ScarsdaleRocks

1962-3

The Camelots 

• Al Torzilli, guitar & vocals

• Richard Schweitzer, guitar & vocals

• Elliott Bean, tenor sax

• Ed Smith, drums

 (No music by The Camelots is available)

“My first notable public appearance was in the 9th Annual Scarsdale Talent Show (February 11, 1959) performing (guitar & vocals) “Sweet Little Sixteen” with Ed Jackson on the snare drum. Ted Mack was the MC. Also performing (vocal) was Nina Totenberg of later NPR fame. My performance here apparently inspired Thom Pernice’s musical pursuits. Ed and I were selected to perform at the Westchester County Talent Show the following Spring, also MC’d by Ted Mack.” – Al Torzilli

The Spotlights recorded “I Love The Way You Walk” b/w “That Song” for United Artists Records (UA 642) in 1963.

Al Torzilli, guitar & vocals
Jane Foley, vocals
Lynn Constantine, vocals

1963

The Scarlads

• Peter Lengsfelder, vocals

• Richard Schweitzer, guitar

• Steve Stromberg

• Don Rubin

1963-1964

The Nep-Tunes

• Richard Schweitzer, guitar

• Jim Brownold, keyboards

• Al Torzilli, guitar

• Ed Hawkins, drums

• Steve Marcus, sax

• Surfers’ Holiday (Family Records LP 152)

1963

The Esquires

• Billy (Schwartz) Cross, guitar

• Harvy Sadow, bass

• Dave Murdock, drums

• Ellis Disick

1963-4

The Adelphys

• Jim Brownold, organ

• Carl Wilkenfeld, guitar

• Jeff Troodler, bass

• Jerry Birnbach, guitar

• Jerry Cohen, drums

• (20th Century Fox Records 543)

1963 – 1966

The Del-Rays

• Robbie Harper, guitar

• Chris Gitzen, guitar

• Ray Strohmeier, guitar

• Thom Pernice, vocals

• Wayne Torzilli, drums

  The Del-Rays started their musical climb back in 1962 as the Jaguars. The instrumental group featured Ray Strohmeier on lead guitar, John Tiplitz on rhythm guitar and Wayne Torzilli on the drums.  In the fall of 1963, Tom Pernice joined the group as the organist and Chris Gitzen replaced John Tiplitz, who moved away from Scarsdale. It was late 1963 or early 1964 when the band changed its name to the Del-Rays, named after Delray Beach, FL.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              The band played its first performance at the Scarsdale Teen Center on Saturday, February 29th, 1964. At the time the repertoire was instrumentals, with an occasional sprinkling of songs with lyrics. The group quickly realized the strength of Tom’s voice, so they ditched the organ and Wayne backed up Tom with harmonies.As The Del-Rays’ success grew, they added Robbie Harper as an additional lead guitarist. His first performance with the band was August 27,1964. They started playing additional venues, such as Hackley School, Our Lady of Fatima, IHM, The Apogee in New Rochelle, sweet 16’s, sorority and fraternity parties.  Between 1964 and 1965 the band performed over 65 engagements.                                                                                                                                                                                    The year 1966 marked changes for the Del-Rays. The band’s engagements grew from playing local parties, school and country club functions to bars and clubs. There was Savoia’s in Mamaroneck, The Candlelight Inn in Scarsdale and the Willow Inn in Armonk, where the Del-Rays would wind up playing steady performances every Friday night and alternating Saturday nights. Sunday, June 26 was a sad day for the group. It marked the end of The Del-Rays as the band. Chris Gitzen left the group, immediately followed by Ray Strohmeier. Thom already had a new band in mind, The Overdue Experience…                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

  – Wayne Torzilli

1964 – 1967

Judge & Jury

• Richard Schweitzer, guitar

• Marty Weisel

• Peter Zane

• Jeff Troodler, bass

• Lynn, (mountain dew), vocals

1964

The DePippo Sisters 

(Magnifico 104)

The DePippo Sisters were a girl group made up of sisters from Scarsdale. They recorded their first and only single on the Magnifico Records label which was based in Mamaroneck. The A and B sides written by White Plains musicians Frank DiGiacomo and Joe Renda, who may have provided the backing instruments on the recordings. While some sources say 1961, www.45cat.com says it was released in 1964.

