The Beckies -

The Beckies were an American pop-rock band from NYC that released a self-titled album on Sire in 1976. Keyboardist Michael Brown hailed from the bands Left Banke, Montage, and Stories. Drummer–singer Gary Hodgden later joined Shooting Star under the name Gary West.

Members: Michael Brown (keyboards), Gary Hodgden [aka Gary West] (vocals, drums), Mayo James McAllister [Jim McAllister] (guitar), Scott Trusty (vocals)

Background

The Beckies formed in New York City in 1974 when keyboardist Michael Brown reconnected with singer Scott Trusty following Brown’s departure from Stories. Brown wrote and produced Trusty’s 1970 Big Tree single “I Bred Quarter Horses.” Trusty recruited drummer–singer Gary Hodgden and guitarist Mayo James “Jim” McAllister from the Kansas City group Chesmann Square.

The quartet initially worked as Brown’s Band and developed songs at Brown’s apartment before completing arrangements, harmonies, and guitar parts in a Leonard Street loft. They cut three Mercury demos in 1975. Sire co-founder Seymour Stein received the recordings and signed the group without a live-performance requirement. The musicians adopted the Beckies name from Hodgden’s wife, Becky.

The Beckies

The Beckies released their self-titled singular album in July 1976 on Sire.

Brown and Hodgden co-wrote all eleven songs, while Hodgden and Trusty shared the lead-vocal role. Studio bassist and harmony singer Mark Abel joined the quartet, and Left Banke singer Tom Finn supplied additional harmonies.

“Right by My Side (Etude)” surges on crunchy guitar and a high-reaching tenor. “River Bayou” glides beneath flowing accompaniment, yearning delivery, and poised violin lines. “Midnight and You” strolls through melancholy midtempo phrases and intricate harmonic changes. “Fran” settles into compact midtempo turns with restrained phrasing. “Other Side of Town” trots through springy accents, breezy harmonies, and agile piano figures. “Song Called Love” charges through a firm dance beat and terse chord changes.

“Can’t Be Alone” swells behind forceful keyboard figures and broad ensemble accents. “River Song” unfurls across a tightly plotted arrangement with brisk ensemble turns. “On the Morning That She Came” lingers through ornate strings and measured romantic phrasing. “Run Jenny Run” bounds through buoyant accents and group sing-alongs.

A1. “Right by My Side (Etude)” (3:01)
A2. “River Bayou” (2:52)
A3. “Midnight and You” (3:09)
A4. “Fran” (2:46)
A5. “Other Side of Town” (3:09)
A6. “Song Called Love” (3:03)

B1. “Can’t Be Alone” (2:37)
B2. “River Song” (3:01)
B3. “On the Morning That She Came” (2:56)
B4. “One of These Days” (2:57)
B5. “Run Jenny Run” (2:47)

The Beckies recorded and mixed the album at Sound Ideas in New York City. Brown shared production, arrangement, and conducting with Brooklyn arranger Ron Frangipane, whose contemporaneous work included the Janis Ian albums Between the Lines and Aftertones. Sound Ideas engineer Rick Rowe recorded the sessions with assistant Tim Sadler and took an associate-production credit on “Right by My Side (Etude).” Rowe also engineered the 1976 Manhattan Transfer album Coming Out.

Across the cover, outlined geometric forms cross pale yellow and pink fields around a dimensional Beckies logo. The backside features a monochrome group photo by Beverly Parker, whose 1976 credits include Vibrations by Roy Ayers Ubiquity and the Verve compilation The Genius of Bud Powell. New York Times journalist Nancy Erlich wrote the back-cover liner notes. The original LP appeared in a bright green lyrical inner-sleeve.

Sire circulated “River Bayou” in the United States on a 1976 mono/stereo promotional single. In the UK, Sire issued the song as a March 1977 single (b/w “Run Jenny Run”).

Real Gone Music placed the album on CD in 2015 with lyrics and notes by Jeremy Cargill. Omnivore issued the thirteen-track Demos digitally on January 17, 2025, then paired the program with a remastered album on the February 28 two-CD anthology Good to Know: The Beckies Story. Michael Graves remastered the recordings, and compilation co-producer Daniel Coston supplied new notes based on interviews with surviving members.

After the Beckies

In 1976, the Beckies played one promotional concert without Brown. Sire declined a second album following the show, and the musicians dissolved the partnership. Hodgden returned to Kansas City and joined Shooting Star under the name Gary West.

McAllister later played with Sparks and a reunited Left Banke, while Trusty and Abel formed Passengers. Surviving members reconvened occasionally in the 2000s for informal sessions.

Discography: