Stumble It! 
WHY "TIN WHISKERS"?
We felt that the name Tin Whiskers
was descriptive of the appearance of distinguished gentlemen
such as ourselves. But "tin whiskers" is actually an electronics term.
If you're interested in finding out what it means, you can read about
it here
(NASA
website).
WHAT WE PLAY
We play a variety of music from the late 1960s and 1970s, as well as a few selected pieces from the '80s and '90s. Our repertoire includes songs by the following artists (new ones added frequently):
| Atlanta Rhythm
Section The Beatles The Blues Brothers The Box Tops Jimmy Buffett Creedence Clearwater Revival Crowded House The Doors Eric Clapton Emerson, Lake and Palmer Grand Funk Railroad Led Zeppelin |
Little River Band Pink Floyd Red Hot Chili Peppers Santana The Spiral Starecase Steve Miller Band Supertramp Tommy Tutone Van Morrison Wild Cherry Yes ZZ Top |
You can view the most recent list of classic rock songs and artists we cover HERE.
WHO WE ARE
(In Alphabetical Order)
  |
Guitar,
vocals, recording. PGHS* Class of 1975. Played trumpet in the high
school band. |
  |
Bass,
vocals. PGHS* Class of 1975. Played baritone horn in the high school
band. |
  |
Keyboards,
lead vocals, recording. PGHS* Class of 1972. Played bass drum in the
high school band. Jim
started picking out tunes on the piano at the age of three and has played everything from
ragtime to bluegrass to progressive rock. His influences include
Emerson, Lake and Palmer, Yes, Vince Guaraldi, and contemporary jazz
artists David Benoit and Spyro Gyra. |
  |
Guitar,
vocals. PGHS* Class of 1972. Sang in the high school choir. Kevin has
played guitar for a couple decades, but this is his first time playing
with a band. Nevertheless, he fit right in the first time the old group
reunited. |
  |
Drums, vocals. PGHS* Class of
1979. Played trombone in the high school band and
instructed the drum line in the marching band for a couple years after
graduating. |
HISTORY OF THE BAND
This
band actually
started 'way back in 1973, when five friends who were in their high
school band together decided that they wanted to spend even more time
working on music. So they formed a rock band which continued until
1979, when they took a little hiatus. Not too long, just long enough to
get married, raise a couple kids, have a couple grandkids, move a few
times -- that sort of thing. After a mere 2-1/2 decades, they decided
that the time was right to put the band back together. I think that's a
little longer than Jake and Elwood waited.
That's the short version. If you're looking for something to alleviate your insomnia, please feel free to continue reading.
That's the short version. If you're looking for something to alleviate your insomnia, please feel free to continue reading.
1973
Five
members of the Penns Grove High School marching and concert band form a
"garage
band", initially named Southern Cross. On guitar is 16-year-old Paul
Bakan, with Skip Hurst (also 16) on bass,
Jim Johnson (19) on keyboards and
lead vocals,
Rick Miller (16) on drums, and Dan Ford (16) running
the
sound
system. The band's repertoire includes
songs by the Beatles, Deep Purple, Elton John and Grand Funk among many
others. The members, however, prefer the more progressive music of ELP,
Yes and
Led Zeppelin, with the last making up probably half of the material. The
band is soon renamed Phalanx. "Southern Cross"
just doesn't seem to fit with our emphasis on Prog and Heavy
Metal.
1975
The band's
name is changed to Phantom Lake. "Phalanx" has turned out to be too
esoteric: the audience can't pronounce it and
they don't know what it means, therefore, they don't remember it. The
new name has no particular significance -- it just sounds somewhat
mysterious and vaguely reminiscent of the old one.
1976
Drummer
Rick Miller leaves the group in December after enlisting in the
military. The remaining members continue to practice while searching
desperately for Rick's replacement.
1977
We finally
choose Daryl "Moochie"
Robinson to replace Rick Miller. Although more oriented toward Disco
and Funk,
Moochie fits
right in. With some effort, he picks up the heavier styles we've been
doing and, with at least as much effort, we begin to pick up Disco and
Funk.
A three-piece horn section comes on board: Craig Garner, Randy Kelley and Steve Silvestri. Craig writes the horn arrangements and our repertoire expands to include current Funk/Disco hits plus a few Chicago numbers. We never do have much respect for Disco, but we do respect the fact that it gets us gigs -- a lot more gigs than Prog ever did! Moochie sings lead vocals on much of the newer material.
Also that year, Phantom Lake enters a "Battle of the Bands" and wins! At least, the audience thought we won, and so did we. The band that actually wins has a ringer on the panel of judges: their manager. The audience boos and shouts their disapproval, but the decision stays. The "winners" slink away quietly.
A three-piece horn section comes on board: Craig Garner, Randy Kelley and Steve Silvestri. Craig writes the horn arrangements and our repertoire expands to include current Funk/Disco hits plus a few Chicago numbers. We never do have much respect for Disco, but we do respect the fact that it gets us gigs -- a lot more gigs than Prog ever did! Moochie sings lead vocals on much of the newer material.
Also that year, Phantom Lake enters a "Battle of the Bands" and wins! At least, the audience thought we won, and so did we. The band that actually wins has a ringer on the panel of judges: their manager. The audience boos and shouts their disapproval, but the decision stays. The "winners" slink away quietly.
Early 1979
Phantom
Lake is dissolved after the brass section goes off to college and
everyone
else's work and family situations make it too difficult to continue.
