-
-
Artists
Get your tour dates seen by one billion fans: Sign up as an artist
Concert in your area for Pop, Rock, Indie & Alt, and Folk & Blues.
The seeds of The Association were sewn with the meeting of Jules Alexander and Terry Kirkman in Hawaii in 1962. The two men were budding musicians and jammed together while they could, finding that they had genuine creative chemistry with each other. However, Alexander was in Hawaii while serving a stint in the Navy, and wasn’t going to be discharged until a year later. They made a pact to form a band together once Alexander was discharged, and a year later they made good on it, moving to Los Angeles together in the mid-1960’s. The first group they formed was called The Inner Tubes, which expanded into a thirteen piece band called The Men, notable for being the first act to call themselves a “Folk-Rock” band.
However after a spell as the house band at L.A’s legendary Troubadour venue, the band split up. Not to be deterred, Alexander and Kirkmen formed the first incarnation of The Association soon afterwards, and after five months of solid rehearsal time, they scored a regular slot playing live at Pasadena, California’s Icehouse club. They auditioned for a number of record labels and were finally signed to Valiant Records, who would release their first national hit “Along Comes Mary” in 1966. The song peaked at number 6 on the Billboard charts and led to the release of the band’s first album proper “And Then...Along Comes the Association”. The album didn’t set the charts alight, but their follow up single “Cherish” did exactly that.
The song was a number one smash hit, and the band spent the rest of the 1960’s as one of California’s premier hit-makers, with another number one hit in the form of 1967’s “Windy”. Ever since then the band could populate a large village with their past members but for most part, Alexander has stayed with the band, and helms them to this day. They might not have had the staying power that some of their peers had but they have a back catalogue that no-one could argue with, and a live show that can only come from over half a century of experience. For that, The Association comes highly recommended.
Sometimes there seems to be little rhyme and reason in the music business. There are many instances when incredibly talented and ingenious bands slip under the spotlight while atrocities manage to create a stir in the mass public. The Association is an example of one of the music industries conundrums. The group had originality, an outstanding sense of harmonization, an understanding of song construction and a persevering drive that outreached many of their contemporaries. While they sported several hit songs and had more than a substantial career, they never managed to hit the “big time” so to speak. At least comparative to many of the pop sensations culminating in the 60s. Perhaps the lost opportunity of properly reissuing their recordings on cd may have contributed to the fizzling out of the groups career; however, for those who first had the chance to hear the bands recordings did not easily give up on the group.
The song “Windy” was one of the first tracks from my early youth that I have a conscious memory of. In my opinion that song was just as good as a Beatles tune. Of course back then I was less clouded by the bias of persisting music trends and my social climate. The Association had a sound that instantly struck a chord with their audience. Like the Beach Boys their music was so open and relatable that it seemed to apply to almost everyone.
Not only were they skilled songwriters they were natural born musicians who had an incredible sense of chemistry. In fact they are still performing to this day and haven’t seemed to decline in quality in the slightest. The group has keen precision and a knack for controlling the audience. Their instrumentation is fairly modest, but they are always able to produce interesting sounds. At some of their shows they pull out a toy-like recorder, and showcase some of the most catchy melodies on it. However their strong-suit lies in their vocal performance. Everyone in the group has a voice of gold and they make things exciting switching between members for vocal leads. But the real charm of their music comes from their godly harmonizations. The Association are a classic act and though their career has unjustly been overshadowed they absolutely should not be missed.
wjmcc
Long after I left the concert venue, I kept hearing in my head the sound of the ocarina solo in "Wild Thing". When I woke up the next morning, the ocarina still persisted in my mind. The Troggs have a special way of making things last over the decades - their music, their energy, their humour, their legend. The Troggs were present at the "Rock in The Park" festival in Bucharest, offering a vivid performance on a breezy linden-scented night. I've been to many '60s bands' concerts, but I found The Troggs to be the most entertaining and energetic band of all. They were all spirited, singing loud and strong, dancing, making jokes and telling the story of each song. Many of their songs had "wild" lyrics, consequently being banned from the UK or other countries. But now is the time of free expression and they sang with the passion and vigour of some 20-something boys. They started with songs like "I Do Do", "Night Of The Long Grass" (1967 - banned for inappropriate lyrics, instigating drugs), "Any Way That You Want Me", "Gonna Make You" or "Feels Like A Woman". They continued with "Strange Movements", the song that was banned worldwide, except Spain, where it reached no 1 - as the Spanish didn't understand the lyrics! "I Can Give You Everything" was powerful and vibrant, followed by "Little Girl", that was no 1 in South Africa! :) "With A Girl Like You" was my all-time favourite, having the same tunes and positive energy as 50 years ago. "Love Is All Around", a song that many people now attribute to Wet Wet Wet, was in fact The Troggs' worldwide hit. That night, it was dedicated to Reg Presley, the lead vocalist who passed away at the beginning of the year. The public was then overenthusiastic at the first chord of "Wild Thing", the anthem of free-spirited '60s lovers. The band revealed that this song was no 1 all over the world, except in their mother country, Britain! Their performance was bold, sharp and strong, definitely with wild vibes! Ocarina, the crazy whistling instrument in the break, made it sound magical and mysterious, revealing its ancestral origins.
diana_bu
My wife and I took the Cape May ferry from Lewes,DE to Cape May, NJ than drove up to see GP about 2 years ago in a small town NJ theatre..he was Fabulous..his voice was strong, clear and crisp, of course hes in his 70s but the MAN LOOKS 45..hes lean and does a great concert, one song after another and he sings LIVE no lip sinc..he also tells a bit of a story of his career, what motivated certain songs,etc..trying to get tickets now to the Asbury Park concert on 6/21 to SEE HIM AGAIN!
frankfrazzano
Log in to your account
