Mike Raab’s
ROCK & ROLL MUSEUM
of the Hudson Valley
The Photo Gallery: Rare Band Shots You Might Recognize
Some of the band photos are familiar faces and some of the band photos so rare I’m not sure of who the members are! When that happens, help us out with info to make everything accurate. E-mail us rare photos from your collection, of your favorite bands and your favorite nightclubs, your favorite friends.
DUTCH POP - A hard-rock heavy-metal fivesome that featured Mike Smith on bass, Tom Cifarelli on drums, Joe Babcock on guitar, Richie Bucci on organ and Bobby McCaw on lead vocals. Check out their photos and their music at www.dutchpop.com.
THE FURYS - Mike Raab on rhythm guitar, Dennis Shook on drums and Dougie Shook on lead guitar. Photo taken during a gig at the Moose Hall, Newburgh, NY, January 27, 1963. A Top 40 trio that specialized in instrumentals by The Ventures. Notice the fashionable Saxony jackets and the ever-present magic box of the times, the Echo-Rec. Mike is part of the Jelly Bean Bandits, the group you passed on the way into the Rock & Roll Museum.
THE ARGOES - Featuring Tim Jones on lead guitar, Bobby Lonie on drums, Johnny (Babbs) Britain on bass, and Gene Allen on rhythm guitar and lead vocals. Originally Gene Allen & the Pawns, the name changed with a new band line-up. Gene Allen was eventually replaced by Dave Kennedy and the group became know as The Goodtimes who were a music icon at the Trade Winds Nightclub, New Windsor, in the early Sixties.
BLACK POWDER WHISKEY - Lead guitarist Billy Beehler and bassist Rick Mullin onstage circa 1980. Other band members included Sal DiTrocchio on Hammond B-3, Mike Diaz on drums and Ken Dedrick on lead vocals. Billy and Rick are currently in The Albert Cary Project.
THE SONNETS - The only member we can identify for sure is guitarist Jack Stang on the left. The picture was taken by Valley club photographer Vern Drew of Fort Montgomery at the Trade Winds Nightclub in New Windsor, on January 26, 1968.
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THE JELLY BEAN BANDITS - The original Mainstream LP cover elicited critics comments that ranged from "pure psychedelia" to "teen dorks." The photographer was Chuck Stewart, who went on to do award-winning covers for jazz greats such as John Coltrane and Eric Dolphy. Obviously he was paying the bills with the Bandits shoot. Chuck did take them out of the studio and onto the streets of Manhattan for shots like this. These photos were found some thirty-five years after the original session. (in front kneeling) Mike Raab (in back, standing, left to right) Joe Scalfari, Fred Buck, Billy Donald, Jack Dougherty and strange man by poster.
THE LEGENDARY FRANK PIETRZAK (in center) introduces The Goodtimes (left to right, Dave Kennedy, Bob Lonie and John Babbs Britain) April 22, 2001, at Seafood City (formerly The Coliseum) in Newburgh. Frank and his late brother Tony owned the Trade Winds Nightclub in New Windsor that featured the best in regional music during the Sixties and early Seventies as well as name acts like The Young Rascals, Tom Jones and Conway Twitty. Frank and Tony also owned the Buccaneer on Route 44 on the border of Poughkeepsie and Pleasant Valley.
EASY CHANGES - featuring Billy McKiernan on keyboards, Billy Donald on lead vocals and Johnny Buk on bass. Drummer was named Mike and that's as much as we can remember. The photos were taken during a recording session at Sound House Studios in Newburgh on June 15, 1972. Billy McKiernan later became part of the Wethead Band, Billy Donald became Big Edsel and Johnny Buk was bass player for Dave Kennedy and The USA Band.
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CHIP & THE COUNTDOWNS... Taken in 1964 at the Campi-Tarsio Lanes in Newburgh, this faded photo recalls the Top 40 rock and roll of Chip and Company. From left to right are: Nick Monaco, lead guitar (standing); Lenny Chidgey (drums); Chip Monaco (keyboards). Left to right, kneeling are: Ron Chieffe (bass guitar) and Rich Taylor, rhythm guitar.
