Bermuda Triangle Band
Encyclopedia
Bermuda Triangle Band's wild psychedelic and delicately nuanced electric autoharp
and transcendental vocals grew out of the late '60s folk rock
scene. With an independent attitude, eccentric style and highly unusual instrument lineup, the group was unprecedented. Psychedelic rock autoharp
was then-unknown, and at the time, there were very few women playing bass guitar
. Since the formation of the band in 1967, its only constant members have been Roger Penney
and Wendy Penney
.
, typically playing in pass-the-basket-for-tips coffeehouses and folk clubs, such as Gerde's Folk City
, (where they headlined for 33 weeks in one year,1970, setting a club record); the Cafe Wha?
, the Bitter End
, the Cafe Au Go Go
, The Gaslight Cafe
, The Freudian Slip, The Basement Cafe, and Kenny's Castaways. Performing at first without microphones (as basket houses had no cabaret licenses, thus amplified vocals were illegal), they developed an energized psychedelic folk style with just an electrified autoharp
and fast-pulse bass guitar. Their music quickly evolved from traditional ballads to electric folk
, including psych folk
, acid freak folk and rock.
Roger and Wendy took the stage names Roger Becket and Wendy Becket when they had become involved with the Theatre Company of Boston, and then in several off-Broadway plays. They kept these pseudonyms through much of their musical career before returning to their original surname of Penney. This accounts for some of the confusion regarding credit for albums. Wendy is a lifetime member of the Art Students League of New York
.
Their album was reissued in March 2007 by Beatball Records.
The college concert circuit courted Roger and Wendy and booked several long national tours, an arrangement that continued through more than 3000 concerts. Using Woodstock, New York, as a temporary songwriting base in 1972, the band generated the folk album Roger and Wendy. A female drummer/fiddler, known only as Sam, then joined the group. In 1975 the band changed its name to Bermuda Triangle and released its psych folk
album Bermuda Triangle in 1977. Roger had been writing the bulk of the groups songs.
National tours and New York City concerts continued at full capacity. 1984 saw the Bermuda's II vinyl pressed.
Bermuda Triangle continued their heavy touring schedule until 1993. In 2006 they released the R & W Penney CD, a digression into country cajun. Then, in January 2007, they reissued the 1977 Bermuda Triangle LP as a CD after remixing, and adding more autoharp tracks and an additional song. Spring 2007 sees the release of The Missing Tapes on Winter Solstice Records. It is a psych folk
CD gleaned from their entire career. Most of the songs have never been released before, and some have never been performed.
, the originator of rock autoharp, redesigned the autoharp's chord bar structure and gave the design to The Oscar Schmidt Company
, the largest American crafter of autoharps. Since then, all major autoharp manufacturers worldwide have switched to making autoharps using Roger's design. He used contact mics and magnetic pickups to create a true 'electric autoharp', and invented a braille-type system of round and rectangular chord bar buttons (which allowed the player to know by touch exactly what chord they were playing without visual observance). This made it possible to play complex chord patterns on a chromatically tuned autoharp in multiple keys. His sound is shaped with various effects, including wah
, phasing
, flanging
, fuzz, delay
, octave
and modulation. He then developed a method of triggering live percussion simultaneously with the autoharp, utilizing technology incorporated into the harp's structure.
He was also instrumental in the design and development of the first electromechanical harpsichord
, which came to be known as the 'Baldwin Combo Harpsichord' (see electric piano
). It was originally conceived and built in the mid '60s at Cannon Guild, a premier harpsichord maker in Cambridge, Massachusetts
. It had contact pickups, an aluminum frame, a spruce soundboard, and a clear plastic lid. Modifications were made later by the Baldwin Piano Company
, who bought the design and prototypes that were made at Cannon Guild.
Autoharp
The autoharp is a musical string instrument having a series of chord bars attached to dampers, which, when depressed, mute all of the strings other than those that form the desired chord. Despite its name, the autoharp is not a harp at all, but a chorded zither. -History:There is debate over the...
and transcendental vocals grew out of the late '60s folk rock
Folk rock
Folk rock is a musical genre combining elements of folk music and rock music. In its earliest and narrowest sense, the term referred to a genre that arose in the United States and the UK around the mid-1960s...
scene. With an independent attitude, eccentric style and highly unusual instrument lineup, the group was unprecedented. Psychedelic rock autoharp
Autoharp
The autoharp is a musical string instrument having a series of chord bars attached to dampers, which, when depressed, mute all of the strings other than those that form the desired chord. Despite its name, the autoharp is not a harp at all, but a chorded zither. -History:There is debate over the...
was then-unknown, and at the time, there were very few women playing bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
. Since the formation of the band in 1967, its only constant members have been Roger Penney
Roger Penney
Roger Penney is an innovative singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He pioneered a style of American psychedelic folk music in the late 60s, early 70s and is known for his inventive performances and recordings as Bermuda Triangle Band as well as ROGER AND WENDY and EUPHORIA.-Early life:Born...
and Wendy Penney
Wendy Penney
Wendy Penney is a singer and bass guitar player who began performing in 1966, and founded with Roger Penney the musical groups Bermuda Triangle Band, Roger and Wendy, and Euphoria .- History :...
