Also for the record this post is thoroughly fogged by time passing too fast too far ago… bringing me to talk about one of my favorite musical groups of my youth and perhaps all time and one that unfairly bears that slur, One Hit Wonder.
Most of us old enough to remember the Cellar Door in Georgetown during the 60’s and 70’s recall the cramped dark and smoky place that might have seated 100 people who were very good friends or about to be. At 31st and M Streets, on one of the steepest streets in Georgetown, there was always a line falling downhill from the door before the evening’s show. The door inside was only wide enough to let one person by (so it seemed) and once inside you would step down a stairway into the seating area. I seem to remember seats above, but the place was always too crowded for me to ever turn around to actually see what or who was up there. I saw Richie Havens perform there one night with a “before my wife girlfriend”, (not to imply that there are any after my wife girlfriends) and we were so close that when he broke a guitar string, he stopped his performance and carried a conversation on with my friend and me and handed us the broken string when he had replaced it. The place defined intimate club. It was at the Cellar Door that some memorable moments of my youth occurred.
There are many groups cursed as One Hit Wonders. Most deservedly, some not. The name conjures inadequacy or luck or just happenstance to be in the right place at the right time with the right tune.
The fact is that when applied to the group, Starland Vocal Band , Bill Danoff, Taffy Nivert, Jon Carroll and Margot Chapman, it is slanderous and more a comment on the listening public’s easily titillated simple-mindedness than Starland’s ability and talents as artists.
I recall the tune, “Afternoon Delight” with a smile and how that cute song about nooners and quickies and fun sex between friends seemed to scandalize the radio waves when it was released. It could not miss as a hit in the 70’s. Those who are younger than me will know the song from its inclusion in movie soundtracks and retrospectives. “Afternoon Delight”, was the name of a menu item at Clyde’s in Georgetown and one day that kicked off Bill Danoff’s vivid imagination. While really fun and a great way for getting an afternoon with your honey started, it is probably the least of their efforts. Let’s go back a ways for a moment….
Starland has its roots in the Washington, DC, husband/wife duo Bill Danoff and Taffy Nivert, known as Fat City. As Fat City, they released four albums from 1969 to 1974. Oh to have those nights at the Cellar Door back again. “Workingman’s Day”, “Readjustment Blues”, “Take Me Home, Country Roads” (yes Bill and Taffy co-wrote it with John Denver), “Morning Go Away”, “I Guess He’d Rather Be In Colorado”, “Friends With You” these last four all covered wonderfully by John Denver.
Fast forward to 1975-76, I am not remembering clearly which, and “Starland Vocal Band” makes its debut sort of. I first heard them at the Cellar Door, did I say this was a phenomenal club?. They don’t make clubs like this anymore. We always went to see Fat City when they performed but this night would turn out to be special. First off, there was a piano on the stage and four mikes. Bill and Taffy were introduced as Fat City and then Margot Chapman and Jon Carroll came on stage. If I remember correctly, this was the first time they performed together in public. Right out of the box, they did “Boulder to Birmingham” a song that Bill co-wrote with Emmy Lou Harris, and they knocked us all flat. To this day theirs’ is the benchmark recording of that song. The vocal harmonies constructed by Bill, Taffy, Jon and Margot were simply marvelous. Together, the powerful and angelic voices of Taffy and Margot just mesmerized everyone that night. Jon’s playful voice and Bill’s smooth baritone perfect compliments to the ladies. Too soon the evening was over and they departed the stage to applause that almost burst down the doors off the place. As they returned to do an encore, the group stood on stage, their instruments behind them. Taffy announced that they had been working on lots of new vocal harmonies and would perform a capella for the first time, Paul Simon’s, “American Tune”, and she made no promises. They nervously started, got four or five notes in and just stopped. Taffy apologized, smiled and said, “Let’s try that again.” What magic was next. There was not a sound during the song and not a dry eye in the house by the close. Paul Simon later said after hearing their performance of his song, “It’s not my song, it’s theirs now”. To this day, when I hear that song, I stop what I am doing and listen all the way to the end. And remember.
Starland released their first album, “Starland Vocal Band”, shortly after that and “Afternoon Delight” led it to the top of the charts and two Grammy Awards for the group that year. The subsequent three albums: 1976’s Rear View Mirror, 1978’s Late Night Radio, and 4×4 in 1979, all as good in their own right, one, Rear View Mirror was even better, never equaled the commercial success of the first one and are as of now only available on vinyl at used record shops. I urge you to find them or the “Best of” compilation “Afternoon Delight: A Golden Classics Edition” released in 1995. I think this may be available on CD as well.
