Lloyd William Baskin from New Jersey when on to graduated from Syracuse University with a Bachelor's Degree in Industrial Design, but he turned to music as his profession in 1966. Lloyd was first seen in CNY as the keyboardist for Otis (Smith) and the Headliners. After a name changes they became Otis and the All Night Workers (Billy Elmiger, Steve McCord, Herb Flowers, Otis Smith & Baskin). This very popular band played clubs like the Fayetteville Inn and the Brookside in 1964-66. Lloyd Baskin sang lead and played his Wurlitzer 140B electric piano on their regional hit "Don't Put All Your Eggs in One Basket" recorded in New York City by producer Jerry Vance (Pickwick International) and released on the Round Sound Record Label.
Eggs hit #1 on WOLF Radio in December 1965. The flip "Why Don't You Smile" was co-written by Steve Mc Cord's early ex-SU roommate Lou Reed while he was employed as a writer for Pickwick. To the best of the bands memory, that was Reed's only involvement. He did not play or sing on the track.
Next came their release "Honey and Wine" (Otis Smith lead vocal) on Cameo Record, followed by "Misery" for Mercury Records in 1967. The All Night Workers also became the backup band for former Boston Red Sox- Tony Conigliaro, who had a contract with RCA Records while performing on the Merv Griffin TV Show.
With the All Night Workers demise in New England, Lloyd joined the national company of Jesus Christ Superstar in Boston. Next Baskin joined the national group "Seatrain." Their first release was a self-titled album on A&M Records in 1969. A label change to Capitol produced the hit single "13 Questions". Lloyd is featured on both Capitol albums "Seatrain" (1971) and "Marblehead Messenger" 1971).
With the All Night Workers demise in New England, Lloyd joined the national company of Jesus Christ Superstar in Boston. Next Baskin joined the national group "Seatrain." Their first release was a self-titled album on A&M Records in 1969. A label change to Capitol produced the hit single "13 Questions". Lloyd is featured on both Capitol albums "Seatrain" (1971) and "Marblehead Messenger" 1971).
Other releases include- Orphan's Lp "More Orphan than Hot" (1974) and Martin Mulls' album "Days of Wine and Neuroses" (1975). Lloyd would later return to Syracuse teaming with Mark Hoffmann, Gary Goal, Tommy Neuman and his wife Sanda Lee to form the (late 1970's) band- "Baskin, Hoffmann & Lee". Baskin then returned to his home base of Los Angeles and was seen in the motion picture "Bugsy" (1990) playing a Ciro's singer. More recently Baskin played keyboards, clavinet and added vocal to Patricia Rushen's album "New". Lloyd Baskin currently resided in Southern California.
Lloyd and I grew up in the same town (Little Silver, NJ) but he was a couple of years ahead of me in school. Fast forward to 1966 . . . I'm breaking in to radio at WTBU (Boston U.) and some girls bring "Eggs" up to our studio and ask us to play it. We did and it became a big local hit. Fast forward again . . . a year or so. I'm living in Alston and I see "The All Night Workers" on a sign in front of a local nightclub. I check it out and, sure enough, it's them. Up to that point in time, I did not know that Lloyd was in the band. However, we both recognized each other from our Little Silver days. I then hooked them up with my radio mentor Joey Reynolds and that's how we got "Misery" released on Mercury Records. Also, the All Night Workers were the backup band for former Red Sox star Tony Conigliaro (who had a contract with RCS Records) and performed on the Merv Griffin Show in New York.
ReplyDeleteCorrection: That should be RCA Records.
DeleteStanding a few feet away, I vividly remember watching Lloyd play his Wurlitzer electric piano on the porch of a fraternity at Syracuse University after a football game, when I was a freshman. I went on to become the organist for the Vikings and then Carnage and actually played, like Lloyd did, after many games. The image and sound that Lloyd created still rings in my ears and was an early inspiration.
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