RD 1 stuff
The RD 1 Story
Bob Macdonald, Dave Weber and John Hynes had gone to college together at Seton Hall University in South Orange, NJ, from '70 to '74. During that time, they all got to be friends and musical companions.
There was a sort of Coffee House Open Mike each week in which they all participated, but most of the music was made in the dormitory during those wonderfully rich musical times. Dave and John even shared a dorm suite and a regular parade of musicians frequented theirs and many other musical rooms. Among the notables who were regulars at the time were Jim Marino, who remained a good friend and lifelong musical force and Max Weinberg, who went on to fame and glory with Bruce Springsteen and Conan O'Brien.
After graduation in '74, the first actual band containing Dave, Bob & John formed calling itself Sequoia, a band name Bob had used in a few previous incarnations with other players. That band didn't last long and Dave soon moved back to Cherry Hill, his hometown, although he stayed in touch with Bob and John over the next several months.
In the Spring of '76, Bob called Dave. Bob had played a few summers in Wildwood, NJ with various musicians in a few rooms. In one particular room, HENRY'S, Bob got to know the owners, Mike Crippen and his wife Karen, and the brains and brawn behind the operation, Joe Grassi, a dynamic and intimidating man with a deceptively warm heart.
Joe told Bob exactly what he wanted. "I want guitar, bass and banjo" was what he said. Dave was just a novice on the banjo, but he was the only person Bob knew who played one at all, so Dave got the call. Bob asked him if he knew any bass players who would be willing to spend a summer playing in Wildwood. Dave had been playing in a trio with an old friend named Arnie Bornstein. Arnie got recruited and several rehearsals were thrown together before their audition at Henry's.
The audition did not go terribly well. Bob, who had ridden with Dave to Wildwood lay in the passenger seat on the ride home trying to stop his heart. He was that disappointed. For some reason, though, Joe, Mike and Karen saw potential in the three young men and booked them for the summer of '76 as the main act at HENRY's on Pacific Avenue in Wildwood, NJ. It would prove to be a transformational summer.
It didn't take long for Bob, Dave & Arnie to gel as an act. Their eclectic mix of folk, bluegrass, rock and country was mixed with a lot of Beatles, their own originals and a sprinkling of blues and soul. Thier personalities showed brightly onstage and it didn't take long for them to develop a following. There was no other act anything like them on the Wildwood strip.
They played six nights a week, four sets a night from 9:00 to 3:00, alternating with another act, Mac & Dierks. Enter Gary McCarren. Gary McCarren, from Carlisle, PA, was several years younger than Dave & Bob and was instantly recognized as a dynamic presense and formidable talent. His singing and playing style were well-honed and they all became friends and often shared the stage. Andy Dierks, his bass player, was from Coalport, PA. Gary played a lot of songs from the classic singer/songwriters of the time and introduced Dave & Bob to music that they'd never been exposed to but which would become a huge part of their musical lives.
That summer run continued in '77 and '78. The lineup changed a bit each year. By '78, Gary McCarren was playing solo and Bob & Dave had recruited their old friend John Hynes to join them for a summer playing bass. Bob turned to the classified ads to find a fiddler, the next requirement from the precient Joe Grassi, and they were rewarded with the great talents of Jonathan Yudkin. Jonathan was from Philadelphia, younger than the rest of them by several years, but was a true monster on the violin. The bar had been raised and people were lined up down the block each night trying to get in to see their amazing shows.
The band was innovative in many ways. Bob, Dave & John Hynes were all longtime songwriters and they regularly featured their originals in their shows. They also brought a high energy to the traditional bluegrass music of the time, making them forerunners of the "Newgrass" movement. By the end of the summer of '78 it was obvious that the act had to take it to the next level. Wildwood just wasn't big enough for these guys.
Bob had worked a bit with a drummer from the Cape May area named Andy Vernon. Andy was a quick and perfect fit for the ensemble. When you read about The Who finding Keith Moon or the Beatles enlisting Ringo, it felt the same way for RD1. The final piece was in place. RD1 moved their operation from Wildwood to North Jersey in the summer of '79. They rented a big house in Greenbrook, NJ, which became their headquarters, rehearsal space, recording studio and party central. They enlisted the dubious talents of a manager/agent who, while painfully inexperienced, was industrious and got the band into some very prestigious venues.
At first they kept the "Wildwood" formula that featured Gary McCarren playing solo sets between the band's sets, a night of non-stop music. However, it didn't take long for Gary to integrate himself with the band and it quickly solidified as the classic lineup that RD1 is most remembered for - Bob Macdonald on vocals and guitar, Dave Weber on vocals, banjo, harmonica and various other instruments, John Hynes on vocals and bass, Gary McCarren on guitar and vocals, Jonathan Yudkin on vocals, fiddle and mandolin and Andy Vernon on drums.
It wasn't long before RD1 found itself working sometimes five or six nights a week. THe momentum started to build and the rooms kept getting bigger and better. John Hynes really led the effort to get some kind of industry notice, be it for a record deal, a writing deal or whatever, while Bob did his best to keep the band moving forward. Forays into New York were frequent, be it to perform at some of the more high-profile clubs at the time, like The Lone Star Cafe on 5th Av. They headlined and opened for national acts over several years and met some truly legendary people.
The club scene in North Jersey and up into New York and way down into Pennsylvania was thriving in those days during the late 70s & early 80s. We were entering a new era of recession, with gas rationing and more to come.......
