The Knickerbockers

Last updated • 6 min readFrom Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

The Knickerbockers
The Knickerbockers 1965.png
The Knickerbockers in 1965. Left to right: Buddy Randall, Beau Charles, Jimmy Walker, John Charles.
Background information
Origin Bergenfield, New Jersey, U.S.
Genres
Years active1964–1970; 1983; 1990
Labels Challenge, Sundazed Records
Past membersBeau Charles
John Charles
Skip Cherubino
Ned Brown
Peter Glitz
Buddy Randell
Jimmy Walker
Richie Walker
Barry McCoy
John Deleone
Pete LoCasio
Ritchie Costanza
Eric Swanson
Glenn Henry

The Knickerbockers were an American garage rock band formed in Bergenfield, New Jersey in 1964. [1] They released the 1965 hit "Lies", which was known for its resemblance to the Beatles. The band was formed in 1964 by the brothers Beau Charles (guitar and vocals) and John Charles (bass and vocals) (birth names: Robert and John Carlos Cecchino respectively)

Contents

History

Formation

The Charles brothers played with a fluctuating personnel until 1964, when they met Buddy Randell (vocals and sax) (birth name: William Crandall). [1] Randell was previously of the Rockin' Saints and The Royal Teens, who had a hit with "Short Shorts" in 1958. They took their name from Knickerbocker Road (County Route 505), which runs through Tenafly, the next town to the east of Bergenfield. [1] [2]

The classic line-up consisted of Randell, the Charles brothers, and drummer Jimmy Walker (previously the drummer with the Massena, New York-based Atco Records act The Castle Kings). They were spotted by producer and singer-songwriter Jerry Fuller playing the University Twist Palace in Albany, New York, and he signed them to Los Angeles-based Challenge Records.

Initial success

The Knickerbockers performing live on stage in 1965. Left to right: Beau Charles, Buddy Randall, Jimmy Walker, John Charles. The Knickerbockers.png
The Knickerbockers performing live on stage in 1965. Left to right: Beau Charles, Buddy Randall, Jimmy Walker, John Charles.

Throughout The Knickerbockers' three years of recordings, the group tirelessly pursued current trends; the vocals on "Jerk Town", for example, are heavily derivative of the Four Seasons. Furthermore, the song's lyrics refer to "hot rods", like many other popular songs of the day. The group had a top-20 hit in 1965 with "Lies", on which the group emulated the Beatles' harmonies and playing so perfectly that the record was often passed off to the unsuspecting as an actual Beatles cut. [3]

The follow-up to "Lies" was "One Track Mind", which was nearly a hit as well. However, the band's label, Challenge Records, could not handle the distribution, and the single only reached number 45. The Knickerbockers soldiered on, appearing in the movie Out of Sight (1966) and as regulars on Dick Clark's ABC-TV program, Where the Action Is (1965–1967).

Decline

Though the band had a strong songwriter in Beau Charles, they were hampered by their label's ineptness, and drummer Walker left in late 1968 to replace Bill Medley in The Righteous Brothers. [4] Walker also recorded three solo singles for Columbia Records in 1968–1969, before retiring to Wyoming for much of the 1970s. Buddy Randell was the next to depart. The Charles brothers kept the band going by adding new members Richie Walker (vocals), Eric Swanson (drums), and Barry McCoy (keyboards). Randell rejoined The Knickerbockers on drums in 1968, leaving again in 1970 (McCoy departed to join Gary Puckett & The Union Gap). Randell later recorded singles for Uni Records ("Randi, Randi"/"Be My Baby" 1970) and under aliases such as Steel Wool ("No Sugar Tonight", White Whale 1969) and Blowtorch ("I Want Sugar all the Time" Paramount Records 1971). Beau Charles was also active outside of the group, recording "Sharon Stay in Birmingham" for White Whale Records under the alias of Columbus Jones in 1969. (Both of the White Whale and Uni Records singles were produced or co-produced by George Tobin, who later went on to produce and manage 1980s teenage singer Tiffany).

Other projects and reformation

Beau and John Charles, along with singer Ritchie Costanza and drummer Eric Swanson, were signed to Motown records in 1971, where their name was changed to Lodi, after another Bergen County town; Lodi is located somewhat southwest of Bergenfield. They recorded an album (released in 1972) and one single ("Happiness" / "I Hope I See it In My Lifetime") on the Mowest subsidiary, before splitting up.

The Charles brothers, Randell, and Swanson then briefly backed up Playboy Records artist Brenda Patterson in 1973–1974, most notably appearing on an episode of The Midnight Special . Beau Charles remained the most visible member of the band throughout the 1970s, appearing in an episode of Harry-O as a lounge singer, and performing on various film and television soundtracks.

Since then, The Knickerbockers have reformed twice. The first time was in 1983 in Los Angeles, with everyone except Buddy Randell (he was singing with the faith-based band Jerusalem Rivers at the time). They recorded demos with producer Jerry Fuller, but split up soon afterward. The band reformed one more time, performing for a month in Delray Beach, Florida, in 1990, before disbanding again.

