Velvet Crest
| Velvet Crest | |
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Velvet Crest, from left, Dave Bartos (vocals/bass), Joel Gordon (vocals/rhythm guitar), Terry St. George (vocals/lead guitar), Jeff Kerekes (vocals/drums), perform at a concert under their original name, By Popular Demand, c. 1968
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| Background information | |
| Also known as | By Popular Demand |
| Origin | Mineral City, Ohio |
| Genres | Rock and roll, Garage rock, Pop rock, Baroque pop |
| Years active | 1966-1971 |
| Labels | Harbour Records, Liberty Records, Bold Records |
| Associated acts | The Music Explosion, The Royal Chessmen, American Grease, Joe Banana and the Bunch |
| Past members |
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Velvet Crest was an American rock band from Mineral City, Ohio, best known for their 1969 hit song, “Look Homeward Angel.”
The band originally called themselves “By Popular Demand” and formed in September 1966 in Mineral City, Ohio by 18-year old lead guitarist Terry St. George (aka “Beat”) and 17-year-old bassist Dave Bartos. St. George and Bartos soon approached 28-year-old Mineral City guitarist Joel Gordon and asked him to join as the third member. Gordon bought a Rickenbacker electric guitar and was given a week to learn the band’s songs. Drummer Jeff Kerekes was recruited from nearby Magnolia, Ohio, and joined soon after.
The foursome immediately had great musical chemistry and worked on their sound for several weeks in Gordon’s auto upholstery workshop at night after the shop closed. They soon began playing local dances, parties, and contests, and were known for their close four-part harmony vocals - an uncommon talent for garage rock bands of the era. Their first big break came on October 29, 1966, only six weeks after forming, when they beat out eight other bands to win the Cuyahoga Falls News Association Battle of the Bands contest. This early victory garnered local press for the band and allowed them to secure future bookings at prominent rock clubs in northeast Ohio. They went on to win several other battle of the bands contests and became very popular in the Canton/Akron/Cleveland area.
Riding the momentum of their live shows, By Popular Demand entered the studio at Cleveland Recording Company in March, 1968 to record an original 7” single, "You Might Need Me," and b-side "I Want To Write A Song About You.” The single was released on Unis Records and received airplay on pop radio stations in the region. The band appeared on several Ohio radio and televisions shows.
The studio engineer from the Cleveland Recording session was impressed with the group and asked if they ever considered working with a record producer. He introduced them to Carl Maduri, a Cleveland-area record producer with music industry connections. After some negotiations, Maduri agreed to produce the group.
Maduri did not hear any potential hits among the band’s original songs, so he asked them instead to record the classic vocal ballad, “Look Homeward Angel,” as their first single. At the time, soft rock bands like The Vogues were popular on the radio, and Maduri hoped to capitalize on this trend. The band preferred to play edgier rock music and were reluctant to record this song, but ultimately agreed after Maduri threatened to shelve the project. Tracking for “Look Homeward Angel” was completed at Cleveland Recording in November 1968, and Maduri arranged for members of the Cleveland Orchestra to add orchestral background strings, giving the song a lush baroque pop sound.
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