Chuck Madden and I met at DePaul University School of Music in 1964. I was a sophomore and was playing gigs on and off at social affairs and doing small clubs with some local jazz groups; jazz was my bag. Chuck was the leader of a group called The Astronauts IV. Members of that group were Chuck, Bill Salzbrunn, Tom Fisk (bass), and I can't remember the horn player because I never met him. In the music school hallway at DePaul, Chuck approached me and told me he was losing his horn player and inquired as to whether I'd like to join the group. Looking for an opportunity to get a lot more work, and realizing that "rock and roll was here to stay," I said yes. We played local clubs, VFW halls, school dances, and anything else that provided work.
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| George Buetow |
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George Buetow Recalls The Missing Links
There's a saying in the biz that you can't get really tight in the basement or garage, you have to put your stuff on the street. Chuck's dad, "Buffalo Bob" Madden, who got his name from wearing fringed jackets, was quite a prolific and very creative booking agent. If he had just a few upcoming dates for the band, he'd create one. So he rented halls and ran teen dances at which we would play. He always kept vigilant in getting our name out there, and was intent on creating a following crowd of fans. Once we had an audience, it was up to us to keep them with us. You do that by playing well, looking right, keeping current with the "Top 40" and schmoozing with the audience on breaks.
During the performance it was up to Bill Salzbrunn and his outgoing personality to keep the crowd's connection with the band. His between-tunes rap to the crowd, and introduction of band members/song choice announcements, were the filler for the often looming silent space often heard. Another thing heard almost every night, "Buffalo Bob is in the house,” and he was, but only later after spending the night lining up future gigs for us. The Missing Links always performed like a well-oiled machine. We presented a cohesive performance.
When we settled into a club for a few weeks, Bob would go out to other clubs and promote the band. We didn't do auditions—Bob would make an appointment with club owners to see us at our current gig. To make sure they showed up, he'd pick them up and bring them to our venue. He would sometimes even send a car. There's nothing more important to a club or venue owner than a crowd, so when a prospective club owner would walk into a gig where we had cultivated a following, and the crowd was dancing, spending money and digging the band, the guy heard his own cash register ringing in his head a and would smile as he signed Bob's contract for us to perform at his club in the future. Bob kept us working.
Self Development and Discipline
One more very important item: rehearsals and individual practice. Even when we were playing a five-nighter, with late weekend (2, 3 and sometimes 4 a.m. closings), the band got together on a very precious sixth day to learn new tunes. Not just the tune itself, but the key, the words, harmonies, and segues from one tune to another. Presentation has to start somewhere—that's what you do in the basement or garage. You have to get it together there. Don't do a tune in public that you are not ready to do. You have to be very good in the basement. The polish will come through during live performances.
And on the seventh day you can rest but…wait a minute! You have to have to know your instrument, and develop personal musicianship. Memorization is another skill, which has to be developed. You can't bring a music stand on stage. So get the tune down in your head. Now, maybe you should rest, 'cause it starts over tomorrow!
Sounds easy, right? You play at night, practice, rehearse, sleep, and go back to the gig. Wrong. “Never quit you your day job” is somewhat of a mantra for a “part-time” musician. But when part-time becomes five nighters six weeks in row—or even two weeks in a row, something may have to give.
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| The Missing Links at Adventureland |
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School CAN be Cool!
Chuck and I had the chance to live the “life” for a few years as nothing but music 24/7. We were professional musicians. In the light we went to DePaul Music during the day. We studied and hung out with our friends at school, and played at night. Music was our lives.
In the cafeteria, between classes, we’d sit and talk with the very talented vocalists, pianists, violinists, and music theorists. We had composition majors like Harry Manfredini who went on to write the score for the first several Friday the 13th films. Some of the our musician friends were working recording sessions at Universal Recording Studios and Chess Records; some played with the Chicago Civic orchestra. A few of our classmates were in the Bozo’s Circus TV band.
