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The Buckinghams are an American sunshine pop band from
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...
. They formed in 1966 and went on to become one of the top-selling acts of 1967, charting their only five top 40 hits in the U.S. that year. The band dissolved in 1970, but re-formed in 1980 and they continue to tour throughout the United States.


History

In 1965, guitarists Carl Giammarese and Nick Fortuna, along with bassist Curtis Bachman, were invited to join a band called the Centuries. Giammarese and Bachman, plus keyboardist Dennis Miccolis, later became members of another band, the Pulsations, whose members included drummer
John Poulos John Poulos (March 31, 1947 – March 26, 1980), also known by his nickname Jon Jon, was the original drummer for The Buckinghams, and one of its founding members in 1965. Early life His mother Ann and father John Sr. are of Greek origin. He ...
and vocalists George LeGros and
Dennis Tufano Dennis Stanley Joseph Tufano (born September 11, 1946) is the original lead singer of the 1960s rock group The Buckinghams, and has been a solo performer since the early 1980s. Biography Dennis Tufano was born in Chicago, Illinois. He attended ...
. After winning a local battle of the bands competition in late 1965, the Pulsations secured a job as the house band on
WGN-TV WGN-TV (channel 9) is an Independent station (North America), independent television station in Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States. Owned by Nexstar Media Group, it is sister station, sister to the company's sole radio property, talk ra ...
's variety show called ''All-Time Hits''. The show's producers suggested they adopt a name reflective of the
British invasion The British Invasion was a cultural phenomenon of the mid-1960s, when rock and pop music acts from the United Kingdom and other aspects of British culture became popular in the United States and significant to the rising "counterculture" o ...
, which was popular at the time, and the band adopted the name ''The Buckinghams'', which was suggested by a security guard named John Opager at the station. The band liked the name because of its similarity to a hometown landmark,
Buckingham Fountain Buckingham Fountain is a Chicago Landmark in the center of Grant Park, between Queen's Landing and Ida B. Wells Drive. Dedicated in 1927 and donated to the city by philanthropist Kate S. Buckingham, it is one of the largest fountains in the wo ...
. In early 1966, LeGros was forced to leave after he was drafted. Right around the same time, bassist Bachman also left and Fortuna (now playing bass and soon briefly going under the surname of Fortune, after it was misspelled on the record jacket) returned after a stint with Jimmy V. & the Entertainers. The band then signed their first record contract with local label USA Records and recorded 12 songs that year. Several were released as singles, including " I'll Go Crazy", a song originally recorded by
James Brown James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, dancer, musician, record producer and bandleader. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th century music, he is often referred to by the hono ...
& the Famous Flames, and
the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...
' " I Call Your Name". However, it was their number one single "
Kind of a Drag "Kind of a Drag" is a song written by Jim Holvay and recorded by the Buckinghams. It was the title track of their debut LP. The single reached #1 on the U.S. Hot 100 in February 1967, becoming the first #1 single within the new calendar year, re ...
" that provided them with national exposure. "Kind of a Drag" was written by Chicago-based songwriter
Jim Holvay James Steven "Jimmy Soul" Holvay (born May 16, 1945) is an American songwriter and musician best known for writing " Kind of a Drag", a number one hit for The Buckinghams. He is one of the founding members of The MOB, the first rock band to pe ...
, who had been performing with a group called The Mob, and spent two weeks at the top of the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in February 1967. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc. The co-producers of "Kind of a Drag" were the band's first personal manager
Carl Bonafede Carl Bonafede was born in the Little Italy Chicago community on October 16, 1940. He appeared as a young boy on local television on ''Morris B. Sach's Amateur Hour'' singing and playing the accordion. He appeared on an interview show, Ernie Simon ...
and big band leader
Dan Belloc Dan or DAN may refer to: People * Dan (name), including a list of people with the name ** Dan (king), several kings of Denmark * Dan people, an ethnic group located in West Africa **Dan language, a Mande language spoken primarily in Côte d'Ivoir ...
, owner of the Holiday Ballroom in Chicago. The horns on the song were arranged by Frank Tesinsky and the engineer at the first recording sessions held at
Chess Records Chess Records was an American record company established in 1950 in Chicago, specializing in blues and rhythm and blues. It was the successor to Aristocrat Records, founded in 1947. It expanded into soul music, gospel music, early rock a ...
