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Jamie Pease's 60th birthday
From John Curtis:
Today, March 28th, would have been Jamie Pease's 60th birthday. As most of you know, Jamie died in 2006 after a long battle with cancer. A couple months ago, I found a demo tape that I hadn't heard in 35 years. It was recorded at Long View Farm Studios in 1975 and features Derek Blevins on drums. Derek was the original founding member of Buck. Jamie was in Johanna Wild with Jon Butcher prior to joining Buck in 1973. There are two links, one for Buck and the other for August. I wanted to share these photos and music today with people who knew Jamie. The August video is also a time capsule of the Boston music scene from the late 70s through the mid 80s. Please send this to anyone you think may have known Jamie as well.
Happy Birthday, Jamie I miss you ... John Curtis
Video clips are with each bands' information below.
From Frank (2006):
Our friend Jamie Pease passed away peacefully last night after his 11 year battle with cancer. I am grateful that I was able to be with him during his final hours. In accordance with the Pease family tradition, there will be no service.
The following is a collection of pictures and remembrances from various sources: John Curtis's archive, Glenn Evans's archive of photos, DirtyWater.com - the Boston Rock and Roll Museum online, Dave Amato's archive of photos, The Raw's photos, Tara Progin, Jim Hinckley, and Billy Claire.
THE JONESES
Jimmy D'Angelo, Joey D'Angelo, Jamie Pease, and Rob Zicaro.
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Mach Bell
"I grew up in Holliston - halfway between Boston and Worcester. In the '60s, the Holliston Town Hall became quite a hot venue for touring bands out of New York and Worcester. But the coolest place for teens to go was out on Route 9 on the outskirts of Worcester County. Across the street from the Westboro Speedway stood the Seventh House. This teen rock club opened up around 1968. The main stage was housed in a barn. A rambling outbuilding, connected by corridors and nooks and crannies, housed the snackbar and the coatcheck. The place had a very exclusive vibe - and you had to be 16 years old to get in. The club was painted up in wild psychedelic swirls. They had a lightshow. Best of all were the teen go-go dancers who writhed behind a backlit sheet hung at the rear of the stage. Worcester was the home of rockgod Marty Norris. He led the band Black Watch, playing bass, singing and wearing tight snakeskin boots.
The D'Angelo Brothers were the first American band I ever saw with Marshall stacks. Their band, The Joneses, toured around New England in a schoolbus. Their dad quit his job at the Worcester post office and became their road manager. All these guys had the first shag haircuts, customized threads and they were all widely rumored to be junkies. They were the coolest of the cool . . . The Seventh House morphed into the Red Barn in the early seventies. I think it went under after the drinking age was lowered to 18. The Joneses continued on as Mad Angel."
The Buck Story: as Remembered by Derek Blevins | 1998
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Buck was my first professional band. Three of us, me, Walter Muni (bass/lead vocal), and Al Trover (guitar/vocal) came to Boston in 1973 from Bergen County NJ. They were going to Berklee, I was tagging along to begin my career in music at 17 years of age. Jamie Pease (of August fame) soon joined to play bass and we picked up Ken Stern on keys. Walter went out to front the band bringing the onetime power trio to 5 pieces. We were heavily influenced by the Who and Led Zepplin with a sprinkling of Yes and King Crimson. Al Trover was regarded as one of the best lead guitar players in the club circuit at the time.
We were one of the first local bands in Boston to insist on playing our own songs - we called them "originals." As a result of our stubbornness in this area we had some battles with club owners at the time who insisted we play popular music only. Despite our cocky attitudes, we did get work at some premier clubs including K-K-Katy's, The Groggery, The Boston Club (now the Paradise) and TJ's Lounge (before it was The Rat). We also played a hell-hole out in Fresh Pond known as JA's where we fought constantly with the owner over the fact that we refused play Bad Bad Leroy Brown.
