Biography
The Myddle Class came together in New Jersey during 1965, its roster consisting of Dave Palmer, Charles Larkey, Mike Rosa, Danny Mansolino, and Rob Phillip. The band performed regularly at prominent New York venues such as the Night Owl and Cafe Au Go Go before securing a recording deal with Tomorrow Records, the label established by songwriters Carole King and Gerry Goffin. Their debut single surfaced in December 1965. Blending Goffin and King’s pop sensibilities with garage-inflected folk rock, “Free As The Wind” earned favorable notices yet never connected with buyers. The following year brought “Don’t Let Me Sleep Too Long,” a track later embraced by the Blues Project; this energetic release captured the group’s stage energy but likewise failed to register commercially. Its B-side, the atmospheric “I Happen To Love,” would later receive a cover by the Electric Prunes. Fourteen months elapsed before the final Myddle Class 45 appeared. Originally cut by the Temptations, “Don’t Look Back” received a fresh treatment that reflected the band’s distinct character. By 1967, however, momentum had faded, and the group disbanded shortly after the single’s release. A previously unreleased recording, “Lovin’ Season,” surfaced on the 1970 Buddah compilation Rock And Roll With Buddah. Mike Rosa later worked as a staff producer at Elektra Records, while Dave Palmer became a member of Steely Dan. Charles Larkey went on to play with the Fugs, City, and Jo Mama, and was married to Carole King throughout the 1970s.