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Steam (band)

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Steam
OriginNew York City
GenresPop, psychedelic pop, pop rock
Years active1969–1970
LabelsFontana, Mercury
Past membersGary DeCarlo (aka Garrett Scott)
Dale Frashuer
Paul Leka
Websitewww.steamtheband.com

Steam was an American pop rock music group, best known for their 1969 number one hit single, "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye".[1] The song was written and recorded by studio musicians Gary DeCarlo (aka Garrett Scott), Dale Frashuer, and producer/writer Paul Leka at Mercury Records studios in New York City. The single was attributed to the band Steam, although at the time there was actually no band with that name.[2] Leka and the studio group also recorded the first album of the band from which four other songs were released as singles in 1970.

History

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Background

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In the early 1960s, Frashuer and DeCarlo (born Gary Richard DeCarlo in Bridgeport, Connecticut on June 5, 1942) were members of a doo-wop group from Bridgeport, Connecticut variously known as the Glenwoods, the Citations, and the Chateaus, for which Leka played piano.[3] The group separated but kept in contact. Leka became a songwriter with Circle Five Productions and in 1967, he wrote and produced the Lemon Pipers' "Green Tambourine"[2] and other Pipers songs with Shelley Pinz.

Steam

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In 1969, Leka was working at Mercury Records[2] and convinced the label's A&R to record DeCarlo. With Leka producing, DeCarlo (under the professional name Garrett Scott)[4] recorded four singles, all of which Bob Reno, the label's head, thought would do well issued as an A-side. DeCarlo's first single was to be "Workin' On a Groovy Thing", but it was beaten by the 5th Dimension version released a week earlier. Then the company and Leka decided on "Sweet Laura Lee" as the next single and a B-side was needed. DeCarlo and Leka were asked to cut a B-side along with Frashuer. The trio chose to use a previously unrecorded song from their Chateaus days, which became "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye".[2]

To the musicians' surprise, Reno decided that "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye" should be an A-side. Leka thought the song was "an embarrassing record... Not that Gary sang it badly. But compared to his four songs, it was an insult."[1] To avoid a clash with DeCarlo's planned solo career, Mercury issued the single on its Fontana subsidiary under the name "Steam". Leka said the name was conceived after he saw steam rising from a manhole cover in the street outside the recording studio.[1]

Released late in 1969, "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye" reached number one in the United States for two weeks in December 1969. [1] The song was also a Top 10 hit in the UK and Canada.

Leka hastily put together a touring group to support the hit single, none of whose members had actually played on the recording.[2] The touring group consisted of: Bill Steer (vocals), Jay Babina and Tom Zuke (guitars), Mike Daniels (bass), Hank Schorz (keyboard), and Ray Corriea (drums).[5][6][7][8] Leka, DeCarlo, and Frashuer did not take part in the touring group,[9] although the three were credited as songwriters for Steam's self-titled album. The second single from the album, "I've Gotta Make You Love Me", reached number 46 in the U.S. on Billboard and 44 in Canada in February 1970.[10]

Steam has also been a live touring band for 3 decades and under several reincarnations dating back to 1970 until its demise in 2006. Some of the touring members were, Tommy Scott Freda on vocals (1970 – 1996) and bass, Paul Freda on guitar (1970 – 1996), Alan Tebaldi on drums (1997 to 2006), Bruce Herring on percussion (1978), Howie Rose on bass (1997), Greg Bravo on vocals (1997 - 2006, and Bill Pascali on vocals and keyboards (1970s, 1980s, and 1990s).

Later years

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Frashuer stepped out of the public eye.[9] He died in 1998 at age 59.[citation needed] Leka became a successful songwriter and producer before his death in 2011. DeCarlo, whose solo career as Garrett Scott did not achieve chart success, left the music industry until making a comeback in 2014, performing at oldies shows.

