The Stompers (band)
The Stompers are an American rock band formed in East Boston, Massachusetts in 1977. The group formed after lead vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter Sal Baglio and drummer Mark Cuccinello were joined by Stephen Gilligan on bass, and Dave Friedman on keyboards. On November 7, 1977, the band played their first show in Beverly, Massachusetts.
The Stompers | |
|---|---|
| Origin | East Boston, Massachusetts, United States |
| Genres | Rock |
| Years active | 1977–present |
| Website | thestompers |
| Members | Sal Baglio Stephen Gilligan Dave Friedman Lenny Shea Jeremy Brown |
| Past members | Mark Cuccinello |
History
The Stompers played in Boston-area bars such as The Rathskeller and Jonathan Swift's. After toiling in a sweaty apartment, the group released its first vinyl single in 1978,Coast to Coast/I'm in Trouble on Double Eagle Records, owned by their manager, Peter Lembo. The song was later used in the John Sayles movie Return of the Secaucus 7.
On January 3, 1979, the band became one of the first unsigned acts to perform at the Paradise Rock Club in Boston. The group performed to rave reviews and was even asked to appear at a return engagement. Boston-based radio station WCOZ featured The Stompers on a compilation called Best of Boston Beat Volume 1 with the group's song "This is Rock n Roll." By the end of 1979, the band was the first unsigned act to appear on the cover of industry trade magazine Performance.
In 1980, The Stompers toured with both The Beach Boys and The J. Geils Band. The following year, the song Shutdown was featured on a second WCOZ compilation, Best of Boston Beat Volume 2, and via a fan ballot, earned them the right to compete in the "Rock to Riches" competition. After winning that competition, the band signed an album deal with Boardwalk Records. Unfortunately, Boardwalk founder Neil Bogart died and the label filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, which resulted in the group's self-titled album being delayed until 1983. The single, the Baglio-penned "Never Tell an Angel (When Your Heart's on Fire)," spent four weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 88 in July 1983.[1]
In July 1983, Cuccinello left the group, was replaced by drummer Lenny Shea and pianist Jeremy Brown also joined the band. Polygram Records later acquired The Stompers through bankruptcy court and re-released the album under the title One Heart for Sale, including a single by the same title. Despite issues with Polygram, the Stompers released the single East Side Girl in 1985 without major label promotion. The song's video was in heavy rotation for two months. Also, the songs Coast to Coast and Rock, Jump, and Holler were featured in the 1985 cult classic Fraternity Vacation.
In 1987, the bands' tenth anniversary concert was played at The Channel in Boston. It was featured in the documentary Live Your Dreams for Real. In 1990, The Stompers released a collection of previously unreleased material, Unfinished Business on Fast Track Records. The Stompers continued to perform live, including show's on City Hall Plaza in Boston, and released 1994's Greatest Hits...Live".
In 2000, the band's long-running lineup of Baglio, Gilligan, Friedman, Shea, and Brown, reunited and released the 21-song compilation Record Album. The following year, the group released two more albums, The Stompers (containing original 1982 studio recordings) and Live Scrapbook 1979-1983. In 2009, "STOMPILATION" was released, a compilation of recordings from 1983-1985.[2]
The soundtrack of Adam Sandler's 2010 film Grown Ups includes the song "American Fun" during the ending credits...and 2013's Grown Ups 2 includes "Never Tell an Angel" within the film itself.
The Stompers continue to perform in Massachusetts.
