Folk-Rock Festival Opens Summer Season At SPAC

by Bruce Husten, The Times Record, June 26, 1968

Versatility was the keynote of Tuesday night’s Folk-Rock Festival, officially marking the opening of Saratoga Performing Art Center’s 1968 season. On last night’s billing were The American Breed, Spanky and Our Gang and The Fifth Dimension.

The evening as a whole, and indeed each individual group, proved capable of performing a variety of numbers with refreshing proficiency.

American Breed First

The American Breed, a group of four young Chicago men, appeared first and performed several numbers who vocal harmony sounded very much like a 1968 version of the Everly
Brothers, squared.

Chuck Colbert Jr., the group’s base guitar player, performed a solo which received due applause for its reminiscence of James Brown. “Bend Me, Shape Me,” the group’s biggest hit, seemed to please the audience until it was asked to join in the singing. Dead silence followed, and the group exited solemnly.

Fortunately the American Breed were billed first, for had they appeared second or third they would have been far overshadowed by their predecessors.

Sparky, Gang Popular

Spanky and Our Gang performed at Saratoga last year and, if their performance last night was typical, it was not only a wise move to bring them back this year, but one can expect to see them at Saratoga again.

Elaine McFarlane, alias Spanky, plays the electric jug, the washboard, the tambourine and sings lead vocal. Her five
male colleagues are all accomplished musicians whose talents range from backing Spanky up on “Washboard Gal of Mine” to performing an excitingly-novel arrangement of “Trouble” from “The Music Man.”

It initially seemed The Filth Dimension, the evening’s featured entertainment, would have a hard time appearing successfully after the audience had been so enticed by Spanky and Our Gang, but no sooner did the quintet dance out on stage that it became evident that their listeners had grasped the new dimension.

“It’s Not Unusual,” which they sang first, immediately attested to their recognition as one of the top vocal groups in the country. What is unusual, however, is that none of the quintet plays any instrument. The vocal harmony they achieve requires their undivided attention. To supply their music therefore, they have a talented four-piece band which travels with them.

Their rendition of “Up, Up and Away” which won top Grammy Awards, is unique in world of modern vocal music.

The Performing Arts Center’s opening-night Folk-Rock Festival set a welcome, but rigid standard last night. Hopefully that standard will at least be duplicated tonight when Ray Charies and the Raelelts will perform at 8:30 p.m.