in Chicago was
Ron Malo Ronald Clements Malo (August 29, 1935 in Illinois – August 15, 1992 in Burbank, California) was an American engineer for Chicago's Chess Studios from 1959 until 1970. He was the engineer for the first sessions the Rolling Stones did in the US, ...
. Following this, the band's debut album, also entitled ''Kind of a Drag'', was released on USA Records and featured the band's early recordings.Nite, Norm N. (1978). ''Rock On: The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock N' Roll'', volume II. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell, p. 58 In late 1966, keyboardist Miccolis was replaced by Larry Nestor, who stayed in the band a short time and was in turn replaced by Marty Grebb at the close of 1966. Around this time the band members were introduced to James William Guercio, formerly the bassist and road manager for Chad & Jeremy, who then signed them to a management contract with Ebbins-Guercio Associates. The Buckinghams were courted by several record labels before deciding on promotion specialist Jim Scully, who quickly got them a new contract with Columbia (CBS) Records. Guercio, who became the group's producer, continued the group's "brass-rock" approach, and the band produced four more Top-20 hits in 1967: "
Don't You Care "Don't You Care" is a single by The Buckinghams from the album '' Time & Charges''. The song spent 14 weeks on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in 1967, reaching No. 6,
" (#6), " Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" (#5), " Hey Baby (They're Playing Our Song)" (#12), and "
Susan Susan is a feminine given name, from Persian "Susan" (lily flower), from Egyptian '' sšn'' and Coptic ''shoshen'' meaning "lotus flower", from Hebrew ''Shoshana'' meaning "lily" (in modern Hebrew this also means "rose" and a flower in general), ...
" (#11), (three of which were written by
Jim Holvay James Steven "Jimmy Soul" Holvay (born May 16, 1945) is an American songwriter and musician best known for writing " Kind of a Drag", a number one hit for The Buckinghams. He is one of the founding members of The MOB, the first rock band to pe ...
and Gary Beisbier). The same year, the Buckinghams were named by ''Billboard'' magazine as "The Most Listened to Band in America". Severe differences occurred between the Buckinghams and Guercio, particularly the producer's decision to add a psychedelic section to the song "Susan". The song included a short portion of
Charles Ives Charles Edward Ives (; October 20, 1874May 19, 1954) was an American modernist composer, one of the first American composers of international renown. His music was largely ignored during his early career, and many of his works went unperformed ...
' " Central Park in the Dark" and sounded very similar to the Beatles' song "A Day in the Life", with an orchestral crescendo. Many radio stations omitted this section, since it changed the song's tempo and veered radically from the melody. But the producer had the last word, and the released version kept the psychedelic section intact. The group currently does not include the psychedelic portion in their performances. By mid-1968, the Buckinghams had parted company with Guercio and Columbia Records assigned staff producer
Jimmy Wisner James Joseph Wisner (December 8, 1931 – March 13, 2018) was an American pianist, arranger, songwriter, and producer. He is best known for his 1961 hit single "Asia Minor", released under the name Kokomo. Biography Born in Philadelphia, Wisne ...
to work with the group on their fourth album, ''In One Ear and Gone Tomorrow''. The album featured material written by Grebb, Giammarese, and Tufano. Despite the release of a new single, "Back in Love Again", they were unable to duplicate their 1967 success without Guercio, who went on to take the "brass rock" concept further with Blood, Sweat & Tears and
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...
. Also, a "Buckinghams Day" in Chicago was cancelled when it was learned that some of the band members were arrested for possession of illegal drugs. By late 1968, Grebb and Fortuna had left and were replaced by keyboardist John Turner and original bassist Bachman, who had gone on to join the band Saturday's Child after leaving the Buckinghams. There were no more hits, though, and the band dissolved in early 1970. Columbia released a double compilation record of their old material in 1975 called ''Made in Chicago''. After the break-up, Tufano and Giammarese formed the duo Tufano & Giammarese and recorded three albums for Lou Adler's record label, Ode Records, forming a touring band in time for their second album. Drummer
John Poulos John Poulos (March 31, 1947 – March 26, 1980), also known by his nickname Jon Jon, was the original drummer for The Buckinghams, and one of its founding members in 1965. Early life His mother Ann and father John Sr. are of Greek origin. He ...
, who had secured the Ode Records recording contract for the duo, became a manager of several rock bands, including the Boyzz from Illinoizz. Poulos died of drug-related heart failure on March 26, 1980.


