The band started with Joel Bassuk on drums, Mark Glickman on keyboards, Tom Springer on bass, Greg DiRusso on guitar, and Erie Chao and Steve Cope on vocals.  Joel was the best drummer on campus, but he was also on the verge of failing out and perhaps also cognizant that he was too good to be in this band.  We knew that at best we had him on extended loan.  It was like having a faithful spaniel with a tumor; we savored each day but knew one day there would be only tears and memories.

I came in and replaced Tom Springer, and Mark was delighted though we all knew we had our work cut out for us if we were to compete against the stronger bands on campus.  With the new line up, we took the customary liberty of swapping instruments occasionally, usually according to one of the following patterns in decreasing order of use:

1. Tony and Greg on guitars, and Mark on bass
2. Tony on bass, Greg on guitar, and Mark on keys
3. Tony on guitar, Greg on bass, and Mark on keys

We practiced in Mark's and my room at 71 Little Hall (if I recall the number).  Our room was the best possible place to practice.  Along with our non-musician roomie Henri, we had a large common living room sufficiently spacious to accommodate a drum kit and the amps and wires for a full practice space.  This probably alienated the women living upstairs considerably, but we were insensitive to their plight.  What sealed the deal is that our room was a fishbowl on the first floor, with bay windows providing a stagelike performance area overlooking a major pedestrian traffic choke point.  A gently sloping ivy-covered hill opposite sometimes became an ad hoc amphitheatre for passersby who found the music a nice change of pace.  I know we sounded great at times, but the quality was often uneven.   The year was made for rock and roll.

An evening with "Tom Hall"

We started by drawing up a repetoire list and distributing cassette tapes of songs to learn.  We had taken the plunge and gone for around 25 songs growing toward 40 or so, as this was the amount judged necessary to play a party at one of the eating clubs without resort to a double bill.

On an evening in November or December 1985, we were practicing hard for our first gig -- an upcoming Battle of the Bands.  Between songs, a man knocked on the door and came in.  He was in his thirties or forties, and wore a Stetson hat, but this was in no way the limit of his eccentricity.  He introduced himself as Tom Hall and told us that he was a music producer.  He had heard us as he passed by, and he thought we sounded great and he was nearly certain he could do something with us if we'd like to record in a studio with him.

This sounded quite thrilling, and we played a song or two for him.  I clearly remember playing "Mr. Soul" and blowing the doors off it.  I mean, it was extremely good.  Tom was exhuberant and redoubled his praise.  We glowed with excitement and pride.  He asked if there were any way he could help us get started, and started to offer some ideas.  At first, he offered the surprisingly slim boost of helping us buy some more drumsticks and guitar leads and then the surprisingly campy suggestion that Erie should adopt "Jade" as a stage name.

But here, things started to become a little edgy.  He told some rambling story about living on campus in the vacant dorm room of a classmate of ours who had tragically committed suicide over the summer.  The name he provided for this student did not ring a bell with us, but 1 or 2 students had taken their lives over the past year, and we let it pass.  He described how he was using his time in that room to remember his young, lost friend and to try to honor his memory by doing whatever he could to help people reach their dreams, in his name.  Our excitement faded over the course of discussion as we began to sense that we were talking to someone suffering from delusions or a need to lie. 

This realization seemed hardest on Joel, who adored music and who genuinely deserved such opportunities.  After Tom left, we had some difficulty getting Joel to share our conviction that Tom Hall was not for real.  We wound up calling the campus police and reporting this encounter.  They seemed to have heard other reports of this man and were trying to pin him down.  We talked about this surreal encounter far into the night, but we never heard more of it or heard from this mystery man again.  I, for one, hoped that we would.

"Tom Hall" lived on in a comedic audio rockumentary Mark and I created following the band's first gig... a Battle of the Bands at Cloister Inn.  We were ready to rock.

