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“The Best Music in the World!” The Grass Roots, The Buckinghams, and The Box Tops LIVE! at BergenPAC

By Spotlight Central

As kids growing up in New Jersey during the 1960s, we faithfully listened to the latest and greatest American Pop hits coming out of our transistor radios. For us, songs like The Box Tops’ “The Letter,” The Buckinghams’ “Kind of a Drag,” and The Grass Roots’ “I’d Wait a Million Years” were transformative vehicles which inspired us to want to become musicians ourselves.

Fast forward to Saturday, February 29, 2020 where The Box Tops, The Buckinghams, and The Grass Roots are performing live at BergenPAC in Englewood, NJ in a concert experience entitled American Pop.

Before the show starts, we take an opportunity to go backstage and chat with several members of these iconic bands to ask them about the artists and songs which inspired them as budding musicians.

First, we meet with Gary Talley, lead singer and guitarist of The Box Tops, who tells us, “My biggest musical inspirations were Elvis and The Beatles — they were huge influences on me — along with Ray Charles.”

“As a guitarist, I was inspired by Chet Atkins — along with James Burton from Ricky Nelson’s band,” explains Talley, adding, “And I loved Duane Eddy with songs like ‘Rebel-‘Rouser,’ along with The Ventures who had hits like ‘Walk Don’t Run.’”

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Continuing, “I also appreciated The Beatles’ George Harrison as a guitarist, and I was inspired by him to learn to play the electric sitar,” Talley concludes by pointing out, “The sitar is really fun to play and I still use it today when The Box Tops perform ‘Cry Like a Baby.’”

Next, we chat with Carl Giammarese, lead singer and guitarist of The Buckinghams. Recalls Giammarese, “Like everyone else, I wanted to be the ‘fifth Beatle,’ but growing up in Chicago, my mother was a big Elvis fan, and she always wanted me to play an instrument, so she said, ‘You have to play the guitar so you can sing like Elvis!’”

According to Giammarese, “I used to go to Friday night dances in the school gymnasiums where I’d hear the latest songs,” joking, “I thought all the records had that big echo on them!”

Revealing, “As a youngster growing up, I was a big fan of the Everly Brothers — I loved their songs, ‘Cathy’s Clown’ and ‘Dream,’ because I loved their sense of timing and how their voices blended together,” Giammarese notes, “I also liked Roy Orbison, in addition to English groups including The Hollies and The Zombies.”

Lastly, we chat with bassist and lead vocalist Mark Dawson of The Grass Roots, who says, “When The Beatles hit The Ed Sullivan Show in February 1964, I knew at that moment exactly what I wanted to do. I wasn’t sure how to do it, but I knew I just had to do what Paul McCartney did.”

Asserting, “The Beatles would have to be the biggest influence on me musically,” Dawson recalls, “I didn’t know it initially, but it was the harmonic structure of their songs that really struck me. They were different than everything else that was on the radio at that time, and their voices blended together like I had never heard before — sort of like The Everly Brothers plus one!”

Going on to add, “I quickly became a fan of all of the pop groups who were heavy on harmonies — The Hollies, The Zombies, The Mamas and The Papas, and more,” Dawson concludes by noting, “And later in the ’60s, it was Three Dog Night, The Guess Who, and Creedence Clearwater Revival — although CCR was far from what you might call a ‘harmony-laden’ band — they just had that good old-fashioned drive!”

Inside the BergenPAC auditorium, the lights dim and the crowd cheers as musicians fill the stage and the announcer introduces tonight’s first group — The Box Tops.

Guitarist Gary Talley, bassist Bill Cunningham, and guitarist Rick Levy — along with a keyboardist, drummer, and three-piece horn section — take the stage.

The group opens tonight’s show with their 1968 hit, “Cry Like a Baby.” Psychedelic colors dance on the screen behind the band as Gary Talley sings, “When I think about the good love you gave me/I cry like a baby/Living without you is driving me crazy/I cry like a baby,” his electric sitar twanging and wailing to the driving beat.

Following avid applause, bassist Bill Cunningham takes a moment to explain to the audience how difficult it was for “Cry Like a Baby” — which reached #2 on the charts — to become a #1 hit due to stiff competition from such artists as The Beatles, Aretha Franklin, The Young Rascals, Otis Reading, and especially from another artist who kept their song from hitting the top spot, Bobby Goldsboro, thanks to his 1968 hit, “Honey.”

