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The Association is an American
sunshine pop Sunshine pop, originally called soft pop and soft rock, is a loosely defined form of pop music that was first associated with early soft rock producers and songwriters based in Los Angeles, California, during the mid-to late 1960s. Its recording ...
band from
Los Angeles, California Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
. During the late 1960s, the band had numerous hits at or near the top of the ''Billboard'' charts (including " Windy", " Cherish", "
Never My Love "Never My Love" is a pop standard written by American siblings Don and Dick Addrisi, and best known from a hit 1967 recording by the Association. The Addrisi Brothers had two Top 40 hits as recording artists, but their biggest success as songwri ...
" and " Along Comes Mary") and were the lead-off band at 1967's
Monterey Pop Festival The Monterey International Pop Festival was a three-day music festival held June 16-18, 1967, at the Monterey County Fairgrounds in Monterey, California. The festival is remembered for the first major American appearances by the Jimi Hendrix Ex ...
. Generally consisting of six to eight members, they are known for intricate vocal harmonies by the band's multiple singers. Their best-known lineup included
Terry Kirkman Terry Robert Kirkman (December 12, 1939 – September 23, 2023) was an American singer and songwriter best known as a vocalist for the pop group The Association and the writer of several of the band's hit songs such as " Cherish", " Everything T ...
(vocals, woodwind instruments, percussion), Russ Giguere (vocals, guitar),
Jim Yester James Yester (born November 24, 1939) is an American musician. He is a member of the sunshine pop group the Association, who had numerous hits on the Billboard charts, ''Billboard'' charts during the 1960s, including "Windy (The Association song ...
(vocals, rhythm and lead guitar), Jules Alexander (vocals, lead and rhythm guitar, bass), Brian Cole (vocals, bass) and Ted Bluechel Jr. (vocals, drums, percussion). This lineup recorded their first two albums, '' And Then... Along Comes the Association'' and ''
Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...
'' (both 1966) before
Larry Ramos Hilario D. "Larry" Ramos Jr. (April 19, 1942 – April 30, 2014) was an American guitarist, banjo player and vocalist known primarily for his work with the 1960s pop band the Association. In 1963, he won a Grammy Award with the New Christy Minst ...
replaced Alexander in early 1967. With Ramos, the group recorded their third and fourth albums, '' Insight Out'' and ''
Birthday A birthday is the anniversary of the birth of a person or figuratively of an institution. Birthdays of people are celebrated in numerous cultures, often with birthday gifts, birthday cards, a birthday party, or a rite of passage. Many religion ...
''. Alexander re-joined in late 1968, and the group released their fifth album ''
The Association The Association is an American sunshine pop band from Los Angeles, California. During the late 1960s, the band had numerous hits at or near the top of the Billboard charts, ''Billboard'' charts (including "Windy (The Association song), Windy" ...
'' in 1969. Keyboardist Richard Thompson replaced Giguere in 1970, with whom the band recorded their final two albums ''
Stop Your Motor ''Stop Your Motor'' is the sixth studio album by American pop band the Association and their final album released on Warner Bros. Records. It marked the debut of keyboardist Richard Thompson, replacing original member Russ Giguere. The songs "Th ...
'' (1971) and ''
Waterbeds in Trinidad! ''Waterbeds in Trinidad!'' is the seventh studio album (and ninth album overall by including a greatest hits and a live album) by The Association The Association is an American sunshine pop band from Los Angeles, California. During the lat ...
'' (1972). The group has since been through several lineup changes. The current lineup includes Alexander, Yester and longtime members Jordan Cole, Del Ramos, Bruce Pictor and Paul Holland.


