The Rascals (originally known as the Young Rascals) are an American

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...

band, formed in Garfield, New Jersey, southeast of Paterson in 1965. The original lineup featured lead vocalist and keyboardist

Felix Cavaliere Felix Cavaliere (born November 29, 1942) is an American musician. He is best known for being the co-lead vocalist and keyboard player for The Young Rascals. Although he was a member of Joey Dee and the Starliters, known for their hit " Pepperm ...

, vocalist and percussionist Eddie Brigati, drummer Dino Danelli, and guitarist and vocalist Gene Cornish. Cavaliere and Brigati wrote the majority of the Rascals' original material. Between 1966 and 1968 the band gained popularity with a blend of

, pop and

soul music Soul music is a popular music genre that originated in African-American culture, African-American African-American neighborhood, communities throughout the United States in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Catchy rhythms, stressed by handclaps ...

. Nine of their singles charted in the top 20 of the ''Billboard''

Hot 100 The ''Billboard'' Hot 100, also known as simply the Hot 100, is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), o ...

, including the #1s " Good Lovin'" (1966), "

Groovin' "Groovin" is a song written by the American singer songwriters Felix Cavaliere and Eddie Brigati, initially recorded by their group the Young Rascals in 1967. Cavaliere was inspired to compose the song by his girlfriend Adrienne Buccheri, whom ...

" (1967), and " People Got to Be Free" (1968); as well as big radio hits like the much-covered " How Can I Be Sure?" (#4 1967) and " A Beautiful Morning" (#3 1968). Another critical favorite "A Girl Like You" (#10 1967), became an early example of the blue-eyed soul genre. Additionally, four of the band's LPs received

gold Gold is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol Au (from Latin ) and atomic number 79. In its pure form, it is a brightness, bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile metal. Chemically, gold is a transition metal ...

certifications in the US, including the top 10 albums ''

'' (1967) and '' Once Upon a Dream'' (1968). The group continued into the early 1970s after the departures of Brigati and Cornish, with Cavaliere leading the Rascals in a more album-oriented direction with strong

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

and

funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African-American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African-Americans in the ...

influences. The Rascals were inducted into the

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), also simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum and hall of fame located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, on the shore of Lake Erie. The museum documents the history of rock music and the ...

in 1997 and the Hit Parade Hall of Fame in 2010, and the classic lineup also reunited in 2012 for a series of shows in

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

and

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

. The reunion continued in 2013 with shows on Broadway. Cavaliere and Cornish began performing again as the Rascals in 2022 without Brigati and Danelli, the latter of whom died the same year.

History

Origins

was already trained in classical piano by his mother when he founded a

doo-wop Doo-wop (also spelled doowop and doo wop) is a subgenre of rhythm and blues music that originated in African-American communities during the 1940s, mainly in the large cities of the United States, including New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, ...

group, the Escorts (not the R&B group with the same name), while enrolled at

Syracuse University Syracuse University (informally 'Cuse or SU) is a Private university, private research university in Syracuse, New York, United States. It was established in 1870 with roots in the Methodist Episcopal Church but has been nonsectarian since 1920 ...

Syracuse, New York Syracuse ( ) is a City (New York), city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States. With a population of 148,620 and a Syracuse metropolitan area, metropolitan area of 662,057, it is the fifth-most populated city and 13 ...

east of Rochester. In 1964, Cavaliere took a job with Joey Dee's backing band, the Starliters of " Peppermint Twist" fame, where he met Starliter David Brigati. When the group played the Choo Choo Club in

Garfield ''Garfield'' is an American comic strip created by Jim Davis (cartoonist), Jim Davis. Originally published locally as ''Jon'' in 1976 (later changed to ''Garfield'' in 1977), then in nationwide Print syndication, syndication from 1978, it chro ...

