Wadsworth Mansion (also known as Wadsworth Family Mansion) was an early-1970s

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

rock band A rock band or pop band is a small musical ensemble that performs rock music, pop music, or a related genre. A four-piece band is the most common configuration in rock and pop music. In the early years, the configuration was typically two guita ...

from

Providence, Rhode Island Providence is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. One of the oldest cities in New England, it was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams, a Reformed Baptist theologian and religious exile from the Massachusetts Bay ...

, United States. Its members were Steve Jablecki (

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), Wayne Gagnon (guitar, vocals), Russ Sevigny (a/k/a Russ Dana, original drummer), Mike Jablecki (drums) and John Poole (

bass guitar The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and ...

). The group took its name from

Wadsworth Mansion at Long Hill The Wadsworth Mansion at Long Hill Estate is located at 421 Wadsworth Street in Middletown, Connecticut. It is a classical revival house situated on wooded area. It is currently owned by the City of Middletown and is operated by the Long Hill ...

in Connecticut. In November 1970, Wadsworth Mansion released their first single, a non-album version of " Sweet Mary", backed by another non-album track, "What's On Tonight". "Sweet Mary" would prove to be the band's only hit song, peaking at No. 7 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 singles chart for the week ending 27 February 1971. It peaked at No. 5 on ''Cash Box''. It also reached No. 35 on the

Easy Listening Easy listening (including mood music) is a popular music genre and radio format that was most popular during the 1950s to 1970s. It is related to middle-of-the-road (MOR) music and encompasses instrumental recordings of standards, hit songs, n ...

chart. In April 1971, Wadsworth Mansion issued their first and only album on the heels of their first single's success, the self-titled ''Wadsworth Mansion''. In support of the album, the group released their second single in April 1971 with the tracks, "Michigan Harry Slaughter" and "Havin' Such A Good Time", but the single failed to make ''Billboard's'' Hot 100 chart. In July 1971, Wadsworth Mansion issued their third and final single with the non-album track, "Nine On The Line", backed by "Queenie Dew". The release would also fail to enter ''Billboard's'' Hot 100 singles chart, sealing Wadsworth Mansion's status as a

one-hit wonder A one-hit wonder or viral hit is any entity that achieves mainstream popularity, often for only one piece of work, and becomes known among the general public solely for that momentary success. The term is most commonly used in regard to music p ...

. In January 1972, Howie McDonald replaced Wayne Gagnon on guitar. The band recorded four new songs at the CBS studios in New York City. The songs recorded were: "Don't Ask Me," "Over and Over," "Dusty Angel," and "Why Does It Hurt So Bad." These were produced by James Calvert and Norman Marzano. In May 1972, Charlie Flannery replaced Mike Jablecki on drums. This was the line-up of the band until after their last tour of the south in August 1972, when the group officially disbanded. The band pulled out of Rhode Island on June 21, 1972, just ahead of

Hurricane Agnes Hurricane Agnes in 1972 was the costliest hurricane to hit the United States at the time, causing an estimated $2.1 billion in damage. The hurricane's death toll was 128. The effects of Agnes were widespread, from the Caribbean to Canada, ...

. After playing the night of June 23 at the Colonels Garter, the

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flooded and the club was underwater. McDonald and Steve Jablecki reformed the band in Hollywood in the summer of 1973, but changed the name to Slingshot at the producer's urging.

Select discography

Singles

*1970: " Sweet Mary"/"What's on Tonight" (

Sussex Sussex (), from the Old English (), is a historic county in South East England that was formerly an independent medieval Anglo-Saxon kingdom. It is bounded to the west by Hampshire, north by Surrey, northeast by Kent, south by the English ...

), US Billboard 7 *1971: "Michigan Harry Slaughter"/"Havin' Such a Good Time" (Sussex), US Cashbox 99 *1971: "Nine on the Line"/"Queenie Dew" (Sussex)

Albums

*1971: ''Wadsworth Mansion'' (Sussex), US Billboard 216

Track listing

:*A1 "Long Haired Brown Eyed Girl" :*A2 "Queenie Dew" :*A3 "City Gardner" :*A4 "She Said She Would" :*A5 "Sweet Mary" (Note: April 1971 album version differs from November 1970 single version) :*B1 "I Like It" :*B2 "Michigan Harry Slaughter" :*B3 "Let It Shine" :*B4 "Goodbye" :*B5 "Havin' Such a Good Time"

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wadsworth Mansion Rock music groups from Rhode Island