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A Forgotten Treasure
The Hard Ride
By
The 1910 Fruitgum Company
Blues, Jazz and Psychedelia
The Hard Ride represents the dying gasp of an underrated
band. The 1910 Fruitgum Company had morphed several times since their inception
in 1967. As the Jeckell & Hydes they enjoyed massive success in their
hometown of Linden New Jersey. They were talented garage rockers who could play
the hits of the day whether it was the Beatles, Hendrix or the Vanilla Fudge or
throw in a few of their own compositions. The nucleus of the band included
Frank Jeckell (guitar, vocals), Mark Gutkowski (lead vocals, organ), Pat Karwan
(guitar, vocals), and Floyd Marcus (drums). It seems almost incomprehensible
that the band who hit the big time with Simon Says. Sure, the song was based on
a game intended for pre-school children but nonetheless it had a great wooly
bully organ riff and the vocals were stoned perfection. But by 1969, Mark
Gutkoswski was the only original member left in the group. He was a great
singer and a multi-instrumentalist and a superb songwriter. He was a gifted
leader who insisted on excellence and set the bar high. Hard Ride is the
culmination of Gutkowski’s career as a rock & roll hit-maker and it stands
today as a forgotten treasure, a eulogy for a great band that has been
misplaced in time as something to be scorned or even vilified. I stand here
today to correct that misperception. I saw the 1910 Fruitgum Company in
February and again in December of 1969 and the draconian changes carved out by
Gutkowski were astonishing. In February Gutkowski the band had already made
inroads to the new sounds that Gutkowski would hear in his head. By December,
this new, more complex music was a reality. The band now had a funky horn
section and an excellent B3 player. Gutkowski switched to bass and he shared
vocals with the phenomenal Ritchie Gomez.
This is a review of The Hard Ride
Don’t Have to Run And Hide (2:58) (M. Gutkowski, T.
Gutkowski). This is pure Gutkowski-bred rock & roll. Mark’s voice is
matured and soulful and his falsetto ooh’s punctuate the end of each verse. The
horn section is funked up and brings the energy level up a few notches. This is
a classic rocker with a verse, middle and chorus structure. It should have been
a top forty hit. A great song.
All These Things (2:38) (R. Gomez) is a Beatlesque ballad with
a complex arrangement with prominent horns and several tempo changes. Gomez
rich tenor provides just the right amount of angst and a pitch perfect reading
of the lyrics. Gutkowski’s thumping bass grooves stand out as the rhythmic
center that gives the percussion an air-tight vice grip beat as the horns wash
over the musical landscape
Beggars Epitaph (3:50) (M. Gutkowski, T. Gutkowski). This is
Mark Gutkowski’s swan song, a prayer for forgiveness. It uses a minor chord
motif to cast a pale over the singer’s plea. The song is driven by a frantic
high chase beat with a scorching organ backdrop and E-string trills. The horn
players, Roth and Cohen took a few tips from Chicago and BS&T and it’s all
for the better. Gutkowski sings that he sold his soul to the devil and pleads;
Help me lord
Now my time is almost here.
I hear lord that you will forgive a man
If he’s sincere
I’ve sold my soul to the devil Lord
This I won’t deny
Oh god I don’t want to die
Help me Lord
Help Me
The somewhat elusive lyrics appear to be a slam directed to Kasenetz
& Katz, the architects of the bubblegum sound and their almost total control
over the product created in their hit-making factories. It speaks to the dearth
of artistic freedom of artists who sign their rights over to the Machiavellian
image makers in the mansions on the hill
Eulogy (2:00) (1910 Fruitgum Company) is an up tempo blues
with tongue firmly in cheek. It is brisk and saucy and a rockin’ good time. The
organist excels on this homegrown ditty. This is a fine example of unison
singing – reminiscent of the Grateful Dead. It’s a down home hootenanny with a great sense
of humor. The lyrics tell the story
When I die
I want to be buried
In a pot garden
When I die
I want to be buried
In a pot garden
If you can’t find a garden
Bury me in the grass
Selub (7:21) (T. Gutkowski, D. Christopher). A drum solo
serves as a transition to some sweet/nasty and slow twelve bar blues. It has
some tasty harp that is prominent throughout this little exercise in our
homegrown heritage. The B3player Pat Soriano is back in the mix but the solos
are funky and soulful like Felix Cavaliere on Come on Up or Lonely Too Long. Soriano
is the lead singer on this song. He jumps in with screaming high pitched vocal
like Dan McCafferty grousing all pissed and throaty after a night out on the
prowl and needing a little hair of the dog. But you can’ beat the guitarist who
fills the void with those big full bodied notes and the fantastic interplay
between the B3 and the slide guitar. Don Christopher’s Mike Bloomfield-inspired
guitar workout gives the vocal performance even greater power. It’s a traditional
bluesy heartbreak song merging love with raw boned eroticism. The lyrics tell
part of the story
Come on Home
All I want is you, child
Ain’t nobody else gonna do
Come on home gal
All I want is you
YOU
I’ve never loved a woman
The way I get down to lovin’ you
In the hotel room
Any way you want it
The Train (2:30) is another gem written by Ritchie Cordell,
Jeff Katz, and Jerry Kasenetz. These are the masterminds of the bubblegum music
that was all the rage in 1968. This is a well-constructed rock song with a
bluesy organ and a top notch horn section and another great vocal performance
by Mark Gutkowski. He was at the top of his game and was singing with more
depth of expression. Like any good pop song The Train hints of a night of carnal
pleasures and Dionysian excess. Hallelujah!