, Cavaliere met Brigati's younger brother, Eddie, who wanted to follow in his brother's footsteps. Cavaliere, in an interview with journalist Don Paulson, spoke about when he first met the younger Brigati:

Canadian Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...

guitarist Gene Cornish left his group, The Unbeatables, for which he acted as frontman, to join the Starliters, in early 1965. After meeting Cornish, Cavaliere's interest in forming a band of his own led him to convince both Cornish and (Eddie) Brigati to depart from Dee's backing band to start a new one with an old acquaintance of his,

drummer Dino Danelli. The group came up with the name "Rascals" while at the Choo Choo Club. Prior to the Rascals name they were using another group name "Them". Because there was another group, which included Van Morrison, using the name " Them" in the UK they dropped that name and came up with The Rascals name through the help of TV comedy star Soupy Sales whom they met through manager Billy (Amato) Smith. The Rascals were Sales' back up band touring local colleges in the early months of 1965. Initially, the Rascals began rehearsing at Cavaliere's house in

Pelham Manor, New York Pelham Manor is an affluent village located in Westchester County, New York, United States. As of the 2020 census, the village had a total population of 5,752. It is located in the town of Pelham. History The Bolton Priory, Edgewood House, an ...

east of

Yonkers Yonkers () is the List of municipalities in New York, third-most populous city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York and the most-populous City (New York), city in Westchester County, New York, Westchester County. A centrally locate ...

and then the Choo Choo Club, mostly because it was close to Brigati's home and they needed a showcase. Later in May 1965, under the direction of their management Billy (Amato) Smith, they were hired to do a summer engagement at the debut of The Barge, a floating club by Dune Road in

Westhampton Beach, New York Westhampton Beach is an incorporated village in the Town of Southampton, in Suffolk County, on the South Shore of Long Island, in New York, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,721. History Westhampton Beach Village ...

. They settled at the club in eastern Long Island and there developed their mixed R&B-

soul The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...

sound based on Cavaliere's organ and soulful vocals, mostly filled with traditional R&B covers. The quartet did not have any official bass player, because of Brigati's inability to play musical instruments, other than percussion (even when the band bought him a Fender Mustang Bass in 1967) and the Rascals' wish of staying in the

formula In science, a formula is a concise way of expressing information symbolically, as in a mathematical formula or a ''chemical formula''. The informal use of the term ''formula'' in science refers to the general construct of a relationship betwe ...

of four members. Cavaliere's organ pedals (and later, session bassists like

Chuck Rainey Charles Walter Rainey III (born June 17, 1940) is an American bass guitarist who has performed and recorded with many well-known acts, including Aretha Franklin, Steely Dan, and Quincy Jones. Rainey is credited for playing bass on more than 1,00 ...

, in studio recordings) filled the bass parts. At the Barge club in August 1965, manager Billy (Amato) Smith, who discovered them at the beginning of their music career as the Rascals, introduced the group to Sid Bernstein, an impresario known at the time for helping to promote the

British Invasion The British Invasion was a cultural phenomenon of the mid-1960s, when Rock music, rock and pop music acts from the United Kingdom and other aspects of Culture of the United Kingdom, British culture became popular in the United States with sign ...

, bringing famous UK bands like

the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...

and

the Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for over six decades, they are one of the most popular, influential, and enduring bands of the Album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the band pione ...

America The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. Promoting the band, Bernstein and Smith came up with the publicity stunt of posting the phrase "The Rascals are coming!" at the

Shea Stadium William A. Shea Municipal Stadium ( ), typically shortened to Shea Stadium, was a multi-purpose stadium in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in Queens, New York City.the Fab Four were doing the opening of their 1965 North American tour. Beatles manager

Brian Epstein Brian Samuel Epstein ( ; 19 September 1934 – 27 August 1967) was an English music entrepreneur who managed the Beatles from 1961 until his death in 1967. Epstein was born into a family of successful retailers in Liverpool, who put hi ...

ordered the post to be removed before his band arrived on the stage. This event helped the group to get a $15,000 contract with

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 the course of its first two decades, starting from the release of its first recor ...

