The Buckinghams "Mercy Mercy Mercy" 1967

[Kill0Your0TV]

Wow, trying to imitate the Beatles or what?? Too bad they're from Chicago! Phonies.

[BedroomDeejayin]

dueling singers. awesome

[spazsyouth]

lol they're really bad at fake playing and singing and the singer is fucking ugly.

[wildaminal]

an early case of sampling here

[JGPorcello]

Is that an Epihone Casino I see, but with humbuckers?

[mazzarellisteve]

@JGPorcello Epiphone Riviera! W/ MiniHumbuckers. Great guitar....

[mjcamck]

Hello, All. The Chicago based Buckinghams named themselves after the famous Chicago landmark: BUCKINGHAM FOUNTAIN which was named after BUCKINGHAM PALACE. In the 60's, numerous bands gave themselves English sounding names because of the massive popularity of the Beatles led British Invasion. Who can blame anyone for doing whatever it took to stand out & find success? Some, maybe most have English ancestry. They gave us some wonderful music. Best Wishes & PEACE.

[frankmicman]

The Buckingham's (Buckingham Palace?) was actually an American Band from Chicago, but like another post said, must have wanted to give itself a "British" look for marketing reasons.

[chigoldguy]

The great Dennis Tufano on lead vocals. He didn't turn out too bad. Come out to see him sometime. You'll be glad you did.

[littlepeopleism]

Jezzzz Dennis, I'm in love again!

[eletric74]

The guys are like wannabe beatles

[toolongforyoutoread6]

From Chicago?!

[sallythewerewolf]

@toolongforyoutoread6 During the British Invasion American bands did their best to seem English, with mixed results..:) These guys did a pretty good job!:)

[Rexicano]

@sallythewerewolf

Yup...they look real British here all decked out in Confederate Army uniforms from the AMERICAN Civil War.

So stupid to be decked out in military uniforms from a war fought well before they were born...and the uniform of the side that wanted to keep slavery. And during a time when if they really wanted to play soldier...Vietnam was waiting. Who thought this photo was a good idea?

[sallythewerewolf]

@Rexicano Oh, Rexicano, no question, the 60's got SO egregious!!...usually the costumes were the producer's idea. And you gotta admit, they look ridiculous in Confederate uniforms in front of the Union Jack! I guess you've seen Paul Revere and the Raiders....great music, but the gimmick with uniforms was one of the more unfortunate ones...

When I said they did a good job I meant the music..but best not to actually...SEE them except as a bit of ephemera from a time long gone...:)

[CornyPoopDude]

@Rexicano I don't think you know what a Confederate Army uniform looks like.

[Rexicano]

@CornyPoopDude

Bullshit numb nuts...

they came in a wide variety and there was no such thing as ONE uniforms...there were dozens is looks..and this was one. Fool.

[CornyPoopDude]

@Rexicano i meant to reply to sallythewerewolf, yes those are confederate uniforms in the picture in the beginning but in the actual clip they're just wearing plaid suits. calm down.

[divisorplot]

where's kid roc my baby made out of egg on your face l'eouff roc simurgh ratite!

[bluntsafety]

OMG! I remember this song. I was 8 and I thought it was heavy, like a pre metal riff!

[TataSixties]

The bassist goes the same bass than Paul McCartney ^^

[flyinv1967]

Written and preformed by Dennis Teflono and the Brittish Invasion group The Buckinghams

[Tokewhichu]

What I heard,they rode the British Invasion.They named themselves The Buckinghams,make it sound british.Songs sounded similar to british bands this song Kind of a Drag etc.

[lkamer56]

I saw them last month doing the happy together tour, Thay talked about this video I think they said it was from The Smothers Brothers show.Thay thought they were british and even provided them with fish and chips in the green room. Said it was confusing to italian boys from Chicago, By the way ...they were absolutely fantastic.

[greenpilgrim50]

@lkamer56 that's funny, those boys probably didn't even know British people ate fish and chips! LOL, that british stuff seems today like an unnecessary marketing ploy by their managers but they were contending with the british invasion & i guess they figured if you can't beat em trick em into thinking you're british? Whatever, their music stands on it's own merits, it's wonderful & those boys are all dolls! That drummer is really good.

[pghjan1]

@lkamer56

Saw them at the MN State Fair. They can still rock, and so can I!

[fumetti]

Why union jacks when they are a Chicago band?

[Deborahm060]

I am a child of the 60s....I love this music today. Brings back so many memories. I feel so lucky to have lived this generation even though I am an old fart today.

[musikmanea]

This is my favorite Buckingham song, and i love them all!

[reassert]

This song is the BEST choice to be theme of Valentine's Day.

[demonmama]

should've had the chicago flag!! they weren't even from britain

[ondabayou11]

bipolarbert....The Buckinghams were an all-American band, each one from Chicago. The British name & logo's were merely b/c they came out in the middle of the so called British Invasion.

