The group began singing as part of the longstanding Columbia University a cappella group "Kingsmen", but the ensemble changed their name due to the popularity of the Pacific Northwest rock band of the same name (see: "The Kingsmen"). Conceived by George Leonard, then a graduate student in Humanities, Sha Na Na began performing in 1969, at the height of the hippie counterculture. The guys achieved national fame after playing at the Woodstock Festival, where they preceded Jimi Hendrix. In fact, the ever friendly and genial Hendrix stuck out his neck for the group, insisting the band be allowed to take the stage even after festival’s promoters wanted to cut them from the bill at the last minute, and Sha Na Na members have since credited him for 'saving' them from obscurity almost single-handed.
Their ninety-second appearance in the popular Woodstock concert film brought the group national attention, and they were a part of the 50s nostalgia craze of the era. Similar artists both in the Americas and in the U.K. appeared (examples being Alvin Stardust and Gary Glitter). The Broadway musical 'Grease' and the TV show 'Happy Days' both also displayed the same ethos as Sha Na Na.
The degree to which their act was truly nostalgic, as opposed to the degree to which it was "invented nostalgia" for joking purposes has been called into question. Still, the group appeared in the movie 'Grease' (based off of the musical of the same name) as "Johnny Casino & The Gamblers", gaining them even more attention. Sha Na Na was also successful with the hit syndicated television show of the same name that the guys did from 1977 to 1982. The program featured guests with much 70s fame such as soul and funk star James Brown and the popular punk band Ramones; musicians from rock & roll's golden era such as Little Richard and Chubby Checker also appeared.
The original band line-up featured twelve performers: Alan Cooper (bass vocals), Rob Leonard (vocals), Frederick 'Denny' Greene (vocals), Henry Gross (guitar), John 'Jocko' Marcellino (drums), Joe Witkin (piano), Scott Powell aka Captain Outrageous aka Tony Santini (vocals), Donald 'Donny' York (vocals), Elliot Cahn aka 'Gino', (rhythm guitar), Rich Joffe (vocals), Dave Garrett (vocals) and Bruce 'Bruno' Clarke. The act has often involved three "up front" dancers/singers in gold lamé and the other nine in "greaser attire", such as rolled up t-shirt sleeves, leather jackets, tank tops, et cetera. During their long-running career, the ensemble has gone through multiple line-up changes. Most recently, co-founder John 'Jocko' Marcellino has served as the group's central frontman. Their latest release is 2013's 'Sha Na Na Greaser High School Hop', with them still touring even decades upon decades after their foundation.
Also that year, Sha Na Na was notably a part of the "Grease Sing-A-Long" event, which is held annually at the Hollywood Bowl. During the 35th anniversary of the beloved movie, they performed several of their tracks from the work's famous soundtrack. "This has become a family event," Marcellino remarked, "They all come dressed up greased with their Pink Lady outfits on, their T-Birds leather jackets, and it’s fabulous that a fourth generation is learning these songs and loving these songs."
Examples of former members:
Vinnie Taylor (1949 - 1974) (real name Chris Donald), who replaced Henry Gross as the lead guitarist in 1970, died from a heroin overdose on April 17, 1974, after a concert at University Hall at the University of Virginia.[citation needed] He was found in a Holiday Inn hotel room in Charlottesville, Virginia.[citation needed]
Former Sha Na Na bass player, from their television show lineup, Dave "Chico" Ryan, died in 1998.
Former Sha Na Na guitarist, from their television show lineup, Danny "Dirty Dan" McBride, died in 2009.
Founding member of the band Robert Leonard is a professor of linguistics at Hofstra University, and had an appearance as a qualified expert in linguistics for the murder case of Charlene Hummert in the episode "A Tight Leash" of the TV medical detectives series Forensic Files in 2004.[citation needed]
The group's first guitarist, Henry Gross, went on to become a solo performer, and had a hit single with "Shannon" in 1976. Another founding member, Alan Cooper, the lead singer in the group's performance of "At the Hop" in the Woodstock film, also went on to an academic career. He taught religious studies for ten years at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, was a professor of Bible studies at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati, and now serves as the Elaine Ravich Professor of Jewish Studies and provost at the Jewish Theological Seminary.[citation needed]
Long time member Jon "Bowzer" Bauman replaced Alan Cooper and became a recognizable member of the group as he taunted audiences while he flexed his muscles, burped and spat in the direction of the bass player. For two years in 1983 and 1984 he served as the host of the game show Hollywood Squares between the retirement of longtime host Peter Marshall and the last host John Davidson. Today, Bowzer continues to tour under his own banner.
