They produced some of the hits which defined a generation in the 1960s and ‘70s and now Central Coast fans will have the chance to see Gary Puckett and the Union Gap live early next year.
Puckett is one of the few elite artists whose first five album releases went gold – not even the great Elvis accomplished this.
The band sold more records in 1968 than any other recording act, including The Beatles.
Following the release of its debut single, Woman, Woman, in 1967, the band went on to record a string of hits including Young Girl, Lady Willpower, Over You, Don’t Give In To Him, This Girl is a Woman Now and Keep the Customer Satisfied before disbanding, with Puckett pursuing a solo career.
He had some success as a solo artist with the Gary Puckett Album in 1971 and took a break from the live music scene while he studied acting and dance and performed in theatrical productions in and around Los Angeles.
But the lure of the band scene was too strong and he was soon back performing, with a variety of backing line-ups over the years reverting to the original name The Union Gap.
“When I first started out I didn’t really think about how long I would last (as an artist),” he said.
“I just knew I wanted to make music a career and didn’t want to end up in nightclubs.
“Success was something we were hoping for and working towards but you just can’t know what’s going to happen.
“I never thought I would still be touring and performing live 55 years later.”
Puckett attributes the hits which made the band’s name to “a great team of people”.
“I had a very talented band, a great record company and producer – a top combination of voice, songs, band and production; I was very lucky,” he said.
As the band launched, Puckett decided it needed a visual identification.
“We needed a look of our own that would set us apart,” he said.
“Psychedelia was very big but we thought if we could be different that might have some impact.
“I have always loved the history of the US civil period and decided we’d all wear Union soldier outfits, basically the same but differentiated with ranks, hats and so on.
“I grew up in Washington state and in the south-east corner was the town of Union Gap; we had our name and our look.”
In a career spanning more than five decades, Puckett said there had been many highlights.
“I got to work with some of the greats,” he said.
“The Beach Boys, Chicago, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Nancy Sinatra- so many greats through the years.”
A career highlight was a performance at the White House for Prince Charles and Princess Anne in the days of the Nixon presidency.
“It was fabulous,” he said.
“We met the prince and princess, the president and many of his cabinet; I am one of few Americans who can say I have met King Charles.”
Another favourite memory is being presented with four gold singles all at once.
“They were all lined up at CBS Records- it was amazing,” he said.
Like many other artists, Puckett was caught up in the COVID pandemic.
“I got it fairly early on but fortunately had no lasting effects,“ he said.
“That whole time was very frustrating.
“I spent a few months home-schooling my six-year-old grandson and I found myself learning a lot about how they teach children these days, which is very different from when I was at school.
“But I practiced every day and kept writing new songs.”
Puckett has kept up a gruelling performance schedule over the years, playing to sell-out audiences in more than 150 performances each year.
He still delivers the raw sixties sound which made him famous.
Puckett has made more than 50 television appearances and the Union Gap’s Greatest Hits album is one of CBS’s best-selling Collector’s Series albums today.
He also toured with the Monkees on their national reunion tour, which established itself as the major box office success of the 1986 touring season.
In August 2001, Puckett released his first ever Christmas CD, At Christmas.
These days, he is pleased to see audiences of all ages coming to his shows.
“The younger people tell me they love the music of our era; it crosses generations and that’s a great feeling,” he said.
Following an extensive Australian tour in February/March, Pucket will return to the US for a national tour with five other acts of the era covering 53 cities, with every show already sold out.
Abstract Touring will present Gary Puckett and the Union Gap in an Australia-wide tour next February/March, with performances at Ettalong Diggers on Sunday, February 19, and The Art House, Wyong, on Wednesday, March 1.
Terry Collins