Biography
In the middle of 1969 the musicians who would form Pugsley Munion first assembled under the name Mask. Keyboardist, vocalist, and chief songwriter John Schuller teamed with guitarist Ducky Belliveau and drummer Ed Kelly to focus on original songs after several years spent in high-school cover outfits. A home-recorded demo from that year reached J&S Records, a modest New York City R&B imprint that had gone without a hit for some time. The company advanced funds for studio work, brought the trio to the city to cut a proper demo tape, and offered a one-album contract.
Once the demo was finished the label learned that another band already held rights to Mask, so the members searched for a new name. Pugsley was taken from a street sign in New York; Munion belonged to a local policeman who had glared at the road crew after a show at a neighborhood donut shop. The two words were first combined as a joke for a single performance, yet the name remained in use. In mid-1970 the group booked two days at Bell Sound Studios in New York City to record its debut album. Although the musicians performed live as an organ-and-bass-pedal, guitar, and drum trio, they chose to track with electric bass for a stronger sound. Different bass parts were tried with the plan of overdubbing or replacing them later. Rough mixes were made after the allotted time, and the trio expected to return for further sessions to finish the bass lines and refine the vocals.
Instead the label released the album in its unfinished state, using artwork the band had not chosen and printing inaccurate liner notes. The title was changed to Just Like You, taken from the song chosen as the first single. The musicians tried without success to halt distribution. Despite the label’s handling, the record received some radio play, but Schuller was soon drafted and the project stopped. His Navy service ended quickly for medical reasons, and he rejoined the group, which had added a bassist and a vocalist during his absence. They performed regularly in local clubs over the next couple of years and developed a steady following, yet never recorded again as a unit. Each member later found work as a studio musician.
Once the demo was finished the label learned that another band already held rights to Mask, so the members searched for a new name. Pugsley was taken from a street sign in New York; Munion belonged to a local policeman who had glared at the road crew after a show at a neighborhood donut shop. The two words were first combined as a joke for a single performance, yet the name remained in use. In mid-1970 the group booked two days at Bell Sound Studios in New York City to record its debut album. Although the musicians performed live as an organ-and-bass-pedal, guitar, and drum trio, they chose to track with electric bass for a stronger sound. Different bass parts were tried with the plan of overdubbing or replacing them later. Rough mixes were made after the allotted time, and the trio expected to return for further sessions to finish the bass lines and refine the vocals.
Instead the label released the album in its unfinished state, using artwork the band had not chosen and printing inaccurate liner notes. The title was changed to Just Like You, taken from the song chosen as the first single. The musicians tried without success to halt distribution. Despite the label’s handling, the record received some radio play, but Schuller was soon drafted and the project stopped. His Navy service ended quickly for medical reasons, and he rejoined the group, which had added a bassist and a vocalist during his absence. They performed regularly in local clubs over the next couple of years and developed a steady following, yet never recorded again as a unit. Each member later found work as a studio musician.
Albums