Origins 1

PEARLY ORIGINS: Part 1  -  recollections of Jack Hudock

George graduated from high school in 1965 then went to Harpur.  He had taken guitar lessons for several years in high school.  When he got to Harpur (later in '65 or perhaps in '66) he announced that he was going to start a band.  This was in the early spring of '65.  He had several friends in a local band (their name was Just Us) and was inspired by the lead guitarist's use of a primitive device called the Maestro FuzzTone to conceal the guitarist's lack of skill in solos.  It worked for that purpose, and George used it well, as you may recall.

I told George that I wanted to be in the band, but he observed that I didn't play guitar and he saw no need for a clarinet, trombone, or coronet in his band (instruments I had cast aside many years before).  He said, "You like stereo gear.  Why don't you be the sound guy?" I observed that I didn't think the sound guy would get laid much.  That was my principle motivation for many behaviors back then.  So George allowed as how he had no bassist and if I could learn the bass in three months I could give it a run at the first gig he had lined up the following November.  At the time, I was planning to return to my summer employment at the Lake Placid Club and George had a job lined up there also.  My parents were supportive because, I think, they wanted us out of town and gainfully employed for the summer so they could catch a break and stop worrying about us as corrupting influences on my younger brothers. 

My Mom learned of the challenge I had accepted from George so Mom and Dad bought me a cheap (very cheap) electric bass made in Japan; I got no case.  The brand name was "Conrad."  It was a cheesy copy of a Fender bass with a sunburst finish.  You can see them on ebay from time to time, selling for well less than $500 even as "vintage" instruments.  It was hugely neck heavy and hard to play because I had to hold the neck up with my left hand while trying to fret notes.  I took it to Lake Placid with me along with George and his black strat and a very tasty old Gibson tube amplifier. 

I got the bassist in the hotel's cocktail lounge trio (he played a stand up bass) to give me lessons that summer.  George and I would entertain the other busboys and bellhops in the staff dorm at night until security made us turn it off.  George was surprised at my rate of progress as was I, and my instructor too.   

The following fall, the nameless band began. I know that when we actually began to play together Bill Crepet and Andy were part of the group.  I didn't even know where Andy came from, but a steadying influence on the group was our acknowledgement that Andy and, to a lesser extent, George were musicians so there was no arguing about who would call most of the shots.  The early playing was probably done in dorm lounges, billed as "practices" and lord knows we needed it.  I also recall that we'd end a song (more or less together) and every one would back away from their microphones and say nothing.  By default, because I didn't know better, I became the "guy who talked."

Actually, in the beginning we had no PA.  George and I talked our parents into buying one and I sort of figured out how to patch it together and then tear it down so that early in the game we had a PA, but probably not at the beginning.  We never had stage monitors and, as a result, couldn't really hear our voices over the drums and guitars.  This was the cause of the audience's widely held view that we couldn't carry a tune in a bucket!  I knew I could sing, because I sang in dorm rooms with Bill Bender.  But in those informal venues, we could hear our voices.  That was a big help.

This is enough for now.  The Pearly Gem from that summer in Lake Placid is this:  One night George climbed onto the roof of the staff women's dorm with his strat and the amp, and blasted Wild Thing into the night.  The guys and I thought this was fargin' great.  Some of the younger women thought it was cute.  Hotel management saw to it that George was fired summarily.

UP NEXT:  The Pearls get paid for a couple gigs so George and I get our parents to spring for new instruments and a couple of princely amplifiers.