The Illusion were an American
psychedelic
Psychedelics are a subclass of hallucinogenic drugs whose primary effect is to trigger non-ordinary states of consciousness (known as psychedelic experiences or "trips").Pollan, Michael (2018). ''How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science o ...
hard rock
Hard rock or heavy rock is a loosely defined subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the garage, psychedelic and blues rock movements. Some of the earliest ha ...
band from
Long Island, New York
Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United States and the 18t ...
.
[Joynson, Vernon (1995). ''Fuzz Acid & Flowers''. Borderline Books.] They released three albums in the United States, the first of which was also issued in the United Kingdom. All three albums were produced by
Jeff Barry
Jeff Barry (born Joel Adelberg; April 3, 1938) is an American pop music songwriter, singer, and record producer. Among the most successful songs that he has co-written in his career are " Do Wah Diddy Diddy", " Da Doo Ron Ron", " Then He Kiss ...
.
They are best known for their single "Did You See Her Eyes", which reached #32 in the US in mid-1969.
History
After working in earlier
Long Island
Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United States and the 18 ...
(New York) bands like the Dell Sonics and The Creations, vocalist John Vinci, lead guitarist Richie Cerniglia, bassist Chuck Alder, multi-instrumentalist Mike Maniscalco and drummer Mike Ricciardella came together as The '5' Illusions.
They soon dropped the '5' and became popular enough to release their first single, "My Party" for
DynoVoice Records
DynoVoice Records was an American record label, founded in 1965 by songwriter/producer Bob Crewe. The label started as Dyno-Vox, but was changed when the 5th single was issued. DynoVoice, along with its NewVoice Records subsidiary, was originally ...
, composed and produced by label mate
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 ...
.
With their reputation growing beyond the local scene, they were offered a contract by hit songwriter and producer
Jeff Barry
Jeff Barry (born Joel Adelberg; April 3, 1938) is an American pop music songwriter, singer, and record producer. Among the most successful songs that he has co-written in his career are " Do Wah Diddy Diddy", " Da Doo Ron Ron", " Then He Kiss ...
, who had started his own label,
Steed Records
Steed Records was a record label founded by songwriter-record producer Jeff Barry in 1967 in New York City. The label was active until 1971. It was first distributed by Dot Records, then by Gulf+Western's Famous Music Group after it absorbed Dot ...
.
The group had one major
hit
Hit means to strike someone or something.
Hit or HIT may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media Fictional entities
* Hit, a fictional character from '' Dragon Ball Super''
* Homicide International Trust, or HIT, a fictional organization ...
in the United States, 1969's "Did You See Her Eyes",
which peaked at number 32 on the ''Billboard'' chart. and at number 1 in some places in New York, as well as three minor hits: "Together" (peaked at No. 80 on Billboard), "Let's Make Each Other Happy" (No. 98), and "How Does it Feel?" (No. 110).
Their first album reached No. 69 and stayed 27 weeks in the
Billboard 200
The ''Billboard'' 200 is a record chart ranking the 200 most popular music albums and EPs in the United States. It is published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine and is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of art ...
albums chart.
During their existence the band toured extensively throughout the United States, opening for various acts including
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup consisted of lead singer Roger Daltrey, guitarist and singer Pete Townshend, bass guitarist and singer John Entwistle, and drummer Keith Moon. They are considered ...
,
The Allman Brothers Band
The Allman Brothers Band was an American rock band formed in Jacksonville, Florida in 1969 by brothers Duane Allman (founder, slide guitar and lead guitar) and Gregg Allman (vocals, keyboards, songwriting), as well as Dickey Betts (lead guita ...
,
The Jimi Hendrix Experience
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. Although his mainstream career spanned only four years, he is widely regarded as one of the most ...
, Chicago and
Sly and the Family Stone
Sly and the Family Stone was an American band from San Francisco. Active from 1966 to 1983, it was pivotal in the development of funk, soul, rock, and psychedelic music. Its core line-up was led by singer-songwriter, record producer, and multi-i ...
. After their third album ''If It's So'', drummer Mike Ricciardella left the group after a disagreement over the band's future musical direction.
All the group's Steed Records albums were re-released on
CD in 1994 on Germany's TRC Records.
[Discogs ''The Illusion'' Album Discography](_blank)
/ref> Their first and second albums, ''The Illusion'' and ''Together (As a Way of Life)'' were released on CD in 2008, with the band stating "we're working on ''If It's So''".
Discography
Albums
*'' The Illusion'' (Steed Records
Steed Records was a record label founded by songwriter-record producer Jeff Barry in 1967 in New York City. The label was active until 1971. It was first distributed by Dot Records, then by Gulf+Western's Famous Music Group after it absorbed Dot ...
, 1969) U.S. No. 69 (TRC 094 CD, 1994, Germany)
*''Together (As a Way of Life)'' (Steed, 1969) (Dot, 1970, Canada)
Singles
*My Party" / "It's A Groovy Time" - DynoVoice DV-914 (4/1968 US)
/ref>
*"Did You See Her Eyes" / "Falling In Love" - Steed 45-712 (1/1969 US)Collectables Records
Collectables is a reissue record label founded in 1980 by Jerry Greene. Jerry Greene formed Lost Nite and Crimson record labels. Soul Survivors gained the hit "Expressway to Your Heart" (1967) while on Crimson Records.
History
It maintains a ca ...
COLL-3730 (1991 US)
Members
*John Vinci - vocals
*Richie Cerniglia - lead guitar, vocals
*Mike Maniscalco - guitar, keyboards, vocals, saxophone
*Chuck Alder - bass, vocals
*Mike Ricciardella - drums, percussion, vocals
Post-Illusion
After ''The Illusion'', Mike Ricciardella joined Barnaby Bye
Barnaby Bye was an American band formed in 1973. Peppy Castro, ex-Blues Magoos, formed Barnaby Bye with Long Island musicians the Alessi Brothers, Billy and Bobby, and Mike Ricciardella of The Illusion. They recorded for Ahmet Ertegun's Atlantic R ...
with Peppy Castro (ex-Blues Magoos
The Blues Magoos are an American rock group from The Bronx, a borough of New York City, United States. They were at the forefront of the psychedelic music trend, beginning in 1966. They are best known for the hit song " (We Ain't Got) Nothin' Ye ...
) and The Alessi Brothers (Billy & Bob), recording two albums for Atlantic Records
Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over its first 20 years of operation, Atlantic earned a reputation as one of the most i ...
, ''Room To Grow'' in 1973 and ''Touch'' in 1974.Polydor Records
Polydor Records Ltd. is a German-British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in the United States. ...
. After their demise, Ricciardella, Maniscalco (as Mike Coxton) and Cerniglia (as Richie C.) formed Network, with Howie Blume, George Bitzer and Illusion vocalist John Vinci. The name changes were requested by the record label since it thought their names sounded too Italian. After recording their self-titled first album in 1977, Vinci was replaced by B.G. Gibson in 1978 before recording their second (and last) album for Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America
Sony Corporation of America (SONAM, also known as SCA), is the American arm of the Japanese conglomerate Sony Group ...
, ''Nightwork''.
In 1986, Cerniglia and Ricciardella (under their real names again) joined Ernie White and Steve Vitale as Aviator, releasing one self-titled album on 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 ...
, later reissued on CD by Escape. In 2010, Barnabye Bye re-formed, recording and self-releasing a third album ''Thrice Upon A Time'',
References
External links
Official website
at Long Island Music Hall of Fame
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Illusion, The
Dot Records artists
Musical groups from Long Island
Psychedelic rock music groups from New York (state)