R&B teen band formed at Andover High School in Linthicum. Originally the group started with Rich Faust (guitar), Eddie Russell (keyboards), George Treffner (bass), and Walt Tydings (tenor sax) practicing in Russell’s basement. Word began to spread around the neighborhood and they soon added Terry Lupton (lead vocals, keyboards, vibraphone), then Jim Melniczak (tenor sax ex-Chaumonts), Bernard Cullen (baritone sax), Pepper Hartley (trombone), Nat Stinchcomb (trumpet), Bill Gretsinger (drums), and Tom Balbier (lead trumpet).
In 1965 Russell, Gretsinger, and Stinchcomb left the group. A B-3 organ player from Dundalk was added along with Bob Hamel (drums), and Johnny Stillman (trumpet).
Terry & the Uptights played all the local CYO’s, teen centers, and school dances. Also seen at Earleigh Heights Fire Hall… In winter of 1967 they became the house band at The Zoo club in Brooklyn.
The group was managed by Frank Burkowske who also managed Brenda & the Sentries.
Walt Tydings recalled “1967 was the year that Frank Bee had set up for us to do a demo recording, but it was also the year that a lot of us turned 18 and along came Uncle Sam! Most of the guys went to Ocean City that summer to play as house band at the ‘Peppermint Lounge’ but they got into money problems and it was the beginning of the end.”
For a short while Rusty Hill (keyboards), Kenny Heiser (trombone), and Howard Ridgley (bass) joined the band. Ridgley, along with other members of the Upsetters went on to tour with Otis Redding.
Faust reportedly went on to work with the group Looking Glass (“Brandy”). Lupton went to California in the early ‘70s and had a short stint with Iron Butterfly. He continued to work in L.A. as a studio musician, producer, and songwriter with over 100 published songs recorded by artists such as Apollonia Kotero, Joey Lawrence, Scott Ellison, and others. Tydings joined Tray & the Diamonds and later played with Lenny Christian & Sounds of Time.
L-R: Melniczak, Hartley, Balbier, Stillman, Lupton
