Artist: The Mob
Title Of Album: The Mob
Year Of Release: 1970-72/2024
Label: Dig The Fuzz
Country: US
Genre: Jazz funky brass rock
Audio codec: FLAC | lossless

The MOB was the first band in Chicago to have a full horn section. Prior to The MOB (early-to-mid ’60’s), Gary Beisbier and Jimmy Holvay had horns in all of their line-ups. “Beatle Time” was recorded in December of 1963 and charted on WLS. Gary and Jimmy recorded as a group called The Livers, previously The Chicagoans. The song carries the melody with a horn section.

In June of 1966, The MOB was playing at a club in Schiller Park on River Road called the Wine and Roses. Coming to see The MOB were every rock band musician in town including The Missing Links, The Exceptions and Carl Bonafede. The MOB’s very first release [”Wait (Please Don't Walk Away)” b/w “Mystery Man”] was on Cameo / Parkway Records in May of 1966. “Kind Of A Drag” by The Buckinghams was released in 1967, later Blood Sweat & Tears, CTA, the Ides Of March and Chase all featured horns.

It was said in Danny Seraphines’ book, that the MOB inspired Danny, Terry and Wally to add horns to their group, which was originally called The Missing Links, which then became The Big Thing (now known as Chicago).  In March of 1966, Jimmy Holvay was asked to write and produce a two sides for The Missing Links. It was a single called “Makin’ Up And Breakin’ Up” b/w “You Hypnotize Me” on Ivanhoe Records, when they were a four piece band, prior to them adding a horn section and re-forming as The Big Thing.

The Buckinghams also recorded their version of “Makin’ Up And Breakin’ Up” for their first USA LP. It was the producers (Dan Belloc and Carl Bonafede) who added horns to The Buckinghams tracks. The Buckinghams did not have horns in their band.

n early 1967, manager Joe DeFrancesco (in his quest to secure The MOB a recording contract with a major label) came up with a strategy. He directed The MOB to record at a top studio in New York City. The studio was A & R Recording, and the engineer was Brooks Arthur. The MOB recorded: "Disappear", "Blowin' My Mind", "I Wish You'd Leave Me Alone" and "Everybody's Got To Have Somebody", a newer version than the one recorded at Capitol Records' Studio B in Hollywood.

While in New York, Joe had a marketing brainstorm. A few months previously, Joe had seen a Las Vegas act, The Kirby Stone 4, perform at the Scotch Mist on Chicago's Rush Street. He befriended one of its members, Larry Foster, who was a celebrity voice impersonator.

While Joe was sitting in A & R Recoding's control room and mixing the tracks, he came up with an ingenious marketing plan of how he would launch the next super group to the world. He contacted Larry Foster, with whom he created a radio spot campaign titled "WHO IS THIS MOB?!" The twist was not only that these mobsters weren't gangsters but also that "they were clean". They were a musical group.

The mobsters and Joe secured a major record deal with Mercury. The single chosen to be released in 1968 was "Disappear" (Holvay/Beisbier) b/w "I Wish You'd Leave Me Alone" (Holvay/Beisbier). The February 14th holiday was also known in Chicago for the St. Valentine's Day Massacre, which occurred in the 1920's. It was decided to purchase numerous ads (with the royalties from The Buckingham's hits) on the local Top 40 power house radio station WCFL, which ran the radio spots for weeks; all building up to the release of Mercury Records #72791 1-40785 and 1-40786 Bag-O-Tunes (BMI).

There were five radio spots Foster recorded: James Cagney, Walter Winchell, Humphrey Bogart, Al Capone and Edward G. Robinson. Each radio spot did not include any clip from The MOB’s single but instead teased that “they were clean”.

Tracks:
1. Maybe I'll Find A Way - 2:44
2. Once A Man, Twice A Child - 4:11
3. (I’d Like To See) More Of You - 3:37
4. Lost - 3:57
5. Give It To Me - 3:04
6. For A Little While - 4:03
7. Goodtime Baby - 2:20
8. I Dig Everything About You - 2:34
9. Love Has Got A Hold On Me - 2:54
10.Back On The Road Again - 3:19
11.Savin' My Lovin' For You - 3:43
12.Medley: Everyday People (Sylvester Stewart) / Love Power (Teddy Vann) - 4:26
13.Make Me Yours - 3:00
14.All I Need - 2:46
15.I Feel The Earth Move (Carol King) - 2:52
16.Money (That's What I Want) (Berry Gordy, Janie Bradford) - 2:47
17.Where You Lead (Carole King, Toni Stern) - 2:22
18.Two And Two Together - 2:52
19.Uh-Uh-Uh-Uh-Uh-Uh - 2:52

Tracks 1-10 from 1970
Tracks 11-19 from 1971-72

Personnel:
Little Artie Herrera - Lead Vocals
Al Herrera - Tenor Sax, Lead Vocals
Gary Beisbier - Tenor, Alto, Baritone Sax, Background Vocals
Mike Sistak - Trombone, Guitar, Lead Vocals
Jim Holvay - Guitar, Fender Bass, Lead Vocals
Tony Nedza- Hammond B3, Background Vocals
Bobby Ruffino - Drums