The Battle of the Bands

One of the eating clubs, Cloister Inn, hosted a Battle of the Bands competition one night in December.  It was a well-booked event, with bands such as Hindsight and The Usual Suspects playing, along with several others.  There was to be only enough time to play around 5 songs or so for each band.

The club was absolutely packed, and we were not to play until midnight.  But the delays imposed by the previous bands set-ups and tear-downs meant we did not get on until much later, and we were pretty worried that we'd not even get the chance to play.  We had a boombox with a condenser microphone with us to record the event, as I recall, and this sat on stage behind the drums, resulting in a percussion-rich recording.  This suited history fine, as this was to be the only time that we actually played a gig with Joel on drums, and we got our money's worth.

I am not sure that we have the order right here, except that Driver 8 was clearly our first song.

Driver 8 (4:48, 6 MB)

This R.E.M. cover was our lead-off song.  Ever infatuated with novel technology, we had Erie kick things off with a stock "train" patch for the DX-7 keyboard -- cheese-tastic!  The "Dinky" was a single car electric train that ran on a spur connecting campus with the main commuter rail line, and you can hear the tremendous frustration in Steve Cope's intro when he says, "so... let's go!".  Poor Steve was to suffer mightily in this song, however.  A lack of sufficient monitors meant that he could not hear himself at all, and when the second verse starts he inadvertantly jumps an octave and sings without falsetto well outside any reasonable range.  It has an intensity, to be sure, but not quite the rumbling mystery of a Michael Stipe brood.  Mark is on bass, and Greg and Tony on guitars.

Mr. Soul (4:16, 4 MB)

This was clearly the highpoint of our gig, and probably the best the Stereotypes ever sounded in live performance.  This Buffalo Springfield cover is earthy and its pace is the same inexorable limp as any axe murderer from the cinema.  It is a musical maniac coming to get you.  Greg DiRusso takes the guitar lead in this.  Having Joel for the occasion inspires us to sandwich the song in a pair of drum solos not found in the original, and it works REALLY well here apart from a blown cue at the end.  Greg and Tony on guitar, and Mark on bass.

Don't You Forget About Me (4:56, 5 MB)

I always hated this song.  It holds no appeal.  But Mark loved it and insisted that people could dance to it.  Every time he offered this opinion, he would commence a little jig like Captain Kangaroo's dancing bear after a 3 day drunk.  But he was serious.  I love the banter that precedes this one, with Steve, Mark and Joel all contributing.   Greg is on bass, Tony on guitar, and Mark on keys.

And She Was (4:38, 4 MB)

Another song I did not adore, but it was new at the time and all over the radio.  The blown intro is typical of our professionalism.  Vexingly, Hindsight had played the song in their set before we took the stage, and we comment on this in the introduction.  In the rockumentary that we compiled later, Mark spoofs the enjoyment he got out of knowing that his keyboard rendition of the arpeggios corrected a mistake made by the Hindsight keyboardist (our good pal and sometime partner in music, Tad Coburn).  I will say that this one does attain a certain energy as it goes, and the variety in intensity helps set off the boisterous chorus.  Greg is playing bass as Mark is on keys and Tony on guitar.

11:59 (3:39, 3 MB)

This Blondie cover is not bad.  It never sounded very good later in our life.  Tony on bass, Greg on guitar, and Mark plays keys.

Bob Sadin's Big Show Revue

Mark and I got all excited by what was perceived as a very successful first gig.  We were still amused by the recent encounter with Tom Hall, and Mark had some teasing on hand for Tom Springer and was still brimming with the satisfaction only a true anal retentive can know that he knew how to play the keyboard part for And She Was correctly and Hindsight's keyboardist did not.  As we considered making a rockumentary tape to commemorate the accomplishments of this legendary band The Stereotypes, we thought immediately of Professor Bob Sadin, who taught a very hip popular music class that we were taking.

