My Real Memoir
We’d been chosen as the Best New Music Group in the Western U.S., and all-of-a-sudden we were stars! We had two rooms on the eighth floor of the hotel every visiting rock group stayed at! We’d played The Daisy, the most exclusive nightclub of the era. We’d recorded with a legendary music producer. We’d been outfitted in uncomfortably hip vinyl costumes by the star designer of the day who, when we asked if our costumes could be made a smidge more comfortable, rolled his eyes and said, “What do you want, fame or comfort? You can’t have both.”
And now, in our fabulously uncomfortable fame-suits, we were shooting an ABC music special with the most legendary variety show director in the world! Tim Kiley had overseen The Beatles debut on The Ed Sullivan Show! He’d directed Frank Sinatra and Judy Garland specials, and he was currently directing The Smother Brothers Comedy Hour—the hottest show on television!
Our host was the aging pop star and TV actor Ed Ames–which excited us to the point that we had to work to conceal our yawns. But our guest host was none other than Aretha freaking Franklin, the queen of soul herself! Which excited us to the point that we had to shake her hand. We were surprised at her shy, barely audible, “Nice to meet you, boys.” But when she sang—oh, when she sang—her tone and emotional range came from a whole different universe. This, we realized, is what happens when you pour your entire being into a song.
Our fellow contestants included a sweet-voiced folk trio, Best New Group in the Central U.S., whose rendition of “Leaving on a Jet Plane” was identical to Peter, Paul, & Mary’s. Lovely, yes, but record labels don’t sign cover bands. The Best New Group in the Eastern U.S., on the other hand, were Boston-based hard-rockers. Their thundering drums, screaming guitars and tortured vocals, a la Vanilla Fudge, put a whole new spin on R&B standards. We figured they were our real competition. But they figured we had it sewn up tighter than our vinyl costumes. Why? Because we did originals. And because our mini-concert at The Daisy had gotten the industry-insider audience buzzing—any one of whom might be, you know, very important! Wink, wink, nudge, nudge.
Significantly, our stage set was an abstract interpretation of a mountain range showing that tonight’s artists were climbing to new heights in the music world! (Or possibly simply showing that the studio shop had a lot of unused plywood triangles.) At any rate, we were on the highest peak. Coincidence? I think…
OK, yes, it probably was a coincidence.
After hours of shooting and re-shooting, Ed and Aretha finally revealed the winners to those excited studio audience members who were still present and awake. The Boston rockers looked over and gave us a “you got this” nod. We modestly demurred.
The folk trio won.
“And now,” we joked as we packed up and drove home to our little “five models to choose from!” housing tract, “they throw us back into obscurity!”
They did, however, let us keep the costumes.
Note: The show was in color, but this black and white version is the clearest one online.
My Real Memoir is a series. To read the next one, click here.
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So cool! That’s quite an achievement for you and your rockin’ harmonizing buddies. The best new group in northeast Ohio around that time was “Glass Harp.” Phil Keaggy, their lead singer and a phenomenal guitarist, went on to achieve success in the Christian genre.
Nancy, yes, Phil is phenomenal. I’ve been a fan of his for many years (haven’t heard the old Glass Harp stuff in a long time, but thought it was great). My comedy acts shared occasional concert bills with him back in the day. Good guy, and a fellow Beatles lover.
P.S. I just got a “Now Following” announcement about you from WordPress. Pretty sure you were following me already. Did you get bumped and have to re-follow?
Wow, what great experiences you had! Before covid, Glass Harp would get together occasionally to perform locally. I had tickets for May 1, 2020. It was cancelled for obvious reasons. After seeing a Beatles scrapbook I had made (I was friends with one of his sisters at the time), he offered to pay me $50 to make him one. 🙂
Phil did? I’m not surprised! We sat and talked Beatles non-stop for an hour or so after a concert one time. I haven’t seen him in decades, though.
Yes, Phil asked me to make him a Beatles scrapbook, but I never did. I didn’t have enough pictures left to make him one. Back then, you had to cut pictures out of magazines. Ha, ha!
Those costumes were so “groovy” 🤣🤣.
;>)
Well, you scored the costumes ~ these days they’d have rented them to you and then charged you for wear when taking them back .. 🙄
;>)
Vinyl costumes?! I’m sweating just thinking about it!
That’s a very catchy Top 40 radio tune. You guys were robbed!
Thanks, Liz! ‘Thursday Song’ was our popiest tune, actually. Over all our sound was more folk-rock, with Beatles-esque undertones.
You’re welcome, Mitch!
I’m glad you posted your “back story”. . . just saying . . . I hadn’t a clue, Claudia
Wow! Love the outfits and the tune. When you began the song, I couldn’t help but think you were every bit as good as the Herman’s Hermits. As a musician, the only thing that sounded odd was the chord progression when you sang “in the morning light”. Don’t know if it was the recording or what. But in general, the song, the look, and the performance was top shelf.
Thank you! Actually, that unexpected progression, F chord (instead of an A) resolving to an E, was one of our favorite things about the song (definite Beatles influence).
Catchy tune and I loved the (?) mandolin solo.
Thank you, Gwen. Just a guitar, actually, but on the highest string, so I can understand your thinking it was a mandolin.
I loved the video! You guys were great – and you were really hamming it up!! hehehe!
We certainly were (cringes).
I like the riff running through it.
Well you got to meet Arthea Franklin…that is some consolation prize. You guys played an original…yea you guys should have won.
I have to ask…how long did you keep the costume?
We never wore them again, Max. I lovingly donated mine to the Goodwill.
Your playing was great, your voices sound great, you exuded confidence and joy–and those costumes were surely number one on the glitz parade.
And then some. ;>) Thanks, Annie.
Very cool! 😎
Thanks for sharing
My pleasure, T.
Excellent Video Editing with positive vibes Mitch!
Thanks, Ramani.
Welcome Mitch 🙂
Seeing Aretha sing that close up must have been mind blowing!!
I loved the video you were all so in harmony with one another and the song and all of your attitudes exude happiness. Awesome. I’m sorry you didn’t win, but what a fabulous memory.
Thank you, Anonymous!
What a video and a very cool experience!
Thanks, AW!
Brilliant. What a wonderful experience. Yes, you had a remarkable talent and I do know what it feels like to get that–close.
Thank you, Daniel.
Ah, the adventures you’ve had, you rock stars! And you got to meet the Queen! The closest I ever got to Aretha was playing “R-E-S-P-E-C-T” as the theme song of my classroom. My students were told from Day One to respect the teacher, respect their classmates, respect property, and of course, respect themselves. (All in all, they did a pretty good job.)
How cool that you have a video of it after all these years! (before YouTube yet!) No description could have done those costumes justice. 😉
;>) Thanks, Annie!
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