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The Choir (garage rock)
Encyclopedia
The Choir was a garage rock
band largely active in the greater Cleveland area from the mid 1960s into the early 1970s. Originally called The Mods, their largest commercial success came with the release of their first single "It's Cold Outside" in December 1966. The song, considered by many to be a classic of the garage rock
era, was featured on Pebbles, Volume 2
, one of the earlier garage rock
compilation LPs
(issued in 1979). The flipside, "I'm Going Home" was included as a bonus track when the Pebbles album was reissued as a CD, and it can also be found on a garage rock
compilation LP on Ohio bands, Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 9
. The Choir is well known for containing three of the four original members of Raspberries
(all except lead singer Eric Carmen
).
in late 1963 before most of his peers, since a girl he knew had been to England and brought back a copy of the Beatles
' first single, "Love Me Do
" and one of their early albums (probably With the Beatles
) before their release in the U.S. Within months, he had organized a band with three of his friends who all attended Mentor High School in Mentor, Ohio
. Dann Klawon began as the drummer for the band, Dave Smalley and Dan Heckel were the guitarists, and Tom Boles served as lead singer. (Randy Klawon, Dann's brother, did not officially join the band until 1968; but he filled in on drums for one concert in 1966 when he was just 14). They called themselves The Mods, and again, Klawon was ahead of his time: although Mod was established in England by the late 1950s, the British band that is most often identified as "mod" in the U.S. is The Who
, which was formed in the same year as The Mods.
Soon, The Choir had subtracted Heckel and Boles and added Dave Burke on bass, Wally Bryson on guitar, and Jim Bonfanti on drums; while Klawon moved to the rhythm guitar post. Klawon recalls: So we began playing songs by the Beatles
, the Who
, Stones
, Zombies
, Troggs
, and Moody Blues. If they were from England, we played it. We had this song list that was unbelievable... And everybody alternated instruments, depending on what song. We'd have that written on [index] cards, as to who played what on what song.
In the summer of 1966, the band traveled to Chicago
, where they recorded their first single with "It's Cold Outside" (written by bandleader Dann Klawon) on the "A" side, which was originally released on Canadian-American Records
. According to Klawon: I used to write quite a bit then, and one day I was thinking of some sort of theme to use with the moon/spoon, boy/girl lyrics. I decided to go with a weather analogy. While there, they discovered that a Chicago band called The Modernaires had shortened their name to The Mods, so they renamed themselves The Choir. The song was hugely popular in Cleveland and topped the Cleveland charts for six weeks; the song did quite well throughout the Midwest, particularly after the re-release of the single on Roulette Records
in early 1967. By the spring of 1967, "It's Cold Outside" peaked at #68 on the Billboard Charts and at #55 on the Cash Box charts, and it even made the CHUM Chart
s in Toronto
, Canada
.
Not long after the single was recorded, however, Dann Klawon and Dave Burke left the band; and a succession of line-up changes ensued. Ironically, considering that he would later front the Raspberries with three core members of the band, Eric Carmen
's audition to join The Choir did not go well; Kenny Margolis was selected instead. Carmen had been a major fan in the band's early years and was hurt by the rejection; not long after he joined Cyrus Erie, Carmen lured former Choir guitarist Wally Bryson to his new band, and they soon eclipsed The Choir as the most popular local band. The band's second and third singles did not have the same success as their first, and in the spring of 1968, The Choir disbanded.
The Choir reformed in late 1968 – for the second time, with the bandleader also being the drummer (Jim Bonfanti) – and regained much of their earlier popularity in the local scene. According to Denny Carleton: The new Choir's repertoire encompassed jazz, R&B, ballads and classical rock, and about 20 original songs. The group had an unusual keyboard-dominated sound, sometimes even using three keyboards on songs like "MacArthur Park
" and Traffic
's "Colored Rain". While other bands were simply performing standard tunes by The Beatles, Stones and Who, etc., The Choir was attempting projects of some magnitude, like taking "MacArthur Park", which was written for full orchestra, and rearranging it for three keyboards, bass, drums and guitar, or performing a 7-minute concerto with four time changes.
In 1969, the band returned to the studio and recorded a planned album that had a more psychedelic
flavor, with eight original songs and a cover of a song by the Kinks
. The tape was shipped to several different record labels without success. After releasing a final unsuccessful single on Intrepid Records in 1970 – including a cover of a song by the Easybeats
as the "A" side, "Gonna Have a Good Time Tonight" (which was a hit song for INXS
many years later) – the band broke up for good.
label in September 1966 but didn't take off until being leased to Roulette Records
several months later. "It's Cold Outside" is a wonderful example of early power pop
and, unlike many garage rock
classics, is unabashedly Beatlesque
, with fine songwriting and strong harmonies. One of the few covers of "It's Cold Outside" was released by Stiv Bators
in 1979, the same year that the song was reissued on the Pebbles, Volume 2
LP. Although it had been a long-time favorite of Bators, the punk
band the Dead Boys
– which he had fronted earlier in the decade – had wanted to record their own version but were unable to figure out how to play it.
Due to the band's shifting line-up over the years, their remaining songs are varied in style and (according to some) somewhat uneven in quality. Don Krider, in a long article on The Choir, dubbed "I'd Rather You Leave Me" (written by Wally Bryson) "Raspberries
'67 – it's that good!" Phil Giallombardo's song, "Anyway I Can" is compared favorably with the Left Banke
's "Walk Away Renee"; while the Denny Carleton song, "If These are Men" is termed "a wild, psychedelic '60s track (we're talking potential "Austin Powers
" material here)."
was the third member of Pie (with Phil Giallombardo and Jim Bonfanti) and the third member of the Power Trio (with Dann Klawon and Dave Burke).
Three of the members of The Choir played with a reunited Raspberries
in late 2004 and often fielded requests for "It's Cold Outside". When The Choir decided to perform a reunion concert as well, there was enough demand for tickets that a second concert appearance was added. Thus, on March 3 and 4, 2006, as pictured, the band reunited for the first time since 1989 (and the first appearance in nearly 40 years for the original bandmembers) for a two-night stand at Beachland Ballroom in Cleveland.
and works as an electrical contractor; he also sings and plays piano at Lakeside Baptist Church there.
Wally Bryson is a community employment specialist with the Cuyahoga County Board of Mental Retardation; he lives and works in Euclid, Ohio
.
Jim Bonfanti has an auto sales business in Mentor, Ohio
.
Dave Smalley is a respiratory therapist and lives in Arizona
.
Denny Carleton is a worship leader, and music teacher, at Mt. Carmel Church and School, in Wickliffe, Ohio
and is also active in the Catholic Charismatic Renewal
and as a Christian musician.
released a 5-song EP of unreleased songs by the band, called The Choir
; it is still available on the label's website. In 1978, Bomp's first compilation LP
, Best of Bomp Records, Volume 1 included one of these songs; this album was recently reissued on CD.
In 1994, a Choir retrospective album, called Choir Practice
, was issued by Sundazed Records
as an LP and a CD, featuring all 5 of the songs on the Bomp EP, along with many previously unreleased tracks.
Although Choir Practice
omitted most of the tracks on the band's singles, the majority have been released on one or more compilation album
s of garage rock
and psychedelic rock
music. For instance, "It's Cold Outside" was released on the landmark box set Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, 1965-1968
(though not on the original double-LP release), along with the Pebbles, Volume 2
LP and CD. To date, both sides of the band's fifth single, along with "Changin' My Mind" from their fourth single remain un-reissued.
I'm Going Home
Don't You Feel A Little Sorry For Me
No One Here To Play With
When You Were With Me
Any Way I Can
I'd Rather You Leave Me
Garage rock
Garage rock is a raw form of rock and roll that was first popular in the United States and Canada from about 1963 to 1967. During the 1960s, it was not recognized as a separate music genre and had no specific name...
band largely active in the greater Cleveland area from the mid 1960s into the early 1970s. Originally called The Mods, their largest commercial success came with the release of their first single "It's Cold Outside" in December 1966. The song, considered by many to be a classic of the garage rock
Garage rock
Garage rock is a raw form of rock and roll that was first popular in the United States and Canada from about 1963 to 1967. During the 1960s, it was not recognized as a separate music genre and had no specific name...
era, was featured on Pebbles, Volume 2
Pebbles, Volume 2
Pebbles, Volume 2 is a compilation album in the Pebbles series that has been issued in both LP and CD formats. Another Pebbles, Volume 2 was issued on CD a few years earlier by ESD Records and has almost completely different tracks.-Release data:...
, one of the earlier garage rock
Garage rock
Garage rock is a raw form of rock and roll that was first popular in the United States and Canada from about 1963 to 1967. During the 1960s, it was not recognized as a separate music genre and had no specific name...
compilation LPs
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
(issued in 1979). The flipside, "I'm Going Home" was included as a bonus track when the Pebbles album was reissued as a CD, and it can also be found on a garage rock
Garage rock
Garage rock is a raw form of rock and roll that was first popular in the United States and Canada from about 1963 to 1967. During the 1960s, it was not recognized as a separate music genre and had no specific name...
compilation LP on Ohio bands, Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 9
Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 9
Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 9 is a compilation album in the Highs in the Mid-Sixties series, featuring recordings that were released in Ohio...
