To paraphrase the old adage – never judge a band by the hit singles.
The Fifth Estate is remembered for the 1967 hit, Ding, Dong, The Witch is Dead. The song reached #8 in Canada and #11 on Billboard:
A follow-up single, Heigh Ho, would peak at #25 in Canada, but fail to chart in the U.S. However, the songs were not a true reflection of the group’s musical style or roots.
The Fifth Estate rose out of industrial/factory roots in Stamford, Connecticut while still in their teens. The band emerged as a blue collar band that could rock and roll. They gained a reputation as garage/party rockers working 5-6 nights a week in the Greenwich Village area of New York.
Although they did not have any more hits after 1967, the band continued to record and tour. The band’s website, thefifthestateband.com features a nostalgic treasure trove of music, videos and photos of the band from their early days to today.
The band is set to release a new album through Deko Entertainment called Then and Now on April 4. The fifteen tracks feature new material, plus some high energy covers, including Susie Q (Dale Hawkins) and Great Balls of Fire (Jerry Lee Lewis).
Track Listing:
- Hold You Closer
- Junkies to the News
- Suzie Q
- Media Star
- Bang Bang Baby
- A Girl Who Can Ride
- Cheaper at Twice the Price
- Baby Look at Me Now
- Bigger Than You
- Great Balls of Fire
- Marydaze
- She Can Tell You Something
- So Far Away
- Just a Song
- Cynthia Bends the Rules
The first single from the album is Hold You Closer. It’s a bittersweet song about life and love for those working in the music business. Listen carefully to the song playing on the radio at the start of the video – it’s a clip of I Wanna Shout, a fan favourite of The Fifth Estate:
Other stand out tracks on Then and Now include Junkies to the News, Marydaze, and the bluesy So Far Away. You can pre-order the album, on CD or Vinyl, at Deko Entertainment.
Ken Evans, the drummer for The Fifth Estate recently joined me on Oldies Without Borders. In addition to talking about the new album, we also talked about the roots of the band and how they have matured over the years – yet – ended up just where they began.
Enjoy!
Copyright Peter J. Maurin, The Vinyl Professor. Published under Creative Commons License: Attribution/Non-Commercial Use.
Vinyl Professor Dot Blog 