Richard and the Young Lions

Richard and the Young Lions was a garage rock band from Newark, New Jersey.

Group origin

The Young Lions were originally "The Emeralds" before Richard Tepp joined the band. When Tepp came on board the group changed their name to "The Original Kounts" and then after hooking up with Larry Brown, Ray Bloodworth and Bob Crewe Productions, the name was changed to "Richard and the Young Lions."

The core of the group consisted of Richard Tepp, Lead vocals & Tambourine; Bob Freedman, Rhythm Guitar / vocals; Marc Lees, Lead Guitar /vocals; Norm Cohen, drums; Ricky Rackin, Guitar / Bass Guitar; Jerry Raff - Piano.

Current_members: Richard Tepp (R.I.P. 2004) The Twig Lou Vlahakes Fred Randall Rick Robinson Mike Fornatale

Past_members: Bob Freedman Marc Lees Norm Cohen Ricky Rackin Jerry Raff Eric Rackin Lawrence Smith Shelly Riff

A documentary on the band was produced in 2004, entitled "Out of Our Dens: The Richard and the Young Lions Story" [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0422899/] by James Hannon and Leon Leybs of http://Lantern-Media.com - narrated by Pat St. John. It features the groups history from their early days to their reunion shows in the early 2000s. Richard Tepp died of leukemia in 2004.

Reception

They were called by some a one-hit wonder with their song "Open Up Your Door", but the group is loved by many garage band fans. That song was the first ever recorded using an African hair drum and a fuzz bass. It reached #99 on the Billboard charts and #70 on the Cash Box charts in the fall of 1966.

Their follow-up releases, although garage classics in their own right, failed to click with the general public. This was despite wide distribution, including foreign pressings in Canada, on Phillips, a national record label.

Cover versions

The Invaders, a punk group featuring the original singer for The Sonics, recorded a cover version of "Open up Your Door" (retitled "Open up Yer Door") in 1979.

The Romantics, a hit pop group from the 1980s, recorded a cover version of "Open up Your Door," which appeared on their album "In Heat" and on two of their live albums.

"Open Up Your Door" has also been covered by: The Demolition Doll Rods, Bill Kennedy's Showtime, The Raving Mojos, The Sonics, The Goldstars, the Backdoor Men, The Sinners (a Swedish Rock band), The Concussions, The Walflower Complextion, and The Stance, The Flakes and The Hunchmen (an Italian rock band).

"You Can Make It" was covered by The Boys From Nowhere, and Las Membranas.

Discography

45s

* Open up Your Door / Once upon Your Smile: Philips 40381 (1966) (both US and Canadian pressings)
* Nasty / Lost and Found: Philips 40414 (1966) (both US and Canadian pressings)

* You Can Make It / To Have and to Hold: Philips 40438 (1967) (both US and Canadian pressings)

Compilations

* "You Can Make It," their swan song, was compiled on Volume 12 of the "Pebbles series" in 1983.
* "Open up Your Door" was featured on the 1998 4-CD box set, "."

References

* [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:28jweaw44xg7~T1 Richard and the Young Lions] at [http://www.allmusic.com allmusic\

External links

* http://www.RichardAndTheYoungLions.com
* http://www.Lantern-Media.com