The Rascals
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| The Rascals | ||
|---|---|---|
| Background information | ||
| Also known as | The Young Rascals | |
| Origin |  New York City, New York, United States |
|
| Genre(s) | Soul, Rock | |
| Years active | 1964–1972 | |
| Label(s) | Atlantic | |
| Associated acts |
Joey Dee and the Starliters, Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul | |
The Rascals (previously The Young Rascals) were an American soul and rock group of the 1960s.
Felix Cavaliere (keyboard, vocals), Gene Cornish (guitar), Dino Danelli (drums) and Eddie Brigati (vocals) started the band as The Rascals in New York City. Three-quarters of the group - Cavaliere, Cornish and Brigati - had previously been members of Joey Dee and the Starliters. Eddie's brother, David Brigati, another former Starliter, arranged the vocal harmonies and sang backgrounds on many of the group's recordings (informally earning the designation as the Fifth Rascal). When Atlantic Records signed them, they discovered that another group, the Harmonica Rascals, objected to the release of records under the name Rascals. To avoid conflict, manager Sid Bernstein decided to rename the group the Young Rascals.
The Young Rascals had a minor hit with "I Ain't Gonna Eat Out My Heart Anymore" (1965), followed by the #1 single "Good Lovin'" (1966, originally by the Olympics). Soon the band began to mature as songwriters and released other hit songs written by themselves, including the hit "Groovin'" (1967), "It's Wonderful", "How Can I Be Sure" (which David Cassidy covered and had a #1 in the United Kingdom and "A Beautiful Morning" (1968).
In early 1968, the group dropped the "Young" from their name.
Arguably, their best-remembered song was "People Got to Be Free" (1968), a passionate plea for racial tolerance. Unusual for their time, the Rascals refused to tour on segregrated bills. After "People Got to Be Free", the Rascals never regained their former fame or had as large a hit.
In 1970, Eddie Brigati left the group, followed by Cornish in 1971. The last album with them as active members was Search & Nearness,(which hit #198 in the U.S.). Single releases from the album were the spiritually-themed Glory, Glory(#58 in the US), with backing vocals by The Sweet Inspirations, and "Right On". Cavaliere and Danelli released two more albums on Columbia Records as The Rascals, Peaceful World(U.S. #122) and The Island Of Real,(U.S. #180), using other musicians and singers. They disbanded in 1972.
Cavaliere released several solo albums throughout the 1970s. Brigati, with his brother David, released "Lost in the Wilderness" in 1976. Cornish and Danelli worked together in other groups, including Bulldog and Fotomaker. In 1982, Cavaliere and Danelli joined Steve Van Zandt in Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul, joining Van Zandt for the group's first two albums.
The (Young) Rascals were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997.
Contents |
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
- The Young Rascals (1966) US: #15
- Collections (1967) US: #14
- Groovin' (1967) US: #5
- Once Upon a Dream (1968) US: #9
- Time Peace: Greatest Hits (1968) US: #1
- Freedom Suite (1969) US: #17
- See (1970) US: #45
- Search and Nearness (1971) US: #198
- Peaceful World (1971) US: #122
- The Island of Real (1972) US: #180
[edit] Singles
- "I Ain't Gonna Eat My Heart Out Anymore" (1966) US: #52
- "Good Lovin'" (1966) US: #1
- "You Better Run" (1966) US: #20
- "Come On Up" (1966) US: #43
- "I've Been Lonely Too Long" (1967) US: #16
- "Groovin'" (1967) US: #1 UK: #8
- "A Girl Like You" (1967) US: #10 UK: #37
- "How Can I Be Sure?" (1967) US: #4
- "It's Wonderful" (1968) US: #20
- "A Beautiful Morning" (1968) US: #3
- "People Got to Be Free" (1968) US: #1
- "A Ray of Hope" (1969) US: #24
- "Heaven" (1969) US: #39
- "See" (1969) US: #27
- "Carry Me Back" (1969) US: #26
- "Hold On" (1970) US: #51
- "Glory Glory" (1970) US: #58
- "Love Me" (1971) US: #95