Cunningham introduces the group’s next number saying, “This was our fourth Top 40 hit that Quentin Tarrantino used in Once Upon a Time In Hollywood.” Here, the group launches into “Choo Choo Train,” a soulful number with a funky beat which has the horn section punctuating the driving “choo choo” rhythm.

Cunningham recalls how he left The Box Tops in 1969 while this next song was racing up the charts so he could earn a degree in classical string performance. Here, the group launches into its 1969 Top 20 number, “Soul Deep.” Cunningham plays electric bass and sings, “My love is a river running soul deep/Way down inside me it’s soul deep/Too big to hide and it can’t be denied/Love is a river running soul deep” on this Memphis blue-eyed soul number which elicits cheers from the audience.

Gary Talley greets the crowd saying, ““Hello, Englewood! You’re in for a lot of hit songs!” After introducing the members of the band, Cunningham reveals, “We’re going to play a special homage to Booker T. and the M.G.’s.” At this point, he moves from bass over to keyboards and the band pays tribute to Booker T. with a soulful instrumental version of “Green Onions.” Audience members start clapping along as soon as they recognize the happy tune with its infectious melody and groove.

Calling it their “one and only flower power hit,” the guys perform their 1967 Top 25 single, “Neon Rainbow.” Rick Levy plays ukulele as Cunningham sings, “The city lights, the pretty lights/They can warm the coldest nights/All the people going places/Smiling with electric faces/What they find the glow erases/What they lose the glow replaces, and life is love/In a neon rainbow,” as electric stringed instruments wail and the audience claps along.

The Box Tops conclude their portion of the evening’s festivities with their song which reached the top of the pop charts — “The Letter.”

Music lovers in the house enthusiastically join Talley as he sings, “Lonely days are gone/I’m a-goin’ home/My baby, wrote me a letter,” the fans enjoying the nostalgic vibrations of this feel-good tune which radiates straight into their hearts.

The crowd leaps to its feet and Cunningham asks, “Can we do one more for you?”

The audience responds in the affirmative and the group performs an encore of Billy Lee Riley’s “Flyin’ Saucers Rock ’n Roll” which features a tasty guitar solo by Gary Talley and a boogie woogie piano solo on this crowd-pleasing rocker.

During intermission, we take a moment to chat with several members of the audience including John from Westwood who comments, “The Box Tops were wonderful — their music is outstanding,” before indicating, “I’m a member of a senior group, and I’m sure that after hearing all of tonight’s groups, I’m not going to want to listen to any other kind of entertainment out there!”

Janis from Washington Township remarks, “The Box Tops were excellent tonight,” before revealing, “Back in 1967, I was a contestant on a TV show called The Zacherley Show. It was a Dick Clark type of show where The Box Tops were the featured artists, and Gary Talley actually chose me as the winner of the dance contest. ” Recalling, “After picking me, he kissed my hand,” Janis explains, “and because it was a Halloween show, I won a giant pumpkin,” prior to concluding, “I’d love to tell Gary Talley ‘Thank you’ so he’ll know how much I appreciate what he did for me.”

Following intermission, The Buckinghams —guitarist Dave Zane, vocalist Carl Giammarese, drummer Rocky Penn, bassist Nick Fortuna, and keyboardist Bruce Soboroff, along with a three-piece horn section — take the stage.

They open their set with their 1967 Top Ten hit, “Don’t You Care,” where lush harmonies surround Carl Giammarese’s smooth lead vocal before the audience cheers and applauds for the band’s tight sound.

Giammarese responds by saying, “Thank you — we’re going to stay right with the 1967 Summer of Love feeling,” as the group performs its 1967 hit, “Hey Baby (They’re Playing Our Song).” Giammarese gets the crowd clapping and lights shine on the audience as Dave Zane and the rest of the band rock on.

“It’s nice to be back in New Jersey,” says Giammarese. “We played in Palm Springs, CA last night and took the red eye here.” Declaring, “We made it!” Giammarese points to bassist Nick Fortuna — who is holding his bass seated in a chair — explaining, “As you can see, our bassist, Nick Fortuna, broke his foot yesterday.”

Fortuna waves to the crowd and the band continues with one of the first songs which The Buckinghams ever recorded. Drummer Rocky Penn counts off and Dave Zane handles the lead on “I’ll Go Crazy.” Giammarese and Zane duel on electric guitars before Zane impresses with a guitar solo which elicits cheers from the crowd.

