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The Knickerbockers

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Template:Use mdy dates Template:Short description {{#invoke:other uses|otheruses}} Template:More citations needed Template:Infobox musical artist

The Knickerbockers were an American garage rock band formed in Bergenfield, New Jersey in 1964.<ref name="Larkin">Template:Cite book</ref> 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)

HistoryEdit

FormationEdit

The Charles brothers played with a fluctuating personnel until 1964, when they met Buddy Randell (vocals and sax) (birth name: William Crandall).<ref name="Larkin" /> 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.<ref name="Larkin" /><ref>[1]Template:Dead link</ref>

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 successEdit

File: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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

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).

DeclineEdit

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.<ref name="NME Rock 'N' Roll Years">Template:Cite book</ref> 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 reformationEdit

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 Music. Beau and John Charles have been involved with The Knickerbockers' CD releases on Sundazed Music.

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

MembersEdit

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

  • Beau Charles – guitar, vocals (1962–1972, 1983, 1990)
  • John Charles – bass, vocals (1962–1972, 1983, 1990)
  • Skip Cherubino – drums (1962–1963)
  • Ned Brown – keyboards (1962)
  • Peter Glitz – drums (1963–1964)
  • Buddy Randell – vocals, saxophone, drums (1964–1967, 1968–1970, 1990; died 1998)
  • Jimmy Walker – drums, vocals (1964–1967, 1983, 1990; died 2020)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

  • Richie Walker – vocals (1967–1970)
  • Barry McCoy – keyboards (1967–1968)
  • John Deleone – drums (1967–1968)
  • Pete LoCascio – drums (1962)
  • Ritchie Costanza – vocals (1970–1972)
  • Eric Swanson – drums (1970–1972)
  • Glenn Henry – bass (1999-2000)

TimelineEdit

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Colors = 

 id:vocals   value:red        legend:Vocals
 id:sax      value:yellow  legend:Saxophone
 id:guitar   value:green      legend:Guitar
 id:keyboard     value:purple     legend:Keyboards
 id:bass     value:blue       legend:Bass
 id:drums    value:orange     legend:Drums
 id:lines1   value:black      legend:Studio_album
 id:bars     value:gray(0.95)

BackgroundColors = bars:bars

Legend = orientation:vertical position:bottom columns:1 ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:1 start:1962 ScaleMinor = unit:year increment:1 start:1962

BarData = 

bar:Buddy text:Buddy Randell
bar:Ritchie text:Ritchie Walker
bar:Ritchie2 text:Ritchie Costanza
bar:Beau     text:Beau Charles
bar:John    text:John Charles
bar:Ned text:Ned Brown
bar:Barry text:Barry McCoy
bar:Pete text:Pete LoCascio
bar:Skip text:Skip Cherubino
bar:Peter text:Peter Glitz
bar:Jimmy text:Jimmy Walker
bar:John2 text:John Deleone
bar:Eric text:Eric Swanson

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width:11 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10,-4)
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bar:John      from:start till:01/08/1972 color:vocals width:3
bar:Buddy     from:01/04/1964 till:01/06/1967 color:vocals
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bar:Pete    from:start till:01/04/1962 color:drums
bar:Skip      from:01/04/1962 till:01/04/1963 color:drums
bar:Peter     from:01/04/1963 till:01/06/1964        color:drums
bar:Jimmy   from:01/06/1964 till:09/07/1967 color:drums
bar:Jimmy from:01/06/1964 till:09/07/1967 color:vocals width:3
bar:John2   from:09/07/1967 till:01/04/1968 color:drums
bar:Eric   from:01/08/1970 till:01/08/1972 color:drums
bar:Beau     from:18/06/1983 till:01/08/1983     color:vocals
bar:Beau      from:18/06/1983 till:01/08/1983 color:guitar width:3
bar:Beau   from:01/02/1990 till:end color:vocals
bar:Beau    from:01/02/1990 till:end color:guitar width:3
bar:John    from:18/06/1983 till:01/08/1983 color:bass
bar:John from:18/06/1983 till:01/08/1983 color:vocals width:3
bar:John from:01/02/1990 till:end color:bass
bar:John from:01/02/1990 till:end color:vocals width:3
bar:Buddy from:01/02/1990 till:end color:vocals
bar:Buddy from:01/02/1990 till:end color:sax width:3
bar:Jimmy from:18/06/1983 till:01/08/1983 color:drums
bar:Jimmy from:18/06/1983 till:01/08/1983 color:vocals width:3
bar:Jimmy from:01/02/1990 till:end color:drums
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</timeline>

DiscographyEdit

SinglesEdit

  • "All I Need is You" / "Bite Bite Barracuda" (Challenge 59268) 1964
  • "Jerktown" / "Room for One More" (Challenge 59293) 1965
  • "Lies" / "The Coming Generation" (Challenge 59321) 1965 U.S. No. 20; Canada No. 11<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

  • "One Track Mind" / "I Must Be Doing Something Right" (Challenge 59326) 1966 U.S. No. 46; Canada No. 32<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

  • "High on Love" / "Stick With Me" (Challenge 59332) 1966 U.S. No. 94; Canada No. 88<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

  • "Chapel in the Fields" / "Just One Girl" (Challenge 59335) 1966
  • "Love is a Bird" / "Rumors, Gossip, Words Untrue" (Challenge 59341) 1966 - Canada No. 85<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

  • "Please Don't Love Him" / "Can You Help Me" (Challenge 59348) 1966
  • "What Does That Make You?" / "Sweet Green Fields" (Challenge 59359) 1967
  • "Come and Get It" / "Wishful Thinking" (Challenge 59366) 1967
  • "I Can Do It Better" / "You'll Never Walk Alone" (Challenge 59380) 1967
  • "A Matter of Fact" / "They Ran For Their Lives" (Challenge 59384) 1968
  • "Happiness" / "Hope I See it In My Lifetime" (as LODI) (MoWest 5003) 1971
  • "All I Need is You" / "Jerktown" (reissue) (Sundazed #unknown) 1989
  • "Gotta Stop This Dreaming" / "I Want a Girl for Christmas" (Sundazed SEP 186) 2006

EPsEdit

  • "Lies" / "The Coming Generation" / "One Track Mind" / "I Must Be Doing Something Right" (London 10178) 1966

AlbumsEdit

  • Lloyd Thaxton Presents.... (Challenge 1264) 1965
  • Jerk & Twine Time (Challenge 621) 1966
  • Lies (Challenge 622) 1966 U.S. No. 134
  • Lodi (MoWest MW 101L) 1972
  • The Fabulous Knickerbockers! (Sundazed) 1989
  • The Great Lost Knickerbockers Album! (Sundazed) 1992
  • Hits, rarities, unissued cuts and more... (Sundazed) 1997
  • Rockin' with the Knickerbockers! (Sundazed 5154) 2006

ReferencesEdit

Template:Reflist

External linksEdit

Template:Authority control

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