1965

Garth Radio Session

• Al Torzilli, guitar

• Peter Lengsfelder, vocals

• Robbie Harper, guitar

• Ed Hawkins, drums

• Thom Pernice, organ

• Jane Foley, vocals

• Lynn Constantine, vocals

1964 – 1967

The Offbeats

• Jay Shulman, vocals

• Bailey Spencer, bass

• Don Fitzwater, rhythm

• John Moses, lead ’64-6

• G.V. Rapp, drums

• Ray Strohmeier, lead ’66-7

Offbeats Liner Notes by Jay Shulman

1965

The Signets

• Les Alexander, lead

• Don Enright, bass 

• Bob Kestenbaum, rhythm

• Paul Lustig, drums

• (Wayne Torzilli, drums)

“We were The Signets. And we were God-awful. I played my bass guitar very much like old people drive: with only the most superficial understanding. We debuted at the Freshman Pizza Party – with Jeff Fields playing sax – and sort of went downhill from there. Our best gig was, somehow, the Post Commanders’ Dinner at the American Legion Hall. No kidding. Everyone there was like 80. A bald guy came up and, snapping his fingers, asked if we knew anything by Wayne “The Waltz King” King.

I remember that when I hum music that’s forty years old.

 – Don Enright, “World’s Worst Bass Guitarist” – 2006

l-r: Paul, Les, Bob, Don

1965 – 1967

A Thousand Daze

• Larry Schwartzman, bass

• Mike Cefola, lead

• Jimmy Weber, drums

• Ronny Jack, guitar

• Quincy Stringham, guitar

 “We heard about the Playland Contest and decided it would be fun to enter with no further expectations. The members were Myself, Jimmy Weber, Ronny Jack, Larry Schwartzman and Quincy Stringham. We were really excited to add Quincy as he really could sound like Roger McGuinn and we wanted to do Feel A Whole Lot Better by The Byrds along with Mr. You’re A Better Man Than I by The Yardbirds and A Little Help From My Friends by The Beatles.”
– Michael Cefola

1966 – 1967

The Overdue Experience

• Robbie Harper, guitar

• Wayne Torzilli, drums

• Thom Pernice, vocals, harmonica

• Don Lackritz, guitar

• (Paul Cuccinello, Rob Stoner, Andy Sherman, bass)

With the breakup of the Del-Rays In June 1966, a new group formed called The Overdue Experience, featuring Tom Pernice on lead vocals and harmonica, Wayne Torzilli on drums and backup vocals, Robbie Harper on guitar with and newbies Andy Sherman on bass and Don Lackritz on guitar. This was the first time the band had a bass player. Wasting no time teaching the new members its existing repertoire, the band’s first performance was Thursday evening, June 30 1966, at The Willow Inn.

Andy’s stay was unfortunately a short one. On Friday, September 23, 1966, Paul Cuccinello debuted as the new Overdue Experience bass player. All in all, the Del-Rays and The Overdue Experience played over 125 performances for the year.

1967 was another year of interest. The Overdue Experience was clearly the superior band, offering more diversity in music as well as better musicianship. With a steady job playing at the Willow Inn, there was no need to look for work. Consequently, the band played very few performances other than at the Willow Inn. Surprisingly, its initial tenure as compared to the Del-Rays was considerably shorter. Paul Cuccinello left the band after a performance at the Scarsdale Golf club on Friday, March 31, citing personal reasons. On May 12, Rob Rothstein, of New Rochelle, stage name, Rob Stoner, joined the Overdue Experience as bass and piano player. (As a side note, Rob Rothstein [Stoner} became an accomplished bass player and toured with Bob Dylan.) The Overdue Experience’s last performance was at the Willow Inn, Friday, July 28, 1967. Performing were Robbie Harper, Don Lackritz, Rob Stoner, Paul Cuccinello, Tom Pernice and Wayne Torzilli.

But wait! There’s more… a few years after the last performance, Tom and Wayne went up to the Willow Inn and met with the owner, Herbie. We asked if we could have a reunion and play a weekend night. Surprisingly, Herbie gave us both Friday and Saturday nights.  We thought great! All our friends will come to see us play Friday, but what will we do on Saturday? Well, Friday came and the place was jammed packed. So jammed that the dance floor had to be converted to a sitting-on-the-floor concert. As for Saturday, the same thing happened again! The Overdue Experience was hired back and played for another two  years. And that’s the story.  As one famous band said, “we never really broke up, we just took a long vacation”!

– Wayne Torzilli

1966

The Blue Realm

• Peter Lengsfelder, vocals

• Jim Brownold, organ

• Carl Wilkenfeld, guitar

• Ellis Disick

• Joel Feinberg, bass

• Dave Murdoch