The band's two most popular singles are on the box set Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, 1965–1968 , and there are numerous re-issues and rarity sets. A compilation album by the band is The Fabulous Knickerbockers, released on Sundazed Records. Beau and John Charles have been involved with The Knickerbockers' CD releases on Sundazed Records.

Saxophonist Buddy Randell died in 1998. Drummer Jimmy Walker died in 2020.

Members

Members listed in Chronological order:
Note: Members of the 'classic lineup' that performed on "Lies" are texted in Bold

Timeline

The Knickerbockers

Discography

Singles

EPs

Albums

Related Research Articles

<i>Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, 1965–1968</i> 1972 compilation album by various artists

Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era is a compilation album of American psychedelic and garage rock singles that were released during the mid-to-late 1960s. It was created by Lenny Kaye, who was a writer and clerk at the Village Oldies record shop in New York. He would later become the lead guitarist for the Patti Smith Group. Kaye produced Nuggets under the supervision of Elektra Records founder Jac Holzman. Kaye conceived the project as a series of roughly eight LP installments focusing on different US regions, but Elektra convinced him that one double album would be more commercially viable. It was released on LP by Elektra in 1972 with liner notes by Kaye that contained one of the first uses of the term "punk rock". It was reissued with a new cover design by Sire Records in 1976. In the 1980s, Rhino Records issued Nuggets in a series of fifteen installments, and in 1998 as a 4-cd box set.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Hollies</span> English pop rock group formed in the early 1960s

The Hollies are an English rock and pop band formed in 1962. One of the leading British groups of the 1960s and into the mid-1970s, they are known for their distinctive three-part vocal harmony style. Singer Allan Clarke and rhythm guitarist/singer Graham Nash founded the band as a Merseybeat-type group in Manchester, although some of the band members came from towns further north, in east Lancashire. Nash left the group in 1968 to co-form Crosby, Stills & Nash, though he has reunited with the Hollies on occasion. As well as Clarke and Nash other members have included lead guitarist Tony Hicks, rhythm guitarist Terry Sylvester, bassists Eric Haydock and Bernie Calvert, and drummers Don Rathbone and Bobby Elliott.

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

The Shadows of Knight were an American rock band from Chicago, Illinois, that played a version of British blues influenced by their native city. When they began recording in 1965, the band's self-description was "the Stones, Animals and the Yardbirds took the Chicago blues and gave it an English interpretation. We've taken the English version of the Blues and re-added a Chicago touch," to which rock critic Richie Unterberger commented: "The Shadows of Knight's self-description was fairly accurate."

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

The Beau Brummels were an American rock band. Formed in San Francisco in 1964, the band's original lineup included Sal Valentino, Ron Elliott, Ron Meagher, Declan Mulligan, and John Petersen (drums). They were discovered by local disc jockeys who were looking to sign acts to their new label, Autumn Records, where Sylvester Stewart—later known as Sly Stone—produced the group's early recording sessions. Initially, the band's musical style blended beat music and folk music and typically drew comparisons to the Beatles, while their later work incorporated other music genres such as psychedelic rock and country rock.

Episode Six were an English rock band formed in Harrow, London in 1965. The band did not have commercial success in the UK, releasing nine singles that all failed to chart, but they did find minor success in Beirut at the time. Group members Ian Gillan and Roger Glover left in 1969 to join Deep Purple, while drummer Mick Underwood founded Quatermass and later collaborated with Gillan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grady Tate</span> American drummer (1932–2017)

Grady Tate was an American jazz and soul-jazz drummer and baritone vocalist. In addition to his work as sideman, Tate released many albums as leader and lent his voice to songs in the animated Schoolhouse Rock! series. He received two Grammy nominations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sundazed Records</span> American independent record label

Sundazed Music is an American independent record label founded in Coxsackie, New York and currently based in Hillsborough, North Carolina. It was initially known as a '60s-centric surf, garage, and psych label. Over time with the additions of imprints such as Modern Harmonic, Americana Anthropology, Beat Rocket, Dot Matrix Recordings, and Liberty Spike Recordings, their reach spans most genres and many decades while still firmly rooted as an archival label.

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

The Brogues were an American garage rock band formed in Merced, California, in 1964. Much of the group's brief recording career was marked by distorted-guitar melodies and R&B-influenced vocals. They released two regionally successful singles in their brief existence, most notably the Annette Tucker and Nancie Mantz-penned "I Ain't No Miracle Worker", which is now considered a classic of the garage rock genre. The song has also appeared on several compilation albums and has been covered by other music artists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Detroit Wheels</span> Mitch Ryders backup band

The Detroit Wheels were an American rock band, formed in Detroit in 1964. They served as Mitch Ryder's backup band from 1964 to 1967.