At the very least go to ITunes or Emusic and download the only album you can get online, “Starland Vocal Band”.
Trust me, just for the record.
December 8, 2007
Just for the record, One Hit Wonders? NOT!
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I remember them well, but this makes me appreciate them all the more. I remember the harmony that seemed to lift me off the ground, it was so magical. How I would love to hear that a cappella version of American tune. Was it ever recorded?
I think I have one of their albums in the basement. Time to go and find it. Thanks for this, Ed. Beautifully written. Keep writing. I so enjoy these posts.
Suzanne
Comment by Suzanne Sutton — December 8, 2007 @ 3:54 pm |
Suzanne, The a capella American Tune is on the “Starland Vocal Band” album, very likely the one in your basement! Thanks for your note ed
Comment by Ed Kirkpatrick — December 8, 2007 @ 3:58 pm |
I worked for a local DC firm in the mid seventies. I knew a woman very well who worked in the office, and was romantically involved with one of the outside salespeople. I knew about it. They would often sneak away in mid-afternoon. We all had radios in our cars, to be in touch with the office. Whenever “Afternoon Delight” came on, which was very often that one year, I would open up my radio and just let it play. Nobody ever caught on, but us! I got to know Bill just a little when he and his new wife Joanie opened up a terrific local restaurant, Starland Cafe. I was saddened to see it closed recently
Comment by Rick Neumann — December 8, 2007 @ 5:34 pm |
Although I was born in 1969 and couldn’t possibly have gotten into the Cellar Door to see them, I remember, quite fondly, Mom and Dad playing their records at home all the time (along with John Denver and Simon & Garfunkel). It’s great to read your take on this… thank you!
Comment by Suzy Q — December 9, 2007 @ 9:30 am |
Ed,
It is funny how memories that should, for one reason or another, be little more than a blur can be recalled with such clarity. Live music in little clubs is somehow magical.
There still are small, intimate clubs where you feel an inexplicable connection to the performers that is more than just the result of close physical proximity, whether they are “one hit wonders” or not. We used to go see Phish, the Spin Doctors and Blue Traveller at little places before they
each hit it big. I have my own collection of wonderful and blurry memories.
Comment by Andy G — December 10, 2007 @ 9:20 am |
I have many thoughts that come back to me regarding the Cellar Door. America, Brewer & Shipley, Emmy lou Harris, Harry Chapin, Phil Ochs, Livingston and James Taylor, John Prine, Hedge & Donna, The Everly Bros, Richie Havens, Fat City/Starland Vocal Band and of course John Denver. What I have found interesting since I “Googled” “Cellar Door” is how little there is out on the web for such a popular interesting venue considering the number of acts that played there over the years. There are articles regarding John Denver, and Miles Davis but the two interesting nights that I wish I had been there for was the night the Eagles first played together when they dropped in on John Prine and Bonnie Raitt’s 21st birthday party.
With that said yes I was a huge Fat City fan and I went to see John Denver there when ever he played. In those days if the 2nd or 3rd set was not sold out on a Saturday night you could stay the evening with out paying another cover charge. The cover was all of about $3.50. The club actually sat about 200 and if the fire marshal was not looking they could fit about 250. Yes, it did have a balcony for which I have fond memories sitting up there in the dark recesses with a date that will remain nameless.
John Denver’s music was and always will be special to me but mostly from his early years up to the Aerie album. This to me was a music genre known to very few people called “Cabin Music” The day was done and you are laying on the top log put in place that day drinking a PBR, looking at the stars and really enjoying the tunes being played on the 8 track system in a 1970s Chevy Blazer.
I am not sure if John Denver put Fat City on the map or the other way around. But I do know from a music perspective it did not get any better. The first night they played “Take me Home County Roads” was a very memorable night that I relayed to the group when I was in a restaurant in Nags Head, North Carolina and ran into them having dinner. They gave me an album signed by all four members which I still have. Later on that trip I ran into Taffy Nivert in the laundromat and I still have not recovered from watching her consume a Popsicle waiting for cloths to dry.
Bottom line is a lot of good memories as well as outstanding music and thank you Ed for writing the blog and making me recall such a wonderful era.
