015; Paging Mr. Proust, co-produced by Peter Buck, in 2016; Back Roads and Abandoned Motels in 2018; and XOXO in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A (band)</span> British alternative rock band

A are a British alternative rock band from Suffolk, England, which formed in 1993. They have released 4 studio and 2 live albums, including their debut How Ace Are Buildings and the UK top 20 album Hi-Fi Serious. Single releases have also achieved chart success, with one UK top 10, four UK top 40 and seven UK top 100 singles.

Rare Earth is an American rock band from Detroit, Michigan. According to Louder, "Rare Earth's music straddles genres and defies categorisation, slipping seamlessly between the two seemingly disparate worlds of classic rock and R&B." The band was signed to Motown's subsidiary label Rare Earth. Although not the first white band signed to Motown, Rare Earth was the first successful act signed by Motown that consisted only of white members.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Smithereens</span> American rock band

The Smithereens are an American rock band from Carteret, New Jersey. The group formed in 1980 with members Pat DiNizio, Jim Babjak, Mike Mesaros, and Dennis Diken. This original lineup continued until 2006, when Mesaros left the band and Severo Jornacion took over on bass guitar until Mesaros' return in 2016. After DiNizio died in 2017, the band continued performing live shows as a trio with various guest vocalists.

Ace Troubleshooter, often shortened to Ace, was an American pop punk band. Formed in December 1995 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, they released five albums through Tooth & Nail Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rock and Roll Music (song)</span> 1957 song by Chuck Berry

"Rock and Roll Music" is a song by American musician and songwriter Chuck Berry, written and recorded by Berry in May 1957. It has been widely covered and is one of Berry's most popular and enduring compositions.

Alias was a Canadian rock supergroup, formed in 1988 in Toronto by songwriter/lead vocalist Freddy Curci and songwriter/lead guitarist Steve DeMarchi of the Canadian arena rock band Sheriff, along with Heart founding members Roger Fisher, Steve Fossen, and Mike Derosier.

<i>Frehleys Comet</i> (album) 1987 studio album by Frehleys Comet

Frehley's Comet is the second solo album by Ace Frehley, former lead guitarist of Kiss. It was also the first album that Frehley released after leaving Kiss in 1982.

<i>Giant for a Day!</i> 1978 studio album by Gentle Giant

Giant for a Day! is the tenth album by the British band Gentle Giant, released in 1978. The band's previous use of counterpoint and medieval-themed arrangements was not present on this recording. This album features a pop rock sensibility, instead of their usual progressive rock sound. Unlike the previous albums, the band did not make any tour or concerts to support this album. From the album only the title track was ever played live by the band during its final tour supporting the Civilian album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cosmic Psychos</span> Australian punk rock band

Cosmic Psychos is an Australian punk rock band which formed in 1982 as Spring Plains. The band's first stabilized lineup included Ross Knight on bass guitar and vocals, Peter Jones on guitar, and Bill Walsh on drums. Australian rock music historian, Ian McFarlane, described their music as "arty kind of punk noise, somewhere between The Birthday Party and a more narcotic sounding Ramones". Late in 1984 the group was renamed as Cosmic Psychos. They issued their debut album, Down on the Farm, in December 1985. Several albums have followed and were backed by national tours and international tours to Europe and North America including festivals with Mudhoney, Nirvana, L7, Helmet and Motörhead. In 1990 Jones was replaced by Robbie Watts on guitar. By 2005 Walsh was replaced by Dean Muller on drums. On 1 July 2006 Watts died of a drug overdose, aged 47, and the band continued with John McKeering joining.

<i>Vinnie Vincent Invasion</i> (album) 1986 studio album by Vinnie Vincent Invasion

Vinnie Vincent Invasion is the first studio album by Vinnie Vincent Invasion, released in 1986 through Chrysalis Records.

Kick Axe is a Canadian heavy metal band from Regina, Saskatchewan. Influenced by rambunctious arena rock from the 1970s and early 1980s, the group is perhaps best known for their 1984 album Vices, praised by publications such as AllMusic for its "down-and-dirty guitar riffs" and managing to crack the American market. The band achieved moderate commercial success in the mid-1980s on the strength of the singles "Heavy Metal Shuffle", "On the Road to Rock", "With a Little Help from My Friends" and "Rock the World". Following the release of their 1986 album Rock the World, Kick Axe disbanded and remained on hiatus for many years. In 2004, they re-emerged with the album Kick Axe IV.

The Fendermen were an American rockabilly duo, composed of Jim Sundquist and Phil Humphrey, active in the early 1960s. They are best known for the 1960 hit single "Mule Skinner Blues", a cover of a song written by Jimmie Rodgers.

<i>WOW</i> (Wendy O. Williams album) 1984 studio album by Wendy O. Williams

WOW is the debut solo studio album by American singer Wendy O. Williams, released in 1984 by Passport Records. It is her first album appearance after the success with The Plasmatics, which had gone on a hiatus during that time. Williams was nominated for Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance for this album in 1985.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ace in the Hole Band</span> Backup band for country music performer George Strait

Ace in the Hole Band is the backup band for American country music performer George Strait, who was the band's lead singer before beginning his solo career in the early 1980s. The band formed at San Marcos, Texas in the 1970s, and recorded several singles for "D Records" including the Strait-penned "I Just Can't Go On Dying Like This" and "I Don't Want To Talk It Over Anymore". After Strait attained status as the "King of Country", the group released an album of its own in 1995 featuring vocals from Darrell McCall and Mel Tillis.

<i>Stoneground</i> (album) 1971 studio album by Stoneground

Stoneground is the debut studio album by American rock band Stoneground, released in 1971 on Warner Bros. The album featured seven different lead vocalists, including Sal Valentino on four of the album's ten songs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guess I'm Dumb</span> 1965 single by Glen Campbell

"Guess I'm Dumb" is a song recorded by American singer Glen Campbell that was released as his seventh single on Capitol Records on June 7, 1965. Written by Brian Wilson and Russ Titelman, it is a love song that describes a man who regrets ending a relationship after he realizes he still harbors deep feelings for his former lover. The single failed to chart.

Direct Hit! is a Milwaukee-based punk rock band formed in 2007 by singer/guitarist Nick Woods. Its current lineup consists of Nick Woods, Devon Kay, Maura Weaver, Joram Zbichorski, and Logan Stang.

References

  1. 1 2 The Corporation, Interstellar Medium, 23 September 2014
  2. 1 2 3 "The Corporation 1969 : splendid garage psych rock", Rock Asteria, 27 February 2011
  3. 1 2 Daniel Vincent Peil obituary, Park Rapids Enterprise, 3 January 2012
  4. 1 2 John Alexander Kondos obituary, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel , 21 June 2007
  5. 1 2 3 Get On Our Swing and Hassels In My Mind by The Corporation by Rob Finnis, Ace Records UK website
  6. The Corporation, Clemens Antikvariat