- Peter Alongi (RIP 199?)-- vocals, lead guitar (1969-71)
- Victor Digilio -- drums (1969-71)
- Jose ('Joey') Miguel deJesus -- vocals, rhythm guitar

  (1969-71)
- Michael Marino -- vocals, bass (1969-71)

- Fernando Luis Roman -- percussion, vocals (1971)
 

- Peepl (Peter Alongi and Jose Miguel deJesus)

- The Protons (Jose Miguel deJesus)

Genre: rock

Rating: *** (3 stars)

Title:  Banchee

Company: Atlantic

Catalog: SD 8240

Year: 1969

Country/State: New Jersey

Grade (cover/record): VG / VG+

Comments: cut out notch in spine; lyric insert; original inner sleeve

Available: 1

GEMM Catalog ID: 5108

Price: $60.00

Can't say I know a great deal about this outfit.  I believe they were originally from Long Island.  That was reiterated in an email I got from an ex-wife of one of the members who was kind enough to drop me an email having stumbled across my brief reviews.  Wish I'd kept the email, but I believe it might have been from the late Peter Alongi's former wife.

Signed by Atlantic, their 1969 debut "Banchee" teamed the quartet (singer/guitarist Peter Alongi, drummer Victor Digilio, rhythm guitarist Jose Miguel deJesus, and bassist Michael Marino) with producers Warren Schatz and Stephen Schlaks.  Like much late-1960s product the debut displayed some psych influences (the leadoff, mid tempo number 'The Night Is Calling' has a distinctively trippy feel to it), but the predominant sound was heavy, guitar-powered rock.  With all four members contributing material, original numbers such as 'Beautifully Day' (sic), the fuzz guitar-propelled 'Evolmia', 'I Just Don't Know' and the extended 'Tom's Island' offered up a series of high energy guitar powered rockers that were both tuneful and structural interesting. That said, the album was surprisingly diverse. 'Train of Life' sounding like a post-Monkees Mike Nesmith after a week of heavy speed usage, 'Hands of a Clock' had a pseudo-jazzy feel, while the Latin-tinged 'As Me Thinks' recalled early-Santana. Overlooking DiGillo's pompous back cover liner notes, it's a surprisingly enjoyable and not particularly difficult to find debut ... (Original copies include a separate lyric insert.)

There's also a single off of the LP: 1970's  'I Just Don't Know' b/w 'Train Of Life' (Atlantic catalog number 45-2708) 

"Banchee" track listing:

(side 1)
1.) The Night Is Calling   (Peter Alongi) - 3:30
2.) Train of Life   (Michael Marino) - 3:21
3.) As Me Thinks   (Jose Miguel DeJesus) - 3:11
4.) Follow a Dream   (Jose Miguel DeJesus) - 4:28
5.) Beautifully Day   (Peter Alongi) - 5:10

(side 2)
1.) Evolmia   (Jose Miguel DeJesus - Victor DiGillo) - 3:24
2.) I Just Don't Know   (Peter Alongi) - 3:17
3.) Hands of a Clock   (Michael Marino) - 4:14
4.) Tom's Island   (Peter Alongi) - 8:49

Genre: rock

Rating: **** (4 stars)

Title:  Thinkin'

Company: Polydor

Catalog: 24 4406

Year: 1971

Country/State: New Jersey

Grade (cover/record): NM / NM

Comments: opened but still in shrink wrap; cut lower left corner

Available: SOLD

GEMM Catalog ID: 5109

Price: SOLD $150.00

Released two years after their debut, 1971's "Thinkin'" found the band signed to Polydor.  It also found the group expanded to a five piece with the addition of singer/percussionist Fernando Roman (who happened to be Jose Miguel deJesus' cousin).  With the band co-producing with an assist from Dave Palmer and Ralph Moss (Jimi Hendrix manager Michael Jeffrey credited as executive producer), the sophomore set found the band aiming for an even tougher rock sound.  Unlike the debut which was a largely democratic project, this time around singer/rhythm guitarist Jose Miguel deJesus was responsible for the majority of the material (Peter Alongi contributing two tracks).  Kicked along by Alomgi's squealing lead guitar (it's a great headphone LP), Latin percussion and their "group" lead vocals, songs such as the blazing opener 'John Doe', 'Willya' and the title track made for hard rock that was simultaneously tuneful and commercial.  At least to my ears the results recall Santana at their most rocking.  Curiously this is the album that seems to attract critical attention (it's listed in one of the Hans Pokora reference books), though I find the debut just as entertaining.   I've also seen a a couple of on-line listings for a Polydor single (though I've never laid eyes on it myself) - 'Searcher's Life' b/w 'Three-Quarter Time' (Polydor catalog number PD 14104).

"Thinkin'" track listing:

(side 1)

1.) John Doe   (Jose Miguel DeJesus) - 4:20

2.) Willya  (Jose Miguel DeJesus) - 3:30

3.) 3/4 Song (Peter Alongi) - 3:20

4.) Thinkin'   (Jose Miguel DeJesus) - 4:05

(side 2)

1.) Searcher's Life   (Peter Alongi) - 3:11

2.) Iceberg   (Jose Miguel DeJesus) - 3:48

3.) Children of the Universe   (Jose Miguel DeJesus) - 3:12

4.) "38"   (Jose Miguel DeJesus) - 8:58

Curiously, in October, 2007 one of the band members contacted me out of the blue asking for a point of contact at Polydor (interested in getting some royalty payments) and asking for some information on how to go about pursuing bootleggers.  He was apparently aware that both of the Banchee LPs had been reissued on CD by the European Lizard label in 2001 (Lizard catalog number LR 0713-2).  I asked a couple of questions about the band, but didn't get a great deal of information other than a couple of them were living in Puerto Rico and were planning to reissue the LPs themselves.

Alongi reportedly died in the mid-1990s, though I've never been able to track down an obituary, or any other information.  Jose Miguel deJesus is apparently still actively engaged in music, having recently released an independent CD as a member of The Protons.