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The You Know Who Group paradox is that when their record was played on the radio, deejays kept reminding that we knew who. And though listeners didn't know who, even they didn't know who it...
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Recently, digging through my old archives, I discovered this album, which at the time asked many questions that remained unanswered at that time... I decided to dig into this mysterious story again and found several articles from 2011-15, which possibly provide reliable answers to this puzzle. Although, I will say right away that I share the point of view of Richie Unterberger, who puts Gallo’s commercial interests at the head stone of the corner, without any conspiracy theories...
" Most likely an exploitative joke, the You Know Who Group were a calculated attempt to capitalize on the British Invasion by emulating the Merseybeat sound with anonymous studio players who purported to be a bona fide British group (and who were pictured with masks on the sleeve of their album). It's hard to determine just how comic these guys were in their intentions, with gratuitous "yeahs" and "woos" punctuating these hurriedly written of the with common denominators of the British Invasion sound. But don't approach this hard-to-find album with serious expectations of first-class pop-rock; as a period curiousity, though, it has undeniable charm, and it comes off a lot better than many American productions that were trying to copy the British Invasion sound without a tongue in their cheek."
"The You Know Who Group were not British at all. Chances are none of them ever set foot in England.
However, they were not a happenstance gathering of studio musicians. They were a real self-contained garage band and they played all their own instruments.
From their home base in Brooklyn, they came to my Manhattan studio, Talent Masters, wanting to record two original songs: “Roses Are Red My Love” and “Playboy.” Both were written by Robert Esposito, their leader and also their lead singer.
Other than Esposito, I don't recall the names of any of the other “Boys with That Great New English Sound.”
Now, nearly 50 years after their LP came out, it can also be told that the four guys on the front cover, wearing capes and masks, are indeed the same band that's singing and playing on the record!
These boys probably had a group name when they arrived at Talent Masters, but I doubt I ever knew it. My partner, Bob Harvey, came up with the idea of having them try to sound British. He also named them the You Know Who Group, and dreamed up the whole secret identity stunt, complete with masks and capes.
Esposito and the guys were not very happy about Bob's brainstorm, but they went along with it on the chance it would create more publicity if people thought they might be the Beatles, for example, singing under another name. Like the 4 Seasons did as the Wonder Who?
But It turned out Harvey was right. If not for the gimmick angle, they probably would never have gotten to put out an album after just one moderately successful single."
"It seems that no one, including our producer Bob Gallo, who you interviewed, knows who was in our group. Well, I definitely can tell you who made up the You Know Who.
If you have our album, or the image of the masked foursome from the front cover, grab it. Here's the lineup moving from left to right:
Yours truly (John Piemonte) is on the far left, and I played bass guitar. Second is Vinny Pollimini (not sure about the spelling), our lead guitarist. Third is Robert “Bobby” Esposito, drummer and our only singer. Last is rhythm guitarist Frank d'Avino.
We may have sounded British, but were really just four Italians from Brooklyn. Two of us grew up right down the block from Bob Gallo.
As for the costumes we're wearing on the cover, Frank d'Avino's mother, an experienced seamstress, made those capes and masks for us.
Much of the music was written and arranged by Bob Gallo, an accomplished musician and A/R man."
Are all the dots in this story set or are new revelations awaiting us?
The "You Know Who" Group!! – Roses Are Red My Love / Playboy 7'' 1964
"Roses Are Red My Love" is just the first of three variations of the first single.
Within a couple of weeks of its release, the same record could be found labeled "(Roses Are Red) My Love" and "My Love (Roses Are Red)." All of this caused a highly unusual occurrence for the trade publications.
For the first week , No. 46 on Cash Box is "Roses Are Red (My Love)," yet No. 43 on Billboard that week is "My Love (Roses Are Red)." About four weeks earlier, Billboard gave the title as "Roses Are Red My Love
Possibly due to some objection from the owners of the 1962 Bobby Vinton hit, "Roses Are Red (My Love)" -they were motivated to vary the wording of their title. But by the way, what is noteworthy about this story is - version of "Roses Are Red (My Love)" on their LP is completely different than single version (which can be found on the compilations "Hard to Find 45s on CD" Vol. 10 and "60's Psychedelic Bootlegs" Vol. 58) and here the claims of the authors of the original version could be quite natural...
You Know Who Group recorded a dozen tracks at Talent Masters Studios in Manhattan, all produced by T.M's chief engineer, Bob Gallo.
In early 1965, those 12 takes made up the group's first and only album, "The 'You Know Who' Group (The Boys with That Great New English Sound)."
Though the subtitle does not imply this bunch is from England, they would not have objected to teenage record buyers inferring it to mean this band just arrived from the UK. Even the record label name, International Allied (IA-420), evokes a trans-Atlantic connotation.
The You Know Who Group - First Album
(The Boys with That Great New English Sound)
1965
Lineup:
Bass – John Piemonte
Drums, Lead Vocals –Robert "Bobby" Esposito
Lead Guitar – Vinny Pollimini
Rhythm Guitar – Frank D'Avino
Arranged By, Producer – Bob Gallo
00. The "You Know Who" Group! - (Roses Are Red) My Love (7'' 1964)
01. The You Know Who Group - Hey You And The Wind And The Rain
02. The You Know Who Group - Its A Funny Thing (That Money Can Do)
03. The You Know Who Group - Autumn Leaves
04. The You Know Who Group - It Was Only Yesterday
05. The You Know Who Group - How Can She Live Without Me
06. The You Know Who Group - Roses Are Red My Love
07. The You Know Who Group - Blue Is The Night
08. The You Know Who Group - Reelin And Rockin
09. The You Know Who Group - Red River Valley
10. The You Know Who Group - This Day Love
11. The You Know Who Group - Tell Me
12. The You Know Who Group - Alberta
Thanks a lot!
ReplyDeleteThank you Dmitrich.
ReplyDeleteThanks Dmitrich
ReplyDeleteThank you, very nice. 👍🏻
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