The Association is an American
sunshine pop
Sunshine pop (originally known as soft pop) is a subgenre of pop music that originated in Southern California in the mid-1960s. Rooted in easy listening and advertising jingles, sunshine pop acts combined nostalgic or anxious moods with "an appre ...
band from
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
. During the late 1960s, the band had numerous hits at or near the top of the
''Billboard'' charts (including "
Windy", "
Cherish", "
Never My Love
"Never My Love" is a pop standard written by American siblings Don and Dick Addrisi, and best known from a hit 1967 recording by the Association. The Addrisi Brothers had two Top 40 hits as recording artists, but their biggest success as songwri ...
" and "
Along Comes Mary
"Along Comes Mary" is a song composed by Tandyn Almer, originally recorded by American sunshine pop band the Association. It was the group's first hit, released on their debut album, '' And Then... Along Comes the Association'' (1966).
Backgr ...
") and were the lead-off band at 1967's
Monterey Pop Festival
The Monterey International Pop Festival was a three-day music festival held June 16 to 18, 1967, at the Monterey County Fairgrounds in Monterey, California. The festival is remembered for the first major American appearances by the Jimi Hendrix ...
. They are known for intricate vocal harmonies by the band's multiple singers.
Their most well known lineup included;
Terry Kirkman
Terry Robert Kirkman (born December 12, 1939) is an American musician, who was the lead vocalist for the folk rock group the Association and writer of their hit songs " Cherish", " Everything That Touches You", and "Six Man Band" among many oth ...
(vocals, woodwind instruments), Russ Giguere (vocals, guitar),
Jim Yester
James Yester (born November 24, 1939) is an American musician. He is a member of the sunshine pop group The Association, who had numerous hits on the ''Billboard'' charts including " Windy", " Cherish", "Never My Love" and "Along Comes Mary". H ...
(rhythm and lead guitar),
Jules Alexander
Jules is the French form of the Latin "Julius" (e.g. Jules César, the French name for Julius Caesar). It is the given name of:
People with the name
*Jules Aarons (1921–2008), American space physicist and photographer
*Jules Abadie (1876–195 ...
(lead and rhythm guitar),
Brian Cole (bass) and Ted Bluechel Jr (drums) (and later
Larry Ramos
Hilario D. "Larry" Ramos Jr. (April 19, 1942 – April 30, 2014) was a guitarist, banjo player, and vocalist with the 1960s American pop band the Association. In 1963, he won a Grammy with The New Christy Minstrels.
Early years
Ramos was of F ...
, who replaced Jules in early 1967.)
History
Beginnings
Jules Alexander
Jules is the French form of the Latin "Julius" (e.g. Jules César, the French name for Julius Caesar). It is the given name of:
People with the name
*Jules Aarons (1921–2008), American space physicist and photographer
*Jules Abadie (1876–195 ...
(born September 25, 1943,
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Chattanooga ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States. Located along the Tennessee River bordering Georgia, it also extends into Marion County on its western end. With a population of 181,099 in 2020, ...
) was in
Hawaii
Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...
in 1962 serving a stint in the Navy when he met
Terry Kirkman
Terry Robert Kirkman (born December 12, 1939) is an American musician, who was the lead vocalist for the folk rock group the Association and writer of their hit songs " Cherish", " Everything That Touches You", and "Six Man Band" among many oth ...
(born December 12, 1939,
Salina, Kansas
Salina is a city in, and the county seat of, Saline County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 46,889.
In the early 1800s, the Kanza tribal land reached eastward from the middle of the Kansas Territory. In 1 ...
), a visiting salesman. Kirkman grew up in
Chino, California
Chino ( ; Spanish for "Curly") is a city in the western end of San Bernardino County, California, United States, with Los Angeles County to its west and Orange County to its south in the Southern California region. Chino is adjacent to Chino ...
, and attended
Chaffey College as a music major. The two young musicians jammed together and promised to get together once Alexander was discharged. That happened a year later; the two eventually moved to
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
and began exploring the city's music scene in the mid-1960s, often working behind the scenes as directors and arrangers for other music acts. At the same time, Kirkman played in groups with
Frank Zappa
Frank Vincent Zappa (December 21, 1940 – December 4, 1993) was an American musician, composer, and bandleader. His work is characterized by wikt:nonconformity, nonconformity, Free improvisation, free-form improvisation, sound experimen ...
for a short period before Zappa went on to form
the Mothers of Invention
The Mothers of Invention (also known as The Mothers) was an American rock band from California. Formed in 1964, their work is marked by the use of sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows.
Originally an R&B band ...
.
Eventually, at a Monday night
hootenanny
A hootenanny is a party involving music in the United States. It is particularly associated with folk music.
Etymology Placeholder
Hootenanny is an Appalachian colloquialism that was used in the early twentieth century U.S. as a placeholder nam ...
at the Los Angeles nightclub,
The Troubadour in 1964, an ad hoc group called The Inner Tubes was formed by Kirkman, Alexander and
Doug Dillard
Douglas Flint Dillard (March 6, 1937 – May 16, 2012) was an American musician noted for his banjo proficiency and his pioneering participation in late-60s country rock.
Biography Early life
Dillard, who grew up on a farm near Salem, Missouri, ...
, whose rotating membership contained, at one time or another,
Cass Elliot
Ellen Naomi Cohen (September 19, 1941 – July 29, 1974), known professionally as Mama Cass and later on as Cass Elliot, was an American singer and voice actress. She was a member of the singing group the Mamas & the Papas. After the group brok ...
,
David Crosby
David Van Cortlandt Crosby (born August 14, 1941) is an American singer, guitarist, and songwriter. In addition to his solo career, he was a founding member of both the Byrds and Crosby, Stills & Nash.
Crosby joined the Byrds in 1964. They got ...
and many others who drifted in and out. This led, in the fall of 1964, to the forming of The Men, a 13-piece
Folk rock
Folk rock is a hybrid music genre that combines the elements of folk and rock music, which arose in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom in the mid-1960s. In the U.S., folk rock emerged from the folk music revival. Performers suc ...
band. This group had a brief spell as the house band at The Troubadour.
After a short time, however, The Men disbanded, with six of the members electing to go out on their own in February 1965. At the suggestion of Kirkman's then-fiancée, Judy, they took the name "The Association". The original lineup consisted of
Alexander
Alexander is a male given name. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history.
Variants listed here are Aleksandar, Al ...
(using his middle name, Gary, on the first two albums) on vocals and lead guitar;
Kirkman on vocals and a variety of wind, brass and percussion instruments;
Brian Cole (September 8, 1942 – August 2, 1972, born
Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma ( ) is the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. A port city, it is situated along Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, Washington, Olympia, and northwest of Mount ...
, died
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
) on vocals, bass and woodwinds; Russ Giguere (born October 18, 1943,
Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Portsmouth is a city in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. At the 2020 census it had a population of 21,956. A historic seaport and popular summer tourist destination on the Piscataqua River bordering the state of Maine, Portsmou ...
), on vocals, percussion and guitar; Ted Bluechel, Jr. (born December 2, 1942,
San Pedro, California
San Pedro ( ; Spanish: " St. Peter") is a neighborhood within the City of Los Angeles, California. Formerly a separate city, it consolidated with Los Angeles in 1909. The Port of Los Angeles, a major international seaport, is partially located wi ...
