Saturday, June 18, 2011

The Buckinghams: Wrapping Things Up


In our never-ending pursuit of "The Most Accurate Truth" ... and in an effort to further debunk some of the myths surrounding The Buckinghams, past, present and future ... here are a few more comments from some of the principles involved ... including the correcting some of my OWN mistakes:

>>>The Buckinghams reunited for a brief period of time around 1985, I believe ... they did a big show here in Chicago, headlining (at Mayor Jane Byrne's request) "Chicagofest", the precursor to "A Taste Of Chicago".  The response was SO good that they decided to do some more shows together and even recorded a brand new album.  Then when things didn't really take off the way they had hoped they would, Dennis decided to split for California and try it on his own as an actor.   (kk)
Your timeframe is off a little bit here.  From 1980 to 1983 we had been playing a handful of dates every summer. At that time it was Dennis, Nick and me. It started with WLS asking us to perform on their stage at Chicago Fest in 1980. By 1983 I felt the growing interest in our music again and while recording some new songs (there was no new album), Dennis decided it wasn't for him and went back to LA to pursue his acting career, so Nick and I continued without him.   (Carl Giammarese)

Carl and Nick recorded some new tracks on their own, without me. They did ask me to come in and lay down vocals on their tracks, but it just wasn't a good fit.
After the reunion shows, I didn't decide to "split for California and try to make it as an actor" ... I had already been living in California for eight years, and acting and singing prior to this recording incident. So for accuracy's sake, I didn't decide to "split for California" ... 
I LIVED there. I just went back home! 
ANOTHER MYTH: All the stories making it seem like I "left" because things didn't "take off". There was a 1980 "temporary-reunion" and then some gigs and then I returned to my work in Los Angeles. There was no band to leave.  After the 1980 reunion in Chicago I returned to my solo career and Carl and Nick went forward with their rendition of the band.  (Dennis Tufano)

EDITOR'S NOTE:  For the record, the album I was referring to was called "A Matter Of Time", which spawned the single "Veronica". It was released on Red Label Records in 1985 and featured all new material, primarily written by Carl Giammarese and Nick Fortuna.  It's now long out of print.  (kk)


>>>Carl Giammarese (who never stopped being a Buck) has been singing all the songs for the past 25 years and, as such, has a VERY loyal following of fans ... and, since Dennis walked away from the opportunity to continue on with the band, Carl and original member Nick Fortuna, the bassist are legally ... and "officially" ... The Buckinghams.  (kk)

My original piece explains the correct chronological sequence of events as they pertain to the members of The Buckinghams.  Although Carl and Nick are portrayed as original founding members, this really isn't correct.  In the beginning, drummer John Poulos personally recruited the band members ... first myself and George LeGros, to be the singers in his new band, The Pulsations. John and I then added Carl Giammarese and Curtis Bachman from the band The Centuries, with whom Nick Fortuna played rhythm-guitar.  “All Time Hits” the WGN TV show spawned the newly named band, “The Buckinghams”.  Members at that time were: John Poulos - drums, Curtis Bachman - bass, Carl Giammarese - guitar, Dennis Micolis - keyboards, Dennis Tufano - vocals, and George LeGros - vocals.  George LeGros was drafted into military service and had to leave the band. This left me, Dennis Tufano, to step into “lead vocals”.
Later... AFTER the All Time Hits Show, Nick became a “Buckingham” as bass guitarist on the Kind Of A Drag album ... but he was NOT a member of The Buckinghams until we went in to record our first record.  After the release of Kind Of A Drag,  John Poulos and myself enlisted Marty Grebb from The Exceptions.  This change made the new line-up of The Buckinghams 
John Poulos - Drums, Nick Fortuna - Bass, Carl Giammarese - guitar, Marty Grebb - guitar / keyboards / sax, Dennis Tufano - lead vocals / harmonica.
The Buckinghams officially disbanded in 1970 just after Marty Grebb left to play with Leon Russell.  As such, it really isn't a true statement or accurate to say that Carl "never stopped being a Buck" ... once the group officially disbanded in 1970, there were no more Buckinghams.  Carl stopped being a Buck, along with all of us, back in 1970.  This kind of
un-truth is what supports and feeds all the misguided stories.  After the official split in 1970,
Carl and I started recording as Tufano & Giammarese and The Tufano & Giammarese Band.
(Dennis Tufano)
>>>Recently (in the last few years), Dennis has started singing again, primarily doing his Tribute To Bobby Darin Show, "As Long As I'm Singin'".  (kk)
My return to singing was with my Bobby Darin tribute show in 2005. During that time the producers of the PBS series, "My Generation, the 60's" called all of us to be a part of that series. Carl and Nick declined to perform with me on the show. The producers then asked me, as the lead singer, to be a part of the show without them. After the show aired on PBS, I was called upon to perform live "Classic Rock Shows" as myself.  (Dennis Tufano)

THE LAST WORD:  One thing that we have seen while putting together this little series is that the animosity that seems to exist on the surface whenever The Buckinghams are discussed lately is NOT on the part of the former bandmates ... but rather at the fan level.  Fans seem to have chosen up sides ... which is fine ... we're all allowed our favorites.  But then the folks on Team Carl or Team Dennis seem to feel the need to SLAM the alternate choice.  If you visit any of the other posting boards that discuss this topic, what you'll find is a bunch of mean-spirited people POSING as fans, saying hateful and hurtful things about these artists ... and that is something WE hoped to stop with this Buckinghams profile.  
(To complicate matters even further, other people visiting these sites read these disparaging comments and then attribute them to the principles behind the scenes, assuming that Dennis and Carl must feel this way, too ... when, in fact, nothing could be further from the truth.  One common goal that BOTH men expressed to me was the need to STOP this downright nasty bickering between the fans ... it does NOTHING to help promote the artists or the music.)

