THE FEELIES
The Early Years
The Feelies’ story began in Haledon, New Jersey, a small town not far from New York City. In the mid-1970s, just as punk was starting to break through, Glenn Mercer and Bill Million began playing together in a band called The Outkids, with Dave Weckerman on drums. Glenn played guitar, Bill handled bass, and they performed regularly around the area.
In 1976, after meeting Keith DeNunzio (aka Keith Clayton - bass) and Vinnie DeNunzio (drums), the lineup changed: Bill moved to rhythm guitar, Dave switched to percussion, and The Feelies were born.
It took a while before the band made it into a studio. In the meantime, the lineup shifted again when Anton Fier joined on drums. In 1978, The Village Voice named the then-unsigned group “The Best Underground Band in New York.”
1976 - 1984
A year later, they released their first single, “Fa Cé-La”, on Rough Trade, followed by a deal with Stiff Records. In 1980, The Feelies released their debut album, Crazy Rhythms, a bold, intricate record that stood apart from the rest of the punk and new wave scene. With its restless drumming, deliberate silences, and bright, chiming guitars, Crazy Rhythms became a cult favorite and went on to influence many artists, including R.E.M.
Despite glowing reviews, the record didn’t sell well. The band preferred studio work over extensive touring, which caused friction with their label. Eventually, creative differences led to a split with Stiff Records. Many of the songs from their rejected demo tape later appeared on their second album, The Good Earth.
Soon after, Keith and Anton left the group. Anton went on to play with The Lounge Lizards and later formed The Golden Palominos, while Keith retired from music.
For the next five years, The Feelies seemed to disappear. But Glenn, Bill, and Dave quietly stayed active, first as The Willies and then as The Trypes, where they began playing with Brenda Sauter (bass) and Stanley Demeski (drums). The Trypes released a single EP, The Explorers Hold, a set of dreamy, psychedelic songs that hinted at the new direction The Feelies would eventually take.