History


Beginnings

Jules Alexander was in
Hawaii Hawaii ( ; ) is an island U.S. state, state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean about southwest of the U.S. mainland. One of the two Non-contiguous United States, non-contiguous U.S. states (along with Alaska), it is the only sta ...
in 1962 serving a stint in the Navy when he met
Terry Kirkman Terry Robert Kirkman (December 12, 1939 – September 23, 2023) was an American singer and songwriter best known as a vocalist for the pop group The Association and the writer of several of the band's hit songs such as " Cherish", " Everything T ...
, a visiting salesman. The two young musicians jammed together and promised to get together once Alexander was discharged. That happened a year later; the two eventually moved to
Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
and began exploring the city's music scene in the mid-1960s, often working behind the scenes as directors and arrangers for other music acts. At the same time, Kirkman played in groups with
Frank Zappa Frank Vincent Zappa (December 21, 1940 – December 4, 1993) was an American guitarist, composer, and bandleader. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa composed Rock music, rock, Pop music, pop, jazz, jazz fusion, orchestra ...
for a short period before Zappa went on to form
the Mothers of Invention The Mothers of Invention (also known as the Mothers) were an American rock music, rock band from California. Formed in 1964, their work is marked by the use of sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Originally an ...
. Eventually, at a Monday night
hootenanny A hootenanny is a freewheeling, improvisatory musical event in the United States, often incorporating audience members in performances. It is particularly associated with folk music. Etymology Meanings Hootenanny is an Appalachian colloquialism ...
at the Los Angeles nightclub The Troubadour in 1964, an ad hoc group called the Inner Tubes was formed by Kirkman, Alexander and
Doug Dillard Douglas Flint Dillard (March 6, 1937 – May 16, 2012) was an American musician noted for his banjo proficiency and his pioneering participation in late-'60s country rock. Biography Early life Dillard, who grew up on a farm near Salem, Missouri ...
, whose rotating membership contained, at one time or another,
Cass Elliot Ellen Naomi Cohen (September 19, 1941 – July 29, 1974), known professionally as Cass Elliot, was an American singer. She was also known as "Mama Cass", a name she reportedly disliked. Elliot was a member of the singing group the Mamas & the P ...
,
David Crosby David Van Cortlandt Crosby (August 14, 1941 – January 18, 2023) was an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He first found fame as a member of the Byrds, with whom he helped pioneer the genres of folk rock and psychedelic music, psych ...
and many others who drifted in and out. This led, in the fall of 1964, to the forming of the Men, a 13-piece
folk rock Folk rock is a fusion genre of rock music with heavy influences from pop, English and American folk music. It arose in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom in the mid-1960s. In the U.S., folk rock emerged from the folk music re ...
band. This group had a brief spell as the house band at The Troubadour. After a short time, however, the Men disbanded, with six of the members electing to go out on their own in February 1965. At the suggestion of Kirkman's then-fiancée, Judy, they took the name the Association. The original lineup consisted of Alexander (using his middle name, Gary, on the first two albums) on vocals and lead guitar; Kirkman on vocals and a variety of wind, brass and percussion instruments; Brian Cole on vocals, bass and woodwinds; Russ Giguere on vocals, percussion and guitar; Ted Bluechel Jr. from the Cherry Hill Singers on drums, guitar, bass and vocals; and Brian Cole's friend and bandmate from the group Gnu Fokes, Bob Page on guitar, banjo and vocals. However, Page was replaced by
Jim Yester James Yester (born November 24, 1939) is an American musician. He is a member of the sunshine pop group the Association, who had numerous hits on the Billboard charts, ''Billboard'' charts during the 1960s, including "Windy (The Association song ...
on vocals, guitar and keyboards before any of the group's public performances. The new band spent about five months rehearsing before they began performing around the Los Angeles area, most notably a regular stint at The Ice House in
Pasadena Pasadena ( ) is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, northeast of downtown Los Angeles. It is the most populous city and the primary cultural center of the San Gabriel Valley. Old Pasadena is the city's original commercial d ...
(where Giguere had worked as lighting director) and its sister club in Glendale. Eventually, the small Jubilee label issued a single of " Babe I'm Gonna Leave You", a song originally recorded by
Joan Baez Joan Chandos Baez (, ; born January 9, 1941) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and activist. Her contemporary folk music often includes songs of protest and social justice. Baez has performed publicly for over 60 years, releasing mo ...
and later popularized by
Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin were an English rock music, rock band formed in London in 1968. The band comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist-keyboardist John Paul Jones (musician), John Paul Jones and drummer John Bonham. With a he ...
, but nothing happened. Finally,
Valiant Records Valiant Records was an independent record label distributed in the 1960s by Warner Bros. Records (and briefly by Four Star Television). The label was sold to Warner Bros. in 1967. History Valiant Records was formed in 1960 in California, by ...
offered them a contract, with the first result being a version of
Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan; born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Described as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture over his nearly 70-year ...
's "
One Too Many Mornings "One Too Many Mornings" is a song by Bob Dylan, released on his third studio album '' The Times They Are a-Changin in 1964. The chords and vocal melody are in some places very similar to the song " The Times They Are A-Changin'". "One Too Many ...
", which was produced by Valiant's owner,
Barry De Vorzon Barry De Vorzon (born July 31, 1934) is an American composer, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He worked as a pop musician during the 1960s and co-founded Valiant Records, before being known as a composer of film and television scores ...
, at
Gold Star Studios Gold Star Studios was an independent recording studio located in Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood, California. In its entire history, Gold Star was one of the most successful commercial recording studios in the world. Founded by David S. Gold ...
. The Men were first managed by Doug Weston, owner of the Troubador, before switching to actor Dean Fredericks, who remained on board when the Association was formed and helped get them the Valiant deal. In 1966 Fredericks turned the reins over to Pat Colecchio, who managed the group for the next eight years, then on and off during the two years after that. Fredericks later sued the band for breach of contract and was awarded a settlement.


First success

Their national break came with the song " Along Comes Mary", written by Tandyn Almer. Alexander first heard the song when he was hired to play on a demo version and persuaded Almer to give the Association first dibs on it, with Jim Yester on lead vocals. The song was controversial with some media observers noting that "Mary" was street slang for
marijuana Cannabis (), commonly known as marijuana (), weed, pot, and ganja, List of slang names for cannabis, among other names, is a non-chemically uniform psychoactive drug from the ''Cannabis'' plant. Native to Central or South Asia, cannabis has ...
, but it went to No. 7 on the ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' charts and led to the group's first album, '' And Then... Along Comes the Association'' (July 1966), produced by
Curt Boettcher Curtis Roy Boettcher (January 7, 1944 – June 14, 1987), sometimes credited as Curt Boetcher or Curt Becher, was an American singer, songwriter, arranger, musician, and record producer from Wisconsin. He was a pivotal figure in what is now t ...
and begun in Gary S. Paxton's garage, with vocals done separately at Columbia. Another song from the album, " Cherish", written by Kirkman, became the Association's first No. 1 hit in September 1966 and one of a handful of the Sixties' most popular "slow dance" ballads. The group followed with their second album, ''
Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...
'', released in November 1966. The band changed producers, dropping Boettcher in favor of Jerry Yester (brother of Jim and formerly of the Modern Folk Quartet and later, a member of
the Lovin' Spoonful The Lovin' Spoonful is a Canadian-American folk-rock band formed in Greenwich Village, New York City, in 1964. The band were among the most popular groups in the United States for a short period in the mid-1960s and their music and image influ ...
). The album did not spawn any major hits (the highest-charting single, "Pandora's Golden Heebie Jeebies", stalled at No. 35), and the album only reached No. 34, compared with the No. 5 showing for ''And Then... Along Comes the Association''.


