1910 Fruitgum Company

1910 Fruitgum Company
The 1910 Fruitgum Company performing live on November 17, 2007
The 1910 Fruitgum Company performing live on November 17, 2007
Background information
OriginLinden, New Jersey, United States
Genres
Years active1965–1970, 1999–present
LabelsBuddah
Members
  • Frank Jeckell
  • Mick Mansuetto
  • Glenn Lewis
  • Keith Crane
  • Eric Lipper
  • John Roginski
Past members
  • Mark Gutkowski
  • Floyd Marcus
  • Steve Mortkowitz
  • Richie Gomez
  • Pat Karwan
  • Rusty Oppenheimer Way

The 1910 Fruitgum Company is an American bubblegum pop band of the 1960s. The group's Billboard Hot 100 hits were "Simon Says", "May I Take a Giant Step", "1, 2, 3, Red Light", "Goody Goody Gumdrops", "Indian Giver", "Special Delivery", and "The Train".[1]

Background

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Bubblegum pop was marketed to preteens as the evolving genre of rock music was beginning to target older adolescents and adults with darker lyrics and heavier rhythms.[2] The simple structure of the songs and non-political content of bubblegum pop appealed to a younger audience.[3] Many of the songs in the bubblegum pop genre like "1,2,3 Red Light" were intended to be singles within the budget of that younger preteen audience. "1,2, 3 Red Light" became one of the biggest hits of the genre.[2]

Career

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The band began as Jeckell and The Hydes in New Jersey in 1966. The original members were Frank Jeckell, Mark Gutkowski, Floyd Marcus, Pat Karwan and Steve Mortkowitz – all from Linden, New Jersey.[4][5]

During 1967, they were signed to Buddah Records, where they released five LPs under their own name and a variety of singles, as well as appearing on the LP The Kasenetz-Katz Singing Orchestral Circus.[citation needed] Their first hit single, "Simon Says", reached #4 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and peaked at #2 on the UK Singles Chart.[6]

The original five members of the 1910 Fruitgum Company circa 1966; photo taken at the home of Floyd Marcus. Shown on top from the left are Floyd and Steve. On the bottom are Pat, Frank and Mark.

The band started touring, opening for major acts such as The Beach Boys.[7] They also released these other chart hits: "May I Take a Giant Step" (U.S. #63), "1, 2, 3, Red Light" (U.S. #5), "Special Delivery" (U.S. #38), "Goody, Goody Gumdrops" (U.S. #37), "Indian Giver" (U.S. #5) and "The Train" (U.S. #57).[8]

The original group disbanded in 1970.[9]

Late 70s Fruit gum Co.

In 1999, original member Frank Jeckell and Mick Mansueto put the act back together.[9] As of 2019, Fruitgum currently performs its own hits, in addition to other songs from the 1960s.[10]

Million sellers

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"Simon Says" sold three and a half million. "1, 2, 3, Red Light" and "Indian Giver" each sold over one million copies. All three were awarded gold discs.[4]

Band members

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Current lineup

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  • Frank Jeckell (Original Member, Guitar and Vocals)
  • Mick Mansueto (Lead Vocals and Percussion)
  • Glenn Lewis (Bass and Vocals)
  • Eric Lipper (Keyboards and Vocals)
  • Keith Crane (Drums)
  • John Roginski (Guitar, Keyboards and Vocals)

Former members

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  • Mark Gutkowski (Original Member, Lead Singer on all the hits, and Hammond B3 Organist)
  • Pat Karwan (Original Member, Lead Guitarist and Vocals)
  • Steve Mortkowitz (Original Member, Bass Player and Vocals)
  • Floyd Marcus (Original Member, Drummer and Vocals)
  • Mick Mansueto (Lead vocals)
  • Jerry Roth (Tenor Sax)
  • Bob Brescia (Keyboards, Vocals and Music Director)
  • Thomas "Bart" Bartleson (Drums)
  • Mike Edell (Keyboards and Vocals)
  • John Korba-Guitar/Vocals
  • Ralph Cohen (Douglas) (Trumpet)
  • Pat Soriano (Hammond B3 Organist)
  • Bruce Shay (Bass and Vocals)
  • Rusty Oppenheimer (Drums and Vocals)
  • Larry Ripley (Bass, Woodwinds and Vocals)
  • Chuck Travis (Guitar and Vocals)
  • Richie Gomez (Guitar and Vocals)
  • Michael Stoppiello (Guitar and Vocals)
  • Philip Thorstenson (Drums and Vocals)
  • Chuck Allen (Bass and Vocals)

