Genre: rock
Rating: *** (3 stars)
Title: Steam
Company: Mercury
Catalog: SR 61254
Year: 1969
Country/State: Bridgeport, Connecticut
Grade (cover/record): VG+ / VG+
Comments: minor edge wear
Available: 2
Catalog ID: 4348
Price: $20.00
Cost: $66.00
Geez, this probably dates me, but as a 12 year old, 'Na, Na, Hey, Hey Kiss Him Goodbye' was probably one of the first ten 45s I ever bought. What makes it kind of funny is the fact I knew absolutely nothing about this one hit wonder outfit until I stumbled across a copy of their album at a yard sale.
Here's another one of those studio acts that none of us knew about. Turns out the brainchildren behind this outfit were Gary De Carlo (aka Garrett Scott), Dale Frashuer and Paul Leka. In the early 1960s the three had been members of the Bridgeport, Connecticut-based The Chateaus. The Chateaus recorded a string of unsuccessful 45s before calling it quits. Following the group's collapse, De Carlo and Leka both turned their attentions to songwriting. By 1968 both were working for Mercury Records where DeCarlo convinced the label to let him record some solo material. De Carlo and Leka quickly recorded four tracks that they thought had commercial potential. Mercury management agreed to release the four songs as singles. Needing some additional material, for the 'B' sides, former Chateaus member Frashuer suggested they re-record an old Chateau number 'Kiss Him Goodbye'. The group decided to flesh the song out with a chorus, but unable to come up with suitable lyrics, they simply plugged in 'na na nas' for the time being.
Much to the trio's horror, Mercury Records decided to release 'Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye' as a single. Issued on Mercury's Fontana subsidiary, the single 'Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye' b/w 'The Magic In You Girl' (Fontana catalog number F-1667) stormed up the charts, ultimately hitting # 1 on the pop charts. Viewing the song as an embarrassment, none of the writers wanted their names associated with the track, so they quickly decided to make up a band name for the 45 - hence Steam.
With a million selling single in their hands, Mercury management was desperate to release a supporting album. De Carlo, Frashuer, and Leka agreed to assemble a touring band and record an album. De Carlo refused to sing, or even tour with the group leading to a long standing feud with Leka. Bridgeport area musicians guitarist Jay Babina, drummer Ray Corries, bassist Mike Daniels, keyboardist Hank Schorz, singer Bill Steer, and guitarist Tom Zuke were promptly recruited for the job, but De Carlo refused to record any more lead vocals for the enterprise. (Be sure to check out the back cover which includes a small picture of a rather pissed off looking De Carlo / Scott.)
So what's the parent album sound like? Arranged and produced by Leka,
1969's "Steam" wasn't half
bad; certainly far better than what you'd normally expect from such a rush
job. Nothing on the set was as good
as the hideously catchy hit (again, the only track to feature De Carlo on lead
vocals), but the other nine selections offered up a decent mixture of pop
and blue-eyed soul. With Schorz, Steer and Zuke capably stepping in to
handle lead vocals (with a nice soulful voice, Steer was the best of the
three, though the others weren't slackers by any stretch), material such as
the bubbly 'I've Got To Make You Love Me', 'It's the Magic In You Girl' (which
propelled by a harpsichord sounded like a Classic IV knockoff) and the
soulful 'Come On Home Girl' boasted a series of super catchy melodies
that would have sounded at home on any top-40 radio station. Perhaps an indicator
of the pressure they were under, DeCarlo, Frashuer and Leka
appropriated the 'Na Na' melody for three other songs - 'Love and Affection',
'I've Cried a
Million Tears' and to a lesser extent the
closer 'New Breed, New Generation'.
The funny thing was that even though you could clearly hear the similarities,
those songs were actually quite good. Elsewhere the highlights included
the soulful 'Come On Home Girl' and 'New
Breed, New Generation'. Mercury
went ahead and pulled two more singles from the album though neither came
close to the success of the initial single:
- 1970's 'I've Gotta Make You Love Me' b/w 'One Good Woman' (Mercury catalog number 73020)
- 1970's 'I'm The One Who Loves You' b/w 'What I'm Saying Is True' (Mercury catalog number 73053)
The album routinely gets slammed as little more than a throwaway set of pop which is unfortunate since it's never less than entertaining. The other good thing - you can still score a copy on the cheap. (Having recently heard 'Na, Na, Hey, Hey Kiss Him Goodbye' at a baseball game (July 2008), I decided to pull out the album and give it a spin. I was even more impressed and would give it another half star if that existed on my rating scale.)
"Steam" track listing:
(side 1)
1.) Na, Na, Hey, Hey Kiss Him Goodbye (Gary De Carlo - Dale Frashuer, - Paul Leka - Garrett Scott) - 4:12
2.) I've Got To Make You Love Me (Gary De Carlo - Dale Frashuer, - Paul Leka - Garrett Scott) - 3:27
3.) It's the Magic In You Girl (Gary De Carlo - Dale Frashuer, - Paul Leka - Garrett Scott) - 2:30
4.) Come On Home Girl (Gary De Carlo - Dale Frashuer, - Paul Leka - Garrett Scott) - 3:03
5.) Love and Affection (Gary De Carlo - Dale Frashuer, - Paul Leka - Garrett Scott)- 3:28
(side 2)
1.) Come On Back and Love Me (Gary De Carlo - Dale Frashuer, - Paul Leka - Garrett Scott) - 2:11
2.) I've Cried a Million Tears (Gary De Carlo - Dale Frashuer, - Paul Leka - Garrett Scott) - 3:44
3.) I'm the One Who Loves You (Gary De Carlo - Dale Frashuer, - Paul Leka - Garrett Scott) - 2:31
4.) One Good Woman (Gary De Carlo - Dale Frashuer, - Paul Leka - Garrett Scott) 3:38
5.) New Breed, New Generation (Gary De Carlo - Dale Frashuer, - Paul Leka - Garrett Scott) - 3:28
The group toured and made numerous television appearances in support of the album. They also released one final non-LP 45 before calling it quits:
- 1970's 'Don't Stop Lovin' Me' b/w 'Do Unto Others' (Mercury catalog number 73117)
Once again YouTube comes through with a clip of the band clumsily lip synching on the local Cleveland, Ohio Upbeat television show:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsaTElBljOE
'Na, Na, Hey, Hey Kiss Him Goodbye'