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The
Rascals, along with the Righteous Brothers, Mitch Ryder,
and precious few others, were the pinnacle of '60s blue-eyed
soul. The Rascals' talents, however, would have to rate
above their rivals, if for nothing else than the simple
fact that they, unlike many other blue-eyed soulsters, penned
much of their own material. They also proved more adept
at changing with the fast-moving times, drawing much of
their inspiration from British Invasion bands, psychedelic
rock, gospel, and even a bit of jazz and Latin music. They
were at their best on classic singles like "Good Lovin',"
"How Can I Be Sure," "Groovin'," and
"People Got to Be Free." When they tried to stretch
their talents beyond the impositions of the three-minute
45, they couldn't pull it off, a failure which -- along
with crucial personnel losses -- effectively finished the
band as a major force by the 1970s.
The
roots of the Rascals were in New York-area twist and bar
bands. Keyboardist/singer Felix Cavaliere, the guiding force
of the group, had played with Joey Dee & the Starliters,
where he met Canadian guitarist Gene Cornish and singer
Eddie Brigati. Brigati would split the lead vocals with
Cavaliere and also write much of the band's material with
him. With the addition of drummer Dino Danelli, they became
the Rascals. Over their objections, manager Sid Bernstein
(who had promoted the famous Beatles concerts at Carnegie
Hall and Shea Stadium) dubbed them the Young Rascals, although
the "Young" was permanently dropped from the billing
in a couple of years.
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