As such, our goal was to get the facts out there ... answer some of the unanswered questions ... resolve some of the myths ... and promote BOTH artists for their continuing efforts to keep this great music alive.  Forgotten Hits will NOT play party to airing any negative comments that some of these OTHER sites don't even seem to monitor  ... we say if you feel that strongly about it one way or another, keep your opinions to yourself and buy your tickets to the other show ... 'nuff said. 

The joy is in the music ... and the REAL fans know that.  If instead you're deriving joy by dissing one artist or the other, then you don't deserve to call yourself a "fan" ... and you need to know that you're not endearing yourself to either artists by doing so ... you're only helping to spread more unnecessary bad will ... and that doesn't do ANYBODY any good.

As for me, I choose to continue to enjoy the music of BOTH entities and again want to thank Dennis and Carl for sharing their thoughts and memories with our readers.  I know in some ways this may have been a little hard for them to drudge up some of these long-standing facts and feelings ... but both men were committed to stopping this hate-mongering that seems to be going on at the fan level ... and I sincerely appreciate their choosing Forgotten Hits to do so.  (Who knows ... maybe it was even therapeutic in some small way!!!  lol)

Be sure to check out their websites to see when Carl and The Buckinghams ... or Dennis Tufano solo ... may be coming to your area ... both artists put on shows WELL worth seeing.  (kk)

Click here: The Buckinghams Tour Dates | Pollstar - The Concert Hotwire


SOME OF YOUR COMMENTS ON THE BUCKINGHAMS:
>>>What's the scoop on The Buckinghams?  What is the deal with Dennis?  He was telling me he was not allowed to be a Buckingham ... that the other two own the name?  (Who is that?  Carl and Nick?)  Did they have a falling out? Tried to google it but nothing came up.
(Mickey) 

It's the same old story, Mickey. It happens often, just like with those Mrs. Brown guys and Sloop John B. guys. They generally settle their differences in court!
Best,
John

Actually, if you read the whole article, you'll see that in this instance, things are pretty cut and dried ... Carl and Nick (Giammarese and Fortuna) own the rights to The Buckinghams' name ... and Dennis Tufano performs as a solo act, sometimes billed as either "formerly of The Buckinghams" or "The original voice of The Buckinghams."  Pretty simple really ... and this arrangement seems to be working for all of the parties concerned.  (kk)
Kent,
Here's a great 2002 Chicago Tribune article on the Buckinghams' comeback ... talks about their 1980 ChicagoFest appearance. 
And talk about trivia ... my very good friend and Forgotten Hits contributor, Dick Eastman, opened for them that very day in June of 1980 at Navy Pier with, of course, "The Dick Eastman Band".
Dave
Hoffman Estates