Reformation

Later in 1980, Chicago's WLS radio programming executive John Gehron called Giammarese with an invitation to reunite the Buckinghams for Mayor Jane Byrne's ChicagoFest event in August. Giammarese, Fortuna, and Tufano appeared with drummer Tom Osfar and keyboardist John Cammelot on the Navy Pier rooftop stage. Marty Grebb declined the opportunity to join them as he was touring with the group Chicago at the time. For the next two years the trio of original members performed at selected concerts in Chicago. When Tufano decided to return to California to resume a career in film voice work in early 1983, Giammarese and Fortuna committed to tour full-time as The Buckinghams. The 1983 Buckinghams featured an expanded group that included Giammarese, Fortuna, John Duich (guitar), Tom Taylor (keyboards), Tom Scheckel (drums, percussion), and two female singers: Laurie Beebe Lewis (vocals, keyboards), who later joined the Mamas & the Papas, and Barbara Unger (keyboards, backing vocals). In 1984 Duich, Taylor, and Unger were dropped and Giammarese, now handling lead vocal duties, went back to playing guitar as well and Cammelot rejoined on keyboards with Lewis on vocals and supporting keyboards. The following year the Buckinghams were part of the ''Happy Together 85'' Tour, along with the Turtles, the Grass Roots, and Gary Lewis and the Playboys. That same year they released their comeback album ''A Matter of Time'' on Red Label Records which included one single promo release "Veronica", and joined the Turtles on their US "Happy Together" tour with the Grass Roots and Gary Lewis and the Playboys. By early 1986, both Lewis and Cammelot left the group and were replaced by Bob Abrams (guitar, vocals) and Bruce Soboroff (keyboards, vocals). In 1991,
Sony Music Entertainment Sony Music Entertainment (SME), also known as simply Sony Music, is an American multinational music company. Being owned by the parent conglomerate Sony Group Corporation, it is part of the Sony Music Group, which is owned by Sony Entertainmen ...
(the present-day owner of Columbia Records) released a new greatest hits compilation, ''Mercy, Mercy, Mercy: A Collection''. Sony Music has continued to make the Buckinghams' Columbia recordings available, as well as their recordings previously issued by USA Records. In 1996, the Buckinghams celebrated the band's 30th anniversary with a concert at The Vic Theatre in Chicago. The show was filmed and released as a video entitled "Off Their Rocker" and included DJs Dick Biondi and
John Records Landecker John Records Landecker (born March 28, 1947) is an American Top40/ oldies disc jockey best known for his trademark saying "Records truly is my middle name" and creating ''Boogie Check'', ''Americana Panorama'', and satirical songs and bits base ...
as hosts.


New studio and live recordings (2000–present)

