Since dissolving around 1980, lead singer John Palumbo has continued releasing albums under the Crack the Sky moniker.
1970s
Crack the Sky traces its roots to an early seventies bands called Uncle Louie (John Palumbo on vocals) and Sugar (Rick Witkowski on guitar).
The two had auditioned for Terry Minogue, a nephew of Terry Cashman of CashWest Productions. Minogue convinced CashWest to give them a development deal so they could get a band together and record demos.
Minogue later said, "They played some of the most beautiful music I ever heard in my life." As the band was then known, initially a 10 piece band, sized down to five core members. In addition to Palumbo and Witkowski, there was Joey D'Amico on drums, Joe Macre on bass, and Jim Griffiths on guitar, completing the first incarnation of Crack the Sky. CashWest Productions started Lifesong Records, and Crack the Sky would be the first band to release an album on that label.
In 1975, the band released their critically acclaimed first album, the eponymous Crack the Sky, which reached 161 on the Billboard chart. Although praised by The New York Times and declared the "debut album of the year" by Rolling Stone Magazine, promotion and distribution problems on Lifesong Records' behalf prevented its widespread success.
According to Terry Minogue, "Records were promised but never arrived at the distribution centers. The record would be on the radio but there would be no product on the stores or visa versa. When people wanted it, it would never be available."
By blind luck, the marketing did work in Baltimore, only because a surplus of records were shipped there and put on display in stores when the album was receiving radio play. Subsequently, the album became a monster hit in Baltimore. Laidback Larry Allen, music director at WYDD in Pittsburgh, loved the record and played the debut in heavy rotation, but no other place.
Animal Notes, the band's second album, was originally intended to be written as a rock opera about the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, but the concept was shrunken down to one of the songs, Rangers at Midnight.
Like the band's debut release, it was critically acclaimed, reaching 142 on the Billboard chart, performing better than their first album. This time, the high concept and lack of "radio singles", due to the band's disdain for commercial music, contributed to lack of sales. The song We Want Mine was a slam at Lifesong Records for royalty withholdings.
By this point, Crack the Sky had finished two cross-country tours and had opened for Styx, Supertramp, Rush, Foreigner, The Electric Light Orchestra, Yes, ZZ Top, Kansas, Edgar Winter, Frank Zappa, and Boston. They were thrown off tours with Kansas, Styx, and ELO because they outplayed all of them as the opening act.
As a result of a breakdown in communications with their record label, and a divergence in creative approaches, Palumbo left the band in 1977 to pursue a solo career. The remaining band members, with new vocalist Gary Lee Chappell and Pittsburgh keyboardist Vince DePaul, released Safety in Numbers in 1978. Safety in Numbers reached 126 on the Billboard chart, their highest charting album to date. In addition, the live album Live Sky was released by this lineup of the band. Later that year, Rolling Stone Record Guide compared Crack the Sky to Steely Dan.
Due to contractual locks with Lifesong, combined with their chief song writer and front man no longer with them, members of Crack the Sky felt they had no other choice but to disband, and Classic Crack, a greatest hits compilation, was released by Lifesong in 1980.
1980s
In 1980, Palumbo reunited with Witkowski and keyboardist Vince DePaul to release White Music. This record featured a number of the "singles-quality" songs that had earlier proved elusive to the band, including All American Boy, Skin Deep, Techni Generation (saw small airplay in the Pittsburgh area during this time), and Hot Razors in My Heart
Witkowski, Macre & D'Amico went back to the Pittsburgh area to work with the vocalist/songwriter Bill Taylor and formed the B.E. Taylor Group. They released an independent 12" EP and eventually signed to MCA records for 2 full length LP's: Innermission and Love Won The Fight. The group's catchy single release of Vitamin L (written by Witkowski) and Love Won The Fight, found its way into Billboard's Top 100 charts and gained massive national airplay. This led to being signed to CBS Records; recording & releasing Our World.
Palumbo reformed Crack The Sky once again in 1981 with DePaul, Carey Ziegler, Michael Taylor and John Tracey, and produced Photoflamingo. This release, and subsequent efforts including World in Motion 1 and The End, failed to garner the critical and public acclaim of the earlier releases, and the group disbanded again in 1983. A notable song from this era is All Fly Away, about the fears of nuclear holocaust.
Palumbo released the studio album Raw in 1986. Although the album has the signature Crack the Sky sound and feel to it, it featured no past members of the band besides Palumbo (guitarist Jamie LaRitz is the only other musician credited).
Palumbo reunited Crack the Sky with Witkowski, DePaul, Ziegler, and D'Amico for a series of live shows in 1986 at the Baltimore club Hammerjack's. Between then and 1989 this band performed a number of shows in the Baltimore area, including Painters Mill Music Fair.
In 1988, Palumbo joined with Witkowski, DePaul and D'Amico to produce From the Greenhouse, in many ways a return to the band's classic sound, with solid efforts including the title track and the song artist=crack the sky]Lost In America. The album peaked at 186 on the Billboard chart, and received a mixed review from People Magazine. During this time, this lineup performed occasionally in the Baltimore area with Ziegler joining on bass.