The Vejtables were an American rock band from Millbrae, California, United States. They recorded for the Autumn label and found limited success with such songs as "I Still Love You" and a cover version of Tom Paxton's "The Last Thing on My Mind".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Colony Six</span> American soft rock band formed 1964

New Colony Six is an American garage and later soft rock band from Chicago, formed in 1964. Original members were Ray Graffia Jr. (vocals), who was born March 28, 1946; Chic James (drums); Pat McBride (harmonica); Craig Kemp (organ); Wally Kemp (bass); and Gerry Van Kollenburg (guitar), who was born June 26, 1946. Ronnie Rice replaced Craig Kemp in 1966. There were numerous changes in the lineup over the years. Richie Unterberger characterized the group's sound as "a poppier American Them with their prominent organ, wobbly Lesley-fied guitar amplifications, and rave-up tempos", later devolving into "a cabaret-ish band with minor national hits to their credit by the end of the 1960s." Like Paul Revere & the Raiders - with whom NC6 shared a two-flat before either band hit the charts or knew that the other had nearly identical stage wear, they wore colonial outfits on stage.

Paul Nelson Humphrey was an American jazz and R&B drummer.

Little Caesar and the Consuls is a Canadian rock band, originally active in and around Toronto from 1961 to 1971. The earliest tangible evidence of a group by that name is on February 11, 1961, when they played for the Downsview Junior Teen Club's Valentine Party at Beverley Heights Junior High School, as reported in the February 23, 1961, issue of the Weston, Ontario, Times & Guide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Beau Brummels discography</span>

The Beau Brummels were an American rock band that formed in 1964 and originally consisted of singer Sal Valentino, lead guitarist Ron Elliott, bassist Ron Meagher, rhythm guitarist Declan Mulligan and drummer John Petersen. Local radio disc jockeys Tom Donahue and Bobby Mitchell discovered the band at a club near San Francisco. They signed the Beau Brummels to their fledgling Autumn Records label, and their house producer, Sylvester Stewart, later known as Sly Stone, recorded the band's early sessions.

Butch Engle & the Styx was an American rock band formed in 1963 in Mill Valley, California. Originally named The Showmen, the members were Butch Engle (vocals), Bob Zamora, Mike Pardee (organ), Harry "Happiness" Smith (bass), and Rich Morrison (drums). The band released three singles before breaking up in 1968. A compilation album featuring all of the band's recordings, No Matter What You Say: The Best of Butch Engle & the Styx, was released in 2000.

<i>Greatest Hits</i> (Dokken album) 2010 compilation album by Dokken

Greatest Hits is a compilation album by heavy metal band Dokken. It is a collection of re-recorded 1980s hits along with two new tracks. On March 1, 2010, it was digitally released to iTunes and Amazon.com. The physical album with additional tracks was released in the US by Cleopatra Records on May 4, 2010, and in Japan on May 11, 2010, by King Records. On June 14, 2011, it was re-released by Store For Music LTD under the new title The Anthems with a new cover. The Anthems contains both of the bonus tracks from the Japanese edition of Greatest Hits.

The Sparkles were an American garage rock band from Levelland, Texas, that were active between 1957 and 1972. However, the most popular version of the band was the line-up that existed from 1965 to 1967, and which recorded the songs "No Friend of Mine" and "Hipsville 29 B. C."

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

The Mojo Men was an American rock band based in San Francisco. Formed in 1965, the group underwent several name and personnel changes until their 1969 breakup. Their highest-charting Billboard Hot 100 single was a cover of Buffalo Springfield's "Sit Down, I Think I Love You", which peaked at number 36 in 1967.

"Lies" is a song written by Beau Charles and Buddy Randell. It was performed by The Knickerbockers and produced by Jerry Fuller. It reached #20 on the U.S. pop chart and #11 in Canada in 1966. It was featured on their 1966 album Lies and is famous for often being mistaken for a Beatles track due to its similarities to their style and harmonies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jimmy Walker (drummer)</span> American drummer and singer (1941–2020)

Jimmy Walker was an American musician and singer who was the drummer for one-hit wonder band The Knickerbockers and the replacement for Bill Medley in the Righteous Brothers, following his 1968 departure.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Colin Larkin, ed. (1997). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music (Concise ed.). Virgin Books. pp. 719/720. ISBN   1-85227-745-9.
  2. [ permanent dead link ]
  3. Deming, Mark. "The Knickerbockers: Biography". AllMusic . Retrieved June 8, 2020.
  4. Tobler, John (1992). NME Rock 'N' Roll Years (1st ed.). London: Reed International Books Ltd. p. 182. CN 5585.
  5. Cashmere, Paul (July 17, 2020). "Jimmy Walker of The Knickerbockers Dies". Noise11.com. Retrieved August 28, 2023.
  6. "RPM Play Sheet - January 24, 1966" (PDF).
  7. "RPM Top 100 - May 23, 1966" (PDF).
  8. "RPM Top 100 - July 25, 1966" (PDF).
  9. "RPM Top 100 - December 5, 1966" (PDF).