, a label which mainly had black artists, becoming the first white-only act to be signed at Atlantic. Bernstein managed them for the next five years with Billy (Amato) Smith as their publicist and promotion advisor. The contract also stipulated that the band could self-produce their records. But problems arose when they discovered that another group, Borrah Minnevitch's and Johnny Puleo's 'Harmonica Rascals', objected to their release of records under the name 'The Rascals'. To avoid conflict, Bernstein decided to rename the group 'The Young Rascals', possibly because all the members were under 25.

Commercial success and songwriting development

The line-up of Brigati on lead vocals, Cavaliere on organ, Cornish on guitar and Danelli on drums was present in the Young Rascals' debut single, the Pam Sawyer/ Lori Burton " I Ain't Gonna Eat Out My Heart Anymore", which was performed in their first television performance on the program '' Hullabaloo'' on February 24, 1966. But the track reached only #23 in

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

and did not reach the Top 40 of the US charts. After the modest success of "Eat Out My Heart Anymore", Cavaliere assumed the lead vocals on their subsequent records, starting with its follow-up " Good Lovin'", originally recorded by Lemme B. Good and The Olympics in 1965, with the same arrangement and different lyrics from the original. Ironically, David Brigati had been the lead singer of the Starliters, but never had any hits; once Joey Dee had a hit with "The Peppermint Twist" he took over the lead vocals. History repeated itself when Felix replaced Eddie as the Rascals' lead singer. They performed "Good Lovin'" on ''

The Ed Sullivan Show ''The Ed Sullivan Show'' is an American television variety show that ran on CBS from June 20, 1948, to March 28, 1971, and was hosted by New York City, New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan. It was replaced in September 1971 by the ''CB ...

''. The Young Rascals version became their first Canada/USA #1. Shortly after, their eponymous debut album was released, mostly composed of

garage rock Garage rock (sometimes called garage punk or 60s punk) is a raw and energetic style of rock music that flourished in the mid-1960s, most notably in the United States and Canada, and has experienced a series of subsequent revivals. The style is ...

renditions of

folk rock Folk rock is a fusion genre of rock music with heavy influences from pop, English and American folk music. It 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 re ...

(" Just a Little" and "

Like a Rolling Stone "Like a Rolling Stone" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released on July 20, 1965, by Columbia Records. Its confrontational lyrics originated in an extended piece of verse Dylan wrote in June 1965, when he returned exhauste ...

"), and

tunes (" Mustang Sally" and " In the Midnight Hour"), with only one original, the Cavaliere/Cornish penned "Do You Feel It". ''The Young Rascals'' reached #15 on the Billboard Top LPs chart and #10 in '' Cashbox''. The album was certified

Gold Gold is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol Au (from Latin ) and atomic number 79. In its pure form, it is a brightness, bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile metal. Chemically, gold is a transition metal ...

by the RIAA. From there the songwriting partnership between Felix Cavaliere and Eddie Brigati began to flourish. Cavaliere wrote the music and themes, and Brigati, the verses with the former's help. Their second album, ''Collections'', had four Cavaliere/Brigati songs and two Cornish originals in its eleven tracks. Follow-ups to their number one record, " You Better Run"–later covered by

Pat Benatar Patricia Mae Giraldo (née Andrzejewski; formerly and still professionally Benatar ; born January 10, 1953) is an American singer and songwriter. In the United States, she has two multi-platinum albums, five platinum albums, and 15 US ''Billboa ...

in 1980 – and "Come On Up", did not do as well as their predecessor (peaking at #20 and #43, respectively). The band made their UK debut on December1, 1966, at The Scotch of St. James club in London.

Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained global fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and the piano, and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John ...

attended the concert and was so excited by the band that he also attended their show the following night, held at the Blaises Club. In the meantime, Cavaliere began dating high school student Adrienne Bechurri. Their relationship inspired him to write several songs in 1967, including Top 20 " I've Been Lonely Too Long" and Top 10's " How Can I Be Sure", and "

", their second #1. "Groovin'", having its laid-back sound and an

Afro-Cuban Afro-Cubans () or Black Cubans are Cubans of full or partial sub-Saharan African ancestry. The term ''Afro-Cuban'' can also refer to historical or cultural elements in Cuba associated with this community, and the combining of native African a ...

groove, found some resistance with Atlantic's head

Jerry Wexler Gerald Wexler (January 10, 1917 – August 15, 2008) was a music journalist turned music producer, and was a major influence on American popular music from the 1950s through the 1980s. He coined the term "rhythm and blues", and was integra ...

; "I've Been Lonely Too Long" and the

-influenced "A Girl Like You" talked about the advantages of a relationship against loneliness, but the introspective "How Can I Be Sure", with Brigati's lead vocals, expressed the doubts about love, like Cavaliere's conflicting feelings about Bechurri. All these songs were included at the '' Groovin''' album, which had the majority of the tracks penned by Cavaliere/Brigati. Bruce Eder, writing for

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

, rates '' Groovin''' as the Rascals' best, noting the record's soulful core and innovative use of jazz and Latin instrumental arrangements. ''Groovin marked the first time that the Young Rascals used outside musicians, bringing some important collaborators like

Hubert Laws Hubert Laws (born November 10, 1939) is an American flutist, piccoloist and saxophonist with a career spanning over 50 years in jazz, classical, and other music genres. Laws is one of the few classical artists who has also mastered jazz, pop ...

, and David Brigati to augment their sound. Particularly, David Brigati also helped his brother's band in arranging

vocal harmonies Vocal harmony is a style of vocal music in which a consonant note or notes are simultaneously sung as a main melody in a predominantly homophonic texture. Vocal harmonies are used in many subgenres of European art music, including Classical chor ...

and singing background on many Rascals records. The band, especially Cavaliere, wanted to depart from their "singles act" label to be more like an "albums act", something that would become common to more artists at the late 1960s. The album ''Once Upon a Dream'', released at 1968, is an example of this change, because it was the first Rascals album designed from conception as an album, rather than as a vehicle to package their singles (eight of ''Groovin''''s eleven songs had been released as single A or B sides, most in advance of the album). ''Once Upon a Dream'' also incorporated

Indian music Owing to India's vastness and diversity, Indian music encompasses numerous genres in multiple varieties and forms which include classical music, folk, rock, and pop. It has a history spanning several millennia and developed over several ...

in its sound, adding Eastern instruments like

sitar The sitar ( or ; ) is a plucked stringed instrument, originating from the Indian subcontinent, used in Hindustani classical music. The instrument was invented in the 18th century, and arrived at its present form in 19th-century India. Khusrau K ...

, tamboura, and

tabla A ''tabla'' is a pair of hand drums from the Indian subcontinent. Since the 18th century, it has been the principal percussion instrument in Hindustani classical music, where it may be played solo, as an accompaniment with other instruments a ...

. David Brigati made a special appearance on the album, singing lead on the title track. The psychedelic " It's Wonderful" was released before the album, but its different style, in comparison with their earlier singles, hindered its sales and the single only reached the #20. The album's song "My Hawaii" became a top of the charts hit in Hawaii. The band billed themselves as the Young Rascals for the last time with the single release of "It's Wonderful"; from that point on they were known as simply 'The Rascals'. Their first official single release as "the Rascals" was the optimistic 1968's " A Beautiful Morning", which reached #3. Internationally, the band was exceptionally popular in Canada where "A Girl Like You", "How Can I Be Sure?" and "A Beautiful Morning" all reached #1. But they struggled in the UK, where they only twice reached the top 75, with "Groovin'" (#8) and "A Girl Like You" (#35). '' Time Peace: The Rascals' Greatest Hits'', released in mid-1968, topped the U.S. album chart and became the group's best-selling album. In the same year, " People Got to Be Free", a horn-punctuated plea for racial tolerance (the band was known for refusing to tour on segregated bills) just months after the

assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr., an American civil rights activist, was fatally shot at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 4, 1968, at 6:01 p.m. CST. He was rushed to St. Joseph's Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 7:05& ...

and of Robert F. Kennedy, became their third and final U.S. #1 single, and their sixth and final Canadian #1. It was also their final U.S. Top Ten hit, although they remained a Canadian top 10 act for the next few years. In 1969, the Rascals released the

double album A double album (or double record) is an audio album that spans two units of the primary medium in which it is sold, typically either records or compact disc. A double album is usually, though not always, released as such because the recording ...

'' Freedom Suite''. An album with one LP dedicated to "conventional" songs and another to

instrumental An instrumental or instrumental song is music without any vocals, although it might include some inarticulate vocals, such as shouted backup vocals in a big band setting. Through Semantic change, semantic widening, a broader sense of the word s ...

s, it should have been the band's definitive change to produce more ambitious albums, according to

Richie Unterberger Richie Unterberger (born 1962) is an American author and journalist whose focus is popular music and travel writing. Life and writing Unterberger attended the University of Pennsylvania, where he wrote for the university newspaper '' The Daily P ...

. But ''Freedom Suite'' was their last Top 40 album, peaking at #17. Brigati's songwriting contributions were diminished on this album, in favor of Cavaliere's solo compositions, as well his vocals, singing lead only on two songs on ''Freedom Suite''. Brigati's participation declined even more in later albums.

Commercial waning and demise (1969–1972)

"A Ray of Hope", "Heaven", "See", and "Carry Me Back" followed and were all modest U.S. hits for the band during late 1968 and 1969; they entered the top 40, but none rose higher than #24. In

, however, the Rascals were still major stars; all these songs went top ten, completing a run of 11 straight Canadian top ten hits for the Rascals from 1967 to 1969. December 1969's "Hold On" broke the run of top 40 US singles for the Rascals, stalling at #51, as well as the run of Canadian top tens, peaking at #22. Brigati left the group in 1970, followed by Cornish in 1971. Their last Rascals album was '' Search and Nearness'' (#198 U.S.), which featured Brigati's lead vocals on the Cornish-penned "You Don't Know", a cover of the Box Tops' hit " The Letter", and drummer Danelli's composition "Fortunes". The only single release from the album to chart was the spiritually themed "Glory, Glory" (#58 U.S., #40 Canada), with backing vocals by

The Sweet Inspirations The Sweet Inspirations are an American R&B girl group from Newark, New Jersey, founded by Cissy Houston who are mostly known for their work as backup singers on studio recordings for other R&B and rock artists but who are also a Grammy-nominat ...

. ''Search and Nearness'' was the Rascals' last album for Atlantic Records, with Cavaliere and Danelli taking the band to

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American reco ...

in mid-1971. Cavaliere shifted towards more jazz- and gospel-influenced writing for the Rascals' next two albums, the double disc '' Peaceful World'' (U.S. #122) and '' The Island Of Real'' (U.S. #180), using Robert Popwell and Buzzy Feiten on bass and guitar respectively, and new singers Annie Sutton and Molly Holt. These albums did not sell as well as their earlier work, with none of their associated singles reaching higher than #95 on the U.S. chart. Towards the end of 1970 Danny Weis joined as a replacement for Feiten on guitar. Feiten then again replaced Weis before the group disbanded.

Post break-up

Cavaliere released several solo albums during the 1970s. Brigati, with his brother David, released ''Lost in the Wilderness'' in 1976. Cornish and Danelli worked together in Bulldog, who released two albums—one for

MCA Records MCA Records was an American record label owned by MCA Inc. established in 1972, though MCA had released recordings under that name in the UK from the 1960s. The label achieved success in the 1970s through the 1980s, often by acquiring other ...

in 1973 with the minor hit single "No", the second for Buddah in '74—and

Fotomaker Fotomaker was a power pop group from Long Island, NY, Long Island, New York who released three albums between 1978 and 1979. History The band was formed in 1977 by bassist Gene Cornish and drummer Dino Danelli, former members of The Rascals (a ...

, who released three albums on Atlantic in 1978–79. In 1982, Danelli joined Steve Van Zandt in Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul for the group's first two albums. After appearing at Atlantic Records 40th anniversary celebration on May 14, 1988, the Rascals reunited with Cavaliere, Cornish, and Danelli for a brief reunion tour in 1988. The reunion group featured an expanded lineup including Mel Owens (in Brigati's place) on vocals and percussion, Steve Mackey on bass, Ed Mattey on guitar, Dena Iverson and Cindy McCabe on backup vocals, and a horn section from

Nashville Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...

to beef up the sound. The reunion did not last beyond the end of the year. After that, Cavaliere returned to his solo career, and in the 1990s there were two factions touring: The New Rascals (featuring Cornish and Danelli) and Cavaliere, who sometimes called his grouping Felix Cavaliere's Rascals. The New Rascals lasted only a short time but toured again in 2006 with two new members, Bill Pascali (formerly of Vanilla Fudge) on vocals and keyboards and Charlie Souza on bass and vocals. The New Rascals released a concert DVD, shot at club Centro in New Jersey on Route 35. The Rascals were inducted into the

on May 6, 1997. Steve Van Zandt gave the induction speech and presented the award. All four original members appeared together to perform "Good Lovin'", "Groovin'", "How Can I Be Sure?", and "People Got to Be Free". In early 2009, Eddie Brigati put together a project of young musicians who played all the classics. He performed with the group along with his brother David. Called The Boys From The Music House, the band consisted of Anthony Duke Claus, a cousin of Eddie's on lead vocals and tambourine; Joseph Pomarico on lead guitar, harmonica and background vocals; Adam Sullivan on piano, organ, and background vocals; and Matt Gazzano on drums.

Reunions and Danelli's death (2012–present)

On April 24, 2010, all four members of The Rascals reunited for the Kristen Ann Carr benefit, which was held at Tribeca Grill in

Manhattan Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...

;

Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American Rock music, rock singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Nicknamed "the Boss", Springsteen has released 21 studio albums spanning six decades; most of his albums feature th ...

and Stevie Van Zandt joined the band for a closing "Good Lovin'". The group's original lineup reunited in 2012 for their first public performances since 1988 (other than one-off reunions in 1997 and 2010) with ''The Rascals: Once Upon a Dream'', a combination concert/theatrical event that was produced and directed by

Steven Van Zandt Steven Van Zandt (né Lento; born November 22, 1950), also known as Little Steven or Miami Steve, is an American musician and actor. He is a member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, in which he plays guitar and mandolin. He has appeared i ...

and Maureen Van Zandt with lighting/projection by Marc Brickman. In addition to the concert experience, the history of The Rascals, and the history of the 1960s through their music, the production features a combination of interviews with the four Rascals, filmed scenes of actors enacting key moments in the band's history, news footage, and archival footage of the band. The show originally ran for six performances in December 2012 at the Capitol Theatre in

Port Chester, New York Port Chester is a administrative divisions of New York#Village, village in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York and the largest part of the town of Rye (town), New York, Rye in Westchester County, New York, Westchester County by populati ...

. The show had fifteen performances from April 15 to May 5, 2013, at the Richard Rodgers Theatre on Broadway in New York City. Near the end of the show's Broadway run, it was announced that ''Once Upon a Dream'' would be taken on the road, with performances scheduled in various cities on the East coast of North America for a six-month tour during May–November 2013. After its national tour, the show was expected to return to Broadway for a second three-week limited-run from December 2013 through January 2014, at the

Marquis Theatre The Marquis Theatre is a Broadway theatre, Broadway theater on the third floor of the New York Marriott Marquis hotel in the Theater District, Manhattan, Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S. Opened in 1986, it ...

, but it was canceled. Later in 2014, Cavaliere returned to performing as "Felix Cavaliere's Rascals" with

The Lovin' Spoonful The Lovin' Spoonful is a Canadian-American folk-rock band formed in Greenwich Village, New York City, in 1964. The band were among the most popular groups in the United States for a short period in the mid-1960s and their music and image influ ...

as their opening act. Both Cavaliere's Rascals and The Lovin' Spoonful served as opening acts for a concert by

The Beach Boys The Beach Boys are an American Rock music, rock band formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961. The group's original lineup consisted of brothers Brian Wilson, Brian, Dennis Wilson, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and their f ...

in Jones Beach on Long Island on July 5, 2014. In 2018, Cornish collapsed and suffered

cardiac arrest Cardiac arrest (also known as sudden cardiac arrest CA is when the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating. When the heart stops beating, blood cannot properly Circulatory system, circulate around the body and the blood flow to the ...

while performing in

Billings, Montana Billings is the most populous Lists of populated places in the United States, city in the U.S. state of Montana, with a population of 117,116 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Located in the south-central portion of the state, i ...

. After recovering in 2020, he published the memoir ''Good Lovin': My Life as a Rascal''. In October 2022, in an interview with Rock Cellar Magazine, Cornish announced that he would be reuniting with Cavaliere later that month (and into 2023) for the "Time Peace Tour" (though Cornish was unable to perform at the tour's first show). Interviewer Frank Mastropolo expressed surprise that the two were reuniting again, to which Cornish commented that the group had never expected to reunite in 2012 and 2013 (after the original lineup first split in 1972). Cornish also revealed that he and Cavaliere wanted the ''Once Upon a Dream'' reunion to continue in late 2013 and into 2014. Corninsh said that Danelli "had a lot of demands that we couldn't meet" and "was coming up with excuses," while "Eddie rigatididn't want to do it any more '' ic'." With regards to their upcoming reunion, Cornish said that "Dino anelliis incapable of playing drums anymore ndis in a long-term facility... Eddie turned us down again." Danelli died from

coronary artery disease Coronary artery disease (CAD), also called coronary heart disease (CHD), or ischemic heart disease (IHD), is a type of cardiovascular disease, heart disease involving Ischemia, the reduction of blood flow to the cardiac muscle due to a build-up ...

and

congestive heart failure Heart failure (HF), also known as congestive heart failure (CHF), is a syndrome caused by an impairment in the heart's ability to fill with and pump blood. Although symptoms vary based on which side of the heart is affected, HF typically pr ...

on December 15, 2022, at a rehabilitation facility in Manhattan, after a period of declining health. He was 78. In 2023 and 2024, Cavaliere and Cornish have continued to perform together as the Rascals (sometimes credited as "the Rascals featuring Felix Cavaliere and Gene Cornish"). Their 2024 dates were billed as the "People Got To Be Free Tour 2024;" at least some 2024 dates again featured the Lovin' Spoonful as an opening act, similarly to Cavaliere's tour with them in 2014.

Legacy

The Rascals were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on May 6, 1997. Steve Van Zandt gave the induction speech and presented the award. All four original members appeared together to perform "Good Lovin'", "Groovin'", "How Can I Be Sure?", and "People Got to Be Free". In 2005, the Rascals were inducted into the

Vocal Group Hall of Fame The Vocal Group Hall of Fame & Museum Company Inc. was an American-based hall of fame that honored vocal groups throughout the United States. James E. Winner Jr. was the financial and managing partner of the For-profit corporation. Winner and ...

. In August 2007, the Rascals' catalog of

albums was re-released by Atlantic Records affiliate

Rhino Records A rhinoceros ( ; ; ; : rhinoceros or rhinoceroses), commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of any of the five extant taxon, extant species (or numerous extinct species) of odd-toed ungulates (perissodactyls) in the family (biology), famil ...

