HAL B. SELZER: FLASHBACK!
From 1996 to 1998, the "flashback" column was a regular weekly feature in the East Coast Rocker written by Jersey Shore musician/songwriter/producer/columnist, Hal B. Selzer. The success of the "flashback" column can be attributed to Hal’s own illustrious musical career during which time he has played with many of New Jersey’s top acts including:
Crystal Ship, Adrian Dodz, Silent Witness, Tenfold, Sticky Fingers, Bobby Bandiera Band, DogVoices, Jarrett Dean/Talk Town, Luxx, Friction, Jimmy & The Parrots, Matt O’Ree and Gary U.S. Bonds
Hal has also shared the same stage on numerous occasions as some of New Jersey’s most famous musicians including: Bruce Springsteen, Jon Bon Jovi and Southside Johnny
When he’s not performing, Hal’s journalistic skills can be found regularly in the following publications:
The Aquarian/East Coast Rocker
Jersey Style
UK Rock and Metal magazine "Powerplay"
Inside Connection
In addition to all of the above, Hal co-produced the outstanding 1999 release, The Spirit Of Asbury Park – Rockin’ The Jersey Shore, a compilation CD that features original material performed by some of New Jersey’s finest musicians. Other CDs featuring Hal’s production skills include: Dressed To Thrill a tribute to KISS and Stiff Competition, a tribute to Cheap Trick.
The following "flashback" collection is a fascinating insight into many of the bands whose undisputed talents have contributed to the legendary Jersey Shore Music scene. All of the articles contained in this anthology were originally published in The Aquarian/East Coast Rocker and have been transcribed with permission.
BOYSTOWN
Posted by Maggie Powell - 20:31 on 13 Aug 2006All over the world, wherever the popular American TV show "21 Jumpstreet" is playing, people are hearing New Jersey’s own Boystown. Boystown was one of the top original bands on the scene in the late ‘80s, and they spawned several songs that are still played in various places around the globe. The group was led by Dave Polemeni on guitar and vocals, and he was joined by Nelson Williams on drums, Joey Sykes on bass, Bobby Guy on keyboards, and John Tito on guitar. Together, they played a wide array of shows, from New Jersey to Los Angeles to England. They made appearances opening for the likes of New Kids On The Block, John Entwhistle, Kansas, and the ...
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COLONY
Posted by Maggie Powell - 20:30 on 13 Aug 2006Back in the mid-1970s, there was a band at the Jersey Shore that grew to become a household name in that part of the state. They were called Colony, and from their home base at the Stone Pony, they stretched out both musically and geographically to become a mainstay on the circuit up and down the shore, as well as out to Pennsylvania. Colony was made up of Ralph Jones on bass, Owen O’Shaunasey on vocals, Ronnie Mayu on drums, Larry Capola on guitar, and Michael Garcia on keyboards. "They were the stuff," says Bobby Mancari, present day guitarist with popular shore band the Cherubs. "They really had it going." Together five years, they entertained cro...
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CRYSTAL SHIP
Posted by Maggie Powell - 20:29 on 13 Aug 2006In the early ‘80s, there was a band that dominated the club scene like no other. In the heyday of the Jersey circuit, their record of prominence over all the other bands on the scene was unchallenged. The band was called Crystal Ship, and their show, called "Renaissance Of The Doors", packed clubs and theatres up and down the East Coast. The band had their beginnings in the late ‘70s with singer Joe Tag. He was in a local North Jersey cover band, and whenever they did Doors songs, the crowd would yell for more. His vocal style, as well as the sound of his voice, was uncannily like that of Jim Morrison. He decided to put together a band to perform all ...
