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10 Things You Didn’t Know About The Buckinghams
December 16, 2011 by
Wierenga
In the countdown to The Buckinghams’ show is on! This Monday night, Chicago’s legendary answer to The British Invasion comes to Annapolis. Buckinghams’ original founding members Carl Giammarese and Nick Fortuna are bringing all the hits we know so well, so be ready to follow along with every note. We managed to find some Buckinghams’ notes, however, that might just be new to you and couldn’t resist sharing. Don’t miss the stories and songs on Dec. 19th… the band hits the stage at 8pm and you can get your tickets in advance here.
1. The Buckinghams’ first Co-producer, big band leader Dan Belloc (who’d written Nat King Cole’s hit “Pretend”), had the idea to add horns to their first recordings on USA Records. Belloc’s horn player, Frank Tesinsky, wrote the arrangements, thereby creating The Buckinghams’ “Pop Rock Horn Sound.” This popular sound would later be continued by three bands, Blood Sweat & Tears, Chase, and Chicago through the 1970s.
2. Four of The Buckinghams’ first 7 chart hits were written/co-written by the team of James Holvay and Gary Beisbier, both members of the Chicago horn band, “The Mob.” James Holvay wrote “Kind of a Drag,” and co-wrote (with Gary Beisbier) “Hey Baby, They’re Playing Our Song” and “Don’t You Care,” and (with Gary Beisbier and James William Guercio) “Susan.”
3. In 1964, Carl Giammarese and Nick Fortuna were in their first band together, The Kingsmen, later renamed The Fabulous Centuries, before The Buckinghams formed.
4. When The Buckinghams started in 1965, every band member hailed from the north side of Chicago. As children, Carl Giammarese’s father and Nick Fortuna’s mother even grew up in the same Chicago neighborhood.
5. The Buckinghams originally began with 6 members. Former co-lead singer, George Legros, was drafted into the U.S. Army during the first month that The Buckinghams appeared on WGN’s All-Time Hits for 13 weeks.
6. When The Buckinghams were booked to perform on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, they arrived to find the set decorated with the Union Jack Flag because the producers thought they were actually from England. The TV crew even served the band fish and chips to eat during their rehearsal break. The guys would have preferred pizza!
7. Nick Fortuna had 2 of his own bands in the 1970s: Krystal and Kinky Kids. Both were popular performing bands, with powerful rhythm and blues/funk sounds.
8. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Carl Giammarese sang on more than 160 commercial jingles for radio and TV, including spots for Lava Soap, United Airlines, McDonald’s, Sunkist Oranges, Pizza Hut, Whoppers Candy, and Montgomery Wards.
9. When The Buckinghams appeared for their first reunion concert in 1980, at the request of Chicago Mayor Jane Byrne for ChicagoFest, they set a new attendance record at Navy Pier for any outdoor concert there.
10. Carl Giammarese wrote 8 of the new songs on their CD “Reaching Back,” at the request of Buckinghams’ fans who wanted ‘new’ songs from The Buckinghams to sound “like their 1960s hits.” Carl’s song, “I’ll Never Say Goodbye” has been used for an Animoto Web Video, and his song, “Here We Are” was featured on an MTV Promo for “The Osbournes.”
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