Danny Faragher
Encyclopedia
Danny Faragher is an American rock/soul musician and singer and founding member of the bands: The Peppermint Trolley Company
, The Faragher Brothers
, Bones and The Mark Five.
, one of the progenitors of the The West Coast Harmony Sound
which was blossoming at the time (the late Sixties). The music is now referred to as Sunshine Pop
, Psyche Rock
, or Baroque Pop
. With fellow members, Greg Tornquist and Casey Cunningham, and working with producer Dan Dalton, the Peppermint Trolley Company
had a national hit - “Baby You Come Rollin’ Across My Mind“, and released the album, “The Peppermint Trolley Company". In addition to his vocal contributions, Danny pioneered the use of the clavinet, and played highly original counter melodies on the trombone.
In 1968 the PTC made numerous TV appearances, including “The Beverly Hillbillies
” “Mannix
”, Dick Clark’s “Happening ‘68”, “Upbeat
” and “The Donald O'Connor
Show”. In early ’69, they recorded the original The Brady Bunch
theme song.
sound infused with elements of funk and soul music
. Danny moved to the B3 organ
. Hooking up with producers, Richard Perry
and Vini Poncia
, Bones cut two albums: ”Bones” on the Signpost label, and “Waitin’ Here” on MCA
and had a hit with “Roberta
”. In ’72 the band added Patrick McClure on second guitar.
group The Faragher Brothers
, teaming up with younger brothers Tommy Faragher
and Davey Faragher
. The brothers released four albums, The Faragher Brothers and Family Ties, both on ABC Records
, and Open Your Eyes and The Faraghers, both on Polydor Records
. Open Your Eyes and The Faraghers featured younger siblings Pammy Faragher and Marty Faragher. The band charted with the single "Stay the Night" in ’79. The group appeared on American Bandstand
and Soul Train
, and shared the stage with acts such as Rufus
and War
, before calling it quits in 1980.
”, and “Who's the Boss?
”, and has also sung on the recordings of Peter Criss
, Camper Van Beethoven
, Melissa Manchester
, David Pomerantz, Lynne Andersen, and others. As an instrumentalist, he’s played harmonica, B3 organ and trombone on records of top artists, including… Ringo Starr
, Martha Reeves
, the Pointer Sisters, Randy Edelman
, E.G. Daily, and Full Swing
.
Danny served as the musical director for the play, “Working
”, at Santa Monica's Mayfair Theater, acting and singing in the production. He was a featured vocalist with the highly respected L.A. Jazz Choir and sings every Holiday Season with the Caroling Company, an a cappella
group featured in the The Addams Family
. He also has a popular vocal group, Daddy Cool, who perform Doo-Wop
and Rock and Roll tunes.
In 2009, Cherry Red/ Now Sounds
, a label out of the U.K., released a CD reissue of the Peppermint Trolley Co.'s album under the title, “Beautiful Sun”. The CD is the same as the original release of The Peppermint Trolley Company LP, however it is packaged with sixteen bonus tracks and includes many of the Mark V singles.
He continues to release new music. In 2005 he released the album Blue Little Corner and an album Due South on the Blue Line is expected to be released later this year.
Peppermint Trolley Company
The Peppermint Trolley Company was an American band of the sunshine pop genre, credited with singing The Brady Bunch theme song in the show's first season...
, The Faragher Brothers
The Faragher Brothers
The Faragher Brothers is a Blue-eyed soul family musical group from Redlands, California consisting originally of brothers Tommy Faragher, Davey Faragher, Jimmy Faragher and Danny Faragher...
, Bones and The Mark Five.
Early years
Danny Faragher's early years were filled with music. He took to it at a very young age and music played an important role in his childhood. In 1965, he and brother, Jimmy Faragher, still in their teens, cut their first records, with Danny’s band, the Mark Five releasing three singles with Impression Records.The Peppermint Trolley Company
From these garage band beginnings, they evolved into The Peppermint Trolley CompanyPeppermint Trolley Company
The Peppermint Trolley Company was an American band of the sunshine pop genre, credited with singing The Brady Bunch theme song in the show's first season...
