Michael Olesko:
CLASS OF 1967
Vincentian InstituteClass of 1967
Albany, NY
Michael's Story
46 Years Later the Gray Things Still Wait for Their First Check
Michael Thomas Olesko, Yahoo! Contributor Network
Mar 6, 2012 "Share your voice on Yahoo! websites.
Someone in the world likes The Gray Things. The obscure rock bands song "Charity" keeps getting posted at YouTube as a "garage band favorite". Better yet, the song has appeared on four major compilation albums since 1982. Someone is making money but it isn't the band. In fact, The Gray Things have never made a dime from their song. So what happened?
Unraveling the years has been the holy quest of drummer Steve Colfer of Albany, NY who discovered in 2010 the groups song never died. Calling original guitarist Billy Cioffi of Scottsdale, AZ and original vocalist and keyboard player Mike Olesko in Ft. Lauderdale, Fl, the old band mates began searching for answers.
Discovered in 1966 by radio personality, the late Lee Gray of WTRY Radio in Troy, NY; Gray in lightning speed arranged a contract the five man group never saw or signed with Laurie Records in New York. Laurie was sizzling with artists like Dion, The Chiffons and The Royal Guardsmen. On Halloween night the group recorded "Charity" at New York's hottest recording studio Allegro at 1650 Broadway.
Within a month the song was climbing the charts in the northeast US but by the spring of 1967 it faded into obscurity. The song was dead and The Gray Things disbanded and went their separate ways. Fame seemed over after their 15 minutes in the sun.
Then something happened that neither The Gray Things nor dozens of former Laurie artists knew. In 1982 the company changed its name to 3C Records and sold all its masters to EMI/Capitol Special Projects Division in London,England. Buried in with master recordings by artists such as Bobby Goldsboro, Dion, Gary US Bonds,The Chiffons, Gerry & The Pacemakers,The Mystics and The Royal Guardsmen lay The Gray Things.
"Charity's" first known reappearance was in 1982 on a 13 CD set compilation album of garage rock favorites called "Mindrockers" on Line Records. Only 1000 were issued. It appeared again on a re-release of 'Mindrockers" in 2009 on the Past and Present label. Next came a CD called "Sixties Garage Rock Page" exact release date and label unknown. In 1983 'Psychedelic Unknowns Vol. 5" was issued followed in July 2011 by "Vinyl Garage Underground". The song is listed at several internet garage band sites.
Then began the YouTube entries. There are four postings of "Charity" at present but there were many more that popped up and disappeared since 2010. Some appear to be from DJ's in Britain and Germany.
Drummer Steve Colfer has found chart postings as far away as Russia.
The group surmises there must be some performance royalty they are entitled to but how to get it and who will pay it remains a mystery. With so many obscure ex-chart topping groups in the world of music you wonder if any of them have been de...Expand for more
alt justly for their work of long ago.
Sunset has still not arrived for "Charity" after 46 years. No one sits by their windows waiting for the mailman. A little grayer now, the group known as The Gray Things won't be quitting their day jobs either.
Published by Michael Thomas Olesko
Former record company executive, recording artist, teacher of Social Studies and Earth/Space Science in Florida, USA, Former employee of six cruise lines, former Crew Welfare Chairman on two Premier Cruise L... View profile
ALSO ON YAHOO!
I always wanted to be a an entertainer when I grew up. My family and friends thought that was a silly idea. As it turns out, they were wrong.
play keyboard and write a song or write a story about something even if I never send it out.
If I'm going to work somewhere, I need to have cup of tea, my wallet, and my phone to be able to deal with the day-to-day.
Spiritual things, nature or the memory of family and dead friends
keep you mind young and you'll never be old
My current age is 62. When I was 12, I thought that people my age now would be ancient and out of touch. I was so completely wrong.
Music, politics, writing books,teaching
Oh man I love the kids with the wild hair, clothes, fads etc. As a society we need these diversions to keep us old former hippies young again. It would be boring around here without a couple of wierd looking people to look at.
In 10 years, I hope to be a famous rapper at 73. I'm going to get there by 70, I hope..
I met Billy Cioffi in the fourth grade. He agreed to write a movie review for "Gorgo The Great" for my Wax Watcher. We discovered our love for music especially Del Shannon. Our first vinyl disc was cut on an old machine in Joe Heins basement. Billy and I started taking guitar lessons from The Music Center on Central Avenue but I just didn't have the chops as he did. Eventually we formed a little band with Ernie Burkart. We practiced in Billys dining room where there was an old piano until his parents put us out. Next we went to my house but by then we added Steve Colfer. Steve brought Denny Boyagian in and The Shandells were born. We replaced Ernie with Jack Warrington. Jack was from a different crowd at VI. The Gray Things were born when DJ Lee Gray asked us to change our name to Gray Things and we did. The rest is history.
My first job was at my Dads office, where I got paid $4.00 hr to clean floors, toilets and help move boxes and file. What I remember most about it is sweating my tail off.
I was 6 or 7. I strayed away from my house all the way to the end of Ramsey Place that had not been cut through. Hackett Blvd was not through either. I got stuck in the mud and was crying. I couldn't move. My dog Bobo ran all the way back to my house and actually got my father to follow him down the street to where I was. I still have a small scratch scar on my right arm from Bobo. I loved my dog. He saved my life.
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