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When Mercury Records recorded The
Strimbling Blimbles in 1969 they unknowingly wrote yet
another chapter in the life of an aspiring
songwriter/musician from southern New Jersey, that being the
guitar pickin` Joe Seddon. Joe wrote as well as handled the
lead vocals on the title songs for The Blimbles nationwide
release, "Holding My Eyes Down " and 'Perfect Dream", while
the legendary Joseph Renzetti was at the producer's helm and
steered the music to a higher level. But where does a man
come from who has either the talent or else good fortune to
secure a deal with a much sought after company the size of
Mercury?
The songs themselves,
according to this outspoken writer, "are playing in my head
like a jukebox, and my duty is to write them down for future
use." The first of many arrived from "out of nowhere" during
a study hall while in 10 th grade, and rather than continue
studying, Joe scribbled the words in a notebook and took
them home. Later that evening the heaven-sent words had a
melody and beat attached as well, and the first recordings
of "Jungle Drums" and "Angel of Love" were waiting around
the bend. However, it would take an encounter with an
easygoing score writer named Sam Casale from Turnersville to
make it all
happen
Following that demo The
Two Teens moved on to new management and a contract
was secured with the Herald label and The Teens
evolved into "The Sterling Brothers Band " that
featured 2 guitars, bass and drums. Joe penned two
new sides for Herald Records, "What Is This Thing
Called Love" and the b-side, "Cabbage Head." The
songs were played on jukeboxes and on a local
station or two, but nothing major developed and the
Brothers searched for greener pastures. They played
backup for Bobby Rydell, Bobby Lewis (Tossing and
Turning), met The Everly Brothers on Steel Pier but
still had a desire to record. That chance arrived
when the Sterling Brother's management found them a
contract to record with the amazing songwriting duo
known to the world as Madara/ White. Having had
numerous hits to their credits, songs like "At The
Hop" and "Rock and Roll Is Here To Stay", the team
was superbly equipped to record the Sterling
Brothers voices and guitar playing
skills.
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Sam wrote the charts for
Chubby Checker`s greatest hits, "The Twist" and so
on. He lived 5 minutes from the teenage writer's
home, and when Sam auditioned Joe and his singing
partner, Mark Hutchinson of Brown's Mills, he
agreed that they indeed had talent but needed
someone better suited to managing the duo known
locally as "The Two Teens." Sam introduced the
Teens to Russell Faith and Norman Baker among
others, and they approached the Philadelphia based
record companies in hopes of having the two signed
to a label.
During this time of searching the aspiring
teenagers cut a demo on their own in Camden at
Recorded Publications Laboratories, and copies of
that blossoming still exist today. However, their
first professional recording took place when Norman
Baker took them under his wing and cut Joe's study
hall tunes, "Jungle Drums" and "Angel of Love " at
Reco-Art Sound in Philadelphia.
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John Madara and Dave White
worked with the boys in Philly, preparing them for
a session at Mirasound Studios in New York. Two
demos were produced there, those being remakes of
"Beebop-A-Lula" by The Everly Brothers and Chuck
Berry`s "Reelin` and A Rocking." Shortly after that
the team of Madara / White wrote, arranged and
produced two sides for The Sterlings (another name
change) titled "Face To Face" and "I Know That You
Know, Baby." They were released as 45`s by Decca
Records, received some airplay but failed to secure
The Sterlings another shot at recording. This is
where The Pixies Three enter the scene.
The Pixies Three met The
Two Teens while appearing at The Steel Pier In
Atlantic City in 1961 and Joe began dating Kaye.
The Teens mentioned to the girl's management that
they might run into the Madara/White team if they
appeared at a popular nightspot in Philly.
They did, they dazzled the duo with their
remarkable talents and went on to record hits for
Mercury such as "Birthday Party", "442 Glenwood
Avenue", "Cold, Cold Winter ", and so
on.
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Mark Hutchinson, now discouraged with recording and
traveling the road left the group and married his sweetheart
while Joe continued on, joining groups such as The Monkey
Men, The Happy-Go-Lucky Revue and The Rubber Band. To earn
extra income he drove trucks for the state, cabs, and also
taught guitar, his best student being "The Wizard of
Windings", the boy genius Seymour Duncan who presently
manufactures the finest guitar pickups on planet earth.