The Bucks perform a song which Giammarese reveals made its debut on TV’s The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour — a fun and funky version of their 1967 smash, “Mercy, Mercy, Mercy.” Penn’s drums drive the rhythm behind Giammarese’s and Fortuna’s soulful lead vocals. Audience members’ heads happily bop to the beat and they respond with avid cheering and whistling at the end.

After Giammarese acknowledges, “You’ve got a great little town here — we were just walking around before the show,” The Buckinghams perform a tribute medley of songs by a band from their own home town — Chicago — which includes electrifying interpretations of “Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?” and “Make Me Smile.”

Giammarese explains that the group’s next song debuted on The Ed Sullivan Show, at which point, Nick Fortuna — still seated on the side of the stage — impersonates Ed Sullivan, the easy banter between the two longtime colleagues delighting the crowd.

After dedicating their next number to “all the Susans out there,” Giammarese and Co. perform a lovely rendition of 1967’s “Susan” as audience members clap and sing along on “Susan/I love you” refrain to avid applause and cheers.

Giammarese takes over on bass as Fortuna launches into a soulful rendition of the 1967 Gamble and Huff-penned Survivors’ hit, “Expressway to Your Heart.”

Tapping his mic stand with a drumstick on Zane’s guitar solo, Fortuna’s vocal is surrounded by solid keyboard, bass, drum, and horn playing, not to mention Dave Zane’s insanely difficult guitar part which has him playing both over and under the neck of his instrument.

The crowd responds with hoots and hollers and Giammarese responds, “We’re so grateful to still be playing for you guys.” After introducing the members of the band, he talks about the group’s final song for the evening, recalling, “It knocked The Monkees’ ‘I’m A Believer’ off the #1 slot.” Launching into a riveting version of their 1966 #1 hit, “Kind of a Drag,” The Buckinghams leave the happy Jersey audience standing on its feet!

During intermission, we chat with Sandy from Cliffside Park who says, “The Buckinghams were fabulous! They played all the songs I came to hear.” Adding, “I like that they do a little comedy — Nick Fortuna does a great Ed Sullivan imitation — plus their music brings me back to the good old days,” Sandy concludes by stating, “ And like this venue, too — it has great sound.”

Cynthia from Ridgewood agrees acknowledging, “I enjoyed both groups tonight — The Buckinghams and The Box Tops,” explaining, “I was born in the middle of the ’60s so I didn’t know all of the older songs they did, but I did especially love it when The Buckinghams played their tribute to Chicago,” concluding, “They did it so well!”

The lights dim and The Grass Roots — Dusty Hanvey on guitar, Larry Nelson on keyboards, Joe Dougherty on drums, and Mark Dawson on bass — take their places on stage.

Starting off with Hanvey’s guitar wailing and Dougherty’s cymbals shimmering, the group performs The Grass Roots’ 1969 hit, “I’d Wait A Million Years.”

Dawson’s smooth vocal rings out over the BergenPAC auditorium as he sings, “I’d wait a million years/Walk a million miles, cry a million tears/I‘d swim the deepest sea/Climb the highest hill, just to have you near me,” the crowd responding by clapping and singing along.

Following avid applause, the band goes on to perform a bouncy and upbeat cover version of a song which was originally offered to The Grass Roots, but ended up becoming a breakout hit for the rock trio, Hamilton, Joe Frank, and Reynolds — 1971’s “Don’t Pull Your Love (Out On Me, Baby).”

Harmony backup vocals support Dawson’s lead on this easygoing pop ballad which has the crowd bopping along, and the group follows up with a rollicking rendition of their own song, “Heaven Knows,” where audience members dance in their seats to this uptempo pop tune.

The crowd cheers and Dawson takes the mic saying, “How about The Box Tops and The Buckinghams?” adding, “We love doing this show with them.” Continuing, “Everyone knows the best singers are from New Jersey” — at which point, Dawson performs a snippet of Bon Jovi’s “You Give Love a Bad Name,” and the crowd happily joins him — he says, “If you feel like singing on this next one, please join in.”

Segueing into their infectious 1971 Top 10 single, “Sooner or Later,” the crowd sings “Sooner or later/Love is gonna get you/Sooner or later/Girl, you got to give in” with Dawson as he joyfully handles the lead vocal while expertly playing his electric bass, affectionately known by his many fans as “Blue.”

