Gary Puckett & The Union Gap
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| Gary Puckett & The Union Gap | |
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 Gary Puckett in 2009
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| Background information | |
| Origin | San Diego, California, United States |
| Genres | Pop rock, pop music |
| Years active | 1967—1971 |
| Labels | Columbia Records |
| Website | Gary Puckett official website |
| Former members | |
| Gary Puckett Kerry Chater Gary 'Mutha' Withem Dwight Bement Paul Wheatbread Barry McCoy Richard Gabriel |
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Gary Puckett & The Union Gap (initially credited as The Union Gap featuring Gary Puckett) was an American pop rock group operating in the late 1960s. Allmusic music journalist, Jason Ankeny states:
| “ | Clad in Civil War era Union Army uniforms (complete with fictitious military ranks) and bizarrely pedophilic lyrics, Puckett and the Union Gap were in their own way as far-out and singular as any other act of the period. | ” |
Contents |
[edit] History
Frontman Gary Puckett (born October 17, 1942, Hibbing, Minnesota) grew up in Yakima, Washington (adjacent to the city of Union Gap) and Twin Falls, Idaho, graduating from Twin Falls High School.[1] He picked up the guitar as a teenager, and while attending college in San Diego played in a number of local bands before quitting school to focus on music. Puckett eventually landed with the Outcasts, a hard rock group comprised of bassist Kerry Chater, keyboardist Gary 'Mutha' Withem, tenor saxophonist Dwight Bement, and drummer Paul Wheatbread.[1] In 1966 Wheatbread relocated to Los Angeles, California to serve as the house drummer on the television series, Where the Action Is; the remaining members of the Outcasts toured the Pacific Northwest.[1] On their return, Wheatbread also moved back to San Diego and rejoined the line-up.[1]
A demo was recorded, and the band's manager arranged a meeting with CBS record producer, Jerry Fuller.[1] Impressed by Puckett's soaring baritone, Fuller also admired their soft rock leanings and in 1967, and they were quickly signed to a recording contract by Columbia Records.[1] Re-christened the Union Gap, on August 16, 1967, the band recorded its first single, "Woman Woman."[1] It was their first hit, and "Woman, Woman" (written by Jim Glaser and Jimmy Payne) reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100.[1] It was a million-seller by February 1968 with gold disc status.[2] Concurrent CBS press releases gave each member his own imaginary military rank — Puckett was the general, Bement the sergeant, Chater the corporal, and both Withem and Wheatbread were relegated to privates.[1]
This was followed during the next two years by "Young Girl" (#2), "Lady Willpower" (#2), "Over You" (#7) and "Don't Give In To Him" (#15). "Young Girl", written by Fuller, had the age-old theme of the temptation of underage romance: "My love for you is way out of line/you better run, girl, you're much too young, girl," an anguished Puckett wailed.[1] Controversial at the time, it was dramatically delivered in Puckett's trademark tones and with a memorable strings and brass arrangement, the song was an instant classic and is still much played on radio today. "Young Girl" was the second million selling disc for the band, which it reached less than two months after issue.[3] Both "Lady Willpower" and "Over You" continued the gold disc run of form.[3]
They also headlined at the White House and Disneyland, but there was dissension in the ranks: the Union Gap wanted to write and produce their own material, and Puckett found himself increasingly confined within the ballad formula.[1] In 1969, stalemate: Fuller assembled a 40-piece studio orchestra for a new song he had written, but Puckett and the Union Gap refused to cut the tune.[1] The session was ultimately canceled, and Fuller never again worked with the group, but for the Union Gap, it was a pyrrhic victory.[1]
In 1969 the band were nominated for a Grammy Award for Best New Artist; losing out to José Feliciano.
The band immediately returned to the Top Ten that autumn with the Dick Glasser produced "This Girl Is a Woman Now," but it was to be their last hit.[1] The follow-up, "Let's Give Adam and Eve Another Chance," failed to chart in the Top 40, and after management dictated that Puckett's bandmates now receive a weekly salary instead of a percentage of the revenue, Chater and Withem left the band.[1] Bement took over on bass guitar and keyboardist Barry McCoy and horn player Richard Gabriel were added.[1] The Civil War gear was abandoned but prospects did not improve.[1] In 1970, Puckett began recording as a solo act, but his efforts were not well-received; the Union Gap remained his live backing band, until they were dismissed following an appearance at the 1971 Orange County Fair.[1] Puckett's recording contract was terminated one year later.[1]
Although the band never had a #1 record in the United States, "Young Girl" reached #1 on the UK Singles Chart. Puckett's powerful voice, and the skills of producer/songwriter Fuller, made this band one of the most familiar sounds on the radio during this period. In addition, many of their songs were loosely linked by a common theme of female empowerment, which was unusual for the era and genre. Another characteristic of The Union Gap that distinguishes it from its contemporaries was the band's (at the time) risqué lyrics.
