The Buckinghams - Mercy, Mercy, Mercy (A Collection) [1965-1970]
CD (1991) To Mp3 256 mbit/s
Included: CD Covers,Booklett and this Info

Review by: Jim Newsom  Allmusic.com
Although they never had a hit album, the Buckinghams sold more records in 1967 than any American group other than the Monkees. This collection includes every Buckinghams song you'd want to hear, and more. The disc opens with "Kind of a Drag," the number one single in the U.S. in February 1967. The band's other pop hits are here as well: "Don't You Care," "Hey Baby (They're Playing Our Song)," "Susan," and the group's vocal take on Cannonball Adderley's jazz classic "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy," which reached number five in August. As 1967 ended, so did the band's string of hits. Except for the minor hit "Back in Love Again" from spring 1968, the band disappeared into oblivion. However, Mercy, Mercy, Mercy includes other worthwhile tracks steeped in the happy production style of the hits. "Where Did You Come From" and "It's a Beautiful Day (For Lovin')" are pleasant, optimistic-sounding pop confections, while "Difference of Opinion" and "You" show the Buckinghams attempting to move beyond their singles-band image in their final recording sessions in 1969. 

The Buckinghams are an American rock band that saw enormous radio popularity from 1965 to 1968, becoming one of the top-selling rock groups of 1967. In 1965, two high school musicians in Chicago, Illinois, guitarist Carl Giammarese and bassist Nick Fortuna joined drummer John Poulos, singers George LeGros and Dennis Tufano and keyboardist Dennis Miccolis in a band called The Pulsations. They soon won a Chicago battle of the bands competition and secured a job as the house band on local (WGN-TV's) variety show called All-Time Hits. The show's producers suggested they adopt a more "contemporary" (i.e., British) name, and thanks to the suggestion of a security guard at the television station, The Buckinghams were born (the name is also that of a notable Chicago landmark, Buckingham Fountain).

In early 1966, the band signed their first record contract with local USA Records and recorded twelve songs that year. Several were released, including "I'll Go Crazy,"originally recorded by James Brown & The Famous Flames, "I Call Your Name," and "I've Been Wrong", which received extensive airplay in Chicago. The Buckinghams gained national exposure with their final single, "Kind of a Drag," written by Chicago-based songwriter, Jim Holvay, who had been performing with a group called The Mob. "Kind of a Drag" raced up the local charts then caught fire nationally, eventually spending two weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in February, 1967. That single's success also led to USA Records' hasty release of an album, Kind of a Drag with the band's early recordings. This was followed up by a cover of Lloyd Price’s Lawdy Miss Clawdy, but USA Records had a problem with distribution.[2] As the group's contract with USA Records came to an end, Miccolis was replaced on keyboards by Marty Grebb. The band members were also introduced to James William Guercio, formerly the road manager for Chad and Jeremy, who then signed them to a management contract with his new California-based management company, Ebbins-Guercio Associates, formed with Garrick Ebbins. The Buckinghams were courted by several record labels before deciding on promotion specialist Jim Scully, who quickly got them a new contract with Columbia (CBS) Records. Guercio signed on as the group's producer as well and the William Morris Agency was inked to handle national bookings for tours and TV appearances.

Although The Buckinghams had already been using a brass section on many of their earlier recordings, created by big band leader Dan Belloc and arranger Frank Tesinsky, Guercio studied that sound and continued the group's brass-rock studio sound. Guercio helped to shape the group's signature sound, and the partnership produced four more Top-20 hits in 1967: "Don't You Care" (#6), "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" (#5), "Hey Baby (They're Playing Our Song)" (#10) and "Susan" (#8), (three of which were written by Jim Holvay and Gary Beisber). Thanks to Columbia promotion men including Jim Scully, Ron Alexenburg (later President of Epic Records) and Steve Popovich (later president of Cleveland International Records), in 1967 The Buckinghams were named by Billboard Magazine as "The Most Listened to Band in America."

The Buckinghams found themselves disagreeing with Guercio on both creative and financial issues, and so they parted company. Afterwards, Columbia assigned Staff Producer Jim Wisner to work with the group on their third, and arguably their best album ("In One Ear and Gone Tomorrow"). Featuring material written by Marty Grebb, Carl Giammarese, and Dennis Tufano, the album had modest success with the single, "Back in Love Again," but after the break with Guercio, they were unable to duplicate their 1967 success. The band dissolved in early 1970.~ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Buckinghams

Tracklist:
01. Kind Of A Drag
02. Lawdy Miss Clawdy
03. I've Been Wrong Before
04. I'll Go Crazy
05. I Call Your Name
06. Makin' Up And Breakin' Up
07. Don't You Care
08. Mercy, Mercy, Mercy
09. Hey Baby (They're Playing Our Song)
10. Susan
11. Back In Love Again
12. You Misunderstand Me
13. Where Did You Come From
14. This Is How Much I Love You
15. It's A Beautiful Day (For Lovin')
16. Difference Of Opinion
17. I Got A Feelin'
18. You

The Buckinghams I  (1965)
Carl Giammarese - guitar/vocals - b. August 21, 1947, Chicago, Illinois, USA - formerly with The Centuries.
Dennis Tufano - guitar/harmonica/vocals - b. September 11, 1946, Chicago, Illinois, USA - formerly with The Pulsations.
Curt Bachman - bass
Dennis Miccolis - keyboards - b. Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Jon-Jon Poulos - drums - b. March 31, 1947, Chicago, Illinois, USA; d. March 26, 1980 - formerly with The Pulsations.

The Buckinghams II  (1965 - 1966)
Carl Giammarese - guitar/vocals
Dennis Tufano - guitar/harmonica/vocals
Nick Fortuna (aka Nick Fortune) - bass - b. Nicholas Fortuna, May 1, 1946, Chicago, Illinois, USA - formerly with The Centuries.
Dennis Miccolis - keyboards
Jon-Jon Poulos - drums

The Buckinghams III  (1966 - 1969)
Carl Giammarese - guitar/vocals
Dennis Tufano - guitar/harmonica/vocals
Nick Fortuna - bass
Jon-Jon Poulos - drums
Marty Grebb - keyboards - b. September 2, 1946, Chicago, Illinois, USA.

The Buckinghams IV  (1969 - 1970)
Carl Giammarese - guitar/vocals
Dennis Tufano - guitar/harmonica/vocals
Curt Bachman - bass
Jon-Jon Poulos - drums
John Turner - keyboards
Group disbands.