The Rascals

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The Rascals
Background information
Also known as	The Young Rascals
Origin	Image:Flag of USA.svg New York City, New York, United States
Genre(s)	Soul, Rock
Years active	1964–1972
Label(s)	Atlantic, Columbia
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. They were the first all-white group signed to Atlantic Records and (along with The Righteous Brothers and The Box Tops) were practicioners of a genre of music coined 'blue-eyed soul'.

Eddie Brigati (vocals), Felix Cavaliere (keyboard, vocals), Gene Cornish (guitar) and Dino Danelli (drums) started the band in Brigati and Danelli's native state New Jersey. Their first public performance took place at the Choo Choo Club in Garfield on Saturday, February 27th, 1965. Three-quarters of the group - Brigati, Cavaliere and Cornish - had previously been members of Joey Dee and the Starliters. Eddie's brother, David Brigati, an original Starliter, helped arrange 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 (Borrah Minevitch's and Johnny Puleo's 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 Brigati and Cavaliere, 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 segregated bills. After "People Got to Be Free", the Rascals never regained their former fame or had as large a hit.

The Rascals' best work arguably came from their 1968 album Once Upon a Dream, which featured several leads each from Brigati and Cavaliere. Though the only success for a single on the album was It's Wonderful (#20 on the UK charts), the album utilized strong lyrics and frequent instrumentals, and peaked at #9 on the album charts. The album has received excellent critical praise for such songs as Rainy Day, My Hawaii, and the title track, Once Upon A Dream (song).

In 1970, 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.),which featured Brigati's last performances as a member singing lead on the Cornish penned "You Don't Know" and their cover of The Box Tops hit "The Letter". The only single release from the album was the spiritually-themed "Glory, Glory"(#58 in the US), with backing vocals by The Sweet Inspirations. 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 on May 6, 1997, and they were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2005.

Contents 1 Membership 2 Discography 2.1 Albums 2.2 Singles 3 External links

Membership

• Eddie Brigati (b. October 22, 1945) - vocals, percussion
• Felix Cavaliere (b. November 29, 1944) - vocals, keyboards
• Gene Cornish (b. May 14, 1946) - guitar
• Dino Danelli (b. July 23, 1945) - drums

Discography

Albums

As "The Young Rascals"

• The Young Rascals (1966) US: #15
• Collections (1967) US: #14
• Groovin' (1967) US: #5

As "The Rascals"

• 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

Singles

As "The Young Rascals"

• "I Ain't Gonna Eat My Heart Out Anymore" (1967) 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

As "The Rascals"

• "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

Wikipedia information about The Rascals This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "The Rascals". It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer). Help contribute to Americola and edit this article.