), from The Cherry Hill Singers, on drums, guitar, bass and vocals; and Brian Cole's friend and bandmate from the group Gnu Fokes, Bob Page (born May 13, 1943), on guitar, banjo and vocals. However, Page was replaced by
Jim Yester
James Yester (born November 24, 1939) is an American musician. He is a member of the sunshine pop group The Association, who had numerous hits on the ''Billboard'' charts including " Windy", " Cherish", "Never My Love" and "Along Comes Mary". H ...
(born November 24, 1939,
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham ( ) is a city in the north central region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Birmingham is the seat of Jefferson County, Alabama's most populous county. As of the 2021 census estimates, Birmingham had a population of 197,575, down 1% fr ...
) on vocals, guitar and keyboards before any of the group's public performances.
The new band spent about five months rehearsing before they began performing around the Los Angeles area, most notably a regular stint at
The Ice House in
Pasadena
Pasadena ( ) is a city in Los Angeles County, California, northeast of downtown Los Angeles. It is the most populous city and the primary cultural center of the San Gabriel Valley. Old Pasadena is the city's original commercial district.
Its ...
(where Giguere had worked as lighting director) and its sister club in
Glendale Glendale is the anglicised version of the Gaelic Gleann Dail, which means ''valley of fertile, low-lying arable land''.
It may refer to:
Places Australia
* Glendale, New South Wales
** Stockland Glendale, a shopping centre
*Glendale, Queensland, ...
.
[ They also auditioned for record labels but faced resistance. Eventually, the small Jubilee label issued a single of "]Babe I'm Gonna Leave You
"Babe I'm Gonna Leave You" is a folk song written by Anne Bredon in the late 1950s. Joan Baez recorded a solo version for her 1962 album '' Joan Baez in Concert'' and a variety of musicians subsequently adapted it to a variety of styles, including ...
" (a song originally recorded by Joan Baez
Joan Chandos Baez (; born January 9, 1941) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and activist. Her contemporary folk music often includes songs of protest and social justice. Baez has performed publicly for over 60 years, releasing more ...
, later popularized by Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The group comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. With a heavy, guitar-driven sound, they are ci ...
), but nothing happened. Finally, Valiant Records offered them a contract, with the first result being a version of Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...
's "One Too Many Mornings
"One Too Many Mornings" is a song by Bob Dylan, released on his third studio album '' The Times They Are a-Changin in 1964. The chords and vocal melody are in some places very similar to the song " The Times They Are A-Changin'". "One Too Many ...
", which was produced by Valiant's owner, Barry De Vorzon
Barry De Vorzon (born July 31, 1934) is an American singer, songwriter, producer, and composer. His earliest hit compositions were "Just Married" (1958), written with Al Allen and recorded by Marty Robbins, which reached number 26 on ''Billboar ...
, at Gold Star Studios
Gold Star Studios was an independent recording studio located in Los Angeles, California, United States. For more than thirty years, from 1950 to 1984, Gold Star was one of the most successful commercial recording studios in the world.
Founded ...
.
The Men were first managed by Doug Weston
Alexander Douglas Weston (December 13, 1926 – February 14, 1999) was an American nightclub owner, known as the owner of The Troubadour nightclub in Los Angeles which in the 1960s and 1970s was particularly responsible for promoting many successf ...
, owner of the Troubador, before switching to actor Dean Fredericks
Frederick Joseph Foote (January 21, 1924 – June 30, 1999) was an American film and television actor. He is perhaps best known for playing the title role in the television series ''Steve Canyon''.
Born in Los Angeles, California. Fredericks se ...
, who remained on board when The Association was formed and helped get them the Valiant deal. In 1966 Fredericks turned the reins over to Pat Colecchio, who managed the group for the next eight years, then on and off during the two years after that. But the change in management turned out to be less than amicable as Fredericks later sued the band for breach of contract and was subsequently awarded a settlement.
First success
Their national break came with the song "Along Comes Mary
"Along Comes Mary" is a song composed by Tandyn Almer, originally recorded by American sunshine pop band the Association. It was the group's first hit, released on their debut album, '' And Then... Along Comes the Association'' (1966).
Backgr ...
", written by Tandyn Almer
Tandyn Douglas Almer (July 30, 1942 – January 8, 2013) was an American songwriter, musician, and record producer who wrote the 1966 song "Along Comes Mary" for the Association. He also wrote, co-wrote, and produced numerous other songs pe ...
. Alexander first heard the song when he was hired to play on a demo version and persuaded Almer to give The Association first dibs on it, with Jim Yester on lead vocals. The song proved controversial since "Mary" was street slang for marijuana
Cannabis, also known as marijuana among other names, is a psychoactive drug from the cannabis plant. Native to Central or South Asia, the cannabis plant has been used as a drug for both recreational and entheogenic purposes and in various tra ...
, but it went to No. 7 on the ''Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' charts and led to the group's first album, '' And Then... Along Comes the Association'' (July 1966), produced by Curt Boettcher
Curtis Roy Boettcher (January 7, 1944 – June 14, 1987), sometimes credited as Curt Boetcher or Curt Becher, was an American singer, songwriter, arranger, musician, and record producer from Wisconsin. He was a pivotal figure in what is now t ...
and begun in Gary S. Paxton
Gary Sanford Paxton (born Larry Wayne Stevens; May 18, 1939 – July 17, 2016) was an American record producer, recording artist, and Grammy and Dove Award winning songwriter. Paxton was a member of Skip & Flip and the Hollywood Argyles and wa ...
's garage, with vocals done separately at Columbia. Another song from the album, " Cherish", written by Kirkman,[ became The Association's first No. 1 hit in September 1966 and one of a handful of the Sixties' most popular "slow dance" ballads.
The group followed with their second album, '']Renaissance
The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ideas ...
'', released in November 1966. The band changed producers, dropping Boettcher in favor of Jerry Yester
Jerome Alan Yester (born January 9, 1943) is an American folk rock musician, record producer, and arranger.
Biography
Yester was born in Birmingham, Alabama, United States, and grew up in Burbank, California. He formed a duo with brother ...
(brother of Jim and formerly of the Modern Folk Quartet
The Modern Folk Quartet (or "MFQ") was an American folk music revival group that formed in the early 1960s. Originally emphasizing acoustic instruments and group harmonies, they performed extensively and recorded two albums. In 1965, as the Mode ...
and later, a member of the Lovin' Spoonful
The Lovin' Spoonful is an American rock band popular during the mid- to late-1960s. Founded in New York City in 1965 by lead singer/songwriter John Sebastian and guitarist Zal Yanovsky, the band is widely known for a number of hits, including ...
). The album did not spawn any major hits (the highest-charting single, "Pandora's Golden Heebie Jeebies" stalled at No. 35), and the album only reached No. 34, compared with the No. 5 showing for ''And Then... Along Comes the Association''.
Crest
In late 1966, Warner Bros. Records
Warner Records Inc. (formerly Warner Bros. Records Inc.) is an American record label. A subsidiary of the Warner Music Group, it is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It was founded on March 19, 1958, as the recorded music division of the ...
, which had been distributing Valiant, bought the smaller label and with it, The Association's contract.