Elliot Cahn, the group's original rhythm guitar player and musical arranger, later became the first manager of Green Day. "Screaming" Scott Simon replaced Joe Witkin, the original keyboard player (and singer of Teenager in Love on their first album). Today, Witkin is an emergency room physician living with his family in San Diego, California and playing with a band called "The Corvettes"[3] doing an oldies revue. Witkin's son, Brian Witkin, went on to become the founder of Pacific Records.
Joe Witkin left the band in 1970 to finish medical school, and subsequently moved to San Diego in 1975 to do his internship and residency at the University of California in San Diego. He worked at Scripps Hospital East County from 1978 to 2000 as an ER physician, and currently holds the same position at Sharp Grossmont Hospital in La Mesa.
Scott Powell today is a specialist in orthopedic surgery and sports medicine.[4] He performed on the TV show under the stage name "Santini" (which he changed from his previous alias, "Captain Outrageous"). Powell left the band in 1980 and returned to Columbia to take pre-medical courses.[citation needed] He is a member of the medical staff of U.S. national soccer teams, and is the team physician for the Federation Women’s National Team and an associate clinical professor at USC.[citation needed] While Powell was with Sha Na Na, he sang the bulk of the Elvis revival songs.
Frederick "Denny" Greene left the group to pursue studies in law.[citation needed] After graduating from Yale Law School, he became the vice president of production and features at Columbia Pictures.[citation needed] He is currently a professor at the University of Dayton. Greene was known for his skilled dancing, and sang the lead in "Tears on My Pillow", "Duke of Earl" and others.
Bruce "Bruno" Clarke is now a professor of English at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas.
Book of Love
Sha Na Na Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(Who wrote the Book Of Love)
Tell me, tell me, tell me
Oh, who wrote the Book Of Love
I've got to know the answer
Was it someone from above
(Who wrote the Book Of Love)
I love you, Darlin'
Baby, you know I do
But I've got to see this Book of Love
Find out why it's true
(Oh, I wonder, wonder who, ummbadoo-ooh, who)
(Who wrote the Book Of Love)
Chapter One says to love her
You love her with all your heart
Chapter Two you tell her you're
Never, never, never, never, never gonna part
In Chapter Three remember the meaning of romance
In Chapter Four you break up
But you give her just one more chance
(Oh, I wonder, wonder who, ummbadoo-ooh, wWho)
(Who wrote the Book Of Love)
Baby, baby, baby
I love you, yes I do
Well it says so in this Book Of Love
Ours is the one that's true
(Oh, I wonder, wonder who, ummbadoo-ooh, who)
(Who wrote the Book Of Love)
Chapter One says to love her
You love her with all your heart
Chapter Two you tell her you're
Never, never, never, never, never gonna part
In Chapter Three remember the meaning of romance
In Chapter Four you break up
But you give her just one more chance
(Oh, I wonder, wonder who, ummbadoo-ooh, Who)
(Who wrote the Book Of Love)
Baby, baby, baby
I love you, yes I do
Well it says so in this Book Of Love
Ours is the one that's true
(Oh, I wonder, wonder who, ummbadoo-ooh, who)
(Who wrote the Book Of Love)
I wonder who (yeah)
Who wrote the Book Of Love
"Book of Love" is a classic doo-wop song by Sha Na Na, released in 1958. The song is about a book that contains all the answers about love, and the singer wonders who wrote it. The lyrics convey a message that love can be a complicated journey, with different chapters and meanings. The singer is in love with someone and wants to know why it's true, so he wants to look into the book himself. He reads through the different chapters, which provide guidance on how to love and maintain a relationship. The singer deems his love to be true from what he learns from the book, and he wonders who the author could be.