In 2001, the Buckinghams were part of the ''Solid Gold 60s'' Tour along with Tommy James, the Turtles, Gary Puckett, and the Grass Roots. PBS featured the Buckinghams on ''The Sixties Pop Rock Reunion'' in 2004. In January 2005, the Buckinghams performed at the Twilight on the Prairie Ball for one of President George W. Bush's Inaugural
Ball A ball is a round object (usually spherical, but can sometimes be ovoid) with several uses. It is used in ball games, where the play of the game follows the state of the ball as it is hit, kicked or thrown by players. Balls can also be used f ...
s in Washington, DC. In 2007, the Buckinghams signed with national label Fuel Records to release their studio CD ''Reaching Back'', which included eight new original songs written by Giammarese and new recordings of five of their top hits. A second CD, ''Standing Room Only'' (previously released as ''Live and Well''), was also released on the Fuel Label. XM Radio recorded the Buckinghams in concert for their XM Performance Series on the "60s on 6" channel. The Buckinghams' music from yesterday and today remains in regular rotation on classic rock stations in U.S. formats as well as satellite radio and streaming Internet radio stations. The Buckinghams released their first Christmas album on the BML label, ''The Joy of Christmas'', in November 2008. In December 2008, they debuted the single "Have a Little Faith" on
WGN-TV WGN-TV (channel 9) is an Independent station (North America), independent television station in Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States. Owned by Nexstar Media Group, it is sister station, sister to the company's sole radio property, talk ra ...
in Chicago. In 2009, the Buckinghams performed at the Bipartisan Illinois Agricultural Ball for the inauguration of President
Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...
. The same year, Sony reissued the Buckinghams' first three albums for sale as digital downloads as part of their Legacy Music Series. On February 9, 2010, the Buckinghams released a DVD/CD
box set A box set or (its original name) boxed set is a set of items (for example, a compilation of books, musical recordings, films or television programs) traditionally packaged in a box and offered for sale as a single unit. Music Artists and bands ...
, ''Up Close'', showing them in concert at the Star Plaza Theatre in
Merrillville, Indiana Merrillville is a town in Ross Township, Lake County, Indiana, United States. The population was 35,246 at the 2010 census. Merrillville is in east-central Lake County, in the Chicago metropolitan area. On January 1, 2015, Merrillville became th ...
. In May 2010, Abrams and Scheckel left the Buckinghams lineup to be replaced by Dave Zane (guitars, vocals) and Bruce (Rocky) Penn (drums, percussion, backing vocals), who had played with several groups, including the Cryan' Shames for a number of years. Scheckel went on to join Paul Revere and the Raiders. On May 20, 2010 Giammarese and Fortuna were featured in the 25th Anniversary Happy Together Tour, joining the Turtles, the Grass Roots,
Micky Dolenz George Michael Dolenz Jr. (born March 8, 1945) is an American actor, musician, TV producer and businessman. He is best known as the drummer and one of three primary vocalists for the pop- rock band the Monkees (1966–1970, and multiple reunion ...
, and Mark Lindsay in a 20+-city tour from California to New York, celebrating the silver anniversary of the original Happy Together Tour in 1985. In July 2011, concerts began for the second Happy Together Reunion Tour that included the Buckinghams, the Turtles, the Grass Roots, Mark Lindsay, and
the Association The Association is an American sunshine pop band from California. During the late 1960s, the band had numerous hits at or near the top of the ''Billboard'' charts (including " Windy", " Cherish", " Never My Love" and " Along Comes Mary") a ...
. Later in 2011, it was announced that Carl Giammarese and Nick Fortuna would join the 2012 Happy Together Tour alongside the Turtles, Micky Dolenz, the Grass Roots, and Gary Puckett. In 2011, Giammarese completed his solo CD ''Journey'', the companion to his biography ''Reinventing The Buckinghams: My Journey''. On October 16, 2015, the Buckinghams took part in the filming of ''Cornerstones of Rock: American Garage'' which aired multiple times on
WTTW WTTW (channel 11) is a PBS member television station in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Owned by not-for-profit broadcaster Window to the World Communications, Inc., it is sister to commercial classical music radio station WFMT (98.7 FM). T ...
Chicago. ''Cornerstones of Rock'' was created to be a nostalgic celebration of the Chicago-area "garage bands" that rose to national prominence in the 1960s and 1970s. Jim Peterik and The Ides of March served as the house band for the evening, as many original members of these popular bands returned to the concert stage to play their greatest hits. In addition to the Buckinghams, the Cornerstones line-up included the Ides of March, the Cryan' Shames, the
New Colony Six New Colony Six (sometimes abbreviated as NC6) is an American garage and later soft rock band from Chicago, formed in 1964. Original members were Ray Graffia, Jr. (vocals), who was born March 28, 1946; Chic James (drums); Pat McBride (harmonica) ...
, the
Shadows of Knight The Shadows of Knight were an American rock band from Chicago, Illinois, that played a version of British blues influenced by their native city. When they began recording in 1965, the band's self-description was "the Stones, Animals and the Y ...
, the McCoys, and the American Breed. Original lead singer Tufano continues to tour as a solo act, and also appears in a Bobby Darin show he created, ''As Long as I'm Singing''. Former keyboards/vocals/songwriter Grebb has played with the Fabulous Rhinestones, Lovecraft (formerly H P Lovecraft), Chicago,
Bonnie Raitt Bonnie Lynn Raitt (; born November 8, 1949) is an American blues singer and guitarist. In 1971, Raitt released her self-titled debut album. Following this, she released a series of critically acclaimed roots-influenced albums that incorporated ...
, the Weight Band, and Dave Mason, and has also produced CDs for independent musicians, including
Peach The peach (''Prunus persica'') is a deciduous tree first domesticated and cultivated in Zhejiang province of Eastern China. It bears edible juicy fruits with various characteristics, most called peaches and others (the glossy-skinned, n ...
. Giammarese and Fortuna have continued touring with band members Soboroff, Zane, Penn, and a horn section consisting of Carlo Isabelli (trumpet), Charles Morgan (trombone), and Dan Moffett (tenor saxophone). They perform regularly to festival audiences and have played sold-out shows, such as the
Westbury Music Fair The NYCB Theatre at Westbury (originally known as the Westbury Music Fair) is an entertainment venue located in the hamlet of Jericho, outside of Westbury, New York. Constructed as a theatre in the round style with seating for 2,870 that was ori ...
, Ram's Head, the Star Plaza and others. They remain acts for casino venues throughout the country and perform the national anthem at home games of baseball teams such as the
Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is locate ...
and
White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and ...
. Grebb died on January 1, 2020.


