| The Del-Lords | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Bronx, New York, United States |
| Genres | Rock'n'Roll |
| Years active | 1984–1990 |
| Labels | Enigma EMI America Restless |
| Associated acts | The Dictators |
| Website | The Del-Lords |
The Del-Lords are an American rock'n'roll band that formed in New York City in 1982,[1] founded by The Dictators' guitarist Scott Kempner. The band combined elements of '60s garage rock with country, blues, and folk influences to become one of the initial progenitors of urban-roots-rock. Band members were: Scott Kempner, Manny Caiati, Eric Ambel, Frank Funaro.
Though praised by critics as one of the best rock bands of the 1980s, the group was derailed by label mismanagement and a Catch-22 situation at radio. Modeled on British bands of the ‘60s that used several singers – Kinks, Beatles, the Who - Kempner’s vision was to create an act featuring four singers, that some said was like an "East Coast Beach Boys".[2]
The band took its name from Del Lord, director of many early Three Stooges shorts. The four Del-Lords studio albums, released between 1984 and 1990 – "Frontier Days," "Johnny Comes Marching Home," "Based on a True Story" and "Lovers Who Wander" – were released on CD in 2008 by the American Beat label.
26 Years after they began in NYC The Del-Lords have begun work on new recordings. They released their work in progress "Under Construction" EP of rough mixes on their website March 9, 2010. Their first 4 albums have been re-released by Collector’s Choice-American Beat with bonus tracks and expanded liner notes.
In February 2010, The Del-Lords played their first live gigs in 20 years starting with 2 unannounced gigs in the northeast USA. They played a house concert in R.I. and a sneak show at the Lakeside Lounge in NYC before embarking on a 7 city tour of Spain.[3]