One&Done @ A&M: Stuffin / (s/t) -- SP 4235

[JOv2]

• Comments, questions, conjectures and stories are welcomed.
• Released in 1970

An esoteric group with a relatively common name -- at least as far as Google and YouTube are concerned -- makes for a difficult search. The only music from the LP I could find was the following selection.

 

[Rudy]

Why am I suddenly reminded of Thanksgiving dinner?

 

[Murray]

Why am I suddenly reminded of Thanksgiving dinner?

 

[AM Matt]

Remake of the late Dr. John 1968 song (from "Gris Gris").

 

[LPJim]

Here's another clip: "Look & See"



JB

 

[Mr Bill]

I'm curious about who the bandmembers were. There doesn't appear to be any credits (though if I could see the songwriter's names it's probably a good chance that some or all the members wrote at least some of the songs). I CAN make out Jerry Riopelle's name on a couple songs as well as, obviously, the producer....

I see the name Jerry Riopelle on a lot of A&M product from the mid SP4190s through 4230s and some before and after that... This got me curious enough to look up info about him (since it's a slow news day today in Waco).

He was the drummer for The Hollywood Argyles of "Alley Oop"fame. (This gives us an early "pseudo" connection the Herb Alpert. Herb produced Dante and The Evergreens' version of "Alley Oop" which is the version that charted in Los Angeles. This was in the days when regional acts could be local hit artists despite another version being the "official hit." I'm from Los Angeles, born the year "Alley Oop" came out. My parents' and their friends will tell you "Alley Oop" is by Dante and the Evergreens, because that was the version LA radio played back then -- despite WikiPedia saying the Dante version was bigger on the east coast).

He was also a member of The Parade, the great "lost" A&M artist and album. His work with April Stevens and Nino Tempo brought him back to A&M where he became a staff producer and and Irving staff songwriter.

His other A&M connections are Brewer and Shipley, We Five, Shango and Rita Coolidge. He's also the inventor of the theremin-like instrument called Beamz.

He has a number of solo albums that blend folk, rock, pop, jazz and hard rock (just shy of heavy metal).

He apparently had a huge fan base in Arizona, where he lived (splitting his time between there and Hawaii) until his death in 2018 at age 77 of cancer.

--Mr. Bill

 

[LPJim]

I think the tall guy on the SP 4235 cover standing and wearing a blue shirt, with a mustache and long black hair, is Jerry Riopelle. After his stint with A&M he moved to the ABC label around 1971 to start his solo career. He was indeed popular in Arizona and was planning one of his New Years Eve shows at the time of his passing.

JB

 

[Mr Bill]

I don't know... Looking at pictures of him from that era, his hair matches the tall guy but the tall guys nose and moustache don't match. The sitting guy in the middle matches in the eyes and eyebrows, but nothing else. And the guy on the right has sideburns that match the photos of Jerry that I've found online from that era. I suspect he was merely the producer on this one.

--Mr Bill

 

[Michaelwilliams]

i work with the gentleman in the middle. Gerald Gibson. aka Gerry. celebrated a b'day with him this week.
he lives in murfreesboro tn. he's still drummin with some fellas.