In the mid-to-late ‘60s, something unique was happening at DePaul. The roster of only 400 plus students included not only Buetow and Madden, but the names of people such as Jim Guercio, Walter Parazaider, Lee Loughnane, and Jim Pankow! These guys were not only in the same school with us, but we were tight! A young drummer named Danny Seraphine was coming in for percussion lessons.
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| The Missing Links at Charade A Go Go |
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Because some of us were already in different bands, our non-DePaul band mates, like Danny, would stop in to rap and laugh. We also enjoyed the company of another very frequent visitor, named Terry Kath. We sat together in the cafeteria, talking about music, sharing stories, and telling jokes. At that time, none of us could see what would be in our respective futures. Although we all had dreams and expectations, we didn’t know that some of us would become rich, famous, and some had a both bright and dark unknown ahead. Looking at the names in the last few paragraphs, if you’re a musician or music lover, you know the rest of the stories about the cafeteria mates of Chuck’s and mine.
Garage Bands? I Don’t Think So.
While our other classmates were busy carving out their futures, The Missing Links were moving up in the Chicago music scene. Long-term performance engagements became a reality. Well-advertised and frequented venues like the Charade a GoGo at the Palmer House, and the Pussycat on Rush, and club owners and promoters took a look at us and liked what they saw. They offered long-term contracts, with our option to return. These contracts gave us the exposure we needed. They also provided us with a conduit to celebrities, like Tony Bennett, George Burns, Bob Hope, and Vegas act Esquivel, all of whom appeared in the Empire Room at the Palmer House. We would run up the back stage staircase and stand in the wings to see them perform. On occasion, they would come down to the Charade and stop in to see us after their performance.
The cast of Hair were frequent visitors to the club, and danced until closing. Some members of the Abbie Hoffman’s Chicago Seven trial also came to the club. After we would finish the night at Charade we would grab a drink at Miller’s Pub and meet the headliners of the Empire Room, like George Burns, Jimmy Durante and Lanie Kazan.
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| The Missing Links at Chez A Go Go |
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While playing off nights at the Pussycat on Rush Street, we would occasionally be visited by members of the Flock, The Mob, and The Turtles. We shared a dressing room with Wayne Cochran and The C.C. Riders. The Pussycat brought in acts named The Exceptions who had a great singer named Peter Cetera. Around that same time, in came Rufus (Ask Rufus), featuring the great Chaka Kahn; Rufus eventually went on to include personnel like my friend Ross Salamone, Kevin Murphy, Hawk Wolinski, and Jimmy Stella. Chicago was full of talent and had a bunch of clubs that wanted live rock and Roll, and The Missing Links were in the mix.
We were working the big clubs now. We would sign for six weeks and leave for a while. Buffalo Bob Madden would always work on a return contract. We would take a break and play only weekends, one-nighters, and three nighters. We worked the Southside clubs like Chez a GoGo, and PJ’s, Inn Motion and the South Side Holiday Inn.
Going to a GoGo and Farther
On a one-nighter, along with a few other bands, we appeared at White Sox a Go Go at Comiskey Park. That night we took another strange, but fruitful step forward. Just as we were playing the last set, Carl Schreiber, a business agent for the Chicago Federation of Musicians and friend of Buffalo Bob’s, walked up to us and said that he had a gig for us in Old Town that same night. He provided us a police escort out of the park, and to a place called Knockers Up on Wells and Goethe. We walked in to hear ragtime music coming out of an old upright piano. We all just looked at each other, with “WTF” in our eyes.
The stage was very small and the patrons were few. Bill set up his kit, the other Bill set up his Hammond, and Chuck set up his guitar and amp. By the time the instruments were on the stage, there was no room and I had to play standing on the bar. A woman named Evelyn was the owner and she was as old as the place. It became apparent she was also going broke. The heat was turned low and we had to wear our coats on the breaks.
After two weeks of a slow crowd, Buffalo Bob presented his idea to Evelyn. Teen dances! But this was a bar and teens in places that served liquor was illegal. Bob’s solution was to take all of the liquor out of the club on Saturdays and Sundays. We just needed a place to store it. It had to be out of the building, so we put the booze into boxes and the boxes into our cars. It was a lot of work, but we did it. And it paid off—big time!
