Al Knight’s Untouchables could be seen at the Stereo Club on Clement Street, Hook’s Shelter Deck Lounge, and Buddy’s Subway Lounge in Brooklyn. They made TV appearances, cut a record and had some local airplay. Al and the Y-Dells (a studio band – maybe the Untouchables) recorded a single on Jerry Schwing’s Jay Wing label (See – Y-Dells).
Al also played bass guitar as one of Jack Gale’s studio musicians on dozens of records by Baltimore based artists, as did Untouchables drummer Richard Lombardi…
A 1961 lineup of The Untouchables included Al Knight (bass), with Roger Pace (sax), John Redding (piano), Billy Smith (sax), Harry Marsiglia (drums), Eddie Stringer (guitarist, band leader, proprietor of Stringer’s Music).
Front: Eddie Stringer, Al Knight.
In 1962 the band featured Jimmy Hudson (vocals ex-All Stars), plus vocals of the fabulous ‘Peaches.’ Peaches moved on later that year to join the Upsetters.
Under the direction of Gale, the group also recorded and released a single as the RPM’s in 1963 “Street Scene” b/w “Love Me” (Port 70032).
Vocalist Joy Paige joined the band as the Untouchables held a house band gig at the Sunset Lounge in 1963 Tuesday through Sunday nights. More changes were to occur in 1964 as Paige was replaced with Barbara Starr, and the addition of Ralph Emmel (The Counts) to the band – they played an extended gig as house band at Carl’s Club 33.
Over the years the group also included Harry Marsiglia (drums -The Capris – cousin of Harry the sax player), Al Baitch (sax), ‘Chews’ (guitar), Sonny Robins (bass/guitar), Joe Liberto (drums), Billy Holmes (drums), John Redding aka Johnny Walker (piano, trombone ex-Rock-A-Beats), Lionel Jiggetts (piano), Ronnie Phillips (guitar ex-Freddie Rick’s Night Hawks), Eddie Stringer (guitar ex-Sound-Tones, band leader, proprietor of Stringer’s Music), Billy Smith (tenor sax), Roger Pace (alto sax ex-Rogers Lodgers), Jim Lockard aka Jimmy Slick (sax)… Members of the group continued to be mainstays of the local music scene for many years. Baitch and Pace (see bios), Emmel (Counts, V.I.P.’s, Just Us…), Robins (004 Combo, 2nd Generation…), Phillips (Bobby Anderson’s Group V…)…
