Barry Tashian, Vernon Miller, Ship Damiani and Bill Briggs started the Remains at Boston University in 1963, they quickly became a popular live band. According to Vernon Miller, “by the beginning of November, Remains Night at the Rat (the Rathskeller club on Kenmore square) came with long lines and uncivilized Rock’n’Roll. It was dark damp noisy smelly and fun no matter how wild the crowd got the music never stopped”.

The Remains toured with The Beatles in 1966 and appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show. Yet glory escaped The Remains, and they broke up before their first album was released. The first album of The Remains (1965) is a gem, a bridge between the early and late 60s, between American Rock and English Pop. The songs are remarkably structured and lively. I would have loved to see them go through the Psychedelic era.

In the liner notes of the 1985 New Rose reissue, Vernon Miller writes: “We had the hardest time in the studio. Here we were. New at this whole thing and knowing what kind of sound we wanted. Loud and gutsy. We walked into the Columbia studios in New York City and the first thing we were told was to turn down nobody knew how to deal with us they had never recorded this kind of stuff before.”

Those who saw them live say that the record can’t come pair those who heard the record said the digital transfers don’t compare. I say we are lucky to have what remains of The Remains.