Singer and guitarist Gary Puckett is pleased to be performing with five other oldies acts in the Happy Together Tour 2016.
“We are part of the fabric of American pop music,” said Puckett, who, with four other musicians, formed Gary Puckett & The Union Gap in 1967. “The performers in this Happy Together show play hit after hit after hit after hit.”
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Gary Puckett & the Union Gap will perform on Friday at the Paramount Theatre in Aurora as part of the Happy Together Tour 2016. Other performers on the tour include The Turtles, featuring Flo & Eddie; Mark Lindsay from Paul Revere & the Raiders; Chuck Negron of Three Dog Night; The Cowsills; and The Spencer Davis Group. The show starts at 8 p.m.
In 1967, Gary Puckett & The Union Gap, which featured costumes that were based on the Union Army uniforms worn during the American Civil War, recorded its first single, “Woman Woman,” which became a million-selling record for the group. In the spring of 1968, the Union Gap scored their biggest hit with “Young Girl.”
“In the beginning, you always are hoping the next song you record will be ‘over the moon,'” Puckett said. “You always approach it with excitement and hope. Jerry Fuller, the record producer, knew immediately that ‘Young Girl’ would be big after we recorded it. He said, ‘You’ve done it again.'”
Other band hits included: “Lady Willpower,” “Over You,” “Don’t Give into Him,” and “This Girl Is a Woman Now.” The original Union Gap disbanded in 1971. Puckett, who will turn 74 in October, continues to tour nationally and internationally backed by three musicians he calls The Union Gap Band.
“They have been with me about 10 years,” he said.
For the Happy Together Tour, which Puckett has been on three times since 2012, the acts perform their hits individually and return on stage for a finale.
“During the show The Cowsills are always on the side of the stage rockin’ with every minute of the show,” said Puckett about what goes on while other acts are on stage. “I usually bring a guitar and an amplifier and I am working backstage on new songs. I think Chuck (Negron) just hangs back taking it all in.”
Puckett is gratified that he and his fellow performers on the tour can bring such enjoyment to so many people.
“It’s very satisfying that the people loved the music,” he said. “They want to hug us. People tell me all the time, ‘You don’t know what your music did for me.'”
Randall G. Mielke is a freelance writer.
Feel-good memories from classic acts
The Happy Together Tour 2016 features The Turtles, featuring Flo and Eddie; Mark Lindsay, former lead singer of Paul Revere & The Raiders; Chuck Negron of Three Dog Night; Gary Puckett & The Union Gap; The Cowsills; and The Spencer Davis Group.
The Turtles have sold more than 40 million records worldwide and had a number one hit on the charts in 1967 with “Happy Together.” Other Turtles hits include: “She’d Rather Be With Me,” “Elenore,” “You Showed Me” and “It Ain’t Me Babe.”
Mark Lindsay with Paul Revere & The Raiders had a number one hit on the charts in 1971 with “Indian Reservation,” which sold more than four million copies. Other Raiders hits include “Kicks,” “Hungry,” “Just Like Me” and “Good Thing.”
Chuck Negron co-founded the band Three Dog Night which created unforgettable songs like “Joy to the World,” “Black and White,” “Mama Told Me Not to Come,” “One,” “Old-Fashioned Love Song,” “Eli’s Coming” and “Celebrate.”
Gary Puckett & The Union Gap had memorable songs like “Young Girl,” “Over You,” “Woman Woman” and “This Girl is a Woman Now.”
The Cowsills scored a hit with “The Rain, The Park and Other Things” in 1967 and followed it up with “Indian Lake” in 1968 and “Hair” in 1969, which became their biggest hit.
The Spencer Davis Group starring Spencer Davis was part of the 1960s British Invasion, The band’s hits included “Gimme Some Lovin’,” “I’m A Man” and “Keep On Runnin’.”
In addition to enjoying some of the greatest pop and rock acts of the 1960s and 1970s, concertgoers can arrive early on Friday or the Paramount Theatre’s Season Kick-Off Party. This year, the Season Kick Off-Party officially launches Paramount’s 85th season.
The pre-show party will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. in the newly renovated Meyer Ballroom, 8 E. Galena Blvd., directly across the street from the Paramount Theatre. For $20, guests can sample delicious food from around the Aurora area, enjoy a fully-stocked cash bar and bid on silent auction prizes including autographed items, overnight stays and meet and greet opportunities. Proceeds go to Paramount’s own Dreams Do Come True program that allows children and families from economically challenged situations to see a Paramount Broadway Series show for free.
The Happy Together Tour 2016
When: Friday, Aug. 19
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Where: Paramount Theatre, 23 E. Galena Blvd., Aurora
Tickets: $59.50
Information: 630-896-6666 or www.paramountaurora.com