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Post by libralee on Mar 8, 2012 15:10:14 GMT -5
My sister and I took tap from Bill McHugo many many years ago.....So happy to see a picture from him. We were known as the McHugo Rockettes. lol Norma and Trudy Marceau. We danced all over. We were also on the Connie and Carol TV show many Saturday mornings. Attached is picture at WKTV Attachments:
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Post by johnnyrod on Mar 16, 2012 14:41:19 GMT -5
do i know you kitty? sonny dee let me know who she is
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Post by sonnydee on Mar 17, 2012 15:05:39 GMT -5
Hey JR. I haven't got a clue!!! Either an ardent fan, or someone who had an issue with you.....Keep asking, I am sure someone will tell us.....
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Post by valetdriver500 on Mar 19, 2012 14:17:54 GMT -5
some one asked a question about dale ryder being a bass player; yes he was and was in eric and the chessmen around 1965 .i played guitar in the group when jon hynes was in it and dale ryder replaced him sometime in 1965.my name is norm knapp
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Post by kit on Mar 21, 2012 11:15:26 GMT -5
Norm... did Chuck Shoenley play keyboards when you and Dale were together in the Chessmen?
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Post by valetdriver500 on Mar 28, 2012 5:42:20 GMT -5
no chuck replaced me as i went into a hospital for 3 months around the middle of march 15 1965 before that eric and chessmen consisted of wayne bohling drums - dale ryder bass- eric thorngen - guitar vocals and myself guitar chuck was the first key bd player in that group.i think back round vocals were performed by all of us if i remember correctly. truth fully yours nk
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Post by valetdriver500 on Mar 28, 2012 5:44:43 GMT -5
also chuck was the first keybd player in that group
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Post by kit on Mar 28, 2012 7:51:03 GMT -5
NK, do you know how long Chuck was with the group?
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Post by kit on Nov 21, 2012 9:13:31 GMT -5
This post is a duplication of the discussion with Dave from "Utica Entertainment History" - 'Joe Bonamassa Concert.' Perhaps this is the best place for reminiscing about the musicians from way back.
The Wingate Singers originally had a bass player. His name was Terry Mellert (from New Hartford). The Wingates had a TV show on WKTV and used Terry for that, but usually performed as a trio when they did gigs. Yes, Jimmy was the musician, but Bob O'Donnell had a voice that would knock your socks off. I have a proprietary recording of some of Bob's songs that he recorded in Nashville at the studio where Gene Rice worked. All original songs using some unbelievable pick-up musicians that Gene knew.
Yes, Gene was an outstanding musician and loved to play finger-style lead guitar and his talent and knowledge was way above my head. Kenny Aikin was the guitar player in our band, The Nitecaps, back in the early 60s and was one of Gene's students. It's now 50 years later and Kenny still plays the guitar (in Charleston SC) and is without a doubt the best finger-style lead guitar player I've ever worked with. By the way, our drummer and lead singer was Jim Gaylord who is Clipper's uncle.
Another outstanding guitar player of the day was Bill LePara (spelling ?). He was considering joining The Nitecaps, but his style was mostly commercial music rather than the Rock-n-Roll that we played. He joined up with Fran Loucks and Tony Caro and formed a trio (I can't remember the name of the group) that did mostly commercial stuff. Interesting story there as well, but I've rambled on too much already. That will have to wait until another time.
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Post by dave on Nov 21, 2012 13:53:48 GMT -5
Kit,
Good idea, moving the post.
I'll reproduce the entire discussion here. You can delete yours, above, but if you want to. It's copied here in this summary.
Kit wrote:
Just a little reminscing:
Jimmy's partner (other than Janet Brisinski) was Bob O'Donnell in the folk group The Wingate Singers many years ago. Bob and I went to high school together and he left the area and moved to Nashville after the group broke up. I'm more familiar with George O'Dell and the Dell Music Studio where the unbelievable Gene Rice was the head instructor and later the recording engineer.
After George died, Gene moved to Nashville and became a very sought after recording engineer doing recordings for several well known national groups like Alabama and occasionally Johnny Cash. Sadly, both Bob and Gene have passed away but I fondly remember our schmoozing back in the late 50s and early 60s.
Dave wrote:
Kit, that brings back memories. I remember Jimmy bringing me up to Bob's house one evening when the group was just forming. I think that would have been in '61 or '62. Jimmy had quit the BelAires to go to Rochester, (or was just back from his year at RIT, I don't remember which) and felt folk music was what he wanted to do at that point. Was it "Old Sam?" Was that the name of the record they made?
The problem with folk music was that you couldn't make a living (part or full time) because you couldn't do a dance with just folk music. Jimmy wanted to (or I suggested, I can't remember which) forming a band that would play the standard stuff for dancing, but have special times during the evening for the folk stuff to be played. Problem was that of the three members of the Wingates only Jimmy was really proficient on an instrument in a way necessary to play dances. (I think Bob strummed a few chords.) Maybe you can fill me in with how long the Wingate Singers were a viable group.
Ah, Gene Rice. From Leah Street, if I remember correctly. Damn he could play. When Jimmy left for Rochester, Jon and Dick and Guy and myself used Gene once or twice. He was a marvel, but we just weren't used to each other's music ... selection or style. And then Jimmy came back. And then I left for New York, etc. etc., etc. All that many years ago.
Kit wrote:
Dave... at the risk of getting hollered at by Clipper for posting a musical-type response 'out-of-thread,' I'm answering your post both here and also on the "After Be-Bop" thread where this discussion might be better placed. Perhaps we could move it there.