. The Choir is well known for containing three of the four original members of Raspberries
Raspberries (band)
Raspberries is an American power pop/pop rock band from Cleveland, Ohio. They had a run of success in the early 1970s music scene with their crisp pop sound, which Allmusic later described as featuring "exquisitely crafted melodies and achingly gorgeous harmonies." The members were known for their...
(all except lead singer Eric Carmen
Eric Carmen
Eric Howard Carmen is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and keyboardist.He scored numerous hit songs across the 1970s and 1980s, first as a member of the Raspberries , and then with his solo career, including hits such as "All By Myself", "Never Gonna Fall in Love Again", "She Did It",...
).
History of the Band
The first bandleader of The Choir, Dann Klawon (also called Dan Klawon or Danny Klawon) discovered BeatlemaniaBeatlemania
Beatlemania is a term that originated during the 1960s to describe the intense fan frenzy directed toward The Beatles during the early years of their success...
in late 1963 before most of his peers, since a girl he knew had been to England and brought back a copy of the Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
' first single, "Love Me Do
Love Me Do
"Love Me Do" is The Beatles' first single, backed by "P.S. I Love You" and released on 5 October 1962. When the single was originally released in the United Kingdom, it peaked at number seventeen; in 1982 it was re-issued and reached number four...
" and one of their early albums (probably With the Beatles
With the Beatles
With The Beatles is the second studio album by the English rock group The Beatles. It was released on 22 November 1963 on Parlophone, and was recorded four months after the band's debut Please Please Me...
) before their release in the U.S. Within months, he had organized a band with three of his friends who all attended Mentor High School in Mentor, Ohio
Mentor, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 50,278 people, 18,797 households, and 14,229 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,878.2 people per square mile . There were 19,301 housing units at an average density of 721.0 per square mile...
. Dann Klawon began as the drummer for the band, Dave Smalley and Dan Heckel were the guitarists, and Tom Boles served as lead singer. (Randy Klawon, Dann's brother, did not officially join the band until 1968; but he filled in on drums for one concert in 1966 when he was just 14). They called themselves The Mods, and again, Klawon was ahead of his time: although Mod was established in England by the late 1950s, the British band that is most often identified as "mod" in the U.S. is The Who
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
, which was formed in the same year as The Mods.
Soon, The Choir had subtracted Heckel and Boles and added Dave Burke on bass, Wally Bryson on guitar, and Jim Bonfanti on drums; while Klawon moved to the rhythm guitar post. Klawon recalls: So we began playing songs by the Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
, the Who
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
, Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
, Zombies
The Zombies
The Zombies are an English rock band, formed in 1961 in St Albans and led by Rod Argent, on piano and keyboards, and vocalist Colin Blunstone. The group scored a UK and US hit in 1964 with "She's Not There"...
, Troggs
The Troggs
The Troggs are an English rock band from the 1960s that had a number of hits in UK and the US. Their most famous songs include, "Wild Thing", "With a Girl Like You", and "Love Is All Around"...
, and Moody Blues. If they were from England, we played it. We had this song list that was unbelievable... And everybody alternated instruments, depending on what song. We'd have that written on [index] cards, as to who played what on what song.
In the summer of 1966, the band traveled to Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, where they recorded their first single with "It's Cold Outside" (written by bandleader Dann Klawon) on the "A" side, which was originally released on Canadian-American Records
Canadian-American Records
Canadian-American Records was a record label based in both New York City and Winnipeg, Manitoba. It was started in February, 1959 by Gene Orndorf of Deering, ND. The most popular artists for the label were the duo of Santo & Johnny and singer Linda Scott....
. According to Klawon: I used to write quite a bit then, and one day I was thinking of some sort of theme to use with the moon/spoon, boy/girl lyrics. I decided to go with a weather analogy. While there, they discovered that a Chicago band called The Modernaires had shortened their name to The Mods, so they renamed themselves The Choir. The song was hugely popular in Cleveland and topped the Cleveland charts for six weeks; the song did quite well throughout the Midwest, particularly after the re-release of the single on Roulette Records
Roulette Records
Roulette Records is an American record label, which was founded in late 1956, by George Goldner, Joe Kolsky, Morris Levy and Phil Khals, with creative control given to producers and songwriters Hugo Peretti and Luigi Creatore. Levy was appointed as director...
in early 1967. By the spring of 1967, "It's Cold Outside" peaked at #68 on the Billboard Charts and at #55 on the Cash Box charts, and it even made the CHUM Chart
CHUM Chart
The CHUM Chart was a ranking of top 30 songs on Toronto, Ontario radio station CHUM 1050 AM, from 1957 to 1986, and was the longest-running Top 40 chart in the world produced by an individual radio station...
s in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
Not long after the single was recorded, however, Dann Klawon and Dave Burke left the band; and a succession of line-up changes ensued. Ironically, considering that he would later front the Raspberries with three core members of the band, Eric Carmen
Eric Carmen
Eric Howard Carmen is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and keyboardist.He scored numerous hit songs across the 1970s and 1980s, first as a member of the Raspberries , and then with his solo career, including hits such as "All By Myself", "Never Gonna Fall in Love Again", "She Did It",...
's audition to join The Choir did not go well; Kenny Margolis was selected instead. Carmen had been a major fan in the band's early years and was hurt by the rejection; not long after he joined Cyrus Erie, Carmen lured former Choir guitarist Wally Bryson to his new band, and they soon eclipsed The Choir as the most popular local band. The band's second and third singles did not have the same success as their first, and in the spring of 1968, The Choir disbanded.
The Choir reformed in late 1968 – for the second time, with the bandleader also being the drummer (Jim Bonfanti) – and regained much of their earlier popularity in the local scene. According to Denny Carleton: The new Choir's repertoire encompassed jazz, R&B, ballads and classical rock, and about 20 original songs. The group had an unusual keyboard-dominated sound, sometimes even using three keyboards on songs like "MacArthur Park
MacArthur Park (song)
"MacArthur Park" is a song by Jimmy Webb, originally composed as part of an intended cantata. The song was initially rejected by The Association. Richard Harris was the first to record it, in 1968; the song was subsequently covered by numerous artists. Among the best-known covers are Donna Summer's...
" and Traffic
Traffic (band)
Traffic were an English rock band whose members came from the West Midlands. The group formed in April 1967 by Steve Winwood, Jim Capaldi, Chris Wood and Dave Mason...
's "Colored Rain". While other bands were simply performing standard tunes by The Beatles, Stones and Who, etc., The Choir was attempting projects of some magnitude, like taking "MacArthur Park", which was written for full orchestra, and rearranging it for three keyboards, bass, drums and guitar, or performing a 7-minute concerto with four time changes.
In 1969, the band returned to the studio and recorded a planned album that had a more psychedelic
Psychedelic rock
Psychedelic rock is a style of rock music that is inspired or influenced by psychedelic culture and attempts to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. It emerged during the mid 1960s among folk rock and blues rock bands in United States and the United Kingdom...
flavor, with eight original songs and a cover of a song by the Kinks
The Kinks
The Kinks were an English rock band formed in Muswell Hill, North London, by brothers Ray and Dave Davies in 1964. Categorised in the United States as a British Invasion band, The Kinks are recognised as one of the most important and influential rock acts of the era. Their music was influenced by a...
. The tape was shipped to several different record labels without success. After releasing a final unsuccessful single on Intrepid Records in 1970 – including a cover of a song by the Easybeats
The Easybeats
The Easybeats were an Australian rock and roll band. They formed in Sydney in late 1964 and broke up at the end of 1969. They are regarded as the greatest Australian pop band of the 1960s, and were the first Australian rock and roll act to score an international pop hit with their 1966 single...
as the "A" side, "Gonna Have a Good Time Tonight" (which was a hit song for INXS
INXS
INXS are an Australian rock band, formed as The Farriss Brothers in 1977 in Sydney, New South Wales. Mainstays are Garry Gary Beers on bass guitar, Andrew Farriss on guitar/keyboards, Jon Farriss on drums, Tim Farriss on lead guitar and Kirk Pengilly on guitar/sax...
many years later) – the band broke up for good.
Musical Highlights
The jewel in The Choir's catalogue is unquestionably "It's Cold Outside", the "A" side of their first single (although the single's "B" side, "I'm Goin' Home" also has avid fans). The song was originally issued on the Canadian-American RecordsCanadian-American Records
Canadian-American Records was a record label based in both New York City and Winnipeg, Manitoba. It was started in February, 1959 by Gene Orndorf of Deering, ND. The most popular artists for the label were the duo of Santo & Johnny and singer Linda Scott....
label in September 1966 but didn't take off until being leased to Roulette Records
Roulette Records
Roulette Records is an American record label, which was founded in late 1956, by George Goldner, Joe Kolsky, Morris Levy and Phil Khals, with creative control given to producers and songwriters Hugo Peretti and Luigi Creatore. Levy was appointed as director...
several months later. "It's Cold Outside" is a wonderful example of early power pop
Power pop
Power pop is a popular musical genre that draws its inspiration from 1960s British and American pop and rock music. It typically incorporates a combination of musical devices such as strong melodies, crisp vocal harmonies, economical arrangements, and prominent guitar riffs. Instrumental solos are...
