Saturday, February 16, 2008

Someone

The Contrails 1966 
(Jack Stanizzo, Dick Engel, Norman Denk, Carl Ruffing and John Ruffing from bottom to top)

Groups in the sixties knew how to write a love song. Some of them could even come up with a good unrequited love or "love gone wrong" tune. But when you can come up with a breakup song that's still spinning 45 years later, now that's one memorable ballad.

Jack Stanizzo of Mt. Washington and Dick Engel of Mt. Lebanon, writers and performers for the Contrails, did just that when they teamed up to pen "Someone," a song that hit the local charts in 1966.

As recalled by Engel, the Contrails first came together in late 1963. The group consisted of rhythm guitarist John Budnick (whose father managed the group), Bill Viviano on Cordovox, Engel on lead guitar, and "Speedy" McMann on drums. Because of Speedy's habit of accelerating tempos (which is how he earned his moniker), their first record, "Slinky," was recorded with a studio drummer, Jimmy Interval.

It was released in early 1964 on the Ideal label (#94696), and if memory serves Engel right, Porky was the first to play it. Two drummers were later hired to replace Speedy, Dave Beabout and Dave MacIntyre, known by the group as Big Dave and Little Dave, and they played together ala Santana.

Budnick's dad eventually quit as manager because of family issues and the group restructured in the mid sixties, emerging with Jack Stanizzo as lead singer and rhythm guitarist, Norman Denk on bass, brothers Carl Ruffing on keyboard and John Ruffing on drums, and Engel remaining on vocals and lead guitar.

The band originally released the song "Someone" on Odell Bailey's west coast Reuben label (#711), backed by the instrumental "Mummy Walk" in the fall of 1966. The Pittsburgh band cut the master at Gateway Studios above the old National Record Mart in Market Square, and Bailey himself was from Beltzhoover. But there was a reason they pasted a Los Angeles label (Reuben's only release, as far as Old Mon can tell) on their purely local wax.

Bailey and The Contrails thought the tune had a better chance of getting airtime if they weren't competing with the heap of local songs already stacked up in front of the region's radio and hop jocks. The plan worked to perfection. "Someone" broke here and was then picked up by NYC's Diamond label (#213).

It took off, especially in Western Pennsylvania, where it became a Top Five song and stayed on the area charts for 15 weeks. The dance hall jocks couldn't spin it enough, and Clark Race pushed it hard on KDKA.

The group scored a couple of more local hits with "Why Do I" (1966) and "Make Me Love" (1967), both Stanizzo-Engel compositions. They opened or shared a stage with some of the eras great acts like Smokey Robinson, David Ruffin, Three Dog Night, The Marcels, Gary "US" Bonds, The Sweet Inspirations, The Brooklyn Bridge, Sonny & Cher, The Yardbirds and The Grass Roots. But in 1969, their run came to an end.

Old Mon came up empty trying to track the Ruffings and Denk. Engel recalled that the Ruffings were into jazz, and speculates that was the direction they went after the band's breakup. Denk, who Engel called "one of the most creative bass players I had ever worked with," played with the Skyliners band for awhile and filled in club dates as a side man, but has been out of contact for years.

Engel joined the Skyliners as an arranger/conductor/guitarist and spent some 35 years with the group before retiring and moving to South Carolina with his wife Cathy.

He was born with music in his blood. His dad played tenor sax with Art Giles and his Everglades Orchestra and later with Bert Lowe and his Hotel Statler Orchestra. The sheet music laying around the house helped to pave Engel's future path, as he would dissect the piles of arrangements sitting on his dad's baby-grand as a youth.

With that background, it's not surprising that the big bands of Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman, Stan Kenton and Count Basey were his musical influences. His gig with the Skyliners and their large backing orchestra was a match made in heaven.

Stanizzo formed a band called Thy Brothers Blood in 1969, and they spent the next decade plus touring and playing locally at clubs and venues like the Civic Arena and Syria Mosque, where they opened for acts like Chicago, Jimi Hendrix, BS&T and Janis Joplin.

He still makes appearances with guitarist Paul Lowe, gigging in the Tri-State area. Stanizzo and Lowe recently released the CD "Heart of the City," a collection of soulful, jazz-influenced ballads on his Ozzi Nats label (OZN - 1911). You can catch a couple of tracks at Jack's My Space page. (In 2006, the band released a 40th anniversary CD with the old hits and some unreleased cuts.) 

Stanizzo came about his love for music honestly. His uncles, Fred and Art, were accomplished jazz guitarists, and he learned some of his earliest licks from Joe Negri, using a guitar he bought with his First Communion money (proof that not everyone in Pittsburgh still has it squirreled away.) He cites as influences performers like Louie Prima, Little Richard, Earth Wind and Fire, Chicago, Santana, and Sting.

