Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes were rock rebels in 1977 with Ronnie Spector
Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes were rock 'n' roll rebels on the road in 1977.
The era was all about prog rock, guitar solos and bodysuits. That made the Jersey guys outsiders in the mainstream music world. The new album, “Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes: Live In Cleveland '77,” recorded at the band's May 2, 1977, show at the Agora Theater in Cleveland, is a testament to the group's outsider swagger.
“We did have a chip on our shoulder being from New Jersey, but we also knew making the kind of music we were making wasn’t what most other people were making,” said Southside Johnny Lyon. “It was the same thing for Bruce (Springsteen). He was doing something different, too. That's the Jersey: 'Oh yeah, I’m going to prove to you that I’m as good as anybody if not better.' You take that with you and you take it up on stage and you're determined to blow people's minds.”
The Jukes' second album, “This Time It's for Real,” had just been released and WMMS in Cleveland, the sponsor of the Agora show, was on it.
“We were headhunting, as they used to call it,” Lyon said. “We were out to prove ourselves, and you have to have a certain arrogance. We walked out on stage in Cleveland and we had never played there before, but our record was being played on the big station there, WMMS, and the place was full and the people went crazy.”
The Jukes had a secret weapon: Ronnie Spector. The legendary singer, who passed away earlier this year, had recorded a single with the Jukes: the Springsteen-penned “You Mean So Much to Me,” from the group's first album. She would join the Jukes for several songs at each show on the tour.
“Live in Cleveland '77,” which debuted at No. 5 on the Billboard blues chart, includes one from Spector, the Billy Joel-penned “Say Goodbye to Hollywood.”
“She was on the bus with us — she was one of the guys,” Lyon said. “She put up with everything, watching movies late at night and all of that. She knew what it was like to be on the road before we did, so she fit right in.”
Spector came into the Jukes orbit thanks to music man Jimmy Iovine, who worked on John Lennon's “Rock 'n' Roll” album, which was produced by Phil Spector, then Ronnie's husband. Iovine, who also worked on the Southside and Springsteen albums of the period, made the introductions.
More: Paul McCartney plays magical mystery birthday show with Bruce Springsteen, Bon Jovi
More: Monmouth Arts gala to honor E Street member, 'Sopranos' star, culinary leaders
“La Bamba (Richie Rosenberg), Steven (Van Zandt) and I were the Ronettes,” Lyon said. “It was just a thrill for me.”
Spector's appearance on the Jukes album, and subsequent shows, was in keeping with the band's mission of presenting the greats of early rock and R&B, who by the '70s were often bypassed by the mainstream. Lee Dorsey, the Drifters, the Coasters, and the Satins also appeared on the early Jukes' albums.
“We kind of wore our hearts on our sleeves,” Lyon said. “We just listened to their music and it got so deep inside of us that it sort of just came out. We wanted to be like our heroes, but we wanted to do it our way.”
Classic Jukes tracks like “I Don’t Want to Go Home,” “Havin’ a Party,” “Without Love” and the “The Fever” are presented on the new album by Cleveland International Records with full kinetic energy.
The Jukes lineup that night was Southside on guitar, harmonica and lead vocals; Van Zandt, lead guitar; Billy Rush, rhythm guitar; Allan Berger, bass; Kevin Kavanaugh, keyboards; Kenny “Popeye” Pentifallo; and Ed Manion, La Bamba, Rick Gazda, Tony Pallagrosi and Carlo Novi on horns.
Van Zandt, who played with the Jukes at the show, wrote the liner notes. He co-founded the group, which was the house band at the Stone Pony in Asbury Park before they hit the road.
“He was already committed to Bruce, which was a good thing,” Lyon said. “It was good for Bruce, good for Steven and good for me, too, so I could step out and not have to rely on all these different people.”
Forty-five years later, Lyon is still doing it with a new lineup of Jukes. They play Saturday, July 2, at the Stone Pony Summer Stage at the group's annual Fourth of July weekend show.
The Jake Clemons Band is opening, and Jarod Clemons and the Promised Land play inside. The Eddie Testa Band plays the after-party, also inside, after the show.
“It was a great time,” said Lyon of being on tour in '77. “I was just so thrilled to be on the road and traveling. I always wanted to see the world and I wanted to see the United States, and here we were out doing it and I was overjoyed and I was very aggressive. I wanted to keep it going, and every night had to be the best we can do. You know, the same ethos we still have now, it stood me in good stead. We couldn't walk through a show. We couldn’t go through the motions. It was either do or die, and that’s the way the Jukes work.”
Go: Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes with Jake Clemons Band, 5:30 p.m. Saturday, July 2, Stone Pony Summer Stage, Ocean Avenue, Asbury Park. $42.40; stoneponyonline.com.
Music Mondays at Springwood Park
More Asbury Park music royalty is coming home this summer.
Ray, Goodman and Brown, aka the Moments, will play July 18 at the Music Mondays at Springwood Park series, according to the Asbury Park Music Foundation. The group features original member Billy Brown, who performed with the Asbury Park group the Broadways in the 1960s.
A young Bruce Springsteen once opened for the group. Ray, Goodman and Brown's hits include “Love on a Two-Way Street,” “Sexy Mama,” “Look at Me (I'm in Love)” and “Special Lady.”
Kevin Owens and Larry “Ice” Winfree are also in the current lineup.
The show, like the other Music Mondays concerts, are free. The 2022 series begins with Layonne Holmes and Motor City Revue with Kuf Nutz and Christine on Monday, June 27. The August shows will be announced soon. The shows begin at 6 p.m.
Bring a blanket or lawn chair for seating, or your dancing shoes. Parking is free. Here's the rest of the announced lineup. Visit asburyparkmusiclives.org for more information.
Music Mondays 2022 schedule
Layonne Holmes and Motor City Revue with Kuf Nutz & Christine, June 27
Alexander Simone with Des and the Swagmatics, July 4
JT Bowen with Sharon Lasher, July 11
Ray, Goodman & Brown with Joquin Anderson, July 18
Gentlemen of Soul with Asbury’s Got Talent, July 25
Subscribe to app.com for the latest on the New Jersey music scene.
Chris Jordan, a Jersey Shore native, covers entertainment and features for the USA Today Network New Jersey. Contact him at @chrisfhjordan; [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Southside Johnny and Asbury Jukes live album features Ronnie Spector