. On June 18, 2009, Eddie Brigati and

were inducted into the

Songwriters Hall of Fame The Songwriters Hall of Fame (SHOF) is an American institution founded in 1969 by songwriter Johnny Mercer, music publisher/songwriter Abe Olman, and publisher/executive Howie Richmond to honor those whose work represent and maintain the heri ...

. The ceremony was held at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City, where a brief reunion took place with the founder of The Rascals, Billy (Amato) Smith. "Groovin'" has been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

Members

Current members

– lead and backing vocals, keyboards (1965–1972, 1988, 1997, 2010, 2012–2013, 2022–present) * Gene Cornish – backing and lead vocals, guitar, harmonica, occasional bass guitar (1965–1971, 1988, 1997, 2010, 2012–2013, 2022–present)

Former original members

* Eddie Brigati – backing and lead vocals, percussion (1965–1970, 1997, 2010, 2012–2013) * Dino Danelli – drums (1965–1972, 1988, 1997, 2010, 2012–2013; died 2022)

Unofficial members and later additions

* David Brigati – backing and occasional lead vocals (1965–1970) * Annie Sutton – vocals (1970–1972) * Molly Holt – vocals (1970–1972) * Robert Popwell – bass guitar (1970–1972; died 2017) * Buzzy Feiten – guitar (1970, 1971–1972) * Danny Weis – guitar (1970–1971)

Touring members

* Mel Owens – vocals, percussion (1988) * Steve Mackey – bass (1988) * Ed Mattey – guitar (1988) * Dena Iverson – backing vocals (1988) * Cindy McCabe – backing vocals (1988) * unspecified horn section – horns (1988)

The New Rascals

* Gene Cornish – vocals, guitar, harmonica (1990s, 2006) * Dino Danelli – drums (1990s, 2006) * Bill Pascali – vocals, keyboards (2006) * Charlie Souza – vocals, bass (2006)

Felix Cavaliere's Rascals

* Felix Cavaliere – vocals, keyboards (1990s-2012, 2013–2022) * Scott Spray - bass (1987-1989) * Michael Mugrage - guitar, vocals (1987-1988) * Joey Melotti - keyboards (1987-1988) * Jay Stollman - vocals (1987-1988) * Sarah Brooks - vocals (1987-1988) * Jimmy Vivino - guitar, vocals (1988-1989)

The Boys from the Music House

* Eddie Brigati – vocals (2009) * David Brigati – vocals (2009) * Anthony Duke Claus – lead vocals, tambourine (2009) * Joseph Pomarico – backing vocals, lead guitar, harmonica (2009) * Adam Sullivan – backing vocals, piano, organ (2009) * Matt Gazzano – drums (2009)

Groovin’ with Gene Cornish of The Rascals

* Gene Cornish - guitar, vocals (2017-2018) * Jay Stollman - lead vocals, keyboards (2017-2018) * Steve Gaspar - keyboards, vocals (2017-2018) * Scott Spray - bass (2017-2018) * Vito Luizzi - drums (2017-2018) * Joseph Pomerico - guitar, vocals (2017-2018)

Timeline

Discography

* ''

The Young Rascals ''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The ...

'' (1966) * '' Collections'' (1967) * ''

'' (1967) * '' Once Upon a Dream'' (1968) * '' Freedom Suite'' (1969) * '' See'' (1969) * '' Search and Nearness'' (1971) * '' Peaceful World'' (1971) * '' The Island of Real'' (1972)

References

External links

*
Rolling Stone: The Rascals
- ''Rolling Stone'' articles * The Rascalsat Allmusic * * * *
New Rascals
at newrascalsreloaded.com
"The Rascals' Struggle for Change", Pop Matters; 2007, by Tony Sclafani
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rascals Rock music groups from New Jersey Vocal quartets Atlantic Records artists Musical groups established in 1965 Musical groups disestablished in 1972 1965 establishments in New Jersey 1972 disestablishments in New Jersey American soul musical groups Musical groups from Bergen County, New Jersey