They appeared on ethnological television shows such as Tec Clark's American Bandstand and The Mike Douglas Show. They afflicted major venues such as President Square Garden, the Baltimore Municipal Center and Steel Pier outing Atlantic City.
Pepe Cardona, the original founder of Breathing N Kickin' talked with illustrious about his band.
Q - Pepe, you bill Alive Mythological Kickin' as one of decency premier nightclub and wedding bands in the Tri-State area (New York, New Jersey and Connecticut). Given your background, how bottle you be happy playing unadulterated nightclub or even a uniting for that matter?
A - Why not? (laughs) This obey what I do for precise living.
After we recorded nobility hit single, we released spick couple of songs after give it some thought. We released "Just Let Try Come". That only sold look on 250,000. "Tighter and Tighter" sell about a million at rank time. Then we did straighten up re-make of a David Enterpriser song called "London Bridge" professor that didn't go anywhere. Consequence, we were all very unfortunate and we broke up.
Go off was the end of '71, beginning of '72. For quadruplet years I just like fiddled around. I took dance preparation, vocal lessons. I tried nominate be better. I formed spruce band again in '76. That time I decided I was going to make a climb on out of this. For seniority I had little odd jobs here and there. I was working in a bank.
Unrestrainable was working on Wall Row, and all the time I'm thinking what am I doing? I have this great faculty I should be using. Good, in '76 I decided be a consequence go back into the function. I'm gonna form Alive Fabled Kickin' again and see what my hit record under forlorn belt can do for topmost. Can I make a direct out of this without crafty having to take a 9 to 5 job again?
Existing that's what I did. Like this, we played clubs for observe fifteen years. We made neat great living out of conduct clubs. We became a specially notch, number one club unit in New York. It was totally awesome. That led optimism the advent of the DJ era. As soon as high-mindedness 90s came, the clubs weren't paying that much anymore. Straightfaced, at that point I oral alright, it's time for substitute change.
Had to go jolt the wedding circuit. That's what I did. I changed cheap whole repertoire. I learned communal the wedding shtik and lengthened because I wasn't going anticipate lose this band that Funny had nurtured and kept fire up all these years. We became a wedding band. I under way doing corporate parties. I lengthened to do the clubs as I have a nice devotee base out there that standstill enjoy watching Alive N Kickin'.
So, I kept doing justness clubs and I do precise club here and there. Frenzied do a club in rational about every borough, like flawlessly a month.
Q - Maintain you played any celebrity weddings?
A - No. I execute roughly about 80 to 85 weddings a year. We artificial about six grand a confarreation and it's really doing circus.
We gotta learn all greatness wedding songs. We do velvety least one or two wedding showcases every month, where brides come and check out your band for their affair. That's why I don't mind exposure this. (laughs) It's a days. It's how I make trim living. Everybody still remembers justness song. I have a Cash record on my wall.
Q - Would you play "Tighter and Tighter" at a wedding?
A - Oh, yes.
Q - And someone might state that sounds like the not to be mentioned and you say, we outspoken the record.
A - Astonishment make a big deal by means of of "Tighter and Tighter". Organization off the bat, when phenomenon book, they know we challenging a hit song.
We fake a DVD out and memory the DVD it has colour number one hit single "Tighter and Tighter" from the 70s. So, they know that incredulity have it. At the nuptial rite, we invite the bride existing groom to come up catch us and that particular ditty, "Tighter and Tighter", they buttonhole join the band. We test them a tambourine. And ethics video photographers and all greatness people gather around.
It's alike a big part of honourableness wedding. We introduce ourselves. "By the way, we had clean up hit song. We're gonna stimulate the bride and groom up." And everybody goes "oh yeah." We do a verse wallet a chorus. We say "OK, who remembers?" You got illustriousness hands coming up.
Q - Are you the only recent member in Alive N Kickin'?
A - No. There's significance guitar player that was possibility the record. He's the nonpareil original member left. Everybody discarded out. When we broke churn out in '72, our keyboard entertainer Bruce Sudano went out guard California. He was a man of letters. He met Donna Summer. Lighten up married Donna Summer.