I tried to get a hold of Joshua Howes, who wrote the article back in 2002, for some updated commentary ... but no luck so far.  Meanwhile, since it's SO timely and relevant to our recent series ... and since you probably can't find it anywhere else ... here it is again for all The Buckinghams fans to enjoy!  Thanks, Dave!  (kk)
August 02, 2002
By Joshua Howes, Tribune Staff Reporter
For the Buckinghams, It's Still Not Kind of a DragIt was General Douglas MacArthur who said that old soldiers never die; they just fade away.
Old rock 'n' rollers, it seems, do neither.
Chicago-based pop quintet the Buckinghams was once the toast of the pop music world, a hip bunch of teenage boys with bowl-cuts whose debut single "Kind of a Drag" went straight to No. 1 on the Billboard music charts, displacing then-reigning teeny boppers the Monkees.
That was 1966.
On the strength of that debut, the Buckinghams went on to play almost a hundred concerts a year to sold-out audiences nationwide, earning over half-a-million dollars.
That was last year.
Yes, 36 years after "Kind of a Drag," and 31 years since their original breakup, the two original founding members of the Bucks, with three replacements, are still dragging their well-worn '60s sound all across the country, playing most recently at small-town fests in the Chicago area, including shows in Westmont, Westchester and Bensenville. Saturday, they'll hit Northbrook, playing at this year's Northbrook Days.
"You didn't know we're sponsored by Viagra, did you?" original lead singer Carl Giammarese asked an excitable and attentive audience at the recent Westchester Funfest.
Giammarese may be joking, but Viagra and other corporate sponsors might take note. All over the country, reunited '60s pop groups are selling out small - and medium - size venues, earning little acclaim, but often making bigger money than they ever saw back in their Ed Sullivan days.
You might recall other one-hit or two-bit wonders from music's yesteryear, such as the Turtles, the Grass Roots and Gary Lewis and the Playboys, three bands that joined the Buckinghams for the "Happy Together Tour" in 1985. This group of oldies - but - goodies sold out shows in 125 cities and certified that the appetite for '60s pop was never sated.
"There was always a love for 1960s music ... because it touches home for people," explained the Buckinghams' road manager, Susan Rakis. "Every show that I am with them, somebody new will come up and say, you know what, you pulled me through a lot of stuff, you know, divorces, marriages, deaths, wars. Or `You pulled me through Vietnam.'"
Indeed, that type of nostalgia seemed to be the prime motivation for older fans at the Buckinghams' Westchester show. Joyce Wasniak, 53, said, "It just takes me back to high school."  But Rakis is quick to point out that nostalgia isn't the only factor; the Buckinghams also attract thousands of younger fans. She said that among the 3,000 members of the Buckinghams' Chicago-based fan club, about half are under the age of 30 -- far too young to remember Ed Sullivan, the Beatles haircut, or the original success of "Kind of a Drag."
For the Buckinghams, the fun started back in the mid-'60s when the boys were in high school and calling themselves the Pulsations. The Anglo-mania of the time led them to a palatial new name. They cut their first single, "Kind of a Drag" in 1966 and to everybody's surprise, the two-minute record went straight to No. 1, launching them onto the national scene.
By 1967, the Buckinghams were appearing on Ed Sullivan, Jerry Lewis, Dick Clark's "American Bandstand" and the Smothers Brother's TV hour, where the producers, unaware of the band's Chicago roots, festooned the stage with 18 British flags.
For about a year-and-a-half, the Top 10 hits kept coming, including "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy," "Susan," and "Hey Baby (They're Playing Our Song)." But by 1969, acts like The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, and the Doors were starting a revolution, and Buckinghams-style pop was on the way out.
At one concert in 1969, the Buckinghams found themselves booed off the stage by fans impatient to hear flower-power icon Donovan, who finally "floated in about a foot off the ground," as Nick Fortuna, bassist and original band member, put it.
A couple of years later, the band was broken-up and in debt. In what Fortuna called "a typical sad story," the Buckinghams' managers and record producers made off with most of the money, paying the star-struck teenagers only a few hundred dollars a week during their heyday and then dumping them with a stack of unpaid bills, he said.
By the late 1970s, Giammarese was singing commercial jingles and Fortuna was playing in R&B combos and cutting hair for a living.
But in 1980, a producer with WLS-Chicago asked Giammarese if he would be interested in getting the Buckinghams back together to play at ChicagoFest that June, and after just a few weeks' rehearsal, Giammarese, Fortuna, and vocalist Dennis Tufano re-opened the Buckinghams for business, before 12,000 fans at a dilapidated Navy Pier.
Fortuna and Giammarese seem unfazed by the suggestion that by playing "Kind of a Drag" well over 1,000 times in the last 20 years, they're just milking a lucky hit for all its worth.
"We're very fortunate people," said Giammarese. "There were many years in high school when I thought I'd be an automotive designer."
Fortuna is a bit more caustic, noting that if the Buckinghams had had five Top 10 hits today instead of in 1967, they would be multimillionaires. As for Tufano's decision in 1983 not to stick with the reunion and pursue acting, well, that's just "one less mouth to feed."
Fortuna also took pains to point out that life on the road ain't so easy at 56.
"Imagine the process you go through to get to your vacation destination -- that's what we go through, every day ... It's no cakewalk."
This Giammarese good cop / Fortuna bad cop routine runs straight through the Buckinghams' concerts, in which the two play the roles of entertainers as much as musicians, something Giammarese readily admits.
Though the Buckinghams aren't taking any risks -- they play the same hits at every show -- the audiences know what they're getting and appreciate it, judging by their enthusiastic entreaties for an encore Sunday night.  Mary Kay Weber, director of corporate sales for Prism Entertainment in Hinsdale, describes the Buckinghams' success this way: "They're a great value, especially in the Chicago marketplace. They're affordable -- under $10,000 -- and still have national name recognition and a great local fan base."  That's why Weber first booked the Buckinghams to play the annual Westmont Fest.
Good article ... for the time ... although I'm not so sure I'd lump The Buckinghams, The Turtles, The Grass Roots and Gary Lewis and the Playboys into the "One Hit, Two-Bit Wonders" category ... in fact, not even CLOSE!!!  Between them, these four artists probably had 40 Top 40 Hits!!!  And how ironic is this ... this year and last, The Buckinghams, The Grass Roots and The Turtles were STILL headlining The Happy Together Tour ... and later this summer, former Buckinghams Lead Singer Dennis Tufano will be sharing the stage atThe Riviera Hotel in Las Vegas with ... you guessed it ... Gary Lewis and the Playboys!!! 
(The more things change, the more things stay the same!!!  lol)  kk 