and, unlike many garage rock
Garage rock
Garage rock is a raw form of rock and roll that was first popular in the United States and Canada from about 1963 to 1967. During the 1960s, it was not recognized as a separate music genre and had no specific name...
classics, is unabashedly Beatlesque
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
, with fine songwriting and strong harmonies. One of the few covers of "It's Cold Outside" was released by Stiv Bators
Stiv Bators
Stiv Bators , was an American punk rockvocalist and guitarist from Youngstown, Ohio. He is best remembered for his bands, The Dead Boys and The Lords of the New Church.- Music and film career :...
in 1979, the same year that the song was reissued on the Pebbles, Volume 2
Pebbles, Volume 2
Pebbles, Volume 2 is a compilation album in the Pebbles series that has been issued in both LP and CD formats. Another Pebbles, Volume 2 was issued on CD a few years earlier by ESD Records and has almost completely different tracks.-Release data:...
LP. Although it had been a long-time favorite of Bators, the punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band the Dead Boys
The Dead Boys
The Dead Boys were an American punk rock band from Cleveland, Ohio. Among the first wave of early punk bands, the Dead Boys were initially active from 1976 to 1979, briefly reuniting in 1987, 2004 and 2005.-Formation and 1970s punk rock era:...
– which he had fronted earlier in the decade – had wanted to record their own version but were unable to figure out how to play it.
Due to the band's shifting line-up over the years, their remaining songs are varied in style and (according to some) somewhat uneven in quality. Don Krider, in a long article on The Choir, dubbed "I'd Rather You Leave Me" (written by Wally Bryson) "Raspberries
Raspberries (band)
Raspberries is an American power pop/pop rock band from Cleveland, Ohio. They had a run of success in the early 1970s music scene with their crisp pop sound, which Allmusic later described as featuring "exquisitely crafted melodies and achingly gorgeous harmonies." The members were known for their...
'67 – it's that good!" Phil Giallombardo's song, "Anyway I Can" is compared favorably with the Left Banke
The Left Banke
The Left Banke is an American baroque pop band that formed in New York City in 1965 and disbanded in 1969. They are best remembered for their two U.S. hit singles, "Walk Away Renée" and "Pretty Ballerina"...
's "Walk Away Renee"; while the Denny Carleton song, "If These are Men" is termed "a wild, psychedelic '60s track (we're talking potential "Austin Powers
Austin Powers (film series)
The Austin Powers series is a series of action-comedy films written by and starring Mike Myers as the title character, directed by Jay Roach and distributed by New Line Cinema...
" material here)."
Other bands that have connections to The Choir
Besides competing head-to-head, Cleveland bands were frequently luring talented musicians from other groups in order to improve their sound. This is as true of The Choir as of any other band in the Cleveland area in that time period; as one recent reviewer put it: The Choir turnstile saw the entrance and exit of a number of Cleveland's best musicians, including Dave Burke, Jim Skeen, Bob McBride, Randy Klawon, Rick Caon, Denny Carleton and Jim Anderson. Also, nearly every information source on the band cites a different list of musicians that had been in the group, and it would likely be impossible to follow each permutation of bandmembers over the entire history of The Choir. However, some of the threads in the "family tree" of The Choir are outlined below, showing the other bands that the musicians in the group joined at one time or another. There are other connections that are not included in the list given below. For example, prior to joining the James Gang, Joe WalshJoe Walsh
Joseph Fidler "Joe" Walsh is an American musician, songwriter, record producer, and actor. He has been a member of three commercially successful bands, the James Gang, Barnstorm, and the Eagles, and has experienced notable success as a solo artist and prolific session musician, especially with B.B...
was the third member of Pie (with Phil Giallombardo and Jim Bonfanti) and the third member of the Power Trio (with Dann Klawon and Dave Burke).
- Dave Smalley – RaspberriesRaspberries (band)Raspberries is an American power pop/pop rock band from Cleveland, Ohio. They had a run of success in the early 1970s music scene with their crisp pop sound, which Allmusic later described as featuring "exquisitely crafted melodies and achingly gorgeous harmonies." The members were known for their...
, Dynamite, The Secret, solo artist. - Wally Bryson – Raspberries, Cyrus Erie, FotomakerFotomakerFotomaker was a power pop group based on Long Island, NY which released 3 albums between 1978 and 1979. It was considered to be somewhat of a supergroup of power-pop musicians, featuring what would become some future members of the Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame, albeit for their work with previous bands...
, Fortega, Flyer, Tattoo, the News, the Secret, Fever, The Bryson Group, Sittin' Ducks. - Jim Bonfanti – Raspberries, Pie, White Rain, Dynamite, Obnoxious, Boxer.
- Dann Klawon – The Quick, Tattoo, the Power Trio, the News, Sittin' Ducks.
- Dave Burke – The Power Trio.
- Phil Giallombardo – Pie, The James Gang.
- Randy Klawon – Cyrus Erie, the Quick, Moses, the Window.
- Bob McBride – Cyrus Erie, the Quick.
- Rick Caon – The Castles, Sanctuary.
- Denny Carleton – The Lost Souls, Moses, Milk, the Inner City, the Fa Band, the PagansThe PagansThe Pagans were an early American punk rock band from Cleveland, Ohio that was originally active from 1977 to 1979 before briefly reforming in 1982 and disbanding the following year...
, the Window. - Kenny Margolis – Cyrus Erie, Scarlet Fever, Sittin' Ducks.
2006 reunion
Raspberries (band)
Raspberries is an American power pop/pop rock band from Cleveland, Ohio. They had a run of success in the early 1970s music scene with their crisp pop sound, which Allmusic later described as featuring "exquisitely crafted melodies and achingly gorgeous harmonies." The members were known for their...
in late 2004 and often fielded requests for "It's Cold Outside". When The Choir decided to perform a reunion concert as well, there was enough demand for tickets that a second concert appearance was added. Thus, on March 3 and 4, 2006, as pictured, the band reunited for the first time since 1989 (and the first appearance in nearly 40 years for the original bandmembers) for a two-night stand at Beachland Ballroom in Cleveland.
Life away from the band
Dann Klawon lives in Painesville, OhioPainesville, Ohio
As of the 2010 Census, there were 19,563 people. As of the census of 2000, there were 17,503 people, 6,525 households, and 4,032 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,928.6 people per square mile . There were 6,933 housing units at an average density of 1,160.0 per square mile...
and works as an electrical contractor; he also sings and plays piano at Lakeside Baptist Church there.
Wally Bryson is a community employment specialist with the Cuyahoga County Board of Mental Retardation; he lives and works in Euclid, Ohio
Euclid, Ohio
Euclid is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. It is part of the Greater Cleveland Metropolitan Area, and borders Cleveland. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 48,920...
.
Jim Bonfanti has an auto sales business in Mentor, Ohio
Mentor, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 50,278 people, 18,797 households, and 14,229 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,878.2 people per square mile . There were 19,301 housing units at an average density of 721.0 per square mile...
.
Dave Smalley is a respiratory therapist and lives in Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
.
Denny Carleton is a worship leader, and music teacher, at Mt. Carmel Church and School, in Wickliffe, Ohio
Wickliffe, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there are 13,484 people, 5,604 households, 3,754 families residing in the city. The population density is 2,898.2 people per square mile . There are 5,787 housing units at an average density of 1,243.8 per square mile...
and is also active in the Catholic Charismatic Renewal
Catholic Charismatic Renewal
The Catholic Charismatic Renewal is a movement within the Catholic Church. Worship is characterized by vibrant Masses, as well as prayer meetings featuring prophecy, healing and "praying in tongues." This movement is based on the belief that certain charismata , bestowed by the Holy Spirit, such as...
and as a Christian musician.
Retrospective albums and other sources of the music
In 1976, Bomp! RecordsBomp! Records
Bomp! Records is an Los Angeles-based indie label formed in 1974 by fanzine publisher and music historian Greg Shaw.-History:The label has featured punk, pop, powerpop, garage rock, new wave, old school rock, neo-psychedelia among other genres, and its roster has included artists such as The Modern...
released a 5-song EP of unreleased songs by the band, called The Choir
The Choir (album)
The Choir is a retrospective EP by The Choir that has been released only in 12" format. The cover features the same photograph as Choir Practice, although it has been cropped and is much grainier...
; it is still available on the label's website. In 1978, Bomp's first compilation LP
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
, Best of Bomp Records, Volume 1 included one of these songs; this album was recently reissued on CD.
In 1994, a Choir retrospective album, called Choir Practice
Choir Practice
Choir Practice is a retrospective album by the Choir that has been released in both LP and CD format.-Release Data:This album was released in 1994 by Sundazed Records as an LP and as a CD .-Notes on the tracks:...
, was issued by Sundazed Records
Sundazed Records
Sundazed Records is a record label based in Coxsackie, in the Catskills of New York. It specializes in obscure and rare recordings from the 1950s to the 1970s.Label founders Bob Irwin and his wife Mary started the label in 1989...
as an LP and a CD, featuring all 5 of the songs on the Bomp EP, along with many previously unreleased tracks.
Although Choir Practice
Choir Practice
Choir Practice is a retrospective album by the Choir that has been released in both LP and CD format.-Release Data:This album was released in 1994 by Sundazed Records as an LP and as a CD .-Notes on the tracks:...
omitted most of the tracks on the band's singles, the majority have been released on one or more compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
s of garage rock
Garage rock
Garage rock is a raw form of rock and roll that was first popular in the United States and Canada from about 1963 to 1967. During the 1960s, it was not recognized as a separate music genre and had no specific name...
and psychedelic rock
Psychedelic rock
Psychedelic rock is a style of rock music that is inspired or influenced by psychedelic culture and attempts to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. It emerged during the mid 1960s among folk rock and blues rock bands in United States and the United Kingdom...
music. For instance, "It's Cold Outside" was released on the landmark box set Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, 1965-1968
Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, 1965-1968
Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era is a compilation album of American garage rock singles released in the mid- to late 1960s. It was assembled by Jac Holzman, founder of Elektra Records, and Lenny Kaye, later lead guitarist for the Patti Smith Group...
(though not on the original double-LP release), along with the Pebbles, Volume 2
Pebbles, Volume 2
Pebbles, Volume 2 is a compilation album in the Pebbles series that has been issued in both LP and CD formats. Another Pebbles, Volume 2 was issued on CD a few years earlier by ESD Records and has almost completely different tracks.-Release data:...
LP and CD. To date, both sides of the band's fifth single, along with "Changin' My Mind" from their fourth single remain un-reissued.
The Mods (original line-up)
- Dann Klawon, drums
- Dave SmalleyDave Smalley (Cleveland)David Bruce 'Dave' Smalley was member of 1970s Power pop band, Raspberries-Early years:Smalley was born in Oil City, Pennsylvania on 10, July, 1949, and moved to Cleveland in his youth....
, guitar - Dan Heckel, guitar
- Tom Boles, vocals
The Mods/The Choir (First Single)
- Dann Klawon, rhythm guitar
- Dave SmalleyDave Smalley (Cleveland)David Bruce 'Dave' Smalley was member of 1970s Power pop band, Raspberries-Early years:Smalley was born in Oil City, Pennsylvania on 10, July, 1949, and moved to Cleveland in his youth....
, rhythm guitar, lead vocals on "It's Cold Outside" - Dave Burke, bass guitar, guitar
- Wally Bryson, lead guitar, bass guitar, drums
- Jim BonfantiJim BonfantiJames Alexander Bonfanti is a rock drummer, best known as a member of the band Raspberries.Bonfanti's music career began in 1965 when he saw The Beatles on Ed Sullivan. That experience eventually led him to join the band The Mods...
, tambourine, harmony vocals, drums
The Choir (Classic Line-Up)
- Dann Klawon, rhythm guitar
- Dave SmalleyDave Smalley (Cleveland)David Bruce 'Dave' Smalley was member of 1970s Power pop band, Raspberries-Early years:Smalley was born in Oil City, Pennsylvania on 10, July, 1949, and moved to Cleveland in his youth....
, rhythm guitar, vocals - Wally Bryson, lead guitar, bass guitar
- Jim BonfantiJim BonfantiJames Alexander Bonfanti is a rock drummer, best known as a member of the band Raspberries.Bonfanti's music career began in 1965 when he saw The Beatles on Ed Sullivan. That experience eventually led him to join the band The Mods...
, tambourine, vocals, drums
1967 Line-up (Probably Second and Third Singles, plus Band Photograph)
- Jim Skeen, guitar, bass guitar
- Wally Bryson, lead guitar, bass guitar
- Jim BonfantiJim BonfantiJames Alexander Bonfanti is a rock drummer, best known as a member of the band Raspberries.Bonfanti's music career began in 1965 when he saw The Beatles on Ed Sullivan. That experience eventually led him to join the band The Mods...
, drums - Dave SmalleyDave Smalley (Cleveland)David Bruce 'Dave' Smalley was member of 1970s Power pop band, Raspberries-Early years:Smalley was born in Oil City, Pennsylvania on 10, July, 1949, and moved to Cleveland in his youth....
, rhythm guitar, vocals
1968 Reformed Line-up (unreleased album)
- Jim BonfantiJim BonfantiJames Alexander Bonfanti is a rock drummer, best known as a member of the band Raspberries.Bonfanti's music career began in 1965 when he saw The Beatles on Ed Sullivan. That experience eventually led him to join the band The Mods...
, drums - Kenny Margolis, acoustic piano, vocals
- Phil Giallombardo, Hammond organ, vocals
- Denny Carleton, bass guitar, vocals
- Randy Klawon, guitar, organ
2006 Reunion
- Dann Klawon, guitar.
- Wally Bryson, guitar.
- Jim BonfantiJim BonfantiJames Alexander Bonfanti is a rock drummer, best known as a member of the band Raspberries.Bonfanti's music career began in 1965 when he saw The Beatles on Ed Sullivan. That experience eventually led him to join the band The Mods...