.
Roger and Wendy
The band, originally called ROGER AND WENDY, was formed in the late '60s in Greenwich VillageGreenwich Village
Greenwich Village, , , , .in New York often simply called "the Village", is a largely residential neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City. A large majority of the district is home to upper middle class families...
, typically playing in pass-the-basket-for-tips coffeehouses and folk clubs, such as Gerde's Folk City
Gerde's Folk City
Gerdes Folk City was a music venue in the West Village in New York City. Initially opened as a restaurant called Gerdes, by owner Mike Porco, it eventually began to present occasional incidental music. It was located at 11 West 4th Street , having moved in 1970 to 130 West 3rd Street before finally...
, (where they headlined for 33 weeks in one year,1970, setting a club record); the Cafe Wha?
Cafe Wha?
Cafe Wha? is a club in Greenwich Village in Manhattan, New York City that has been home to various musicians and comedians. Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, Bruce Springsteen, The Velvet Underground, Cat Mother & the All Night Newsboys, Kool and the Gang, Peter, Paul & Mary, Woody Allen, Lenny Bruce, Joan...
, the Bitter End
Bitter End
Bitter End was the second single released off 'Love/Hate' on 8 October 2007 by Manchester band Nine Black Alps.-Song:The song shows a very different side to Nine Black Alps...
, the Cafe Au Go Go
Cafe Au Go Go
The Cafe au Go Go was a Greenwich Village night club located in the basement of 152 Bleecker Street. The club featured many well known musical groups, folksingers and comedy acts between the opening in February 1964 until closing in October 1969. Originally owned by Howard Solomon who sold the club...
, The Gaslight Cafe
The Gaslight Cafe
The Gaslight Cafe was an American coffee house located in the basement of 116 MacDougal Street in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York...
, The Freudian Slip, The Basement Cafe, and Kenny's Castaways. Performing at first without microphones (as basket houses had no cabaret licenses, thus amplified vocals were illegal), they developed an energized psychedelic folk style with just an electrified autoharp
Autoharp
The autoharp is a musical string instrument having a series of chord bars attached to dampers, which, when depressed, mute all of the strings other than those that form the desired chord. Despite its name, the autoharp is not a harp at all, but a chorded zither. -History:There is debate over the...
and fast-pulse bass guitar. Their music quickly evolved from traditional ballads to electric folk
Electric folk
Electric folk is the name given to the form of folk rock pioneered in England from the late 1960s, and most significant in the 1970s, which then was taken up and developed in the surrounding Celtic cultures of Brittany, Ireland, Scotland, Wales and the Isle of Man, to produce Celtic rock and its...
, including psych folk
Psych folk
Psychedelic folk or psych folk is a loosely defined form of psychedelic music that originated in the 1960s through the fusion of folk music and psychedelic rock...
, acid freak folk and rock.
Art Students League of New York
The Art Students League of New York is an art school located on West 57th Street in New York City. The League has historically been known for its broad appeal to both amateurs and professional artists, and has maintained for over 130 years a tradition of offering reasonably priced classes on a...
.
Euphoria
For a one year interlude in 1969, Roger and Wendy fronted a band with Tom Pacheco and Sharon Alexander called Euphoria. Roger and Wendy were the lead vocalists. The group signed with MGM/Heritage Records, and with Jerry Ross producing, released an album titled EUPHORIA (with an American sunshine pop style à la The Mamas and the Papas), and a single titled "You Must Forget". They then disbanded.Their album was reissued in March 2007 by Beatball Records.
Bermuda Triangle
Psych folk
Psychedelic folk or psych folk is a loosely defined form of psychedelic music that originated in the 1960s through the fusion of folk music and psychedelic rock...
album Bermuda Triangle in 1977. Roger had been writing the bulk of the groups songs.
Psych folk
Psychedelic folk or psych folk is a loosely defined form of psychedelic music that originated in the 1960s through the fusion of folk music and psychedelic rock...
CD gleaned from their entire career. Most of the songs have never been released before, and some have never been performed.
Autoharp
Roger PenneyRoger Penney
Roger Penney is an innovative singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He pioneered a style of American psychedelic folk music in the late 60s, early 70s and is known for his inventive performances and recordings as Bermuda Triangle Band as well as ROGER AND WENDY and EUPHORIA.-Early life:Born...
