New England Music Scrapbook
Beaver Brown 1980

THE NEW ENGLAND MUSIC SCRAPBOOK'S INFORMATION about John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band is scattered; and a much-deserved profile of the group would be quite difficult, if not impossible, at this time. So we have posted the above information about Beaver Brown's debut single for a couple reasons. First, this is actually my personal favorite John Cafferty and Beaver Brown release. And second, we think many folks may not even know about this early independent-label single.

This original "Wild Summer Nights"/"Tender Years" 45, as far as I know, was Beaver Brown's only official release prior to the excellent Eddie and the Cruisers soundtrack (CD, Scotti Brothers, 1983). The film, Eddie and the Cruisers, got little critical respect, with rare exceptions ("The Videot" column by Guy MacMillin in newspapers in my own area). The soundtrack album was viewed much more favorably. But during the summer when kids were out of school, a run on cable turned Eddie and the Cruisers into a surprise video hit. "We were playing in Connecticut," reported John Cafferty, "and someone came backstage and said, 'Did you know that you sold 17,000 copies of the record in the last four days?' I just couldn't believe it." (Rolling Stone, October 11, 1984, Issue 432) We might normally say that the rest is history, except in this case our files don't seem to chronicle a lot of what followed. We do recall, though, an item in the Boston Rock and Roll Museum Newsletter a couple years ago, saying that the band, John Cafferty and Beaver Brown, was still active. Perhaps a member of the group or a fan could contribute a band profile. For an idea of what we generally look for, please see our Writer Guidelines.

Having had a very long run, John Cafferty and Beaver Brown must have been critics' darlings, right? Hardly. This band, instead, was embraced by club scenesters and the concert-hall faithful; and Beaver Brown returned the favor by rocking the house night after night. "We've always tried our best," said Cafferty. "We're not the best band in the world, but we're the best we can be. There's no way to assure yourself of success; if you give it your best shot, that's all you can do." (Boston Globe, November 30, 1986)

-- Alan Lewis, May 27, 2002