Push (17)

Lance Burton ~ Saxophone, Bob Davis ~ Drums, Tom Erak ~ Bass, Joe Erickson ~ Vocals, Russ Kammerer ~ Drums, Sam Pannunzio ~ Keyboards, Valve Trombone, Jeff Santerre ~ Saxophone, Bobby Speer ~ Trumpet, Rick Swan ~ Drums, Marty Tuttle ~ Drums, Ken Wilson ~ Saxophone, Harry Wilson ~ Guitar PUSH began as a funky 4-piece copy band that played nightclubs in the greater Seattle area.But after several personnel changes in a short amount of time, it blossomed into one of the great groups of the era. PUSH added horns and a lead vocalist named Big Joe Ericksen and became a band to remember. When Big Joe started to write original songs for the band it took off like a rocket. The group was playing its own music and had a following that ensured the clubs were packed every night they played.They began to travel; from Vancouver, British Columbia, to Edmonton and Calgary, Alberta to Los Angeles to Honolulu, Hawaii and all points in between. The guys played their own brand of soul, funk and disco/jazz and dressed in 3 piece suits and ties. With Big Joe fronting the band and doing the bump on stage with Tom and then leading the entire audience around the club to Love Train, people in attendance got their moneys worth and club owners were lining up to sign the band. Those were heady days when people dressed up to go down to the nightclub. The group was blessed to have some of the best musicians of the day. When other bands were struggling to stay afloat, they were working every week of the year.They were tight and they were respected.