line up 1 (1965-66)

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

- Bobby Calitri (aka Bobby Videl) -- vocals, guitar

- Norman Marzano -- vocals, bass

- Vincent (Vini) Poncia -- vocals, guitar

- Peter Anders (solo efforts)

- Anders and Poncia

- The Fairchilds

- The Goodtimes

- The Innocence

- Pete and Vinnie

- The Treasures

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

Genre: sunshine pop

Rating: *** 3 stars

Title: Excursions

Company: Kama Sutra

Catalog: KLPS 8057
Year: 1967

Country/State: Providence, Rhode Island

Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+

Comments: small punch hole lower left corner

Available: 1

Catalog ID: --

Price: $40.00

By the time singer/guitarist Peter Andreoli and vocalist Vini Poncia formed The Tradewinds in 1965, they'd been professional musicians for six years.  As members of The Videls, The Goodtimes and The Treasures they released a string of singles with middling success. As for-hire songwriters they'd moved from the East Coast to Southern California teaming up with Phil Spector, placing material with acts including The Crystals, The Lovelites and The Ronettes.

Always on the lookout for avenues to record material and generate sales, 1965 saw the pair return to New York where they started to write and record material for themselves.  One of their demos "New York's A Lonely Town" attracted the attention Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller who quickly signed the pair to their New York-based Red Bird label (co-owned with George Goldner).  Under the name The Tradewinds the pair debut with a series of non-LP singles:

- 1965's "New York's A Lonely Town" b/w "Club Seventeen" (Red Bird catalog RB 10-020) #32 Billboard Top-100 charts

- 1965's "The Girl From Greenwich Village" b/w "There's A Rock & Roll Show In Town" (Red Bird catalog number RB 10-028)

- 1965's "Summertime Girl" b/w "The Party Starts at Nine" (Red Bird catalog number RB 10-033)

As a studio entity the debut 45's unexpected success created a marketing problem for Andreoli, Poncia and Red Bird.  Hit record; but no band to tour and promote ...  Initially that was solved by recruiting former Videls vocalists Bobby Calitri and Norman Marzano into the line-up.

Their hit single also caught the attention of Artie Ripp's Kama Sutra label which promptly signed the group, releasing a much more contemporary sounding single:

- 1966's "Mind Excursion" b/w "Little Susan's Dreamin'" (Kama Sutra catalog number KA-212) #51 Billboard Top-100

Eager to cash-in while the group was still hot, Kama Sutra funded a supporting album - 1966's "Excursions".  Produced, arranged and largely penned by Andreoli and Poncia, the album provided a perfect example of never-judge-a-book-by-it's-cover.  A quick look at song titles like "Mind Excursion" and "Little Susan's Dreamin'", coupled with mildly psychedelic cover art and the quartet's long hair and snappy clothing certainly left the impression these guys were part of the counter-culture scene.  Wrong.  Exemplified by tracks like "I Believe In Her" and "Only When I'm Dreamin'" this was pure sunshine pop.  Quality sunshine pop, but still pop.  The goals were clearly airplay and sales.  To be honest, that "calculated" sound was initially unappealing.  It can remember thinking it sounded too corporate and commercial, a touch heartless and too clever for it's own good. (Anyone familiar with Andreoli and Poncia's seeming never-ending list of recording pseudonyms would have to nod at the commercial production line comparison.)  Having now listened to the album at least a dozen times I can tell you Andreoli and Poncia were skilled craftsmen. Admittedly nothing here was particularly original, but they had good taste in their musical sources, including the Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons reminiscent "Only When I'm Dreamin'", The Young Rascal flavored blue-eyed soul "Small Town Bring Down" and several nods to The Beach Boys including the previous single "New York's A Lonely Town" and "I Believe In Her".  Virtually any one of the ten tracks could have been a single and the collection grows on you like a comfortable sweater.   

"Excursions" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) Mind Excursions (Peter Andreoli - Vini Poncia Jr.) - 2:04 rating: *** stars

Anyone expecting a slice of psych madness was going to be massively disappointed by this slice of heavily orchestrated sunshine-pop.  I suppose the lyrics were somewhat risqué for 1966 ("Take a mind excursion; It's just a slight diversion; You might come out a winner; In a bullfight in Spain ..."), but imagine The Young Rascals at their most MOR-ish and you'll have a feel for the song.  The This one actually wasn't that bad with a pretty melody and Andreoli's  vocals were pleasant.  The disappointment came from being so misled by the title.  Had it been titled something like "Hope You Miss Me" and you would have known what was coming.

2.) Catch Me In the Meadow (Peter Andreoli - Vini Poncia Jr.- Donald Ciccone) - 1:35 rating: *** stars
The melody, sound effects and hyper-angst in Andreoli's voice were all interesting.  So were the song's "dead teenager" lyrics.  In fact, "Catch Me In the Meadow" wasn't a bad addition to the list of '60s "tragedy" songs like J. Frank Wilson's "Last Kiss", The Beach Boys' "A Young Man Is Gone" and Jan & Dean's "Dead Man's Curve".  The song was tapped as the album's second single:

- 1966's "Catch Me In the Meadow" b/w "I Believe In Her" (Kama Sutra catalog number KA 218)

3.) Bad Misunderstanding (Peter Andreoli - Vini Poncia Jr.) - 1:57 rating: *** stars

I'd previously heard (and owned) The Critters' version of "Bad Misunderstanding".  To be honest, The Tradewinds version wasn't all that different, though The Critters' version might be a touch more commercial.  It hit the top-100 charts when released as a single.

4.) New York's A Lonely Town (Peter Andreoli - Vini Poncia Jr.) -  2:10  rating: **** stars

Having spent time in Southern California when working with Phil Spector, "New York's A Lonely Town" reflected a distinctive Beach Boys surf vibe and sound.  The premise was cheesy, but surprisingly entertaining - surfer dude stuck in New York City during the winter.  As reflected above, the song had previously released as their debut 1965 single.  Interestingly it was issued on the Red Bird label, but Artie Ripp and Kama Sutra somehow acquired rights to include it on the group's debut album.  No idea where it was filmed, but YouTube has a black and white clip of the group lip-synching he tune for television: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D84xQetgIM8   It's also sad to realize I'm writing this the day after Brian Wilson's death.  

5.) I Believe In Her (Jimmy Calvert - Norman Marzano - Paul Naumann) - 2:27 rating: **** stars

The ballad "I Believe In Her" was written by members of the "touring" version of The Tradewinds - Jimmy Calvert, Norman Marzano and Paul Naumann.  Musically it was very different from the rest of the album.  One of the album's standout performances it bore more than a passing comparison to "Pet Sounds" era The Beach Boys.   The song also appeared as the "B" side of their "Catch Me In the Meadow" 45.

(side 2)
1.) Only When I'm Dreamin' (Bo Gentry - Peter Andreoli - Vini Poncia Jr.) - 2:19 rating: **** stars

With one of the album's catchiest melodies, the ballad "Only When I'm Dreamin'" sounded like a quality Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons tune.  

2.) Small Town Bring Down (Peter Andreoli - Vini Poncia Jr.) - 2:22 rating: *** stars 

Sounding a touch like a Young Rascals track, "Small Town Bring Down" injecting a touch of blue-eyed soul into the mix.

3.) To Be with You (Peter Andreoli - Vini Poncia Jr.) - 2:28 rating: ** stars

A bit too far on the sappy side of the scale, "To Be with You" was one of the album's weaker performances.  The backing vocals were nice.  

4.) Huggin' In the Hall (Peter Andreoli - Tony Bruno - Vini Poncia Jr.) -1:58 rating: ** stars 

Almost jazzy, the breezy, '50 influenced "Huggin' In The Hall" sounded very old school.  

5.) Little Susan's Dreamin'  (Tony Bruno -  Vic Millrose) - 2:56 rating: ** stars 

Always liked the acoustic guitar introduction, but the song was way too precious and Bubblegummy.  The lyrics managed to make The Archies sound like a metal band.  The song was also tapped as the "B" side for their "Mind Excursions" 45.

With the album's release came demands for a full-scale tour.  Rather than hit the road themselves Andreoli and Poncia decided to recruit a fully functioning touring band that could learn the songs and hit the road. Opening for acts like The McCoys, The Rolling Stones and The Standells, the road version of the Tradewinds featured guitarist Jimmy Calvert, drummer Joe Grotsk, Marzano on bass and guitarist Paul Naumann.

By the end of the year The Tradewinds were history with Andreoli and Poncia moving on to their next studio project - The Innocents.

 © Scott R. Blackerby June 2025