Biography
In the Philadelphia region throughout the mid- and late 1960s, the Kit Kats scored multiple notable regional successes and thrived as a live draw, yet never achieved a national breakthrough even though several singles registered on Billboard’s Hot Hundred. The four-piece ensemble fused local sensibilities that bridged older styles with contemporary sounds, drawing on songs—many composed by keyboardist Karl Hausman and drummer Kit Stewart—that wove doo wop, 1950s rock and soul classics, and 1960s mainstream pop and rock. Their vocal blend stood alongside the Four Seasons, the Happenings, the Tokens, and, at a further remove, the Zombies, while also echoing the sunshine pop of the Beach Boys and the Association. Far from merely another nostalgic 1960s white vocal outfit in the vein of Jay & the Americans or the Vogues, the group performed its own instrumentation; keyboard-led arrangements carried a classical and Baroque inflection that positioned them as a more pop-oriented, lesser-known analogue to the Left Banke and the Zombies. Lead vocalist John Bradley possessed a high, fragile range that ventured into falsetto more frequently than either of those bands. Although certain tracks amounted to ordinary period pop, the strongest cuts displayed intricate ambition, yet the group’s innocuous name and polished, clean-cut presentation caused both contemporary audiences and later commentators to undervalue their contributions.
The Kit Kats cut sides for Virtue, Laurie, and Lawn in 1963 and 1964. Their development accelerated only after they joined Jamie and shifted focus to original songs. “That’s the Way” and “Let’s Get Lost on a Country Road” emerged as major regional successes in 1966, the latter climbing to number 119 on the Billboard charts. Both singles featured expansive orchestral production, flawless high harmonies, and quasi-classical keyboard textures that surpassed typical local releases. Despite Jamie’s prior track record of national hits, these records failed to cross over nationally. The band, meanwhile, earned substantial income from area concerts—often exceeding the earnings of acts enjoying international chart success—and showed limited interest in pursuing broader exposure.
The quartet maintained its association with Jamie for the remainder of the decade, issuing further singles and two albums, and adopted the name New Hope in 1969. Under that moniker, the 1969 single “Won’t Find Better Than Me”—one of their finest self-written compositions, already issued twice on Jamie as a Kit Kats recording—attained their highest national placement at number 57. As New Hope they released additional singles and an album before moving to Paramount for a lone 1971 single. Although the Jamie-era Kit Kats and New Hope recordings occasionally revealed musicians capable of operating beyond AM pop, the group ultimately lacked the edge and drive required to establish itself in the album-oriented rock landscape and disbanded in 1974.
The Kit Kats cut sides for Virtue, Laurie, and Lawn in 1963 and 1964. Their development accelerated only after they joined Jamie and shifted focus to original songs. “That’s the Way” and “Let’s Get Lost on a Country Road” emerged as major regional successes in 1966, the latter climbing to number 119 on the Billboard charts. Both singles featured expansive orchestral production, flawless high harmonies, and quasi-classical keyboard textures that surpassed typical local releases. Despite Jamie’s prior track record of national hits, these records failed to cross over nationally. The band, meanwhile, earned substantial income from area concerts—often exceeding the earnings of acts enjoying international chart success—and showed limited interest in pursuing broader exposure.
The quartet maintained its association with Jamie for the remainder of the decade, issuing further singles and two albums, and adopted the name New Hope in 1969. Under that moniker, the 1969 single “Won’t Find Better Than Me”—one of their finest self-written compositions, already issued twice on Jamie as a Kit Kats recording—attained their highest national placement at number 57. As New Hope they released additional singles and an album before moving to Paramount for a lone 1971 single. Although the Jamie-era Kit Kats and New Hope recordings occasionally revealed musicians capable of operating beyond AM pop, the group ultimately lacked the edge and drive required to establish itself in the album-oriented rock landscape and disbanded in 1974.
Albums