Chad & Jeremy, The Association concert extended

It was originally set as a one-night stand in Manila but had to be extended to three performances due to insistent public demand.

This is the latest development in the anticipated visit next month  of Chad & Jeremy and The Association, two of the top pop acts of the ’60s, which will perform back-to-back in a major concert to be mounted by Renen de Guia’s Ovation Productions on June 15 at the Araneta Coliseum (first reported in Funfare last April 24).

Renen informed Funfare that he was surprised and overwhelmed by the groundswell of interest and inquiries he received through text messages and phone calls since the news broke out about the musical event, especially from fans from the Visayas and Mindanao. After consulting with the two foreign groups, Renen decided to mount more shows — at Cebu Waterfront Hotel in Cebu City on June 16 and at the St. La Salle Coliseum in Bacolod City on June 17.

Dubbed as Chad & Jeremy and The Association Together, the musical event will showcase a remarkable synergy of the music of two of the most popular and successful pop acts to have emerged from the ’60s, and which is expected to heat up the revival mania in the concert industry featuring foreign artists of the ’60s and ’70s.

According to Renen, Chad & Jeremy will sing many of the old favorites that it did not perform during its last sold-out concert in Manila.

On the other hand, the former lead singer of The Association,  Jim Yester,  who sang lead vocals on its big hits like No Fair At All, Goodbye Columbus and Along Comes Mary, has rejoined the group for the Philippine concert series. He was not with The Association when it performed here many years back and Filipinos found its sound a bit “different” then.

Composed of Chad Stuart and Jeremy Clyde, Chad & Jeremy is  a singing folk-rock duo that was on the same wave as The Beatles during the British Invasion, the huge influx of British rock and pop musicians into the American music scene in the early ’60s.

The tandem stood out from the rest of the British Invasion artists as well-groomed (if long-haired) individuals whose wit impressed the older generation even as their music appealed not only to the average teeny-boppers but to their parents as well. Their natural acting talent enabled them to appear in the homes of millions of Americans regularly, while their records sold millions of copies worldwide.

Songs popularized by Chad & Jeremy include A Summer Song, Before & After, Homeward Bound, What Do You Want With Me, Distant Shores, Why Should I Care, Say It Isn’t True, I Have Dreamed, When Your Love Has Gone, The Way You Look Tonight, Everybody’s Gone To The Moon, I Won’t Cry, Early Morning Rain, and many more.

The Association was a major cornerstone of American pop music with an enviable string of hits from 1966 through 1969, and whose smooth harmonies and pop-oriented sound made it a regular occupant of the highest reaches of the pop charts.

Its biggest hits — including Along Comes Mary, Cherish, Windy and Never My Love, became instant staples of AM radio play lists and have achieved “standard” status, receiving as much airplay today as they ever had.

Formed in 1965 after the break-up of an 11-man electric “folk” group called The Men, the six-man band began performing in nightclubs, coffeehouses, folk clubs, high schools, colleges and parties throughout California. Before the release of its debut album, it has established a formidable fan base exceeding 25,000 that ultimately grew into millions as Along Comes Mary and Cherish topped the charts.

Its hit song, Goodbye Columbus, was the title song for the film and performed by the group. It also won the Golden Globe and Foreign Press Awards.

Other songs like Requiem For the Masses, Time For Living, Everything That Touches You and Six-Man Band showcased the versatility, carefully crafted vocals and intricately woven instrumentation of the band.

The Association broke through the anti-rock biases in many of the major venues across America when it became the first electric band to perform at Hollywood’s Greek Theater, The Coconut Grove, The Copacabana, Tanglewood Music Festival, Blossom Music Festival, The Latin Casino, Saratoga Performing Arts Center and Ravinia Park.

In 1967, it was accorded the honor of opening the first international pop festival in America, The Monterey Pop Festival.

The band has appeared on every major TV variety show at the time, including The Ed Sullivan Show, The Smothers Brothers, American Bandstand, Shindig, The Carson Snow, The Cavett Show, The Andy Williams Show, The Carol Channing Special, and many more.

The Association broke up in 1972 when the members decided to pursue individual careers and interests, but reunited in 1979 and performed in every state in the US, most of the Canadian provinces, Bermuda, Athens, the Philippines, major showrooms in Atlantic City, Las Vegas, Reno and Lake Tahoe.

As certified hit-makers, The Association has sold over 30 million records and earned six gold discs and one platinum during its successful musical career that spanned more than 25 years.

Its album, The Association, Greatest Hits, continues to be one of the best-selling albums in history.

Aside from Jim Yester, other members of The Association are Larry Ramos, Russ Giguere, Del Ramos, Bruce Pictor and Jordan Cole. 

(With Philippine Airlines as official carrier, the concert series will be presented by Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, The Philippine STAR and dzRJ FM 100. Tickets for the show at the Araneta Coliseum are priced at P3,500, P3,000, P2,500, P1,500, P800 and P300 and are available at Ticketnet outlets at all SM Department Stores. For inquiries, call Ticketnet at 911-5555.)

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