HISTORY OF THE BAND  THE WINDOW

In Northeastern Ohio the Cleveland ,Akron , Kent and the Lake County Area has quite a history of rock n roll . Here is another chapter in that on going  story. 

The Window, which was previously named The  Surprize Band were from the general Cleveland area and suburbs and played locally from 1980 to 1989. The band did  mostly 60’s, and a few 80’s ;played about three times a week ,but recorded some original .The band was an entertaining fun band in Northeast Ohio, and the extra money they earned helped everyone, including helping fund Denny’s original music projects ,that he released on his own Indie Label Green Light Records ,and helped sustain Mark Luthardt’s Angel Recording 

 

  The Window was originally called the Surprize Band With Roy Laboy on drums Mike Wey (Fortunate Sons) bass  - Mark Luthardt ( Maxx Band) lead guitar vocals - Denny Carleton ( Lost Souls, The Choir). rhythm guitar vocals 

The band lasted a few months and Roy Laboy was replaced by Mac Chafer ( Fortega ,Scarecrow ) on drums .Roy went on to record many of his original songs and came back ,and even played drums on a track that is included on this release Sometimes I Wonder. 

Around the beginning of the band Mark Luthardt and Mike Wey started Angel Recording where all the songs except The Cleveland Indian Blues were recorded . Mike and Mark produced and engineered many songs from Angel until Mike left the band and Mark bought out Mikes share of Angel Recording around 1981 . 

Mike was replaced In the band by the late Tom Mackle ,who played Guitar,Keyboard,Bass,Sax and contributed vocals . 

In 1982, the Window was Magic Radio’s (WMJI) house rock band ,and hosted many of  their  “Food For The Poor” jam sessions where the station and  the band collected food and donated it to local food banks 

 

Click For Link For Food For Poor Newspaper Article

They Also Played Record Round Up Music Convention and they used one of the bands original songs Fill In The Blank to  do a Cleveland Music Trivia Contest

Promo For Convention

Trivia Contest

 

 

Mark left the band around 1986 and was replaced with Mike Way who played for about a year until he left with Tom Mackle . Randy Klawon Denny’s friend and bandmate from the Choir and Moses joined and played lead guitar and a new Bass Player joined named Jack Freeman . Randy played for a while and then Al Globekar Denny’s friend from Milk and Circus replaced Randy 

   

All the while the Window played gigs Angel Recording had quite a musical scene going . Just  to name a few that recorded at Angel. Samona Cooke(SamCooke’s daughter) Dennis Lewin -Beau Coupe David Dennis ,ZaZa , Sitting Ducks with Danny Klawon, Wally Bryson, Ed Brown, Ken Margolis,  Kevin Raleigh, John Bassett . Also the Singer from the Dazz band Alan Greene ,Jay Vechio, Just Guise ,Generators-Eva ,Phil Barron,Fred Grupe Randy Klawon and thew French Lenards. 

Denny Carleton’s Green Light Records basically distributed music . Denny had been recording and issuing his own music and that spilled over to distributing others to underground independent magazines and college radio . The Ny Times mentioned Green Light in an article about cassette labels and the Cleveland Plain Dealer said that Green Light was one of the 5 record companies in Cleveland. During this time Dennys music was played on over 300 college and Public radio stations in the USA and Canada and had reviews from all over the world .  Here are some of the bands that appeared on Green Light. The  French Lenards ,The Choir, The Lost Souls The Sitting Ducks ,Just Guise ,The Window, Roy Laboy ,Cleaners From Venus from Wivenhoe England ,Terry Ross  and Steve Doman 

 

The Window New Download

Open Window

Link To You Tube

Link To Spotify and others

Link To I Tunes 

This download consist of 8 songs recorded in that time most with Power Pop feel. These have been all remastered by Mark Luthardt . Mark has done an excellent job managing to keep the original sound but enhance it by bringing out some sounds that had been buried. 

This is an attempt to Fill in Blank of the bands part in the general music scene in the Cleveland music world in the mid 1980,s, 

This download is available

Here’s a little info about each song 

Fill in The Blank written by Denny Carleton  produced and engineered by Mark Luthardt.

Tom Mackle keyboards background vocals Denny Carleton bass rhythm guitar lead vocals Mark Luthardt lead guitar Mac Chafer Drums . One the most time consuming and difficult songs to mix considering it was done by hand without automation . 

Cleveland Indians Blues Al Globekar lead guitar bass Jack Freeman rhythm guitar and vocals Denny Carleton Paul Stoneman an radio voice written by Denny Carleton and Robert Pilskaln 

The beginning of this song was a songwriting exercise where the Class was trying to come up with an authentic Cleveland Indian Song . A blues seemed appropriate. Bob Pillscaln from Just Guise finished it up adding the finishing touches . 

Boy Can I Dance Good produced and engineered Mark Luthardt and written by Denny Carleton.