The Wingate Singers originally had a bass player. His name was Terry Mellert (from New Hartford). The Wingates had a TV show on WKTV and used Terry for that, but usually performed as a trio when they did gigs. Yes, Jimmy was the musician, but Bob O'Donnell had a voice that would knock your socks off. I have a proprietary recording of some of Bob's songs that he recorded in Nashville at the studio where Gene Rice worked. All original songs using some unbelievable pick-up musicians that Gene knew.
Yes, Gene was an outstanding musician and loved to play finger-style lead guitar and his talent and knowledge was way above my head. Kenny Aikin was the guitar player in our band, The Nitecaps, back in the early 60s and was one of Gene's students. It's now 50 years later and Kenny still plays the guitar (in Charleston SC) and is without a doubt the best finger-style lead guitar player I've ever worked with. By the way, our drummer and lead singer was Jim Gaylord who is Clipper's uncle.
Another outstanding guitar player of the day was Bill LePara (spelling ?). He was considering joining The Nitecaps, but his style was mostly commercial music rather than the Rock-n-Roll that we played. He joined up with Fran Loucks and Tony Caro and formed a trio (I can't remember the name of the group) that did mostly commercial stuff. Interesting story there as well, but I've rambled on too much already. That will have to wait until another time.
Dave responds:
I'd forgotten about Bob's voice. Yes, I remember it had feeling and was quite good. I remember the name Kenny Aiken, but don't think I ever met him. I don't remember Bill Lapara. It's like asking if I remember sophomore Joe Smith when I was a senior in high school. Just a few years in those days made a big difference. And I left the area in '63. Tony J was probably pushing little cars around on the floor when I was in high school and the band that became the Bel Aires started up.
The very first kid's band I ever heard was I think in early '57 when Chuckie Daniels took me with him to Rocco M's house. While Rocco's grandmather made sauce (gravy) in the kitchen, Rocco and Chuckie and Jimmy Palladino tried to play together. I think everyone was 14 or 15 years old.
My ears rang for days afterward. Chuckie had his electric piano and amp and Jimmy his guitar amp as they tried to play louder than "Rock" on the drums, not an easy feat in a 12 by 12 bedroom. After each song, a voice would croak from the kitchen, "That was-a nice, you boys. Try no so loud next time."
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Post by kit on Nov 22, 2012 9:06:37 GMT -5
Before I forget... here's a photo of Kenny Aikin that I took in my studio in 2006. Notice all those picks he uses... and believe me, he knows how to use them.  I didn't know Chuckie Daniels or Rocco M. but I sure remember the aroma coming from an Italian kitchen. For a mayonnaise-face like myself, it sure was heaven. Not sure if that aroma added to, or detracted from, my musical ability. |
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Post by dave on Nov 22, 2012 9:37:41 GMT -5
Chuckie Daniels was the keyboard player for the Plaids. I believe he became a physician. Rocco (Masercola?) was (I think, but I may be wrong) in some version of the Nitecaps. He also had a drum school in Utica. I'll try to find the references earlier in this thread. I remember his name coming up before.
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Post by dave on Nov 22, 2012 9:54:56 GMT -5
ButchD mentioned Rocco in this thread, page 25, post 361: "Yes, Jon, I was mentored by George Clasgens for percussion and drums. He introduced me to the SU Music School which I attended for Music Ed for three years. I also graduated from the Excelsior Music School, mentored by Rocco Masercola and later Ronnie Zito.
Jon wrote two posts about the Nitecaps, which included Rocco.
On page 57 of this thread, post 845 (with a photo) "The Nite Caps - 1960 - ON KEY -- These 16-year-old businessmen, who call themselves "The Nite Caps". Left Utica Saturday for a week's study of modern music at the Stan Kenton clinic at Indiana University. From Left: Tony P. Forlano, Dave VanPelt, Rock Masercola, Gary Walker and Robert DeCarlo.
And post no. 846: "BAND CONTESTANTS - The 'Nite Caps', a band composed mostly of Proctor High School pupils, will compete in a band contest at Gubtals Arena in Albany tonight. In the band are Rocco Masercola, drums; Frank Lamanna, sax; Bob De Carlo. accordion; Gene Payne, trumpet. The youths appeared on the Top Ten Dance Party program on television station WTEN in Albany last Saturday." Band members changed, but Jon didn't include a date in this post.
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Post by kit on Nov 24, 2012 18:56:42 GMT -5
Different group. Our band was The Nitecaps (Nitecaps is all one word) and the name is registered in my name in Oneida County. The other group was The Nite Caps (Nite Caps = 2 words). We booked with Gene Kipper and I don't know anything about the other group.
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Post by drider on Dec 2, 2012 21:24:56 GMT -5
Kit, you have named some people that have brought such a fond memory of standing outside the open roped off door near the stage of the Lake Shore Hotel, Sylvan Beach watching in awe, Tony Madonia & The Madmen with Franny Loucks on (red EBO) bass and I'm thinking it was a Bill LaPera on guitar and a kickin' drummer Dave Laurey?, I think. On those suffles, his bass drum would hit you right in the chest.
I was young, yet to gig and they were HOT!
Also, Kenny Aikin was in the first band I was in: Steve & The Continentals at Lou's Lounge, Charlotte St. circa 1962. Jim Gaylord was our drummer. Please say Hello to them for me when you can. Ask Kenny if he remembers those raw hands of his from pumping all that gas in the
wintertime.
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