The Knickerbockers
- Soundtrack
The Knickerbockers were a
'60s garage rock group from Bergenfield, New
Jersey, that formed in 1962. The original line-up was: vocalist/sax player Bobby Randell,
drummer Jimmy Walker,
guitarist/vocalist Beau Charles and
bassist/vocalist John Charles
(Beau and John are brothers). The band started out playing various
clubs in New Jersey and New York. The Knickerbockers were discovered by
producer/singer/songwriter Jerry Fuller playing at a teen dance party
in Albany, New York. They were signed to the Los Angeles-based
Challenge Records. They first began recording singles in New York in
the summer of 1965 and subsequently recorded additional singles in Los
Angeles in late 1965. The band was a popular attraction at the famed
Red Velvet club in Los Angeles for almost two years. They scored their
only smash hit with the punchy and exciting "Lies," which peaked at #20
on the Billboard pop charts in early 1966. The song boasted a rousing
and vibrant sound that was extremely similar to
The Beatles, but a bit more raw and punky.
Their follow-up singles "One Track Mind" and "High on Love" were only
modest successes. The band made guest appearances on the TV shows
Shivaree (1965) and
Where the Action Is (1965).
In addition, they popped up as themselves in the silly teen spy spoof
beach comedy romp
Out of Sight (1966). They also
composed the theme songs for the films
The Pad (and How to Use It) (1966)
and
They Ran for Their Lives (1968).
Unfortunately, the band suffered from inept handling by their label and
underwent several personnel changes before breaking up in 1970. The
Knickerbockers reunited in 1983 and again in 1990. Randell passed away
in 1998.
