Every Mother's Son

Every Mother's Son was an American sunshine pop band formed in New York City in 1966. Coming from a folk rock background situated in Greenwich Village, the group scored their only Top 40 hit "Come On Down to My Boat" in 1967. Following their brief commercial success, Every Mother's Son achieved lesser fortunes with songs such as "Put Your Mind at Ease" and "Pony with the Golden Mane", and recorded two studio albums before disbanding in 1968.The nucleus of Every Mother's Son formed in early 1966, when brothers Lary (vocals, guitar) and Dennis Larden (vocals, guitar) met Bruce Milner (organ, piano) at a Greenwich Village nightclub. The Larden brothers had previous experience playing four years together as a folk duo for engagements in Greenwich Village's burgeoning music scene. During this time they played all types of engagements, from private parties to Village night clubs. They worked only weekends since school and homework took up the other days of the week. Milner had also spent time performing with various folk bands, but desired to involve himself with a group long-term.Early in 1966 they decided that they would have more scope for musical growth as members of a rock group. Through a mutual friend they heard about a young musician named Bruce Milner, who, after a number of years as an organist with various groups, was looking for a permanent affiliation. Lary, Dennis, and Bruce met one night in Greenwich Village, took to each other, and decided on the spot to form a rock group of their own. Within a week they added a bass player, Schuyler Larson, and a drummer, Christopher Augustine.The group spent a month rehearsing, writing new songs, working together until they felt they were ready with their sound and ready to be seen professionally. They contacted Peter Leeds, young manager of record acts, who knew The Larden Brothers from their old folk duo days. They asked him to watch them perform at a college fraternity party, one that the boys had booked themselves. Leeds came to watch them, was strongly impressed, and signed them to a management contract.Peter Leeds put them in touch with writer-producer Wes Farrell in the summer of 1966. Their meeting with Farrell was their first major step on the road to fame and fortune. Farrell was a songwriter and record producer who had composed songs such as "Hang on Sloopy", "Boys", and "Come a Little Bit Closer". Farrell had the boys audition for him in a small studio in a ramshackle building off Broadway. After climbing three flights of stairs with their instruments and amplifiers in the 90-degree heat that July day, Every Mother's Son were so exhausted that they forgot to be nervous. They came through so excitingly at the audition that the hard-bitten Wes Farrell immediately signed them to record for his Senate Records Productions firm. He cut twelve sides, an unheard-of practice with a new group, and took their records to a number of top record firms. Within a week five major labels were competing to distribute their records, and finally a deal was completed for Every Mother's Son records to be released by MGM. MGM Records signed the group as a clean-cut alternative to the 1960s counterculture.

Biography summary from English Wikipedia, photograph via Wikimedia Commons.