Pop rock dance Top-40 and originals band. Appeared at the April 4, 1977 Club Venus concert which also featured other Baltimore bands Joy, Bittersweet, Mixed Nuts, and Perchance. Also, could be heard at the Dulaney Inn.
Member Harold Lloyd (sax ex-Morgan’s Pirates, Dryed Ice…) wrote both sides of their 1977 single release. Other members included Larry Bonaccorci (guitar, vocals ex-Loose Change), John Eid (keyboards ex-Bittersweet), John Kotrla (bass, vocals –Raintree County, Legendary Doolittle Boys…), Jim Hafer (drums, vocals –Epics, The Package…)…
The group released a split single in 1979 “Baltimore” backed with “It’s A Happy Day” by Ellin Amos who went on to become multi-platinum recording artist Tori Amos…
Contraband won the 1979 “Baltimore’s Best” award.
Bonaccorci later with Bobby & Street Rods, Boss Company…
Keyboard player John Eid came along after the record releases in the second phase of the band and recollects “When I joined Contraband it was a part time group. The band focused on popular songs that got people out onto the dance floor. In that way, Contraband was similar to Bittersweet – lots of toe-tapping, energetic music. That’s what clubs and other venues wanted, lots of energetic people getting thirsty. So, we played the same type of venues like beer dances and night clubs.”
Courtesy of John Eid
“Contraband had a wider range of music that appealed to a mixed audience of younger and older folks though. As a result, we had a broader range of venues we could play, for example, more weddings and hotel lounges. The song list was long and varied. It included things like the ‘Ghost Busters’ theme song, the ‘The Power of Love’ by Huey Lewis and the News, and some standards including ‘Misty’ and ‘The Girl from Ipanema.’ There were so many songs that I had to write up chord charts for things like ‘Desafinado’ and others that I had to learn quickly.”
1977 Magic Mountain 77.6.7 Get Your Share (Of Contraband) / Day After Day
1979 The Music Bank 7801 Baltimore / It’s A Happy Day
