They were the Beatles opening act on tour dates including August 23, 1966 at Shea Stadium, as well as August 29, 1966, for the Beatles’ famous final concert at Candlestick Park. If you were moving and grooving to the Beatles and the English Invasion in the mid 1960’s, then you are no doubt familiar with the music of the few bands to open for the greatest group of all time.

Earle Pickens and Tom Dawes formed the band as the Rhondells at Lafayette College in 1961. They soon added Don Dannemann and drummer Jim Maiella. In 1963, Maiella was replaced by Martin “Marty” Fried, and it wasn’t long before they became one of the most popular bands on the East Coast. This led to them being noticed by a couple of very influential men in the world of rock music.

While playing at a club in Atlantic City on Labor Day 1965, they were heard by New York attorney Nathan Weiss, who happened to be the business partner of none other than Brian Epstein, the famous manager of the Beatles. Weiss urged Epstein to see the band and offer to become their manager. The, rest, as they say, is history. With one small exception, that is. John Lennon himself, after hearing the band’s name, suggested a new one, with a unique spelling, and the Rhondells were re-christened THE CYRKLE.

In 1966 the band recorded their first album, Red Rubber Ball, which produced the Billboard hit song, “Red Rubber Ball” selling over one million copies and certified Gold. The single “Turn Down Day” was a solid hit as well, becoming their second Top 20 song of the year.

Later in 1966, Earle Pickens decided to pursue his dream of going to medical school and was replaced by keyboardist Mike Losekamp. The band then recorded their second album Neon. 1967 found them on the soundtrack of a motion picture The Minx. After releasing several more singles in ‘67, the band decided to go their separate ways and disbanded that same year.

Dawes and Dannemann then became professional jingle writers, with Dawes penning such classics as the world famous Alka-Seltzer jingle, “plop plop fizz fizz” and the original 7 Up “Uncola Song” and Dannemann writing classics for Swanson Foods and Continental Airlines. Dawes wrote a number of other songs, such as “Wild Cherry”, which was recorded by Foghat. He also produced two of their albums, Rock & Roll in 1973, and Energized in 1974.

After reforming in 2016, The Cyrkle will be seeking out venues that offer music of the 60s and later, targeting lovers of older music and anyone that appreciates what is truly the Golden Era of Rock Music. They will be playing such diverse venues as Festivals and Fairs, Theaters, Packaged Classic Band tours, and Classic Rock n’ Roll Cruises.

The Cyrkle will be playing their own mega hits, plus favorite tunes from the Classic 60s, but will also add a few new songs they have written especially for this new incarnation. They will also include a tribute to the music of several other Brian Epstein managed groups, which will round out their performances with even more legendary music.

The two original members of Cyrkle, Don Dannemann and Mike Losekamp, will be joined by Pat McLaughlin on lead vocals and rhythm guitar; Mike “Roscoe” Rousculp on lead vocals and bass guitar; Don White on lead guitar and vocals; and Scott Langley on drums and vocals. The new additions are all veterans onstage, and each brings a unique and individual style to the show that is sure to delight the most diehard music fan.

Much to the delight of classic Rock n’ Roll fans, The Cyrkle is poised to emerge on the scene of classic music venues in the coming months and will bring all their talent to the stage in shows that are sure to breathe new life into old music and renewed interest in songs that have never lost their popularity.

The post The Cyrkle appeared first on Entertainment Resource Group.

Raised in North Carolina, James now lives in western Massachusetts. He has sold some 40 million albums throughout his career, which began back in 1968 when he was signed to the Beatles’ Apple Records. The album James Taylor was his first and only solo effort for Apple, which came a year after his first working experience with Danny Kortchmar and the band Flying Machine. It was only a matter of time before he would make his mark.

Above all, there are the songs: “Fire and Rain,” “Country Road,” “Something in The Way She Moves,” “Mexico,” “Shower The People,” “Your Smiling Face,” “Carolina In My Mind,” “Sweet Baby James,” “Don’t Let Me Be Lonely Tonight,” “You Can Close Your Eyes,” “Walking Man,” “Never Die Young,” “Shed A Little Light,” “Copperline” and many more. Taylor’s songs have had a profound influence on both songwriters and music lovers of all generations and from all walks of life.

As a recording and touring artist, James set a precedent for solo singer/songwriters and blazed a path to which countless numbers of earnest young musicians have since aspired. His warm baritone is among the most recognized voices in popular music and his guitar playing has established its own standard.

James released Sweet Baby James in 1970. It went triple-platinum and spawned his first Top 10 hit, the intensely personal “Fire and Rain”. The following year saw the release of another million-seller, Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon and the #1 single, “You’ve Got a Friend”, written by long time friend Carole King. The recording won a Grammy Award in 1971 for Best Pop Male Vocal.  In 1972, Taylor scored another Gold album with One Man Dog, which was followed up in 1973 with Walking Man.

The album Gorilla (1975) included two more major chart entries: “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)” and “Mexico”. Following his final Warner Brothers recording, In The Pocket, James moved on to Columbia Records and released a string of critically praised and commercially successful albums: JT, his 1977 double-platinum debut, included a Top 10 cover of Jimmy Jones’ “Handy Man,” a song that gave Taylor another Grammy for Best Pop Male Vocal. Flag (1979), Dad Loves His Work (1981), That’s Why I’m Here (1985), Never Die Young (1988), New Moon Shine (1991) and the double-disc Live album (1993), show Taylor’s consistency: all were certified platinum. Hourglass, which garnered James’ first Grammy Award for Best Pop Album, and October Road, another Grammy winner, also enjoyed platinum sales.

James Taylor’s music embodies the art of songwriting in its most fundamental form. He has been at it for decades: transforming introspective meditations into lyrics, melodies and harmonies that comfort and reassure the listener with the sense that these sometimes painful, sometimes celebratory moments are a part of life, shared by us all.  In 1971, James was featured on the cover of TIME magazine, who heralded him as the harbinger of “the singer/songwriter era”.  Today, the quintessential singer/songwriter has seen that era crossover into the 21st century.

In May 2010 James and Carole King released their Live At The Troubadour CD/DVD which captures their November 2007 live performances at the Troubadour nightclub in Los Angeles. Live At The Troubadour features 12 songs, including stunning performances of the pair’s most beloved hits such as Carole’s “So Far Away,” “It’s Too Late,” and “Will You Love Me Tomorrow?” as well as James’s “Carolina in My Mind,” “Sweet Baby James,” and “Fire and Rain,” to name just a few.
James currently resides in The Berkshires with his wife, Caroline and their sons Henry and Rufus.

The post James Taylor appeared first on Entertainment Resource Group.

The post The Tillers appeared first on Entertainment Resource Group.