Sept. 22, 1973: Revisiting United Sound

 

First featured on this page in December 1970, United Sound’s vocal front line is still intact three years later, aside from the departure of Ike Smith. The backup instrumentalists, however, are a whole different crew. A couple of them went on to solid careers in music. 

Sept. 22, 1973 

United Sound Together

To Record New Album

For Their Friends 

“I’M SO NERVOUS for you,” a stageside woman is telling Dorothy Hooks, who like the rest of United Sound is visiting friends while the sound people search down an elusive hum.

          United Sound’s a little nervous for themselves, too. They’ve been doing clubs from here to Daytona Beach for the past two years (they’re just in from Akron, Ohio), but Monday night’s special – their first time at the Three Coins on Niagara Falls Boulevard and their first stab at recording a live album.

          Their agents, John and Frank Sansone of J. R. Productions, have set this one up and, recognizing the need to have everything as right as possible, have taken steps to insure it.

* * *

JOHN EXPLAINS: “Instead of advertising it and getting a lot of people here who don’t know the group that well, we sent out invitations to friends, people who are pulling for them.”

          The other ingredient is backstage – Jerry Meyers’ time-proven Act-One Sound Studios mobile unit, the same one that taped the first Big Wheelie & The Hubcaps album here.

          But the reels aren’t rolling yet as the singers storm the stage for the delayed first set. A time for testing while the group warms up, then …

          United Sound moves out with four hard fast numbers to warm the air and anyone familiar with them can’t help but be impressed by the precision of the choreography, the whirlwind of voices, the lead precision of the backup music and the wildcat energy.

          They’ve kicked into the groove by the end of the set when Dottie’s up on the solo mike, eyes big, beautiful as ever, belting out “Standing in the Shadows of Love” while the music flows around her like a flood.

* * *

FOR THE SECOND set, the tapes are on and the group is hot. Spirited medleys of Jim Webb and Fifth Dimension songs, a bright and catchy original from bass guitarist Gary Graziani called “Ready, Willing and Able” and a glossy ballad from singer Larry Gilbert.

          Carl Hooks, drummer, leader, husband of Dorothy, is among the first ones back to hear the tapes.

          “I thought a live tape would have everything bleeding into each other,” he says, “but the tape is really clean. That’s it, we’re in there.”

          Carl’s just as enthusiastic the next afternoon in the J. R. Productions basement office suite in a house behind the Three Coins, talking with Frank Sansone about album covers.

          “How about calling it ‘An Album for Our Friends’” Carl proposes.

          By this weekend, it’s mixed and ready to go off for pressing on J. R. Productions’ own label, as yet unnamed. Frank hopes to have it out by Nov. 1, with the group selling it at their performances while bids are made to record companies.

* * *

IT’LL ALSO be on sale at the Red Pepper on Hertel, the group’s usual hometown stop. They’re in the middle of a two-week Tuesday through Sunday stay there now, through Sept. 30.

          Carl feels the instrumentalists the group picked up in January are not only the best unit he’s had (“I get bored real easy,” he says. “That accounts for all our changes to musicians.”), but also the most committed to group unity.

          Of the original members from nearly three years ago, Carl and the singers remain, Johnny Martin having rejoined the group after time in the Army.

* * *

“WHEN DO WE get to Vegas?” Carl repeats. “Another year. We’re not that far away. And I want to do some concerts. I don’t want to be like The Spinners, 50 years old before they’re doin’ concerts.”

          For the time being, however, Carl’s just made the first payment on a big motor home for himself and Dorothy.

          “It’s easier on the road being married to her,” he says. “That way I know what’s happening in her head.”

          One thing that draws them back to Buffalo regularly is their 2 ½ year old son, Andre, who stays here with Dorothy’s mother.

          “We really get to miss him,” Carl says.

          Another is friends.

          “When we started touring,” Carl says, “it was better at first waitin’ a while until we came back. But now we’re coming back more frequently and it feels good. You get to appreciate your friends.”

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IN THE PHOTO: Front, left to right, singers Larry Gilbert, Johnny Martin, Dorothy Hooks and Bill Miller; rear, bass guitarist Gary Graziani, trombonist Bob Meier, drummer and leader Carl Hooks, saxophonist Bill Pendziwiatr and guitarist Tom Gramp.

* * * * *

FOOTNOTE: Still performing is saxman Bill Pendziwiatr, who became a school music teacher and now lives south of Wilkes-Barre, Pa. In August 2021, he published a children’s book he wrote, “Sara’s Happy Tears.”

Very much out and around town is trombonist Bob Meier, who was brought into the Buffalo Music Hall of Fame on his own in 2014, having previously been inducted as part of United Sound and Hernandez. He’s had his own groups down through the years and has played for Lance Diamond and Junction West. In 1991, he started the Hitmen Horns, Buffalo’s answer to the Tower of Power Horns, and writes all their arrangements.