WRITTEN BY B. Derek Shaw THE MAG MEN WERE THE MOST RENOWNED R&B group to emerge from Central Pennsylvania in the late 1960s and early 1970s. magnificent memories of magnificent moments nostalgia
Mar 26, 2016
WRITTEN BYB. Derek Shaw
THE MAG MEN WERE THE MOST RENOWNED
R&B group to emerge from Central Pennsylvania in
the late 1960s and early 1970s.
magnificentmemories ofmagnificentmoments
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Ask anyone who grew up in Central
Pennsylvania during the mid- to late 1960s
where some of the successful teen dances
were held, and you would find The Raven
Teen Club, Middletown; the Hershey
Ballroom; and White Oak Park in North York
as some of the top spots. Ask that same
group of people who the quintessential blue-
eyed soul group from the region was and
they’d all tell you the Magnificent Men. Of
course, this same group would also be able to
spout off their songs, including “Peace of
Mind,” “Stormy Weather,” “Misty,” “I
Could Be So Happy,” and “Sweet Soul
Medley,” just to name a handful.
This York/Harrisburg-based septuplet
played all the aforementioned places and
more, including the famed Apollo Theater in
New York—a place previously and since only
headlined by black artists and groups. As
lead vocalist and songwriter Dave Bupp puts
it, “We went into the Apollo Theater, blew
’em away, and came back as a co-headliner—
no white group was ever a headliner at the
Apollo Theater.”
Their journey to critical acclaim and
moderate national success began earlier that
decade with two bands separated by 30 miles.
In York, the Del-Chords (not to be confused
with a similarly named Harrisburg act) was a
diverse group playing the local clubs, hang-
outs, and school functions, noted for their
outstanding vocals, fronted by Dave Bupp and
Adrian “Buddy” King. They were fortunate to
achieve local success with a 45 rpm record in
1964 called “Everybody’s Gotta Lose
Someday” (Impala and Mr. Genius labels).
At about the same time, another
integrated group, the nine-member Endells,
led by drummer Bob Angelucci, was
following a similar path with the Harrisburg
music scene. In fact, they scored their own
record a year earlier with “Vicky,” a single
on the Heigh-Ho label.
Both racially mixed bands were finding
their situation an unwritten obstacle when it
came to landing bookings. The merger came
about when both groups were ready to call it
quits. “I was looking to put together a full-
time road group,” stated Angelucci. “I was
Artwork froman earlyMagnificentMen albumcover.
What blows
me away the
most is what
an effect
we had on
people.
“
”
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looking for seven guys on a full-time
basis who had the talent, interest, and
wanted to do it. What made it work
was that both groups had the same
musical interests.” The vocalists (and
songwriters) from the Del-Chords
merged with the rhythm component of
the Endells to form the all-white
Magnificent Seven. The name later
became The Magnificent Men, a
result of band manager Ron Gittman
catching a glimpse of a billboard for a
new movie with a similar title.
The local jobs led to regional gigs
and their first New York City audition:
The Peppermint Lounge, playing with
Johnny Maestro and the Crests. Add
to that a Motortown Revue tour that
ultimately led the group to being
signed by the prestigious Capitol
Records label for a triple-album
contract. (That same label had Frank
Sinatra, Dean Martin, the Beach
Boys, and the Beatles in their stable
of artists.)
The trio of releases—the self-titled
Magnificent Men, Magnificent Men
Live, and World of Soul—all are a
testament of the genuine quality and
craftsmanship this polished act
brought to the table. However, Bupp
is quick to point out, “If I had my
way, we would have signed with a
black label. Capitol did not get radio
to accept us.” Okeh, Brunswick, or
Motown were all strong R&B labels
at that time. Had the group recorded
on one of those labels, acceptance by
black and white radio stations would
have been easier to achieve.
The group easily had impressive
credentials that proved to be the
necessary ingredients for blue-eyed
soul success—they played with such
acts as the Temptations, Patti Labelle
and the Bluebelles, Billy Stewart,
Curtis Mayfield’s Impressions, Gladys
Knight and the Pips, and Smokey
Robinson and the Miracles.
The Mag Men (as fans refer to
them) were the most renowned R&B
group to emerge from Central
Pennsylvania in the late 1960s and
early 1970s. They also had a cult
following on the college campus
scene. Co-lead singer and co-
songwriter Buddy King said he was
not well known in high school (during
the Del-Chords days); however, “the
high school snobs were the very first
ones waiting for the tour bus to pull
up, saying, ‘Hey, we know those
guys!’”
