RAHWAY, NJ — Felix Cavaliere and Gene Cornish are together again.
The founding members of The Rascals will be performing their timeless songs, including “Groovin,’” “People Got to Be Free,” “A Beautiful Morning,” “Good Lovin’” and “How Can I Be Sure?” at the Union County Performing Arts Center on Friday, Oct. 4.
The 1960s rock group are inductees of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Grammy Hall of Fame, Vocal Group Hall of Fame and Songwriters Hall of Fame. The Rascals – initially known as the Young Rascals – have 17 Top 20 hits and three that have reached No. 1 on the charts.
“It’s really great,” said Cavaliere, who was the co-lead vocalist and keyboard player for The Young Rascals, in an interview with LocalSource. “The era we were in, the bar was pretty high. We had The Beatles writing magnificent songs. A lot of the music from that generation still lasts.”
Cavaliere was born in Pelham, New York, and studied piano at an early age. His mother wanted him to be a classical musician. “I had eight years of serious training,” he said.
In the early 1960s, Cavaliere enrolled at Syracuse University as a pre-med major, not knowing he was going to become a musician. He said, “We were all medical people in my family. ‘Hey, give it a try,’ said my dad.”
But as fate would have it, he started a band in college called The Escorts, which would point him in the right direction. They worked in clubs in The Catskills. “It was the place for entertainment,” he said. “It was quite an experience. I just fell in love with (performing).”
When the organ player for Joey Dee and the Starliters – known for their hit “Peppermint Twist” – quit, the band invited Cavaliere to join them in Germany.
A group opening for them was called The Beatles.
“I saw the chaos,” said Cavaliere. “I saw all the girls and said, ‘I think I could do this.’”
Little did he know just how big The Beatles would become, and that they were “the best songwriters in the world.” They were huge in Germany before they came to America.
Cavaliere said that, later in life, The Rascals did get to know The Beatles.
“I toured with Ringo,” he said, referring to performing as a touring member of Ringo Starr and his All Starr Band in the 1990s. But it was George Harrison that Cavaliere got to know best. “We both studied yoga seriously,” he said. “(The Beatles) were interesting. They’re really special.”
During Cavaliere’s time performing with Joey Dee and the Starliters, Cavaliere wanted to put a group together. It was during the draft, and he waited it out. They passed over him, issuing a 1-H, which meant they’d call him if they really needed him. “Thank goodness for that,” Cavaliere said.
Putting The Rascals together was an exciting time for Cavaliere.
The original line-up was with Cavaliere on organ, Gene Cornish on guitar, Eddie Brigati on lead vocals and Dino Danelli on drums. “I really feel I chose the people carefully,” said Cavaliere. “Most of them were leaders of their band. I had four alpha males. You learn what works and what doesn’t work.”
When The Rascals rehearsed in Cavaliere’s father’s basement in Pelham, New York, school-age children were surrounding the house. “It was infectious,” said Cavaliere. “How could you say ‘no’ to that?”
Within six months, they had a record deal. Cavaliere said, “When things happen that easily, there’s obviously a reason.”
The band’s manager contacted Bruce Morrow, publicly known as Cousin Brucie, who had a radio show on WABC (AM 770) in New York City. “We knew he was gonna play the song,” said Cavaliere. “That was a big deal. We had a transistor radio. We waited and waited.”
Their debut single, “I Ain’t Gonna Eat Out My Heart Anymore,” was their first song played on the radio and also what was performed in their first television performance on the show “Hullabaloo” on Feb. 24, 1966.
Later in Cavaliere’s musical career, he produced albums by other artists such as Laura Nyro and Jimmie Spheeris. Countless artists covered songs by The Rascals, including Pat Benatar, Robert Plant, David Cassidy, Three Dog Night, Marvin Gaye and Gloria Estefan.
Cavaliere said he favored “a lot of these people,” adding that The Fifth Dimension did a great job on ‘People Got to Be Free. “The Fifth Dimension did a great job,” he said. “It’s an honor. They were the nicest people you ever want to meet.”
The Rascals also had tremendous success with their songs being used in movies. “Groovin’” was in “Dog Fight,” starring River Phoenix; “Good Lovin’” was in “My Girl”; and “A Beautiful Morning” was in “A Bronx Tale.”
It’s still delightful for Cavaliere to hear his music being played. “I’m really blessed and thankful I’m able to play,” he said. “Many of us, including Ringo, are still working. There’s a euphoria, a joy that’s hard to describe. You’re doing something you love. There’s jubilant joyous faces smiling at you. From that first day you get on the stage, it’s like a drug. You get hooked. You want to do it always.”
When Cavaliere isn’t working, he likes to keep in shape by swimming and working out. He also has a family, children and grandchildren.
And he’s still writing songs. “I think it keeps me alive,” he said. “Keep that brain creating.”
For tickets to The Rascals show at Union County Performing Arts Center, visit: https://ucpac.org/event/the-rascals-2024-people-got-to-be-free-tour/.
Photo Courtesy of Leon Volskis