In April 1967, Alexander left the band to study meditation
Meditation is a practice in which an individual uses a technique – such as mindfulness, or focusing the mind on a particular object, thought, or activity – to train attention and awareness, and achieve a mentally clear and emotionally cal ...
in India and was replaced by Larry Ramos
Hilario D. "Larry" Ramos Jr. (April 19, 1942 – April 30, 2014) was a guitarist, banjo player, and vocalist with the 1960s American pop band the Association. In 1963, he won a Grammy with The New Christy Minstrels.
Early years
Ramos was of F ...
(born Hilario Ramos on April 19, 1942, Waimea, Hawaii; died April 30, 2014, Clarkston, Washington
Clarkston is a city in Asotin County, Washington, United States. It is part of the Lewiston, ID-WA metropolitan area, and is located west of Lewiston, Idaho, across the Snake River.
The population of Clarkston was 7,229 at the 2010 census.
Wal ...
) on vocals and guitar. Ramos joined the band while Alexander was still performing with them after bassist Cole's hand was injured by a firecracker; Alexander subbed on bass while Ramos played lead guitar. Ramos had previously performed with the New Christy Minstrels
The New Christy Minstrels are an American large-ensemble folk music group founded by Randy Sparks in 1961. The group has recorded more than 20 albums and scored several hits, including " Green, Green", "Saturday Night", "Today", "Denver", and " ...
and had even recorded solo singles for Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music, Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese Conglomerate (company), conglomerate Sony. It was founded on Janua ...
. He went on to sing co-lead (along with Giguere and Kirkman) on two of The Association's biggest hit singles, " Windy" and "Never My Love
"Never My Love" is a pop standard written by American siblings Don and Dick Addrisi, and best known from a hit 1967 recording by the Association. The Addrisi Brothers had two Top 40 hits as recording artists, but their biggest success as songwri ...
".
With the lineup settled, the group returned to the studio, this time with Bones Howe
Dayton Burr "Bones" Howe (born March 18, 1933) is an American record producer and recording engineer who scored a string of hits in the 1960s and 1970s, often of the sunshine pop genre, starting in 1965 with The Turtles cover of Bob Dylan's "It ...
in the producer's chair. The first fruits of this pairing were the single " Windy", written by Ruthann Friedman
Ruthann Friedman (born July 6, 1944) is an American folk singer-songwriter and guitarist best known for writing the hit song "Windy" for the American sunshine pop band the Association.
Early years
Born in Bronx, New York, Friedman spent her fo ...
, topping the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 on July 1, 1967 and staying there for four consecutive weeks, preceded by the album ''Insight Out
''Insight Out'' is the third album by the American pop band the Association and was released on June 8, 1967 on Warner Bros. Records. It was the band's first album release for the Warner Brothers label and it became one of the top selling LPs of ...
'', which reached No. 8 in June.
On June 16, 1967, The Association was the first act to perform at the Monterey Pop Festival
The Monterey International Pop Festival was a three-day music festival held June 16 to 18, 1967, at the Monterey County Fairgrounds in Monterey, California. The festival is remembered for the first major American appearances by the Jimi Hendrix ...
. (The Criterion Collection
The Criterion Collection, Inc. (or simply Criterion) is an American home-video distribution company that focuses on licensing, restoring and distributing "important classic and contemporary films." Criterion serves film and media scholars, cinep ...
DVD of the festival includes their performance of "Along Comes Mary" on disc 3.)
The group's success continued with its next single, "Never My Love
"Never My Love" is a pop standard written by American siblings Don and Dick Addrisi, and best known from a hit 1967 recording by the Association. The Addrisi Brothers had two Top 40 hits as recording artists, but their biggest success as songwri ...
", written by Dick and Don Addrisi; it went to No. 2 in ''Billboard'' and No. 1 in ''Cash Box
''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', was an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an online ...
'' in October 1967. It became the group's only double-sided charted record, as its B-side, "Requiem For The Masses", made a brief showing on the ''Billboard'' chart. Like "Cherish" and "One Too Many Mornings", "Never My Love"'s vocal arrangement was provided by Clark Burroughs, former member of the Hi-Lo's
The Hi-Lo's were a vocal quartet formed in 1953, who achieved their greatest fame in the late 1950s and 1960s. The group's name is a reference to their extreme vocal and physical ranges (Bob Strasen and Bob Morse were tall, Gene Puerling and Cla ...
. "Never My Love" has since been certified the second-most-frequently-played song in America during the 20th century.
In 1968, after turning down a cantata composed by Jimmy Webb
Jimmy Layne Webb (born August 15, 1946) is an American songwriter, composer, and singer. He has written numerous platinum-selling songs, including " Up, Up and Away", "By the Time I Get to Phoenix", "MacArthur Park", "Wichita Lineman", "Worst ...
that included the now-classic "MacArthur Park
MacArthur Park (originally Westlake Park) is a park dating back to the late 19th century in the Westlake, Los Angeles, Westlake neighborhood of Los Angeles. In the early 1940s, it was renamed after General Douglas MacArthur, and later designated ...
", the group produced its fourth album, ''Birthday
A birthday is the anniversary of the birth of a person, or figuratively of an institution. Birthdays of people are celebrated in numerous cultures, often with birthday gifts, birthday cards, a birthday party, or a rite of passage.
Many re ...
'' (March 1968), with Bones Howe again at the controls. This album spawned "Everything That Touches You
"Everything That Touches You" is a song written by Terry Kirkman and originally released in 1968 by the American sunshine pop band the Association
The Association is an American sunshine pop band from California. During the late 1960s, the ...
", the group's last Hot 100 Top 10 hit, and "Time for Livin'", the group's final Hot 100 Top 40 hit.
Later that year, the group released a self-produced single, the harder-edged "Six Man Band". This song also appeared on ''Greatest Hits
A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be crea ...
'', released in November 1968.
Comings and goings
At the close of 1968, Alexander, who had returned from India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
and had done a stint with another band called Joshua Fox, returned to the group, which now made The Association a seven-man band. ("Six-Man Band" became "Seven-".)
The larger band's first project was to contribute to the soundtrack for ''Goodbye, Columbus
''Goodbye, Columbus'' is a 1959 collection of fiction by the American novelist Philip Roth, comprising the title novella "Goodbye, Columbus"—which first appeared in ''The Paris Review''—and five short stories. It was his first book and was ...
'' (1969), the film version of Philip Roth
Philip Milton Roth (March 19, 1933 – May 22, 2018) was an American novelist and short story writer.
Roth's fiction—often set in his birthplace of Newark, New Jersey—is known for its intensely autobiographical character, for philosophicall ...
's best-selling novel. The title track, written by Yester, peaked at No. 80. John Boylan, one third of the little-known group Hamilton Streetcar, worked with the group on the soundtrack and stayed on board for its next album, ''The Association
The Association is an American sunshine pop band from California. During the late 1960s, the band had numerous hits at or near the top of the ''Billboard'' charts (including " Windy", " Cherish", " Never My Love" and "Along Comes Mary") and ...
'' (August 1969). Many of the tracks on this album have a country-rock sound but none of the singles released made any impact, so the group re-teamed with Curt Boettcher in late 1969 for a one-off single, "Just About the Same" (released in February 1970), a reworking of a song Boettcher had recorded with his group, The Millennium. This too failed to catch on.
