“More Today Than Yesterday” is today’s classic song of the day. Performed by the group Spiral Starecase (not “Staircase”), this single was released in January of 1969 (April in the UK) and charted as high as #12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #7 on the Cash Box Top 100.
Spiral Starecase was a quintet out of Sacramento, California. They formed in 1964, originally calling themselves the Fydallions, whatever that means. The band included a guitarist (Pat Upton, who also sang lead), an organist (Harvey Kaye), a sax player (Dick Lopes), a bass player (Bobby Raymond), and a drummer (Vinny Parello). They were signed to Columbia Records by Gary Usher, who insisted they change their name, which they did.
“More Today Than Yesterday” was written by Pat Upton, the group’s lead vocalist. The track is a driving shuffle with a notable horn-rock vibe, thanks to the addition of a full horn section.
While the band released several other singles, that was their only hit, making the group a one-hit wonder. They broke up in 1970, although Harvey Kaye reformed the group with new members a few years later. That version of the group toured through the mid-80s, typically with enough horns to replicate the sound of their hit single.
For today’s daily bonus video of the day, here’s Pat Upton and the Spiral Starecase lip synching “More Today Than Yesterday” for some television program back in 1969. It’s a pretty good tune, isn’t it?
