The jaggerz
Encyclopedia
The Jaggerz are a pop
/rock
band
from Pittsburgh
, Pennsylvania
, often considered a one-hit wonder
because their only major success was the single
"The Rapper
", written
by Donnie Iris
(who was then billed by his birth name, Dominic Ierace). Released on the Kama Sutra
label
in 1970, "The Rapper", released in late December 1969 got to #2 in the Billboard Hot 100
chart
for two weeks in March 1970, and sold over one million copies with the gold record
awarded by the R.I.A.A.
.
The band's name derives from the Pittsburgh English
slang term, "jagger bush," meaning a thorny bush. They were managed
by The Skyliners
manager, Joe Rock.
, was released and was a moderate success.
. There, they began recording their second album, We Went to Different Schools Together
. The album was released in 1970.
One of the singles from We Went to Different Schools Together became the group's first chart-topping hit. "The Rapper
", written by Donnie Iris, was released that same year, reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100
in March 1970, and was certified gold
by the RIAA. Around this time, "The Rapper" was covered
by Wolfman Jack
.
"The Rapper" was the only significant Jaggerz hit, later earning the group the one-hit wonder status.
The Jaggerz continued to release singles through Kama Sutra until 1973, when they were dropped from the label.
to record their third album.
Come Again
was released in 1975 and spawned more singles from it. However, this new release had none of the impact that We Went to Different Schools Together had. It was becoming clear that the Jaggerz were fading from the pop culture scene. To make things worse for the band, they were dropped from their third label in 1976.
Dominic Ierace, the band's guitarist and vocalist, joined Wild Cherry
. By 1976, they had been together for six years and had just recently rose to prominence with "Play That Funky Music
." There, he met keyboardist Mark Avsec
. Ierace (continuing to use his "Donnie Iris" nickname more and more) was on hand for Wild Cherry's third and fourth albums (I Love My Music
and Only the Wild Survive
, respectively). But Wild Cherry's fate seemed to be similar to the Jaggerz', and they broke up in 1979. Iris then went solo with the help of Avsec, first with the non-album singles "Bring on the Eighties" and "Because of You
." These singles proved little influence, and Avsec and Iris decided to put a band together. The lineup consisted of Iris, Avsec, Marty Lee Hoenes
, Albritton McClain
, and Kevin Valentine
. The new band, called Donnie Iris and the Cruisers
, released their first album in 1980, Back on the Streets. The album's first single, "Ah! Leah!
", began a series of moderately successful albums and singles. Donnie Iris and the Cruisers are still together to this day.
Jimmie Ross, the Jaggerz' bassist and vocalist, joined The Skyliners
at the advisement of Joe Rock. Eventually, he became a part of the duo Cooper & Ross with Kathy Cooper.
, and as of mid 2006, two of the original members were still playing twenty to twenty five gigs
annually. Original lead vocalist and bass
player Bill Maybray died in 2004. He wrote and sang the group's debut single, "That's Why Baby I Love You". Their original drummer, Jim Pugliano, died on June 15, 2010, at the age of 63.
In 2008, rap artist The Game
released a track "Letter to the King", produced by Hi-Tek, from his album
, LAX, on which he sampled
"Memoirs of the Traveler" from the Jaggerz' album We Went to Different Schools Together. Other hip hop musicians sampling The Jaggerz music over the years, include Dilated Peoples
in the 1990s and, more recently, Pede B (Denmark
).
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
/rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
from Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, often considered a one-hit wonder
One-hit wonder
A one-hit wonder is a person or act known mainly for only a single success. The term is most often used to describe music performers with only one hit single.-Characteristics:...
because their only major success was the single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
"The Rapper
The Rapper
"The Rapper" is a song by The Jaggerz, written by band member Dominic Ierace, better known as Donnie Iris. Released as a single, it reached #2 on the Billboard Pop Singles chart and was certified Gold by the RIAA in 1970 for selling over a million copies of the record.- Covers :"The Rapper" has...
", written
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
by Donnie Iris
Donnie Iris
Donnie Iris is an American rock musician known for his work with The Jaggerz and Wild Cherry during the 1970s, and for his solo albums during the 1980s...
(who was then billed by his birth name, Dominic Ierace). Released on the Kama Sutra
Kama Sutra Records
Kama Sutra Records was started in 1964 by Arthur "Artie" Ripp, Hy Mizrahi and Phil Steinberg as Kama Sutra Productions, a production house. The word "Kama Sutra" is a Sanskrit terminology....
label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
in 1970, "The Rapper", released in late December 1969 got to #2 in the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
for two weeks in March 1970, and sold over one million copies with the gold record
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
awarded by the R.I.A.A.
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
.