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DEAN FASANO
Posted by Maggie Powell - 20:28 on 13 Aug 2006Back in 1980, a band was forming that would end up in the charts in Europe in 1996. The band was called the Message, and not only did it have a modern day revival, but the group played a major role in the formation of one of New Jersey’s biggest contributions to rock and roll history. Dean Fasano, long known as one of the most distinctive voices on the New Jersey music scene, was playing in various bands with guitarist Richie Sambora in the late ‘70s. One of the groups actually got a recording deal with Led Zeppelin’s Swan Song label, but Zeppelin drummer John Bonham dies, and the label disbanded. In 1980, Dean was approached by a financial backer, w...
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FAITH HEALER
Posted by Maggie Powell - 20:28 on 13 Aug 2006If you listened to WSOU in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, you are probably familiar with the music of Faith Healer. Besides being in heavy rotation on New Jersey’s premier heavy metal outlet, they also achieved the feat of becoming the second most requested band on a Belgian radio station. The group was started by guitarist Joey DeMaio. He had been writing with Peter Blates of Accept, and he was looking to put together some musicians to play some of the songs he had been writing. He put together a top-notch group of musicians, including vocalist Peter Scherer, guitarist Gordon Brown, drummer Carlo Lotorocca, and bassist Fred Teschle. The music of the ...
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FATE
Posted by Maggie Powell - 20:27 on 13 Aug 2006One of the first big bands on the Jersey Club scene was Fate, which toured the circuit in the early days of the scene’s development. Back in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, they were one of the big draws in the state. The band’s nucleus was formed in a high school band called The Click. The members were taking lessons at the Red Bank School of Music. They soon changed the name of the group to Fate when they started playing clubs. The members of the group included brothers Emile and Vinny Talarico, who alternated with each other on drums and vocals, depending on the vocal range required by the song. They were joined by guitarist Jimmy Scott, keyboardist...
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FATHER FOX
Posted by Maggie Powell - 20:26 on 13 Aug 2006"We were playing a gig at a college in New York, for a black crowd. They were chanting ‘We don’t want your music,’ and they set up a stereo in front of the band, while we were still playing! Because of that we went home and rehearsed some James Brown stuff, and some really funky stuff, and found it went over really good at the shore. Nobody else was doing it, and pretty soon we started having lines around the block." So explains Joe Bellia, one of the founding members of one of the biggest Jersey bands of the ‘70s, Father Fox. It turned out that the disastrous gig in New York led to the group’s evolution into the premier dance and funk band of their d...
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FLA
Posted by Maggie Powell - 20:25 on 13 Aug 2006FLA... not only an abbreviation for Florida, but one of the Jersey circuit bands in the ‘80s that played all the top clubs. The band was formed by one of the circuit agents on the early ‘80s, Artie Fletcher. On a trip to Florida, he discovered Laura, who was not only a great vocalist, but played a mean guitar. So he brought her to New Jersey, and soon FLA was born. Joining Laura in the group were Chris on drums, Bruce on bass, Ace on guitar, and Richie on keyboards. Soon after, Michael was brought in on drums. "I knew Bruce and Ace, and I was going to all the gigs," remembers Michael. "And then they were having trouble with the drummer, or he was havi...
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FRANKIE & THE KNOCKOUTS
Posted by Maggie Powell - 20:25 on 13 Aug 2006In the early ‘80s, you couldn’t turn on the radio without hearing the Top 5 hit "Sweetheart", or the Top 20 songs "You’re My Girl" and "Without You." Most people don’t realize they came from New Jersey based singer/songwriter Frankie Previtt, with his band Frankie & The Knockouts. Frankie started the band in 1980, and by 1981 the band had a record deal. Along with Frankie, the group featured Lee Fox on bass, Billy Elworthy on guitar, Claude Lehenoff on drums, and Blake Levinson and Tommy Ayres on Keyboards. After the release of the first album, Tico Torres took over on drums. The group did extensive touring during that time period, hitting the road w...
