The Rascals (initially known as The Young Rascals) were an American blue-eyed soul group initially active during the years 1965–72. The band released numerous top ten singles in North America during the mid- and late-1960s, including the #1 hits "Good Lovin'" (1966), "Groovin'" (1967), and "People Got to Be Free" (1968), as well as "A Beautiful Morning" (#3 1968) and the lesser-known "A Girl Like You".
The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997.
The Rascals were inducted into the Hit Parade Hall of Fame in 2010.
Eddie Brigati (vocals), Felix Cavaliere (keyboard, vocals), Gene Cornish (guitar) and Dino Danelli (drums) started the band in Brigati and Danelli's hometown of Garfield, New Jersey. Brigati, Cavaliere and Cornish had previously been members of Joey Dee and the Starliters. Eddie's brother, David Brigati, an original Starliter, helped arrange the vocal harmonies and sang backgrounds on many of the group's recordings (informally earning the designation as the "fifth Rascal"). When Atlantic Records signed them, they discovered that another group, Borrah Minnevitch's and Johnny Puleo's 'Harmonica Rascals', objected to their release of records under the name 'The Young Rascals'.
To avoid conflict, manager
Sid Bernstein decided to rename the group 'The Young Rascals'... Billy (Amato) Smith was the founder manager at the formation of the group then called "Them". The name "The Rascals" came about after meeting TV personality Soupy Sales though Billy (Amato) Smith. Soupy Sales hired the group as his back-up band on his college tours early 1965 just before playing the summer of 1965 at The Barge, a disco club on Dune Road in Westhampton, Long Island, New York — all under the direction of Billy (Amato) Smith. Smith introduced manager Sid Bernstein to The Rascals along with long time friend of Sid Bernstein, Walter Hyman at The Barge.
The Young Rascals' first television performance was on the program Hullabaloo on February 27, 1965, where they performed their debut single, "I Ain't Gonna Eat Out My Heart Anymore". The track reached #23 in Canada, and touched the lower reaches of the U.S. charts as well. This modest success was followed by the U.S./Canada #1 single "Good Lovin'" (1966, originally recorded by The Olympics in 1965).
The Rascals Reunite Triumphantly,
after 40 Years of Feuding
12/14/12 3:16am Roger Friedman18
The Rascals are back, at last. You’re too young to remember them, exactly, but you know their songs: “I’ve Been Lonely Too Long,” “Good Lovin’,” “It’s a Beautiful Morning,” “How Can I Be Sure,” “People Got to Be Free,” and “I Ain’t Gonna Eat Out My Heart Anymore” were all top 10 or better. The quartet was the blue eyed soul group on the famous Atlantic R&B roster, labelmates with Sam & Dave, Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett and Percy Sledge. Felix Cavaliere and Eddie Brigati were the Lennon and McCartney of Atlantic until they were not; their fall out was epic. But in their day, The Rascals were glorious. Their greatest hits album, “Time Peace,” was in every college dorm room for years and years.
Now you must run, not walk, to the Capitol Theater in nearby Port Chester, New York (just 35 min. by train), where The Rascals have at last been reunited by Little Steven van Zandt and his wife Maureen producing “Once Upon a Dream.” The original four are alive and more than kicking in this two hour retrospective that includes video, interviews, and of course magnificent live performances of all the hits by Felix, Eddie, Dino Danelli and Gene Cornish with a sensational back up band and singers. It’s all been cleverly staged and assembled by van Zandt and Marc Brickman. There’s a clever narration by Vinny Pastore aka Big Pussy from “The Sopranos.”
For last night’s opening show, the crowd included another rocker of the era, Tommy James, and actor Robert Wuhl, LA Dodgers announcer Charlie Steiner, music publisher John Titta, famed promoter Ron Delsener, legacy singer Vaneese Thomas, musician Steve Gadd, the one and only Tommy Mottola, and actor Chazz Palminteri.
Considering that they haven’t played together for 40 years (with a couple of recent one off exceptions), The Rascals–once the Young Rascals and joked Robert Wuhl, soon to be the Little Rascals–were pretty “wascally.” It’s hard to imagine a tighter, funkier sound out of band half their age. The songs, originally produced and arranged by Atlantic’s geniuses Arif Mardin and Tom Dowd, remain little works of art. Cavaliere and Briganti’s vocals don’t have to be smooth; they’re as full of mellifluous grit as they were in 1968. They’re also full of so much personality, you could say they are and were the white Temptations.
This is the time to catch this show, while it’s in its cult moment. “Once Upon A Dream” plays shows this weekend and next. Then it moves into a long pre-Broadway circuit for fine tuning. There won’t be a lot to do, just some trimming and tightening. “Once Upon a Dream” tells The Rascals’ story. But it also depends entirely on the music for its ultimate success. Maybe because the group was away so long, everything sounds fresh and new. You just wonder why there’s nothing like this now on the charts. We’ve been lonely too long.
A Happy, Healthy New Year to all of my readers (followers). May 2013 be a wonderful, music filled year where all your dreams come true. Keep practicing and playing your guitar as much as you possibly can and you never know where it may take you.
Until next time, keep rockin’ the clubs, the school dances, the private parties and where ever else you are gigging. Remember every gig is important so play your heart out on every gig; you never know who may be listening or in attendance. Each gig you play could be the one that is your opportunity to land a contract, so just remember that.
MUSICIAN by Night
“GOD Save the Blues”
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