Despite all this, the band remained a popular concert draw, and on April 3, 1970 a Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the Capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Utah, most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the county seat, seat of Salt Lake County, Utah, Sal ...
performance was recorded for ''The Association Live
''The'' () is a grammatical Article (grammar), article in English language, English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite ...
''.
In June 1970, Giguere left the band; he released a solo album, ''Hexagram 16'', the following year. The Association replaced him with keyboardist Richard Thompson (not to be confused with the English singer-songwriter/guitarist), who had contributed to previous albums and began playing live with the group for some July 4 & 5 appearances in Atlantic City
Atlantic City, often known by its initials A.C., is a coastal resort city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The city is known for its casinos, Boardwalk (entertainment district), boardwalk, and beaches. In 2020 United States censu ...
. Thompson had previously been known primarily in jazz circles.
The album '' Stop Your Motor'' was released in July 1971. It was the group's least popular up to that date, reaching only No. 158 on the ''Billboard'' chart. ''Stop Your Motor'' marked the end of the Association's tenure at Warner Brothers.
In early 1972, they resurfaced on Columbia with ''Waterbeds in Trinidad!
''Waterbeds in Trinidad!'' is the seventh studio album (and ninth album overall by including a greatest hits and a live album) by The Association. This album was the group's only release for Columbia Records as well as their last recorded project ...
'' (April 1972), produced by Lewis Merenstein (best known for producing Van Morrison
Sir George Ivan Morrison (born 31 August 1945), known professionally as Van Morrison, is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist whose recording career spans seven decades. He has won two Grammy Awards.
As a teenager in t ...
's ''Astral Weeks
''Astral Weeks'' is the second studio album by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison. It was recorded at Century Sound Studios in New York during September and October 1968, and released in November of the same year by Warner Bros. Rec ...
''). The album fared even less well than ''Stop Your Motor'', reaching No. 194, while a single of the Lovin' Spoonful
The Lovin' Spoonful is an American rock band popular during the mid- to late-1960s. Founded in New York City in 1965 by lead singer/songwriter John Sebastian and guitarist Zal Yanovsky, the band is widely known for a number of hits, including ...
's "Darlin' Be Home Soon
"Darlin' Be Home Soon" (or "Darling Be Home Soon") is a song written by John Sebastian of the Lovin' Spoonful for the soundtrack of the 1966 Francis Ford Coppola film ''You're a Big Boy Now''. It appeared on the Lovin' Spoonful's 1967 soundtrack a ...
" failed to break the Hot 100.
Breakup and reformation
For their 1972 tour, the group expanded, bringing in first session bass player Wolfgang Melz, and then Mike Berkowitz on drums, to add more musical versatility on stage and free up Brian Cole and Ted Bluechel to concentrate on singing. But on August 2, 1972, 29-year-old Cole was found dead in his Los Angeles home of a heroin
Heroin, also known as diacetylmorphine and diamorphine among other names, is a potent opioid mainly used as a recreational drug for its euphoric effects. Medical grade diamorphine is used as a pure hydrochloride salt. Various white and brow ...
overdose.
For the rest of the 1970s, The Association was in a state of flux, releasing singles intermittently along with sporadic touring.
In September 1972, Kirkman departed, as did Melz and Berkowitz later on that fall. The group was then moved over to the CBS distributed Mums label and put out a new single, Albert Hammond
Albert Louis Hammond OBE (born 18 May 1944) is a British-Gibraltarian singer, songwriter, and record producer. A prolific songwriter, he also collaborated with other songwriters such as Mike Hazlewood, John Bettis, Diane Warren, Holly Knight ...
's "Names, Tags, Numbers & Labels", in February 1973. It failed to make much of an impression, though, and the label's funding for a hoped for album by the group never materialized. Mums folded by the end of 1974.
In late 1972, the remaining quintet of Alexander, Bluechel, Yester, Ramos and Thompson brought in new members Maurice Miller (vocals, drums, percussion, formerly of Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band
Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band is an American soul and funk band. Formed in the early 1960s, they had the most visibility from 1967 to 1973 when the band had 9 singles reach Billboard's pop and/or rhythm and blues charts, ...
) and David Vaught (vocals, bass, fresh from a stint in the band Rosebud
Rosebud may refer to:
* Rose bud, the bud of a rose flower
Arts
* The name of Jerry Garcia's guitar from 1990 until his death in 1995.
* In the 1941 film ''Citizen Kane'', the last words of Charles Foster Kane and an overall plot device.
* "Ros ...
and later a member of the Lopez Beatles, who later played in the first lineup of Roger McGuinn
James Roger McGuinn (born James Joseph McGuinn III; July 13, 1942) is an American musician. He is best known for being the frontman and leader of the Byrds. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for his work with the Byrds. As a ...
's Thunderbyrd
''Thunderbyrd'' is American singer-songwriter and guitarist Roger McGuinn's 5th solo studio album, released in 1977 on the Columbia Records label. Following the success of his 1976 album ''Cardiff Rose'', McGuinn intended to make another album ...
in 1976 and who died on March 20, 2013 from pancreatic cancer) and continued touring.
Jim Yester left in the late summer of 1973 and was briefly replaced by his brother Jerry (who, like Vaught, had just played in Rosebud
Rosebud may refer to:
* Rose bud, the bud of a rose flower
Arts
* The name of Jerry Garcia's guitar from 1990 until his death in 1995.
* In the 1941 film ''Citizen Kane'', the last words of Charles Foster Kane and an overall plot device.
* "Ros ...
). Jim Yester returned a short time later when Alexander left in late 1973, eventually to join Giguere and former Honey Ltd.
Honey Ltd. were an American 1960s girl group made up of sisters Alexandra and Joan Sliwin, Laura Polkinghorne and Marsha Temmer.
Background
The group members began singing with each other at Wayne State University. They formed the Mama Cats a ...
female vocalists Alex Sliwin, Joan Sliwin and Marsha Temmer in a new outfit, Bijou. Jerry Yester
Jerome Alan Yester (born January 9, 1943) is an American folk rock musician, record producer, and arranger.
Biography
Yester was born in Birmingham, Alabama, United States, and grew up in Burbank, California. He formed a duo with brother ...
stayed with The Association until the end of 1974 and pianist Thompson also left at that time. Dwayne Smith (vocals, keyboards) was then brought in.
In 1975, the band signed with RCA Records
RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also A ...
where they released two singles, "One Sunday Morning" (produced in Canada by Jack Richardson) and "Sleepy Eyes". An album called ''The Association Bites Back'' was to follow but was never released.
During this period, the band was offered a production deal with Mike Curb
Michael Curb (born December 24, 1944) is an American musician, record company executive, motorsports car owner, philanthropist, and former politician. He is also the founder of Curb Records where he presently serves as the chairman. Curb also ...
, who wanted them to record a disco version of the prior hits, "Cherish", "No Fair At All" and an original song which Larry Brown wrote and sang entitled "It's High Time To Get High". The deal did not go through.