1980s road band members

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  • Randy Monaco (Lead Vocals)
  • Jim Bulkowski (Lead Guitar)
  • Russ Hoffmaster (Drums & Vocals)
  • Rick Gainor (Bass & Vocals)
  • John Siroky (Keyboards)

Discography

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Singles

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Year Title Peak chart positions Record Label B-side
From same album as A-side except where indicated 		Album
US UK AUS CAN
1967 "Simon Says" 4 2 2 1 Buddah Records "Reflections from the Looking Glass" (Non-LP track) Simon Says
1968 "May I Take a Giant Step (Into Your Heart)" 63 – 42 21 "(Poor Old) Mr. Jensen"
"1, 2, 3, Red Light" 5 – 8 1 "Sticky, Sticky" (Non-LP track) 1, 2, 3, Red Light
"Goody Goody Gumdrops" 37 – 29 26 "Candy Kisses" (Non-LP track) Goody Goody Gumdrops
1969 "Indian Giver" 5 – 5 1 "Pow Wow" (Non-LP track) Indian Giver
"Special Delivery" 38 – 47 17 "No Good Annie"
"The Train" 57 – 68 34 "Eternal Light" (Non-LP track) Hard Ride
"When We Get Married" 118 – 76 – "Baby Bret" (Non-LP track) Juiciest Fruitgum
1970 "Go Away" – – 77 – Super K Records "The Track" Non-LP tracks

Albums

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Year Album Billboard 200 Record Label
1968 Simon Says 162 Buddah Records
1, 2, 3, Red Light 163
Goody Goody Gumdrops –
1969 Indian Giver 147
Hard Ride –
1970 Juiciest Fruitgum –
1993 Juiciest Hits –
1994 Bubblegum Goodies – Victor Entertainment
A Golden Classics Edition – Collectables Records
2001 The Best of the 1910 Fruitgum Company: Simon Says – Buddah Records
2007 Bubblegum Christmas – Collectables Records

Further reading

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  • Greene, D. (2012). Teens, TV and Tunes: The Manufacturing of American Adolescent Culture McFarland Publishers.

References

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  1. ^ "Interview With The 1910 Fruitgum Company". Classicbands.com. Retrieved August 19, 2015.
  2. ^ a b Simpson, Kim. Early '70s Radio: The American Format Revolution. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2011, p.25-26
  3. ^ Doggett, Peter. Electric Shock: From the Gramophone to the IPhone – 125 Years of Pop Music. Random House, 2015. p.427
  4. ^ a b Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Discs (2nd ed.). London: Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. p. 244 & 264. ISBN 0-214-20512-6.
  5. ^ Voger, Mark. "1910 Fruitgum Company: From Linden to the Top 10", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, February 28, 2014, updated March 29, 2019. Accessed November 25, 2019. "Jeckell's fellow founding members were Mark Gutkowski (lead vocals, keyboards), Pat Karwan (guitar), Steve Mortkowitz (bass), and Floyd Marcus (drums).... And so five young men from Linden with aspirations to be the next Vanilla Fudge scored a Top 10 hit ... with a bubblegum song."
  6. ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 395. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  7. ^ "Floyd Marcus of 1910 Fruitgum Co : Songwriter Interviews". Songfacts.com. Retrieved August 19, 2015.
  8. ^ Colin Larkin, ed. (1997). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music (Concise ed.). Virgin Books. p. 904. ISBN 1-85227-745-9.
  9. ^ a b Bower, Carolyn. "Remembering 1968: The Music of 50 Years Ago!". Boomermagazine.com. Retrieved April 19, 2019.
  10. ^ Price, Robert. "'60s return to Newton Theatre". New Jersey Herald. Retrieved April 19, 2019.[permanent dead link‍]
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