Jack and his wife Lois live in the city's South Hills. He earns his daily bread in construction and design now, with a list of professional certificates as long as your arm.

Old Mon met him once at a Christmas party hosted by his brother Rich, head of the Construction Trades Council in Pittsburgh and another very excellent dude. We got to talking about "Someone," and Jack mentioned that the song still was being aired by American oldie stations, and is played to this day in Europe. He grinned and said he had just received a royalty check from Italy to prove his point.

And that proved our original point, too. A good breakup song outlasts even a broken heart.




1966's "Someone" performed by the Contrails

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

very nice little article glad i found this.....

Ron Ieraci said...

Glad you found us, Brutwurst. Jack Stanizzo is quite a story in himself.

Anonymous said...

Looking for tgese lyrics - someonel

MIke said...

Old Mon.... you couldn't track down the Ruffings? I don't know if it will be any help or not... but I play bass in a worship band with John Ruffing's son. Crossroads Ministries, Library Baptist church in Finleyville, PA.
Mike Baines

Unknown said...

To Jack Stanizzo - if you truly do have the master tape of "Someone" - please get it to PJDooWop of StoryUntoldShow.com for his shows on Sunday nights from 7 to 10 PM. He is playing mostly original vinyl of oldies from 1954 to 1964 with an emphasis on Doo Wop and "Someone" is a song that I'll be requesting him to play. The original on Reuben from '64 would be special but if not I guess he'll have to play the Diamond cut from '66. I hope that you're alive and well.
Thanks,
Terry

Anonymous said...

I've heard what is supposedly the master tape copy of Someone as issued on a CD by Jack, but it sounds like a bad disc dub to me. I truly have never heard a great sounding copy of the record. I probably never will. Even my mint copy sounds like trash. Oh well. I also know the Reuben 45 was bootlegged in the 70s and it sounds pretty bad, too.

Anonymous said...

I was in a rock band in 1964-1967 in the South Hills, and remember going to many sock hops in the Fall of 1966 where The Contrails performed Someone! We subsequently learned to play it, and I remember it as one of the most requested songs we ever played! There are a few truly Pittsburgh "originals" but Someone has to be included in that list!!!

Gary Coulter said...

I played in Thy Brothers Blood in the early 70's & we had transitioned into a 9 piece "horn band" with 3 trumpets & a trombone. Good times! Jack had to drop out due to (I believe ) ulcers and we had to get another singer. I was only in the band for a couple years.

Mike Werries said...

When the Contrails opened for Three Dog Night at the Civic Arena, the drummer was Point Park College radio station WPPJ's DJ and engineer Phil Seretti. I know because I was in the audience that night and sveral othe Point Park classmates were there as well.

Anonymous said...

I am a Disc Jockey and I was playing at ST JOE'S c y o dance when a group called THE CONTRAILS sang "SOMEONE" little did I know it would become a Pittsburgh hit. I meet Jim Engle when I was playing at the MONSO'S NITE DEPOSIT in the bank building in Monroeville. He signed my copy of "SOMEONE" that night. Thanks for the MEMORIES. I keep the OLDIES alive every week.

THE EMPEROR OF MUSIC AND PARTIES

HUGH "BABE" O'DONNNEL312 469-0050

Unknown said...

I remember that I booked the Contrails through Pat diCaesare to play a fraternity-sponsored dance at Rockwell Hall at Duquesne University following their hit Someone. They did not disappoint. We were all impressed with their talent, skill, and range of songs. Frank Deutsch

Anonymous said...

Sept. 10, 2018

Karl Ruffing lives in Canada with his wife.

John South said...

There is an instrumental of the Contrails 'I'd Rather Be Lonely' (Chartbound) on the Arctic label titled 'Sax On The Tracks' by the dubiously named 'Mike & Ike'. It's lead by a soulful saxophone over the Contrails backing track. Is this Arctic 45 actually by The Contrails?

Unknown said...

I remember hearing this song on KDKA when it first came out. I still like to listen to it once and a while. It is one my favorites from back at that time.

Miller Time said...

I know this is a long shot. I married Dr. Bill Viviano's daughter. Does anyone have a photo of him in the band? Much thanks!

Anonymous said...

I was taught to play drums by Speedy McMann of the Contrails in 1963 if I recall. Speedy wasn't a big fan of the manager or his John Budnick. I pulled a coup and got Budnick and his to leave the group after he traveled to New York with Slinky in pocket. He told us they loved the sound but we didn't sing. I immediately called Jackie to come and interview with the Contrails. We all agreed that we would sing with Jackie as the lead. I'm Dave BIG DAVE Bebout