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| My Sister's Place - Note the window sign in the lower right corner |
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Old Town in the mid ‘60s was just beginning to be frequented by the “Flower Generation”. The under-21 set, predominately teeny boppers, filled the streets. The only club that had live music and allowed teens was Knocker’s Up, rechristened as “My Sister’s Place.” It took a few weekends for the owner to realize a profit and dump the liquor idea. We played in the only teen club in Old Town, and our fan base mushroomed. They came to us—we didn’t have to market The Missing Links to them; we just had to play. Admission was charged, and root beer, cookies, and pretzels were sold. One night, the place got so crowded that a support beam in the floor had to be shored up. Old Town was booming and we had a long-term contract. Cool!
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| The Missing Links at My Sister's Place |
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| The Missing Links at My Sister's Place |
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When we were asked where we were playing, we said My Sister’s Place. Soon errant word spread and was picked up by Hit Parader magazine. A “Stars of Tomorrow” feature on The Missing Links mentioned that The Missing Links owned their own teen club in Old Town. Even cooler! Note: George was billed as George Cole, "the man with the soul."
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Movin’ on Up to the Bigtime
The promoters got wind of our success and came to find out why. Chuck and I did an ad for Shure Brother’s, pictured holding their microphones. The ad was published nationally and it drew more attention to the band. London Records promoter Sam Cerami sent us to Dove Recording studios in Minneapolis to record ‘The Missing Link’ an original that Chuck was working on. London put us up in the Dykman Hotel. We couldn’t go out so we hung in the lobby only to find out that we were sitting with the Count Basie Band. We had a few cocktails with some of the band members and went to bed early as Chuck had a sore throat and wanted to rest it. We did the recording session. While there we did Chuck’s ‘The Missing Link’ and a couple of cover tunes to give them a choice for a B-side. Chuck was able get his voice back. Sam was pleased and said that he would take the master and get it to London Records, and that it would take some time to go through the approval process. Having a record out would be cool. (Note: The Missing Links did eventually release a single in 1966 on the Signett label, 'You Hypnotize Me' b/w 'Makin' Up And Breakin' Up'.)
Another promoter stopped in one night, talked to Buffalo Bob for a while and left. Bob reported to us that all he was told was that the promoter would be back next week. We had to perform a 15-minute set, with at least one original tune and high stage presence. We rehearsed diligently.
The following week, the promoter returned. We performed ‘Pretty Woman’, ‘The Missing Link’, ‘Little Red Rooster’ and another that escapes me. We did our “show” very well. This set was actually an audition for a gig that would turn out to be to be quite special. Right then and there The Missing Links were offered a spot in the opener for the first Rolling Stones concert in Chicago.
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| George Buetow and Chuck Madden opening for The Rolling Stones |
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Yeah Baby!
May 9, 1965 was a great highlight in our music careers. We did an autograph signing party at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel. We gave out and signed our promo photos to the lovely little women that stood in front of us at the table. We were leaving when the elevator door opened and off stepped Mick, followed by the rest of The Rolling Stones. Probably star struck. We just stood there as they went in to sign autographs and do a press conference. We headed off to McCormick Place to get ready for the concert.
The Arie Crown Theater was huge. As we set up our gear on the spots they assigned us, I looked over to see Chuck standing on his spot which seemed to be a half block or so away. The stage was 100 times bigger than the one in Old Town, and the rows of seats seem to go off into infinity. Once we were set up we wandered around backstage and ran into Charlie Watts and Bill Wyman of The Stones. We chatted for a while, and then went off to get changed.
We went back to our instruments onstage, and we were out of audience sight but could peer through the transparent curtain and see shadows moving to their seats. Chuck Madden told me recently that he had an article stating that one of these 5,000 shadows belonged to a young high school girl named Hillary Rodham. We nervously smiled at each other knowing that we were a long way away from being a garage/basement band. We were opening for The Rolling Stones. Disk jockey “Emperor” Clark Weber announced us, the curtains parted and we came face to face with 5,000 screaming attendees. God it was loud. We went through the tunes in what seemed like three minutes. As we took our bow, Chuck removed a bracelet from his wrist and tossed it into the audience. There was a scramble for it as we left the stage.
