Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Starliners Album: Space Chasin' (1967)

The Starliners was an extracurricular jazz band sponsored by Bowie High School from 1967 through 1977. Five year Starliners member Bob O'Hara describes the band on his Web site as follows:

From 1967 through 1977, Bowie (Md.) Senior High School sponsored an extracurricular jazz band called The Starliners. The Starliners was a relatively standard big band, with 5 reeds, 4 trombones, 4 trumpets, piano, bass, guitar, and drums. Often the band was augmented with additional percussion, vibes, French horns, and vocalists. At times, there were as many as 23 of us on stage. The band leader during its entire existence was Lt. Col. Joseph G. Carley (USAF, retired). He was paid a salary of $1 per year by the county Board of Education.

During its life, The Starliners produced four albums, Space Chasin’, In Stereo, 12 by 3, and Bowie Straight Ahead. Sales of these albums, along with gigs 3-4 times per month, paid for the purchase of new charts, as well as for travel to jazz festivals and competitions.

Bob O'Hara provided Bowie Living with album covers and recordings from all four albums. The details from Space Chasin' (the Starliners first album) can be seen below. Space Chasin' was recorded in 1967.


Front Cover



Back Cover



Tracks

Click a song to hear the recording.
  1. Starliners Theme
  2. The Knack
  3. The Man I Love
  4. I May Be Wrong
  5. A Walk in the Black Forest
  6. Trombone Soliloquy
  7. Batman Theme
  8. South Rampart Street Parade
  9. Days of Wine and Roses
  10. Call Me
  11. I Remember You
  12. Tijuana Taxi
  13. I Left My Heart in San Francisco
  14. Sam's Boogie


Text from the Back Cover

ABOUT THE BAND ... (Average age: 15 1/2)
Formed in August 1966 under my direction (while still a Lt. Col. in the Air Force) with enthusiastic support from Tom Warthen, principal, and Bob Wiant, school music director. Debut at a PTA meeting in early '67 brought this normally sedate audience to their feet for a thunderous ovation. Subsequent concerts in the D.C. area were equally successful. The big test came on 10 May '67 in the Bowie High gym when the group faced the 2700 strong student body. The Band absolutely fractured 'em! (Who said the Big Band Sound was dead?) The season was ''capped off" at the Annapolis Arts Festival on 18 June when the Band was billed with Count Basie and Buddy Rich.

ABOUT THE RECORD...
During the 10 May concert, I asked how many of the students would purchase a record (if made) and, further, make an advance down payment to finance the recording session with all profit (if any) destined for the stage band fund (under school control). The response was overwhelmingly in favor. Within a few days the band members had issued receipts for 729 records — more than enough!

The recording session was held on 21 May 1967 — the only date available before the end of the school year. The fourteen numbers were cut in 3 1/2 hours with minimum re-takes. Conduct, stamina and a sustained peak in quality of performance impressed the recording engineers. They (and I) consider this recording an outstanding product for such a young group.

I shall remember these young people for their consistent display of professionalism, for being a real credit to their school and community and, in the vernacular of the Jazz Man as "a blowin' bunch of cats"! I’ve had several kudos thrown my way for contributing my time and effort, but let's not kid one another — the pleasure was all mine!

JOE CARLEY


Pictures and Captions from the Back Cover


Bill Moore '69, Tim Heup '67, Stan Kominic '68, Dave Miller '70



Richy Gregg '68, Rob Probst '70, George Miller '68, Keith Markey '67, Dale Carley '71



What-Cha-Wanna Brass



(left to right) Mike Holman '67, Greg Lampe '69, Brad Cohen '71, Jim Abell '70, Rich Laurie '69



(left to right) Rich Jenkins '69, Rich Probst '67, John Roos '67, Jim Handy '67



The Satellites and Suzie Campany '67



Joe Carley '76


Starliners Posts on Bowie Living

1 comment:

  1. Thanks for posting. I was lead tenor and I am still playing in two big bands in Fl. I still play this album on my smart watch and I am so thankful to have gotten the experience at a young age. We actually shared a stage with Count Basie in Annapolis, Md!
    Mike Homan 4/17/19

    ReplyDelete