Crest

In late 1966,
Warner Bros. Records Warner Records Inc. (known as Warner Bros. Records Inc. until 2019) is an American record label. A subsidiary of Warner Music Group, it is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It was founded on March 19, 1958, as the recorded music division ...
, which had been distributing Valiant, bought the smaller label and, with it, the Association's contract. In 1966, a collection of poems penned by the six members was released as ''Crank Your Spreaders''; the book was reprinted in August 1969. In April 1967, Alexander left the band to study
meditation Meditation is a practice in which an individual uses a technique to train attention and awareness and detach from reflexive, "discursive thinking", achieving a mentally clear and emotionally calm and stable state, while not judging the meditat ...
in India and was replaced by
Larry Ramos Hilario D. "Larry" Ramos Jr. (April 19, 1942 – April 30, 2014) was an American guitarist, banjo player and vocalist known primarily for his work with the 1960s pop band the Association. In 1963, he won a Grammy Award with the New Christy Minst ...
(born Hilario Ramos) on vocals and guitar. Ramos joined the band while Alexander was still performing with them after bassist Cole's hand was injured by a firecracker; Alexander subbed on bass while Ramos played lead guitar. Ramos had previously performed with
the New Christy Minstrels The New Christy Minstrels are an American large-ensemble folk music group founded by Randy Sparks in 1961. The group has recorded more than 20 albums and scored several hits, including "Green, Green (song), Green, Green", "Saturday Night", "Tod ...
and had even recorded solo singles for
Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American reco ...
. He went on to sing co-lead (along with Giguere and Kirkman) on two of the Association's biggest hit singles, " Windy" and "
Never My Love "Never My Love" is a pop standard written by American siblings Don and Dick Addrisi, and best known from a hit 1967 recording by the Association. The Addrisi Brothers had two Top 40 hits as recording artists, but their biggest success as songwri ...
". With the lineup settled, the group returned to the studio, this time with
Bones Howe Dayton Burr "Bones" Howe (born March 18, 1933) is an American record producer and recording engineer who scored a string of hits in the 1960s and 1970s, often of the sunshine pop genre, starting in 1965 with The Turtles (band), the Turtles cover o ...
in the producer's chair. The first fruits of this pairing were the single " Windy", written by
Ruthann Friedman Ruthann Friedman (born July 6, 1944) is an American folk singer-songwriter and guitarist best known for writing the hit song "Windy" for the American sunshine pop band The Association. Early years Born in Bronx, New York, Friedman spent her form ...
, topping the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 on July 1, 1967, and staying there for four consecutive weeks, preceded by the album '' Insight Out'', which reached No. 8 in June. On June 16, 1967, the Association was the first act to perform at the
Monterey Pop Festival The Monterey International Pop Festival was a three-day music festival held June 16-18, 1967, at the Monterey County Fairgrounds in Monterey, California. The festival is remembered for the first major American appearances by the Jimi Hendrix Ex ...
. (
The Criterion Collection The Criterion Collection, Inc. (or simply Criterion) is an American home video, home-video distribution company that focuses on licensing, restoring and distributing "important classic and contemporary films". A "sister company" of art film, arth ...
DVD of the festival includes their performance of "Along Comes Mary" on disc 3.) The group's success continued with its next single, "
Never My Love "Never My Love" is a pop standard written by American siblings Don and Dick Addrisi, and best known from a hit 1967 recording by the Association. The Addrisi Brothers had two Top 40 hits as recording artists, but their biggest success as songwri ...
", written by Dick and Don Addrisi; it went to No. 2 in ''Billboard'' and No. 1 in ''
Cash Box ''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', is an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an online ...
'' in October 1967. It became the group's only double-sided charted record, as its B-side, "Requiem for the Masses", made a brief showing on the ''Billboard'' chart. Like "Cherish" and "One Too Many Mornings", "Never My Love"'s vocal arrangement was provided by Clark Burroughs, former member of
the Hi-Lo's The Hi-Lo's were a vocal quartet formed in 1953, who achieved their greatest fame in the late 1950s and 1960s. The group's name is a reference to both their extreme vocal and physical ranges (Bob Strasen and Bob Morse were tall; Gene Puerling ...
. "Never My Love" has since been certified the second-most-frequently-played song in America during the 20th century (the group placed two other songs, "Cherish" and "Windy", on BMI's list of the 100 most played). In 1968, after turning down a cantata composed by
Jimmy Webb Jimmy Layne Webb (born August 15, 1946) is an American songwriter, composer, and singer. He achieved success at an early age, winning the Grammy Award for Song of the Year at the age of 21. During his career, he established himself as one of Am ...
that included the now-classic "
MacArthur Park MacArthur Park (originally Westlake Park) is a park dating back to the late 19th century in the Westlake, Los Angeles, Westlake neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. In the early 1940s, it was renamed after General Douglas MacArthur, and la ...
", the group produced its fourth album, ''
