FM
History
Formed in 1964, the original group consisted of 5 students from St. John's University...Ted Haenlein, Frank Stapleton, Eric Crane, Denny Ryan and Peppi Marchello. The group was originally called the U-Men and played most of their gigs in the Rockaways (Peyton Place & McNultys) & Long Island (The Attic, Tiger's Tail etc.). In 1966, Frank Stapleton's brother, John, arranged for the group to play at a club in Queens, New York (The John Doe Room) where a record company executive heard them and eventually signed the band, but suggested a name change was in order. The band continued to play top 40 covers while working on their own original music. During the latter part of the sixties, the composition of the band changed...by 1968, Eric, Frank and Ted (drafted and went to Viet Nam, but did rejoin the group from 1970-72) were gone, replaced by Peppi's brother, Mickey, and Crazy Artie (bass).
In 1969, the band released their first album, the self-titled The Good Rats. In 1972, the lineup changed, with guitarist John “The Cat” Gatto, bass player Lenny Kotke and drummer Joe Franco joining the Marchello brothers. The Good Rats continued to build a following, playing Long Island’s thriving club scene, along with other notable names such as Twisted Sister, Zebra, and Rat Race Choir.
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