Rock music of those days, at least outside of recording studios and the pros found there, was often rather primitive, three-and-four chord songs populating the airways, so it was not especially challenging to play rock for parties at perhaps an adequate level.  Still, high school rock bands were relatively uncommon on Long Island and in the Five Towns area of Long Island’s South Shore.

The Bravados early 1962. From left to right: Bruce Bergman, Richie Goldman, Gary Gross, and Dave Brown

As of 1959, the only band at Lawrence High School was the Teen Tones (a typically prosaic name for the time); one of the founders was lead guitar player, Gary Gross, from Lawrence. Opportunities for such bands in these earlier days of rock were limited (likely a reason why more did not pursue the avocation) but the Teen Tones found occasional work, as did nearby Hewlett High School’s equivalent band, The Valiants.

By 1960 at Lawrence, lead guitar player Jeff Reckseit (Cedarhurst) formed and booked his own group The Zodiaks and when guitar player Bruce Bergman (North Woodmere) was replaced in that band by Webb Eliscu, Bruce decided to form his own group.  Intrigued by the alliteration with his name, he chose “The Bravados” as the new band’s moniker.  As a direct rival to the Teen Tones, the first iteration of The Bravados featured Larry Laufer (North Woodmere) on piano (years later to find some notoriety as a vocalist and keyboard player with Crazy Elephant – “Gimme Gimme Good Lovin’”), on electric bass – not so common then – Inwood’s Dave Brown (and his big round mound of uncouth sound) and a drummer whose name escapes memory.

Although there was nothing particularly noteworthy about this, other than the intrepid spirit of musicians doing what so few others attempted, it did afford the players some fundamentals which would be critical to later efforts.  Many of the hits had distinct lines – riffs – figures – that guitar players needed to know, along with the chord structures of the tunes.  Not every record was purely elemental.  Guitarists who knew the figures and the chords could play in other bands – it was simply an essential foundation.

By late 1961, the Teen Tones disbanded and so Gary Gross (on guitar) replaced Larry Laufer (on piano) in The Bravados, although Larry was to return some years later.  Richie Goldman (Cedarhurst), who had been the Teen Tones drummer, also came on board.  With Gary and Bruce together, the real nucleus of The Bravados was formed.

From left to right: Gary Gross, Dave Brown (rear), Richie Goldman, and Bruce Bergman

That graduation summer of 1962 saw The Bravados’ first major gig, a July dance on the outdoor dance pavilion at The Atlantic Beach Hotel.  “ABH” as it was widely known, was a venerable seaside grande dame (opened in 1930) hotel which weekly featured genuine star entertainment in its night club, among them, Count Basie, Cab Calloway and The Ink Spots.  An entrepreneurial cabana manager at ABH sponsored the dance and distributed posters, much like the fictional Blues Brothers did for the big concert Maury Sline booked for them.  There was a substantial crowd that night and The Bravados had their first taste of the ineffable joy of playing a real professional music job. Musician and friend Lenny Laks, later a founder of the wonderful Hamilton Face Band, noted at the time with approval that The Bravados played the then just released “Twist and Shout” by The Isley Brothers.

Original Poster: The Bravados at A.B.H. July 1962

The ABH gig was shortly followed with a dance on the upper deck at the Mayfair Beach Club in Atlantic Beach, since 1981 the Sunny Atlantic.

They were also booked at a Woodmere bar on Franklin Place, the long forgotten Sid’s Ten Rounder, and ironically witnessed a genuine fight on the dance floor – good training for what did happen from time to time at such venues.

Then the boys went off to college.