We were one of the first bands to record at Longview Studio, where a song that Jamie wrote, "Fortune In Love," made a moderate splash with major record labels at the time. Our pinnacle show was a date with Aerosmith in 1974 at the Mass Maritime Academy, where we observed Steven Tyler out front of the place hitch-hiking for laughs. Toward the end of my tenure, we headlined a big self-promoted show at the old National Theater in Boston with a little-known band at the time, Johanna Wild.
We had heard of these guys but weren't really sure who they were. As JW played I couldn't believe Jon Butcher's stage presence, guitar antics, and ability to control the crowd. The whole band was so amazing we were worried about having to follow them. But we did our show and brought the house down (mainly our good friends and family, of course). At the close of the evening there was mutual respect and admiration between me and JW, and they liked my drumming so much that they made me an offer to join the band the following week, which I accepted.
At my departure, Al Trover went back to NJ as did Walter Muni and Ken Stern. That left Jamie and Buck's faithful manager John Curtis. Jamie and John grabbed Hirsh Gardner who had just come to town, and I believe Kent Pearson (an excellent guitar player who did some time with JW) and the band played on. I believe that Artie Plummer played drums too at some point. The band went on to form August, also managed by John Curtis.
Jamie Pease is still playing today with his band The Raw. I believe they were close to a big management deal about two years ago when Jamie fell sick to serious illness. It put him out of action for 12-18 months. I stayed in touch with him to some extent throught the illness, and last I heard, he was out and about and putting The Raw back together again.
Walter Muni: Retired from music after Buck, is married to a waitress he met in 1974 during our club tour of the midwest. They live happily togther in Wycoff, NJ.
Al Trover: Retired from music, went on to fly jet aircraft for FedEx.
Ken Stern: Retired from music and took over his father's manufacturing business.
John Curtis is still in the music business working in the entertainment industry with his father, Bill Curtis.
Derek Blevins: 9/5/98
BUCK ON YOUTUBE
I Heard It Through The Grapevine- click here
Lee Vachon, Jamie Pease, Leo Black, Kent Pearson
Jamie and Kent
Hirsh Gardner, Jamie Pease, & Kent Pearson
BUCK 45 on Rat Records 1977
| Just For You b/w Your Left Eye
recorded at Northern Studios
engineered by Jesse Henderson
JOHANNA WILD
Jon Butcher - guitar, Jamie Pease - bass, Glenn Evans - drums, Jeff Linscott - guitar.
with Jimmy D'Angelo, Jamie Pease, Dave Amato, Scott Hanley, Louis Santoro, Jeff Houck, Dave Balcom.
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A self-released effort "Sunny Days/Hot Nites" (EP, August, 1982) yielded an immediate local hit as "Who's Gonna Cry" debuted on the WBCN Top Local Three and stayed there for three weeks. The boys were a unique blend of Beatle- influenced vocals with AC/DC power. Former member Dave Amato was seen jamming with Julian Lennon on the American Music Award TV show (2/85). He also did sessions with Kim Carnes and was on a Ted Nugent Tour ('85-86).
"Do You Wanna Rock" was a compilation cut on one of Joe Viglioni's earlier efforts "Rock & Roll Anthology #2. Worcester native Jimmy D'Angelo formed Code Blue in the beginning of 1987.
AUGUST ON YOUTUBE
Two Song Video: So Far Away & Who's Going to Cry?- click here
THE RAW
Frank Hinckley, Jamie Pease, Johnny Sable, Dennis Stirk
Jamie's last band. The Raw is a Worcester band and played Sir Morgan's Cove, Ralph's, Boston clubs, and Cicero's. They recorded a demo with "Whore" being the single...
Jamie jammed with Jimmy D'Angelo and David Ciampaglia at a party at American Lobster in Marlborough circa 1990's.
Remembrances from friends
Pictures from Tara Progin
Early picture of Jamie with his American flag Gibson EB-3D bass
August pictures
1950-2006
last update 040221 Billy Claire