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KINDERHOOK CREEK
Posted by Maggie Powell - 20:17 on 13 Aug 2006One of the famous names from the heyday of the Jersey club scene is Kinderhook Creek. The band had a nine-year run of success, not only playing all the major area clubs, but opening up for many of the top acts of the day at venues such as the Capitol Theater in Passaic ad the Palladium in New York City. The nucleus of the band included Yuri Turchen on fiddle and guitar, Jerry Kopychuk on lead vocals, Andy Fediw on bass, Craig Barry on drums, Joe Breitenbach on guitar, and Stan Taylor on pedal steel and lap steel. All the members sang, making the group one of the top vocal bands in the area. During the later years, they were joined by keyboardist John ...
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MONROE
Posted by Maggie Powell - 20:16 on 13 Aug 2006Along with Twisted Sister, one of the best-known "glam" type bands on the circuit in the early ‘80s was Monroe. While almost all of the bands from that period have faded into memory, Monroe has managed to keep going and is making their return to the Jersey stage with an appearance at Mother’s in Wayne, this coming Saturday, Jan. 4th. The band was started in the late ‘70s by singer Bill Monroe and his longtime drummer, Kenny, and they have kept the band going through various transitions through the years. Originally, they were an original band, but when they burst on the club scene in the ‘80s, they made a name for themselves with blistering versions o...
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NORMAN NARDINI
Posted by Maggie Powell - 20:15 on 13 Aug 2006It was in the late ‘80s, and as usual, the Stone Pony was packed. On stage was a skinny, grimacing guitar player, clad in a funny hat and boxer shorts covered with hearts. It was Norman Nardini, the Pittsburgh native who came to New Jersey and soon became a mainstay in the shore rock and roll scene. Norman Nardini and the Tigers first showed up at the Fastlane in Asbury Park in 1980. "I had a friend in New York who knew the guy who booked the Fastlane," explains Norman. "He showed him a picture of me looking crazy." The first night the band played at the club, it was opening up for a local up and coming band, The Rest. "We crushed," says Norman. "At ...
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PRETTY BABY
Posted by Maggie Powell - 20:14 on 13 Aug 2006One of the wild nights on the Jersey shore scene back in the late 1970s and early 1980s was at the Union Jack in South River, where the band Pretty Baby held a long running Sunday night party. "The bartenders used to jump on stage and sing with us," explains guitarist Pete Weber. "It was a real party night." Joining Pete in Pretty Baby were vocalist/guitarist Kim Catrillo, bass player Rich Gray, drummer Joe Cailo, and keyboard player Wayne Decker. Together they formed the nucleus of what was one of the mainstays on the Jersey club scene at the time. Besides the Union Jack, they could often be seen at clubs such as Close Encounters in Sayreville, the ...
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RAZOR SHARP
Posted by Maggie Powell - 20:13 on 13 Aug 2006"We were getting airplay on WSOU and WDHA, and we did a live interview on WSOU," remembers drummer Billy Orrico. "We did okay. It was tough for an original band, especially in the ‘80s trying to get something happening." The band was called Razor Sharp, and they were one of the premier original bands in the Jersey scene on the ‘80s. They garnered extensive record company interest, but were never able to get over the hump and sign a deal. Joining Billy in the band were guitarist/songwriter Tom Saffioto, bass player Bill Ruffino, vocalist Bruce Torkelson, and guitarist John Albino. Together they hit all the area’s top original showcase clubs, including ...
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STARZ
Posted by Maggie Powell - 22:17 on 12 Aug 2006In the mid-‚70s, two aspiring musicians met at Rutgers University, and formed the basis for what would be Starz, a group that went on to record nine albums, tour with groups such as Aerosmith, Rush and Ted Nugent, and earn their places in the pantheon of New Jersey rock and roll history. Drummer Joe Dube and bassist Peter Sweval were soon joined by singer Michael E. Smith, guitarists Brendan Harkin and Richie Ranno, and bassist Peter Skance. All the members hailed from New Jersey except Michael, who originally came from Atlanta. The group hooked up with managers Bill Aucioin and Sean Delaney, who were at the time involved with the upcoming new band K...