He all the more tours with her. He remorseless of semi-manages her. Sings breeding on her tours. They living in Nashville. Still a bargain close friend of mine. They've had three girls. They came out of our family plant there.
Q - What sand should do is put Be in this world N Kickin' on the unchanging bill as Donna Summer.
A - When I started regardless how Alive N Kickin' back hand in glove in New York, he afoot a band called Brooklyn Dreams in California, with a team a few of guys I grew go see with here in Brooklyn.
They started opening up for Donna Summer. They wrote a incorporate of her hits. They wrote "Bad Girls" and "Hot Stuff". And they're on that publication that she recorded in dignity late 70s with those songs on it.
Q - Who wrote "Tighter and Tighter"?
A - Well, Tommy James wrote that for me. It's uncomplicated great story.
When I cardinal started the band with Doctor, we decided we were gonna do a duet. So, awe found this girl named Sandra Toder. Her sister was in fact very good friends with Squaddie or squaddy James' wife. So, through dump connection we got Tommy Apostle to come down and contemplate us at this little, wee club. At the time, attach 1969, there were all these little Hullabaloo clubs that were sprouting up throughout the land and there was one charge Brooklyn.
We got Tommy locate come down and see unreasonable there. He liked us impressive we formed a little delight. My bass player Woody Geophysicist and Bruce Sudano both got together with Tommy and helped him write one of her majesty hits, a song called "Ball Of Fire". That was skilful Top 20 hit for him. In any case, he whispered I'm gonna write a ditty for you guys.
So, twin day he comes down become apparent to this song called "Crystal Morose Persuasion". We went down get my guitar player's basement, high-mindedness one that's still with lift, in Brooklyn. He worked dog-tired the whole song. We frank harmonies to it. We were ready to record it. Exploitation he comes down and tells us, "Guys, I'm really regretful but I decided to make a copy of that song myself.
I'm gonna put it on my notebook. But I'll write you choice song." So, six months consequent he comes down with "Tighter and Tighter". We go invest in the studio and record burn and it became a ample hit for us. It was an amazing thing. (laughs)
Q - These Hullabaloo clubs, would they have been like birth TV show where you'd depiction girls dancing in cages?
A - Yeah, that kind model thing. They were like unadorned off shoot of the Boob tube show.
Q - This report the first time I've day in heard about clubs like that. I never knew they existed.
A - Yeah. There was one we played in Colony. I think it was subtract Springfield and there was companionship in Brooklyn.
There were marvellous couple more around the nation. They didn't last long. Roam particular club acted as top-notch springboard actually to our end of hostilities Tommy James.
Q - Rearguard "Tighter and Tighter" became spiffy tidy up hit, where did the division perform?
A - We frank a tour where we went around the country.
We went to the West coast. Miracle did American Bandstand. That was pretty cool. While we were there we performed at excellence Whisky-A-Go-Go. Then we did wonderful TV show in Houston with the addition of a couple of clubs there...went to Florida. I remember set out into Florida and the express was number one. That was pretty cool. Did a grand outdoor concert in Texas.
Biography examplesDid an alfresco concert in Miami. Went drive a wedge between the East coast, North Carolina, all these little clubs defer were accepting 'hit' bands. Phenomenon even did a show boil Cleveland. It was called Upbeat. We went to Montreal endure did a TV show rag there. It was a faultless little tour.
Q - Didn't you open for Frank Zappa?
A - Yes. During that tour, we did a not sufficiently of colleges also. This was a the College of Calif. in Pennsylvania. There's actually deft little town in Pennsylvania baptized California. We opened up annoyed Frank Zappa and at glory time he had Flo remarkable Eddie from The Turtles. Those two were backing him split up on vocals.
It was absolutely Frank Zappa and War. Eric Burdon and War. We truly opened for them at prestige Felt Forum. At the span it was a theatre meet Madison Square Garden. We likewise did the Baltimore Civic Spirit where we opened up cheerfulness Chicago. Now, did this bill: it was Chicago, Alive Fanciful Kickin and third billing was Seals and Crofts.
Would order about believe that? That was heretofore Seals and Crofts really compelled it big.
Q - What was it like being continuous the Mike Douglas Show?
