The Abstractions hailed from the same home county as The Four Seasons and Dionne Warwick. Although they performed strictly in New Jersey, they were a popular local group, with several battle of the band titles to back their reputation. While the group never recorded, bassist Bill Chemerka did eventually record a 45 as a member of the otherwise all-black Soul Dukes.
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| The Abstractions in New York City, 1966: Mike Byrne, Greg Lebed and Bill Chemerka |
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An Interview With Bill Chemerka
60sgaragebands.com (60s): How did you first get interested in music?
Bill Chemerka (BC): My parents were big swing music and jazz fans, and our home was filled with music. However, the emergence of Elvis in '56 and the national debut of American Bandstand in '57 made rock 'n' roll my musical genre of choice. The first record I ever bought was Ricky Nelson's ‘Be Bop Baby’ in 1957. But it wasn't until the Beatles invasion in '64 that I decided to become a musician.
60s: Was The Abstractions your first band?
BC: Yes. The band lasted approximately three years.
60s: Where and when was The Abstractions formed?
BC: The Abstractions was formed in early 1966 by Greg Lebed (Orange, New Jersey), Mike Byrne (East Orange, New Jersey) and yours truly, Bill Chemerka (West Orange, New Jersey). We initially rehearsed in an empty apartment adjacent to Greg's apartment. However, the band's lineup changed over the years.
The first line-up, in 1966-early 1967, was Greg Lebed (guitar and vocals); Bill Chemerka (bass and vocals); Mike Byrne (drums); and Sam Wilezol (guitar). Greg had the longest hair so he was the focal point of the band. Mike, or Mitch--as he was later called--was a talented artist who painted his drum head with psychedelic leaves!
The second line-up, early-mid 1967, was Greg Lebed (guitar and vocals); Bill Chemerka (bass and vocals); Ed DeRosa (guitar and vocals); and Mike Byrne (drums). Ed DeRosa auditioned by playing the rich, cool, chords to the Shadows of Knight's 'Gloria.' He was part of the band before he finished the song.
The third line-up, mid-1967 to early 1968, was Bill Chemerka (bass and vocals); Ed DeRosa (guitar and vocals); George Johnston (organ); and Mike Byrne (drums). George's Farfisa organ allowed us to expand our song base to include such classics as '96 Tears' and 'Light My Fire.' He was a great addition to the band.
During the summer of 1967, we practiced in Mike Byrne's garage, so The Abstractions certainly qualify as a "garage band."
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| Original Abstractions logo created by Mike Byrne |
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60s: How would you describe the band's sound? What bands influenced you?
BC: It was a classic eclectic mix of Top 40 tunes and select LP cuts, but we primarily concentrated on such R&B-flavored British bands, like The Rolling Stones, The Spencer Davis Group and The Animals. And we garnished our sets with touches of Motown, Stax-Volt and rhythmic psychedelia, courtesy of The Seeds, The Shadows of Knight and The Blues Magoos.
60s: What was the Essex County rock and roll scene like in the ‘60s?
BC: Essex County was the home of major acts like The Four Seasons, Dionne Warwick and tons of local bands. Of course, being in the shadow of New York City, the North Jersey music scene was an exciting place to be in.
60s: Where did The Abstractions typically play?
BC: Schools, dances, parties and bars. But we had to play in the back room of bars because most of the guys in the band were underage. Our first gig was at Augie's Bar in West Orange, New Jersey. At the Augie's Bar gig, Greg hit the first guitar lick of the Yardbirds' 'Heart Full Of Soul' and our first public performance was underway. I played a Gibson EB-2 Sunburst bass, which I still have, and used a classic Ampeg B-15.
60s: Did you play any of the local teen clubs?
BC: There were teen clubs around and we played our share, mostly CYO-sponsored events. And we played several college gigs, including some memorable New Year's Eve shows.
60s: How far was the band's "touring" territory?
BC: Strictly New Jersey. We played everywhere from Hoboken to Bloomfield, from East Orange to Glassboro.
60s: Did The Abstractions participate in any battle of the bands?
BC: Our claim to fame! We were undefeated in every battle of the bands event we ever entered. And the contests were always away from our home turf. We used to open our show with the Spencer Davis Group's ‘Gimme Some Lovin’ and rev it up from there. And we usually augmented our performances with the cheapest make-shift, ground level (!) light show of all time. Even back then, it was embarrassingly poor.
60s: Did The Abstractions have a manager?
BC: We booked our own gigs as The Abstractions: Masters of the Beat. Of course, we had business cards made but whoever made them up identified me as playing the "base" guitar! I still have one of the cards.
60s: Why didn't The Abstractions record?
BC: Since we didn't write originals we saw no reason to record.
60s: Did the band make any local TV appearances?
BC: No.
60s: What year and why did the band break up?
BC: In 1968. I wanted to play more soul and R&B and so I left the band to join The Soul Dukes, a six-piece black band. I was the only white guy, and it was a great experience on so many levels. We recorded and one of our songs, ‘Soul-69,’ appears on Legendary Soul Patrol Records' Funky Hot Pants: 14 Super Rare Original Funk Monsters From the Late ‘60s to the Early ‘70s CD. I left The Soul Dukes in the fall of 1969 to go to college full time. The Soul Dukes subsequently split with one part of the band reforming as Platinum Hook; it was signed to a three-LP deal with Motown. The Abstractions tried to stay together as a trio after I left but eventually broke up by the end of 1968.
60s: How do you best summarize your experiences with The Abstractions?
BC: It was fun! And the key thing is, all of my band mates have remained my friends ever since. That's the best legacy of The Abstractions.
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| The Abstractions, 1967: George Johnston, Bill Chemerka, Mike Byrne and Ed DeRosa |
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