An Interview With Bill Smith
60sgaragebands.com (60s): How did you first get interested in music?
Bill Smith (BS): Speaking for myself, I was always a rock and roll junky. I listened to Alan Freed, Cousin Brucie and others.
60s: Was Uranus & The Five Moons your first band?
BS: Uranus & The Five Moons was our first and only band. Sam Nigh, the founder, may still play out in Santa Cruz, California. His group is called The Digbeats.
The Moons were “born” at the Foss Hill Dormitories in 1963. We lasted four years, 1964-1967. We were a college band at Wesleyan University in Connecticut. After that we only played for reunions.
60s: The band’s name is a clever play on words for a lower anatomy part. Who came up with it?
BS: Bob Marshak, Class of ’67, came up with the name. No one has seen him since.
60s: Who all comprised the group?
BS: There were several members along the way, but the ones most frequently associated with The Moons are Sam Nigh, Bob Runk (the only real musician/keyboard guy), Duncan Holaday (grew up with Paul Butterfield in Chicago; hence “Born In Chicago), Bill Smith and Bill Machen. We broke up in June of 1967, when Sam and Bob graduated.
60s: How would you describe the band’s sound?
BS: Our sound was pretty standard/classic. We were often described as “the best party band ever.” The Beatles, Stones, Chuck Berry, Rascals, Barry & The Remains and Magicians all influenced us.
60s: Where did the band typically play?
BS: We were a college band. We played up and down the east coast: Yale, Harvard, Princeton, Dartmouth, Williams, Amherst, Holyoke, Weaton, Wesleyan, University of Connecticut, Penn and others. We also played for 12 weeks at The Surfside in Fairfield, Connecticut in 1966 and for two weeks at The Five Flies in Manchester, Vermont in 1967. We played as far north as Hanover, New Hampshire and as far south as Washington, DC.
60s: Did Uranus & The Five Moons have a manager?
BS: Yes…a guy named Bill Reser but I don’t know where he is right now. He was a great guy.
60s: How popular did Uranus & The Five Moons become?
BS: We were the premier college band of our time. I don’t think that exists anymore, but if Yale was having a fall party, we would get the call.
60s: Where did Uranus & The Five Moons record?
BS: In those days Trod Nossel was called Syncron. They were in Wallingford, Connecticut, not far from Wesleyan. We recorded there because, after graduation, we knew we would never play (together) again. The sessions were very informal. We just went in there and played by ourselves. We recorded a 45 with two tunes: ‘Your Groove’ b/w ‘Mimi Von Lark’ (Gotcha Records, CO 2048). It was recorded in 1967.
Note: There are eight known additional recordings from the Syncron sessions: 'Come On Up," 'I'll Tell The World About You,' 'Midnight Hour,' 'Born In Chicago,' 'Don't Look Back,' 'I'll Feel A Whole Lot Better,' 'Why Do I Cry' and 'I've Got My Mojo Working.'
60s: Did Uranus & The Five Moons write many original songs?
BS: We wrote a lot of songs…mostly Runk, Nigh, Machen and Holaday…but we never dreamed they would go anywhere.
Note: Sundazed's Don't Press Your Luck compilation features previously unreleased band originals, both excellent: ''SSS' Happenin' Here' and 'Nothing Remains.'
60s: What keeps you busy today?
BS: I own an advertising firm in Farmington. Bob is a very successful insurance broker. Duncan runs a vodka distillery in St. Johnsbury, Vermont called Vermont Spirits. Bill Machen is a very successful lawyer in Boston. And Sam manages real estate in Santa Cruz.
60s: How do you best summarize your experiences with Uranus & The Five Moons?
BS: We loved the music but, more importantly, we were/are best friends. We couldn’t have done what we did unless we were best friends…so there you have it!
For more on Uranus & The Five Moons, visit their Web site. |
