A LIGHT NOTE

Time for something “light” as distinguished from blogs about Plainfield’s Council or the candidates for next year’s Presidential election. David Rutherford’s blog yesterday about Plainfield’s darkest times, the riots in the late 60s happened to coincide with a Facebook posting by my son Andrew a PHS graduate who now is a retired psychiatrist.

Andy had found this picture from his High School years and posted it in response to somebody’s query with this commentary.

"OK, TBT: 1966, my 2nd Band (after Coba Seas) was "The End" consisting of me in front, Kenneth Mazur, Mark Mazur, and Bob Levinson pic was taken at a Temple Shalom Dance, I believe. With their 3-part harmony and 2 lead guitarists, the band ambitiously covered such songs as Substitute, The Kids are Alright, Mr. Soul, Go and Say Goodbye, Feel a Whole Lot Better, and other British Invasion Hits. Wonderful times. All but I went on to peruse successful careers in music."

Andy does not say that he was one of the two ‘lead guitarists. Mark was the other and Kenny his brother played the base. Levinson on the drums. He does not mentioned that this band played numerous gigs at dances including some at Rutgers’s fraternities. The Band once rented the Cook School Auditorium and held a very successful dance, their earnings were reinvested in new and more instruments.

Since they practiced in our basement my wife and daughters had to suffer, I could escape to the office or hospitals

Plainfield was the home of several of the “garage bands" of that era, one of the most successful was the ‘Doughboys” which was still playing gigs recently.

The Coba Seas band Andy mentions was formed at Anderson School which Andy attended for a year. He played the rhythm guitar in that group whose lead guitarist was Hall of Fame Guitarist James Williamson of "Iggy and the Stooges" fame. In 2012 a 33-1/3rd vinyl album was release of a practice session of that band.

Andy still plays his guitar for recreation and meditation. At one time he had a “Flying V”, several Les Pauls and a 12 string guitar; all have gone