HARVEST ... It was 1972 at the Bachelor in Poughkeepsie and the original Harvest was onstage. From left to right are: Eddie Monteleone, guitar; John McCormick, bass; Guy Masson on drums; Dennis Blandino, guitar; and John Lockwood, guitar. Prior to this version of Harvest, Guy Masson played with the Teddy Boys and Mortimer. The two remaining "original old geezers" in the current Harvest (a quote from Dennis) are him and John McCormick. Keyboardist Steve Wanzer joined the current line-up in 1973 and drummer Paul Gilroy in 1974 (both were from the Mark 4 band). This line-up has been working for the past 36 years. If you go to their website at www.theharvestband.com you will see a tribute to the late Eddie Monteleone and hear three of the last recordings Harvest did with him.
PINK SAVAGE ... was a late 70s / early 80s glam rock quartet with roots in Ulster County featuring Noela Starr on synthesizers and vocals, Bobby Mobley on lead guitar and vocals, Blackie on drums, and Alaina Starr on bass guitar and vocals. Managed by the legendary Sid Bernstein, Pink Savage recorded at True Tone Studios and the HIt Factory, showcased at places like CBGB's, the Bottom Line and various Hudson Valley clubs. On the verge of major label signing, the group broke up because of management and financial disputes. Noela is still in the music business, performing with a 60s show group, The Ponytails. You can check in on Noela at www.myspace.com/noelatail and www.theponytails.com.
NIRVANA ... Not the multi-million-selling group of the 90s, but the Ulster County grouping of 1968. Somewhere along the way we lost information on the band so we hope that drummer Kent Robinson or lead singer Brian gets up with us with the missing names and some band info. This photo was taken by the ubiquitous Verne Drew at the legendary Trade Winds Nightclub in New Windsor.
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PHOG ... Loud, snotty, hard-rock from this Orange County group. Lead guitarist was Artie Ebert, who was with Shotgun prior to Phog, and the Big Edsel Band afterwards. Lead vocalist was Joey Cardillo, who was one of the first area personalities to get into makeup, costumes and theatrics. He eventually went on to Phantom's Opera before passing into regional rock history.
THE SAPIANS AND THE GREAT HAIR CONTROVERSY ... Hard to believe in 1964 but Steve Peters, Pat Hearns, Guy White and Ron Black, collectively known as The Sapians, were denied access to Newburgh Free Academy High School (they were all juniors) because of the length of their hair. They eventually signed with Mercury Records, and recorded songs such as "Ask Yourself Why, Babe" and "Love Ain't Makin' It No More".
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THE D'JOW BAND ... played at the very first Hudson RIver Sloop Festival held in Newburgh back in June of 1970. Right after Don McLean of "American Pie" fame did a musical set, they took the stage. Members included John Horos, Arte O'Dell, Steve Agostini, and Gary Orsino. The Drummer for the band was Willy Cercone.The festival was held in the old parking lot for the Newburgh/Beacon Ferry on Front Street in Newburgh.
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DIAMONDHEAD ... has gone through several personnel changes in three decades but one person has lasted through it all - drummer Frank Clarino Jr. In this 1978 photo, members include (left to right) Mike Angelo on guitar, Mike Raab on keyboards, Frank Clarino Jr. on drums and Nick D'Egidio on bass. A live CD of this Diamondhead line-up, Rockin' The Gate in '78, has been called "one of the best live bar recordings made of a Hudson Valley band."
MARK IV ...The photo is College Hill, the Summer of 1966. Members of the Mark IV included Ed Gilroy, JImmy Marino, John Ackert, Emery Ruger and Butch Loreto. Our thanks to Fred Mendonca of Poughkeepsie for this and other photos.
THE PEPPERMINTS - Gene Jannotti sent us these three photos of the Newburgh-based rock band as they appeared over three years. The Peppermints were one of the few area groups to feature a steel guitar as a solo rock and roll instrument.
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NORTHERN STAR was a hard-rock heavy-metal Valley favorite when this 45 (remember 45s?) was recorded back in 1983. They managed to snag a Grammy nomination for rock instrumentals, but that kind of thing was old hat for bassist Tom Moore's dad Ray Moore ... he already had half-a-dozen sitting on his mantle for engineering classical recordings in the 70s.
BARTHOLOMEW & THE BARBARIANS were the forerunners of the Newburgh-based power quartette Dutchpop.