Membership was fluid in 1975–1976. Smith had joined in December 1974 and appeared on "One Sunday Morning" but was replaced by Andy Chapin
Andrew Chapin (February 7, 1952 – December 31, 1985) was an American keyboardist best known for his short stint with the Ricky Nelson Band, which ended in 1985 when Nelson and his bandmates died after Nelson's personal DC-3 aircraft crashed ...
by the end of 1975. Ramos departed as well in mid-1975 and was replaced by Art Johnson, then the aforementioned Larry Brown (vocals, guitar). The increased tour schedule led to Chapin's departure in 1976 (he later played for artist Ricky Nelson
Eric Hilliard Nelson (May 8, 1940 – December 31, 1985) was an American musician, songwriter and actor. From age eight he starred alongside his family in the radio and television series ''The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet''. In 1957, he bega ...
and perished along with Nelson and his band when his plane crashed on December 31, 1985). Chapin was replaced, first by Jay Gruska, who then left for a stint with Three Dog Night
Three Dog Night is an American rock band formed in 1967, with founding members consisting of vocalists Danny Hutton, Cory Wells, and Chuck Negron. This lineup was soon augmented by Jimmy Greenspoon (keyboards), Joe Schermie (bass), Michael Allsup ...
, and then by David Morgan (who later joined Three Dog Night himself) in mid-1976.
In 1977, Bluechel, Jim Yester, and the current lineup recorded new versions of "Windy", "Cherish", "Never My Love", "Along Comes Mary" and "Everything That Touches You" with session players for K-tel
K-tel International Ltd is a Canadian company which formerly specialized in selling consumer products through infomercials and live demonstration. Its products include compilation music albums, including ''The Super Hits'' series, ''The Dynami ...
Records that later ended up on a 1983 album collection, ''Back to Back'', where one half of the record was The Association songs and the other half tunes by the Turtles
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
.
During the spring of 1977, Brown left to concentrate on session work and keyboardist Ric Ulsky joined, leaving Jim Yester as sole guitarist in the lineup. But by the summer of that same year, with the prime gigs proving to be fewer and far between, Yester left, leaving Bluechel as the only original member. Yester was replaced by lead guitarist Cliff Woolley and the group had two keyboardists for a short time in 1977–78, Ulsky and David Morgan, before Morgan was succeeded by guitarist/singer John William Tuttle (son of makeup artist William Tuttle; John died on August 17, 1991, at age 41 of a perforated ulcer
A perforated ulcer is a condition in which an untreated ulcer has burned through the mucosal wall in a segment of the gastrointestinal tract (e.g., the stomach or colon) allowing gastric contents to leak into the abdominal cavity.
Signs and symp ...
in Van Nuys, California
Van Nuys () is a neighborhood in the central San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California. Home to Van Nuys Airport and the Valley Municipal Building, it is the most populous neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley.
History
In 1909, ...
). Russ Levine (who had played with Bobby Womack
Robert Dwayne Womack (; March 4, 1944 – June 27, 2014) was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. Starting in the early 1950s as the lead singer of his family musical group the Valentinos and as Sam Cooke's backing guit ...
, Donna Summer
LaDonna Adrian Gaines (December 31, 1948May 17, 2012), known professionally as Donna Summer, was an American singer and songwriter. She gained prominence during the disco era of the 1970s and became known as the " Queen of Disco", while her mus ...
and Ultimate Spinach
Ultimate Spinach was a short-lived American psychedelic rock band from Boston, Massachusetts which was formed in 1967. In terms of style and national recognition, the band was one of the most prominent musical acts to emerge from the "Bosstown S ...
) also arrived in 1978 to take over drums from Maurice Miller (who went on to play with Lena Horne
Lena Mary Calhoun Horne (June 30, 1917 – May 9, 2010) was an American dancer, actress, singer, and civil rights activist. Horne's career spanned more than seventy years, appearing in film, television, and theatre. Horne joined the chorus of th ...
but died of complications from diabetes
Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level ( hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased ap ...
October 10, 2005 in Burbank, California
Burbank is a city in the southeastern end of the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Located northwest of downtown Los Angeles, Burbank has a population of 107,337. The city was named after David Burbank, w ...
at age 73) on drums. And a short time after that, guitarist Jack Harris came in for Woolley. Jerry Yester also returned for several gigs with the group in the fall of 1978.
The band dissolved shortly afterward, leaving Bluechel with a huge debt. To help clear away some of it, in November 1978, he leased the group's name to a company that put a fake "Association" out on the road.
In September 1979, the surviving key members Kirkman, Alexander, Giguere, Bluechel, Yester and Ramos combined with Richard Thompson and seasoned studio pro and arranger Ray Pohlman
Merlyn Ray Pohlman (July 22, 1930 – November 1, 1990) was an American session musician and arranger who played both upright bass and bass guitar, and also did sessions as a guitarist. He is credited with being the first electric bass player ...
to reunite the Association at the Ambassador Hotel's Coconut Grove nightclub in Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
for an HBO
Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is ba ...
special called ''Then and Now'' (Kirkman was working for HBO at the time). That same year the reunited group also appeared at a charity show hosted in Dallas by Ed McMahon
Edward Leo Peter McMahon Jr. (March 6, 1923 – June 23, 2009) was an American announcer, game show host, comedian, actor, singer, and combat aviator. McMahon and Johnny Carson began their association in their first TV series, the ABC game sh ...
called ''Ed McMahon and Company'' that ran on the Showtime
Showtime or Show Time may refer to:
Film
* ''Showtime'' (film), a 2002 American action/comedy film
* ''Showtime'' (video), a 1995 live concert video by Blur
Television Networks and channels
* Showtime Networks, a division of Paramount Global w ...
cable network in August 1980.
This led, in the early 1980s, to the band recording some self-financed demos and then a short-lived deal with Elektra Records
Elektra Records (or Elektra Entertainment) is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, founded in 1950 by Jac Holzman and Paul Rickolt. It played an important role in the development of contemporary folk and rock music between the 1 ...
resulting in a few singles (one of which, "Dreamer", reunited them with producer Bones Howe and made the Hot 100 with virtually no promotion) and more touring. Their former manager, Pat Colecchio, also came back into the group's life during this time.
In 1980, the surviving originals (with Ulsky returning in place of Thompson, Levine back on drums and Alexander taking over the bass) went back on the road for a concert tour, putting the short-lived bogus band out of business.
''Happy Together Again'' and the 1960s package tours
During 1980, drummer Levine departed again and Bluechel, who had been concentrating on singing only, stepped back behind the drums again.
Jim Yester left again in June 1983 and the group added Keith Moret (bass, backing vocals) as Alexander went back to playing guitar. Moret stayed only briefly until Joe LaManno (who had once done a brief fill-in stint with the group back in late 1972) joined during July 1984.
That same year, the group was invited to appear on the ''Happy Together Again'' tour, a multi-bill of 1960s acts produced by David Fishof
David Fishof is an American music producer, sports agent, and the founder and CEO of Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy Camp. Born in New York City, Fishof began his career representing acts in the Catskill Mountains. From there he went on to represent Hersch ...
(who had taken over the band's management from Pat Colecchio in 1981; Colecchio died of colon cancer on June 3, 2008), headlined by the Turtles
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
, and also including Gary Puckett
Gary may refer to:
*Gary (given name), a common masculine given name, including a list of people and fictional characters with the name
*Gary, Indiana, the largest city named Gary
Places
;Iran
* Gary, Iran, Sistan and Baluchestan Province
;Uni ...
and Spanky McFarlane
Elaine "Spanky" McFarlane (born June 19, 1942) is an American singer best known for fronting the vocal group Spanky and Our Gang in the late 1960s. She was nicknamed "The Queen of Sunshine Pop".
