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The Sky
The Sky was our third band, from about end of 1968
into 1971, when Kev and Dave went off to Bard College. The short name was
because we were really, really into The Who.
After Jr. year of HS, Myke went off to a different HS and original
drummer Paul Zimmer went off to college. Young pup Dennis Kelley was added
on drums, and the band was whittled down to a "power-trio" with Kev on
bass, Dennis on drums and Dave on guitar. We played lots of Who, Led Zep,
Hendrix, Jeff Beck Group and, inexplicably, Jethro Tull! (How did we do
it without the flute?)
Here are some great
Sky gig stories.
We recently unearthed
these amazing drawings. Sitting bored in class, some of us would sketch
our favorite bands, or our dream gear. More to follow...
Joe unearthed these historic photos he took
of the last-ever gig by The Sky.
It was a dance at St. Joseph's Church gym in Mendham,
NJ, summer 1970.
Here's Dennis "looking like a young osteoperosis
sufferer" (his words...!) Note Telecaster case under Dennis's bum... |
An arty shot of the band: Dennis almost out of view
to the left, Dave (with SG), Kev, (somewhat obscured, center), another Dave
(?). Note Vox PA column to the right of "Dave #2." |
Dennis and Kev (with Hagstrom bass).
Dennis comments on his drums: "That old white pearl kit was rumored
(?) to be a Jap Rogers copy, but I think it was just plain Japanese - or,
as Larry (Ripley, the 1910 Fruitgum Co. bassist who then
was at Dorn & Kirshner) said, "made by the J.A. Pan Company".
It was all-wood, though - you'd never find that now, esp. not for
$200 (that was in 1967) - crappy cymbals included.
I still use the replacement hi-hat cymbals Joe brought home for me
in 1969, for which I paid $25 I think; the pencil scrawl inside the top
cymbal reads "Bobby McHugh, Short Hills, NJ"!!!!! |
Dave's rig for The Sky included a beautiful 1968 Gibson SG,
a now-rare Fender Blender fuzz with octave effect, a "oil can" style Vox Echo-Reverb unit and a Maestro Boomerang wah-wah pedal. He still used his Tele as well. The SG was stolen in '72, which was fitting, but that's another story... |
Dave's pride and joy: a tube '66 Vox
Berkeley II. Where is it now? Got left in Myke's basement, and then?
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