New Colony Six

New Colony Six (sometimes abbreviated as NC6) is an American soft rock band whose height of popularity was from the mid-1960s to the early 1970s. From Chicago, the group placed ten singles on the Hot 100 between 1966 and 1971. Original members were Ray Graffia (vocals), who was born March 28, 1946, Chick James (drums), Pat McBride (harmonica), Craig Kemp (organ), Wally Kemp (bass), and Gerry Van Kollenburg (guitar), who was born June 26, 1946. Ronnie Rice (vocals, keyboards, guitar) replaced Craig Kemp in 1966. There were numerous changes in the lineup over the years. The band's two biggest hits, which peaked on the Chicago-area radio station WLS months before they peaked nationally, were Rice's "I Will Always Think About You" (WLS #1 on 25 March 1968) (Hot 100 #22 on 1 June 1968) (#14 RPM Canada) and "Things I'd Like to Say" (WLS #2 on 30 December 1968) (Hot 100 #16 on 22–29 March 1969) (#6 Canada). In Canada they also hit the charts with an earlier song "Love You So Much" (WLS #2 on 27 January 1967) (Hot 100 #61 on 25 March 1967) (#49 Canada) and the later "I Could Never Lie To You" (WLS #7 on 26 May - 2 June 1969) (Hot 100 #50 on 14 June 1969) (#38 Canada).

The group in 1968. From left-Gerry Von Kollenberg, Ray Graffia, Jr., Ronnie Rice, Pat McBride, Chic James and Les Kummel.

Formed in 1965,[1] New Colony Six scored their first major local hit in Chicago with "I Confess" (WLS #2 on 4 February 1966), featured on their debut album, Breakthrough. Their sound was characterized by Richie Unterberger as "a poppier American Them with their prominent organ, wobbly Lesley-fied guitar amplifications, and rave-up tempos", later devolving into "a cabaret-ish band with minor national hits to their credit by the end of the 1960s."[2] Like Paul Revere & the Raiders, they wore colonial outfits on stage.[3]x

Ellery Temple briefly joined in 1967, replacing Wally Kemp, and was replaced by Les Kummel (who died in an auto accident in Chicago on 18 December 1978 at age 33). Billy Herman (vocals, drums) replaced James in 1969. Graffia left in 1969 and Bruce Gordon (bass) and Chuck Jobes (keyboards) joined the band. Skip Griparis was playing guitar and singing lead vocals in 1972 until the band's demise at the end of 1974.

In 1988, the band played a reunion show at Chicago's Park West. As of 2010, the band continued to perform with founding member Graffia and Bruce Mattey in the lineup. New Colony Six was inducted into the Iowa Rock n' Roll Music Association Hall of Fame in 2002.

Discography

Albums
  • Breakthrough (1966, Centaur)
  • Colonization (1967, Sentar)
  • Revelations (1968, Mercury)
  • Attacking a Straw Man (1969, Mercury)
  • Colonized!: the Best of New Colony Six (1993 Compilation, Rhino)
  • At the River's Edge (1993 Compilation, Sundazed records)
  • A Live and Well (2005 The Colony Live)

Singles
Year Titles (A-side, B-side)
Both sides from same album except where indicated		 U.S. Billboard
[4][5]		 Album
1965 "I Confess"
b/w "Dawn Is Breaking"		 80 Breakthrough
1966 "I Lie Awake"
b/w "At the River's Edge"		 111
"The Time of the Year Is Sunset"
b/w "Sunshine" (Non-album track)
Unreleased		 –
"Cadillac"
b/w "Sunshine"		 – Non-album tracks
"(The Ballad of the) Wingbat Marmaduke"
b/w "The Power of Love"		 – Colonization
"Love You So Much"
b/w "Let Me Love You"		 61
1967 "You're Gonna Be Mine"
b/w "Woman"		 108
"I'm Just Waitin' (Anticipatin' for Her to Show Up)"
b/w "Hello Lonely"		 128
"Treat Her Groovy"
b/w "Rap-a-Tap" (Non-album track)		 – Revelations
1968 "I Will Always Think About You"
b/w "Hold Me with Your Eyes"		 22
"Can't You See Me Cry"
b/w "Summertime's Another Name for Love"		 52
"Things I'd Like to Say"
b/w "Come and Give Your Love to Me" (from Attacking a Straw Man)		 16
1969 "I Could Never Lie to You"
b/w "Just Feel Worse" (from Revelations)		 50 Attacking a Straw Man
"I Want You to Know"
b/w "Free"		 65
"Barbara, I Love You"
b/w "Prairie Grey"		 78
1970 "People and Me"
b/w "Ride the Wicked Wind" (from Attacking a Straw Man)		 116 Non-album tracks
"Close Your Eyes, Little Girl"
b/w "Love, That's the Best I Can Do" (from Attacking a Straw Man)		 –
1971 "Roll On"
b/w "If You Could See"		 56
"Long Time to Be Alone"
b/w "Never Be Lonely"		 93
1972 "Someone, Sometime"
b/w "Come On Down"		 109
1974 "I Don't Really Want to Go"
b/w "Run"		 –
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References
  1. "The New Colony Six Homepage". Newcolonysix.com. Retrieved 2014-08-23.
  2. Unterberger, Richie. Music USA: the Rough Guide. Page 268. Rough Guides, 1999, ISBN 978-1858284217
  3. Enright, Laura L. Chicago's Most Wanted. Page 175. Brassey's, 2005, ISBN 978-1574887853
  4. "The New Colony Six Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 16 December 2017.
  5. "New Colony Six Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 16 December 2017.
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