, one of the progenitors of the The West Coast Harmony Sound
Sunshine pop
Sunshine pop is a subgenre of pop music originating in the United States, mainly the state of California, in the mid-1960s. Sunshine pop, by nature, is cheerful and upbeat music which is characterised by warm sounds, prominent vocal harmonies, as well as sophisticated productions...
which was blossoming at the time (the late Sixties). The music is now referred to as Sunshine Pop
Sunshine pop
Sunshine pop is a subgenre of pop music originating in the United States, mainly the state of California, in the mid-1960s. Sunshine pop, by nature, is cheerful and upbeat music which is characterised by warm sounds, prominent vocal harmonies, as well as sophisticated productions...
, Psyche Rock
Psychedelic rock
Psychedelic rock is a style of rock music that is inspired or influenced by psychedelic culture and attempts to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. It emerged during the mid 1960s among folk rock and blues rock bands in United States and the United Kingdom...
, or Baroque Pop
Baroque pop
Baroque pop, Baroque rock, or English baroque, often used interchangeably with chamber pop/rock, is a pop and rock music subgenre which originated in the mid-1960s in the United Kingdom and United States...
. With fellow members, Greg Tornquist and Casey Cunningham, and working with producer Dan Dalton, the Peppermint Trolley Company
Peppermint Trolley Company
The Peppermint Trolley Company was an American band of the sunshine pop genre, credited with singing The Brady Bunch theme song in the show's first season...
had a national hit - “Baby You Come Rollin’ Across My Mind“, and released the album, “The Peppermint Trolley Company". In addition to his vocal contributions, Danny pioneered the use of the clavinet, and played highly original counter melodies on the trombone.
In 1968 the PTC made numerous TV appearances, including “The Beverly Hillbillies
The Beverly Hillbillies
The Beverly Hillbillies is an American situation comedy originally broadcast for nine seasons on CBS from 1962 to 1971, starring Buddy Ebsen, Irene Ryan, Donna Douglas, and Max Baer, Jr....
” “Mannix
Mannix
Mannix is an American television detective series that ran from 1967 through 1975 on CBS. Created by Richard Levinson and William Link and developed by executive producer Bruce Geller, the title character, Joe Mannix, is a private investigator. He is played by Mike Connors...
”, Dick Clark’s “Happening ‘68”, “Upbeat
Upbeat (TV series)
Upbeat was a syndicated musical variety show produced in Cleveland, Ohio, United States, at WEWS-TV that aired from 1964 to 1971 which spotlighted on the performers and their hit songs of the 1960s Top 40 pop music genre which was common on such AM radio stations as WIXY in Cleveland and CKLW in...
” and “The Donald O'Connor
Donald O'Connor
Donald David Dixon Ronald O’Connor was an American dancer, singer, and actor who came to fame in a series of movies in which he co-starred alternately with Gloria Jean, Peggy Ryan, and Francis the Talking Mule...
Show”. In early ’69, they recorded the original The Brady Bunch
The Brady Bunch
The Brady Bunch is an American sitcom created by Sherwood Schwartz and starring Robert Reed, Florence Henderson, and Ann B. Davis. The series revolved around a large blended family...
theme song.
Bones
In 1969 Danny, Jimmy, Greg and Casey walked away from their contract with Acta and changed their name to Bones. Within a couple of years they emerged with a harder rockRock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
sound infused with elements of funk and soul music
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
. Danny moved to the B3 organ
Hammond organ
The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond in 1934 and manufactured by the Hammond Organ Company. While the Hammond organ was originally sold to churches as a lower-cost alternative to the wind-driven pipe organ, in the 1960s and 1970s it became a standard keyboard...
. Hooking up with producers, Richard Perry
Richard Perry
Richard Perry is an American music producer. Perry began as a performer in his adolescence, but shifted gears after graduating college and rose through the late 1960s and early 1970s to become a highly successful and popular record producer with over a dozen gold records to his credit by 1982...
and Vini Poncia
Vini Poncia
Vini Poncia is an American musician, songwriter and record producer.In the 1960s, Poncia formed a songwriting team with Peter Anders. An album of songs co-written by these childhood friends The Anders & Poncia Album, was produced by Richard Perry and released in 1969...