Early years
In 1959, McFarlane arrived in Chicago f ...
of Spanky & Our Gang
Spanky and Our Gang was an American 1960s sunshine pop band led by Elaine "Spanky" McFarlane. The band derives its name from Hal Roach's ''Our Gang'' comedies of the 1930s (known to modern audiences as ''The Little Rascals''), because of the si ...
. Gary's brother, Brian Puckett, played drums in the show for Gary and McFarlane and likewise joined The Association for their set as well. During the latter part of the tour, Mike Peed joined on keyboards in place of Ulsky but left himself in November 1984, turning it over to Donni Gougeon (from Joshua Perahia
Joshua is a Christian metal band that formed in 1980. The band has re-formed under three namesJoshua, M Pire, and Joshua Perahiabut has remained centered on guitarist Joshua Perahia. Despite being based in Los Angeles, California, they are best k ...
's band ). But by the end of the year, there was a mass exodus as Kirkman (who had already turned in his notice in September), Bluechel, LaManno and Brian Puckett all departed.
In February 1985, the band carried on as Alexander, Giguere, Ramos and Gougeon recruited new members: Paul Beach (vocals, bass, who had also played in the ''Happy Together Again'' show band) and Bruce Pictor (vocals, drums, percussion, who had played alongside Beach in Puckett's group in the early 1980s). Gougeon was replaced in early 1987 by Chris Urmston but was himself succeeded by Paul Holland later the same year. In 1989, when Beach quit, Holland switched over to bass as Gougeon then rejoined for a ten-year stint from 1989 to 1999 before illness in his family called him away. He was replaced by Jordan Cole, son of the band's original bassist, Brian Cole; Jordan first played with the band on a Caribbean Christmas cruise in December 1998, when he was asked to fill in for Holland on bass.
Besides the ''Happy Together'' tour, the group became mainstays on many other 1960s package tours, including the 1988 ''Super 60s Tour'' with Gary Puckett, the Grass Roots
The Grass Roots are an American rock band that charted frequently between 1965 and 1975. The band was originally the creation of Lou Adler and songwriting duo P. F. Sloan and Steve Barri. In their career, they achieved two gold albums, two ...
, and the Turtles; and Dick Clark
Richard Wagstaff Clark (November 30, 1929April 18, 2012) was an American radio and television personality, television producer and film actor, as well as a cultural icon who remains best known for hosting ''American Bandstand'' from 1956 to 198 ...
's American Bandstand
''American Bandstand'', abbreviated ''AB'', is an American music-performance and dance television program that aired in various versions from 1952 to 1989, and was hosted from 1956 until its final season by Dick Clark, who also served as the pro ...
Tour in 1989, alongside The Spinners, The Guess Who
The Guess Who are a Canadian rock band formed in Winnipeg, Manitoba, in 1965. The band originated in 1962 and achieved an international hit single with a cover of "Shakin' All Over" in 1965 under the name Chad Allan and the Expressions. After c ...
and The Drifters
The Drifters are several American doo-wop and R&B/Soul music, soul vocal groups. They were originally formed as a backing group for Clyde McPhatter, formerly the lead tenor of Billy Ward and his Dominoes in 1953. The second group of Drifters, f ...
, sponsored by VH1.
Alexander turned in his notice in early 1989. Larry Ramos's brother Del, who had started audio mixing for the group in the 1970s, and then again in the early 1980s, and had begun adding his voice to the mix from the sound board from 1985 on, also assumed bass duties in 1999 after Holland left to tend to his light and sound company. Bob Werner (vocals, guitar, bass), who had been the band's light man and road manager in 1974–75 and fill-in member as needed from 1989 on, was also a member of the group from 1999 to 2008.
During the 1980s and 1990s, the group's recorded output was minimal. They recorded a few new tracks and some covers of popular 1960s songs for a few compilation albums on the Hitbound label made through RadioShack
RadioShack, formerly RadioShack Corporation, is an American retailer founded in 1921.
At its peak in 1999, RadioShack operated over 8,000 worldwide stores named RadioShack or Tandy Electronics in the United States, Mexico, United Kingdom, Austra ...
's Tandy Corporation
Tandy Corporation was an American family-owned leather goods company based in Fort Worth, Texas, United States. Tandy Leather was founded in 1919 as a leather supply store. By the end of the 1950s, under the tutelage of then-CEO Charles Tandy, ...
in the mid-1980s, including their first cover of "Walk Away Renée
"Walk Away Renée" is a song written by Michael Brown, Bob Calilli, and Tony Sansone for the band the Left Banke, released as a single in July 1966. Steve Martin Caro is featured on lead vocals. It spent 13 weeks on the US charts, with a top s ...
" that was recorded in collaboration with their original producer, Curt Boettcher
Curtis Roy Boettcher (January 7, 1944 – June 14, 1987), sometimes credited as Curt Boetcher or Curt Becher, was an American singer, songwriter, arranger, musician, and record producer from Wisconsin. He was a pivotal figure in what is now t ...
, for the Mike Love
Michael Edward Love (born March 15, 1941) is an American singer and songwriter who co-founded the Beach Boys with his cousins Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson and their friend Al Jardine. Characterized by his nasal tenor and occasional bass-bari ...
and Dean Torrence
Jan and Dean was an American rock duo consisting of William Jan Berry (April 3, 1941 – March 26, 2004) and Dean Ormsby Torrence (born March 10, 1940). In the early 1960s, they were pioneers of the California Sound and vocal surf music styles ...
1983 cassette tape ''Rock 'n' Roll City'', two Christmas covers contributed to another Radio Shack album, ''Scrooge's Rock 'n' Roll Christmas'' (that was also a 1984 TV special), and an album of 1960s tunes called ''New Memories'' (1983). They also re-recorded some of their older material and even more cover songs for another album, ''Vintage'', for CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
in 1983 and put out yet another album full of covers, ''The Association 95: A Little Bit More'', in 1995 from On Track Records (based in New York City), produced by John Allen Orofino and Stan Vincent. ''A Little Bit Mores featured single was their second remake of The Left Banke
The Left Banke was an American baroque pop band, formed in New York City in 1965. They are best remembered for their two U.S. hit singles, "Walk Away Renée" and "Pretty Ballerina". The band often used what the music press referred to as "baroqu ...
's "Walk Away Renée".
Over the years, the group were sometimes visited by former members: Bluechel and Alexander sat in on a few of their 2001 shows, while Paul Holland guested on their DVD, ''Pop Legends Live!'', which came out in 2005. And in September 2003, they were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame
The Vocal Group Hall of Fame (VGHF) is an American-based hall of fame that honors vocal groups throughout the world in every genre of music. Headquartered in the Columbia Theatre in Sharon, Pennsylvania, it includes a theater and a museum.
It was ...
, joined by Yester, Alexander, Kirkman and Bluechel at the induction ceremony at Cafaro Field
Eastwood Field is a minor league baseball stadium located in Niles, Ohio, United States. It is currently the home of the Mahoning Valley Scrappers, a collegiate summer baseball team of the MLB Draft League.
History
Eastwood Field opened for the ...
in Niles, Ohio
Niles is a city in southern Trumbull County, Ohio, United States, situated at the confluence of the Mahoning River and Mosquito Creek. The city's population was 18,443 at the 2020 census. It is a suburb of the Youngstown–Warren metropolitan a ...