Comment by DeWitt — December 12, 2007 @ 7:50 pm |
Ed!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is coming from a die-hard FC/B&T/SVB fan…when Starland was first coming up,Taffy used to send me copies of the new albums before they were released.We wrote to each other as often as possible.I could drag this out but there isnt enough time or space…just a few history notes,the song”Country Roads”was originally written for Johnny Cash…in 1980..Starland released a christmas lp titled “Christmas At Home”and they actually made it back onto the charts in “79″ with a song written by “Margot Chapman Kunkel&Taffy Nivert Danoff…for anyone interested in Bill&Taffys/FatCitys and Starland Vocal Bands music there are two incredible myspace pages that my friend “Barb”is handling with the whole gangs blessings…just go to myspace and type in or google Bill&Taffy/FatCity or Starland Vocal Band and the best part…Bill Danoff has made FatCitys songs downloadable from the BillTaffy/FatCity space…Starlands songs are available on the SVB space and with “barbs help and everything we have collected over the years…we have contributed a lot to both pages…and for those interested…Bill Danoff’s latest cd features a reunion of SVB and their children on various tunes”Blasted In The Basement”is the title of the new cd…enjoy
Comment by Piperh — December 19, 2007 @ 2:46 am |
Hi Ed…you brought back some interesting memories!! The Cellar Door was always a “special” destination and always had the very best performing there.
I saw Starland Vocal band for the first time at a John Denver Concert when I was attending the University of Maryland. They were magic and the crowd wanted them to stay on stage longer. Their music is the type that just stays in your head and you bring it up when needed to create a happy mood.
Love, Carolyn
Comment by Carolyn — January 20, 2008 @ 9:18 am |
Hi Ed,
I am the webmaster for Starland Vocal Band’s official MySpace page. I LOVED your blog about them! Would you mind if I posted it as a blog on their MySpace page (giving you credit, of course)? I’m always looking for new material/photos/etc. to add.
Thanks,
Barb
Comment by Barb — March 2, 2008 @ 6:09 pm |
Dear Ed,
Last night I saw a special on my local PBS channel about John Denver – his bio and career, etc. Bill and Taffy were featured singing “Take Me Home, Country Roads” with him and suddenly, it was 1971 and I was at Tammany Hall on Pennslyvania Ave. I went there every weekend, often both nights, with a different subset
of friends and/or my boyfriend. I was so enthusiastic about them and their music, beginning with “Fat City”, that I convinced most of my friends and acquaintances to go see them.
When I heard them last night, it brought back such sweet memories! I decided to go on-line to see what
I could find out about them. Somehow, I’ve ended up here (is this a blog?) and I have no idea how I got here! I’m one of those people who uses the computer almost exclusively for e-mail, “WORD” and, of course, Solitaire. I even had to ask my husband what a “blog” was.
I’m disappointed to have found very little information about Taffy, particularly what she is currently
involved with. If anyone knows anything about her, I would love to hear. After all, she inspired me to get a tambourine!!! Also, I’ve been with my 2nd husband for 16 years and for that entire time, I have tried to figure out who his daughter reminded me of. Finally, I am greatly relieved to know that it is Taffy! Glad I don’t have to obsess about that any more!
I am a native Washingtonian and was fortunate enough to have seen many of the aforementioned groups at the Cellar Door, as well as Tammany Hall and the Birchmere in Alexandria. Around about ‘71 or ‘72, Emmylou Harris started sharing Tammany Hall with Bill and Taffy. If I recall correctly, she was there every other weekend.
Any information about Taffy would be greatly appreciated. Hopefully, I will be able to get back to this site. Now it’s time to go down to the basement and look through those old albums and dust off that tambourine!
Thanks for the memories,
Susan
Comment by Susan — March 5, 2008 @ 11:06 am |
DEAR ED,
When I saw “STARLAND VOCAL BAND” in 1976 I could’nt believe how great they were. That song is the sexiest song in the world. In 1976 those type lyrics were acceptable and it fitted in perfectly with the mid 1970’s generation of having fun,making love with whomever you’re lovin and the amazing thing of all is when I first saw Margot Chapman I thought she was a Filippina (then they said she is really Hawaiian/American) and in 1976 interracial dating/marriage was not commonplace but I was mesmerized at how stunningly beautifull she is and her voice is just as much ultra sexy. Let’s give Margot Chapman the red carpet treatment for the queen she is and show our appreciation to/for her for her LOVELY contribution to the Bi-Cenntennial year.Please send this message to Margot.
#1 fan TONY ANTONI CLOSTER NEW JERSEY 07624
Comment by TONY ANTONI — April 11, 2008 @ 7:43 pm |