LOCAL SCENE: The Buckinghams — Hey baby, they're still playing our song
There was a time during the 1960s, when the British Invasion was waning and American rockers returned to favor. Leading the pack was a pop/rock group from the Windy City — the Buckinghams.
"That was in 1967," reflected lead singer/rhythm guitarist and original member Carl Giammarese. "We were voted 'The Most Listened To Band In America' in a poll put out by one of the big teen magazines. Their readers voted us as their favorite band that year."
And no wonder, since that was the year the Buckinghams took residence on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart with five Top 20 hits — "Don't You Care", "Kind Of A Drag", "Hey Baby (They're Playing Our Song)", "Susan" and "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" — and were popping up on such popular television shows of the day as "Shindig", Hullabaloo" and "American Bandstand."
The journey began in 1964, when teenagers Giammarese and bassist Nick Fortuna assembled their first sock hop band and discovered playing rock 'n' roll in the school gym was a great way to meet girls. Nearly half a century later, the two are still making music together.
"If someone would've asked me back in the '60s if I'd still be playing rock 'n' roll with the Buckinghams when I was in my 60s, I would have said 'No'," laughed Giammarese. "But here I am, just back from doing the 'Where The Action Is Cruise' with Paul Revere & The Raiders, Davy Jones and Charlie Thomas & The Drifters, and talking to you about playing again this weekend at the Star Plaza Theatre."
The Buckinghams still perform an average of 65 to 75 concerts a year, less festivals these day, in favor of playing in performing arts centers and casinos.
About half the dates are with packaged tours like the one tonight at Star Plaza Theatre, where the Buckinghams join the Grass Roots and Herman's Hermits featuring Peter Noone for "A Salute To The Sixties," to rock Northwest Indiana music fans back to the crazy paisley days of the space race, the Cold War and Neru jackets.
The Buckinghams changed members in the mid–1980s, but co–founders Giammarese and Fortuna have always remained at the helm. After more than 30 years with the same solid line–up, change came again last year. Guitarist Dave Zane has replaced Bobby Abrams and Rocky Penn (formerly a member of fellow Chicago '60s survivors, The Cryan' Shames) has taken over the role of beat keeper from drummer Tommy Sheckle.
"We had a long run with the last line–up, but sometimes you need change and change can be a good thing," said Giammarese. "You're never 100 percent sure what might happen, but as it turns out, this was a good change for the band." Both Zane and Penn have strong voices, a boon to the harmonies so important to Buckinghams' music.
"I knew when we made these changes, a lot of our fans, especially those here in the Chicagoland area, would look at it as a negative thing," said the singer. "But I also knew once they got to know Dave and Rocky, they would embrace them. That's what's happened."
Rounding out the group on keyboards and vocals since 1985 is Bruce Soboroff.
Giammarese has not only been focused on member changes recently, but also on the changes experienced in his own life over the years. He has been writing his memoirs — "Reinventing The Buckinghams: My Journey" — with the help of Chicago writer Dawn Lee Wakefield.
Giammarese says the book is nearly done, though he has no target date for release. He has recorded a special solo acoustic CD — "My Journey" — to accompany the book and take the reader through his musical travels, with stripped down versions of Buckinghams songs, tunes from when he was half of the Tufano & Giammarese folk–rock duo, and songs from his solo project. Fans can find out more on the book and CD at WWW.CARLGIAMMARESE.COM
For tonight's performance it's all about the hits of yesterday and dredging up old memories of high school sock hops and simpler times.
"It's the Grass Roots first, then us, and then Peter comes out with the Hermits," said Giammarese of the performance order for the Star Plaza concert. "It's a great show. It's nonstop hits from start to finish. Songs everyone knows and can sing along with ... so those coming should be prepared to have fun."
The opinions expressed are solely the writer's. Reach him at beatboss@aol.com.
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