1990s
Crack the Sky released Dog City in 1990. The period between then and 1996 saw little activity except for the release of the compilation disc Rare! in 1994. During this time, Witkowski composed music for a number of game shows on the children's television network Nickelodeon, including Guts and Figure It Out.
Palumbo gathered the band together again in 1996 beginning a series of live shows at small venues in the Baltimore area. The band at this time featured the same lineup as 1993's The End, with the addition of Nat Kerr on keyboards. A new studio album, Cut, was released in 1999, as well as a double disc release featuring one of the band's live shows at the Recher Theatre in Towson, Maryland.
2000s
Crack the Sky continued to perform occasional live shows and collaborate on new music under Palumbo's guidance. The albums Ghost and Dogs from Japan were released to critical acclaim in 2001 and 2003, respectively, and the band continued to enjoy a devoted fan following. The band completed a concept album in 2007, entitled The Sale, which features the return of original bassist Joe Macre performing and co-producing the record with John Palumbo.
In 2008, Joey D'Amico and Joe Macre returned as Crack the Sky's drummer and bassist, respectively. In addition the band headlined the ROSfest progressive music fesival and later a full length DVD of their performance called "Crack The Sky, All Access". The DVD was shot on six HD cameras in 5.1 surround sound and includes pictures and interviews with the band members.
The band has released an album Machine in 2010 and it marked the first time in over 30 years that original members Joe Macre and Joey DeAmico recorded new material as CTS.
As of 2020 they have released three new studio albums: Ostrich (2012), The Beauty Of Nothing (2015), and Living In Reverse (2018).
BOYS
Crack the Sky Lyrics
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I got the paycheck cashed and my buddies and me are on fire
Start the weekend off right
I got my car jacked up and the boys are in the back gettin' higher
Oh, we're gonna kick it up, get it for you tonight
Watch out for the working boys
Watch out for the working boys
"Workin' so hard brings us down so we get crazy
Yes we're going downtown
They might throw us out but they're never gonna slow us down
Tell all your friends to hang around
We're gonna give 'em a show
We're gonna let 'em know we're in town
"We've got dirty nails, we got greasy hair
We don't look for trouble, but it sure as hell doesn't scare us."
Watch out for the working boys
Watch out for the working boys
"We work so hard all week long, you better watch it
When the weekend comes cause we get crazy when the
Weekend comes, you better watch us when the weekend
Comes around."
The lyrics of Crack the Sky's song "Boys in 2-3" emphasizes the idea of young people living life to the fullest, enjoying their weekends, and leaving their mundane lives of working hard behind. The song demonstrates the culture of youth in the 1970s and 1980s who especially looked forward to their weekends to let down their hair, relax, and have a good time.
The song starts with the singer getting his paycheck cashed, and he shares his excitement about going out with his buddies for the weekend. The singer also talks about how they are going to rock downtown and how the boys are getting higher. The phrase "watch out for the working boys" could be interpreted to mean that they should be cautious of others who might look down upon them or try to talk them out of their fun.
Throughout the song, the singer reinforces the idea that they deserve to have fun on the weekends because they work hard during the week. They work so hard, and the weekend gives them an opportunity to let loose and forget about their daily struggles. They are portrayed as hard-working and fun-loving individuals who are not afraid of living their lives to the fullest.
Overall, the song "Boys in 2-3" relays the message of young people enjoying their weekends and outshining their mundane lives. It demonstrates the culture of the youth of the 1970s and 1980s who appreciated the importance of letting their hair down and enjoying the moment.
Line by Line Meaning
Going downtown tonight
We are headed into the city tonight
I got the paycheck cashed and my buddies and me are on fire
We just got paid and we're eager to have fun with our friends
Start the weekend off right
We want to begin our weekend on a high note
I got my car jacked up and the boys are in the back gettin' higher
I have my car ready and my friends are smoking marijuana in the back
Oh, we're gonna kick it up, get it for you tonight
We plan to have an exciting and fun-filled night
Watch out for the working boys
Be cautious of those who work hard and play hard
Watch out for the working boys
Be cautious of those who work hard and play hard
"Workin' so hard brings us down so we get crazy
When the weekend comes around."
After working all week, we need to let loose and have a good time
Yes we're going downtown
We are definitely going downtown
They might throw us out but they're never gonna slow us down
We might get kicked out, but we will not let that stop us from having fun
Tell all your friends to hang around
Invite all your friends to come along with us
We're gonna give 'em a show
We'll put on a great display of having fun
We're gonna let 'em know we're in town
We will make sure everyone knows we're around and having a good time
"We've got dirty nails, we got greasy hair
We don't look for trouble, but it sure as hell doesn't scare us."
Even though we look rough, we do not seek out problems but will not back down from them
Watch out for the working boys
Be cautious of those who work hard and play hard
Watch out for the working boys
Be cautious of those who work hard and play hard
"We work so hard all week long, you better watch it
When the weekend comes cause we get crazy when the
Weekend comes, you better watch us when the weekend
Comes around."
We put so much effort into our jobs that when the weekend arrives, we go all out and have a wild time
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind