Biography
An octet originating in Petersburg, Virginia came together in 1972 while attending Virginia State College. They derived their moniker from a railroad bridge in the vicinity of the campus, though the actual structure was a tressle; the spelling was altered, leaving the title without any inherent significance. The self-contained funk ensemble comprised Ronald Smith on drums, Michael Gray handling lead guitar and songwriting duties, Larry Tynes delivering lead vocals alongside keyboards, Bill McGee contributing trumpet and songwriting, Hannon B. Lane covering guitar, keyboards, trombone, and saxophone, H. Lorenzo Maclin on bass and vocals, Lenwood Jones managing saxophone, vocals, and keyboards, and Michael Spratley supplying lead vocals and baritone sax. McGee, originally from Atlanta, Georgia, had previously performed with Hellaphanalia, the group that later developed into Brick and produced the track “Dazz.” At the outset the musicians performed without charge at a local snack shop under the name Snack Shop Band. Their earliest releases, “Bicentennial Boogie” and “Beautiful People,” appeared on the independently operated Bridge That Gap Records label and garnered modest local airplay around Petersburg without broader regional impact. The enterprising musicians also maintained their own record store and music publishing venture. Between 1972 and 1979 the most notable development occurred in 1979 when the octet served as the backing band for Evelyn “Champagne” King. Their sole album, Love Injection, surfaced in 1980 on Elektra Records with production credited to Allan Richardson and Fred Wesley; the set included the uptempo selections “Big City Rocker,” “Love Injection,” and “Gone for the Weekend” together with several ballads. UniDisc Records later issued the album on compact disc in 1994.
Albums