Song:Things I'd Like To Say
Album:Dick Bartley Presents Classic Oldies 1965-1969
The New Colony Six started out in the mid-60s as a British Invasion influenced garage band. Personnel changes and a major label deal led to a softening of their sound and the 1969 top twenty hit Things I'd Like To Say. They were from Chicago. The original members were Ray Graffia on vocals, Chick James on drums, Pat McBride on harmonica, Craig Kemp on organ, Wally Kemp on bass and Gerry Van Kollenburg on guitar. They recorded two albums on the small Sentar label and had success locally in Chicago. Like Paul Revere & The Raiders, they wore Colonial costumes on stage. They started out as a fairly standard garage band. Craig Kemp was replaced by Ronnie Rice and Wally Kemp was replaced by Les Kummel. There were other changes but those two guys took over the songwriting and went towards a more mainstream pop sound. They got a record deal with Mercury and Things I'd Like To Say reached #16 on the Billboard Hot 100. Fans of the original band were not pleased with this version of The New Colony Six. It's like there were two different bands. The New Colony Six recorded two albums for Mercury and then faded and split up in 1974. You can get Things I'd Like To Say on this various artists comp from DJ Dick Bartley on Eric Records. Original singer Ray Graffia leads a version of The New Colony Six today concentrating mostly on their earlier songs. Ronnie Rice was the lead singer on Things I'd Like To Say and no doubt performs it in his shows. Here's The New Colony Six performing Things I'd Like To Say on The Mike Douglas Show 1969.
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