The band's name derives from the Pittsburgh English
Pittsburgh English
Pittsburgh English, popularly known by outsiders as Pittsburghese, is the dialect of American English spoken by many especially older residents of Pittsburgh and parts of surrounding Western Pennsylvania in the United States, a group referred to by locals and others as Yinzers.-Overview:Many of the...
slang term, "jagger bush," meaning a thorny bush. They were managed
Management
Management in all business and organizational activities is the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives using available resources efficiently and effectively...
by The Skyliners
The Skyliners
The Skyliners are an American doo-wop group from Pittsburgh fronted by Jimmy Beaumont. The original lineup also included Wally Lester, Jack Taylor, Joe Verscharen, Louis M. Tutino and Janet Vogel...
manager, Joe Rock.
Origins, 1965–1968
While attending college at Slippery Rock University, Donnie Iris started a band called the Trivells. The band became known as Donnie and the Donnelles when the line up increased from three members to four. Shortly after dropping out of college, Iris found out that a band called Gary and the Jewel Tones needed a new guitarist, where Jimmie Ross was a member. This gave birth to a new band called the "Jaggers." Forming around 1965, they began playing night clubs and the like for the next few years.Debut album, 1968–1969
In 1968, the Jaggers signed with Gamble Records, and they began to record their debut album. While in the early stages of recording the album, Jimmie Ross saw a magazine advertisement featuring another band called "The Jaggers." In order to avoid confusion, manager Joe Rock suggested that the "s" in "Jaggers" be changed to a "z." In 1969, their debut album, Introducing the JaggerzIntroducing the Jaggerz
Introducing the Jaggerz is the debut album by Pittsburgh rock/pop band The Jaggerz, released in 1969 .- Track listing :# "Gotta Find My Way Back Home"# " Baby I Love You"# "Give a Little Love"# "What Now My Love"...
, was released and was a moderate success.
Second album and "The Rapper", 1970–1973
In 1970, the Jaggerz left Gamble and joined Kama Sutra RecordsKama Sutra Records
Kama Sutra Records was started in 1964 by Arthur "Artie" Ripp, Hy Mizrahi and Phil Steinberg as Kama Sutra Productions, a production house. The word "Kama Sutra" is a Sanskrit terminology....
. There, they began recording their second album, We Went to Different Schools Together
We Went to Different Schools Together
We Went to Different Schools Together is the second album by Pittsburgh rock/pop band The Jaggerz, released in 1970 . The album includes the groups' only major successful single, "The Rapper."- Track listing :...
. The album was released in 1970.
One of the singles from We Went to Different Schools Together became the group's first chart-topping hit. "The Rapper
The Rapper
"The Rapper" is a song by The Jaggerz, written by band member Dominic Ierace, better known as Donnie Iris. Released as a single, it reached #2 on the Billboard Pop Singles chart and was certified Gold by the RIAA in 1970 for selling over a million copies of the record.- Covers :"The Rapper" has...
", written by Donnie Iris, was released that same year, reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
in March 1970, and was certified gold
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
by the RIAA. Around this time, "The Rapper" was covered
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
by Wolfman Jack
Wolfman Jack
Robert Weston Smith, known commonly as Wolfman Jack was a gravelly voiced US disc jockey who became famous in the 1960s and 1970s.-Early career:...
.
"The Rapper" was the only significant Jaggerz hit, later earning the group the one-hit wonder status.
The Jaggerz continued to release singles through Kama Sutra until 1973, when they were dropped from the label.
Waning years and third album, 1974–1976
For a few years, the Jaggerz had no record label. Then, in 1975, they signed with Wooden Nickel RecordsWooden Nickel Records
Wooden Nickel Records was an American independent record label started in 1971 by Bill Traut, Jim Golden and Jerry Weintraub as a successor to Dunwich Records. Most of Wooden Nickel's releases were by acts based in the Chicago area, including the Siegel-Schwall Band, Megan McDonough and Styx. The...
to record their third album.
Come Again
Come Again (The Jaggerz album)
Come Again is the third album by Pittsburgh pop/rock band The Jaggerz, released in 1975 . This would be the groups' last album before their thirteen-year breakup. They would not record another album for another twenty-three years.- Track listing :# "I'll Be Okay in the Morning" # "Love Music" Come...
was released in 1975 and spawned more singles from it. However, this new release had none of the impact that We Went to Different Schools Together had. It was becoming clear that the Jaggerz were fading from the pop culture scene. To make things worse for the band, they were dropped from their third label in 1976.