Birthday A birthday is the anniversary of the birth of a person or figuratively of an institution. Birthdays of people are celebrated in numerous cultures, often with birthday gifts, birthday cards, a birthday party, or a rite of passage. Many religion ...
'' (March 1968), with Bones Howe again at the controls. This album spawned " Everything That Touches You", the group's last Hot 100 Top 10 hit, and "Time for Livin'", the group's final Hot 100 Top 40 hit. Later that year, the group released a self-produced single, the harder-edged "Six Man Band". This song also appeared on ''
Greatest Hits A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be creat ...
'', released in November 1968.


Comings and goings

At the close of 1968, Alexander, who had returned from
India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
and had done a stint with another band called Joshua Fox, returned to the group, which now made the Association a seven-man band. The larger band's first project was to contribute to the soundtrack for ''
Goodbye, Columbus ''Goodbye, Columbus'' is a 1959 collection of fiction by the American novelist Philip Roth. The compilation includes the title novella, "Goodbye, Columbus," originally published in ''The Paris Review'', along with five short stories. It was Ro ...
'' (1969), the film version of
Philip Roth Philip Milton Roth (; March 19, 1933 – May 22, 2018) was an American novelist and short-story writer. Roth's fiction—often set in his birthplace of Newark, New Jersey—is known for its intensely autobiographical character, for philosophical ...
's best-selling novel. The title track, written by Yester, peaked at No. 80. John Boylan, one third of the little-known group Hamilton Streetcar, worked with the group on the soundtrack and stayed on board for its next album, ''
The Association The Association is an American sunshine pop band from Los Angeles, California. During the late 1960s, the band had numerous hits at or near the top of the Billboard charts, ''Billboard'' charts (including "Windy (The Association song), Windy" ...
'' (August 1969). Many of the tracks on this album have a country-rock sound but none of the singles released made any impact, so the group re-teamed with Curt Boettcher in late 1969 for a one-off single, "Just About the Same" (released in February 1970), a reworking of a song Boettcher had recorded with his group, the Millennium. This too failed to catch on. Despite all this, the band remained a popular concert draw, and on April 3, 1970, a
Salt Lake City Salt Lake City, often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC, is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. It is the county seat of Salt Lake County, the most populous county in the state. The city is the core of the Salt Lake Ci ...
performance was recorded for '' The Association Live''. In June 1970, Giguere left the band; he released a solo album, ''Hexagram 16'', the following year. The Association replaced him with keyboardist Richard Thompson (not to be confused with the English singer-songwriter/guitarist), who had contributed to previous albums and began playing live with the group for some July 4 & 5 appearances in
Atlantic City Atlantic City, sometimes referred to by its initials A.C., is a Jersey Shore seaside resort city in Atlantic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Atlantic City comprises the second half of the Atlantic City- Hammonton metropolitan sta ...
. Thompson had previously been known primarily in jazz circles. The album ''
Stop Your Motor ''Stop Your Motor'' is the sixth studio album by American pop band the Association and their final album released on Warner Bros. Records. It marked the debut of keyboardist Richard Thompson, replacing original member Russ Giguere. The songs "Th ...
'' was released in July 1971. It was the group's least popular up to that date, reaching only No. 158 on the ''Billboard'' chart. ''Stop Your Motor'' marked the end of the Association's tenure at Warner Brothers. In early 1972, they resurfaced on Columbia with ''
Waterbeds in Trinidad! ''Waterbeds in Trinidad!'' is the seventh studio album (and ninth album overall by including a greatest hits and a live album) by The Association The Association is an American sunshine pop band from Los Angeles, California. During the lat ...
'' (April 1972), produced by
Lewis Merenstein Lewis Merenstein (October 23, 1934 – September 6, 2016) was an American record producer, most famous as the producer of the Van Morrison album '' Astral Weeks'', and as executive producer for ''Moondance'', Morrison's 1970 album. '' Astral Weeks ...
(best known for producing
Van Morrison Sir George Ivan "Van" Morrison (born 31 August 1945) is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician whose recording career started in the 1960s. Morrison's albums have performed well in the UK and Ireland, with more than 40 reaching the UK ...
's ''
Astral Weeks ''Astral Weeks'' is the second studio album by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison. It was recorded at Century Sound Studios in New York during September and October 1968, and released in November of the same year by Warner Bros. Re ...
''). The album fared even less well than ''Stop Your Motor'', reaching No. 194, while a single of
the Lovin' Spoonful The Lovin' Spoonful is a Canadian-American folk-rock band formed in Greenwich Village, New York City, in 1964. The band were among the most popular groups in the United States for a short period in the mid-1960s and their music and image influ ...
's "
Darlin' Be Home Soon "Darling Be Home Soon" is a song written by John Sebastian of the Lovin' Spoonful for the soundtrack of the 1966 Francis Ford Coppola film ''You're a Big Boy Now''. It appeared on the Lovin' Spoonful's 1967 soundtrack album ''You're a Big Boy Now'' ...
" failed to break the Hot 100.


