1910 Fruitgum Company
| 1910 Fruitgum Company | |
|---|---|
 The 1910 Fruitgum Company performing live on November 17, 2007 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Linden, New Jersey, United States |
| Genres | Bubblegum pop |
| Years active | 1965–1969, 2007–present |
| Labels | Buddah |
| Members |
|
| Past members |
|
The 1910 Fruitgum Company is an American bubblegum pop band of the 1960s. The group's Billboard Hot 100 hits were "Simon Says", "May I Take A Giant Step", "1, 2, 3, Red Light", "Goody Goody Gumdrops", "Indian Giver", "Special Delivery", and "The Train".[1]
Career
The band began as Jeckell and The Hydes in New Jersey in 1966. The original members were Frank Jeckell, Mark Gutkowski, Floyd Marcus, Pat Karwan and Steve Mortkowitz - all from Linden, New Jersey.[2]
During 1967, they were signed to Buddah Records, where they released five LPs under their own name and a variety of singles, as well as appearing on the LP The Kasenetz-Katz Singing Orchestral Circus, which sounded like the usual Buddah studio band in spite of its promotion as a "bubblegum superjam". Their first hit single, "Simon Says", was written by Elliot Chiprut. During the recording process, the band changed the beat and patterned the song after "Wooly Bully" by Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs. "Simon Says" soon became a success, hitting #4 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. The track peaked at #2 on the UK Singles Chart[3] and was heard in the 1968 Frederick Wiseman documentary High School.
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The band started touring, opening for major acts such as The Beach Boys.[4] They went on to release the hits "Simon Says", "May I Take a Giant Step", "1, 2, 3, Red Light" (U.S. #5), "Special Delivery" (U.S. #38), "Goody, Goody Gumdrops", and "Indian Giver" (U.S. #5).
The original group disbanded in 1970.
Mark Gutkowski, the original lead singer, last performed in 1977 in Europe with the Ohio Express, The Hollies and The Music Explosion.
Early during the 21st century, original members Frank Jeckell and Floyd Marcus put the act back together, along with a few musicians, and started touring again. They performed a concert on November 17, 2007 at the Caravan of Stars XIV, in Henderson, Tennessee. Also appearing at the show were Dickey Lee, Jimmy Gilmer, Carol Conners (of The Teddy Bears), Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods, Jim Yester (of The Association), Jerry Yester (of The Lovin' Spoonful), and Eddie Brigati (of The Young Rascals).
Million sellers
"Simon Says" sold three and a half million. "1, 2, 3, Red Light" and "Indian Giver" each sold over one million copies. All three were awarded gold discs.[2]
Members, past and present
Current lineup
- Frank Jeckell (Original Member Guitar and Vocals)
- Mick Mansueto (Vocals and Percussion)
- Glenn Lewis (Bass and Vocals)
- Bob Brescia (Keyboards, Vocals and Music Director)
- Keith Crane (Drums)
Former members
- Mark Gutkowski (Original Member Lead Singer on all the hits and Hammond B3 Organist)
- Pat Karwan (Original Lead Guitarist)
- Steve Mortkowitz (Original Bass Player)
- Floyd Marcus (Original Drummer)
- Phil Thorstenson (Drums and Vocals)
- Jerry Roth (Tenor Sax)
- Ralph Cohen (Douglas) (Trumpet)
- Pat Soriano (Hammond B3 Organist))
- Bruce Shay (Bass and Vocals)
- David Peckerman (Drums)
- Rusty Oppenheimer (Drums and Vocals)
- Larry Ripley (Bass, Woodwinds and Vocals)
- Chuck Travis (Guitar and Vocals)
- Rich Fuchs
- Charles Tedesco (Drums)
- Gary Poskay (Keyboardist)
- Michael Stoppiello
Discography
Singles
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Record Label | B-side From same album as A-side except where indicated |
Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | UK | AUS | |||||
| 1967 | "Simon Says" | 4 | 2 | 2 | Buddah Records | "Reflections from the Looking Glass" (Non-LP track) | Simon Says |
| 1968 | "May I Take A Giant Step (Into Your Heart)" | 63 | – | 42 | "(Poor Old) Mr. Jensen" | ||
| "1, 2, 3, Red Light" | 5 | – | 8 | "Sticky, Sticky" (Non-LP track) | 1, 2, 3, Red Light | ||
| "Goody Goody Gumdrops" | 37 | – | 29 | "Candy Kisses" (Non-LP track) | Goody Goody Gumdrops | ||
| 1969 | "Indian Giver" | 5 | – | 5 | "Pow Wow" (Non-LP track) | Indian Giver | |
| "Special Delivery" | 38 | – | 47 | "No Good Annie" | |||
| "The Train" | 57 | – | 68 | "Eternal Light" (Non-LP track) | Hard Ride | ||
| "When We Get Married" | 118 | – | 76 | "Baby Bret" (Non-LP track) | Juiciest Fruitgum | ||
| 1970 | "Go Away" | – | – | 77 | Super K Records | "The Track" | Non-LP tracks |
Albums
| Year | Album | Billboard 200 | Record Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | Simon Says | 162 | Buddah Records |
| 1, 2, 3, Red Light | 163 | ||
| Goody Goody Gumdrops | – | ||
| 1969 | Indian Giver | 147 | |
| Hard Ride | – | ||
| 1970 | Juiciest Fruitgum | – | |
| 2001 | The Best of the 1910 Fruitgum Company: Simon Says | – |
References
- ↑ "Interview With The 1910 Fruitgum Company". Classicbands.com. Retrieved 2015-08-19.
- 1 2 Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Discs (2nd ed.). London: Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. p. 244 & 264. ISBN 0-214-20512-6.
- ↑ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 395. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- ↑ "Floyd Marcus of 1910 Fruitgum Co : Songwriter Interviews". Songfacts.com. Retrieved 2015-08-19.
External links
- Official website
- Group biography by Tom Simon
- Bubblegum University article by Kim Cooper
- Mark Gutkowski, Piano Store
- The 1910 Fruitgum Company - Bubblegum Music Picture Page