Hi Kent --
About the "founding members" of The Buckinghams -- many times people like to make it look like they started the band -- the reality is, the band was really Jon Poulos' -- HE asked every one else.  "The Pulsations" were the forerunner to the Buckinghams -- all others, including myself are "Johnny come late-lies" -- the facts as Dennis presents them are correct.
I have a new CD out there doing pretty well right now -- "High Steppin".
Thanks,
Marty Grebb


Great to hear from you, Marty!  (And we would LOVE to "sneak peek" a track from your new CD in Forgotten Hits!!!) 
In all fairness, while Dennis presents an accurate chronological sequence regarding who joined when, the initial "start up" line-up of a drummer and two lead vocalists does NOT a band make.  THAT line-up didn't appear or perform anywhere (nor would anyone have had an interest in seeing that!!!  lol) ... it didn't turn into a "band" until Carl Giammarese, Dennis Micolis and Curtis Bachman came onboard ... and even then it was as The Pulsations, the pre-cursor to The Buckinghams, that came out of that line-up.  Certainly ALL bands go through a variety of members before they hit on a line-up that truly "clicks" ... and The Buckinghams were no different.  The band involved in their WGN-TV stint would be a significant career milestone ... as would the band involved with recording of their first LP ... but I'd venture to say that the PREMIER line-up of The Buckinghams during the hit-making years has just GOT to include Nick Fortuna ... and Marty Grebb!!!  Meaning no disrespect to any of those fine musicians who came before you, it was YOU guys (along with Dennis Tufano, Carl Giammarese and Jon-Jon Poulos) that are the ones that MOST of us cherish and remember.  (In the last 25+ years of the Carl and Nick-led band, the line-up has changed NUMEROUS times ... including a well-documented MAJOR shake-up last year when 20+ year veterans Bob Abrams and Tommy Scheckel left suddenly.
Hope you'll stay in touch and contribute from time to time ... you have an open invitation to share your memories of these incredible days (along with all the amazing things you've done since) ... and please feel free to "use us" to help promote not only your new CD but any other new "goings-on" that you might be involved with.  Thanks, Marty!  (kk) 


Kent ...
Looking forward to the Buckinghams articles. I always loved that band ... and Dennis is one of the BEST singers I have ever seen. He should be in the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame.
Mitch Schecter / The Rip Chords
Thanks, Mitch ... I passed your note along to Dennis (who I know you met at a gig recently!)  I'm SO proud that Carl and Dennis chose Forgotten Hits to tell their stories ... both guys have told me that everywhere the go they meet fans who are devoted FH readers ... and genuinely appreciate our efforts to help keep this great music alive.  (I know that you've told me the same thing many times ... which is ALWAYS nice to hear.)  That just means that we're getting the job done.  Our goal, of course, is to make Forgotten Hits the DEFINITIVE source for factual oldies information ... and to help promote these artists in any and all of their new ventures, whether it be concert appearances, new releases ... whatever!  Please help us spread the word so that more and more artists jump on board and USE US to achieve these goals!!! (kk)


I LOVE YOUR BUCKS CONTROVERSY!
A TOUCHY SITUATION BUT YOU ARE HANDLING IT VERY WELL.
SCOTT SHANNON
THE TRUE OLDIES CHANNEL
***
If there is a message in all this madness,
that message would HAVE to be:
ENJOY THE MUSIC!!!
Because, quite honestly,
all of this other extraneous bullshit
(regarding the in-fighting amongst the fans)
is KIND OF A DRAG!!!


 (The Tufano - Giammarese Band Remake from the '70's)
Thanks, Everybody!  (kk)

Friday, June 17, 2011

The Buckinghams (Part 3)

Wrapping things up today, we share a few thoughts and memories from original Buckinghams Lead Singer Dennis Tufano:

Hey Kent!

Here's a little thing I like to call:


The Buckinghams - The Beginning (1965-1970)  “Debunking the myths”

In the beginning, drummer John Poulos personally recruited the band members ... first myself and George LeGros, to be the singers in his new band, The Pulsations. John and I then added Carl Giammarese and Curtis Bachman from the band The Centuries, with whom Nick Fortuna played rhythm guitar.

“All Time Hits”, the WGN TV show, spawned the newly named band, “The Buckinghams”.

Members at that time were: John Poulos - drums, Curtis Bachman - bass, Carl Giammarese - guitar, Dennis Micolis - keyboards, Dennis Tufano - vocals, and George LeGros - vocals.

George LeGros was drafted into military service and had to leave the band. This left me, Dennis Tufano, to step into “lead vocals”.

Later ... after the All Time Hits Show ... Nick became a “Buckingham” as bass guitarist on the Kind Of A Drag album.  After the release of Kind Of A Drag,  John Poulos and myself enlisted Marty Grebb from The Exceptions, whose bass guitarist was Peter Cetera, soon to be a member of the group CTA / CHICAGO.

Now The Buckinghams were: John Poulos - Drums, Nick Fortuna - Bass, Carl Giammarese - guitar, Marty Grebb - guitar / keyboards / sax, Dennis Tufano - lead vocals / harmonica.

