Notes

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d'Thumbs
4 song demo tape
Believed to be recorded
in 1977


Lineage: Master cassettes => 1st gen. cassettes => CD >EAC >CDwave > Flac Frontend > YOU

Track listing:

(1) Full Moon Turn My Head Around (2:50)
(2) Now You Got It Comin' (3:16)
(3) Ruby Ruby (2:56)
(4) Showdown (4:36)

Lineup:

Cliff Johnson - vocals
Tommy Aldridge - Drums
Pete Comita - Guitar
Gary Levin - Guitar
Jon Brandt - BassComments:

Comments:

One of my all time favorite bands; pure power-pop from Chicago and contemporaries of Pezband and Rockford-based Cheap Trick, d'Thumbs was Cliff Johnson's short-lived, post Pezband/pre Off Broadway effort. Despite huge hype and, IMHO a terrific product, d'Thumbs were not able to secure major label interest and broke up around 1978. My brother and I came into an origanl 1st gen cassette copy of the demo tape through a co-worker who was "in the business" back in the day, and I believe the digital form came courtesy of my brother some years ago.

Here's a short PR description of d'Thumbs from the Off Broadway usa web site: "In the hazy mid-late 70's, after Cliff Johnson left Pezband, and before Off Broadway was born, Cliff had a band called....d'Thumbs...and many of their songs (and spirit...via Cliff), live on with Off Broadway. d'Thumbs were the stuff of legends and whispered famous and infamous stories are made of ...d'Thumbs were a killer quintet blessed with an outrageous front man with an amazing voice, a devastating twin lead guitar sound, and a rock solid rhythm section. The name of the game was "Slammin' Romance"."

Tommy Aldridge (previously with Black Oak Arkansas) went on to become the "hired gun" drummer of choice for groups such as the Pat Travers Band and Whitesnake among others - he's curently touring with a reconstituted Thin Lizzy. Jon Brandt did a stint with Cheap Trick in the late 70's when bassist Tom Petersson was on hiatus, as did bandmate Pete Comita. I believe guitarists Levin and Comita (known as the "Valentino Brothers") both went to L.A. after d'Thumbs broke up (but don't quote me on that...).

Johnson went off to form Off Broadway with former Horace Monster guitarist Rob Harding (later of critically acclaimed alt-country-rockers E-I-E-I-O), former Challenger (I think that was the band name) lead guitarist John Ivan (later with Big Guitars From Memphis), former original Pezband founder/bassist John Pazdan and drummer Kenny Harck whose prior gig was with Badfinger. Off Broadway released two albums on Atlantic Records and toured nationally, albeit with some mis-paired acts. OBway still performs during the summer festival circuit around Chicago with original members Johnson, Harding and Harck, bassist Mike Gorman (who replaced Pazdan around the time of the 2nd OBway LP) and guitarist Mike Redmond. If you're in the Chi-town area go see 'em - you won't be disappointed!!!

For more info and pictures of d'Thumbs and Off Broadway I highly recommend the Off Broadway usa website www.offbroadwayusa.com and also the Off Broadway fan site at Yahoo http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/offbroadway where you'll find lots of archival info and photos for your enjoyment as well as much history on all the band members. Props to my pal "Borissaurus" for the Yahho site - lots o' F.U.N. stuff there...

Lastly, I have a couple recent Off Broadway shows on video off my Digital HD camcorder that I will attempt to upload at some point once I figure out how to seed video!

To all others who have vintage Chicago music in your attic/basement stash, c'mon - share the wealth!!! It feels good!!!!

Enjoy!