Moonlyte

Moonlyte was an American Latin-rock/psych band behind the 1974 album Better Late Than Never on Astro Records.

Members: Miguel Fanego (keyboards), José Battle (bass), Pedro Pino (guitar), José Luis Toledo (vocals, percussion), Juan Merida (vocals), Juan Soto (percussion), Edgar González, Frank Garcîa, Juan González, Felix Toledo, Enrique García (drums), Frank Schuckert, Manuel Diaz, Félix Marrero (saxophone)

Background

Moonlyte formed in Union City, New Jersey, among Cuban musicians from North Hudson County. Members attended Union Hill High School and Emerson High School.  

Moonlyte worked a North Jersey circuit across Union City, West New York, North Bergen, and Elizabeth. The group also opened shows for Willie Colón. In 1974, Moonlyte made its first album, Better Late Than Never, for Astro Records. 

Discography:

• Better Late Than Never (1974)

Sources and research notes

• Miguel “Mike” Fanego / Legacy guestbook. This is the closest thing I found to a direct member statement. Fanego signed a 2004 remembrance as “formerly of Union City, New Jersey (Moonlytes),” independently supporting the Union City connection and the alternate Moonlytes spelling. (Legacy)
• NTS — Moonlyte artist profile. The profile places the group among Cuban musicians from Hudson County, names Union Hill and Emerson as the schools attended by members, and lists performances in Union City, West New York, North Bergen, and Elizabeth. It also states that Moonlyte opened for Willie Colón. I did not use its uncertain 1972 album date. (NTS Radio)
• Tyme-Machine / reproduced 2010 RYM account. This gives Union City as the formation location, identifies the musicians as Cuban residents of North Hudson County, names the two high schools, and describes a six-year run from 1969 through 1974. It also supplies the expanded personnel list and the Moonlytes/Moonlights/Los Moonlights variants. Because this is a repost of user-generated recollection, I used it only where another source supplied corroboration. (Tyme Machine)
• MusicBrainz — Better Late Than Never. The release record gives a US release in 1974 on Astro Discos, catalog LP-217, with ten tracks. This is the strongest accessible discographic evidence for the album date. (MusicBrainz)
• Disk Union original-copy listing. The listing identifies an original US Astro pressing from 1974 under catalog number 217, independently supporting the MusicBrainz date. (ディスクユニオン新宿中古センター)
• Out of the Bubbling Dusk. A collector post states that Moonlyte issued “a few” Astro 7-inches in addition to the LP. I could not locate titles, catalog numbers, label scans, or a second discographic source, so I left the claimed singles out of the background. (Bubbling Dusk)
• “Moonlyte Mike” recollection. A reader reviewing T.J. English’s The Corporation identifies José Miguel Battle Jr. as a member of Moonlyte/The Moonlights and describes the band as a four-year group. The reviewer appears closely connected to the Union City scene, but I could not establish the writer’s identity securely enough to equate bassist José Battle with Battle Jr. in JRS copy. I therefore excluded both the identification and the four-year chronology. (All Bookstores)