The song, "Book of Love," has become one of the most famous doo-wop songs ever recorded, with many timeless covers and popular cultural references. It captures a particular moment of teenage innocence and romance, immersing itself in the world of eternal youth and love, an endless summer where the only thing that counts is holding hands and making memories. The song's simple verses and catchy chorus create a sense of security, a reminder that love is all there is to live for, and the answers to all our questions lie somewhere within. "Book of Love" is a song that will forever be associated with the romantic soul of the early days of rock and roll.
Line by Line Meaning
I wonder, wonder who, who-oo-ooh, who
The singer is wondering about the author of the Book of Love.
Tell me, tell me, tell me
The singer is requesting the name of the author of the Book of Love.
Oh, who wrote the Book Of Love
The singer is curious about the author of the Book of Love and wants to know more about it.
I've got to know the answer
The singer is adamant about wanting to know who wrote the Book of Love.
Was it someone from above
The singer wonders if the Book of Love was divinely inspired.
I love you, Darlin'
The singer expresses his love for his significant other.
Baby, you know I do
The singer is reaffirming his love for his significant other.
But I've got to see this Book of Love
The singer is curious about the contents of the Book of Love and wants to read it.
Find out why it's true
The singer wants to confirm if the information in the Book of Love is accurate.
Chapter One says to love her
The first chapter of the Book of Love advises to love your partner.
You love her with all your heart
The first chapter of the Book of Love instructs to love your partner fully.
Chapter Two you tell her you're
The second chapter of the Book of Love advises to communicate your commitment to your partner.
Never, never, never, never, never gonna part
The second chapter of the Book of Love instructs to never leave your partner.
In Chapter Three remember the meaning of romance
The third chapter of the Book of Love reminds readers of the essence of romance.
In Chapter Four you break up
The fourth chapter of the Book of Love deals with break-ups.
But you give her just one more chance
The fourth chapter of the Book of Love advises giving your partner another opportunity to reconcile.
Baby, baby, baby
The singer is once again displaying his affection for his significant other.
Ours is the one that's true
The singer believes that his relationship is the true embodiment of the lessons in the Book of Love.
I wonder who (yeah)
The singer is still curious and contemplating who wrote the Book of Love.
Who wrote the Book Of Love
The singer repeats his inquiry about the author of the Book of Love.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CHARLES PATRICK, GEORGE MALONE, WARREN DAVIS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
ShaNaNa's Strongest Soldier
@mark miller Donny, Jocko, Denny, and Santini.
When the originals left
David Garret, Henry Gross, Joe Within, and Alan Cooper were the first to leave sometime between Woodstock and mid 1970
Rob Leonard left in either late 1970
Bruno left in early 1973
Joffe and Gino left in 1973 mid
Santini left in 1981
Denny left in 1984
Koko Thomas
The. ALL time greatest group of rock imitators! Hysterically funny yet they can all really sing. The costumes n antics 0are priceless! I'm 77 years old n still watch the old videos!
Lisa Koffler
Donny always sings wonderfully!
Eric Jaffa
This is one of Sha Na Na's best performances.
ShaNaNa's Strongest Soldier
Great lineup,
Donny, Jocko, Gino, Scott, Denny, Johnny, Bowzer, Lennie, and Vinnie. All super talented guys.
mark miller
How many of the tv performers played at Woodstock? I know Donny, Denny and Santini were there. And bowser and screaming Scott didn’t join until later
ShaNaNa's Strongest Soldier
@mark miller Donny, Jocko, Denny, and Santini.
When the originals left
David Garret, Henry Gross, Joe Within, and Alan Cooper were the first to leave sometime between Woodstock and mid 1970
Rob Leonard left in either late 1970
Bruno left in early 1973
Joffe and Gino left in 1973 mid
Santini left in 1981
Denny left in 1984
Greg Murphy
Yo, Denny and the other guys where founding members and originals
Athelstan
Who is the singer in the red t shirt? Great voice.
ShaNaNa's Strongest Soldier
@Athelstan Donny York
Jimjim Sandburg
These guys were actually college kids from Columbia University in New York.
They became popular after performing at the Woodstock event in 1969.