Matthew C. Clark Posted May 3, 2005 Share Posted May 3, 2005 Singer Henry Gross was born on April 1, 1951 in Brooklyn, NY. Pop/rock singer. He was the original lead guitarist of Sha-Na-Na. Henry also toured with The Beach Boys and Aerosmith. His first song "Come On Say It" (A&M) went to # 109 (Bubbling Under) (1 week) back in July 20, 1974. The next song "One More Tomorrow" (A&M) went to # 93 (Hot 100) back in May of 1975. The next song would become his biggest hit "Shannon" (Lifesong) (a tale about the death of a pet dog) which went to # 6 (Hot 100) back ion June 5, 12 & 19, 1976 & # 13 (AC Charts) & would become a gold record. The nest single "Springtime Mama" (Lifesong) went to # 37 (Hot 100) back in August of 1976. The next single "Someday (I Didn't Want To Have To Be The One)" (Lifesong) went to # 85 (Hot 100) back in November of 1976. All songs were produced by Terry Cashman & Tommy West. The next song "Painting My Love Song" (Lifesong) went to # 110 (Bubbled Under) (1 week) back in April 23, 1977. The last single "What A Sound" (Lifesong) went to # 110 (Bubbled Under) (1 week) back in July 2, 1977. On the album charts, the album "Henry Gross" (A&M) went to # 204 (Bubbling Under) back in March of 1974. The album "Plug Me Into Something" (A&M) went to # 26 (Top 200) back in April of 1975. The album "Release" (Lifesong) went to # 64 (Top 200) back in May of 1976. The album "Show Me To The Stage" (Lifesong) went to # 176 (Top 200) back in April of 1977. In the Rolling Stone Record Guide, critic Bart Testa (who teaches film studies at Innis College, University Of Toronto. He is the jazz critic for McLean's magazine and contributes to the Globe and Mail, Canadian Forum and Toronto Life) said back in 1983: Working in realms far beyond the derivative, Gross takes Rolling Stones-type rockers, Beatle-esque ballads, Lou Reed-styled documentaries, songwriterish laments, Southern rock and phony C&W and turns them all into flavorless FM fodder. Gross does do a passible Beach Boys imitation ("Shannon," from "Release", was a smash in 1976), but his idea of rock is facile doodling, and his love songs are gruesome propositions at best. Cashman and West, who own Lifesong, are the ideal producers for Gross. Their obsessively tasteful and genuinely indifferent approach pulls the gutless whole together under a fine gelatin of functionalist studio technique. (They even disquise Gross' wholly dumb guitar playing-a good trick.) Gross' music stays on the radio by means of his tunes' subliminal appeal to their half-remembered predecessors, making him a good bet for distracted listening. Henry Gross (A&M) (1973) (1 star out of five), "Plug Me Into Something" (A&M) (1975) (NO stars out of five), "Release" (Lifesong) (1976) (NO stars), "Show Me To The Stage" (Lifesong) (1977) (1 star), "Love Is The Stuff" (Lifesong) (1978) (1 star) & "What's In A Name?" (Capitol) (1981) (1 star). Matt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew C. Clark Posted May 3, 2005 Author Share Posted May 3, 2005 Forgot to mention that Gross left Sha-Na-Na back in 1970. Matt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Cartmill Posted May 3, 2005 Share Posted May 3, 2005 I remember a song off one of his albums I think called "Sail On Showboat" that had great Beach Boy-type harmonies and production just like "Shannon". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
popdude Posted May 4, 2005 Share Posted May 4, 2005 "Shannon" is actually about Beach Boy Carl Wilson's dog... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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