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On a Monday night in February
of 1970 while performing a 2 week engagement in a
night club in Albany, N.Y. under the name The Soul
Partners the group drove to New York City for an audition
at Small’s Paradise a club located in Harlem
on 135th Street and 7th Avenue. On that night the
group auditioned as The Buckeye Politicians, the audition
was so successful that they were hired for the night.
When the group got back to Albany they told the club
owner that the last week they were performing there
that the name of the band had been changed and this
marked the beginning of The Buckeye Politicians.
The Buckeye Politicians were loved in the New York
City and in the fall of 1970 they recorded an album
at Sigma Sounds Studios in Philadelphia, Pa with producer
Luther Dixon (“Shirelles”) and the single
“Girl I Could Love You More” and “I
Wish It Would Rain’ was released on Scepter
Records.
In 1972 they met Herb Gart founder of the Rainbow
Collection Ltd and manager of Don McLean (American
Pie) signed a contract with Herb. Through their friendship
with the Commodores they were able get an engagement
for six weeks on the French Reveria and while performing
at the Byblos Hotel in San Tropez the A&R man
from EMI Records, London, England came and heard the
group and signed them to a recording contract. The
Buckeyes after completing their engagement in San
Tropez flew to London, England where they checked
out possible producers for their album. There they
met and chose Alan Parsons (“Alan Parsons Project”
and engineer of the “Dark Side Of The Moon”
by Pink Floyd). The Album with Alan Parsons was never
released because the master tapes were lost by an
airlines enroute back to the USA.
In the Fall of 1975, Herb Gart, their manager contracted
producer Jeff Berry (“Sugar Sugar Honey Honey”,
Monkies, I Honestly Love You”, Olivia Newton
John) to produce the album “Look At Me Now”
on Utopia, RCA released in the summer of 1976. This
album was never a chart maker but has become a favorite
throughout the world.
Although there have been several years since The Buckeye
Politicians have recorded, the music in the new CD
reintroduces their fans to what it is like to listen
to songs with a melody. You will dance and sing with
The Buckeye Politicians and when you get to the last
song on the CD you will be ready to start the journey
all over again.
The members of the group has changed, there are only
2 members from the original group, the brothers Jay
Almon (Bass, Vocals) and LA Almon (Guitar, Vocals).
Joining the Almon brothers are Jay’s daughter
Conia Almon (Vocals), Theron Johnson (Keyboards),
Dave Nilo (Keyboards), Mark Henderson (Percussion)
and Kris Keith (Flute, Tenor and Soprano Sax).
If you have been a follower of The Buckeye Politicians
over their musical career you will love the new music
you hear on their new CD “Here I Am”.
(Last updated: 8/14/06)
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