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$30.00
Two Long-Lost Albums from Boffalongo
(Larry’s band before Orleans)
Now HERE’s something you don’t find everyday …
CDs of music from one of our own, pre-dating Orleans … vintage ’69 / ’70.
These are digitally remastered discs with booklet artwork replicated from the original album covers, encased in high-quality heavyweight jewel cases.
Collector’s value? … Priceless !!!
From the CyberDesk of Larry Hoppen
I’d just left Ithaca College as a Music Ed. student when I joined Boffalongo. In pretty short order we cut 2 albums in New York City (released in 1969 and 1970).
The first LP is the original band … Keith Ginsberg on guitar/vocals, Basil Matychuk on keys/vocals, the late Ritchie Vitagliano on drums and me on bass; 7 of their songs and 5 written by me. I played some guitar, organ, trumpet and sang, as well. Recorded in a ‘state of the art’ 4-track studio on 54th Street, it exemplifies the sheer energy / exploration of youth: a first effort from a group of kids with an eclectic, intellectual and sometimes ethereal idea of pop music.
Boff’s personnel changed before we cut our 2nd LP Beyond Your Head in the same studio, now upgraded to 8-track! Keith left, Basil stayed, I moved to guitar, David ‘Doc ‘Robinson joined on bass and Ritchie still drummed on the record. However, the live band changed radically, right after the LP was released.
Sherman Kelly replaced Basil on keyboards/vocals and my former college roommate, Peter Giansante, entered on drums – just long enough to record a new song named Dancin’ in the Moonlight, written by Sherman in 1969.
Beyond Your Head shows the band’s growth from the firstLP, with a preview of things to come through a first recording of what would become a global, iconic song, plus tunes by Doc and myself including a 3-song suite a la CS&N. (Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery ;-
A few years later, Doc would be the lead singer on the huge hit rendition of Dancin’ in the Moonlight by King Harvest (1973), a band which included Sherman as well as (the late) Wells Kelly – Sherman’s younger brother – who both became Boff’s drummer until we disbanded in late 1971and then joined up with John Hall to start Orleans in Woodstock, NY, bringing me into the initial trio in Feb. of 1972.
Go ahead … grab a piece of musical history NOW.
There’s no tellin’ how long our source will be able to provide these to us.