The Buckinghams officially disbanded in 1970 just after Marty Grebb left to play with Leon Russell. Carl and I recorded three albums with Lou Adler’s Ode Records from 1972 - 1976 as Tufano & Giammarese and The Tufano & Giammarese Band.

In 1980, just after the passing of John Poulos, WLS radio asked us to have a reunion for Chicagofest and we played a number of  “reunion” shows for the next year. To answer the pressing question, “Why did Dennis leave the band?” – I never “left” the band ... the band was officially dissolved in 1970 and we only got back together in 1980 for the Chicagofest Reunion shows and not as a permanent re-packaging of the original band!

Due to the amazing response at these concerts, Carl and Nick felt that we could put the band back together and be The Buckinghams again. I was already working as a solo act both in music and acting and living in Los Angeles, so I wasn’t available at this time. Respectfully declining to reunite, I gave them my blessing to go forward and be the band. Even though we all shared trademark ownership of the name, and due to the fact that I didn’t choose to use the name, "The Buckinghams”, Carl and Nick by “using” the name have legal ownership of the name and I admire the great work they’ve done through the years.

Today, we all do our own thing and continue to perform, Carl and Nick as “The Buckinghams” and myself as “Dennis Tufano, the original voice of The Buckinghams”.

Marty Grebb has been successful working with many artists including Bonnie Raitt, Leon Russell, The Band, Eric Clapton, to name a few.

Just a note: There are times when a promoter will use the “billing” of Dennis Tufano of the Buckinghams ... this is just an Historical Connection and a Factual Relationship to the said trademark. It does not mean I’m “in the band”. To avoid any confusion, I am not, in any way, associated with Carl and Nick’s version of the band. I am a solo artist performing in many shows including a tribute to Bobby Darin and Classic Rock shows. 

What a blessing to have both longtime and new fans that support all of our work.  We are truly living the dream!!!!

Thank you all for listening and allowing us the opportunity to do what we love.

Many thanks to our families, Carl Bonafede, Dan Belloc, Jim Holvay, Gary Beisber and The City of Chicago.
And thank you, Kent, for keeping the music alive in our hearts and minds and most definitely in our ears.
Dennis Tufano

So there you have it, folks ... thanks to a couple of GREAT guys for helping us set the record straight once and for all.

Check out Dennis Tufano Live here:
July 8, 2011
Dennis Tufano, Sonny Geraci
Outdoor Festival
Follansbee, W.Va.

July 12, 2011
Dennis Tufano and The Cryan Shames
The Village Green
Elk Grove Village, Ill., 7:30 p.m. Free.

July 20 - 25; July 28 - 31, 2011
Dennis Tufano, Gary Lewis and The Playboys
Riviera Hotel, Las Vegas, Nev.

August 17, 2011
Dennis Tufano
River Raisin Center
Monroe, Mich., 7 p.m.

August 18, 2011
Dennis Tufano
Berkley High School
Berkley, Mich.

October 14, 2011
Dennis Tufano and Sonny Geraci
Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) Show
C-Tec Career & Tech Center, 
Newark, Ohio

December 11, 2011
Dennis Tufano, Jay and the Americans
Irvington Town Hall Theater, 
Irvington, N.Y., 
7:30 p.m.

More details on the website:

 

Thursday, June 16, 2011

The Buckinghams (Part 2)

A FORGOTTEN HITS EXCLUSIVE:
Today, Carl Giammarese shares his thoughts on The Buckinghams.  Enjoy!  (kk)

Hi Kent!
Thank you for the opportunity and the forum to explain a few things regarding The Buckinghams.
First and foremost, there is no fight over the Buckinghams name. It is a trademark owned by Carl Giammarese and Nick Fortuna under our corporation Buckinghams Music Ltd. 
Dennis made a decision over 25 years ago that I quote from Dennis "I do not want to be a Buckingham anymore." It was around the end of 1982. 
From 1980 to 1983 we had been playing a handful of dates every summer. At that time it was Dennis, Nick and me. It started with WLS asking us to perform on their stage at Chicago Fest in 1980. By 1983 I felt the growing interest in our music again and while recording some new songs (there was no new album), Dennis decided it wasn't for him and went back to LA to pursue his acting career, so Nick and I continued without him. 
Dennis Tufano is a great talent. Unfortunately it is some of our fans that have created this illusion that Nick and I have bad feelings regarding Dennis, and he toward us. I always wish him well and hope he is successful in his career endeavors. He has every right to promote himself as "Dennis Tufano formerly of The Buckinghams." It always seemed that he preferred performing on his own.
No, there will not be a reunion between Dennis and The Buckinghams in the future ... he has his career and we have ours. It actually turned into a blessing for me when Dennis quit. It gave me an opportunity to sing lead and front the band ... and I am thankful for that.
The whole story will be documented in my autobiography, "My Journey", when it comes out this summer. Dawn Lee Wakefield and I have worked very hard to make this a great and accurate read, with a lot of interviews from those that were there, along with some wonderful stories. The Buckinghams have been reinvented many times with different members through the years, but the one constant is Carl Giammarese and Nick Fortuna.
I will say this again and I have said it many times in the past. Dennis, Nick and I have been given this gift to still perform and show our talent because of our fans. They continue to support us and still want to hear our music, God bless them.
Thank you to all our fans who made the 2010 Happy Together Tour a fabulous success, and that is why there is a 2011 tour. I look forward to giving you updates during the tour.
Thank you,
Carl Giammarese
Can't WAIT to read the new book.  (Hey, maybe we can give away an autographed copy to a lucky Forgotten Hits Reader, too!)