Discography


Albums

* ''Kind of a Drag'' (1967, USA Records) US # 109 * ''Time and Charges'' (1967, Columbia) US # 58 * ''Portraits'' (1967, Columbia) US # 53 * ''In One Ear and Gone Tomorrow'' (1968, Columbia #CS 9703) US # 161 * ''A Matter of Time'' (1985, Red Label Records) * ''Terra Firma'' (1998, Nation Records) * ''Live and Well'' (2006, BML Records) * ''Reaching Back'' (2007, Fuel Records) * ''Standing Room Only'' (2008, Fuel Records) * ''The Joy of Christmas'' (2008, BML Records) * ''Up Close: CD and digital downloads'' (2010, itsaboutmusic.com Records)


Compilation albums

* ''Greatest Hits'' (1969, Columbia) US # 73 * ''Made in Chicago'' (1975, Columbia) * ''Mercy, Mercy, Mercy: A Collection'' (1991, Columbia/Legacy) * ''Up Close: The Buckinghams in Concert'' DVD/CD
box set A box set or (its original name) boxed set is a set of items (for example, a compilation of books, musical recordings, films or television programs) traditionally packaged in a box and offered for sale as a single unit. Music Artists and bands ...
(2010, itsaboutmusic.com Records)


Singles


Personnel


Current members

*Carl Giammarese – guitar, vocals *Nick Fortuna – bass, vocals * Bruce Soboroff – keyboards * Dave Zane – guitar * Rocky Penn – drums


Past members

*
Dennis Tufano Dennis Stanley Joseph Tufano (born September 11, 1946) is the original lead singer of the 1960s rock group The Buckinghams, and has been a solo performer since the early 1980s. Biography Dennis Tufano was born in Chicago, Illinois. He attended ...
– vocals * George LeGros – vocals * John Duich – guitar * Bob Abrams – guitar, vocals *
John Poulos John Poulos (March 31, 1947 – March 26, 1980), also known by his nickname Jon Jon, was the original drummer for The Buckinghams, and one of its founding members in 1965. Early life His mother Ann and father John Sr. are of Greek origin. He ...
– drums, percussion (d. 1980) * Tom Scheckel – drums, percussion * Tom Osfar – drums * Curtis Bachman – bass * Marty Grebb – keyboards, vocals (d. 2020) * Dennis Miccolis – keyboards * Larry Nestor – keyboards * John Turner – keyboards * John Cammelot – keyboards * Laurie Beebe Lewis – vocals, keyboards * Barbara Unger – keyboards, vocals


References


External links

*
The Buckinghams' official MySpace Page

The Buckinghams' official Flickr Photo Stream Page
* *

{{DEFAULTSORT:Buckinghams, The Musical groups from Chicago Columbia Records artists USA Records artists 1966 establishments in Illinois Musical groups established in 1966 Sunshine pop