Dan was the band leader and penned a number of tracks for the group and played electric piano, the organ and guitar. Although the band started out as a soul group they soon moved into rock music. The group released a number of 45's including "Why/Baby Get Your Head Screwed On " (1968).
Photo
card issued by Arf Arf records along
side the CD release of "High Towers"
- a compilation of Legends music.
Photo
shows the early Legends (1965): Dave Hartman, Dan Hartman, Denny Woolridge,
Ralph Schwartz (clockwise from left).
Publicity shot for the Legends - note that Dan (centre) is sporting a moustache as he had a full-time job working in a bank at the time!
In late August 1964 Dave Hartman approached his brother Dan and asked him to play keyboards for the band. Dave said later (in an interview for the liner notes of High Towers) "He (Dan) didn't want to join the band. He was into Motown stuff, and we were into the Beatles". Eventually Dan was persuaded and went on to write much of the band's material.
During his early days in the band Dan wore a false moustache, during performances, as he had a day job in a bank. One of the first songs that Dan recorded with the legends was 'High Towers' - Dan said that he heard a DJ say 'somebody got a wah wah for Christmas' after playing the High Towers record. Dan was slightly embarrased that the record contained so much wah wah on the track!
Dan Hartman worked very hard to promote his material and regularly sent it to record companies in New York City, although he kept getting rejection letters he continued to write new material and send it back out to them.
1972: Dan Hartman (centre) in the studio with Dave Still and Doc Whittaker
In December 1971 a Legends demo disc sent to CBS Records caught the attention of Edgar Winter who was in the process of forming a new band - Rick Derringer and Steve Paul were sent down to check the band out.
This ended up with Dan joining the Edgar Winter Group and leaving the Legends. The band lost a big talent but didn't feel any animosity towards him.
|
|
Extracted from Borderline Books website, February 2001:
NB: (7) is a limited edition 45 of two Hartman-penned tracks from 1969.
Hailing from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, The Legends set out as a soul band but soon got into rock. However, this soon led to the departure of their original drummer, Ralph Swartz, who hated rock, and his replacement by Sadler.
Soon after their debut single was released in early 1968 with the above-mentioned line-up. The 'A' side was a mellow, bluesy ballad - an attempt at commercialism and it was a local hit. The flip was an early Cat Stevens' composition, which the band rearranged into a driving rock song. Their follow-up did not stray much from the original versions. It featured Larry Swartzwelder on guitar as Dan Hanman was drafted for the Vietnam war. This also was a local hit, and the 'B' side Cheating can now also be heard on Sixties Rebellion, Vol. 15 .
Their third single was cut in 1969. Dan Hartman played guitar on this as Swartzwelder had gone into service. Joe Caleoiero had joined the band on bass. This was the band's most stable line-up and they sounded much like The Jimi Hendrix Experience , performing many of his songs in their live shows. High Towers included wah wah effects, electric piano, double tracked vocals and dreamy Nazz -like harmonies, and was the band's most popular single. It can be heard on 30 Seconds Before The Calico Wall (CD) and Psychedelic Patchwork, Vol. 1 . The 'B' side, is equally inspired by Hendrix / Cream, and happily, has been compiled on Brainshadows Vol. 2 CD.
The band were arguably on the verge of a breakthrough when its leader, Dan Hartman, departed to join The Edgar Winter Group and later embarked on a solo career. However, they soldiered on and were rejoined by Swartzwelder upon his return from service and added Dean Lescalette (rhthm gtr). The 'A' side of their final single, Rock And Roll Woman was nonetheless produced and written by Hartman. Initially issued on Heart Records (CS 7672), it was at Hartman's instigation later issued by Epic (5-10937). The band planned a single for Epic, but this did not materialise, although they carried on playing until 1975 before calling it quits: Caleoiero went on to play in a pop R & B band, The Class Act. Sadier became a session musician for Olivia Newton-John and John Miles among others and managed funk band, Positive Force, and co-managed Skyline Records.
CD Review - The Legends: High Towers (Arf Arf-087/88) Two CD set
The release of High Towers is truly a labour of love. Erik Lindgren and his team have worked tirelessly to bring this early example of Dan Hartman's musical talents to the fore.
The exhaustive sleeve notes, authored by Doug Sheppard, contains contributions from members of the band who put the work into perspective as you listen to the tracks.
As you listen to the music you can hear and feel the talents of the young Hartman at work. It's fascinating as you realise that you've heard those musical patterns before - sometimes from the Edgar Winter Group, sometimes from his solo work.
The most poignant of comments from the liner notes come from Dan's brother, Dave. "I'm three and a half years older than him age-wise, but he's 100 years older than me wisdom-wise. That's what I miss the most. What I could have learned had he continued to live. He would have been a great teacher for me."