Breakup and reformation

For their 1972 tour, the group expanded, bringing in first session bass player Wolfgang Melz, and then Mike Berkowitz on drums, to add more musical versatility on stage and free up Brian Cole and Ted Bluechel to concentrate on singing. But on August 2, 1972, 29-year-old Cole was found dead in his Los Angeles home of a
heroin Heroin, also known as diacetylmorphine and diamorphine among other names, is a morphinan opioid substance synthesized from the Opium, dried latex of the Papaver somniferum, opium poppy; it is mainly used as a recreational drug for its eupho ...
overdose. For the rest of the 1970s, the Association was in a state of flux, releasing singles intermittently along with sporadic touring. In September 1972 Kirkman departed, as did Melz and Berkowitz later on that fall. The group was then moved over to the CBS distributed Mums label and put out a new single,
Albert Hammond Albert Louis Hammond Order of the British Empire, OBE (born 18 May 1944) is a Gibraltarians, Gibraltarian singer, songwriter and record producer. A prolific songwriter, he also collaborated with other songwriters such as Mike Hazlewood, John B ...
's "Names, Tags, Numbers & Labels", in February 1973. It failed to make much of an impression, though, and the label's funding for a hoped for album by the group never materialized. Mums folded by the end of 1974. In late 1972, the remaining quintet of Alexander, Bluechel, Yester, Ramos and Thompson brought in new members Maurice Miller (vocals, drums, percussion, formerly of Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band) and David Vaught (vocals, bass, fresh from a stint in the band Rosebud and later a member of the Lopez Beatles, who later played in the first lineup of
Roger McGuinn James Roger McGuinn (; born James Joseph McGuinn III; July 13, 1942) is an American musician, best known for being the frontman and leader of the Byrds. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991 as a member of the band. As a so ...
's
Thunderbyrd ''Thunderbyrd'' is an album by the American musician Roger McGuinn, released in 1977 on the Columbia Records label. Following the success of his 1976 album ''Cardiff Rose'', McGuinn intended to make another album in collaboration with its produc ...
in 1976 and who died on March 20, 2013, from pancreatic cancer) and continued touring. Jim Yester left in the late summer of 1973 and was briefly replaced by his brother Jerry (who, like Vaught, had just played in Rosebud). Jim Yester returned a short time later when Alexander left in late 1973, eventually to join Giguere and former Honey Ltd. female vocalists Alex Sliwin, Joan Sliwin and Marsha Temmer in a new outfit, Bijou. Jerry Yester stayed with the Association until the end of 1974 and pianist Thompson also left at that time. Dwayne Smith (vocals, keyboards) was then brought in. In 1975 the band signed with
RCA Records RCA Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside Columbia Records (its former longtime rival), Arista Records and Epic R ...
where they released two singles, "One Sunday Morning" (produced in Canada by Jack Richardson) and "Sleepy Eyes". An album called ''The Association Bites Back'' was to follow but was never released. During this period, the band was offered a production deal with
Mike Curb Michael Curb (born December 24, 1944) is an American politician, record executive, and philanthropist who served as the 42nd Lieutenant Governor of California, lieutenant governor of California from 1979 to 1983. He is the founder of Curb Recor ...
, who wanted them to record a disco version of the prior hits, "Cherish", "No Fair At All" and an original song which Larry Brown wrote and sang entitled "It's High Time To Get High". The deal did not go through. Membership was fluid in 1975–1976. Smith had joined in December 1974 and appeared on "One Sunday Morning" but was replaced by Andy Chapin by the end of 1975. Ramos departed as well in mid-1975 and was replaced by Art Johnson, then the aforementioned Larry Brown (vocals, guitar). The increased tour schedule led to Chapin's departure in 1976 (he later played for artist
Ricky Nelson Eric Hilliard "Ricky" Nelson (May 8, 1940 – December 31, 1985) was an American musician and actor. From age eight, he starred alongside his family in the radio and television series ''The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet''. In 1957, he began a ...
and perished along with Nelson and his band when his plane crashed on December 31, 1985). Chapin was replaced, first by Jay Gruska, who then left for a stint with
Three Dog Night Three Dog Night is an American rock band formed in 1967, founded by vocalists Chuck Negron, Cory Wells, and Danny Hutton. This lineup was soon augmented by Jimmy Greenspoon (keyboards), Joe Schermie (bass), Michael Allsup (guitar), and Floyd Sn ...
, and then by David Morgan (who later joined Three Dog Night himself) in mid-1976. In 1977 Bluechel, Jim Yester, and the current lineup recorded new versions of "Windy", "Cherish", "Never My Love", "Along Comes Mary" and "Everything That Touches You" with session players for
K-tel K-tel International Ltd is a Canadian company which formerly specialized in selling consumer products through infomercials and live demonstration. Its products include compilation music albums, including ''The Super Hits'' series, ''The Dynamic ...
Records that later ended up on a 1983 album collection, ''Back to Back'', where one half of the record was the Association songs and the other half tunes by
the Turtles The Turtles are an America, American Band (rock and pop), rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1965. The band achieved several Top 40 hits throughout the latter half of the 1960s, including "It Ain't Me Babe" (1965), "You Baby (song), ...
. During the spring of 1977, Brown left to concentrate on session work and keyboardist Ric Ulsky joined, leaving Jim Yester as sole guitarist in the lineup. But by the summer of that same year, with the prime gigs proving to be fewer and far between, Yester left, leaving Bluechel as the only original member. Yester was replaced by lead guitarist Cliff Woolley and the group had two keyboardists for a short time in 1977–78, Ulsky and David Morgan, before Morgan was succeeded by guitarist/singer John William Tuttle (son of makeup artist William Tuttle; John died on August 17, 1991, at age 41 of a
perforated ulcer A perforated ulcer is a condition in which an untreated ulcer has burned through the mucosal wall in a segment of the gastrointestinal tract (e.g., the stomach or colon) allowing gastric contents to leak into the abdominal cavity. Signs and symp ...
in
Van Nuys, California Van Nuys ( ) is a neighborhood in the central San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California. Home to Van Nuys Airport and the Van Nuys City Hall, Valley Municipal Building, it is the most populous neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley ...
). Russ Levine (who had played with
Bobby Womack Robert Dwayne Womack ( ; March 4, 1944 – June 27, 2014) was an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. Starting in the early 1950s as the lead singer of his family musical group the Valentinos and as Sam Cooke's backing guitarist, Womack's ...
,
Donna Summer Donna Adrian Gaines (December 31, 1948May 17, 2012), known professionally as Donna Summer, was an American singer and songwriter. She gained prominence during the disco era of the 1970s and became known as the "Queen of Disco", while her music ...
and Ultimate Spinach) also arrived in 1978 to take over drums from Maurice Miller (who went on to play with
Lena Horne Lena Mary Calhoun Horne (June 30, 1917 – May 9, 2010) was an American singer, actress, dancer and civil rights activist. Horne's career spanned more than seventy years and covered film, television and theatre. Horne joined the chorus of the C ...
, and died of complications from
diabetes Diabetes mellitus, commonly known as diabetes, is a group of common endocrine diseases characterized by sustained high blood sugar levels. Diabetes is due to either the pancreas not producing enough of the hormone insulin, or the cells of th ...
October 10, 2005, in
Burbank, California Burbank is a city in the southeastern end of the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Located northwest of downtown Los Angeles, Burbank had a Census-estimated population of 102,755 as of 2023. The city was ...
, at age 73) on drums. A short time after that, guitarist Jack Harris took over from Woolley. Jerry Yester also returned for several gigs with the group in the fall of 1978. The band dissolved shortly afterward, leaving Bluechel with a huge debt. To help clear away some of it, in November 1978, he leased the group's name to a company that put a fake "Association" out on the road. In September 1979 the surviving key members Kirkman, Alexander, Giguere, Bluechel, Yester and Ramos combined with Richard Thompson and seasoned studio bassist and arranger
Ray Pohlman Merlyn Ray Pohlman (July 22, 1930 – November 1, 1990) was an American session musician and arranger who played both upright bass and bass guitar, and also did sessions as a guitarist. He is credited with being the first electric bass player in ...
to reunite the Association at the Ambassador Hotel's Coconut Grove nightclub in Los Angeles for an
HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based a ...
special called ''Then and Now'' (Kirkman was working for HBO at the time). The following year the reunited group also appeared at a charity show hosted in Dallas by
Ed McMahon Edward Leo Peter McMahon Jr. (March 6, 1923 – June 23, 2009) was an American announcer, game show host, comedian, actor, singer, and combat aviator. McMahon and Johnny Carson began their association in their first TV series, the American Bro ...
called ''Ed McMahon and Company'' that ran on the Showtime cable network in August 1980. This led, in the early 1980s, to the band recording some self-financed demos and then a short-lived deal with
Elektra Records Elektra Records (or Elektra Entertainment) is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, founded in 1950 by Jac Holzman and Paul Rickolt. It played an important role in the development of contemporary folk and rock music between the ...
resulting in a few singles (one of which, "Dreamer", reunited them with producer Bones Howe and made the Hot 100 with virtually no promotion) and more touring. In 1980 the surviving originals (with Ulsky returning in place of Thompson, Levine back on drums subbing for an ill Bluechel and Alexander taking over the bass) went back on the road for a concert tour, putting the short-lived bogus band out of business.


