Forever Fabulous Incorporated Soul Band

The Forever Fabulous Incorporated Soul Band was a 12 member Soul Band and Review that was founded by a group of young musicians that were living in either Amherst and/or Pittsfield, Massachusetts in September of 1967.

Even in Massachusetts, back in the 1960’s, a racially integrated R&B/Soul Band was exceedingly rare in the United States.

The Forever Fabulous Incorporated Soul quickly became the number one most sought after ‘party band’ in the Amherst, Massachusetts area.  The band was booked virtually every Friday and Saturday night at UMASS and/or Amherst College Fraternity parties throughout the entire school year from 1967 fall semester through the end of the 1969 spring semester.  The band was also occasionally booked for special daytime concert events on Saturday and Sunday afternoons.  Additionally, the band performed as an opening opening act at major concert venues that featured major ‘headliner’ acts at Colleges in Massachusetts.  The band also performed occasionally at at a Road House on Route 20 called the State Line Bar which was in New York State not far West of Pittsfield, Massachusetts.

The bandleader, tenor sax player, and arranger was Jake “Soul Steppin” Epstein, UMASS-Amherst [’69].

• • 1 – John ??? – Trombone – Pittsfield, Massachusetts
  • 2 – Bob Amato – Lead Trumpet – Adams, Massachusetts
  • 3 – ??? – Bass – Pittsfield, Massachusetts
  • 4 – Martin Howard – 2nd Trumpet – Readsboro, Vermont
  • 5 – Tommy Williams – Lead Singer – Pittsfield, Massachusetts
  • 6 – ??? Williams – Backup Singer – Pittsfield, Massachusetts
  • 7- ??? Williams – Backup Singer – Pittsfield, Massachusetts
  • 8 – Denny ??? – Drums – Cheshire, Massachusetts
  • 9 – Jake “Soul Steppin” Epstein – Leader/Tenor Sax – Pittsfield, Massachusetts
  • 10 – Steve Katz – Guitar – Pittsfield, Massachusetts
  • 11 – Dallas Powell (RIP 2011) – Alto Sax – Pittsfield, Massachusetts
  • 12 – Tony Papirio – Baritone Sax – Pittsfield, Massachusetts

The band manager who handled some of the band bookings was Tag Tagliaferro who owned a Dry Cleaners in Pittsfield, Massachusetts who also was rumored to be involved with various New York mob related activities operating in Northern Berkshire County in Massachusetts.

The band was comprised of 3 ‘Soul Singers’ from Pittsfield, Massachusetts, the Williams Brothers up front with the incredibly talented Tommy Williams as the lead vocalist.  The Forever Fabulous Incorporated Soul also featured a six man horn line that included 2 trumpets, trombone, alto, tenor, and baritone saxes, plus guitar, bass, and drums.

The approximate 50 selection featured vocal repertoire of the Forever Fabulous Incorporated Soul consisted of ‘cover’ oriented arrangements of the hit ‘Soul Recordings’ of male Soul singer artists such as James Brown, Wilson Picket, Sam & Dave, Otis Redding, Percy Sledge, The Temptations, Eddie Floyd, Rufous Thomas, Smokey Robinson, Booker T. & the M.G.’s, Four Tops, The Bar-Kays, Albert King, Archie Bell & the Drells, Joe Tex, Jackie Wilson, Sam Cooke, Marvin Gaye, Ben E. King, Junior Walker, Johnnie Taylor, Little Anthony, Lou Rawls, Jerry Butler, Paul Butterfield, Arthur Conley, Mitch Ryder, James and Bobby Purify, Spencer Davis Group, and Solomon Burke.

The band typically played 4 approximate 45 minute sets starting at either 8PM or 9PM.  Each set would begin with two jazz/soul oriented instrumental that would feature jazz solo turns by the various horn players.  Some of the instrumentals that Jake Epstein arranged for set openers were:

• • • Mercy, Mercy
    • Watermelon Man
    • Grazing in the Grass
    • Uptight, Everything is Alright
    • The Beat Goes On
    • Soul Finger

Most of the fraternity party engagements paid the entire band $275 to $375.  So, due to the size of the ensemble each member typically was paid $20-$30 per gig in cash.  Special event concerts normally paid twice as much.  The fraternity parties also provided unlimited keg beer refreshments and frequently food for the band members as well.  Coupled with a great time provided by an always extremely enthusiastic college age audience, it was a total blast to perform with the Forever Fabulous Incorporated Soul.

Although by today’s standards, this might seem like a pittance, the cost of living in 1967-1969 was a fraction of what it is now.  Gasoline was less than 30 cents per gallon.

According to the United States Government Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI Inflation Calculator, the purchasing power of $1.00 in September of 1967 is equal to $7.49 in January 2019.  A fraternity party gig that paid $20-$30 in 1967 would be equal to $150-$225 in 2019.  And, a party band musician in 2019 would be lucky to get paid $80.00 for a four hour fraternity party gig.

The cost of attending UMASS-Amherst in the late 1960s was a fraction of what it is in 2019.    For ‘In-State’ residents, UMASS-Amherst Tuition in 1967-1969 school year was $200 or $100 for each of the two semesters.  The total cost including tuition, all fees, and room and board which included three square meals with unlimited servings at a fine school cafeteria for the 1967-1968 school year was $1,111.00 OR $555.50 per semester.  (Compare 2017-2018 UMASS-AMHERST tuition and fees of $7,705.50 PER SEMESTER).  And, then add Standard Shared Room – $3,534.00 PER SEMESTER and then add 3,269.00 for the unlimited meal plan PER SEMESTER. The cost to attend UMASS-Amherst for the entire 2017-2018 school year is $29,021 compared to $1,111.00 1967-1969.  The cost to attend UMASS-Amherst has increased a staggering 2600 Percent in 50 years.

Needless to say, a young, single student musician who was making at least $200.00 a month in cash playing music and having a great time to boot when tuition, room and board was running about $125 a month was standing IN VERY TALL COTTON!

The instrumental makeup and choreography of the Forever Fabulous Incorporated Soul was inspired by the backup band that Wilson Picket employed in the 1960s.

The Forever Fabulous Incorporated Soul choreography was established by the four black members of this ensemble who were all terrific dancers. Humorously, the worst dancer in the band was the leader, Jake Epstein who comically insisted that everyone perform the ‘steps’ in a synchronized manner. Jake got the nick name “Soul Steppin” from the very funny Alto Sax player, Dallas Powell. “Jake, you do the steps like your soul steppin with two left feet in  S**T!”

In the early 1980’s a Soul/R&B revival band called the Zazu Pitts Memorial Orchestra out of San Francisco was formed.  The band was active from around 1982 to 1985. Zasu Pitts was by far the most popular party band in the San Francisco area and was arguably the finest party band in the United States in its heyday engaged in as many 285 performances a year.  In 1983, Zasu Pitts was awarded a grammy for the best ‘Indy’ produced recording.

The following YouTube hosted live recording is a 1984 Zasu Pitts concert performance.  The arrangements and energetic performances by the members of Zasu Pitts as well as the enthusiastic reception of the audience is reminiscent of the late 1960s performances of the Forever Fabulous Incorporated Soul.