Sha Na Na Biography
Spearheading the US rock 'n' roll revivalism that began in the late 60s, Sha Na Na evolved from the Columbia University vocal group the Columbia Kingsmen, formed by brothers George and Robert Leonard. Taking their new name from a line in the Silhouettes hit song "Get A Job", the group's repertoire was derived exclusively from the 50s, with a choreographed stage act that embraced a jiving contest for audience participants. Looking the anachronistic part - gold lame, brilliantine cockades, drainpiped hosiery et al - the line-up in their early years included vocalists Robert Leonard, Alan Cooper, Scott Powell, Johnny Contardo, Frederick "Denny" Greene (11 January 1949, USA), Donny York and Richard "Ritchie' Joffe; guitarists Chris Donald aka Vinnie Taylor (d. 19 April 1974), Elliot Cahn and Henry Gross; pianists Joseph Witkin, Screamin" Scott Simon and John "Bauzer" Bauman (b. 14 September 1947, Queens, New York, USA), plus Bruce Clarke (bass), Jack Marcellino (drums) and - the only musician with a revered past - saxophonist Leonard Baker (ex-Danny And The Juniors). Surprisingly, there were few personnel changes until a streamlining to a less cumbersome 10-piece in 1973, when bass player and singer David "Chico' Ryan (d. 26 July 1998, Boston, Massachusetts, USA) was brought into the line-up. The band were launched internationally by a show-stealing appearance at 1969"s Woodstock Festival (that was included in the subsequent movie and album spin-offs) but their onstage recreations of old sounds did not easily translate on disc - especially if the original versions had emotional significance for the listener.
From 1972's The Night Is Still Young, "Bounce In Your Buggy" - one of few self-composed numbers - was the closest the outfit ever came to a hit (though Gross, who left in 1970, would enjoy a solo US smash in 1976 with "Shannon'). Nevertheless, the approbation of the famous was manifest in Keith Moon's compering of a Sha Na Na bash in 1971 and John Lennon's choice of the band to open his One-For-One charity concert in New York a year later. By 1974, however, their act had degenerated to a dreary repetition that took its toll in discord, nervous breakdowns and more unresolvable internal problems culminating in a fatal heroin overdose on 19 April by Donald. The group bounced back in the late 70s, hosting their own syndicated television show from 1976-81 and appearing in the 1978 hit movie Grease. Various line-ups of the group have continued to tour and record in subsequent decades. Sha Na Na's early example enabled archivist-performers such as Darts, Shakin" Stevens and the Stray Cats to further the cause of a seemingly outmoded musical form.
Source: The Encyclopedia of Popular Music by Colin Larkin. Licensed from Muze.
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