Looks like I got my timeline wrong in a couple of instances in yesterday's piece.  I thought the Chicagofest Reunion was more of the 1985 time frame ... and that the reunited band had cut an album that produced the single "Veronica", a song that had some abbreviated airplay here in Chicago in the early '80's.  In our on-going commitment to presenting "The Most Accurate Truth", I asked Carl to please clear up and correct any wrong information I may have inadvertently passed along(kk)
>>>Dennis made a decision over 25 years ago that I quote from Dennis "I do not want to be a Buckingham anymore." It was around the end of 1982. From 1980 to 1983 we had been playing a handful of dates every summer. At that time it was Dennis, Nick and me. It started with WLS asking us to perform on their stage at Chicago Fest in 1980. By 1983 I felt the growing interest in our music again and while recording some new songs (there was no new album), Dennis decided it wasn't for him and went back to LA to pursue his acting career, so Nick and I continued without him.   (Carl Giammarese)
Maybe I've got my timeline wrong (???)  The "new album" I was referring to was the one released on Red Label, featuring the single "Veronica", which I remember buying on a 45 with a picture sleeve.  I thought this was part of the "comeback phase".  Dennis was NOT part of these recordings?  (kk)
Hi Kent,
No, Dennis was not involved in the Red Label release "Veronica," or the album it was on, "A Matter Of Time." Dennis had left the band about two years before that, and we recorded and released it for the start of the Happy Together Tour in 1985. Dennis only appeared with Nick and I from 1980 through 1982. It began with Chicago Fest and, for a couple of summers, we did the fest and Parkwest. We played The Parkwest for New Year's Eve in 1980. Once again, Dennis never did any recording with us other than the start of a session when he told us "I don't want to be a Buckingham anymore." We probably played five or six times with him back then.
I hope that answers your questions.
Best regards,
Carl
Thanks, Carl, yes it does.  As you know, we're all about getting the facts straight here ... and ANYTIME we can quote an actual source from one of the parties who was there at the time just helps to build our credibility as THE ultimate oldies music source.  And, as you pointed out earlier, it ALSO helps us resolve some of the misconceptions circulating amongst uninformed fans ... so thank you again.  (kk)
In addition to all of their up-coming "Happy Together Again" tour dates, The Buckinghams are also squeezing in a few "solo" show dates, too.
Tuesday, June 7th - Wichita, KS -- Downtown Wichita
Saturday, June 11th - Franklin Park, IL -- Railroad Daze
Thursday, June 16th - Rochester, MN -- Mayo Park
Friday, June 24th - Homewood, IL -- Marie Irwin Center
Sunday, June 26th - Three Oaks, MI -- Acorn Theater
Monday, July 25th - Ocean City, NJ -- Ocean City Music Pier
Friday, August 12th - Chicago, IL -- Private Corporate Date    
Saturday, August 13th - Mount Vernon, OH -- Downtown Square 
Saturday, Aug. 21st - Bolingbrook, IL -- Bolingbrook Jubilee  

Watch for the complete Happy Together Again Tour Date Schedule in the days to come ... as well as our Forgotten Hits special tribute to all of this year's artists when Forgotten Hits salutes The Happy Together Again Tour the week of June 27th in our daily "Today's Forgotten Hit" feature! (kk)

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

The Buckinghams: A Forgotten Hits Exclusive

Over the past few years, we've received a number of letter much like the ones posted below ... asking about the "current state of affairs" within Chicago's Pop Music Legends, The Buckinghams.


Some fans seem to be confused by the fact that there seem to be two entities with ties to our local heroes, who lit up the charts with six straight Top 40 Hits in 1967.  It's really quite simple:  original founding members Carl Giammarese and Nick Fortuna have continued to perform as The Buckinghams for over 25 years now, touring the world sharing their musical memories.  And former lead singer Dennis Tufano has begun performing again as a solo act, which has led to numerous appearances on PBS Oldies Shows as "the original voice of The Buckinghams".