With the adrenalin soaring through our bodies, we congratulated each other. We found a neat vantage point off stage right. The lights went down again, and The Stones’ ‘Not Fade Away’ was pumping through the auditorium. Spots hit the rising stage and as The Rolling Stones came into view the screams were so loud that I couldn’t hear myself talking to Bill, even though we were inches apart. They sure rocked the house! When the concert was over and we were preparing to leave, I noticed a large group of girls racing towards us. One of them was waving Chuck’s bracelet. We guessed that they wanted the rest of us too and we ran down the hallway and hid until we could hear them no more. A guy could get hurt in the music business!
After the concert, we went back to the clubs for six weeks or so and then back to Old Town and My Sister’s Place; it did seem like home. The street was busier than ever. Dick Clark was sponsoring a six-venue battle of the bands in the city and we were asked to participate. Buffalo Bob Madden signed us in immediately. Since the voting was based on crowd reaction, Bob developed a grandiose idea. All we had to do was “get out the vote.”
Our local fan club base was getting quite large, and they all had addresses. Bob supervised a mass mailing and offered a free ride from our “home club” in Old Town to the various venues. The response was very positive, and the plan worked. Beautifully! Bob should have been a politician. We won the Chicago Battle of the Bands. The prize was to compete in one more show at Chicago’s Navy Pier, in a month or so.
A quick sidebar: We were not the only thing going on in the biz in Chicago. Walt Parazaider, Danny Seraphine, and Terry Kath were putting together a band to be called The Big Thing. They asked Bob Madden to hear the group. He took Chuck to a rehearsal, and soon, like overnight, The Missing Links were disbanded and reformed with Chuck, Danny, Walt, and Terry. They went back to Old Town. I don’t know what happed after that because I wasn’t there. But if you read Danny Seraphine’s book Street Player you can find out, in Chapter Four.
What Goes Up
The Southwest suburbs of Chicago were teeming with up and coming musicians. I did a short stint with a group called The Presidentials. The band had friends like Gary Loizzo and The American Breed and Tony Bicek of The Maybees, with whom we shared billings at teen club venues. The Ides of March, The Cryan’ Shames, The Shadows of Knight and The New Colony Six were working the same circuits, and we followed each other into and out of the clubs. The Presidentials was a good band, but internal problems caused a breakup.
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| The Presidentials in 1967 |
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Late ’67, Bill Salzbrunn and I were approached by Buffalo Bob Madden, and one more time, we formed another band called Genesis. We really had no idea as to what was going on with Phil Collins in the UK at the time. I think maybe we had the name first.
Our version of Genesis had a horn line. We added a bass player that could play trumpet and bass at the same time (cool, right?), a trumpet player, and a guitarist who sang soul. Club owners loved paying a “Big Sound” five-member group, with a three-man horn line! Playing jazz rock, soul, and the “Top 40,” we went back into the clubs and did quite well locally for a handful of years, but no more big concerts.
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We went back to the Palmer House downtown. As we did when we were with The Missing Links, after finishing the gig Bill and I would grab a drink at Miller’s Pub, and mingle at the bar with the Empire Room stars like Tony Bennett and a guy in his band named Bill Chase. Bill went on to form a self named rock/jazz group, with a “PHAT” horn line. His future ended tragically in a plane crash while the band Chase was headed for a gig. Chase sounded like Blood, Sweat & Tears.
Chuck Madden joined Genesis for a few weeks, but our Chicago-version of Genesis slowly disintegrated. I received my music degree and went into teaching and band directing. Bill Salzbrunn continued drumming with some local groups. The other guys faded into the vapor. Thanks for letting us tell our story here. Just keep practicing. Good things can happen!
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| Ross Gentile, Jim Guercio and George Buetow |
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| Danny Seraphine and George Buetow |
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| The Missing Links, September 2011: Ronnie Yankovich, Bill Salzbrunn, George Buetow and Chuck Madden |
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| Evolution of The Missing Links |
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