Hair Loft ^
forMenandW*nen
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RIP-ROARIN’
PERM SPECIAL Reg. 3500
Through February ^ ^ ^ 00
(Cuts not included)
Two convenient campus locations
1239 Alder
485-1202
1461 E. 19th
484-2565
STOP
BEING A STUDENT
BECOME A TEACHER
EVERYBODY has something to offer.
This is what the SEARCH program is all
about. In the past 14 years we have
sponsored over 1000 courses. Over 25,000
students have taken such classes as: War In
The Nuclear Age, Hot Air Ballooning, Tai Chi,
Watergate, the History of Rock and Roll and
Finding a job in the "real world." If you have
something you’d like to teach, come by
Suite 1 in the EMU and talk it over with us.
The process of approval is easy.
For more information
Call 686-4377.
Cultural Forum Presents
Photo Gallery
A special exhibit featuring
selected photos by
Bernard L. Freemesser
Late Professor of Art at the University of Oregon,
1955-78
Reception 2:00 p.m. Sunday,
February 22nd through March 19.
— /
V/////,
Cruisin’ with the Whitetones
“A cappella! What is it? Starts
with an A. Ends with an A . "
Jerry Lawson of the Persua
sions
A cappella. Two decades
ago it filled the streets of the
cities Four, maybe five singers
on a street corner, their voices
harmonizing on the latest
rhythm and blues hits, not a
musical instrument in sight.
Twenty years later it's hard
to doo-wop to "My Sharona."
A cappella rhythm and blues
has lost its chic. But there's
still life in them old bones.
A few a cappella groups, the
Persuasions the most famous
among them, still carry on the
tradition. And Eugene has a
doo-wop group of its own: the
Whitetones.
The Whitetones range in
age from late 20’s to late 30 s.
Of the group s four members,
two grew up on the East Coast,
two on the West Coast. All
share a love for doo-wop and
rhythm and blues music.
The lead singer of the Whi
tetones, Looney Lenny Gold
berg, began his singing career
at Brooklyn’s New Utrecht
High School with a group
called Lincoln Chandler and
the Lost Knights, and later
sang with the Soul Stoppers.
According to the Whitetones'
official biography, the Soul
Stoppers recorded a single
called "Let’s Sit Down,” which
"sold an amazing 31 copies."
After moving to the Bay Area
in 1970, Goldberg ran a couple
of collectors’ record stores,
and edited an oldies magazine
called Stormy Weather. In his
‘spare time he co-hosted
"Cruisin’,” an oldies radio
program which can now be
heard on Eugene’s KLCC. In
1975, Lenny, his records, and
“Cruisin' " moved to Oregon.
The current version of his
record store, Diana’s, is
scheduled to open in March,
with the Whitetones singing at
the grand opening
When it comes to music,
says first tenor Paul Fried
lander, "Looney Lenny knows
everything."
Friedlander, also known as
Pablo Tone, is the Whitetones’
other New Yorker. According
to the bio, his first doo-wop
group, the Chapters, "were a
rage on the hospital-nursing
home circuit, performing their
music to the defenseless ger
iatrics.” Friedlander left doo
wop to try his hand at blue
grass (performing onstage
with folk-legend Phil Ochs in
1965). He recorded two al
bums with a group called Bal
derdash before moving to
Oregon.
The Whitetones singing in a kitchen/dressing room: a cappella gold.
Second Tenor Bill “Guido”
Chilla is a university voice
major and candle maker when
he’s not singing with the Whi
tetones. His musical exper
ience ranges from opera to
summer stock to rock and roll,
though he claims that his best
performance to date has been
as a starting guard for the
Tacoma High School football
team.
The Whitetones are an-i
chored by the youngest
member of the group, bass
man Little Davey Diego. He
began as a California folk mu
sician, did a stint as a bass
player for Hoe Down, and as
lead guitarist and vocalist in
Talk is Cheap Diego recently
cut the sleeves off his White
tones T-shirt and announced
plans to begin weight training.
Existing as a concept for
several years, the Whitetones
waited until last summer
before Looney Lenny, Pablo,
Guido, and Little Davey ac
tually took to the stage.
In November, the Persua
sions, who bill themselves as
the ‘‘Kings of A Cappella,”
came to Eugene. The White
tones, dubbing themselves
“The Knaves of A Cappella,”
opened the show and later
sang “What's Your Name’’
onstage with the Persuasions.
The Whitetones’ most
recent appearance came on
Valentine’s Night at B.J. Kel
ley's, singing between sets of a
band called Slowtrain. The
audience was the sort that ap
preciated Slowtrain’s bland,
middle-of-the-road dance mu
sic, and there was some ques
tion as to how they would react
to a doo-wop group
As the Whitetones began to
warm up in a kitchen, which
doubled as a dressing room,
Lenny announced that he’d
forgotten "all of the words to
all of the songs.” Asked if he
thought the crowd would ac
cept their music, Friedlander
said, “No. We'll have to make
'em go for it. I’m always scared
when it's not an oldies crowd.”
As the Whitetones opened
with “In the Still of the Night,”
150 B.J. Kelly’s patrons looked
up from their beers in disbelief.
Their disbelief turned to ap
plause as they realized that
these guys could sing. As the
'tones started into the Del-Vik
ings’ “Come Go With Me,” the
dance floor began to fill up.
Next was “Book of Love”,
and then it was China's turn in
"I Believe.” As Lenny, Pablo,
and Little Davey crooned
behind him, Guido began his
monologue: “People always
come up to me after I sing this
song, and they ask me/Guido,
what do you really believe?’
And I look at them, and I
answer. . . ‘Who the fuck
cares, anyway?”’ There was
much laughter and applause
as they went into the final
verse.
The show was a qualified
success. A portion of the
crowd still has no idea what to
make of them, but the White
tones have managed to pull a
positive reception from an
audience that could have
turned hostile.
The Whitetones plan to take
some time off from performing
to work up some new material.
Long-range plans have them
playing the Northwest college
circuit, and possibly playing
some shows in California,
where a Whitetones' promo
tional tape has been heard on
the syndicated ‘‘Cruisin' ”
show.
The Whitetones have no il
lusions of making it big, but as
Lenny puts it, “That doesn't
mean we aren’t serious.”
The Whitetones live for the
day when you’ll be able to walk
down the street and hear four
voices under a corner lamp
post. A cappella.
By Phil Bernstein
Photos by Steve Dykes
Open
8:30 - 5:30
M-F
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Factory
Trained
Mechanics
DATSUN TOYOTA & HONDA CVCC
♦4-CYL TUNE-UP SPECIAL
Includes: valve adjustment, tune-up, points, plugs, condenser,
plus carburator & scope adjustment.
♦BRAKE SPECIAL
Includes: replacement of front-brake pads
PARTS AND LABOR FOR EITHER only 134.95
Tony Chilton 11th & Chambers, Eugene
Lee Wcrthamer 345-2222