New lineup and break-up, 1976-1977
Sometime after being dropped from Wooden Nickel, the Jaggerz' original bandmembers began leaving. By late 1977, Benny Faiella and Bill Maybray were the only original members left. They were now joined by Gene and Robert Vallecorsa (lead guitar and keyboards, respectively), Sam Ippolito (lead vocals), and Mark Zeppuhar (saxophone). Even though they were now only playing at nightclubs, Faiella believed that the lineup was the strongest it had been in twelve years and that they would return to the charts. However, this proved false, and the Jaggerz finally broke up around 1977.Separate projects, 1978–1989
After the Jaggerz began to break apart, members of the group went their own ways.Dominic Ierace, the band's guitarist and vocalist, joined Wild Cherry
Wild Cherry (band)
Wild Cherry was a funk/rock band best known for their funk song "Play That Funky Music".-History:Rob Parissi was raised in the steel mill town of Mingo Junction, Ohio. Parissi graduated from Mingo High School in 1968. Rob formed the band Wild Cherry in 1970 in Steubenville, Ohio, one mile north of...
. By 1976, they had been together for six years and had just recently rose to prominence with "Play That Funky Music
Play That Funky Music
"Play That Funky Music" is a funk song written by Robert Parissi and recorded by the band Wild Cherry. The performers on the classic recording included the members of the band at the time: lead singer Parissi, guitarist Bryan Bassett, bassist Allen Wentz, and drummer Ron Beitle, with session horn...
." There, he met keyboardist Mark Avsec
Mark Avsec
Mark Avsec is an American rock keyboardist / songwriter / producer, and most recently copyright lawyer who is best known for being a member of Donnie Iris & the Cruisers since 1979...
. Ierace (continuing to use his "Donnie Iris" nickname more and more) was on hand for Wild Cherry's third and fourth albums (I Love My Music
I Love My Music
I Love My Music is the third studio album, released in 1978 by Wild Cherry. It includes "Don't Stop, Get Off," a single with no lyrics outside the title itself, sung in a strident voice, backed by horns playing a funky riff...
and Only the Wild Survive
Only the Wild Survive
Only the Wild Survive is an album by Wild Cherry, released in 1979. Their fourth studio album, this would be their last before breaking up the same year.- Track listing :# "Try a Piece of My Love" - 4:28...
, respectively). But Wild Cherry's fate seemed to be similar to the Jaggerz', and they broke up in 1979. Iris then went solo with the help of Avsec, first with the non-album singles "Bring on the Eighties" and "Because of You
Because of You (1940 song)
"Because of You" is a popular song. It was written by Arthur Hammerstein and Dudley Wilkinson in 1940. It was used in the 1951 film I Was an American Spy....
." These singles proved little influence, and Avsec and Iris decided to put a band together. The lineup consisted of Iris, Avsec, Marty Lee Hoenes
Marty Lee Hoenes
Marty Lee Hoenes is an American rock musician who is best known as the lead guitarist for the Donnie Iris and the Cruisers. He is also a freelance artist and designer, having designed many of the band's albums. He currently resides in North Canton, Ohio....
, Albritton McClain
Albritton McClain
Albritton McClain is an American rock guitarist who is best known for being a member of Donnie Iris and the Cruisers. McClain played the bass guitar on the band's early albums during the 1980s.-References:...
, and Kevin Valentine
Kevin Valentine
Kevin Valentine is an American rock drummer who is best known for being a member of Donnie Iris and the Cruisers. Valentine played drums on all of the band's early albums during the 1980s....
. The new band, called Donnie Iris and the Cruisers
Donnie Iris
Donnie Iris is an American rock musician known for his work with The Jaggerz and Wild Cherry during the 1970s, and for his solo albums during the 1980s...
, released their first album in 1980, Back on the Streets. The album's first single, "Ah! Leah!
Ah! Leah!
"Ah! Leah!" is a song by American rock musician Donnie Iris from his 1980 album Back on the Streets. The song was released as a single in late-1980 and reached #29 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart and #19 on the U.S...
", began a series of moderately successful albums and singles. Donnie Iris and the Cruisers are still together to this day.
Jimmie Ross, the Jaggerz' bassist and vocalist, joined The Skyliners
The Skyliners
The Skyliners are an American doo-wop group from Pittsburgh fronted by Jimmy Beaumont. The original lineup also included Wally Lester, Jack Taylor, Joe Verscharen, Louis M. Tutino and Janet Vogel...
at the advisement of Joe Rock. Eventually, he became a part of the duo Cooper & Ross with Kathy Cooper.
Regrouping and modern years, 1989–present
The original members (sans Donnie Iris) regrouped in 1989, released two CDsCompact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
, and as of mid 2006, two of the original members were still playing twenty to twenty five gigs
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
annually. Original lead vocalist and bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
player Bill Maybray died in 2004. He wrote and sang the group's debut single, "That's Why Baby I Love You". Their original drummer, Jim Pugliano, died on June 15, 2010, at the age of 63.
