In 1973, while attending the Lawrenceville School, a boys' prep school in central New Jersey, I crossed paths with Jim Nevius. Jim, who had previously played drums and electric bass in various bands, was now focused on electric guitar and vocals with his band, Gloop Nox and the Stik People. Their rehearsals took place in the basement of his family home in Yardley, Pennsylvania. Having started to play guitar several years prior, I was eager to join a band. After a casual invitation from Jim to audition, I waited weeks for a call that never came. Eventually, I reached out to him, and he invited me to a rehearsal. I took a bus from Princeton to Trenton, walked across the bridge over the Delaware River to Morrisville, Pennsylvania, with my Fender Stratocaster in hand, and auditioned successfully.
At that time, the band included Jim Nevius, Marc Baldwin on electric Farfisa organ and bass, Michael Osborn on electric bass and congas, Chris Leadem and Darrel DiLiberto on drums, with myself on electric guitar. Later, we welcomed Freddy Reed, who added electric mandolin and guitar. Our rehearsals took place almost every weekend, where we repeatedly played songs like "UNTOLD VISION," "BEER DRINKING WOMEN," "MISTER MUCUS PUKES AGAIN," "STEIBENESH DENTURES," "ELDERLY TOADS AT WAR," and "POWERLINES ACROSS THE UNITED STATES," as we had not yet thought to create more original material.
Our music blended progressive rock with a touch of juvenile humor. One memorable performance included a “milk commercial” skit, drawing inspiration from Danny Thomas's comedic routines. We played at a few high school dances but spent most weekends rehearsing in Jim's basement. For our stage setup, we incorporated mannequin parts and a quirky prop tree to display gloves sourced from Jim's father's department store in Trenton.
During a talent contest at Pennsbury High School, we unfortunately lost to a teen jazz combo. Afterward, Darrel publicly criticized the jazz band from the stage, declaring that they should have lost and we should have won—a rather unfortunate moment.
In an attempt to promote the band, I designed business cards featuring an atomic symbol and a wood engraving-style depiction of a sphinx and pyramid beneath a starry sky. I naively sent these cards alone, without additional materials, to various schools, addressed to the “Social Events Committee.” Unsurprisingly, we received no responses.
In April 1975, we had the opportunity to perform at an Arp Synthesizer-sponsored talent contest at the Tower Theater in Philadelphia. I submitted a demo reel of our rehearsals, which secured our invitation. The judging panel included blues musician James Cotton and Roger Powell from Todd Rundgren's band. Unfortunately, our performance did not fare much better than at Pennsbury, and this time, Darrel refrained from any outbursts.
We also participated in a couple of avant-garde events in Trenton, organized by Dennis Bathory-Kitsz's Trans/Media artist collective, which were a stark contrast to the high school dances and talent shows we had previously attended.
As the band evolved, various members joined and left, including Jerry Coll on drums, Freddy Reed on electric bass, Mike Barnaba on Fender Rhodes electric piano and Minimoog synthesizer, Ted Riskin on Minimoog synthesizer and trombone, John Olla on drums, and Bob Sandor on electric bass. Jimmy Weed contributed electric piano and a Hammond B-3 organ with a heavy Leslie amplifier. Our commitment to the band led us to lug the cumbersome Hammond B-3 Organ and Leslie to a Charles Boehm Middle School Autumn Prom, where we were ultimately ejected without payment due to our disruptive antics.
After graduating high school, the original lineup of the band gradually fell apart. Michael Osborn went on to tour with 1950s teen stars Danny and The Juniors, briefly dated Madonna before her rise to fame, and played on records with Holly and the Italians, Marshall Crenshaw, and The Rockats. He currently works as a graphic designer at Apple. Marc Baldwin married, had children, and operated a pool cleaning service before disappearing from the scene. Darrel DiLiberto played percussion on an album by a Parliament-Funkadelic spin-off and also vanished from the music world. Tragically, Chris Leadem, who battled mental health issues for years, took his own life in Englewood, Colorado, in 2010.
In 1976, Jim Nevius and I, still living with our parents and working unfulfilling jobs, formed a Top 40/disco band named 'Zygote.' This time, our business card featured a farmer on a tractor. The lineup included Bob Sandor on bass, Mike Barnaba on keyboards, and John Olla on drums. We managed to perform once at the Shamrock Inn on Route 33 in Hamilton, New Jersey, but were removed mid-performance when the bar owner, Barb, was informed that Bob was only 16.
In the early 1980s, Freddy Reed, Jim Nevius, and Scott Simon formed the promising New York City band Neighbors and Allies, although it did not achieve the anticipated success. Scott Simon later joined the influential synth dance band Our Daughters Wedding, which found greater recognition.
After years of navigating the ups and downs of life, Jim Nevius and I decided to revive Gloop Nox and the Stik People in August 2011 in New Jersey to record our songs solely for enjoyment. We brought on board skilled bassist Bob Sandor and seasoned drummer Ken Lawrence, both of whom had extensive experience in various bands throughout the Delaware Valley. They approached the project with enthusiasm and quickly learned our songs. Additionally, we enlisted the talented guitarist Paula Cohen from New York City. Scott Simon contributed keyboards to the tracks he produced and engineered at his studio located on his horse farm in the idyllic rural area of Locktown, New Jersey.
Here are those songs for your listening pleasure.
--- John Trubee, Santa Rosa, California, August 2014