''Happy Together Again'' and the 1960s package tours

Jim Yester left again in June 1983 and the group added Keith Moret (bass, backing vocals) as Alexander went back to playing guitar. Moret stayed only briefly until Joe LaManno (who had once done a brief fill-in stint with the group back in late 1972) joined during July 1983. In 1984 the group was invited to appear on the ''Happy Together Again'' tour, a multi-bill of 1960s acts produced by David Fishof (who had taken over the band's management from Pat Colecchio in 1981; Colecchio died of colon cancer on June 3, 2008), headlined by
the Turtles The Turtles are an America, American Band (rock and pop), rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1965. The band achieved several Top 40 hits throughout the latter half of the 1960s, including "It Ain't Me Babe" (1965), "You Baby (song), ...
, and also including Gary Puckett and Spanky McFarlane of
Spanky & Our Gang Spanky and Our Gang was an American 1960s sunshine pop band led by Elaine "Spanky" McFarlane. The band derives its name from Hal Roach's ''Our Gang'' comedies of the 1930s (known to modern audiences as ''The Little Rascals''), because of the s ...
. Gary's brother, Brian Puckett, played drums in the show for Gary and McFarlane and likewise joined the Association for their set as well. During the latter part of the tour, Mike Peed joined on keyboards in place of Ulsky but left himself in November 1984, turning it over to Donni Gougeon (from Joshua Perahia's band ). But by the end of the year, there was a mass exodus as Kirkman (who had already turned in his notice in September), Bluechel, LaManno and Brian Puckett all departed. In February 1985 the band carried on as Alexander, Giguere, Ramos and Gougeon recruited new members: Paul Beach (vocals, bass, who had also played in the ''Happy Together Again'' show band) and Bruce Pictor (vocals, drums, percussion, who had played alongside Beach in Puckett's group in the early 1980s). Gougeon was replaced in early 1987 by Chris Urmston but was himself succeeded by Paul Holland later the same year. In 1989, when Beach quit, Holland switched over to bass as Gougeon then rejoined for a ten-year stint from 1989 to 1999 before illness in his family called him away. He was replaced by Jordan Cole, son of the band's original bassist, Brian Cole; Jordan first played with the band on a Caribbean Christmas cruise in December 1998, when he was asked to fill in for Holland on bass. Besides the ''Happy Together'' tour, the group became mainstays on many other 1960s package tours, including the 1988 ''Super 60s Tour'' with Gary Puckett, the Grass Roots, and the Turtles; and
Dick Clark Richard Wagstaff Clark (November 30, 1929April 18, 2012) was an American television and radio personality and television producer who hosted ''American Bandstand'' from 1956 to 1989. He also hosted five incarnations of the Pyramid (game show), ...
's
American Bandstand ''American Bandstand'' (AB) is an American Music television, music performance and dance television series that aired in various iterations from 1952 to 1989. It was hosted by Dick Clark who also served as the program's Television producer, pr ...
Tour in 1989, alongside the Spinners,
the Guess Who The Guess Who was a Canadian rock band formed in Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1965. The band found their greatest success in the late 1960s and early 1970s, under the leadership of singer/keyboardist Burton Cummings and guitarist Randy Bachman, wit ...
and
the Drifters The Drifters are an American pop and R&B/soul vocal group. They were originally formed as a backing group for Clyde McPhatter, formerly the lead tenor of Billy Ward and his Dominoes in 1953. The second group of Drifters, formed in 1959 and ...
, sponsored by
VH1 VH1 (originally an initialism for Video Hits One) is an American basic cable television network that launched on January 1, 1985, and is currently owned by the MTV Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global's networks division based in New Y ...
. Alexander turned in his notice in early 1989. Larry Ramos's brother Del, who had started audio mixing for the group in the 1970s, and then again in the early 1980s, and had begun adding his voice to the mix from the sound board from 1985 on, also assumed bass duties in 1999 after Holland left to tend to his light and sound company. Bob Werner (vocals, guitar, bass), who had been the band's light man and road manager in 1974–75 and fill-in member as needed from 1994 on, was also a member of the group from 1999 to 2008. During the 1980s and 1990s, the group's recorded output was minimal. They recorded a few new tracks and some covers of popular 1960s songs for a few compilation albums on the Hitbound label made through
RadioShack RadioShack (formerly written as Radio Shack) is an American electronics retailer that was established in 1921 as an amateur radio mail-order business. Its parent company was purchased by Tandy Corporation in 1962, which shifted its focus from ma ...
's
Tandy Corporation Tandy Corporation was an American family-owned Retail, retailer based in Fort Worth, Texas that made leather goods, operated the RadioShack chain, and later built personal computers. Tandy Leather was founded in 1919 as a leather supply store ...
in the mid-1980s, including their first cover of " Walk Away Renée" that was recorded in collaboration with their original producer,
Curt Boettcher Curtis Roy Boettcher (January 7, 1944 – June 14, 1987), sometimes credited as Curt Boetcher or Curt Becher, was an American singer, songwriter, arranger, musician, and record producer from Wisconsin. He was a pivotal figure in what is now t ...
, for the
Mike Love Michael Edward Love (born March 15, 1941) is an American singer and songwriter who is one of the vocalists of the Beach Boys, of which he was an original member alongside his cousins Brian Wilson, Dennis Wilson, and Carl Wilson and their frien ...
and
Dean Torrence Jan and Dean were an American rock music, rock duo consisting of William Jan Berry (April 3, 1941 – March 26, 2004) and Dean Ormsby Torrence (born March 10, 1940). In the early 1960s, they were pioneers of the California Sound and vocal surf m ...
1983 cassette tape ''Rock 'n' Roll City'', two Christmas covers contributed to another Radio Shack album, ''Scrooge's Rock 'n' Roll Christmas'' (that was also a 1984 TV special), and an album of 1960s tunes called ''New Memories'' (1983). They also re-recorded some of their older material and even more cover songs for another album, ''Vintage'', for
CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...
in 1983 and put out yet another album full of covers, ''The Association 95: A Little Bit More'', in 1995 from On Track Records (based in New York City), produced by John Allen Orofino and Stan Vincent. ''A Little Bit More'' featured single was their second remake of
the Left Banke The Left Banke was an American baroque pop band, formed in New York City in 1965. They are best remembered for their two U.S. hit singles, "Walk Away Renée" and "Pretty Ballerina". The band often used what the Music journalism, music press refer ...
's "Walk Away Renée". Over the years the group were sometimes visited by former members: Bluechel and Alexander sat in on a few of their 2001 shows, while Paul Holland guested on their DVD, ''Pop Legends Live!'', which came out in 2005. And in September 2003, they were inducted into the
Vocal Group Hall of Fame The Vocal Group Hall of Fame & Museum Company Inc. was an American-based hall of fame that honored vocal groups throughout the United States. James E. Winner Jr. was the financial and managing partner of the For-profit corporation. Winner and ...
, joined by Yester, Alexander, Kirkman and Bluechel at the induction ceremony at Cafaro Field in
Niles, Ohio Niles is a city in Trumbull County, Ohio, United States. The population was 18,443 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Located at the confluence of the Mahoning River and Mosquito Creek Lake, Mosquito Creek, Niles is a suburb in the Ma ...
. Yester, Alexander, Kirkman and Bluechel again rejoined the others for the taping of a
PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...
1960s rock music special ''60s Experience'' on December 9, 2004, at
Dover Downs Bally's Dover Casino Resort, formerly Dover Downs, is a hotel, casino, and racetrack complex in Dover, Delaware. It has a harness horse racing track, which is surrounded by Dover Motor Speedway, a concrete track used for NASCAR motor racin ...