That`s when Ralph Citro, manager of The Pur`Swa`Ders entered
the mix. He offered Joe a position with the Pur`Swa`Ders as
a singer/songwriter and Joe took him up on the offer rather
than drive a bread truck. Ralph, being a highly influential
individual in the world of boxing, landed them a contract
with Mercury Records and Joe wrote the songs for the
upcoming 45, "Perfect Dream" and "Holding My Eyes Down" that
the renowned Joseph Renzetti produced. The release found
airplay in the surrounding states as well as California but
failed to provide the now-named "Strimbling Blimbles" with a
solid hit. The band drifted apart and Joe, still writing
originals, joined a group called Plymouth Rock. The band
consisted of Allen Webber on sax and flute, Ron Lovett on
bass and Frank Appice, cousin of Carmine Appice on
drums.
Plymouth Rock, under the
management of the "cutman" Ralph Citro and the whiz from
Chancellor Records, the soft spoken but powerful Pete
DeAngelis, landed a contract with Atlantic in 1972-73. An
album of Joe`s new music was recorded at Atlantic as well as
Sun Dragon Studios in New York. The task of producing the
album fell on the shoulders of Ed Freeman who had a recent
success with "Bye Bye Miss American Pie" among others. The
album was finished after weeks of recording and mixing while
living at the Chelsea Hotel. Plymouth Rock at the request of
Atlantic's staff became "Feather Blue" but the album for
reasons unknown was never released. A major disappointment
to the band members as one might expect, but not enough to
steer Joe away from his careening career as a writer of
rhythms and rhymes. He, along with his younger brother
Bruce, a self-taught guitarist and lead singer, drifted in
and out of bands. They played together on "That`s
Incredible", the much-watched TV show centered around the
paranormal, but the unstoppable "river of time" carried Joe
away and he vanished beneath its waves, neither performing
nor writing with the usual flair.
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I grew up listening to the
Coasters and never dreamed I'd get to meet them,
but it happened. The gent I`m shaking hands with is
the one who wrote the hits. What a wonderful moment
in time it was!
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However, 1999 through 2000 found
the ever-determined man with pen in hand and the words and
melodies rained on down, forming musical puddles in his
evolving, mystical mind. Within the time frame of 3 weeks,
The Alien Kings album entitled "Roswell Cover-up" was
written and arranged. It was immediately recorded in the
home studio and went on to become the editor's pick in
Goldmine Magazine and is re-appearing on the internet even
as you read these lines.
Is this then, "the end of the line"
for a fellow who has had the good fortune to share the stage
with Little Richard, John Denver and the gifted guitarist
Jimi Hendrix, or is yet another unforeseen door about to
open into the future? Let's ask Joe that pointed question
shall we?
Q: Joe, have you had more than your
share of disappointment in this lifetime, or do you intend
to follow your artistic dreams in spite of the ethereal
highs and saddening lows?
Answer: As long as the jukebox
plays in my head I`ll jot down the tunes. That`s my
obligation as a "receiver of song", and the mysterious "fame
and fortune" that people so diligently seek generally falls
far short when it comes to fulfilling a man/woman or
satisfying their ever-present spiritual thirst. The genuine
satisfaction as I view it comes from adhering to your
intuitions and doing whatever it is that you were designed
to do in life. The lucky man knows his place. Mine was
handed to me a very long time ago in a somewhat boring study
hall, and though it hurts at times to see others enjoying
the spotlight and glitz, it has never been painful enough to
deter me from doing what I love most. My grandest dream is
to write a hit that someone else will perform. Then and only
then can I lay the pen down and walk away from the rhymes
and rhythms that dominate my soul. I recently finished a new
album of country/pop/bluegrass that'll be recorded shortly,
and it just may be the best material thus far that "the
little voice in my head has sent speeding my way."
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Boy was my mom bugged when
she saw this photo in the newspaper. I hated
the idea of wearing a suit to this concert in
school (the principle is standing behind the
players) so I told her it was "casual dress." Uh
huh. I heard about that incident for 30 years! Talk
about a natural born "rocker?"
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Good luck to everyone out there who
has endured a failure or flop, and I encourage you to turn
that musical lemon into lemonade with a twist! (or a TV
jingle perhaps?)
Information contributed
by Joe Seddon
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