By the beginning of the 21st century, sales of "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye" had exceeded 6.5 million records.[11] In 1977, Nancy Faust, the organist for the Chicago White Sox began playing the song to taunt the visiting team. Since then it has been used across the worlds of sport (particularly in relation to player ejections and strutting post-victory celebrations) and politics (at rallies to mock political opponents).[12]

In 2014, DeCarlo released the album Long Time Comin', which included a new version of his hit, 23 days after his 75th birthday.[13] He died on June 28, 2017, after a battle with lung cancer,[14]

Bill Pascali was a mainstay with the live touring band Steam. He is currently the last surviving member of Steam.[15]

Musicians

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Key musicians on the record, "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye"
  • Paul Leka: Producer, co-writer, keyboards (died 2011)
  • Dale Frashuer: co-writer (died 1998)
  • Gary DeCarlo: (as "Garrett Scott") co-writer, lead vocalist and percussion (died 2017)

Touring musicians who performed as “Steam”:

  • Bill Steer: vocals
  • Jay Babina: guitar
  • Tom Zuke: guitar
  • Mike Daniels: bass
  • Hank Schorz: keyboard
  • Ray Correia: drums
  • Tommy Scott Freda: Vocals
  • Paul Freda: Guitar
  • Alan Tebaldi: Drums
  • Bill Pascali: Vocals / Keyboards

Notes: [5][8][7][6]

Discography

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Album

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Year Album Label Peak chart positions
US
[16] 		CAN
[17]
1970 Steam Mercury SR 61254 84 67

Singles

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Year Single Peak chart positions
US
[16] 		US R&B
[16] 		CAN
[18][19] 		UK
[20]
1969 "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye" 1 20 6 9
1970 "I've Gotta Make You Love Me" 46 — 44 —
"What I'm Saying Is True" — — — —
"Don't Stop Lovin' Me" — — — —
"Love And Affection" — — — —
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d Bronson, Fred (2003). The Billboard Book of Number One Hits (5th ed.). New York: Watson-Guptill. p. 263. ISBN 9780823076772.
  2. ^ a b c d e Eder, Bruce. "Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
  3. ^ Daniel E. Slotnik (June 29, 2017). "Gary DeCarlo, Who Sang 'Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye,' Is Dead". The New York Times. Retrieved December 8, 2017.
  4. ^ Jankoski, Jan (March 29, 1970). "'Steam' Steams to Gold Platter". The Bridgeport Post. pp. C8 – C14.
  5. ^ a b "Steam Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
  6. ^ a b "One-Hit Wonder: Steam | Mental Itch". mentalitch.com. March 31, 2016. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
  7. ^ a b "Steam hometown, lineup, biography". Last.fm. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
  8. ^ a b "Steam - "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye" LIVE - 1969". Society Of Rock. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
  9. ^ a b Higgins, Ron (November 28, 1986). "Anthem of victory originated in 1960s". Abilene Reporter-News. Abilene, Texas. p. 2D – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "RPM100" (PDF). Collectionscanada.gc.ca. February 21, 1970. Retrieved July 1, 2017.
  11. ^ Hinckley, David (April 4, 2005). "Na Na Hey Hey was an unexpected winner". The Seattle Times. Retrieved September 8, 2014.
  12. ^ "Na na, hey hey: How a throwaway song became anthem of taunt". Mercurynews.com. June 29, 2017. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
  13. ^ "Gary DeCarlo - Kiss Him Goodbye". YouTube. January 20, 2014. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved August 25, 2015.
  14. ^ "Steam's 'Hey Hey Hey Goodbye' Singer Gary DeCarlo Dead at 75 from Cancer". TMZ.com. May 4, 2017. Retrieved July 1, 2017.
  15. ^ "Bill Pascali". BillPascali.com. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
  16. ^ a b c "Steam - Awards". AllMusic. Archived from the original on June 9, 2016. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
  17. ^ "RPM Magazine March 7, 1970 (page 12)".
  18. ^ "RPM Top 100 Singles - December 27, 1969" (PDF).
  19. ^ "RPM Top 100 Singles - February 21, 1970" (PDF).
  20. ^ "STEAM - full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
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