With Carl Giammarese and Dennis Tufano BOTH regular contributors to our Forgotten Hits Website, we asked for their "awkward but necessary" support in putting together a definitive answer for the fans.
Both artists complied ... so, over the next couple of days we'll try to set the record straight once and for all.  (Hey, we love BOTH of these guys ... so thanks again for helping Forgotten Hits continue to spread "The Most Accurate Truth" for oldies music fans around the world!)  Please join us as we reminisce about the old days ... and talk about all the cool new stuff these guys have coming up!  (kk)

re:  THE BUCKINGHAMS:
The Buckinghams - Back In Love Again:
I THINK this may have been a hit around Philly, or I just liked it when collecting vinyl.
Great song, but I feel the ending, the portion that would follow the ending of this (minute) snippet, needed a little attention. On their Greatest Hits CD, it sounded like crap ... so I took the opportunity to modify the sound to a level where I, and hopefully Dennis Tufano, can appreciate it. Maybe Sony re re re mastered it!
Anyway, thank you Dennis and the other Buckinghams for your nice songs!!!
Oh, glad to find a little studio talk on a couple other hits!
http://www.angelfire.com/empire/abpsp/images/backinlove.mp3Best,
Jersey John

P.S.  Fill me in ... http://www.thebuckinghams.com/home.html
Why isn't Dennis Tufano's bio even mentioned here (above)???!!!!
Oh, never mind ... just a fight over The Buckinghams' name!!!! Found his site.
I assume Dennis sang lead on "Back In Love Again"?
John
If the website bios you're referring to pertain to the CURRENT members of the band, this would explain it, as Dennis is NOT a member of The Buckinghams (and hasn't been in quite some time) ... but certainly he should be spotlighted in the HISTORY of the band ... as he was, in fact, the VOICE of The Buckinghams on all of their hit records (including the one you mentioned above ... a long-time Forgotten Hits favorite.)  For the past 25 years, The Buckinghams have been led by original founding members Carl Giammarese and Nick Fortuna, who tour the country extensively playing their hits for oldies fans across the USA.  And, they've continued to record NEW material as well, which is available through their website (via the link included in your email above.)  kk
Ouch!  By the way, Buckingham Carl Giammarese was none-too-happy with your "Back In Love Again" snippet ... read on!  (kk)
"Back In Love Again" was a song (keyboardist) Marty Grebb wrote that we hoped would be a hit following "Susan."  I think it peeked only in the 60's on the national charts unfortunately. I like the ending and no one has the right to modify it without legal issues. It is owned by Sony. One problem is that it has been re-mastered many times and they have lost the way it was meant to sound in the process. Unfortunately we don't have control, otherwise I'd love to go in and remix a lot of our songs.
Carl
I always thought "Back In Love Again" was a VERY strong follow-up to "Susan" ... and, here in Chicago it did pretty well (#32).  Nationally, it officially stopped at #53 on the Cash Box Chart.  I think virtually EVERY artist recording in the '60's would go back and remix things differently today if given the chance to do so ... but for me, part of the charm IS the sound of these records ... they were so "of the time", if you know what I mean.  I know a number of jocks on the list have featured "Back In Love Again" on their shows thanks to the amount of press given to this tune here in Forgotten Hits ... and I say it holds up pretty damn well today!  (kk)
What's the scoop on The Buckinghams?  What is the deal with Dennis?
He was telling me he was not allowed to be a Buckingham ... that the other two own the name?  (Who is that?  Carl and Nick?)
Did they have a falling out? Tried to google it but nothing came up.
Mickey
Unfortunately, we get asked this question a lot ... which puts us in a bit of an awkward position since Carl Giammarese and Dennis Tufano are both Forgotten Hits Readers and have always been VERY supportive of what we do here ... I consider both to be good friends of FH ... but the music fans want to know these things and sometimes (too often perhaps) they're left to draw their own conclusions ... which typically doesn't do ANYBODY any favors ... and only serves to fuel more rumors and animosity!!!
Honestly, I'm not even sure that I can explain it exactly right ... but let me try ... 

My understanding is that Dennis gave away the rights to the name several years ago when he was trying to make it as an actor.  The Buckinghams reunited for a brief period of time around 1985, I believe ... they did a big show here in Chicago, headlining (at Mayor Jane Byrne's request) "Chicagofest", the precursor to "A Taste Of Chicago".  The response was SO good that they decided to do some more shows together and even recorded a brand new album.  Then when things didn't really take off the way they had hoped they would, Dennis decided to split for California and try it on his own as an actor.  At this point Carl stepped up to the lead and has been fronting the band ever since ... along with original member Nick Fortuna who, I believe, is also officially his business partner. For the past 25 years, THEY have been The Buckinghams.

Dennis had some success on his own as an actor ... he also sang the original theme song to TV's "Growing Pains" ... and toured with Olivia Newton-John for a while as her primary male lead vocalist (handling many of the key parts on Olivia's biggest duet hits, originally recorded with the likes of John Travolta and Cliff Richard.  In fact, some of these performances have been captured for posterity on video compilations.)  A quick check of imdb.com shows several other films in which he appeared:   
Click here: Dennis Tufano - IMDb

Meanwhile, the Carl and Nick led version of The Buckinghams continued to tour successfully during these years, both as a headlining act and as part of many oldies concert packages.It is no overstatement to say that they have kept the "brand name" of The Buckinghams a prominent, viable oldies entity, recognized by millions of fans around the world.  (Their music has always spoken for itself ... six straight National Top 40 Hits in a fourteen month period spanning December of 1966 through January of 1968!)

