FH Regular Clark Besch prepared this piece on the duo, hometown heroes who hailed from his native Lincoln, Nebraska.
Who can forget the story Rick Evans and Denny Zager unveiled to the month of the first moon walk and Woodstock. "In the Year 2525" was a bit of a downer in retrospect, but at that time in 1969, a PERFECT reflection about the world's future. Had it came out in 1968 or 1970, maybe it would have disappeared without a trace?
The song had been written three years earlier and the duo had played it for awhile in their downtown weekly hangout in their (and my) hometown of Lincoln,Nebraska, at the Cattmann's Club nightly before enough interest led them to travel to Texas and record it and put it out on Truth Records in early 1969. The song took off here and went to #1 on KLMS in April. By July 12, it was a national sensation reaching #1 in the country and by year's end the duo was a worldwide sensation.
Yet, Zager & Evans were not overnight sensations. They were part of an amazingly talented combo called the Eccentrics. They were VERY popular as locals in Lincoln as early as 1961!
How many bands were popular enough in 1961 to get a large photo ad like this in the paper? That is Zager (left) and Evans (right) at the far right of the car.
By late 1963, the band had played Kansas City, St. Paul, Denver, Chicago and Green Bay nightspots.
As the Beatles came along, long hair did, too. The Eccentrics grew their hair to match their name and sported long bouffant cuts not unlike the nation's founding fathers centuries earlier.
Their first recording was released in 1964 issued with a pic sleeve and reached #11 on Lincoln's KLMS charts. (Zager & Evans in the middle below.)
Also, in 1964, Rick Evans (writer of "2525") made front page headlines (guitar player) in Lincoln's newspaper!
Not only a popular singer / musician, but also a prolific songwriter by now.
This story ran with the headline "Musician Continues to Strum."
This past year several tapes of the Eccentrics live performances have surfaced, showing how amazingly versatile the band was, musically.
Despite being an excellent band and changing their song rotation monthly featuring everything from blues to jazz to bubblegum and Beatles, they called it quits around 1967 and Z&E began playing as a duo and regulars around Lincoln.
Almost a year before their national fame, the band was given a nice article in Lincoln based on their new gig at the Cattmann's Lounge and the recording of their new tune "2525." Some of the Eccentrics played on the recording.
Almost a year before their national fame, the band was given a nice article in Lincoln based on their new gig at the Cattmann's Lounge and the recording of their new tune "2525." Some of the Eccentrics played on the recording.
Their final Cattmann's gig would come in late June, 1969, when their hit was just going national.
The song would jump to #1 quickly after release in March, 1969. On March 8, 1969, the Truth version was listed as an "extra" on Lincoln's KLMS radio chart. In successive weeks, it moved to #34, #5, #2 and number 1. After staying there for five weeks, the song left the local chart on June 7.
BTW, that should be SOMA records, not SELMA Records in Minneapolis! I wonder if signing to Columbia would have been any better move than RCA? Anyway, by May, RCA got the deal!
Two weeks after leaving the Lincoln charts, the new RCA version jumped into the Hot 100 on June 21.
By July 12, 1969, the RCA (added orchestration) had reached #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 in just four weeks and stayed there an amazing six weeks at the top until August 23, when "Honky Tonk Women" knocked it off.
In that period, man first walked on the Moon on July 20. Also, Woodstock convened from August 15-18 (supposedly, Z&E were invited to perform, but a car accident prevented it from happening -- I have not been able to confirm this). It was a perfect time for this odd piece of musical history to happen.
In the coming months, the record would go to the top of many nations worldwide! BUT, Zager & Evans could never come close again, making them not a TRUE overnight sensation, BUT making them a TRUE disappearing act one hit wonder of all time.
After a handful of local hits ended in 1972, Z&E folded and a falling out over song royalties between them caused the duo to never perform again together, despite many attempts by promoters. Rick Evans passed away a few years ago. "2525" still awaits us all.
Just one more rags to riches to rags story of rock 'n roll.
-- Clark Besch