SIDE 2
Creations of Simon (3:40) (J. Roth, R. Gomez, T. Gutkowski).
The title is conceived as the evolution from Simon says. The song opens side
two with some tasty wah wah guitar. The horns power in and the rhythm section
has a vice grip on time like Entwhistle and Moon keeping Townshend in check.
The syncopated beat heats it up like a totally demented but sober Sly Stone.
There are several tempo changes that display the skill of the band like
switching from a 3 step waltz to some raw funk and soul train spew and then
suddenly, out of nowhere a flute appears for a brief calming interlude followed
by some brutal back door sax. The band is tight and…it works. This is bump and
grind music for when you get down with your honey bunch. The guitarist
stretches out, up and down the neck from the e-string to the bass, very fluid.
Pat Soriano sings a few verses about being yourself, to be exactly who you are.
Good advice.
Collections of Thoughts (5:08) (D.
Christopher) opens with an insistent walking guitar riff, poppin’ bass, organ
washes and then horns. The unison vocals are compelling and recall power pop at
its best – a touch of Beatles and a hint of Chicago. There are spot on
signature changes, chunky, scratchy guitars and elusive spoken word backdrops
ala Pink Floyd (“just to be part of it”; it’s just too much” when you stand with
me, it’s exciting). Christopher has a great voice and his lyrics are almost
Zenist, multiple truths and middle paths
There’s nowhere to sit
But where do I stand
I need her
The mirror reflects all the things…
break it… left with reality
a) In the Beginning (1:30) (1910 Fruitgum Company). This
snippet of an intro has Hendrix fuzztone with the music crashing in a fury of
competing sounds. The synthesizer creates a mosaic of electronica that hints of
the new age electro/dance/synth/trance movements that evoke a hypnotic effect.
Without missing a quark or a squeal the music segues to…
b) The Thing (3:40) (M. Gutkowski, T. Gutkowski)
The Thing. It’s a well-produced and engages the listener
with a crisp sound – it pops! It has it all -fuzz guitar, a boppin’ bass line,
and a screaming B3. The horns color the musical landscape and give it some
jazzy syncopation. Wah Wah guitar effects signals the horns to enter into the
fray. In ’69, this band of young musicians were on the cusp of discovery,
stretching out and testing the limits and taking chances like a new band on the
rise, not a fading bubblegum act that sings Simon Says to former fans that now
dig Led Zeppelin or Foghat. They were making a statement.
Togetherly Alone (Five Movements) (5:30) (J Roth, T.
Gutkowski) is an obscure dialectical reference that provides the scaffolding
for this pocket symphony. The song is crafted as a minor chord lullaby with
cascading organ trills that drench the musical backdrop in rich sepia toned
colors, like an ancient Christie brand pipe organ. The tempo shifts and Ritchie
Gomez lays down the vocal, Gomez is a flat out great singer. He can be a
chameleon sounding like Paul or George but on this song his rich vocals
resemble Tommy James from his Crystal Blue Persuasion era. He possesses great
tone and pitch; a pure tenor. The tempo changes to a simple but powerful 4/4
marching beat each instrument joins in unison. The buzzing bass and synth lines
give the song a psychedelic tone and the inverted chords, trumpeters swan and classical
guitar phrases give the song a rich baroque feel. Richie’s vocals are
exquisite;
We have each other forever
Now we’re together
Forever together
no longer together
togetherly alone
The record ends with a mad professor’s organ trill and a
guitar crescendo. There is a false ending; Silence then 14 bars of an upbeat
mid-tempo instrumental tip of the hat to Gary Brooker (Procol Harum) and one
last goodbye.
The end of a great LP; an honest effort, a grand experiment!
Hard Ride is a great LP, an undiscovered treasure. Don’t let
the bubblegum label fool you. This LP is a major statement by a great band that
never got its due. It’s available on Amazon or Ebay. Buy it now. You won't be disappointed
