To say, if you have pic's and stories of The Igniters that you want to share, send them in, too.Ĭlick here for The Ignitersmusic web site.Ĭlick here to check out FUN featuring Bob McKeag. Where they are today.and reunion concert pic's, too, will be here soon!!!PleaseĬheck back often, and if you have any shots of The Varsity House, or any other venue, send them in. On the history of The Igniters, the other groups they played in throughout the years (look at the top of this page to see "Butterball,"Īs everyone affectionately knows Thompson, provided these early pictures of The Igniters. Jack Thompson, a friend of The Igniters throughout the years, was instrumental in putting togetherĪ reunion concert by them at The Harmar House in Harmarville, Pa., on Friday August 22, 2003. Later that year another name change occurred, this time to "Friends." Friends recordedĪ 45rpm for Atlantic Records around 1970, but disbanded shortly thereafter. Music Factory." Research has found that their single: "Baby, I Love You" b/w "The Hunter Gets Capturedīy The Game," entered rotation at #54 on Septemand climbed to #41 by October 20, 1968, on WAVZ in New Records signed The Igniters to a record contract in 1968 but made them change their name to "Jimmy Mack and the Stu Heirs filled in on bass only for the reunion concerts. Ronnie "Byrd" Foster, Gary Gentile, Jackie Kier, Bob McKeg, Richie Rubin, Joe Santavicca, and Dan Valerio. Ron "Big AB" Abberzizzi, "Little Joe" Arena, Jeff Bobula, Bob Briede, Frank Czuri, Fred DeLu, Here are the names of all the various members of The Igniters over the years: Joe Santavicca on bass and Jackie Kier on drums, " Badda-bing," you've got Pittsburgh rocknrollĪt its finest. That was added to the rhythmic, soulful singing of front-man Frank Czuri and the thumping bottom end crafted by Jeff Bobula, nor did they have the meticulous and calculated guitar playing of Bob McKeg. Many times fans were turned away 'cos the show was sold out.ĭidn't have the advantage of the sound of a growling Hammond B3 like the one played by the multi-talented Were the "house band" at the famous Pittsburgh teen club "The Varsity House," and packed 'em When The Igniters played a gig, those lucky enough to have seen them were wowed. However, The Igniters tight musicianship and powerful vocalsĪnd harmonies allowed them to perform many R&B favorites of the day, which was actually their preferred The Kinks, Them, and many other British Invasion bands. Their repertoire included songs from The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Pop used to say.this stuff is "ever good!!!"Īnd loved rocknrollers from the east side of Pittsburgh in the mid 1960's. It's dated April 14, 1976, and told the public that the record was available for sale throughout the Pittsburgh areaĪt "The National Record Mart," a popular Pittsburgh record store chain at that time. The record was released in early 1976 and received radio airplay on WHJB and several other radio stationsĪround "the 'burg." Check out the Green Tab newspaper advertisement below the record. Thesa are scans of actual copies of the disc and The alley in the photo is located in Wilkinsburg, Pa. La La (Apparently)" b/w "I Cried As I Fell," on Wave Records, and the record sleeve is below that. The Telecaster is gone, but heīelow the jam shots is a scan of the first single released by "Backstreet" entitled: "Ooh That Kustom kicked out a whoppingģ00 watts of power - with built in reverb no less.īelow that photo is a picture of Lou playing his late 60's Fender Them is a Kustom 300 PA power unit sitting on Joe's piano speaker amp box. That axe was purchased in Pittsburgh's North Side at the Pitt Loan Company in 1964. It's a Harmony Silvertone Bobcat / Silhouette 2 pick-up Jaguar style " Now you know exactly what it sounded like, right? Frank is playing his first electric With Rick Davies on keyboards, on the tunes " Dreamer " and " Bloody Well Right. You might not know it, but the Wurlitzer 200 was played by bands such as Supertramp, In the top picture Joe is seen with his then brand new Wurlitzer model 200, It was a dance for Sacred Heart (all girls) High School. Their overall objective was to become a band who playedīelow are two pics from the first ever "Backstreet" jam which occurred Pennsylvania and southeastern Ohio for the next four years. What followed was a hard working Pittsburgh rock 'n roll band who played all over southwestern With those five securely in place, "Backstreet" Guitar, while Gene grabbed onto his brother, keyboardist Joe Bisegna. Frank asked his brother Lou to play bassĪnd recruited his childhood buddy and original "Poor Souls" guitarist, Alex Gionta, to play rhythm People" and ventured out on their own to start a new band. Was formed in 1974 after lead guitarist Frank Fischetti and drummer Gene Bisegna left the cover band "Yesterday's
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