|
The Association is one of the most
popular and successful bands to have come out of the sixties. They have sold
over thirty million records, earning six gold discs and one platinum. Their
album, “The Association, Greatest Hits” (Warner Brothers), continues to be
one of the longest best-selling albums in the history of the company.
Their number one hits, “Never My Love,” “Windy,” and “Cherish” have achieved
“standard” status, receiving almost as much airplay today as they ever have.
The songs include “Goodbye Columbus.” which was the title song for the film
and was written and performed by The Association. It also won the Golden
Globe and Foreign Press Awards. Other songs, including “Requiem For the
Masses,” “Time For Living,” “Along Comes Mary,” “Everything That Touches
You,” and “Six Man Band,” showcases the versatility, the carefully crafted
vocals, and the intricately woven instrumentation that is the signature of
The Association, a cornerstone of American pop music.
The Association was formed in 1965 after the breakup of an eleven-man
electric “folk” group called THE MEN, the first “folk rock” group in America.
The six-man Association rehearsed for five solid months and then began
performing at nightclubs (The Troubador, The
Icehouse, etc.), coffeehouses, folk clubs, high schools, colleges, proms and
parties throughout California.
The intense rehearsal and hard work paid off. Before the release of their
first album, the group had a fan base exceeding twenty-five thousand. That
base soon became millions as “Along Comes Mary” and “Cherish,” both from
their first album, topped the charts.
The Association is the first electric group to break through the anti-rock
biases in many of the major venues across the country. They were the first
electric group to perform at Hollywood’s Greek Theatre, The Coconut Grove, The Copacabana, Tanglewood Music Festival, Blossom Music Festival, The
Latin Casino, Saratoga Performing Arts Center and Ravinia Park.
In 1967 The Association was given the honor of opening the first
international pop festival in America, The Monterey Pop Festival.
The Association appeared on every major television variety show at the time —
Ed Sullivan (twice), The Smothers Brothers (three times), American Bandstand
(again and again), Shindig, The Carson Show, The Cavett
Show, The Andy Williams Show, The Carol Channing
Special…the list goes on and on.
However, being on the road for so many years, with over two thousand concerts
and television performances, inevitably took its toll, and the group began
parting ways in 1972 to pursue individual careers and interests.
After a one-time-only reunion for a cable TV music special in 1979, The
Association, with much industry encouragement, got it together again and put
in on the road.
“On the road” is right. During the last five years, The Association has sung
and played every state in the Union, most of the Canadian provinces, Bermuda,
Athens, the Phillipines, the major showrooms in
Atlantic City, Las Vegas, Reno, Lake Tahoe, The Happy Together Tour 1984,
music festivals, colleges, fairs, every large theme park on the continent,
supper clubs, hotels and conventions, television shows (Tom Snyder Show, John
Davidson Show, Mike Douglas Show, American Bandstand, Solid Gold Summer
Special), and countless local radio and television interviews.
Here is what Mark Faris said of The Association in
a review: “Remarkably, not only did the six-man band sound as fresh as it did
in the old days, it looked even fresher…dancing and laughing throughout the
show, the finely-tuned outfit swept through the room like a summer breeze
complete with blue skies and sunshine, smoothly and confidently exchanging
leads, then blending in precision vocal harmonies. Jules Alexander, Larry
Ramos, and Russ Giguere (who looks like a
combination of Clint Eastwood and David Bowie, with a touch of Dance Fever)
wasted no time in refreshing the crowd’s memories.”
|
