By MICHAEL BOYLAN
Weekend Editor

The year was 1965 and five young men from Chicago decided to form a band, mainly to “meet girls.”

No, this isn't the story of Chicago (the band), it is the story of The Buckinghams, one of the more popular bands in the mid to late `60s, and Saturday's musical guest at Fayetteville's July Jam.

The Buckinghams were known for their fresh sound. They were produced by Jim Guerico, who later went on to produce several albums by the group Chicago. The Buckinghams were known for their use of vocals and their tight musical ability. At recent shows, they have performed unplugged sets and have been frequently using horn sections.

In 1966, The Buckinghams recorded their first hit to crack the Billboard Top 40, “Lawdy Miss Clawdy.” The song reached only 36 on the charts, but that started to pave the way for the group's future successes. The band had six hits in the top 40 in 1967 and were voted “The Most Listened to Band” that year. Their first hit in 1967 was also the biggest hit of their careers, “Kind of a Drag.” “Kind of a Drag” did something thought to be impossible in pop music at the time, it knocked The Monkees' “I'm a Believer” out of the number one spot on the charts.

More hits followed for The Buckinghams in 1967. Songs like “Mercy, Mercy, Mercy” and “Don't you Care” reached numbers five and six respectively. “Hey Baby (They're playing our song)” and “Susan” both failed to crack the top ten, but reached 11 and 12. Their last hit that year was “Back in Love Again,” which reached 32 before puttering quickly into obscurity.

The band members spent the next year touring around and enjoying themselves and their still mostly fresh success. The Buckinghams broke up the next year, though, leaving Carl Giovanese, the lead singer, and Dennis Tufano, to record two more albums for their label.

The band reformed in 1980 and has taken on several new members since 1983. The two remaining original members are Giovanese and Nick Fortuna, the bass player. In 1983, Tom Scheckel joined the band as the drummer. Bruce Soboroff and Bob Abrams rounded out the new additions in 1986. Soboroff plays the keyboards/synthesizer and Abrams is the lead guitarist.

In 1985, The Buckinghams played on the “Happy Together” tour with The Turtles, Grass Roots and Gary Lewis. Since then they have played all over the country, appearing at fairs and festivals. They are also well noted for their rendition of the national anthem. The Buckinghams have also recently recorded and released an album celebrating their 30th anniversary. The album is called “Places in Five” and features an unplugged set, as well as energetic tunes with a horn section.

The Buckinghams will play Saturday night at 7 p.m. at Heritage Park in Fayetteville. Admission and parking are free.

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