The acclaimed Beatles tribute band will perform on Saturday in Northampton.
We can thank Beatles drummer Ringo Starr for coming up with the title of the Fab Four's first motion picture “A Hard Day’s Night.”
But on Saturday night, fans will be thanking the Fab Faux for faithfully recreating the songs on the album – both the songs from the soundtrack and the additional tunes featured on the British album that didn’t make it onto the United Artists’ soundtrack in America – during their return appearance to the Calvin Theater in Northampton.
Hailed as “the greatest Beatles’ cover band without the wigs,” the Fab Faux are highly regarded by the most devoted of Beatlefans – and even recognized by the two remaining Beatles – for their painstakingly accurate recreations of The Beatles’ music catalog.
The group is a labor of love that was born in 1998 when neighbors Will Lee, bassist for Paul Shaffer's CBS Orchestra on "The Late Show With David Letterman" and Jimmy Vivino, music director/guitarist for Conan O'Brien and long-time music partner of Levon Helm, John Sebastian, Laura Nyro and Max Weinberg, kicked around the idea during an elevator ride in their New York City building.
Rounding out the line-up are lead-singing drummer/producer Rich Pagano, who has worked with Rosanne Cash, Patti Smith and Ray Davies among others; guitarist Frank Agnello, who has accompanied Marshall Crenshaw, Phoebe Snow, to name but a few; and keyboardist/guitarist Jack Petruzzelli who has played along side Rufus Wainwright, Patti Smith, Joan Osborne and others.
So, why the soundtrack to “A Hard Day’s Night” over The Beatles’ second big screen appearance “Help?”
“We won’t be traveling with our string and horn sections to the Calvin, it will just be the five of us, and you can’t do the music of ‘Help’ without them,” said Pagano.
While the early days of Beatlemania escaped Pagano, whose first Beatles’ album to make his collection was “Abbey Road” in 1969, the drummer said he quickly began “grabbing up their other albums with “A Hard Day’s Night” becoming my third or fourth purchase.”
As for the movie itself, Pagano saw it as a teen when his interest in The Beatles’ began to grow.
“It was the first rock and roll movie about a group on tour that I had ever seen, and I loved it. The movie stayed with me and what surprised me most was how good actors John and George (Harrison) really were in the movie,” said Pagano.
The first half of Saturday night’s show will feature all the songs from The Beatles’ “A Hard Days Night” album originally released in 1964 on Parlophone Records in England. The first side of the vinyl record included the songs from the movie – “A Hard Day’s Night,” “I Should Have Known Better,” “If I Fell,” “I’m Happy Just To Dance With You,” “And I Love Her,” “Tell Me Why,” and “Can’t Buy Me Love.” The flip side of the album featured new songs by the group which were later released on other American albums including “Any Time At All,” “I’ll Cry Instead,” “Things We Said Today,” “When I Get Home,” “You Can’t Do That,” and “I’ll Be Back.”
As for the second half of the show bill as a “mixed bag of favorites,” Pagano was reluctant to say just what they would be performing.
“Favorites to us means what seems to be going over well or what we suddenly pulled out of the bag that we haven’t done in a while,” said Pagano.
Pagano noted the group is excited to be performing their 15th Anniversary Show at the Wellmont Theatre in Montclair, New Jersey on April 20. He also hinted about a big announcement coming shortly about “what could be our biggest show ever” planned for New York City in October.