1966: In this
year The Angry
recorded a demo tape at Mills Recording Studio in Canton which was taken to New
York City by Larry Zagray. The result of Larry's efforts was a six record contract with
Reprise records and The Angry, then re-named The InCrowd, were assigned the production team of Hugo & Luigi, who also
produced The Kinks andNancy Sinatra for Reprise records. The band moved to New York
City and began living at the Henry Hudson Hotel. "The balloon bombs out of the
Henry Hudson were terrific. The manager, one day much later, said to me ...'did you
have any knowledge of those events ?' Of course, I said that idle hands are
the devils workshop and we both laughed"...Larry. The In Crowd
began playing at Billy Reed's Coney Island Pub, Trudy Heller's, the Stampede, the Phone Booth, the Cheetah
Club, Wollman Skating Rink in Central Park and the Action House, where
they met The Vagrants (of Mountain and Leslie West fame), and
opened for such acts as The Turtles, and Napoleon the XIV.
"The Central Park thing we played while in NY was
part of something called the Rheingold Central Park Music Festival, which later
became a big deal. The Animals also played there in 1966, but Dylan, Jimi Hendrix
and lots more played there starting in 1967"...Hans.
Alas:
In the fall of 1966, after production had already begun on the first album the
draft board came calling and Hans and Tom had to jump back into high school,
Mike had an auto accident, Gene returned to Ohio Northern to continue college
and the band from northeast Ohio returned home---and
the momentum was lost. They were replaced at the Action House by a band called The Pidgins, who weeks later changed their name to the now famous
Vanilla Fudge.
Epilogue: "When these guys get on
the label and are promoted by the company label, the fact that Hugo and Luigi
produced them will get them farther than most groups of the same
background"...Freddie Weintraub, owner of the Bitter End to Larry Zagray in
1966.
THE BAND: Jim Grant: drums, vocals
Hans Stucki: keyboards, cordovox, guitar, vocals
Ken Stephen: saxes, drums
Gary Tinsler: guitar
Tom Potts, guitars: bass,
vocals
Gene Smithberger: guitar, vocals
Mike O'Brien: drums, vocals
Chris Noon: guitars, vocals
Larry Zagray: manager
TREASURE HUNT: The Angry is looking for
any photos or posters from their new York City and northeast Ohio club
appearances. If you have something you can contribute please
contact The Angry. Thanks!
Thanks to Tim Deitrick and Ryan Sander for technical assistance.
Art courtesy of
Anne's Place Images
Est.
July 20, 2003
Web Design: Ken Stephen
A production of TheAngry.net
The Angry