Showroom in
Dover, Delaware Dover ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and the List of municipalities in Delaware, second-most populous city of the U.S. state of Delaware. It is also the county seat of Kent County, Delaware, Kent County and the princ ...
. In 2007 David Jackson (bass, guitar, formerly of Hearts & Flowers and Dillard & Clark) came into the group for a brief stint when Del Ramos was ill, then Jim Yester returned to sub for Werner. After which, Werner and Yester alternated in the group until late 2008 when Werner left altogether. Also in 2007, they joined
Barry Manilow Barry Manilow ( ; born Barry Alan Pincus on June 17, 1943) is an American singer, songwriter and record producer with a career that spans over sixty years. His hit recordings include "Could It Be Magic", "Looks Like We Made It", "Brandy (Scott ...
on a remake combining their two biggest hits, "Cherish" and "Windy", that was released on his ''Greatest Hits of the '60s'' album. In 2008 drummer Pictor underwent back surgery. Blair Anderson (Yester's friend from the New
Four Preps The Four Preps are an American popular music male quartet. In the 1950s and 1960s, the group amassed eight gold singles and three gold albums. Their million-selling signature tunes included " 26 Miles (Santa Catalina)", " Big Man", "Lazy Summer ...
) sat in for Pictor until he was able to rejoin his bandmates that November. By 2010, the band included Giguere, Ramos, Jim Yester, Del Ramos, Pictor and Jordan Cole. The Association continued to tour, mostly on bills with similar styled acts of the late 1960s, like the Grass Roots,
the Buckinghams The Buckinghams are an American pop band from Chicago. 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 ...
,
Tommy James Tommy James (born Thomas Gregory Jackson; April 29, 1947) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. James is the frontman of the rock band Tommy James and the Shondells, which is known for hit singles such as "Mony Mony", ...
and Gary Puckett. During the summer of 2011, the Association carried a heavy touring schedule throughout the U.S. as part of the ''Happy Together: 2011'' tour, along with the Grass Roots,
Mark Lindsay Mark Lindsay (born March 9, 1942) is an American musician, best known as the lead singer of the rock band Paul Revere & the Raiders. Early life Lindsay was born in Eugene, Oregon, and was the second of eight children of George and Esther Ell ...
, the Buckinghams and the Turtles featuring
Flo & Eddie Flo & Eddie is a comedy rock duo consisting of Mark Volman (Flo, short for Phlorescent Leech) and Howard Kaylan (Eddie). Kaylan and Volman were founding members of the mid-to late 1960s rock and pop band the Turtles. After the Turtles dis ...
. The ''Happy Together'' appearances featured only Giguere, Ramos and Yester, who were backed up by the ''Happy Together'' show band. In late 2011, Ramos was sidelined due to illness, so guitarist Godfrey Townsend (from the ''Happy Together'' and ''Hippiefest'' back-up bands) subbed for him. In January 2012, Alexander came back to the band as Ramos's stand-in and stayed after Ramos returned in March. In 2013 Alexander, Giguere, Ramos and Yester became part of the ''Where the Action Is'' tour that included Mary Wilson of
the Supremes The Supremes were an American girl group formed in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959 as the Primettes. A premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s, the Supremes were the most commercially successful of Motown's acts and the most successful Amer ...
,
Paul Revere and the Raiders Paul Revere & the Raiders (also known as Raiders) were an American Rock music, rock band formed in Boise, Idaho, in 1958. They saw considerable U.S. mainstream success in the second half of the 1960s and early 1970s. The band was known for inclu ...
and Mitch Ryder. ''Shindig Magazine'' named the Now Sounds reissue of the album ''The Association'' the best reissue of 2013. In January 2014 it was announced that both Giguere and Ramos would be retiring from touring. Giguere was to move behind the scenes to the group's management, while Ramos's final performance with the group was a
cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving Cell growth#Disorders, abnormal cell growth with the potential to Invasion (cancer), invade or Metastasis, spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Po ...
benefit concert on February 24, 2014, at the Blue Fox Theater in
Grangeville, Idaho Grangeville is the largest city in and the county seat of Idaho County, Idaho, United States, in the north central part of the state. Its population was 3,141 at the 2010 census, down from 3,228 in 2000. Geography According to the United St ...
. Upon returning from spending his 72nd birthday in his homeland of Hawaii, Ramos died from
melanoma Melanoma is the most dangerous type of skin cancer; it develops from the melanin-producing cells known as melanocytes. It typically occurs in the skin, but may rarely occur in the mouth, intestines, or eye (uveal melanoma). In very rare case ...
on April 30, 2014. After Ramos' death, former member Paul Holland was brought back into the group, this time as a guitarist/vocalist. Since 2014, founding members Jim Yester and Jules Alexander have been leading the current line-up of the Association, which includes Bruce Pictor, Paul Holland, Del Ramos, and Jordan Cole. In the summers of 2015, 2017 and 2018, the Association again joined the 'Happy Together' tour. The Association was inducted into the Pop Music Hall of Fame's 2016 class in
Canonsburg, Pennsylvania Canonsburg is a Borough (Pennsylvania), borough in Washington County, Pennsylvania, United States, southwest of Pittsburgh. The population was 9,735 at the 2020 census. Canonsburg was laid out by Colonel John Canon in 1789 and incorporated in 180 ...
. In May 2016 Texas guitarist Paul Wilson filled in for Paul Holland at an Association performance in
Monroe, Wisconsin Monroe is a city in Green County, Wisconsin, United States, and its county seat. The population was 10,661 at the 2020 census. The city is bordered by the town of Monroe to the north and the town of Clarno to the south. It is nicknamed the "C ...
. Wilson also subbed for Holland on two occasions in 2018: two shows during the "Flower Power Cruise" in late February in the Caribbean, and then again in May for one show at the Golden Nugget Casino in
Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...
. Then in October 2018, Jim Yester was unable to perform two concerts. For the appearances in
Red Rock, Oklahoma Red Rock ( pronounced , meaning "Rock Red town") is a town in northern Noble County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 283 at the 2010 census, a decline from 293 at the 2000 census. The headquarters of the Otoe-Missouria Tribe of Indi ...
, and
Bangor, Maine Bangor ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Penobscot County, Maine, United States. The city proper has a population of 31,753, making it the state's List of municipalities in Maine, third-most populous city, behind Portland, Maine, Portland ...
, the lineup consisted of Alexander, Del Ramos, Cole, Pictor, Holland and Wilson. Concerts resumed in 2019 with the regular lineup. In 2018 the first (unofficial) biography of the band – ''The Association Cherish'' – written by British author Malcolm C. Searles, was published via Dojotone Publications in the UK detailing the group's 50-year career. Art Johnson, who played guitar briefly for the group in 1975, died in 2018. The Association were recipients of the Rock Justice Awards on January 19, 2019, at Village Studios in Los Angeles. All five surviving founding members – Kirkman, Alexander, Yester, Giguere and Bluechel – showed up to receive their awards. Ramos and founding member Cole also received awards. In March 2020 Russ Giguere's autobiography (co-written with Ashley Wren Collins), ''Along Comes The Association: Beyond Folk Rock and Three-Piece Suits'', was released. Mid-70s Association keyboardist Dwayne Smith died in June 2020. Bob Page (born May 13, 1943) died on December 24, 2022, at age 79 from a head injury in
Faial Island Faial Island (), also known as Fayal Island, is a Portugal, Portuguese island of the Central Group or ''Grupo Central'' of the Azores, in the Atlantic Ocean. The Capelinhos volcano is the westernmost point of the island and is considered the we ...
. Terry Kirkman died on September 23, 2023, at the age of 83.