. Yester, Alexander, Kirkman and Bluechel again rejoined the others for the taping of a PBS
The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcasting, public broadcaster and Non-commercial activity, non-commercial, Terrestrial television, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly fu ...
1960s rock music special ''60s Experience'' on December 9, 2004 at Dover Downs
Bally's Dover Casino Resort, formerly Dover Downs, is a hotel, casino, and racetrack complex in Dover, Delaware. It has a harness horse racing track, which is surrounded by Dover Motor Speedway, a concrete track used for NASCAR motor racing ...
Showroom in Dover, Delaware
Dover () is the capital and second-largest city of the U.S. state of Delaware. It is also the county seat of Kent County and the principal city of the Dover, DE, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Kent County and is part of ...
.
In 2007 David Jackson (bass, guitar, formerly of Hearts & Flowers
Hearts & Flowers was an American, Los Angeles-based folk rock club band, perhaps most significant as one of the groups that launched the career of Eagles' founding member and guitarist-songwriter, Bernie Leadon. The line-up included Larry Murray ...
and Dillard & Clark
Dillard & Clark was a country rock duo which featured ex-Byrds member Gene Clark and bluegrass banjo player Doug Dillard.
History
The group was formed in 1968, shortly after Clark departed the Byrds and Dillard left the Dillards. It was consid ...
) came into the group for a brief stint when Del Ramos was ill, then Jim Yester returned to sub for Werner. After which, Werner and Yester alternated in the group until late 2008 when Werner left altogether.
Also in 2007, they joined Barry Manilow
Barry Manilow (born Barry Alan Pincus; June 17, 1943) is an American singer and songwriter with a career that spans seven decades. His hit recordings include "Could It Be Magic", " Somewhere Down the Road", " Mandy", "I Write the Songs", " Can ...
on a remake combining their two biggest hits, "Cherish" and "Windy", that was released on his ''Greatest Hits of The '60s'' album.
In 2008, drummer Pictor underwent back surgery. Blair Anderson (Yester's friend from the New Four Preps
The Four Preps are an American popular music male quartet. In the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, the group amassed eight gold singles and three gold albums. Their million-selling signature tunes included " 26 Miles (Santa Catalina)", " Big Man", "Lazy ...
) sat in for Pictor until he was able to rejoin his bandmates that November.
By 2010, the band included Giguere, Ramos, Jim Yester,[Steve Palisin, "The Association teams up with Long Bay Symphony", '']The Sun News
''The Sun News'' is a daily newspaper published in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, in the United States. It serves the Grand Strand region of South Carolina with a daily circulation of 19,773 and a Sunday circulation of 26,798. It is owned by Cha ...
'', October 19, 2012. Del Ramos, Pictor and Jordan Cole.[ The Association continued to tour, mostly on bills with similar styled acts of the late 1960s, like the Grass Roots, ]the Buckinghams
The Buckinghams are an American sunshine pop band from Chicago. They formed in 1966 and went on to become one of the top-selling acts of 1967, charting their only five top 40 hits in the U.S. that year. The band dissolved in 1970, but re-formed ...
, Tommy James
Tommy James (born Thomas Gregory Jackson; April 29, 1947), also known as Tommy Tadger, is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer, widely known as frontman of the 1960s rock band Tommy James and the Shondells, who were know ...
and Gary Puckett.
During the summer of 2011, The Association carried a heavy touring schedule throughout the U.S. as part of the ''Happy Together: 2011'' tour, along with the Grass Roots, Mark Lindsay
Mark Lindsay (born March 9, 1942) is an American musician, best known as the lead singer of Paul Revere & the Raiders.
Early life
Lindsay was born in Eugene, Oregon, and was the second of eight children of George and Esther Ellis Lindsay. The ...
, the Buckinghams and the Turtles featuring Flo & Eddie
Flo & Eddie is a comedy rock duo consisting of Mark Volman (Flo, short for Phlorescent Leech) and Howard Kaylan (Eddie).
The two were the original founding members of the Top 40 mid-to late 1960s rock and pop group The Turtles. After the Turt ...
. The ''Happy Together'' appearances featured only Giguere, Ramos and Yester, who were backed up by the ''Happy Together'' show band.
In late 2011, Ramos was sidelined due to illness, so guitarist Godfrey Townsend (from the ''Happy Together'' and ''Hippiefest'' back-up bands) subbed for him. In January 2012, Alexander came back to the band as Ramos's stand-in and stayed after Ramos returned in March.
In 2013, Alexander, Giguere, Ramos and Yester became part of the ''Where the Action Is'' tour that included Mary Wilson of the Supremes
The Supremes were an American girl group and a premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s. Founded as the Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, the Supremes were the most commercially successful of Motown's acts and the most successful ...
, Paul Revere and the Raiders
Paul Revere & the Raiders (also known as Raiders) were an American rock band formed in Boise, Idaho, in 1958. They saw considerable U.S. mainstream success in the second half of the 1960s and early 1970s. The band was known for including Revolu ...
and Mitch Ryder
Mitch Ryder (born William Sherille Levise, Jr.; February 26, 1945) is an American musician who has recorded more than 25 albums over more than four decades.
Career
Ryder formed his first band, Tempest, when he was at Warren High School, and th ...
.
''Shindig Magazine'' named the Now Sounds reissue of the album ''The Association'' the best reissue of 2013.
In January 2014, it was announced that both Giguere and Ramos would be retiring from touring. Giguere was to move behind the scenes to the group's management, while Ramos's final performance with the group was a cancer
Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...
benefit concert on February 24, 2014 at the Blue Fox Theater in Grangeville, Idaho
Grangeville is the largest city in and the county seat of Idaho County, Idaho, United States, in the north central part of the state. Its population was 3,141 at the 2010 census, down from 3,228 in 2000.
Geography
According to the United Sta ...
. Upon returning from spending his 72nd birthday in his homeland of Hawaii, Ramos died from melanoma
Melanoma, also redundantly known as malignant melanoma, is a type of skin cancer that develops from the pigment-producing cells known as melanocytes. Melanomas typically occur in the skin, but may rarely occur in the mouth, intestines, or eye ( ...
on April 30, 2014. After Ramos' death, former member Paul Holland was brought back into the group, this time as a guitarist/vocalist.
In the summers of 2015, 2017 and 2018, The Association again joined the 'Happy Together' tour.
The Association was inducted into the Pop Music Hall of Fame's 2016 class in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania
Canonsburg is a Borough (Pennsylvania), borough in Washington County, Pennsylvania, southwest of Pittsburgh. Canonsburg was laid out by Colonel John Canon in 1789 and incorporated in 1802. The population was 9,735 at the 2020 census. The town li ...
.
In May 2016, Texas guitarist Paul Wilson filled in for Paul Holland at an Association performance in Monroe, Wisconsin
Monroe, known as "the Swiss Cheese Capital of the USA", is a city in and the county seat of Green County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 10,661 at the 2020 census. The city is bordered by the Town of Monroe to the north and the T ...
