I Got The Music In Me
The Rockford Files
The Fall Guys
Album Design and Photography by Scanlin
Engineering & Mixdown: Art Cole
Recorded at Baldwin Sound Productions, Inc.
Kahoots MRS8028
Personnel:
Jack Williams: Piano, Bass, Organ, Harpsichord, Vocals & Arrangements
Bill Laws: Reeds, Brass & Vocals
Joey Dio: Percussion & Vocals
Don Riech: Guitar, Banjo, Reeds & Vocals
How Sweet It Is
The Rockford Files
Could It Be Magic
Front Page Rag
I've Got The Music In Me
Big Bands
Holy cripes, this is excellent!
ReplyDeleteThe Fall Guys were an incredible act live. I would see them in many times in 1966 and 1967 during the RatPack heyday era. Jack was primarily on bass in those years as the stages they appeared on weren't always large enough for keyboards. All five guys were stellar musicians and performers. All five were hilariously funny and their stage routines (4 sets a night) were simply wonderful to watch. And even though their "Sweet Sydney" routine would never pass in today's social environment, it was a hoot to watch during the LBJ years.
ReplyDeleteCan you explain what the Sweet Sydney routine was? I'm intrigued.
DeleteI can say that I was fortunate enough to have performed with Kenny Kuchar, of the Fall Guys while In the St. James High School Band, Chester, Pa. We were friends and his sister brought him to see my band "Jimmy and the Tropics" at JP's Place in Ogden back in the 1966'. The Fall Guys were performing at the Cresendo Lounge in New Jersey at the time. We were honored to have had them "Check us out", Jimmy and the Tropics. Jimmy McNamee, Drums, Bobby McNamee Bass,
DeleteBarry Carpenter Guitar, Tony Fachet, Tenor Sax and Ronny Cropper, Organ, All of the band were singers. . Also, well know sax Man, Paul Weddle performed with the Tropics for about ten months from September through May 1965-1966 at JPs Place. The Fall Guy's were a GREAT Group for sure , Hope they are all doing well. Jimmy McNamee
Do you know how Ken Kuchar is doing? I saw his picture on Facebook in 2017. Jack Williams died in August 2010 at 72 in Lakeland, Florida. William C. Laws Jr., died August 26, 2013 in Manchester, NH at 74. Don Rieck just died on September 20, 2023 at 84 in Lakeland, Florida. I've connected with Joey Dio in the past few years.
DeleteBe sure to add Ken Kuchar on the "personnel" list. He was the fantastic trumpet player and one of the five singers.
ReplyDeleteDuring set #3, one of the skits was "Sweet Sydney" which began with a band vamp and periodic 4pt harmonies with just the words "Sweet Sydney" alternating between F-G chords. Bill would take on the personna of a gay guy.....keep in mind that this was 1967, Vietnam, LBJ, RatPack, conservative vs hothead..... a world where....well...you had to be there. Bill, in character, would go into the woahs of his life, slowly singling out (usually very conservative males in the audience dinner crowd) to try and draw in to his story...as the band continued to vamp on. The skit would go on for at least ten minutes, the crowd howling with laughter that was a little campy and a little creepy. Such were those days. Bill was so great on that bit. This is a band that should have had some sound/film archives to preserve its history. Which I told the guys ten/twenty years ago when I was able to connect with them. Alas, aside from the Benson & Hedges cigarette tv commercial they were in, the world will just not know about these great performers and the niche entertainment world they operated in as they bounced around the country in those years.
They were in a B&H ad? I tried looking on YouTube, but there are tons, and so many are British.
DeleteI just found a video with Don in it and I posted more Fall guys comments there-
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmT3Vht1rj0
Thank you for posting this! My dad remembers when the Fall Guys got started and would see them in Atlantic City. This reminds me of my youth when I would go to the lounges back in the seventies when I was about 7 to 10 years old. These would be weekend excursions with my parents. Back with my dad was about 20 years younger than I am now. I remember they had a few pinball machines at the hotel. My brother and I are playing pinball and over at the other one was Bill Laws. Recently I got in touch with Joey Dio on LinkedIn.
ReplyDeleteJohn Farrell here, Jon Davids Mood band, same manager as the Fall Guys, went on the show band "road circuit" 1972 ---1974...Learned format and ideas from Jack, Don and the Fall guys. They were the "old guys" cause they were 35 and we were 22. HAHA.. Wonderful musicians and wonderful people. Herb Payloff was our manager...Rest in peace... john@exitnys.com 607 760 5000
ReplyDelete