Million sellers

Three songs by the Association have sold over one million copies and have been certified platinum discs: " Cherish", " Windy", and "
Never My Love "Never My Love" is a pop standard written by American siblings Don and Dick Addrisi, and best known from a hit 1967 recording by the Association. The Addrisi Brothers had two Top 40 hits as recording artists, but their biggest success as songwri ...
".


Band members


Current

* Jules Alexander – lead and rhythm guitar, vocals (1965–1967, 1968–1973, 1979–1989, 2012–present) *
Jim Yester James Yester (born November 24, 1939) is an American musician. He is a member of the sunshine pop group the Association, who had numerous hits on the Billboard charts, ''Billboard'' charts during the 1960s, including "Windy (The Association song ...
– rhythm and lead guitar, vocals (1965–1973, 1973–1977, 1979–1983, 2007–present) * Bruce Pictor – drums, vocals (1985–present) * Paul Holland – lead and rhythm guitar, vocals (2014–present), bass, vocals (1989–1999), keyboards, vocals (1987–1989) * Del Ramos – bass, vocals (1999–present) * Jordan Cole – keyboards, rhythm guitar, vocals (1999–present)


Timeline


Discography


Studio albums

*'' And Then... Along Comes the Association'' – Valiant VLM-5002/VLS-25002 (#5, 1966) (US: Gold) *:''Reissued in 1967 on Warner Bros. W-1702/WS-1702'' *:''Expanded Mono Edition Reissued in 2011 on CD by Now Sounds CRNOW 25'' *''
Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...
'' – Valiant VLM-5004/VLS-25004 (#34 1966) *:''Reissued in 1967 on Warner Bros. W-1704/WS-1704'' *:''Expanded Mono Edition Reissued in 2011 on CD by Now Sounds CRNOW 27'' *'' Insight Out'' – Warner Bros. W-1696/WS-1696 (#8, 1967) (US: Gold) *:''Expanded Mono Edition Reissued in 2011 on CD by Now Sounds CRNOW 29'' *''
Birthday A birthday is the anniversary of the birth of a person or figuratively of an institution. Birthdays of people are celebrated in numerous cultures, often with birthday gifts, birthday cards, a birthday party, or a rite of passage. Many religion ...
'' – Warner Bros. W-1733/WS-1733 (#23, 1968) *:''Mono Edition Reissued in 2010 on CD by Now Sounds CRNOW 15'' *''
The Association The Association is an American sunshine pop band from Los Angeles, California. During the late 1960s, the band had numerous hits at or near the top of the Billboard charts, ''Billboard'' charts (including "Windy (The Association song), Windy" ...
'' – Warner Bros. WS-1800 (#32, 1969) (#12 Canada) *:''Expanded Edition Reissued in 2013 on CD by Now Sounds CRNOW 43'' *''
Stop Your Motor ''Stop Your Motor'' is the sixth studio album by American pop band the Association and their final album released on Warner Bros. Records. It marked the debut of keyboardist Richard Thompson, replacing original member Russ Giguere. The songs "Th ...
'' – Warner Bros. WS-1927 (#158, 1971) *''
Waterbeds in Trinidad! ''Waterbeds in Trinidad!'' is the seventh studio album (and ninth album overall by including a greatest hits and a live album) by The Association The Association is an American sunshine pop band from Los Angeles, California. During the lat ...
'' – Columbia KC-31348 (#194, 1972) (#80 Canada)


Other releases

*''
Greatest Hits A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be creat ...
'' – Warner Bros. WS-1767 (#4, 1968) (#2 CAN 1969) *'' Goodbye, Columbus (soundtrack)'' – Warner Bros. WS-1786 (#99, 1969) *'' The Association "Live"'' – Warner Bros. 2WS-1868 (#79, 1970) (#28 Canada) *''New Memories'' – Hitbound Records 51-3022 (1983) (by various artists, including the Association,
Bobby Vee Robert Thomas Velline (April 30, 1943 – October 24, 2016), known professionally as Bobby Vee, was an American singer who was a teen idol in the early 1960s and also appeared in films. According to '' Billboard'' magazine, he had thirty- ...
,
Mary McGregor Mary MacGregor (born May 6, 1948) is an American singer. She is best known for singing the 1976 song "Torn Between Two Lovers (song), Torn Between Two Lovers", which topped the Billboard (magazine), ''Billboard'' charts for two weeks. Career ...
and
Mike Love Michael Edward Love (born March 15, 1941) is an American singer and songwriter who is one of the vocalists of the Beach Boys, of which he was an original member alongside his cousins Brian Wilson, Dennis Wilson, and Carl Wilson and their frien ...
) *''Vintage'' – CBS Special Products BT-19223 (1983) *''The Association 95: A Little Bit More'' – Track Records (1995) *''Just the Right Sound: The Association Anthology'' (Double CD, released in 2002 as Warner Bros. / Rhino R2 78303, including two previously unreleased outtakes ('The Machine', 'Better Times') from 1966. An import variation also includes the outtake 'Caney Creek') *''The Complete Warner Bros. & Valiant Singles Collection'' (Double CD, released in 2012) – Now Sounds CRNOW 35D


Singles


Notes


References


External links

* *
Cite from Fred Bronson, ''The Billboard Book of Number One Hits'', Billboard, 1988Special Radio Show tribute to Curt Boettcher
*
The Association 'Cherish'
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Association, The American musical sextets American pop music groups Jubilee Records artists Musical groups from Los Angeles Musical groups established in 1965 Sunshine pop groups Warner Records artists