Tom Mackle keyboards background vocals Denny Carleton bass rhythm guitar lead vocals Mark Luthardt lead guitar Mac Chafer Drums . Cousin Fred Carleton sang and  joined the background vocals on the chorus. This song has a video with it   Boy can i dance good is an infamous song recorded and made famous by the Pagans and recorded by many including Milk and Eddie current and the Suppression Links and Hate Pink . Song was originally written for Glam Rock local singer AJ Robey from Bluestone Union . 

I’ve Got My Eyes On You produced and engineered and written by Mark Luthardt. 

Mark Luthardt  keyboards background vocals Denny Carleton bass  lead vocals Mark Luthardt lead guitar Drums . Pure Power Pop with a nice video to it . 

Sometimes I Wondercwritten by Denny Carleton engineered by Mark Luthardt Roy Laboy drums Mike Wey bass Denny Carleton vocals two 12 string guitar parts and Tom Mackle recorder background harmony Mark Luthardt 

Song was Number 23 for the year on local radio station WQLS  and was on the flip side of  Fill In The Blank on a vynal single. 

Hold On Baby  recorded at Angel Recording produced engineered and produced by Mike Wey. Written by Denny Carleton and Mike Wey Cory Wine-burg on Keyboard .Denny got an early evening phone call from Mike Wey who wanted to know if he wanted to record . Denny then wrote with Mikes inspiration a style of song that Mike Wey loved with the Ronnettes Phil Spector sound . 

Moonlight Rebellion   Denny had recorded on a cassette recorder a version of one of his first songs I Want You with Mac Chafer on drums .Experimenting later he tried some twangy retro guitar and it seemed to fit where he recorded the lead guitar guitar on this at Randy Klawon’s Panic Studio . This song became the opening song for Denny Carleton’s Cleveland Music Connection radio show that interviewed local Cleveland Musicians.

Bring Music Back To The Jukebox produced and engineered by Mark Luthardt and written by Denny Carleton.

Phil Baron  keyboards background vocals Denny Carleton bass rhythm guitar lead vocals Mark Luthardt lead guitar Mac Chafer Drums . 

 

 

 

 

As In All Rock Bands There Are Stories .Here Are A  Few  

 

The Surprize Band was popular until they played in the legendary Flats in Downtown Cleveland. A Club owner said that they should change their  name  because  no  one would know who the surprise  entertainment  would be. He said he used to put surprise band on the  marquee when he didn’t know which  band  would  show up. He informed them   that  if  they wanted  to  play his club, they would have to change their name . They talked it over and  thought he might have a valid point – although, no one had confusion of  who was playing when you said the  Who  was  playing.  After talking it over, and factoring in that this might lead to new territories and gigs they changed their name to the Window and “SURPRISE” no one showed up because they were looking for the Surprize Band, not the Window 

The Surprize Band played in downtown Cleveland in front of Cleveland’s NPR station and Clevelands infamous Playhouse Square.  They decided to get buttons to pass out that said the Surprize band believes in Cleveland , No  one can remember why they did that.Although they obviously believed in Cleveland and wanted everyone to know that . As the t shirt says I liked Cleveland before it was cool.  

The Window  went to play  an outdoor concert in Lorain and too their surprise the pa that was to be supplied was an auctioneers horn .The show went on but the vocals were very tinny and muffled  

The Window played at the Lake  County Fair in the 1980’s. They would often ask people  to come up on stage and sing with them One such time, after about three hours of playing and partying, roughly two hundred people came up onto the stage. To their horror, the stage began to shift and then cave.very carefully the crowd came off the stage and fortunately no one was injured  

Video Lake County Fair

Mark Luthardt Window Solo Lake County Fair 

At Lakeland Community College in Lake County they recorded 4 videos.  

These songs were recorded because Denny was teaching guitar to Jim Fahenstack through Lakeland Community College and the Fine Arts Association in Willoughby  Jim took a recording  and video production class and was granted a few hours of video recording time .On Sometimes I Wonder there is a guy playing bass who took Mark’s place because his tape of his song I Got My Eyes On You got demagnetized by being too close to a speaker. Up to that point I didn’t know that could happen.  Mark had to go and get a fresh tape at home . We had to keep recording because Jim had a certain time limit to record . As the saying goes the show must go on so we got someone who we don’t remember who he was to act like he was in the band for the video  

As the band began to fall apart after about 9 years with so many personnel changes you never knew who would be sitting in with Denny and Mac who were the last survivors .During this time Denny got a call from a booking agent about playing at Kelly’s island .This job requires a ferry ride and too stay over night. The booking agent was excited  was excited because he  was setting up a new contact where he could book this new club continually .Denny agreed but then one by one the band members who were filling in began to cancel .Denny called the agent  and  said he could not guarantee who would show up and therefore had to cancel.The Booking Agent was furious and said he would never book the Window again. Around Sept Denny got a call from the same agent  to see if the Window wanted to play the Oktoberfest at Geuaga Lake Amusement Park .Denny noticed that is was on Yon Kipper ,the day of atonement when the Jewish religion forgives all those who have offended . The Agent was Jewish and Denny asked , does you hiring us have anything to do with Forgiveness on the day of atonement ?Mark said NO I just got to W in my files of bands