Paul briefly plays in a local band with Skip. Skip continues to play in a couple popular and successful Delaware-area bands until late 2004. After his discharge, Rick briefly plays in another band, then ultimately sells his drums. Jim plays occasional gigs with his father, a bluegrass/country-western fiddler, and Al Smith, a well-known banjo player. He also briefly plays in two local Gospel bands which quickly fizzle: one around 1980, and the other in 1985. Paul joins him in the second band even more briefly. Paul later joins a dance band which works mostly in southeastern PA, and continues to play in both bands.
Paul briefly plays in a local band with Skip. Skip continues to play in a couple popular and successful Delaware-area bands until late 2004. After his discharge, Rick briefly plays in another band, then ultimately sells his drums. Jim plays occasional gigs with his father, a bluegrass/country-western fiddler, and Al Smith, a well-known banjo player. He also briefly plays in two local Gospel bands which quickly fizzle: one around 1980, and the other in 1985. Paul joins him in the second band even more briefly. Paul later joins a dance band which works mostly in southeastern PA, and continues to play in both bands.
2004
After
about four years of sporadic phone conversations and e-mails in which
Paul, Skip, Jim and Kevin Jordan talk about getting together for a jam
session, we finally decide to do it -- A.S.A.P.! The major stumbling
block is that nobody knows where Rick is, so we fruitlessly search for
another drummer. An unexpected breakthrough leads Jim to Rick, who buys
a new drum set the next day. Suddenly, the conversation becomes a lot
more serious: instead of merely getting together to jam, we're putting
a working band back together! On 9/20/04, the
original
members reunite, adding guitarist and fellow PGHS alumnus Kevin Jordan.
We practice in Kevin's
office
in Carneys Point. It's just three months short of 28 years since all
four original
band members last played together and 25 years since the breakup of
Phantom Lake.
Kevin has never played in a band before. Jim hasn't seen Skip or Paul in several years. No-one has seen Rick in more than twenty years. Yet, there is surprisingly little talk. Everyone seems to be more interested in playing than in catching up. This first jam session is rough, but most of us are surprised at how much of the old material we actually remember. It looks promising.
Our target audience is Baby Boomers, and the agreed-upon format is mostly late '60s and '70s dance music (unlike Phantom Lake, which played a lot of Prog and head music). Of course, given the band's history, that format soon becomes flexible. By November, we're already working on a couple Zeppelin pieces, plus Yes, Emerson, Lake and Palmer, Supertramp, Pink Floyd and other music outside of the "format." Old habits are hard to break.
Kevin has never played in a band before. Jim hasn't seen Skip or Paul in several years. No-one has seen Rick in more than twenty years. Yet, there is surprisingly little talk. Everyone seems to be more interested in playing than in catching up. This first jam session is rough, but most of us are surprised at how much of the old material we actually remember. It looks promising.
Our target audience is Baby Boomers, and the agreed-upon format is mostly late '60s and '70s dance music (unlike Phantom Lake, which played a lot of Prog and head music). Of course, given the band's history, that format soon becomes flexible. By November, we're already working on a couple Zeppelin pieces, plus Yes, Emerson, Lake and Palmer, Supertramp, Pink Floyd and other music outside of the "format." Old habits are hard to break.
2005
On 10/22/05, we
play our first public gig since 1979: the Fox Tale Follies. The band
plays
three songs: Don't
Dream It's Over (Crowded House), Spooky (Atlanta Rhythm Section) and
Money (Pink Floyd). We're just one of several acts performing that
night at the YMCA in Penns Grove, NJ. Although the audience seems to be
made up of more people over 60 than under, the band's performance is
met with enthusiastic cheers and applause, with much of the crowd even
clapping in time to the jazz section in the middle of Money. People
come up to us afterwards, asking, "When's your next gig? Do you have
business cards?" A
professional musician who performs at the Atlantic City
casinos insists that we're better than most of the bands
he's heard playing there! We take that as an indication that we're
ready to play in
public again.
2008
Due
to a shift change at his job in March, Rick is no longer available to
practice
on the same nights that the rest of the band is available. So, with
leads on summer and fall gigs coming in, history repeats itself as we
search for his replacement. We will all miss Rick's humor and upbeat
personality, and can only hope to find another drummer who appreciates
-- and can play! -- Yes, Pink Floyd, etc.
On 3/31/08, after one audition, Loren Chard is welcomed into the band as our new drummer. He easily picks up everything we play, and we should be ready to play again soon. Although we weren't specifically looking for one, Loren turns out to be a fellow PGHS* alumnus, class of 1979.
Illness, injury and other unforseen circumstances frequently disrupt the practice schedule throughout the spring and summer. But, on 9/13/08, we finally play our first gig with Loren, and it goes even better than we'd hoped. At this hot, muggy outdoor event, people are on their feet clapping and singing along and business cards are in high demand. Tin Whiskers is back in business.
On 3/31/08, after one audition, Loren Chard is welcomed into the band as our new drummer. He easily picks up everything we play, and we should be ready to play again soon. Although we weren't specifically looking for one, Loren turns out to be a fellow PGHS* alumnus, class of 1979.
Illness, injury and other unforseen circumstances frequently disrupt the practice schedule throughout the spring and summer. But, on 9/13/08, we finally play our first gig with Loren, and it goes even better than we'd hoped. At this hot, muggy outdoor event, people are on their feet clapping and singing along and business cards are in high demand. Tin Whiskers is back in business.
* PGHS: Penns Grove High School