In 2008, rap artist The Game
The Game (rapper)
Jayceon Terrell Taylor , better known by his stage name Game, formerly The Game, is an American rapper and actor. As a member of G-Unit, he rose to fame in 2005 with the success of his debut album, The Documentary, which earned him two Grammy Award nominations...
released a track "Letter to the King", produced by Hi-Tek, from his album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
, LAX, on which he sampled
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
"Memoirs of the Traveler" from the Jaggerz' album We Went to Different Schools Together. Other hip hop musicians sampling The Jaggerz music over the years, include Dilated Peoples
Dilated Peoples
Dilated Peoples is an American hip hop group from Los Angeles, California. The group achieved notability in the underground hip hop community, although they have had little mainstream success in the US, with the exception of the song "This Way," a 2004 collaboration with Kanye West and Xzibit...
in the 1990s and, more recently, Pede B (Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
).
Current members
- Jimmie RossJimmie RossJimmie Ross is an American rock guitarist and vocalist who is best known for being a member of Pittsburgh band The Jaggerz, known for their 1970 hit "The Rapper". During the band's initial existence of 1965-1976, the bassist shared the duties of lead vocalist with guitarist Donnie Iris...
- lead vocals, bass (1965–1976; 1989–present) - Benny Faiella - guitar (1965–1977; 1989–present)
- Dennis McAbee - guitar
- Jerry Coleman - keyboards
- Paul Martello - drums
- Ron Levi - trumpet
- Rich Mansfield - sax
- Mike Caporizzo - sax
Former members
- Dominic IeraceDonnie IrisDonnie Iris is an American rock musician known for his work with The Jaggerz and Wild Cherry during the 1970s, and for his solo albums during the 1980s...
- guitar, lead vocals (1965–1976) - Bill Maybray - bass, vocals (1965–1973)
- Thom Davies - piano (1965–1973)
- Jim Pugliano - drums (1965–1976; 1989–1998)
- Frank Czuri - keyboards (1973–1976)
- Sam Ippolito - lead vocals (1976–1977)
- Gene Vallecorsa - guitar (1976–1977)
- Robert Vallecorsa - keyboards (1976–1977)
- T-Ray Elliott - drums (1971–1974)
- Robert Peckman - guitar, vocals from Duquesne, Pa.
Albums
- Introducing the JaggerzIntroducing the JaggerzIntroducing the Jaggerz is the debut album by Pittsburgh rock/pop band The Jaggerz, released in 1969 .- Track listing :# "Gotta Find My Way Back Home"# " Baby I Love You"# "Give a Little Love"# "What Now My Love"...
(Gamble GS-5006), 1969 - We Went to Different Schools TogetherWe Went to Different Schools TogetherWe Went to Different Schools Together is the second album by Pittsburgh rock/pop band The Jaggerz, released in 1970 . The album includes the groups' only major successful single, "The Rapper."- Track listing :...
(Kama Sutra KSBS-2017), 1970 - Come AgainCome Again (The Jaggerz album)Come Again is the third album by Pittsburgh pop/rock band The Jaggerz, released in 1975 . This would be the groups' last album before their thirteen-year breakup. They would not record another album for another twenty-three years.- Track listing :# "I'll Be Okay in the Morning" # "Love Music" Come...
(Wooden Nickel BWL1-0772), 1975 - And the Band Played On...And the Band Played On... (The Jaggerz album)And the Band Played On... is the fourth album by Pittsburgh pop/rock band The Jaggerz, released in 1998 . It was their first album since their regrouping nine years earlier...
, 1998 - Re-Rapped by RequestRe-Rapped by RequestRe-Rapped by Request is the fifth album by Pittsburgh pop/rock band The Jaggerz, released in 2001 . It contains their most requested songs.- Track listing :# "Dancin' in the Streets/Some Kind of Wonderful"...
, 2001
Singles
- "(That’s Why) Baby I Love You" / "Bring It Back" (Gamble G-218) 1968
- "Gotta Find My Way Back Home" / "Forever Together, Together Forever" (Gamble 226) 1968
- "Together" / "Let Me Be the One" (Gamble 238) 1969
- "Higher And Higher" / "Ain't No Sun" (Gamble 4008) 1970
- "Need Your Love" / "Here's a Heart" (Gamble 4012) 1970
- "The RapperThe Rapper"The Rapper" is a song by The Jaggerz, written by band member Dominic Ierace, better known as Donnie Iris. Released as a single, it reached #2 on the Billboard Pop Singles chart and was certified Gold by the RIAA in 1970 for selling over a million copies of the record.- Covers :"The Rapper" has...
" / "Born Poor" (Kama Sutra 502) 1970 - "I Call My Baby Candy" / "Will She Believe Me?" (Kama Sutra 509) 1970
- "What a Bummer" / "Memories Of The Traveler" (Kama Sutra 513) 1970
- "Let's Talk About Love" / "I'll Never Forget You" (Kama Sutra 517) 1971
- "Let's Talk About Love" / "Ain't That Sad" (Kama Sutra 583) 1973
- "2 + 2" / "Don't It Make You Wanna Dance" (Wooden Nickel PB/WB-10194) 1975