The Critters Biography
This US group was founded in 1964 by guitarists Jim Ryan and Don Ciconne. Kenny Gorka (bass), Chris Darway (organ) and Jack Decker (drums) then completed the line-up, which was initially based in Plainfield, New Jersey, USA. "Children And Flowers", a Jackie DeShannon song, was their first release on Kapp Records, but it was a follow-up single, "Younger Girl', that gave the Critters their first hit, reaching number 42 in May 1966. This harmonious reading of the John Sebastian (Lovin" Spoonful) song established the quintet as a leading folk rock ensemble while later releases, "Mr. Dieingly Sad" (number 17, August 1966), "Bad Misunderstanding" (number 55, December 1966) and "Don't Let The Rain Fall Down On Me" (number 39, July 1967), embellished this facet with classic New York-styled productions. Ciconne, who also enjoyed a brief, but fruitful partnership with songwriters Anders And Poncia, left the line-up on his induction into the army. Jeff Pelosi (drums) and Bob Spinella (keyboards), joined the group in late 1967, but despite several further releases, the Critters were unable to recapture the magic of that original quintet. Ryan became a session musician following the band's final collapse, while Ciconne returned to the limelight in 1974 on replacing Clay Jordan in the Four Seasons.
Source: The Encyclopedia of Popular Music by Colin Larkin. Licensed from Muze.
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