Oldies OnLine!
The ASSOCIATION
The Association was formed in 1965 after the breakup of an 11-man
electric "folk" group called The Men, the first "folk rock" group
in America.
The 6-man Association rehearsed for five solid months and
then began performing at nightclubs ("The Troubador, The Icehouse, etc.),
coffeehouses, folk clubs, high schools, colleges, proms and parties throughout
California. The intense rehearsal and hard work paid off. Before the release
of their first album, the group had a fan base exceeding 25,000. That base
soon became millions as "Along Comes Mary" and "Cherish," both
from thear first album, topped the charts.
The Association is the 1st
electric group to break through the anti-rock biases in many of the major
venues across the country. They were the first electric group to perform
at Hollywood's Greek Theatre, The Coconut Grove, The Copacabana, Tanglewood
Music Festival, Blossom Music Festival, The Latin Casino, Saratoga Performing
Arts Center and Ravinia Park. In 1967 The Association was given
the honor of opening the first international pop festival in America, Thr
Monterey Pop Festival. They appeared on every major television variety
show at the time...Ed Sullivan (twice), The Smothers Brothers
(three times), American Bandstand (again & again), Shindig,
The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, The Dick Cavett Show, The Andy Williams
Show, The Carol Channing Special...to name a few.
However, being
on the road so many years, with over 2,000 concerts & television
performances, inevitably took its toll, and the group began parting ways
in 1972 to pursue individual careers and interests. After a one-time reunion
for a cable TV special in 1979, The Association, with much industry
encouragement, got it together again and put it back on the road.
"On
the road" is right. During the last 5 years, The Association has sung and
played every state in the Union, most of the Canadian provinces, Bermuda,
Athens, the Phillipines, the major showrooms in Atlantic City, Las Vegas,
Reno, Tahoe, music festivals, colleges, fairs, every large theme park on
the continent, supper clubs, hotels, conventions, television shows (Tom
Snyder, John Davidson Show, Mike Douglas Show, American Bandstand, Solid
Gold Summer Special), countless radio & TV interviews and The
Happy Together Tour 1984 with The Turtles,
Gary Puckett and Spanky & Our Gang.
Here
is what Mark Faris said of The Association in February 15, 1985 review:
"Remarkably, not only did the six-man band sound as fresh as it did in
the old days, it looked even fresher...dancing & laughing throughout
the show, the finely-tuned outfit swept through the room like a summer breeze
complete with blue skies & sunshine, smoothly and confidently exchanging
leads, then blending in precision vocal harmonies. Jules Alexander, Larry
Ramos, and Russ Giguere (who looks like a combination of Clint Eastwood
& David Bowie, with a touch of Dance Fever) wasted no time in refreshing
the crowd's memories."
The bottom line is simple. They're looking
and sounding better than ever!
email The Association
PndoraHbJb@aol.com
(in order of above photos from l-r)
ASSOCIATION Merchandise & Newsletter also coming soon!
Booking: Variety Artists (805)544-1444 fax (805)544-2444
Association 1995
THE ASSOCIATION endorse and highly recommend...
HST Productions--- Professional
Sound....Lighting...Staging...Design...Production Services
HST
Productions
19681 Trident Lane
Huntington Beach, CA 92646
(714)
378-0841 Office & Fax
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