, Bones cut two albums: ”Bones” on the Signpost label, and “Waitin’ Here” on MCA
MCA Records
MCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...
and had a hit with “Roberta
Roberta
Roberta is a musical from 1933 with music by Jerome Kern, and lyrics and book by Otto Harbach. The musical is based on the novel Gowns by Roberta by Alice Duer Miller...
”. In ’72 the band added Patrick McClure on second guitar.
The Faragher Brothers
After Bones disbanded in 1973, Danny and Jimmy formed the blue-eyed soulBlue-eyed soul
Blue-eyed soul is a media term that was used to describe rhythm and blues and soul music performed by white artists, with a strong pop music influence. The term was first used in the mid-1960s to describe white artists who performed soul and R&B that was similar to the music of the Motown and...
group The Faragher Brothers
The Faragher Brothers
The Faragher Brothers is a Blue-eyed soul family musical group from Redlands, California consisting originally of brothers Tommy Faragher, Davey Faragher, Jimmy Faragher and Danny Faragher...
, teaming up with younger brothers Tommy Faragher
Tommy Faragher
Tommy Faragher is an American producer, composer, songwriter, singer, and arranger. He is originally from Redlands, California.-Performer:Tommy Faragher started his career as a singer and keyboardist with his family, who formed a group called The Faragher Brothers...
and Davey Faragher
Davey Faragher
Davey Faragher is an American bass guitarist from Redlands, California. Faragher's career took off and received critical notice as a founding member of the nineties band, Cracker, and his following work with The Imposters, the backing band for Elvis Costello since 2001.Faragher is an accomplished...
. The brothers released four albums, The Faragher Brothers and Family Ties, both on ABC Records
ABC Records
ABC Records was an American record label, founded in New York City in 1955 as ABC-Paramount Records. It originated as the main popular music label operated the Am-Par Record Corporation, the music subsidiary of the American Broadcasting Company . ABC-Paramount Records' first president was Samuel H....
, and Open Your Eyes and The Faraghers, both on Polydor Records
Polydor Records
Polydor is a record label owned by Universal Music Group, headquartered in the United Kingdom.-Beginnings:Polydor was originally an independent branch of the Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft. Its name was first used as an export label in 1924, the British and German branches of the Gramophone...
. Open Your Eyes and The Faraghers featured younger siblings Pammy Faragher and Marty Faragher. The band charted with the single "Stay the Night" in ’79. The group appeared on American Bandstand
American Bandstand
American Bandstand is an American music-performance show that aired in various versions from 1952 to 1989 and was hosted from 1956 until its final season by Dick Clark, who also served as producer...
and Soul Train
Soul Train
Soul Train is an American musical variety show that aired in syndication from October 1971 to March 2006. In its 35-year history, the show primarily featured performances by R&B, soul, and hip hop artists, although funk, jazz, disco, and gospel artists have also appeared.As a nod to Soul Trains...
, and shared the stage with acts such as Rufus
Rufus (band)
Rufus was an American funk band from Chicago, Illinois best known for launching the career of lead singer Chaka Khan. They had several hits throughout their career, including "Tell Me Something Good," "Sweet Thing," and "Ain't Nobody."-Origins:...
and War
War (band)
War is an American funk band from California, known for the hit songs "Low Rider", "Spill the Wine", "The Cisco Kid" and "Why Can't We Be Friends?". Formed in 1969, War was a musical crossover band which fused elements of rock, funk, jazz, Latin, rhythm and blues, and reggae...
, before calling it quits in 1980.
Later years
Danny has written and performed music for the television sitcoms, “The Facts of LifeThe Facts of Life (TV series)
The Facts of Life is an American sitcom that originally ran on the NBC television network from August 24, 1979 to May 7, 1988. A spin-off of the sitcom Diff'rent Strokes, the series' premise focused on Edna Garrett as she becomes a housemother at the fictional Eastland School, a prestigious...
”, and “Who's the Boss?
Who's the Boss?
Who's the Boss? is an American sitcom created by Martin Cohan and Blake Hunter, which aired on ABC from September 20, 1984 to April 25, 1992...
