The Spiral Starecase

The Spiral Starecase is a band best known as a one-hit wonder for their single "More Today Than Yesterday".

The group evolved from a four-piece instrumental group called the Fydallions, which formed in 1964 in Sacramento, California, for an Air Force talent contest. After leaving the Air Force, the band went on the road, playing five hour lounge jobs on the Las Vegas circuit. The Fydallions, now a quintet consisting of Dick Lopes (saxophone), Bobby Raymond (bass guitar), Harvey Kaye (keyboards), Vinnie Parello (drums), and Pat Upton (guitar and lead vocals), were noticed by the A&R representative for Columbia Records, Gary Usher, while they were working in El Monte, California. Columbia signed the band, but insisted that they changed their name. "They loved our work" said Upton, "but they hated the name and they didn’t like the way we dressed. This was in the late sixties when all the musicians were wearing long hair. We looked very square!" The band was renamed after the movie "The Spiral Staircase", but with a deliberate misspelling.

Their first two singles, produced by Usher, were regional successes in markets like Phoenix, Arizona. At this time, Sonny Knight was brought in to produce their first album. Usher had encouraged Upton to write original material for the group, and Upton had written "More Today Than Yesterday," while the band was working the Flamingo Sky Room in Las Vegas.

In 1969, "More Today Than Yesterday" charted no higher than number 12 nationally, (in Cashbox, it reached #7) but was a multi-million selling single which continues to be a favorite on oldies radio. About 18 months after the single's release, after releasing one album and a couple more singles, the group disbanded due to poor management and squabbles over finances, after four years together. Pat Upton went back to L.A. to work as a session musician, eventually working with Ricky Nelson. Harvey Kaye returned to Las Vegas where he re-formed the band, which toured the U.S., Canada, and Mexico until the mid 1980s, when they returned to Las Vegas, playing its finest hotels.

Harvey Kaye now heads a management company, while Mike Caschera leads the band. They perform in concert venues and corporate events around the U.S. with a 16-piece ensemble. Caschera also serves as borough council president in Duboistown, Pennsylvania.

UPDATE August 18, 2008: Sad to say that Harvey Kaye passed away in Las Vegas.

This song was later covered by American Idol (season 7) contestants Alaina Whitaker and Chikezie Eze.

External links

* [http://www.benmclane.com/spiral.htm Pat Upton interview]