In addition to numerous
appearances at the Apollo Theater in
New York, other venue credits include
the Howard Theater in Washington,
D.C., and the Uptown in
Philadelphia—all part of the “Chitlin’
Circuit.” Regionally they appeared
more than a dozen times with Jerry
Blavat, Philadelphia radio DJ and TV
host of the Discophonic Scene. The
group played out west as well,
including Caesars Palace in Las
Vegas. National television credits
include appearances on the Merv
Griffin and Mike Douglas shows and
with Jerry Lewis during his annual
telethon. A non-televised stint with
Johnny Carson at Ohio State was
another outstanding performance
credential.
From left,Tom Pane and
Buddy King signautographs at a
recent reunionconcert.
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Another highlight occurred at the
Apollo Saturday midnight show, touted
as having the most difficult audience to
please. James Brown stopped in earlier
to visit with some of the acts and was
asked to fill in for headliner Tommy
Hunt (formerly with the Flamingos, then
on his own), who became ill. Brown
asked if the house band knew his music
and the response from performer J.J.
Jackson (But It’s Alright fame) was:
“See the Magnificent Men; they know
your stuff.”
Brown approached the group, and
they confirmed they knew the entire Live
at the Apollo album. That was all he
needed to know. For 45 minutes, the
Mag Men backed the “Godfather of
Soul.” He was so impressed that he
applauded them when the set was over.
“It was wonderful. We pulled it off,”
said Bupp.
However, all good things
unfortunately come to an end. Since
their first single release five years prior,
they were never able to get national
chart success on AM radio, which was
the dominant source for fueling careers
at that time. Of the 11 singles released,
two enjoyed a brief time at the lower
end of the charts: “I Could Be So
Happy” and “Sweet Soul Medley.” King
points out, “‘Peace of Mind’ remains
our anthem. It’s our first and our best.”
The 1970 Mercury label album,
Better Than a Ten Cent Movie, took a
different musical direction, heading into
a more progressive arena. So had R&B
music—to a more self-examining, socio-
political style, leaving this critically
acclaimed and under-promoted band out
in the cold. The Mag Men played on,
leaving their R&B roots for progressive
rock—disenfranchising the faithful. In
1973 they went their separate ways.
However, all is not lost.
Over the years, various members of
the group would get together for reunion
concerts/dance parties throughout
Central Pennsylvania. The first one
came about in 1983 with nominal
acceptance. Full Circle was a short-lived
reincarnation of part of the band
(1986). For the past 10-plus years, a
semi-annual dance party dubbed the
“Class of ’60 Somethin’” has taken
place on the York Expo Center grounds.
That is when their popularity came
around again. This always sold-out event
combines the talents of three defunct
bands—the Magnificent Men, the Del-
Chords, and Lancaster’s Custer’s Last
Band—with the currently performing
Class Act featuring Rita. The latter is
Bob Angelucci’s band fronted by his
exceptionally talented wife, Rita, and six
other equally talented members
including two Mag Men: Angelucci and
bassist Jim Seville. The show features
updated stylings of 1960s and 1970s
R&B cover tunes and Mag Men
favorites.
History was made last November
when Class Act featuring Rita
performed their annual show at
Harrisburg’s Whitaker Center. Dave
Bupp and Buddy King were scheduled to
appear. Also scheduled, but not
announced in advance, were the other
three members: guitarist Terry Crousore,
saxophonist and third vocalist Tom Pane,
and keyboard player Billy Richter (Tom
Hoover, the original keyboardist, left
after the first album was released). This
was the first time all the Magnificent
Men played together on the same stage
since 1970! “I always wanted this to
happen for one of our annual shows,”
said Angelucci. “I was overwhelmed
that everyone agreed to do it.”
Class Actfeaturing Rita,from aNovember2007performancein Harrisburg.
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What makes the Magnificent Men so memorable?
According to King, it is the “credibility and authenticity of
the songs we perform.” “What blows me away the most
is what an effect we had on people,” said Bupp, reflecting.
Regarding the recent shows bringing him and others out of
musical retirement, Bupp said, “If people care as much as
they do about and for us, why should we not do it?”
Future plans include the eventual release of a 90-
minute documentary called This Magnificent Moment—
The Story of the Magnificent Men. Spearheaded by social
historian David Zang, a professor at Towson University in
Maryland, the project will be a reality once proper
funding is secured. Interested parties can visit
www.magnificentmen.org.
Back in the day, there was a blue-eyed soul band in our
area that had the right sound at the right time. Soon that
sound will be documented for all to relive or get
acquainted with for the first time.
What a magnificent moment! ) ) )
B. Derek Shaw has been an avid music collector since the ripe old
age of 8, as well as a freelance writer. He serves as KEY-NOTES
editor, communications specialist for the Keystone Record
Collectors, and host of the monthly Pennsylvania Music Expo.
Visit www.recordcollectors.org.
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Album coverforMagnificentMenLIVE!
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