In 1965 the Tradewinds released a fleeting pop single titled "New York's a Lonely Town" that received brief airplay. The track recounted the plight of a California surfer stranded in Manhattan during winter, its studio polish recalling Brian Wilson's favored methods at the time. Although the scenario strikes listeners as even more far-fetched today, the song's lilting melody, combined with its blend of yearning and innocence, has secured its status as an overlooked pop gem.
The group consisted of Rhode Island songwriters Peter Andreoli, who also records as Peter Anders, and Vincent Poncia Jr. Earlier, performing as the Videls, the pair scored a modest doo-wop-styled hit called "Mr. Lonely" in 1960 and later supplied Phil Spector and the Ronettes with the composition "(The Best Part Of) Breakin' Up." Under the Tradewinds name they issued further singles such as "Mind Excursion" and the appealing "I Believe in Her," along with a full album, before adopting the moniker the Innocence and delivering the 1966 single "There's Got to Be a Word."
An album credited to the Innocence appeared next, after which the duo began tracking material under their own names. Andreoli and Poncia separated shortly following the Warner Bros. release of The Anders & Poncia Album at the close of the 1960s. Poncia later worked as a producer for Ringo Starr, Kiss, and additional artists, whereas Andreoli maintained a lower profile. "New York's a Lonely Town" stands as their most enduring achievement and one of the surf era's notable lost singles.
