B

Hello People, The

Band members Related acts

- Country (aka Greg Geddes)- vocals, guitar, bass (1967-)
- Goodfellow (aka Bobby Sedita) - vocals, guitar, bass (1967-)
- Much More (aka Larry Tassi) - keyboards, backing vocals (1967-)
- Smoothie (W.S. "Smoothy" Tongue - vocals, guitar, woodwinds, sax, percussion (1967)
- Thump Thump (aka Ronnie Blake) - drums, percussion (1967-)
- Wry One (aka Michael Sagarese) - sax, woodwind, backing vocals (1967-)
- Peter Weston - vocals, guitar (replaced W.S. Tongue) (1968-)

- Kangeroo (N.D. Smart)
- The Remains (N.D. Smart)

Rating: * (3 stars) Title: The Hello People Company: Philips Catalog: Year: 1967 Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: -- Available: -- Price: SOLD**	As a rule of thumb we avoid anything involving mimes with a passion. Along with real estate agents, there's just something thoroughly annoying about them. That said, we found a couple of the band's albums at a yard sale for a dollar a pop. We would have probably passed on it for the fact the seller told us they had a psych edge - not exactly truth in advertising !!! The Hello People stand as the brainchild of producer/manager Lew Futterman (the same guy who hoisted N'Synch and O-Town on the world). Futterman's inspiration for the project reportedly came from the work of French mime Etienne De Crux who for some obscure reason had taught a bunch of French musicians how to paint. Gawd only knows why, but Futterman apparently decided to try to reverse engineer the process, literally teaching a bunch of musicians how to mime (what a great concept !!!). Moving on with the project, Futterman recruited Cleveland-based drummer Ronnie Blake, bassist Greg Geddes, woodwind player Michael Sagarese, singer/guitarist Bobby Sedita, keyboardist Larry Tassi and singer/guitarist W.S. Tongu. By 1967 the sextet had carved out an identity/sales pitch for themselves. Billied as Country (Geddes), Goodfellow (Sedita), Much More (Tassi), Smoothie (Tongue), Thump Thump (Blake) and Wry One (Sagarese), the group's stage act saw them performing in makeup and incorporating mime segments between songs. Performances at various New York clubs, including Café Wha? and The Players Theater began to attract word of mouth attention, culminating in several television appearences, including shots on the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour and the Johnny Carson Show. Signed by Philips, the band debuted with the 1967 single "Let's Go Hide In The Forest" b/w "Disparity Waterfront Blues" (Philips catalog number 40481). Though the single vanished without a trace, Philips elected to fund an album -"The Hello People". Teamed with producer Lew Futterman, musically original material such as "A Stranger At Her Door", "(As I Went Down To) Jerusalem" and "It's a Monday Kind of Tuesday" found the band pursuing a mildly enjoyable mix of pop and lite-psych moves. Elsewhere, Terry Jacks should have been subjected to severe punishment for his inane liner notes ("the hello people are just like everyone else only more so in fact they are so much like all of us that they feel the same things we feel only twice as hard you say thats silly that no one can feel your pain more than you or laugh half as heartily when the seed you planted becomes a flower ..."). Shortly after the album was released the band underwent a personnel shakeup with Peter Weston replacing Tongue. "The Hello People" track listing: 1.) It's a Monday Kind of Tuesday 2.) Sunrise Meadow 3.) A Stranger at Her Door 4.) Movin' and Growin' 5.) Paisley Teddy Bear 6.) (As, I Went Down to) Jerusalem 7.) Lamplight, Nightlight 8.) Mr. Truth Evading, Masquerading Man 9.) Paris in the Rain

Rating: *** (3 stars) Title: FFFFFFusionNNNNN Company: Philips Catalog: PHS 600-276 Year: 1968 Grade (cover/record): VG/VG+ Comments: minor ring, edge and corner wear; gatefold sleeve; small cut out hole top left corner Available: 1 Price: $6.00	Continuing their work with producer Futterman (Bill Szymczyk engineering), 1968's "FFFFFFusionNNNNN" has it's moments. Far more diverse (or unfocused) than the debut, the collection bounced all over the musical spectrum. The opening ballad "White Winged Doves" was certainly one of the prettiest things they ever recorded. Inspired by Tongue's imprisonment on draft evasion charges, "Anthem" offered up a slice of then-topical social commentary (yawn), "If I Should Sing Too Softly" was glistening AM top-40, while the instrumental "Jelly Jam" stood as forgettable lite-jazz. Hardly the year's most original offering, the album was still worth a spin, particularly if you're into playing 'spot-the-influence'. Personal favorites, the Michael Nesmith-styled country-rocker "How Does It Feel To Be Free" and the poppy "Everything's Better". (The album was originally released with a gatefold sleeve.) "FFFFFFusionNNNNN" check listing: 1.) White Winged Doves (Peter Weston - W.S. Tongue - Lawrence Tasse - Michael Sagarese - Robert Sedita - George Geddes) - 4:11 2.) Anthem (Peter Weston - W.S. Tongue - Lawrence Tasse - Michael Sagarese - Robert Sedita - George Geddes) - 4:01 3.) Jelly Jam (instrumental) (Peter Weston - W.S. Tongue - Lawrence Tasse - Michael Sagarese - Robert Sedita - George Geddes) - 4:00 4.) If I Should Sing Too Softly (Peter Weston - W.S. Tongue - Lawrence Tasse - Michael Sagarese - Robert Sedita - George Geddes) - 3:16 5.) How Does It Feel To Be Free (Peter Weston - W.S. Tongue - Lawrence Tasse - Michael Sagarese - Robert Sedita - George Geddes) - 3:41 6.) Pray for Rain (Peter Weston - W.S. Tongue - Lawrence Tasse - Michael Sagarese - Robert Sedita - George Geddes) - 2:53 7.) A Dream of Tomorrow (Peter Weston - W.S. Tongue - Lawrence Tasse - Michael Sagarese - Robert Sedita - George Geddes) - 4:18 8.) Everything's Better (Peter Weston - W.S. Tongue - Lawrence Tasse - Michael Sagarese - Robert Sedita - George Geddes) - 3:17 9.) Come and See Me (Peter Weston - W.S. Tongue - Lawrence Tasse - Michael Sagarese - Robert Sedita - George Geddes) - 6:38 10.) I Ride To Nowhere (Peter Weston - W.S. Tongue - Lawrence Tasse - Michael Sagarese - Robert Sedita - George Geddes) - 3:06

Back to search

Hosted by www.Geocities.ws