garage rock
Garage rock (sometimes called garage punk or 60s punk) is a raw and energetic style of rock and roll that flourished in the mid-1960s, most notably in the United States and Canada, and has experienced a series of subsequent revivals. The st ...
band formed in
Bergenfield, New Jersey
Bergenfield is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 28,321, an increase of 1,557 from the 2010 censuscount of 26,764, They released the 1965 hit " Lies", which was known for its resemblance to
the Beatles
The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...
. 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)
History
Formation
The Charles brothers played with a fluctuating personnel until 1964, when they met Buddy Randell (vocals and sax) (birth name: William Crandall). Randell was previously of the Rockin' Saints and The Royal Teens, who had a hit with "
Short Shorts
"Short Shorts" is a song written and performed by Tom Austin, Bill Crandell, Bill Dalton, Russ Viers, and Bob Gaudio, members of The Royal Teens. It reached #2 on the U.S. R&B chart and #3 on the U.S. pop chart in 1958. The group originally rel ...
" in 1958. They took their name from Knickerbocker Road (County Route 505), which runs through Tenafly, the next town to the east of Bergenfield.
The classic line-up consisted of Randell, the Charles brothers, and drummer Jimmy Walker (previously the drummer with the
Massena, New York
Massena is a town in St. Lawrence County, New York, United States. Massena is along the county's northern border, just south of the St. Lawrence River and the Three Nations Crossing of the Canada–United States border. The population was 12,88 ...
-based
Atco Records
ATCO Records is an American record label founded in 1955. It is owned by Warner Music Group and operates as an imprint of Atlantic Records. After several decades of dormancy and infrequent activity under alternating Warner Music labels, the com ...
act The Castle Kings). They were spotted by producer and singer-songwriter
Jerry Fuller
Jerry Fuller (born November 19, 1938) is an American songwriter, singer and record producer.
Biography
Jerry Fuller was born in Fort Worth, Texas, United States, to a musical family. He and his brother Bill performed as a duo in their home state ...
playing the University Twist Palace in
Albany, New York
Albany ( ) is the capital of the U.S. state of New York, also the seat and largest city of Albany County. Albany is on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River, and about north of New York City ...
, and he signed them to
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
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 rod
Hot rods are typically American cars that might be old, classic, or modern and that have been rebuilt or modified with large engines optimised for speed and acceleration. One definition is: "a car that's been stripped down, souped up and made ...
s", 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.
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
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 ...
Where the Action Is
''Where the Action Is'' is a music-based television variety show that aired in the United States from 1965 to 1967. It was carried by the ABC network and aired each weekday afternoon. Created by Dick Clark as a spin-off of ''American Bandstand ...
'' (1965–1967).
Decline
Though the band had a strong songwriter in Beau Charles, they were hampered by their label's ineptness, and drummer Walker left in late 1968 to replace Bill Medley in
The Righteous Brothers
The Righteous Brothers are an American musical duo originally formed by Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield but now comprising Medley and Bucky Heard. Medley formed the group with Hatfield in 1963. They had first performed together in 1962 in the Lo ...
. Walker also recorded three 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 ...
in 1968–1969, before retiring to
Wyoming
Wyoming () is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the southwest, and Colorado to t ...
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
Gary Puckett & The Union Gap (initially credited as The Union Gap featuring Gary Puckett) was an American pop rock group active in the late 1960s. The group, formed by Gary Puckett, Gary "Mutha" Withem, Dwight Bement, Kerry Chater and Paul Whea ...
). Randell later recorded singles for
Uni Records
Uni Records (short for the label's legal name Universal City Records and rendered as UNI) was a record label owned by MCA Inc. The brand, which long featured a distinctive UNi logo, was established in 1966 by MCA executive Ned Tanen and develop ...
("Randi, Randi"/"Be My Baby" 1970) and under aliases such as Steel Wool ("No Sugar Tonight",
White Whale
The beluga whale () (''Delphinapterus leucas'') is an Arctic and sub-Arctic cetacean. It is one of two members of the family Monodontidae, along with the narwhal, and the only member of the genus ''Delphinapterus''. It is also known as the wh ...
1969) and Blowtorch ("I Want Sugar all the Time"
Paramount Records
Paramount Records was an American record label known for its recordings of jazz and blues in the 1920s and early 1930s, including such artists as Ma Rainey, Tommy Johnson and Blind Lemon Jefferson.
Early years
Paramount Records was formed in ...
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
George Tobin is an American musical artist and record producer who has produced albums for a long list of musical artists including Robert John, Smokey Robinson, Kim Carnes, Kicking Harold, and PC Quest. He is best known, however, for discove ...
, who later went on to produce and manage 1980s teenage singer Tiffany).
Other projects and reformation
Beau and John Charles, along with singer Ritchie Costanza and drummer Eric Swanson, were signed to
Motown
Motown Records is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. It was founded by Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on June 7, 1958, and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau of ''m ...
records in 1971, where their name was changed to Lodi, after another
Bergen County
Bergen County is the most populous county in the U.S. state of New Jersey.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
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
, 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
Jerry Fuller (born November 19, 1938) is an American songwriter, singer and record producer.
Biography
Jerry Fuller was born in Fort Worth, Texas, United States, to a musical family. He and his brother Bill performed as a duo in their home state ...
, but split up soon afterward. The band reformed one more time, performing for a month in
Delray Beach, Florida
Delray Beach is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. The population of Delray Beach as of April 1, 2020 was 66,846 according to the 2020 United States Census. Located 52 miles (83 kilometers) north of Miami, Delray Beach is in th ...
, in 1990, before disbanding again.
The band's two most popular singles are on the
box set
A box set or (its original name) boxed set is a set of items (for example, a compilation of books, musical recordings, films or television programs) traditionally packaged in a box and offered for sale as a single unit.
Music
Artists and bands ...
compilation album
A compilation album comprises tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one or several performers. If by one artist, then generally the tracks were not originally intended for rel ...
by the band is ''The Fabulous Knickerbockers'', released on
Sundazed Records
Sundazed Music is an American independent record label based in Coxsackie, New York. It specializes in obscure and rare recordings from the 1950s to the 1970s. In 2000, Sundazed had a staff of 15 and two mixing studios, including a vintage audio ...
. Beau and John Charles have been involved with The Knickerbockers' CD releases on Sundazed Records.
Saxophonist Buddy Randell died in 1998. Drummer Jimmy Walker died in 2020.
* "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
* "One Track Mind" / "I Must Be Doing Something Right" (Challenge 59326) 1966 U.S. No. 46
* "High on Love" / "Stick With Me" (Challenge 59332) 1966 U.S. No. 94
* "Chapel in the Fields" / "Just One Girl" (Challenge 59335) 1966
* "Love is a Bird" / "Rumors, Gossip, Words Untrue" (Challenge 59341) 1966
* "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
EPs
* "Lies" / "The Coming Generation" / "One Track Mind" / "I Must Be Doing Something Right" (London 10178) 1966
Albums
* ''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