Welcome to our history page. In December of 1984 I was playing drums in the group Michael Pallini and Stage. It was a ton of fun, but I wanted merge my hobby of collecting girl group records of the '60s with live performance. I left Stage, recruited three fantastic female vocalists, and then convinced friends from my old hard rock musician days to accompany. By mid-spring of 1985 all the pieces were in place. The idea was to create a unique sound, have some fun, and bring together a skilled group of musicians and singers. In retrospect, all of those goals were accomplished.
This page serves as an historical perspective of IT'S MY PARTY! Here, past incarnations of the group receive well-deserved tribute and admiration. The commentary is mine. I would like to thank every one who contributed to the success of this group throughout the years. The list of names is endless. In addition to the performers, the list includes crew, managers, studio operators, photographers, graphic design artists, webmasters, talent agents, and media. I would also like to recognize the devotion and patience of family, friends, and fans to this group. One name I will mention is Ron Stein; without his guidance and inspiration, this group would not have existed.
Read along about our history and details on each file. Click on links within the flashplayer playlist to listen to recordings & watch videos of IT'S MY PARTY! throughout the years, beginning in 1985. Also scroll through, pause, or watch our historic slideshow gallery below. The brunt of this information looks at the group before publicly released material from 1997 and beyond. Refer to our discography Page for material after 1996.
B eginnings: 1985-86, sounds from original IT'S MY PARTY! girls: Liz, Sonia & Sharon. This 3-4 line-up included Dave Carroll on guitar, Gary Skinner on keyboards & guitar, Dan Covert on bass, and John Giotto on drums. Dan actually never performed with the group, he was replaced by Jim Basile in the spring of 1985. We knew Jim was the guy when he pulled up to the audition in his '62 Chevy Impala. Listen to his rock-solid bass lines on the following live recordings.
Our first public appearance was an outdoor event at the Panorama Plaza located in Penfield, NY. Penfield was celebrating its 175th anniversary. We rehearsed in Penfield at the time, and I remember driving over to Gary's to pick up the gear that morning. It was one of those typical Rochester dubious weather days, with a strong possibility of rain. I remember looking west toward the prevailing winds, hoping better weather was on the horizon. As you can see from the photos all went well! Mainly a club act, our mainstays at that time were The Casablanca, The Red Creek, and Schnozz's. None of the aforementioned venues survive today.
WGMC's "Saturday Night of Gold" promo recording session WGMC's "Saturday Night of Gold" interview, December 7, 1985
Thanks go out to Ron Stein for these two historic gems. First, the original IT'S MY PARTY! girls in a recording session at WGMC, Greece, NY. These are promo spots for Ron's one-time radio show, "The Saturday Night of Gold." Next, an interview at WGMC during "The Saturday Night of Gold" on December 7, 1985. We had a gig that night at the Casablanca, and Ron brought us on his show to help promote our performance. Listen to the original singers, you'll agree with me, they are a great trio of gals. I am taken aback listening to myself. I like Cindi Lauper, Madonna, and REO Speedwagon; really! Who was this cocksure individual being interviewed, was it me? Guess time has mellowed my tone. In the interest of brevity, I have edited portions of the the records we played during the interview. The show ends abruptly when the tape ran out, I'm not sure if the remainder of the interview exists. Enjoy!
Also included in the playlist are four live recordings by the original IT'S MY PARTY! girls. The date was March 22, 1986, the venue, the now defunct Casablanca on East Henrietta Road in Rochester, NY. Our road manager at the time, Arnie Kraft, captured the recording on, of all things, a cassette boombox. Listen to that recording wonder machine "hard limit!" Which brings me to a one of my recording philosophies, equipment is the least important aspect of the recording process; all the equipment in the world will not compensate for a mediocre performance.
"Bitten By a Love Bug"
Here's Liz, the second IT'S MY PARTY! girl to join the group, performing a Revillos/Rezillos' tune "Bitten By a Love Bug." The early group played seventies and eighties girl groups as well. Listen to Dave Carroll's nifty guitar work on this track. Gary Skinner-- the guy responsible for coming up with the name for the group -- shows his versatility by adding the second guitar.
"It's My Party"
Sonia, girl number three, sings our namesake, "It's My Party." It's no surprise that someone with Sonia's talent continues to endeavor in music; to see what Sonia is doing musically today, follow Sonia Lee to her official website.
"On and On"
Never a group to shy away from performing an esoteric track, "On and On," was originally recorded in the '60s by Joy and the Sorrows. Sharon, the first girl to join the group, takes lead. This is an honest recording, perhaps the vocal ensemble is a bit out of tune here and there, but hey, you try singing while a band is blasting in your ears! And besides, I really like the emotion in Sharon's delivery.
"Sweet Talkin' Guy"
Listen to Liz singing lead on The Chiffons' classic "Sweet Talkin' Guy." Her brilliant rendition carries the proper emotion and more than compensates for the "tricky" drummer -- myself! -- who had to overplay. Sometimes it takes awhile to figure out that drums are an ensemble instrument. Listen to Gary Skinner's solid opening on the keyboard and his attention to detail during the music break.
S econd generation: Patty, Charlene, and Kelly had close to a one-year run as the IT'S MY PARTY! girls, and I'm glad we can add this rare footage of the trio performing "Our Lips Are Sealed" from early 1987. The venue is Shnozz's, once at Rochester's Village Gate. The ladies are having a great time in this clip, and Patty's stage presence is amazing; just watch and enjoy! Dave, Gary, and Jim moved on and were replaced by Ken Peters on guitar, Paul Kanack on bass, and Terry Farrow on Keyboard.
T eenage: Tricia, Jenny & Eliza really made some waves in the industry. They were the first IT'S MY PARTY! group to perform and record original material. A short-lived project, April to November of 1988, the most amazing aspect of this group was its ability to blend as a vocal ensemble. John Bunce played only briefly with IT'S MY PARTY!, but contributed keyboard work on the Peter's track, "Can't Stay One More Night," recorded at GFI Studios. Ken Peters provided the group yeoman service with enthusiasm that will never be replaced.
"Can't Stay One More Night" "Kiss Me For the Last Time"
The next two songs were penned by Ken Peters. If Paul Kanack was our "Paul" with his bright pop tunes, then Ken was our "John," creating perfect teen angst. Listen to Tricia belt out the first tune "Can't Stay One More Night," the only song we recorded in a commercial recording studio. Next, listen to Eliza sell "Kiss Me For the Last Time" with her convincing vocal delivery. I recorded Eliza's track in one take using a Shure SM-57 microphone while Eliza sat in the control room listening to the playback speakers.
"I Wanna Love Him So Bad"
This stream is the Jellybeans' classic, "I Wanna Love Him So Bad." It was recorded on a cassette four-track recorder, which broke down before the tracking could be finished. The music tracks were transferred to an eight-track Akai deck, and then completed with the help of Jim Sawicki. Jim recorded the vocals and sweeteners. This vocal rendition is the standard I have used for every IT'S MY PARTY! recording since. Eliza's amazing vocal performance makes this the best IT'S MY PARTY! recording of all time -- and I don't use this lightly -- better than the original by the Jellybeans. Eliza is one of those rare talents that come around every so often. Well, just listen for yourself! If I had to pick a runner-up from our recordings, it would be Lauren's perky rendition of "The Boy Next Door" from our second CD single. It simply oozes with energy.
"Walkin' With Me"
Here's Jenny again singing one of our first originals. Fans familiar with the 2001 recording of "Walkin' With Me" may be interested in hearing this 1988 version. It was this song, one of Paul Kanack's first compositions, that brought us an invitation to meet Richard Gottherer at his New York City residence.
"Whenever a Teenager Cries"
We have been compared to Reparata and the Delrons by several fans. First off, what a compliment! Secondly, we've included a video clip of IT'S MY PARTY! singing Reparata's "Whenever a Teenager Cries" featuring Jenny on lead vocals. Listen to the wonderful blend on harmony and unison vocals. This performance confirms the value of having teen singers sing teen topics. Also included are videos from the same performance: "My One And Only Jimmy Boy," and "The Boy Next Door."
D epartures: Tricia, Jenny, and Eliza graduated from high school and moved on. Ken Peters left to play in the Pawns with Walt O'Brien. After five years of stepping away from the group and working on two promising solo projects, it was time to try again. The following recordings are from a teen-lineup of IT'S MY PARTY! that never performed live. My friend Steve's niece, Liz, sang lead vocals with her friends Laura, Shannon, and Missy providing the backup vocals. The recordings are from September 1993 and showcase the talents of Calvin May as a studio engineer and session player. Laura stayed on with IT'S MY PARTY! for four years, and performed with various incarnations of the group in the mid-'90s.
"I Want You"
This recording is a harder-edged version of the '60s tune "I Want You," by the British group, Jeannie and the Big Guys. It features Calvin May on guitar and Bennet Kilmer on bass. Liz comes across clearly on vocals.
"Let Me Get Close To You"
This recording goes out to all the our Internet fans who have requested a Skeeter Davis cover. This Goffin/King number has always been one of my favorites from Skeeter Davis -- enjoy!
F inally, some later audio and video beginning with a radio advertisment that aired in July of 1999 between our performances at the International Pop Overthow Festival in Los Angeles and the Atwater Park Gazebo in Canandaigua, New York. The group was promoting its second CD single at the time. You can hear Rochester radio celebrity, Scott Spezzano as the voice-over.
1999 CBS Radio spot
We've also included our one and only concept video, "On the Beach Tonight," shot on our hotel roof in Los Angeles, and two live videos from the 2001 Marshfield Fair.
2001: "L-O-V-E," "On the Beach Tonight," "The One You Can't Have"
I hope you enjoyed a look into the past of IT'S MY PARTY!. We have high expectations for the future of IT'S MY PARTY!. After all these years, it's still fun to take the stage. Our songwriting, recording, and live show continue to focus and improve. We are excited about our new recording; it's forthcoming and soon we will announce the new IT'S MY PARTY! girls. The "We" I refer to includes Paul Kanack and Syeed Abdulal-haqq. Paul has been providing the group with bass playing and songwriting since 1986. Syeed has contributed songwriting and a positive attitude since 1995.
If you are an IT'S MY PARTY! alumnus, we'd love to hear from you! There has been some talk about an IT'S MY PARTY! reunion this summer. E-mail us at alumnus@itsmypartyonline.com.
If you have an IT'S MY PARTY! story to share, or any artifact that would enhance this history page, contact us at: grouphistory@itsmypartyonline.com. We are lacking a good photograph of Terry Farrow, and we would love to hear from Jim Basile!