I took the role of Bob Sadin, affecting a regrettably nasal voice for some reason.  Mark generally got all the good laughs out of it, and we made some phone calls to random numbers on campus to interview people who'd attended the Battle of the Bands to see what nice things we could trick them into saying about us.  As it turns out, by pure chance one of the rooms we called had Mark's old girlfriend Tracy there, and she was chirping all sorts of supportive comments.  Bob Sadin's Big Show Revue is 34 minutes long and 39 MB in size, containing all the music linked above.  It may only be humorous to Mark and Tony, but what the hey... I threw it up here for posterity.

Feb 8th Party at Ivy Club

Our success at the Battle of the Bands was followed by a profound setback -- Joel Bassuk left the group to focus on studies.  We fished around and found Seth Cameron, a quiet jazz drummer to fill in.  Seth did not really have much time for drumming, and his jazz background cost us some of the hard-rocking beat that Joel had brought to the party.  It took us 2 months to practice enough that we had a full repetoire and Seth fully briefed.

Then, as February arrived, our opportunities exploded.  We booked a party at Ivy Club on February 8th and a dance at Dillon Gym for Valentine's Day less than a week later.  We were really in charge.

Ivy Club had a wood-panelled dining room cleared out for us, and we set up to play.  I recall two moderate disasters during this gig.  First, we had a song, Whisper to a Scream where we used a drum machine alongside Seth for added punch, and Seth took an extra measure or two in one of the breaks and fell behind the robotic drummer when it came back in.  This is akin to falling asleep in the wheatfield just before the combine comes back to finish bringing in the crop.  The second disaster was that Mark unplugged a MIDI cable and a chance discharge caused the keyboard to receive a transpose event which threw its output a full 5 half steps sharp.  Mark played the next song (which was unfortunately keyboard-heavy) unable to hear that his keyboards were in an entirely wrong key!

I do not know the order in which these songs were performed, but here are some excerpts from the gig.

Another Nail In My Heart (3:01, 4 MB)

Not too shabby!  We have Greg on bass, Mark on keys and I am tackling the considerable task of the guitar parts.  I like the mix, and how tightly Greg and I do the harmonized riffs.  I falter a bit on the lead, but frankly this sort of play is beyond my ability and I admit that I'm pleased with the results as they stand.

Big in Japan (4:45, 6 MB)

An Alphaville cover.  I am on bass, and Greg on bass and Mark on keys.  We have our Yamaha drum machine driving the beat.  It is soon to pounce and stab us when we get to Whisper to a Scream.  Is it just me, or is this song really repetitive?

China (4:11, 5 MB)

I am not sure, but I almost think Mark is playing guitar on this one.  If so, this is really unusual for us.  I think I am on bass, and Greg is clearly on guitar.  I think the Red Rockers did the original of this.  Is that bridge lame or what?

Good Love (2:41, 3 MB)

Corny nutrition.  I'm on bass, Greg on guitar, and Mark on keys. I like the harmonies with Erie and Mark joining in.

Head Over Heels (3:18, 4 MB)

A Go-Gos cover with Erie singing.  I'm on bass, Greg on guitar, and Mark pounding the keys to wonderful effect.  I have to admit.  There is nothing quite as much fun as playing the bass in girl group summer songs.  This is a peppy number.  Mark nails the solo on keys and then I get to do the little bass break.  I'm sneaking in enough little adlibs that I almost match the standards of my brother.

Her Head's Revolving (3:28, 4 MB)

Originally by The Three O'Clock, Erie sings as Greg and I again have the harmony riffing formula seen in Another Nail in My Heart working to its fullest.  Mark has a great patch coded up for the whirlwind in the middle break.   Really a good showing for this group.  Someone actually says, "Good band!" at the end.  It could be sarcasm, but I swear it isn't someone from our group!

I'll Melt with You (4:35, 5 MB)

Greg grabs the bass as I play guitar and Mark plays two keyboards.  I always liked this song, but detest the sound I get when I play the chords.  If we'd practiced a bit more for this, we'd have someone singing the second voice in the chorus, but Mark is clearly focused entirely on the keyboards at that point.

