Playing lead guitar and bass, respectively, Rundgren and Van Osten were joined by drummer Thom Mooney (formerly of the Munchkins) and lead vocalist/keyboardist Stewkey (born Robert Antoni). Nazz had their first gig in July 1967, landing an opening slot at a Doors concert. By September, the group received some financial support from the local record store Bartoff & Warfield, who also put them in touch with John Kurland, a record promoter who was looking for a guitar pop band. Kurland took a shine to Nazz and signed on as their manager. Throughout the fall, they practiced in their new home base of Great Neck, New York. Kurland and his associate, Michael Friedman, prevented the band from gigging regularly, believing that a lack of performances would increase demand for the group. The managers were convinced that Nazz could be marketed as a sharp, stylish boy band for the teenybopper audience, and helped the quartet members to refashion themselves in that mode.
With a wardrobe of clothes and an album's worth of material ready, Kurland and Friedman had Nazz sign with SGC Records -- an offshoot of Atlantic Records and Columbia-Screen Gems -- in the summer of 1968. Their debut album, Nazz, appeared in October, supported by the single "Hello It's Me." Although the song would later become a major hit for Rundgren as a solo artist, the dirgey original version barely scraped the national charts, largely due to mismanagement. The managers wanted that Nazz played only large halls, which was virtually impossible for an unknown, unproven band with a newly released debut album. As a result, most of the group's publicity was limited to glamour shots and puff pieces in teen mags. Ironically, many of the articles emphasized the band's "electrifying" live performances.
"Hello It's Me" managed to reach number 71 on the charts, and the record -- particularly the Nazz's self-production of "Open My Eyes" and "Hello It's Me" -- attracted some good notices. Taking this as a cue, Nazz headed to England to cut their second album, but they became embroiled in work visa problems. Undaunted, they returned to America and began work on an ambitious self-produced double album named Fungo Bat. By the time it was released in April 1969, it was trimmed to a single album and titled Nazz Nazz. Although the project's scale was diminished, the music remained dizzyingly diverse, as the record ran the gamut from psychedelic rockers to pop ballads. One problem emerged, however. In the process of editing, much of Rundgren's newer, Laura Nyro-influenced material -- which he had sung himself -- was left on the shelves. Neither the management nor his bandmates gave Rundgren much encouragement to sing, nor was his new introspective direction warmly received by his colleagues. Faced with a no-win situation, Rundgren left the group not long after their summer 1969 tour; by that time, Van Osten had already departed the band.
Stewkey took control of the Nazz, erased Rundgren's vocals from the album sitting in the vaults, and replaced them with his own. The result was released as Nazz III in 1970, but it stiffed. Mooney departed the group, later to play with such bands as the Curtis Brothers, Tattoo, and Paris. Stewkey joined Fuse, an Anglophile power pop group featuring future Cheap Trick guitarist Rick Nielsen. Mooney also played with Fuse, but left before Cheap Trick bassist Tom Petersson joined and the group became Sick Man of Europe.
Biography by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Wildwood Blues
Nazz Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Got them old, Wildwood blues
Wildwood town, some bad news
Got them old, Wildwood blues
Drinking beer by the sea
Giant baseball park by the sea
Looking like 1953
Look, Harvey, a crab!
Got into town on the 445
I could hardly wait to arrive
Local yokel hippies start performing their tricks
I try to make it out on the 446
Luxurious accommodations, room and board
But I take no anger until I fall on the floor
Baskets, sea shells, anything became my bed
The local yokels and Jeanie jumped in just the same now
The lyrics to Nazz's song Wildwood Blues seem to be about the experience of being in the town of Wildwood, New Jersey. The singer describes feeling blue or down, possibly due to some bad news or negative experiences in the town. The lyrics suggest that the environment in Wildwood is somewhat outdated, with references to a giant baseball park that looks like it's from 1953, and vegetarian soup which may not be common fare in modern times.
The singer also describes arriving in Wildwood on a train, and encountering a group of locals who may be hippies, performing various tricks. The accommodations are described as luxurious, but the singer falls to the floor and ends up sleeping on baskets and seashells. There is a sense of camaraderie in the end, with the local people and Jeanie joining him in sleeping on the same makeshift bed.
It's possible that the lyrics are intended to poke fun at the quirks of Wildwood, or to capture a sense of nostalgia for a bygone era. The lyrics are somewhat poetic and ambiguous, leaving room for different interpretations.
Line by Line Meaning
Got them old, Wildwood blues
Feeling down and troubled in Wildwood town
Wildwood town, some bad news
Wildwood town has some negative aspects
Drinking beer by the sea
Enjoying a beer by the ocean
Giant baseball park by the sea
There is a large baseball park by the ocean
Looking like 1953
The environment appears to be from the 1950s
Vegetable soup by the sea
Consuming vegetable soup by the ocean
Look, Harvey, a crab!
Noticing a crab with someone called Harvey
Got into town on the 445
Entering Wildwood town via 445 route
I could hardly wait to arrive
Excited to get to Wildwood town
Local yokel hippies start performing their tricks
Hippies from the town start showcasing their talents
I try to make it out on the 446
Attempting to leave the town via 446 route
Luxurious accommodations, room and board
Living in a fancy lodging with provisions
But I take no anger until I fall on the floor
Not irritated until experiencing a mishap
Baskets, sea shells, anything became my bed
Using anything around to make a makeshift bed
The local yokels and Jeanie jumped in just the same now
The locals and Jeanie joined in on the makeshift bedding
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CARSON VAN OSTEN, ROBERT STEWKEY, THOM MOONEY, TODD HARRY RUNDGREN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind