Rastus -

Rastus was an American brass-rock band that released a 1971 live/studio double-album on GRT, followed by the 1972 studio album Steamin’ on Neighborhood Records.

Members: Daniel Matthew Magalen (vocals, saxophone), Dave “Smokey” Smelko (drums, percussion, vocals), Don Nagy (bass, trumpet), George Sopuch (guitar), Marc Roman (trombone, vocals), Mike “The First” Geraci (saxophone, backing vocals), Tony Corrao (guitar), Arthur Edward Appleton (trombone), Vic Walkuski (saxophone), Dave Myles (keyboards, vocals), Marc Spirou (trumpet, trombone, conga, vocals), John Taylor (trombone)

Background

Rastus formed in Cleveland, Ohio, emerging from an earlier group called The Fifth Amendment—renamed The Sixth Amendment after expanding their lineup. The band adopted the name Rastus from the Cream of Wheat mascot. Their lineup included saxophonist Mike “The First” Geraci, the older bother of Outsiders singer Sonny Geraci (later of Climax).

In late 1968, they entered SRC Studios in Ann Arbor, Michigan, to cut a series of demos on a 4-track Crown recorder. They tracked in a repurposed house, using its various rooms as isolation booths: horns in the living room, bass and guitar in adjoining rooms, and drums in an air-conditioned blacked-out chamber. These sessions—recorded under limited technical conditions and disrupted by a family of raccoons nesting in a studio wall—yielded material that later surfaced as The Ann Arbor Sessions.

In 1969, Rastus built a following at The Scene in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, a venue managed by Benedetta Balistrieri, who regularly booked the band during lean periods. They later recorded their debut album at Sonad Studios, located in a basement strip mall in Wauwatosa. The facility, designed by Curt Knoppel and tied to a failed audio processing innovation called the Sonad circuit, featured four compact tracking rooms and an 8-track 3M recorder. Technical setbacks, including a miswired Fairchild console, stalled the sessions for a week, leading to a month-long recording process marked by boredom and police scrutiny. Despite early friction with local authorities—exacerbated by a prank involving soap dumped into a city fountain—the band completed the record, laying down rhythm tracks before overdubbing horns and vocals in sequence.

Live

Rastus released their debut album, Live, in 1971 as a two-record set on GRT. The first disc was recorded live in Milwaukee, Wisconsin; the second at Sonad Studios in Wauwatosa.

The album contains ten originals by producer John Rhys, bassist Don Nagy, and various members. Rhys composed “I-75 Riff,” “Warm,” and co-wrote “Desperately Mrs. Jones/Ja-Da” with Nagy. Trombonist Marc Roman and trumpeter Don Nagy share credit on the group-arranged instrumentals. “Sailin’ Easy” was co-written by A. Wilmont, E.G. Clawson, G. Quakenbush, and S. Richardson. “Multicolored Taxicab” was written by Artie Feldman. Outside material includes covers of Brian Auger’s “Black Cat” (two versions), Graham Bond’s “Walking in the Park,” and Laura Nyro’s “Farmer Jo.” They also perform a condensed Wizard of Oz medley and Johnny Richards’ “El Congo Valiente.”

Live features Tony Corrao and George Sopuch on guitar; Dave “Smokey” Smelko on drums, percussion, and backing vocals; and Don Nagy on bass and trumpet. Vocal duties are split between Daniel Matthew Magalen and Marc Roman, who also plays trombone. Mike “The Frist” Geraci plays tenor and baritone saxophone, and shares backing vocals with Smelko. Additional horns include Vic Walkuski (alto and tenor sax) and Arthur Edward Appleton, Jr. (trombone). The band handled its own arrangements.

A1. “Black Cat” (9:15)
A2. “Texas / The Bells (Medley)” (12:25)

B1. “Walking In The Park” (3:30)
B2. “Goodnight Nelda Greb (The Telephone Company Has Cut Us Off)” (15:30)

C1. “Wizard Of Oz Medley” (1:02)
C2. “Sinnin’ For You” (5:48)
C3. “Farmer Jo” (4:23)
C4. “1-75 Riff” (5:20)
C5. “Desperately Mrs Jones / Ja-Da (Medley)” (4:00)

D1. “Sailin’ Easy” (3:04)
D2. “Black Cat” (3:00)
D3. “El Congo Valiente” (2:15)
D4. “Warm” (5:15)
D5. “Multicolored Taxicab” (4:41)

Disc one was recorded live in concert. Disc two was cut on 8-track at Sonad Studios with Rhys producing and Dale Batchelor remixing. The sessions were engineered by Kepex, who assisted technically. Sonad’s studio layout required isolation: vocals and horns shared a room, guitars and bass were split across compact booths, and drums were tracked in a soundproof air-conditioned space.

Rastus appeared in a gatefold with art direction by Sid Maurer and design by Michael Mendel. The front cover shows a brown pie divider with a slice for each member of the nine-piece band. Photography by Jeremiah Bean includes live shots and informal studio candids.

GRT lifted “Black Cat” (b/w “El Congo Valiente”) and “Sailin’ Easy” (b/w “Warm”) as singles.

Soon after the album’s release, Rastus spotted a full-page Billboard ad from Columbia Records, challenging any band to follow Tower of Power onstage. Rastus contacted the label and offered to do exactly that, sending their newly issued live double album to Columbia’s Manhattan office. A week later, Columbia retracted the ad. According to Rastus, the label backed down after hearing the tapes, unwilling to spotlight a rival horn band. Rastus had been ready to drive cross-country for the chance.

Steamin’

Rastus released their second album, Steamin’, in August 1972 on Neighborhood Records.

The album contains eight originals composed by band members and collaborators. Spirou wrote “What Will It Take” and “Trying to Find Her.” Sopuch and Myles co-wrote “I-94 Riff,” while the group arranged the remaining tracks based on material developed in performance throughout 1971. “Big Ben Letdown Blues in E” and “Love You” reflect arrangements honed on the road and reworked during tracking sessions. “Lucy Bluebird,” a longtime staple, was co-authored with outside associate Bobby Jameson.

Steamin’ features Sopuch on guitar, Nagy on bass, and Myles on electric and acoustic keyboards. Spirou plays trumpet, trombone, and congas and shares lead vocals with Myles. The horn section—Geraci (baritone/tenor sax), Walkus (alto/tenor sax), and Taylor (trombone)—doubles as backing vocalists, joined by drummer/percussionist Dave “Smokey” Smelko.

A1. “Lucy Bluebird” (6:11)
A2. “Lazy Kind of Day” (3:24)
A3. “Big City Letdown Blues” (6:20)
A4. “Love You” (4:24)

B1. “Keep On Pushin'” (3:03)
B2. “I-94 Riff” (5:18)
B3. “What Will It Take” (5:30)
B4. “Trying to Find Her” (3:04)

Sessions took place at Paragon Studios, Chicago, with engineer Greg Dixon. Though the band chose to self-produce the LP, former associate John Rhys was later invited to return and handle mixing and editing. His contributions were uncredited upon release. Rhys had co-written several tracks and worked closely with the group during its formative years.

The album appeared with no formal packaging details beyond credits. Neighborhood lifted “Lazy Kind of Day” as a single (b/w “Lucy Bluebird”) in 1972.

Later Activity

Between 1978 and 1982, George Sopuch earned writing and instrumental credits on albums by Airto Moreira, Bill Champlin, Brenda Russell, Flora Purim, Lauren Wood, and Michael Franks.

Bassist Dave Myles joined Canadian rockers Max Webster for their 1978–80 albums Mutiny Up My Sleeve, A Million Vacations, and Universal Juveniles.

Singer Abe LaMarca, an off-record touring singer with Rastus, released a hi-tech AOR album in 1985 on Scotti Bros. Records.

Discography: