The Late Entre may require more than one page. We survived in one form or another for over two decades beginning in the late ‘60’s. Familiar faces were recycled. New faces came and went, but throughout its history, the band had only one saxophone player.
Wildwood, on the Jersey shore, was the place to be every summer from July to Labor Day. We usually worked around Philly during the summer, playing the clubs that were vacated by the regular circuit bands who were playing to packed houses at the shore. We were happy to be working, but they were the ones enjoying the mini-skirts and the energy…until one summer.
We had been teased with gigs in June and September, and finally got a shot ‘in season’ at The Elmira. The Playboys were headlining every night and we were brought in as a weekend diversion, trading 30-minute sets to provide continuous music for the dancers. The Elmira was only one block off the beach, one block away from the boardwalk, one block away from the rollercoaster.
We were six pieces with two horns. Tony, former drummer, was now front man and trumpet player. Somebody (maybe Ray, maybe Jeff, maybe somebody else) sat behind the drums. Bobby had joined on organ and John had his unique way on the bass. Joe couldn’t play lead guitar to save his ass, but he was the best rhythm guitar player I ever worked with and supplied the necessary punch for the soul music we played.
The lure of the rollercoaster was a bit strange, I suppose, but The Playboys had a lock on the mini-skirts and the rollercoaster was only a block away. After turning over the stage each and every 30 minutes, we retreated, not without enthusiasm or delay, to the boardwalk and the amusement pier.
Usually, we could get in 4 or 5 rides on the ‘coaster’, sometimes one after the other before returning on time to continue the dance music and to watch the goddamn Playboys hitting on the mini-skirts. Sometimes we were a minute or two late…Our mid-season appearance was cushioned by afternoon pizza and a well placed Budweiser, or two. Now we could say we were there. I hope we were not the only ones to notice.