. Wilson also subbed for Holland on two occasions in 2018: two shows during the "Flower Power Cruise" in late February (The Association performed with several other acts from the late 60s and early 70s on a week long Star Vista cruise through the Caribbean), and then again in May for one show at the Golden Nugget Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
. Then in October 2018, Jim Yester was unable to perform two concerts. For the appearances in Red Rock, Oklahoma
Red Rock ( iow, Chína Ino Šúje pronounced , meaning "Rock Red town") is a town in northern Noble County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 283 at the 2010 census, a decline from 293 at the 2000 census. The headquarters of the Otoe-M ...
and Bangor, Maine
Bangor ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Maine and the county seat of Penobscot County. The city proper has a population of 31,753, making it the state's 3rd-largest settlement, behind Portland (68,408) and Lewiston (37,121).
Modern Bangor ...
, the lineup consisted of: Alexander, Del Ramos, Cole, Pictor, Holland and Wilson. Concerts resumed in 2019 with the regular lineup.
In 2018, the first (unofficial) biography of the band — ''The Association Cherish'' — written by British author Malcolm C. Searles, was published via Dojotone Publications in the UK detailing the groups extensive 50-year career.
The Association were recipients of the Rock Justice Awards on January 18, 2019, at Village Studios in Los Angeles. All five surviving founding members - Kirkman, Alexander, Yester, Giguere and Bluechel - showed up to receive their awards. Ramos and founding member Cole also received awards. The current touring lineup - Alexander, Yester, Ramos's brother Del, Cole's son Jordan, Bruce Pictor, and Paul Holland performed a concert for fans.
Million sellers
Three songs by The Association have sold over one million copies and have been certified platinum discs: " Cherish", " Windy", and "Never My Love
"Never My Love" is a pop standard written by American siblings Don and Dick Addrisi, and best known from a hit 1967 recording by the Association. The Addrisi Brothers had two Top 40 hits as recording artists, but their biggest success as songwri ...
".
Band members
* Jules Alexander
Jules is the French form of the Latin "Julius" (e.g. Jules César, the French name for Julius Caesar). It is the given name of:
People with the name
*Jules Aarons (1921–2008), American space physicist and photographer
*Jules Abadie (1876–195 ...
– lead and rhythm guitar, vocals (1965–1967, 1969–1974, 1979–1989, 2012–present)
* Jim Yester
James Yester (born November 24, 1939) is an American musician. He is a member of the sunshine pop group The Association, who had numerous hits on the ''Billboard'' charts including " Windy", " Cherish", "Never My Love" and "Along Comes Mary". H ...
– rhythm and lead guitar, vocals (1965–1973, 1974–1977, 1979–1983, 2007–present)
* Bruce Pictor – drums, vocals (1985–present)
* Paul Holland – rhythm and lead guitar, vocals (2014–present), bass (1988–1999), keyboards (1987)
* Del Ramos – bass, vocals (1999–present)
* Jordan Cole – keyboards, rhythm guitar (1999–present)
Timeline
Discography
Studio albums
*'' And Then... Along Comes the Association'' – Valiant VLM-5002/VLS-25002 (#5, 1966) (US: Gold)
::''Reissued in 1967 on Warner Bros. W-1702/WS-1702''
::''Expanded Mono Edition Reissued in 2011 on CD by Now Sounds CRNOW 25''
*''Renaissance
The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ideas ...
'' – Valiant VLM-5004/VLS-25004 (#34 1966)
::''Reissued in 1967 on Warner Bros. W-1704/WS-1704''
::''Expanded Mono Edition Reissued in 2011 on CD by Now Sounds CRNOW 27''
*''Insight Out
''Insight Out'' is the third album by the American pop band the Association and was released on June 8, 1967 on Warner Bros. Records. It was the band's first album release for the Warner Brothers label and it became one of the top selling LPs of ...
'' – Warner Bros. W-1696/WS-1696 (#8, 1967) (US: Gold)
::''Expanded Mono Edition Reissued in 2011 on CD by Now Sounds CRNOW 29''
*''Birthday
A birthday is the anniversary of the birth of a person, or figuratively of an institution. Birthdays of people are celebrated in numerous cultures, often with birthday gifts, birthday cards, a birthday party, or a rite of passage.
Many re ...
'' – Warner Bros. W-1733/WS-1733 (#23, 1968)
::''Mono Edition Reissued in 2010 on CD by Now Sounds CRNOW 15''
*''The Association
The Association is an American sunshine pop band from California. During the late 1960s, the band had numerous hits at or near the top of the ''Billboard'' charts (including " Windy", " Cherish", " Never My Love" and "Along Comes Mary") and ...
'' – Warner Bros. WS-1800 (#32, 1969)
::''Expanded Edition Reissued in 2013 on CD by Now Sounds CRNOW 43''
*'' Stop Your Motor'' – Warner Bros. WS-1927 (#158, 1971)
*''Waterbeds in Trinidad!
''Waterbeds in Trinidad!'' is the seventh studio album (and ninth album overall by including a greatest hits and a live album) by The Association. This album was the group's only release for Columbia Records as well as their last recorded project ...
'' – Columbia KC-31348 (#194, 1972)
Other releases
*''Greatest Hits
A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be crea ...
'' – Warner Bros. WS-1767 (#4, 1968)
*''Goodbye, Columbus (soundtrack)
''Goodbye, Columbus'' is the soundtrack to the 1969 movie of the same name (No. 99). It features four songs written and performed by The Association
The Association is an American sunshine pop band from California. During the late 1960s, t ...
'' – Warner Bros. WS-1786 (#99, 1969)
*'' The Association "Live"'' – Warner Bros. 2WS-1868 (#79, 1970)
*''New Memories'' – Hitbound Records 51-3022 (1983) (by various artists, including the Association, Bobby Vee
Robert Thomas Velline (April 30, 1943 – October 24, 2016), known professionally as Bobby Vee, was an American singer who was a teen idol in the early 1960s and also appeared in films. According to '' Billboard'' magazine, he had thirty-e ...
, Mary McGregor
Mary MacGregor (born May 6, 1948) is an American singer. She is best known for singing the 1976 song "Torn Between Two Lovers", which topped the ''Billboard'' charts for two weeks.
Career
MacGregor was born May 6, 1948, in St. Paul, Minneso ...
and Mike Love
Michael Edward Love (born March 15, 1941) is an American singer and songwriter who co-founded the Beach Boys with his cousins Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson and their friend Al Jardine. Characterized by his nasal tenor and occasional bass-bari ...
)
*''Vintage'' – CBS Special Products BT-19223 (1983)
*''The Association 95: A Little Bit More'' – Track Records (1995)
*''Just the Right Sound: The Association Anthology'' (Double CD, released in 2002 as Warner Bros. / Rhino R2 78303, including two previously unreleased outtakes ('The Machine', 'Better Times') from 1966. An import variation also includes the outtake 'Caney Creek')
*''The Complete Warner Bros. & Valiant Singles Collection'' (Double CD, released in 2012) – Now Sounds CRNOW 35D
Singles
References
External links
Official Website of The Association
Official Facebook page of The Association
Larry Ramos Facebook page
"The Association" Vocal Group Hall of Fame Page
* ttp://www.richieunterberger.com/birthday.html Liner notes for ''Birthday'' by Richie Unterbergerbr>Special Radio Show tribute to Curt Boettcher
*
The Association 'Cherish'
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Association, The
American pop music groups
Jubilee Records artists
Musical groups from Los Angeles
Musical groups established in 1965
Sunshine pop
Warner Records artists