With Blue at his side, Dawson and the band skillfully perform the highly syncopated and percussive, “Things I Should Have Said.” Dougherty’s precision drumming holds down the solid beat as Dawson jokingly introduces, “‘Mr. Magic Fingers’ — Larry Nelson from Elizabeth, NJ,” before Nelson is featured on a keyboard solo.

Dusty Hanvey takes over the microphone and introduces the next number, the Grass Roots’ 1967 gold record, “Let’s Live For Today.” He poignantly dedicates the song to all of the veterans in the audience, particularly those who served in Vietnam because, according to Hanvey, “they were the only veterans to return home without a hero’s welcome.”

As the band plays, the audience joins in on the powerful “Sha-la la-la-la-la live for today” chorus. Lights dance as the audience sings along and Hanvey impresses with an expert guitar solo which has many in the audience standing on their feet.

Dawson responds by revealing, “That song is from 1967 — it’s 53 years old.” Asking, “What do you follow a song like that with?” he jokingly replies, “You play a song that’s 54 years old!” before announcing, “This is the first song recorded by The Grass Roots.”

Here, the guys perform “Where Were You When I Needed You?” a catchy pop confection which features Dawson’s strong, clear vocal and a sweet keyboard solo. Dawson’s voice is featured again on the group’s next number, their 1971 Top 20 hit “Two Divided By Love,” which has audience members singing along with Dawson as he croons the catchy “Two divided by love/Can only be one/And one is a lonely number” refrain.

After introducing the members of the band, Dawson says, “We thank you from the bottom of our hearts” as the group plays its final number of the evening — an inspired performance of their 1970 Top 20 hit, “Temptation Eyes.”

Lights twirl while audience members sing along with their heads nodding to the beat, and Hanvey playing a wailing guitar solo as the song ends to a standing and cheering crowd.

Asking, “Do you have time for one more?” Dawson and Co. play an encore number consisting of an electrifying rendition of their 1968 Top 5 hit, “Midnight Confessions.”

Audience members sing along on the “In my midnight confessions/When I tell all the world that I love you” chorus, dancing at their seats and enthusiastically taking over the lead on the dynamic “I love you!” refrain.

Hanvey smiles and exclaims, “Englewood is the only place to party!” as band members take well-deserved bows to happy audience hoots, hollers, cheers, and applause.

As audience members filter out of the BergenPAC auditorium, we chat with Hitomi from Wood Ridge who remarks, “I’ve always wanted to see The Grass Roots — I’ve been a big fan since I was a kid — and they did not disappoint; they sounded so great!”

Rich from Woodbridge comments, “This concert brought back so many memories. For example, as I was listening to The Box Tops, I remembered a scene from my childhood when my sister and her friend sang ‘The Letter’ at my Bar Mitzvah in 1967, and I hid under the table from embarrassment.”

“I also remembered that, back in 1972, Dick Clark repeatedly used The Grass Roots’ ‘Sooner or Later’ for a dance contest on his show,” continues Rich, explaining, “The couples had numbers on their backs and they would be used to identify the ones who had to sit out,” before concluding, “All in all, tonight’s show featured a nice mix of groups, and they all did a terrific job.”

Nancy from Wood Ridge agrees calling tonight’s concert, “Phenomenal.” Recalling, “I know all this music from my older brother, and I love it,” Nancy suggests that “All of the groups sounded great, and they all looked great, too!

Lastly, we chat with Eric from Washington Twp. who says, “American Pop was a wonderful show — well worth seeing!” Explaining, “You’ve got to love songs like ‘The Letter,’ ‘Kind of a Drag,’ and “Midnight Confessions,’” Eric acknowledges, “It’s hard to pick a favorite,” before declaring, “Back in those days — the mid-to late 1960s and the early 1970s — they had the best music in the world!”

To learn more about The Box Tops, please go to boxtops.com. For more on The Buckinghams, click on thebuckinghams.com. For further information on The Grass Roots, go to the-grassroots.com. To learn more about upcoming shows at BergenPAC — including Jon Secada on March 20, Daughtry on March 24, Melissa Etheridge on April 5, Art Garfunkel on April 25, and Ann Wilson of Heart on April 30 — please go to bergenpac.org.