Then recently (in the last few years), Dennis has started singing again, primarily doing his Tribute To Bobby Darin Show, "As Long As I'm Singin'".  (A great show, by the way!) He started slipping two or three of his Buckinghams hits into the encore and all of a sudden, the bookings started coming in.  (He's done a number of the PBS oldies shows all over the country and frequently performs with Sonny Geraci, former lead singer of The Outsiders and Climax.) 

It's too bad really ... and puts both artists in a tough spot ... because Dennis really is the voice of The Buckinghams when it comes to the records ... and there is NO question that the man can still really sing ... but Carl Giammarese (who never stopped being a Buck) has been singing all the songs for the past 25 years and, as such, has a VERY loyal following of fans ... and, since Dennis walked away from the opportunity to continue on with the band, Carl and original member Nick Fortuna, the bassist (who also has one hell of a voice)  are legally ... and "officially" ... The Buckinghams.  (Let's face it ... there's no way Carl's going to give up the spotlight now ... he has been the "face" ... and the voice ... of The Buckinghams for the past 25 years!)  Carl and Nick will soon be heading out on their second straight Happy Together Again Tour where they played to rave reviews last summer.

So yes, there's a little bit of conflict  between the two (especially when it comes to appearing here locally in Chicago, since The Bucks hail from here.)  Overall though (with BOTH guys on the list ... and VERY friendly and cooperative with Forgotten Hits), I prefer to think of it as more of a "friendly rivalry" than anything else ... and I believe that in a heartbeat BOTH men would admit to having a deep love and admiration for one another.  

Over the past several years, I have seen Carl and Dennis perform together as Tufano and Giammarese at a couple of special events ... something they did regularly as a duo after The Buckinghams folded the first time around ... and Dennis recently told me that under the right circumstances he'd be a willing participant in putting the ORIGINAL band back together with all of the surviving members for a special performance.  (Although I never made this information public before, there was a brief period of discussion with myself, deejay Jim Shea and some of the artists on The Forgotten Hits List about putting together a final tribute to The Smothers Brothers when they announced their official retirement a while back ... the idea was to recruit some of the bands who appeared on their legendary television show ... such as The Buckinghams, The Turtles and a few others ... and try to put together a MAJOR send off television special.  Talks fell apart very quickly so there was never really any point in discussing it any further within these pages ... but Dennis was the FIRST guy on board with the idea and I have absolutely NO doubt in my mind that for such a special event, Carl would have thrown HIS hat into the ring immediately, too!  I sincerely believe that when it comes to these guys, the music really DOES come first.)  

In our hearts, we want ALL of our rock and roll heroes to get along and remember all of the good times ... and all of the joy this music gave to millions of us.  I honestly believe that as long as both Dennis and Carl can continue to get their bookings without any conflicts, they will each find an audience out there happy to appreciate them both as artists.  Right now, it appears that Carl's Buckinghams are getting the major gigs ... as I mentioned earlier, they will be part of this year's Happy Together Again Tour again this summer ... which means that they'll play to hundreds of thousands of fans across the country this summer.  Dennis seems to be getting more and more of the smaller gigs and "specialty" appearances ... and legally has to bill himself as "The Original Voice of The Buckinghams" ... but the fans still flock to see both artists ... let's face it, they had some pretty incredible hits!  (Interestingly enough, on his DT Sings website, Dennis states: "Dennis is a solo performer and is not associated, in any way, with the current rendition of the band that owns the name The Buckinghams."  Dennis is also still trying to find a home for his Bobby Darin Tribute ... it has played to rave reviews across the country and allows him an opportunity to stretch a little as an artist, too. A "live" DVD of Dennis doing Bobby Darin material is now available through the CDBaby website.)  The Buckinghams ALSO have a great live DVD available, which you can order through their website at the link shown below.  

Meanwhile, some of us dreamers still hope that from time to time we'll also get to witness some amazing reconciliation shows, too!  (kk)
In a perfect clip of "then and now", here are The Buckinghams performing "Susan" ... starting off on The Ed Sullivan Show with Dennis Tufano singing lead ... and then ending with Carl Giammarese handling the vocals on one of those excellent PBS '60's Specials!
Click here: Susan - Video - The Buckinghams


Back in 1967, The Buckinghams appeared on TV's hottest and hippest show "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour". (Hopefully this footage will be one of the highlights whenever Season One of this landmark series is finally released on DVD.)  Although they hailed from Chicago ... and already had several major hits under their belts ... the set was filled with British "Union Jack" Flags.  (Truthfully, The Buckinghams had more to do with Chicago's Buckingham Fountain than Great Britain's Buckingham Palace ... but this fact seemed to be lost on the set designers at The Smothers Brothers' television studio!)  The guys still joke about this "mishap" to this very day!  (kk)
And for upcoming dates where you can see BOTH of these great artists, be sure to check their websites:
Click here: The Buckinghams Tour Dates | Pollstar - The Concert Hotwire 


TOMORROW IN FORGOTTEN HITS:  Carl Giammarese fills us in on some of the current details (and corrects a few of our errors in today's piece regarding the reunion timeline.)  Don't miss it!!! (kk)