One of Baltimore’s classiest and most well-known soul bands of the 1960s. They were long time house band at the Rhapsody Club on Old Annapolis Road.
The early years of the Upsetters featured Jim Wess (lead vocalist), Rich Bowman (bass), Ed Schwartzman (guitar ex-Sentries), Lee Foy (tenor sax), Andy ‘Buster’ Braun (drums), Bruce Laine (bass), Dan Slaski (bass guitar and baritone sax)…
Early on Bowman was replaced with Nick Margaritas (piano ex-Galaxies). Wess left in 1962 to serve for three years in the service. Over the next couple of years there were many lead vocalists including Rita Doryse (see Rita Doryse bio), ‘Little Ritchie’ (seen at the Surf Club late ‘62), and ‘Peaches’.
Peaches & the Upsetters played as a house band at D’Mitry’s Lounge on Belair Road.
As Rita & the Upsetters they released the single “Done Got Over” with an instrumental flip “Upsettin’ In” as the Upsetters on Sparky Mullen’s Zenette label.
For a time, the group featured the dual vocals of both Peaches and Rita.
Upon Wess’s return to the group in 1965, there had been six different lead singers. The 1966 line-up featured Lee Foy (tenor sax), Bill Rheem (trombone), Marc Grossman (trumpet), Barry Sachs (guitar), Howard Ridgley (bass ex-Uptowns), Dave Barton (organ, piano ex-Flintsones, Fury’s), and Danny (Green) O’Day (drums). Jim Wess supplied the lead vocals with backing vocals by Foy, Reem, and O’Day. They released an album on the Rhapsody Club label.
The group recorded “Shake Yourself” and “I’ve Got a Right to Cry” and, then manager, Bill Bateman shopped the songs to record labels. They were released on a single as by the Out Crowd on Newark Records.
L-R: Rheem, Foy, O’Day, Barton, Wess, Sachs, Ridgley, Grossman
As house band at the Rhapsody Club, the Upsetters attracted the interested of soul singer Otis Redding. WANN disc jockey brought Redding to the club and subsequently in the spring of 1967 the group went on tour for six months as Redding’s backing band. The Upsetters eventually played all the major cities on the East Coast and backed or opened for major artists such as Solomon Burke, Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels. They also performed a set with Redding on the Jerry Blavat Show. By mid-1967 Atlantic Records dropped the white Upsetters group and brought a black group called the Bar-Kays who had just scored with the national hit “Soul Finger.” Guitarist Barry Sachs was invited to join the group but declined, opting to stay with the Upsetters. As fate would have it the group was spared from the tragic plane crash that killed Redding and four members of the Bar-Kays on December 10, 1967. The Upsetters reportedly recorded with Redding as backing band on the tracks “Let Me Come on Home” and “I’m Coming Home” released on “Dock of The Bay” album.
Photos of 1967 Otis Redding concert at UMBC with backing by the Upsetters:
The Upsetters signed with ABC Records in 1968. They recorded at Cameo-Parkway Studios in Philadelphia and released the tribute album “We Remember Otis” and two singles. The group featured Wess (lead vocals), Foy (sax), Sachs (guitar), Ridgley (bass), O’Day (drums), with Harry Hoehn (trumpet), and John Beck aka John Baseman (organ).
Throughout the later years the group played the Baltimore / Philadelphia area with Phil Collector as their booking agent.
Members of the band throughout the years also included drummers Roy Williams (who passed away in 1965), and Mike Marcellino (ex-Busters, Nomads), bass guitarists Jimmy Smith, John Glorioso, and Rick Rakowski, keyboardists John Beck, Stan Dulski, and Bill Goedecke, trumpeters Joe Conway, and Bob Jenkins, vocalist Collette Kelly replaced Wess in 1970…
Lee Foy joined the Time Machine in 1969, and later became a member of Legend, Cherry Smash, and the Streetheart Band. Sachs later played in ‘70s groups Rhythm Method, and Majic. Bowman played for the Fidelities, Mojos, Goin’ Back, Majic. Marcellino also played in Majic. Margaritas owned The Piano Man music store in Catonsville.
Record releases by the Upsetters:
1964 Zenette 1770 Done Got Over / Upsettin In
(Above single side A: Rita & the Upsetters / side B: The Upsetters)
1966(LP) Rhapsody 2342 We Are the Upsetters
196* Newark 218 Shake Yourself / I’ve Got a Right to Cry
(Above single released as by the Out Crowd)
196* Club Soul 501 Dock of the Bay / Always in The Wrong Place at The Wrong Time
1969(LP) ABC 651 We Remember Otis
1969 ABC 11081 Always in The Wrong Place at The Wrong Time / Tossin’ & Turnin’
1969 ABC 11120 Down Home / Don’t Be Cruel
Upsetters courtesy of Barry Sachs. L-R: Bill Reem, Harry Hoehn, Dave Barton, Jimmy Wess, Howard Ridgley, Danny O’Day, Barry Sachs. Not pictured: Lee Foy.