After the Union Gap was disbanded, Puckett had modest success as a solo artist, mostly performing and re-recording the band's songs. A comeback tour engineered by music writer Thomas K. Arnold brought him to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1981, and from that point on he became a regular on the national oldies circuit.[1] He has also released some new material, including a 2001 holiday album entitled Gary Puckett at Christmas.[4] In 1994 and 2002 Puckett performed at the Moondance Jam near Walker, Minnesota.
Bement later joined the oldies act Flash Cadillac & the Continental Kids, while Chater relocated to Nashville, Tennessee where he plied his trade as a songwriter.[1] Wheatbread, meanwhile, turned to concert promotion, and Withem returned to San Diego to teach high-school band.[1]
As of 2007, Puckett continues to perform live concerts in venues across the U.S., including "package" oldies circuit tours with The Association and The Lettermen.
[edit] Band member details
- Gary Puckett - born October 17, 1942, Hibbing, Minnesota.[1]
- Kerry Chater - born August 7, 1945, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.[5]
- Gary 'Mutha' Withem - born August 22, 1946, San Diego, California.[5]
- Dwight Bemet - born December 28, 1945, San Diego, California.[5]
- Paul Wheatbread - born February 8, 1946, San Diego, California.[5]
- Barry McCoy
- Richard Gabriel
[edit] Puckett's personal life
Puckett is married to Lorrie and he has two stepdaughters, Syd and Michaela. Gary and Lorrie Puckett currently reside in Clearwater, Florida.[6] Puckett has been featured as a guest on The Political Cesspool.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Singles
| Month and Year | Title (A-side) (Songwriters) |
B-side (Songwriters) |
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Chart | UK Singles Chart[7] |
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| November 1967 † | "Woman Woman" (Jim Glaser, Jimmy Payne) |
"Don't Make Promises" (Tim Hardin) |
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| March 1968 † | "Young Girl" ([(Jerry Fuller) |
"I'm Losing You" (Jerry Fuller, Gary Puckett) |
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| June 1968 ‡ | "Lady Willpower" (Jerry Fuller) |
"Daylight Stranger" (Jerry Fuller, Gary Puckett) |
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| September 1968 ‡ | "Over You" (Jerry Fuller) |
"If The Day Would Come" (Kerry Chater, Gary Puckett, Gary Withem) |
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| March 1969 ‡ | "Don't Give In To Him" (Gary Usher) |
"Could I" (Jerry Fuller, Gary Puckett) |
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| August 1969 ‡ | "This Girl Is a Woman Now" (Victor Millrose, Alan Bernstein) |
"His Other Woman" (D. Allen, Kerry Chater) |
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| March 1970 ‡ | "Let's Give Adam and Eve Another Chance" (Richard Mainegra, Bobby West) |
"The Beggar" (E. Colville, Gary Puckett) |
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† - Billed as The Union Gap featuring Gary Puckett
‡ - Billed as Gary Puckett & The Union Gap
Gary Puckett solo
- "I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself" (#61) / "All That Matters" - Columbia 45249 - October 1970
- "Keep The Customer Satisfied" (#71) / "No One Really Knows" - Columbia 45303 - February 1971
- "Life Has Its Little Ups And Downs" / "Shimmering Eyes" - Columbia 45358 - 1971
- "Hello Morning" / "Gentle Woman" - Columbia 45438 - 1971
- "Hello Morning" / "I Can't Hold On" - Columbia 45509 - 1971
- "Bless The Child" / "Leavin' In The Morning" - Columbia 45678 - 1972
[edit] Albums
| Month and Year | Album title | U.S. Pop Albums[8] | UK Albums Chart[7] |
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| February 1968 † | Woman, Woman |
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| May 1968 ‡ | Young Girl |
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| June 1968 ‡ | Union Gap |
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| November 1968 ‡ | Incredible |
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| December 1969 ‡ | The New Gary Puckett & The Union Gap Album |
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| July 1970 ‡ | Gary Puckett & The Union Gap's Greatest Hits |
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† - Billed as The Union Gap featuring Gary Puckett
‡ - Billed as Gary Puckett & The Union Gap
Gary Puckett solo
- The Gary Puckett Album (#196) - Columbia C-30862 - October 1971
[edit] See also
- List of artists who reached number one on the UK Singles Chart
- List of acts who appeared on American Bandstand
- List of Columbia Records artists
- List of eponymous band names
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x "Biography by Jason Ankeny". Allmusic.com. http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&searchlink=GARY|PUCKETT&sql=11:kifoxqr5ldhe~T1. Retrieved April 1, 2009.
- ^ Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Discs (2nd ed.). London: Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. p. 232. ISBN 0-214-20512-6.
- ^ a b Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Discs (2nd ed.). London: Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. p. 250. ISBN 0-214-20512-6.
- ^ Allmusic.com - Discography - accessed April 2009
- ^ a b c d Musicianguide.com
- ^ Garypuckettmusic.com
- ^ a b Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 442. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- ^ Allmusic.com - Charts & Awards (albums) - accessed April 2009