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STRAIGHTFACE
Posted by Maggie Powell - 22:14 on 12 Aug 2006Straightface was originally formed by vocalist Joe Zetti, and guitarists Thommie Gwynn and Steve Mazza. They were playing together in a group called Last Call, but when the bass player left, taking the name with him, they recruited bassist and synth player Kevin Cummings, and changed the name to Straightface. Soon after, Dewey Ribustella came aboard to play drums. The band started out playing three or four times a month, but it didn’t take long for the group to start working three and four nights a week. They performed on Wednesdays at Dillinger’s in Palisades Park, and regularly hit clubs such as Wild Mike’s in Lodi, Rock The House in Wallington, and...
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THE CLUB HEYDAY
Posted by Maggie Powell - 22:13 on 12 Aug 2006If you regularly read Flashback, you might have noticed how many of the bands chronicled talk about the heyday of the Jersey club scene. In the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, it seemed like there were big clubs all over the state, with top bands plying almost every night of the week. One of the most famous of the clubs was The Stone Pony in Asbury Park. With a lineup that included every Wednesday with the Nines, every Thursday with Bobby Bandiera and the Asbury All-Stars, Fridays and Saturdays with a mix of the top groups from around the state and national touring bands, and Sundays with Cats On A Smooth Surface, it was a place you could catch great shows,...
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THE COURTEOUS DRIVERS
Posted by Maggie Powell - 22:12 on 12 Aug 2006The Courteous Drivers were a band that utilized a unique blend of "long form" rock, by bands such as Pink Floyd, and turned that trademark sound into a formula that made them one of the biggest bands on the Jersey circuit in the late ‘70s. "We played cover songs, and they were tight covers," says bassist Peter Myers, "But we added a dimension to them. We would do 10-minute arrangements of songs." Joining Peter in the group were guitarist and vocalist Billy Morris, drummer Peter Gaygen, and keyboard player Tommy Jones. The band started out at a small club in Sea Girt called Joe Crines. After they packed the place, they started playing other venues all ...
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THE NERDS
Posted by Maggie Powell - 22:09 on 12 Aug 2006Everyone who knows the Jersey club scene knows who The Nerds are. But not many people know how they started, or how they developed into what they are today. As Jim, otherwise known as Spaz, tells it, what he had the Nerds are today is really a combination of some of the early and mid ‘80s circuit bands. He made a conscious effort to learn from the best, and not only what to do, but also what not to do. "I went out two or three nights a week," he recalls. "I was in nothing bands, doing whatever that particular band was good at." Those bands were doing Bruce Springsteen, The Doors, Beatles, Rolling Stones, basically standard rock and roll material. "Th...
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THE ODYSSEY
Posted by Maggie Powell - 18:04 on 12 Aug 2006One of the legendary clubs that was a part of the Asbury Park scene in the 60s and early 70s, a scene that was the spawning ground for what came to be known around the world as the "Jersey Sound" was the Upstage. And one of the premier bands playing regularly at the club was The Odyssey. The Odyssey would often play two gigs a night at the Upstage. They started out in the downstairs room, which stayed open until midnight, and then headed upstairs, where they played from 1 a.m. until the club closed at 5. The group consisted of Kevin Kavanaugh on keyboards, Richie Holmes on drums, Tom Cron on bass, and Tom Dickinson on guitar. They played a mix of old...
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WOLVZ
Posted by Maggie Powell - 18:01 on 12 Aug 2006In the mid ‚80s there was a burgeoning heavy metal scene in South Jersey/Philadelphia area. Bands such as Cinderella and Britny Fox made a big impact on the national scene, and many lesser-known bands tried in vain to follow in their footsteps. One of the bands that did manage to break through and gain notoriety for themselves was a group called Wolves. The group originally started in 1984 under the name Metalwolf. The members included vocalist Dave Fife, bassist Billy Riker, guitar player Jay Janns and drummer Brandt. In 1988, singer Timmy Fitz joined, and with Dave moving over to guitar, the band changed their name to Wolvz. The band’s stronghold w...
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