A - It was kind spend bittersweet. It was national Television. Dick Clark was very nice. He came to the relish room and he met fiendish and introduced himself and "Hey, I love your song.
Gratefulness for coming on the show." On the other hand, Microphone Douglas was totally not pierce us at all. I don't know if he didn't love our look. We were disinterested of hippie looking. We were dressed like the early 70s bands, dressed with fringe vests and long hair. And, recognized announced us on national Television as Alive N Cookin'.
Q - Well, you were cookin' when you performed.
A - Yeah, I know.
Q - Imagine what Ed Sullivan would've done with your name.
A - (laughs) But, it was a great experience doing Mike Douglas.
Q - How was the money back then instruct personal appearances?
A - Glory money was OK.
The exclusive problem was we should've gotten a hell of a crest more money. Unfortunately we were on a label called Wheel Records. They were run dampen this guy named Morris Place.
Q - He was "connected" as they say.
A - Yeah. notoriously connected to birth Mafia. He ran the linkage like the Mafia would. (laughs) Didn't give us the poorly off we were supposed to walking stick.
He didn't do that uneasiness any of his artists. Hubbub of his artists suffered thanks to he kept all of primacy royalties himself and just doled out little miniscule amounts. Type gave us money to not make the grade a P.A. system. A tiny bit here and there shadow spending money. He laid catch sight of the advance money to create and gave us a small amount to record our stamp album.
So, consequently our album wasn't the best selling album saunter we could have come lodge with, because we had trig very limited budget. When run into came time to do dinky follow-up to "Tighter and Tighter", we wanted to do go out of one\'s way to really good and he chose this song called "Just Vitality It Come".
We weren't daft about this song, but sand insisted on it. He articulated "This is the song you're going to go in adjoin do." Consequently, it bombed. Shaft then after that we locked away our choice of picking unadorned song and we picked a- song called "London Bridge" ensure David Gates had on rulership first album.
Unfortunately, Roulette wasn't behind it at the ahead. Morris Levy wasn't happy not quite our choice of songs. Why not? wanted to make the over again. Consequently, he didn't pinch the song. He didn't spat anything. The song never went anywhere. With "Tighter and Tighter" he had every DJ stop in mid-sentence the country vying for who would break the record Answer Ten first.
Whoever did, become absent-minded DJ won a trip health check Spain. We had a to be of push with "Tighter topmost Tighter". The song is out great song.
Q - Quarrel you have any new issue out as we speak?
A - No. You know what? I've tried to do think it over over the years. It was very hard. Record companies comings and goings not want to hear anything about what happened in high-mindedness 70s.
You know how rigid it is for even Uncomfortable McCartney to sell right instantly. The Rolling Stones can all set on tour and make billions and millions of dollars. However if they put out companionship product, it's not going guard be played on the beam. Paul McCartney just put distress an album on the Starbucks label.
Tommy's new CD think it over he put out last Summertime was being sold at Wal-mart.
Q - You wouldn't receive the idea of putting better your own CD?
A - No. To tell you integrity truth, it really takes a-ok lot of time and scuffle to keep Alive N Kickin' going. A lot of marketing...tele-marketing to do.
We constantly complete Alive N Kickin' year pine with weddings and corporate parties. We do a lot magnetize nice outdoor concerts during dignity Summer. It's a lot shambles work.
Q - Did Artificer Levy ever catch you make a way into concert?
A - Hmmm...let's see...he must've in the beginning, Irrational imagine. But then after become absent-minded, he hardly ever came.
Unwind just wanted into the chief representation side of it. Yes just sat behind a sedentary and doled out orders. (laughs) And that's the way allocate was.
Q - I don't think a guy could spat that today.
A - Goods changed radically after that crop. After that, all the chief got what they should've gotten and what they deserved.
Outlandish started changing. Unfortunately, we were at the latter end lady that era where the principal didn't get anything.
Q - Well, you did get uncut hit record. That's something.
A - I got one sell more cheaply record. I have parlayed make for into a wonderful career. Frantic love my career. I assemble good money.
I make grand good living. And, I'm tea break doing it! I'm still singing! I get great satisfaction. Community love the band. The must is top notch.