The CD, dedicated to the memory of Dan Hartman, is a must-have for any fan who has followed his musical career. The launch party was attended by Dan's Father (Carl Hartman, sister Kathy and brother Dave (former Legend band member).
 |
| "High Towers" launch party: (left to right) Doug Sheppard (wrote liner notes for CD), Carl Hartman (Dan's father), Kathy Hartman (Dan's sister), Erik Lindgren (Arf Arf Records). |
Thanks to all the guys at Arf Arf for their dedication in bringing this music back into the public domain.
ArfArf
Records News Release - The Legends: High Towers (Arf Arf-087/88) Two CD set
Some
people know 'em as the spawning ground for Dan Hartman of Edgar
Winter/"Free Ride"/"I Can Dream About You" fame. Other people
know 'em for their
four excellent singles. But until you've heard Arf! Arf! Records' new double-CD
High Towers compilation retrospective, you haven't gotten the full perspective
on the Legends.
From '64 to '73, the Legends were as synonymous with Central Pennsylvania as
a
Hershey Bar with almonds, and every bit as tasty. They got the audiences dancing
with their mix of pop, rock and soul in the mid-'60s, freaked 'em out with heavy
psychedelia in the late '60s, then rocked 'em back outta their shells with even
harder rock in the early '70s. All phases are documented on High Towers, which
traces the rise of the Legends from their garage band roots playing teen hops
and fire halls into seasoned rockers blowing the doors off larger venues.
Featuring their four ultra-rare singles and an even rarer promo flexi from 1970,
the first CD documents the Legends from 1967 to 1973, their most renowned era.
But the listening pleasure doesn't end with rare 45 sides like the stompin'
freakbeat cover of "Baby Get Your Head Screwed On" from '67 and the
quirky
wah-wah piano of "High Towers" from '69. CD number one is rounded
out by a bevy
of previously unreleased material, including seven more power-trio psych-outs
from 1969, three pounding hard rockers from 1973 that should have the stoner
rock crowd in air-guitar heaven, and even a CD-ROM of a video made by band ally
Jerry King Musser in 1972 to promote "Rock and Roll Woman," a regional
smash
that almost got the Legends on American Bandstand.
And then there's the second CD, which throws a life preserver to those '60s
fanatics who abandon ship when the captain's into psychedelia or hard rock.
Fear
not, garage fiends, as CD number two completes the Legends' voyage with 26
previously unissued cuts from 1965 and 1966, including a few band originals
and
teen-fueled renditions of "Shakin' All Over," "You Really Got
Me" "I Need You,"
"Don't Bring Me Down" and even the Shadows of Knight's fuzz ripper,
"I'm Gonna
Make You Mine." Perhaps the coolest garage vault find of all, however,
is a pair
of cuts by the Donshires (featuring future Legend Joe Caloiero) from 1965, "Sad
and Blue" and "Tripeline," which would be lighting up eBay if
the songs had ever
been pressed on a single.
The musical experience is only enhanced by a 24-page booklet lined with
pictures, memorabilia and a detailed band history (including interviews with
six
former members) by Doug Sheppard of Discoveries/Ugly Things. Whether you're
into
garage, psych, hard rock or even Dan Hartman himself, High Towers is guaranteed
to scale the rock and roll heights for you.
More Information
Dan was
the band leader and penned a number of tracks for the group and played electric
piano, the organ and guitar. Although the band started out as a soul group they
soon moved into rock music. The group released a number of 45's including "Why/Baby
Get Your Head Screwed On " (1968).
Arf! Arf! Records of Middleborough, Mass. will soon be releasing a two-CD
compilation of Harrisburg's number one rock export, the Legends. Dan Hartman
is on a considerable portion of the cuts (many previously unreleased), and even
some of the material recorded after he left had his input via songwriting.
Besides the music, the main thing that will be of interest to Dan's fans is
that the package will also include an extensive booklet featuring many never-before-seen
vintage photos and detailed liners including interviews with some of Dan's old
mates (and closest friends): Larry Sadler (who played on a few Hartman solo
albums), Joe Caloeiro, and of course, his older brother Dave.
This is the first time that the earliest period of Dan's career has ever been
reissued and it's very difficult to find any of the Legends records he played
on (few copies were pressed in the first place). So this should be a pretty
illuminating experience for Hartman fans, most of whom probably have never heard
it.
If you want to learn more about the label or the release, check out http://www.arfarfrecords.com/arfarf/records/aa86.html
Portions Copyright DanHartman.com © 1998 - 2008: If you have any additional information that can be included on this page please email us . Many thanks to Mel Solis for additional material.
All Trade names, service marks, trademarks or other registered trademarks used on this page are trademarks of their respective owners. All copyrights are acknowledged.
| Dan Hartman Discussion Forum | Dan Hartman Home |