Mr. Soul (4:27, 5 MB)

Not quite as nice as the rendition done at the Battle of the Bands, but still strong.  Seth has unfortunately not captured the distinctive beat of the original which has the snare on all 4 beats.  Greg's unorthodox solo really works.  He always surprised me with his method.

New Year's Day (5:17, 6 MB)

I'm on bass, Greg on guitar, and Mark on keys as we cover U2.  I love this song's bass line, but this is not our best rendition ever.  I recall one gig where we played at the Student Center and we did it in a reggae (or was it polka?) style, and it sounded really cool.

Radio, Radio (2:54, 3 MB)

Same lineup as the above, except here Mark sings and not Steve.

When You Were Mine (3:18, 4 MB)

This is what it's like when doves cry.  A Prince cover.  Same lineup, with Steve singing.  Am I insane, or does this sound reasonable?  Maybe this band was not as bad as I always remember it.  Hmmmm...   I even sense Steve channeling the Purple One.

Whisper to a Scream (4:17, 5 MB)

This the minor calamity where Seth falls behind the drum machine somewhere mid-song.  It does not sound as awkward as I recall it being at the time.  I think the issue comes at the start of the second verse.  You can hear Mark and my guitar trying to pull the group back, knowing that the drum machine is unlikely to defer.  Oh well.  I am playing the guitar, and I think Mark is playing the bass.  I am not sure where Greg is.  Perhaps he did not play in this number.

Valentine's Day Dance at Dillon Gym

I know that we had a videotape of this gig, but I can no longer find it.  However, we did tape the entire engagement.  Dillon Gym is a large place to play a dance, and it was quite empty when we started out.  I can hear friends of mine teasing me at the beginning.

Unfortunately, the audio quality of this recording is not as good as the Ivy gig.

11:59 (3:25, 4 MB)

Our favorite Blondie cover.  What is Seth DOING with the tempo?

Alison (2:52, 3 MB)

Mark gets his chance to sing and play keys as Greg takes the bass.  It's so tame! Mark and I had previously done a great 4 track recording of just the two of us on this.

I'm Burning Up (3:22, 4 MB)

Erie tended to go overboard when she sang this one, so much so that I made the mistake one time of putting up posters advertising a gig saying things like "Erie is on FIRE!" and "Erie is Burning Up for your LOVE!"   It sort of pissed off her boyfriend, who was much larger than me.  He got over it, I hope.  It was Mark's idea!

I'd love to say that this was a solid number for us, but...

Every Breath You Take (3:45, 4 MB)

Well, when you have a digital echo, you use it. I'm on guitar, Greg on bass and Mark on keys.

Her Head's Revolving (3:17, 4 MB)

This song always did pretty well, but the mix is poor on this recording.  Mark's keyboards were freaking out and only playing half his notes.  This was probably that he was using his freaky roaming controller and MIDI circuitry had yet to achieve stability.

I Want to Tell You (3:00, 4 MB)

Almost all the bands I've been in have done one or more Beatles songs.  I love the Beatles more than life itself, but we've murdered every song in performance.  It's horrible, but this one is nearly working.  Is the keyboard tuned properly?

Andy Griffith Theme/I Will Follow (4:53, 6 MB)

Although Mark and I were to finally arrive at a nearly-polished Andy Griffith Theme rendition by late April, this one is either not ready for action or we lost faith that the joke was working.

Mental Hopscotch (3:19, 4 MB)

I always liked this one.  I'm on guitar, Greg on bass, and Mark on keys.  The sound guy sure liked adding echo to the vocals.  I sure like the yowl I get out of the guitar at the end of the solo -- it's like a polar bear coping with a kidney stone.  I'm not sure, but that may be from a second-generation Roland guitar synth.

When You Were Mine (3:36, 4 MB)

This one always worked.  Greg on guitar, me on bass, Mark on keys.

Whisper To A Scream (3:37, 4 MB)

I wish the bass were louder in this, as we have finally overcome the confusion that afflicted this number at Ivy.

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