”, and has also sung on the recordings of Peter Criss
Peter Criss
George Peter John Criscuola , better known as Peter Criss, is an American drummer and singer, best known as the original drummer for the rock band Kiss...
, Camper Van Beethoven
Camper Van Beethoven
Camper Van Beethoven is an American alternative rock group formed in Redlands, California in 1983.An eclectic band, Camper Van Beethoven mixes elements of pop, ska, punk rock, folk and alternative country, as well as various types of world music. Their aggressive musical pluralism created a...
, Melissa Manchester
Melissa Manchester
Melissa Manchester is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Beginning in the 1970s, she has recorded generally in the adult contemporary genre. She has also appeared as an actress on television, in films, and on stage....
, David Pomerantz, Lynne Andersen, and others. As an instrumentalist, he’s played harmonica, B3 organ and trombone on records of top artists, including… Ringo Starr
Ringo Starr
Richard Starkey, MBE better known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is an English musician and actor who gained worldwide fame as the drummer for The Beatles. When the band formed in 1960, Starr was a member of another Liverpool band, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. He became The Beatles' drummer in...
, Martha Reeves
Martha Reeves
Martha Rose Reeves is an American R&B and Pop singer and former politician, and was the lead singer of the Motown girl group Martha and the Vandellas. During her tenure with The Vandellas, they scored over a dozen hit singles, including "Jimmy Mack", "Dancing in the Street" and "Nowhere to Run"...
, the Pointer Sisters, Randy Edelman
Randy Edelman
Randy Edelman is an American film and TV score composer.-Life and career:Edelman was born in Paterson, New Jersey. He was raised in Teaneck, New Jersey, the son of a first-grade teacher and an accountant. He attended the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music before heading to New York where he played...
, E.G. Daily, and Full Swing
Full Swing
Full Swing may refer to;* Full Swing , a short lived British game show hosted by Jimmy Tarbuck in 1996 and involving golf* An episode of the FLCL animated video series, see List of FLCL episodes...
.
Danny served as the musical director for the play, “Working
Working (musical)
Working is a musical with a book by Stephen Schwartz and Nina Faso, music by Schwartz, Craig Carnelia, Micki Grant, Mary Rodgers, and James Taylor, and lyrics by Schwartz, Carnelia, Grant, Taylor, and Susan Birkenhead....
”, at Santa Monica's Mayfair Theater, acting and singing in the production. He was a featured vocalist with the highly respected L.A. Jazz Choir and sings every Holiday Season with the Caroling Company, an a cappella
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
group featured in the The Addams Family
The Addams Family (film)
The Addams Family is a 1991 American black comedy film based on the characters from the cartoon of the same name created by cartoonist Charles Addams....
. He also has a popular vocal group, Daddy Cool, who perform Doo-Wop
Doo-wop
The name Doo-wop is given to a style of vocal-based rhythm and blues music that developed in African American communities in the 1940s and achieved mainstream popularity in the 1950s and early 1960s. It emerged from New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Baltimore, Newark, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and...
and Rock and Roll tunes.
New Recordings and Reissues
In 2000, the first two Faragher Brothers LPs were reissued on CD by Sony Records.In 2009, Cherry Red/ Now Sounds
Cherry Red
Cherry Red is a London-based independent record label formed in 1978.-History:Cherry Red grew from the rock promotion company founded in 1971 to promote rock concerts at the Malvern Winter Gardens...
, a label out of the U.K., released a CD reissue of the Peppermint Trolley Co.'s album under the title, “Beautiful Sun”. The CD is the same as the original release of The Peppermint Trolley Company LP, however it is packaged with sixteen bonus tracks and includes many of the Mark V singles.
He continues to release new music. In 2005 he released the album Blue Little Corner and an album Due South on the Blue Line is expected to be released later this year.
External links
- Official website of Danny Faragher
- IMDB information on Television Appearances
- Profile of Danny Faragher at the Caroling Company
- TV Listing of Dick Clark's Happening '68
- Biography of The Peppermint Trolley Company at SuperOldies.com
- Profile of PTC at Cherry Red/Now Sounds
- Biography of the Early Garage Days of the Mark V