The Buckinghams
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First album cover, 1967 |
The Buckinghams were an
American pop rock band which saw enormous radio popularity in
1967 (see
1967 in music), selling more records that year than any American artist except
The Monkees.
In
1965 four high school musicians in
Chicago, Illinois formed a band they called "The Centuries." They added
keyboardist Dennis Miccolis, changed their name to "The Pulsations," and landed a job as the house band on a local (
WGN-TV)
television variety show. The show's producer suggested they adopt a more "contemporary" (i.e. British) name, and
The Buckinghams were born.
In early
1966 the band signed their first record contract with local
USA Records, and they released a number of singles that year which received airplay in Chicago. The Buckinghams finally gained national exposure with the breakout single "Kind of a Drag," written by the band's longtime songwriter, Jim Holvay, which spent two weeks at No. 1 on the
Billboard Hot 100 in February 1967. That single's success also led to a hastily-released album of the band's early recordings.
At about this time the group's contract with USA Records came to an end; and Miccolis was replaced on keyboards by
Marty Grebb. The band members were also introduced to producer
James William Guercio, who quickly got them a new contract with
Columbia (CBS) Records. Although The Buckinghams had already been using a
brass section on many of their earlier recordings, Guercio's brass-rock studio work helped to shape the group's signature sound, and the partnership produced four more Top 10 hits in 1967: "Don't You Care" (#6), "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" (#5), "Hey Baby (They're Playing Our Song)" (#10) and "Susan" (#8), also written by Jim Holvay.
The Buckinghams found themselves disagreeing with Guercio on both creative and financial issues, and they found another producer. (Guercio moved on to achieve great success as the producer for
Chicago's first 11 albums, as well as
Blood, Sweat & Tears' second album.) Although The Buckinghams released several more singles, they were unable to duplicate their 1967 success; and the band dissolved in early
1970.
Carl Giammarese and Nick Fortuna continue to make appearances as The Buckinghams as of
2005.
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The Buckinghams official web site*
The Buckinghams (The Classic Rock Connection)