, drums. - Dave SmalleyDave Smalley (Cleveland)David Bruce 'Dave' Smalley was member of 1970s Power pop band, Raspberries-Early years:Smalley was born in Oil City, Pennsylvania on 10, July, 1949, and moved to Cleveland in his youth....
, guitar. - Ken Margolis, keyboards.
- Dave Burke, bass guitar.
Retrospective Albums
- The ChoirThe Choir (album)The Choir is a retrospective EP by The Choir that has been released only in 12" format. The cover features the same photograph as Choir Practice, although it has been cropped and is much grainier...
; Bomp Records – EP; released 1976 - Choir PracticeChoir PracticeChoir Practice is a retrospective album by the Choir that has been released in both LP and CD format.-Release Data:This album was released in 1994 by Sundazed Records as an LP and as a CD .-Notes on the tracks:...
; Sundazed Records – LP (#LP 5009); released 1994 - Choir PracticeChoir PracticeChoir Practice is a retrospective album by the Choir that has been released in both LP and CD format.-Release Data:This album was released in 1994 by Sundazed Records as an LP and as a CD .-Notes on the tracks:...
; Sundazed Records – CD (#SC 11018); released 1994
Singles
- "It's Cold Outside" b/w "I'm Goin' Home"; Canadian-American Records (#203); rel. 9/1966
- "It's Cold Outside" b/w "I'm Goin' Home"; Roulette Records (#R-4758); rel. 5/1967
- "No One Here To Play With" b/w "Don't You Feel A Little Sorry For Me"; Roulette Records (#R-4760); rel. 1967
- "When You Were With Me" b/w "Changin' My Mind"; Roulette Records (#R-7005); rel. 1967
- "Gonna Have A Good Time Tonight" b/w "So Much Love"; Intrepid Records; rel. 1970
Compilation Albums
It's Cold Outside:- Nuggets#1: Original Artyfacts From The First Psychedelic Era 1965-1968 (box set – CDs)
- Excerpts from Nuggets (CD)
- Pebbles, Volume 2Pebbles, Volume 2Pebbles, Volume 2 is a compilation album in the Pebbles series that has been issued in both LP and CD formats. Another Pebbles, Volume 2 was issued on CD a few years earlier by ESD Records and has almost completely different tracks.-Release data:...
(LP and CD) - Pebbles, Volume 4Pebbles, Volume 4 (ESD Records)Pebbles, Volume 4 is a compilation album among the CDs in the Pebbles series and is a completely different album from the Pebbles, Volume 4 CD that was released by AIP Records in 1992.-Notes on the tracks:...
(CD – ESD Records) - Pebbles BoxPebbles BoxThe Pebbles Box is a 5-LP box set of mid-1960s garage rock and psychedelic rock recordings, primarily by American bands. Several years later, a similar 5-CD box set was released that was called the Trash Box...
(box set – LPs) - Trash BoxTrash BoxThe Trash Box is a 5-CD box set of mid-1960s garage rock and psychedelic rock recordings, primarily by American bands. This box set is similar to the earlier Pebbles Box and includes almost all of the same recordings in that box set , along with numerous bonus tracks at the end of each disc...
(box set – CDs) - Great Pebbles (CD)
- Psychedelic Microdots, Volume 3 (CD)
- The Pride of Cleveland Past (LP)
I'm Going Home
- Pebbles, Volume 2Pebbles, Volume 2Pebbles, Volume 2 is a compilation album in the Pebbles series that has been issued in both LP and CD formats. Another Pebbles, Volume 2 was issued on CD a few years earlier by ESD Records and has almost completely different tracks.-Release data:...
(CD only) - Best of Pebbles, Volume 2 (LP and CD)
- Trash BoxTrash BoxThe Trash Box is a 5-CD box set of mid-1960s garage rock and psychedelic rock recordings, primarily by American bands. This box set is similar to the earlier Pebbles Box and includes almost all of the same recordings in that box set , along with numerous bonus tracks at the end of each disc...
(box set – CDs) - Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 9Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 9Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 9 is a compilation album in the Highs in the Mid-Sixties series, featuring recordings that were released in Ohio...
(LP) - Psychedelic Microdots, Volume 3 (CD)
Don't You Feel A Little Sorry For Me
- Psychedelic Microdots, Volume 3 (CD)
No One Here To Play With
- Psychedelic Microdots, Volume 3 (CD)
When You Were With Me
- Psychedelic Microdots, Volume 3 (CD)
Any Way I Can
- Sundazed Sampler, Volume 1 (CD)
I'd Rather You Leave Me
- Best of Bomp Records, Volume 1 (LP)