The New Apocalypse – Stainless Soul

Correction to my previous post. Greg passed away in the fall of 2017. And yes, just to make it clear, all the keyboards on the LP are indeed played by Mike Meros. Mike and Dennis had great senses of humor. The Christopher Lynch alias was just part of their youthful exuberance.

There is a good bit of mis-information on-line concerning this LP. Greg Novik, the leader and driving force behind everything in the band's history did not venture on-line so he did not correct much of it and he passed away in 2018. Bad Cat site gets some of it right but not all. I helped Greg with titles for many of the pieces and gave the LP it's title. Greg, George Massenburg and I were all fraternity brothers at Johns Hopkins University where the original Apocalypse band and its 2 successors were super-popular at various frat house parties and mixers 1964-1969. Greg's encyclopedic knowledge of the entire world of R&B, Blues and Soul shaped their repertoire and performances with the Stax-Volt-Memphis sound of the1960's as the increasingly dominant influence. The Meros brothers, from a very musical Baltimore family, were added one by one, first Gene 1965-67, then Mike (Christopher Lynch on the LP) around 1968-1969, then Dennis who was in his mid- teens. One great memory of those frat party years is the time when Mike Meros' organ broke down and he went back to his family band roots and carried on playing the organ parts on his old amplified accordion. After 1968, Greg switched from bass to guitar and then schooled John Garrison to handle bass tasks. Keith Vinroe on trumpet fleshed out the sound of the post 1968 band. Gene and Mike Meros were major talents who went on big things on the national stage. Mike has passed away too, but Gene and Dennis are now both in Baltimore area again. After one brief stint on the road after college, Greg had an illustrious musical career in Baltimore for many years but gained his greatest fame late in life as a master baker and owner, with wife Kathy, of the legendary Greg's Bagels. George Massenburg and Greg remained lifelong friends. Anyone wanting more accurate and in depth-information on the life and work of Greg Novik and his various bands can contact me by way of [email protected]. I still listen to this LP regularly and love it. It is a great reflection of the evolving instrumental sounds of soul in the late 1960's. Yes, this is a dated sound to many, but the recording, writing and musicianship on this LP still are a great listen.
Lewis Frisch Nazareth PA

This is a "Meros Brothers" project, the family outta of Baltimore, that produced the keyboardist for a late '70s and onward incarnation of the Beach Boys -- Mike Meros. Mike isn't listed as a player on this (he left shortly before this recording), but his two brothers Gene and Dennis play Sax and Drums respectively.

This record stands out for its high-in-the-mix drums, and Stax styled instrumental jamming. It didn't sell well, so it's pretty hard to find now a days. Recommended. A lot more info on the band/album here http://badcatrecords.com/BadCat/NEWapocalypse.htm

There is little or no info about this band or the musicians. My best bet is that this was a one-off collaboration that was happening frequently in the jazz world back then and still today.
Probably most known is the intro break on the track "Get Out of My Life Woman" sampled by tons of Hip-Hop acts like Cypress Hill (Black Sunday album), LL Cool J and Chuck D.