Today’s classic song of the day is a forgotten track by a forgotten band, but with a notable lead singer. The song is “Without You” by Gayle McCormick and the Klassmen. (Yeah, that “K” name could be a little problematic.) The single was released in 1967 and it was a regional hit—well, it was a hit in St. Louis, from where the band hails. It didn’t chart nationally, even though it’s a pretty good tune and really showcases Gayle’s pipes.
You probably know Gayle McCormick as the lead singer for a band called Smith on their big 1969 hit, “Baby It’s You.” She also had a solo hit in the fall of 1971 with “It’s a Cryin’ Shame.” “Without You,” however, is one you probably don’t know.
Gayle McCormick was a powerful singer with a huge voice who should have been bigger than she was. She was from St. Louis and when she was just 17 years old and a sophomore in high school she joined a local group called the Chevels, who later became the Klassmen. (Actually, the band was originally known as Steve Cummings and the Klassmen, but who’s ever heard of Steve Cummings today?)
Here’s how Ms. McCormick recalls those formative years:
“I never really took my music all that seriously. What I guess I mean is that it’s something that’s always been with me… But growing up… I never really gave any serious thought to becoming a singer.”
But a singer she became, nonetheless. At least for awhile.
Want to know more about Gayle McCormick and the Klassmen? Then check out this article from the March 3, 1967, edition of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
“The Klassmen, formerly known as the Chevels, a group especially popular with the high school and college crowd, have been together for three years. Steve Cummings, the leader, was the youngest member to be accepted in the Musician’s Union, Local 2, at the age of 13. The band is large by today’s standards, consisting of seven musicians and two singers. [The article goes on to name all the members, including Cummings on drums and “Gayle McCormick and Bob Medley doing the vocals.”] The band records for Musicland, USA, and has a new record just released, ‘Can’t You Hear the Music’ and ‘Without You.'”
According to the Metro St. Louis Live Music Historical Society, after Gayle left the group, the Klassmen merged with another group called the Impact Soul Revue to become a new group called Murge. Cummings eventually moved to Tennessee and became a successful engineer and producer, still playing drums on the side. Gayle went on to join Smith and then have a short solo career. She apparently left the music business sometime after that and passed away in 2015, aged 67, of cancer. She was back living in St. Louis at the time.
For your viewing pleasure, here’s today’s daily bonus video of the day, a low-budget promotional film put together for “Without You.” It’s kind of groovy.
