Pastors


Band members                             Related acts

  line up 1 (1969-73)  

- Guy Pastor (RIP 1992) -- vocals, keyboards

- John Pastor -- vocals, guitar

- Tony Pastor Jr. -- vocals, percussion

 

 

- Guy Pastor (solo efforts)

- The Pastor Brothers

- The Prime Mover (John Pastor and Tony Pastor Jr.)

 

 

 


 

Genre: pop

Rating: 2 stars **

Title:  Pastors

Company: Alithia

Catalog:  AR 9103
Year:
 1973

Country/State: Connecticut

Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+

Comments: --

Available: 1

Catalog ID: --

Price: $20.00

 

 

The late Tony Pastor started his musical career as a sax player and vocalist.  He's probably best known for his time with Artie Shaw and starting in the 1930s  fronting a number of his own groups including The Tony Pastor Show, Tony Pastor And Band, Tony Pastor And Chorus, Tony Pastor And His All Star Band, Tony Pastor And His Orchestra, and Tony Pastor Vocal Group.  Starting in the late-'50s he routinely performed with two of his three sons - Guy and Tony Jr. 

 

With their father retiring from the music scene, Guy and Tony Jr. started performing on their own.  As The Prime Mover the pair released a surprisingly enjoyable psych-tinged 1967 single for the Sock-O label:

 

 

 

 

- 1967's 'When You Made Love To Me' b/w 'Shadow of a Day Gone By' (Sock-O catalog number PRS 45-2002 A/B)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By the late 60s Guy and Tony Jr. had added younger brothers John to the line-up.  As Pastors they played local clubs, offering up a mix of soft pop covers and originals.  Their recording debut came in 1969 with a promotional single for Gerard Purcell's New York-based GWP Records.

 

- 1969's 'Heather' b/w 'Where Were You When I Needed You' (GWP catalog number GWP 508)

 

 

 

 

In 1972 they were signed by the New Jersey-based Alithia label who financed the trio's one and only album.  Produced by Lou Toby, "Pastors" was best described as lounge act pop.  Ever see Bill Murray doing his Nick the Lounge Singer act?  Well imagine Murray with a couple of siblings.  The album offered up a mixture of popular hits (America's 'I Need You', Cat Stevens' 'Wild World') and a host of lesser known material.  There were no originals on album.  The brothers had pleasant voices, but to my ears it all sounded pretty much the same.  Their formula was essentially feature group vocals and cover them in heavy orchestration - horns, strings, female backing singers  The result  reduced even then best songs to little more than commercial jingle, or sitcom soundtrack status.  This was rock and roll for a born again church congregation, or perhaps your grandparents.  Judging by the photo they were prime candidates for mid-day television shows and they apparently did appear on programs like The Mike Douglas Show, David Frost, and the Pearl Bailey Show.  They even opened for Bailey on one of her concert tours.  Ah, honey these boys look so wholesome ...

 

"Pastors" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) She Lets Her Hair Down   (Paul Vance - Leon Carr) - 3:20   rating: ** stars

The opener captured the trio's bland, vocal group pop sound.  Gene Pitney and The Tokens had both recorded the track a couple of years earlier and this wasn't too much different from their arrangements.  Imagine The Association at their lamest, or perhaps David Gates and Bread on sleeping pills.  SIiky smooth group vocals slathered in heavy orchestration ...  your grandparents would have approved of these nice boys.  Alithia tapped the track as a single:

 

 

 

 

- 1972's 'She Lets Her Hair Down' b/w 'Solitude' (Alithia catalog number AR 6043

 

 

 

 

 

 

2.) Ridin' On A Rainbow   (Spencer Proffer - Jeffrey Marmelzat) - 2:35   rating: ** stars

Wow, the brothers trying to get down and funky ...  Same basic sound, but with the addition of shrill female backing singers.  Well, give them credit for trying.  Wonder if the writers Proffer, Marmelzat & Reed ever recorded the song?

3.) Wild World   (Cat Stevens) - 4:00   rating: * star

Even if you're not a Cat Stevens (Yusuf Islam) fan, most folks will admit 'Wild World' is a classic '60s tune.  The Pastors managed to turn it into a toothpaste commercial.  Simply hideous cover.

4.) World   (Hal Hackady - Lee Pockriss) - 3:39    rating: *** stars

The power ballad 'World' found the brothers going back to Association-styled melodramatic pop.  This was actually one of the better performances; well until they ran out of lyrics and the la-la-las kicked in.  The track was released as a rare promotional single:

 

 

 

 

- 1973's 'World' b/w 'World' (Alithia catalog number AR 6037)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5.) Your Love Is The Only Love  (Dennis Lambert - Brian Potter) - 2:35  rating: ** stars

I like a lot of Lambert - Potter tunes.  Not this one.

 

(side 2)

1.) Medley: - 5:15  rating: ** stars

I grew up listening to these three songs and it saddens me to see them reduced to this level of proficiency.  Yeah, you got to hear all three brothers in the spotlight, but do yourself a favor and check out the America, Moody Blues and Harry Nilsson originals.  Why in the world was this released as a promotional single?

 

- 1973's 'Medley' (short version) b/w 'Medley' (short version) (Alithia catalog number )

   I Need You   (Gerry Beckley) - 

   Isn't Life Strange   (John Lodge)-

   Without You   (Harry Nilsson) - 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2.) Someday Man   (Paul Williams - Roger Nichols) - 2:35  rating: ** stars

There are a bunch of versions of this one out there.  Co-writer Paul Williams recorded it.  The Casuals recorded a cover.  Featuring the late Davy Jones on vocals, The Monkees did a decent version.  And then you have this one ...  yech.

3.) Rose By Any Other Name  (Dennis Lambert - Brian Potter) - 3:14    rating: ** stars

Do yourself a favor and stick with The Drifters version.

4.) Hey Did You Give Some Love Today   (Bill Dean) - 2:35  rating: ** stars

I'd heard a version of this by the Swedish singer Doris.  The thing I remember most about her version is she reminded me of Dusty Springfield.  In conrtast I can't remember anything about Pastors' cover.

5.) Solitude   (Leda - Lewis) - 2:40   rating: ** stars

The pop-oriented 'Solitude' added horns to the brothers' smooth vocals.  This was something you might have heard on The Mike Douglas television show, or perhaps the theme for a mid-'70s television theme song.  

 

 

There's also one non-album effort.  Apparently pulled from the album sessions, Alithia released one final promotional single.  Interestingly, their father Tony Pastor had released the song as a single back in 1944:

 

- 1973's 'Robin Hood' b/w 'Robin Hood' (Alithia catalog number AR-6058 AS)

 

I've never heard it, but Guy recorded some solo material before his death in 1992 at the age of 56.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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