, the originator of rock autoharp, redesigned the autoharp's chord bar structure and gave the design to The Oscar Schmidt Company
Oscar Schmidt Inc.
The Oscar Schmidt Company designed and manufactured numerous models of parlour instruments including lap harps, autoharps, germania harps, chord zithers, regent zithers, and ukelins. The company, now owned by U.S...
, the largest American crafter of autoharps. Since then, all major autoharp manufacturers worldwide have switched to making autoharps using Roger's design. He used contact mics and magnetic pickups to create a true 'electric autoharp', and invented a braille-type system of round and rectangular chord bar buttons (which allowed the player to know by touch exactly what chord they were playing without visual observance). This made it possible to play complex chord patterns on a chromatically tuned autoharp in multiple keys. His sound is shaped with various effects, including wah
Wah
Wah is a city in the Rawalpindi District in Punjab, Pakistan. It contains a garden which is said to have been built by the Mughal emperor Akbar in the 16th century. Wah Cantonment is nearby....
, phasing
Phaser (effect)
A phaser is an audio signal processing technique used to filter a signal by creating a series of peaks and troughs in the frequency spectrum. The position of the peaks and troughs is typically modulated so that they vary over time, creating a sweeping effect...
, flanging
Flanging
Flanging is an audio effect produced by mixing two identical signals together, with one signal delayed by a small and gradually changing period, usually smaller than 20 milliseconds. This produces a swept comb filter effect: peaks and notches are produced in the resultant frequency spectrum,...
, fuzz, delay
Delay (audio effect)
Delay is an audio effect which records an input signal to an audio storage medium, and then plays it back after a period of time. The delayed signal may either be played back multiple times, or played back into the recording again, to create the sound of a repeating, decaying echo.-Early delay...
, octave
Octave effect
Octave-effect boxes are a type of special effects unit which mix the input signal with a synthesised signal whose musical tone is an octave lower or higher than the original. The synthesised octave signal is derived from the original input signal by halving or doubling the frequency...
and modulation. He then developed a method of triggering live percussion simultaneously with the autoharp, utilizing technology incorporated into the harp's structure.
He was also instrumental in the design and development of the first electromechanical harpsichord
Harpsichord
A harpsichord is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It produces sound by plucking a string when a key is pressed.In the narrow sense, "harpsichord" designates only the large wing-shaped instruments in which the strings are perpendicular to the keyboard...
, which came to be known as the 'Baldwin Combo Harpsichord' (see electric piano
Electric piano
An electric piano is an electric musical instrument.Electric pianos produce sounds mechanically and the sounds are turned into electrical signals by pickups. Unlike a synthesizer, the electric piano is not an electronic instrument, but electro-mechanical. The earliest electric pianos were invented...
). It was originally conceived and built in the mid '60s at Cannon Guild, a premier harpsichord maker in Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
. It had contact pickups, an aluminum frame, a spruce soundboard, and a clear plastic lid. Modifications were made later by the Baldwin Piano Company
Baldwin Piano Company
The Baldwin Piano Company was the largest US-based manufacturer of keyboard instruments, most notably pianos. It remains a subsidiary of the Gibson Guitar Corporation, although it ceased domestic production of pianos in December 2008.-History:...
, who bought the design and prototypes that were made at Cannon Guild.
Discography
- Euphoria (Euphoria) MGM/Heritage Records (1969)
- Euphoria (Euphoria) Polydor Records single #59368
- Roger and Wendy (Roger and Wendy) Horny Records (1971)
- Bermuda Triangle (Bermuda Triangle) LP on Winter Solstice Records (1977)
- Bermuda's II (Bermuda Triangle) Tribecket Records (1984)
- Bermuda Triangle (Bermuda Triangle) Reissued on Radioactive Records UK (2006)
- One Day At A Time (R & W Penney) Winter Solstice Records (2006)
- Bermuda Triangle (Bermuda Triangle) CD on Winter Solstice Records (2007)
- Euphoria (Euphoria) Reissued on Heritage/Beatball Records (2007)
- The Missing Tapes (Bermuda Triangle) Winter Solstice Records (2007)
- "Bermuda Triangle" (Bermuda Triangle) Reissued 12 inch vinyl LP on Anazitisi Records (2008)
- "Roger and Wendy" (Love Rog and Wem) Reissued 12 inch vinyl LP on Acme Records UK (2009)
- "The Missing Tapes"(Bermuda Triangle) vinyl LP on Anazitisi Records (2009)
- "Roger and Wendy" (Love Rog and Wem) Reissued CD on Lion Productions (2010)