line up 1 (1969)

- Peter Anders (aka Peter Andreoli) (RIP 2016) -- vocals, guitar

- Vini Poncia -- guitar

  supporting musicians (1969)

-  Hal Blaine (RIP 2019) -- drums, percussion

- Don Gallucci -- keyboards 

- Jim Gordon (RIP 2023) -- drums, percussion

- Larry Knechtel (RIP 2009) -- bass, keyboards

- Joe Osborn (RIP 2018) -- bass 

- Louie Shelton Sweet -- bass , guitar

- Peter Anders (solo efforts)

- The Fairchilds

- The Goodtimes

- The Innocence

- Pete and Vinnie

- The Tradewinds (Peter Anders and Vini Poncia)

- The Treasures

- The Videls (Peter Andreoli, Norman Marzano and Vini Poncia)

Genre: pop

Rating: *** (3 stars)

Title: The Anders & Poncia Album

Company: Seven Arts/Warner Brothers

Catalog: WS 1778
Year: 1969

Country/State: Rhode Island

Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+

Comments: o

Available: 1

Catalog ID: --

Price: $40.00

The amount of material Peter Anders and Vini Poncia touched as writers, producers and artists is staggering.  Their musical catalog is also a complex mess that I don't have the energy to plow through.  The good news is the Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame has done it.  I'm sure they won't mind me providing a link to the Anders and Poncia website: Home Page Peter Anders Official Website  The funny thing is their debut album is all but unknown.  Good luck finding a detailed review of the album.  There's nothing on AllMusic and the sole review on Rate Your Music was in German (though you can use the translate function).

Having written and recorded under scores of different names including The Videls, The Innocence and The Tradewinds, in 1967 Pete Anders and Vini Poncia finally got around to released a single under their own names.  To my ears the song's goofy country-tinged feel reminded me a bit of Roger Miller's "King of the Road" catalog.  The flip side offered up am interesting slice of Simon and Garfunkel-styled folk rock with a surprising risqué title and lyric.

- "So It Goes" b/w "Virgin To The Nite" (Kama Sutra catalog number KA 240)

Increasingly frustrated that they were not in charge of their own careers, with their long term contract with Artie Ripp expiring, in 1968 the pair decided to start their own record label - the New York City-based Map City.  Up through 1972 Map City signed and recorded some interesting talent, including releasing albums by Dick Domaine, Mardi Gras, Purple Image, The Blues Jays, The Popcorn Blizzard and Yesterday's Children.  Unfortunately none sold well and the label proved a commercial failure.  Adding to the pair's growing problems was Anders increasingly serious drug addiction issues. With the pair struggling financially, in 1969 producer/A&R man Richard Perry offered them a contract with Warner Brothers Seven Arts subsidiary. The deal allowed the pair to continue writing and producing, but also gave them an opportunity to record. How do you turn that down?  The result was 1969's "The Anders & Poncia Album".  Produced by Perry the album featured a collection of eleven Anders and Poncia songs; a cover of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller's "Smokey Joe's Cafe" rounding out the album.  With backing from members of the famed Wrecking Crew, the album found the duo trying to find a balance between sappy pop ballads like "Back Where I Come From", "If She Don't Stay" and "Take His Love" and a move away from '60s pop to more contemporary, if slightly dated rock/folk-rock tracks like "The Year of the Twime", "I'm Beginning To Touch You" and the tropical flavored "Make A Change (To Something Better)".  As lead singer Anders wasn't half bad.  He had a likeable and commercial voice, unfortunately it was frequently wasted on bland ballads and throwaways like the McCartney-styled musical hall romp "Back Where I Come From".  The album flopped, effectively ending their recording relationship with Warner Brothers.

"The Anders & Poncia Album" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) The Year of the Twime (Pete Anders - Vini Poncia) - 2:33 rating: **** stars

A bouncy, commercial garage rocker with a nice vocal from Anders, "The Year of the Twime" was one of the album's strongest performances, but had one thing going against it - the track sounded like it should have been recorded and released in 1965 rather than 1969.  Compared to the typical pop material these guys wrote and recorded for The Innocents, and The Tradewinds, this was a roaring rocker. To this day I don't have a clue what "year of the twime" refers to ...

2.) You Don't Know What To Do (Pete Anders - Vini Poncia) - 2:33 rating: *** stars

Hum, "You Don't Know What To Do" found the duo dipping their toes into Simon and Garfunkel styled folk-rock.  The song wasn't great, but did have a nice chorus.

3.) I'm Beginning To Touch You (Pete Anders - Vini Poncia) - 2:52 rating: *** stars 

I have to admit the title makes me laugh.  Not sure it would pass today's PC tripwire.  One of the LP's poppier tracks, this one wasn't bad, but again sounded somewhat dated.  It actually sounded like a slice of "Nederpop" (think of early '70s Dutch pop bands like The George Baker Selection, The Tee Set and Shocking Blue).  I happen to like Nederpop so was willing to give it an extra star.

The song was released as the album's first single, though in the States it was only released as a promotional 45:

- 1969's "I'm Beginning To Touch You" b/w "Take His Love" (Warner Seven Arts catalog number 7271)

4.) Back Where I Come From (Pete Anders - Vini Poncia) - 4:09 rating: ** stars

"Back Where I Come From " started out as a stark ballad - just Anders accompanied by acoustic guitar.  Just when you didn't think it could get any worse the song went over a cliff into McCartney-styled musical hall territory.  I'm sure it was meant to be cute, but it was just irritating and the New Orleans street festival closing arrangement seemed to go on and on..

5.) Junior's Bleedin' Again (Pete Anders - Vini Poncia) - 3:03  rating: ** stars

"Junior's Bleedin' Again" sounded like the faux-country stuff bands like Dr. Hook and the Medicine were marketing. I'll admit to not doing "cutesy" well so this track didn't do much for me.

6.) If She Don't Stay (Pete Anders - Vini Poncia) - 2:18 rating: * star

Opening up with a full orchestral arrangement, "If She Don't Stay" was a hideous "big ballad".  Overblown, hyper-sensitive, MOR and dreadful.  

(side 2)
1.) Smokey Joe's Cafe (Mike Leiber - Jerry Stoller) - 3:06 rating: *** stars

If you've ever heard the original versions of "Smokey Joe's Cafe" recorded by The Coasters and The Robins, you'll recognize this arrangement.  Opening up with some Don Gallucci organ fills (his mid-song solo was pretty cool), and a young Ry Cooder on bottleneck guitar the basic melody was there, though the band sounded slightly stoned.

2.) Take His Love (Pete Anders - Vini Poncia) - 3:26 rating: ** stars 

Another sappy ballad made worse by one of Anders most unappealing vocals (he sounded like he was straining to hit the higher ranges) and the tune's heavy handed orchestration.

3.) Make A Change (To Something Better) (Pete Anders - Vini Poncia) - 2:51 rating: **** stars

Hearing "Make a Change (To Something Better)" it was easy to imagine Anders and Poncia on vacation sitting around a hotel pool going "let's write something with a tropical flavor".  Framed in an odd tropical melody I originally thought the tune was just a throwaway track.  Admittedly it wasn't great, but like some of McCartney's better songs, the track was infecteous and I suddenly found myself humming the stupid thing.  Warner Brothers at least briefly thought it had commercial potential, releasing it as a promotional 45:

- 1969's "Make A Change (To Something Better)" b/w "Lucky" (Warner Brothers catalog number 7294)

4.) Lucky (Pete Anders - Vini Poncia) - 2:30 rating: ** stars

Opening up with some Flamenco guitar, the stark "Lucky" was a pretty, but forgettable ballad.  I will say the song was a good platform for hearing how good Anders voice was.  The angelic backing vocals were kind of funny.

5.)The Height Of My Life (Pete Anders - Vini Poncia) - 2:34 rating: *** stars

Of the album's plethora of ballads, "The Height Of My Life' may have been the best of the lot.  It had a nice bubblegum pop melody, decent chorus and the multitracked vocals had a slightly lysergic feel.  The ending was a bit abrupt.

 © Scott R. Blackerby November 2025