[bipolarbert]

this is a good song, good performance and the video/audio quality is great for 1967.

the British flags show the high esteem with which British bands were held at this time !

[OwrKeeng]

Why did I hear buddy richs big band do this song?

[cyriljazz]

@OwrKeeng Because it is originally a jazz composition by Austrian-born pianist Joseph Zawinul from Julian "Cannonbal" Adderley Sextet, well-known because of the eponimous 1966 Adderley's live album.

The Buchinghams' wasn't even the first pop version: R'n'B singer Marlena Shaw recorded this song a year before the Buckinghams.

[1234captron]

@cyriljazz Your 100% coorect, You Know your Music history

[damanfrom808]

Buckinghams, awesome!!! every song they did was great!!! great post, thanks

[folz208]

Great Fucking Song!

[kregerfilms]

The singer on the right looks utterly confused, as if he has no recollection of how he got in the building...

[fgldnglbs]

Hey! Somebody named Meskmellon posted the original words-added version by Larry Williams and Johnny "Guitar" Watson. Only 439 views at this writing. Not only that, it's not on iTunes last I checked. Two sins for the price of one!

[cb3961]

it was HIP...it was MOD...i can see you guys weren't around back then...if you were you'd know WHY !!!

[lcr1955]

Weren't the Buckinghams from Chicago, and not from Britian?

[airshotsphotoco]

@lcr1955 YES, from Chicago.

[leokasper7107]

A little late to the British Invasion scene, don't you think guys?

[gettyman1]

@leokasper7107 never

[MsLucianus]

Are they the Beatles? (:

[ynot69her]

@MsLucianus haha basically

[davidjeffersontull2]

Lol why do they have the Union Jack plastered everywhere when they're from Chicago? jw....

[airshotsphotoco]

@davidjeffersontull2 because it was a spoof on all the British bands. Someone started a story that they weree from England so they took advantage of the British Invasion.They are from Chicago.

[baycommuter]

This was what growing up in Chicago in the late '60s sounded like! (It's my birthday, so I'm nostalgic), putting horns in rock n roll (a sound later used to harder edge by Blood, Sweat and Tears and most popularly by Chicago). Buckinghams were a great name, because it stood both for England (Buckingham Palace) and Chicago (Buckingham Fountain).

[brwneyesaz]

I've always love this song. Love the music, harmony in the singers just perfect.

[npenciso]

I adored this group,were always on top of my list.. Ah,those were the days!!

[smokiebird06]

It's kind of sad and funny but look how the group was surrounded by the British flag colors on the set props. At that time so many of the groups had to look or sound like the Beatles, and it's funny because they were a totally American group that had they're own distinctive sound. And a damn good sound,too.

[Imachowderhead]

COOL SUITS!

[Anglynn74]

From the Smos. Bros. Show. They thought the band was British so they threw those flags in the background.

[FoxForever90]

Just saw the Buckinghams in concert with the Grass Roots and the Turtles. This was recorded on the Smother's Brothers show. Apparently the Smother's Brothers show thought they were a British group. They told them they were from Chicago but they had already set the stage with the Union Jack so they went on anyhow.

[FoxForever90]

Just saw the Buckinghams in concert with the Grass Roots and the Turtles. This was recorded on the Smother's Brothers show. Apparently the Smother's Brothers show thought they were a British group. They told them they were from Chicago but they had already set the stage with the Union Jack so they went on anyhow.

[TheEldoradoKid]

Is it my imagination or are these guys trying to cash-in on the British Invasion theme circa '67, without really being British? Dig the graphics in the back, an obvious reference to the British Union Jack! Yet these cats are originally from Chicago.. go figure, yeah it was a Beetles / British Invasion kind of a world back then...

[bobbyshermanfan]

@TheEldoradoKid I beleive this clip was from the Ed Sullivan show. It is my understanding that they were quite surprised to see the Union Jack set when the arrived---some set designer hadn't quite done their homework. The Buckinghams name came from a park near their home in Chicago...go figure.

[Rao665]

@bobbyshermanfan

bullshit. the buckinghams are fake. the lot of them. they were trying to cash in on the "british invasion" they did.

[Rao665]

@TheEldoradoKid

according to the Great Wikipedia. they DID try to cash in on the British Invasion. hence the name.

[jbibb66]

This song really brings back some great memories.

[DeltaDregs]

Joe Zawinul wrote the tune, did he also write the lyrics?

[etbella3]

These guys could have said my girl has big jugs, two words that rhyme with more other words than any other word except for hooters. But they were too classy to use words like that.

[etbella3]

This song makes me so happy that I have Big Jugs. When guys tell a girl that she is pretty, they mean they like her boobies.

[fjbutch]

Pretty cool....

[ddmmyy59]

dreadful, whats with the union jacks? The 60's were brilliant for music but there was also alot of shit and these guys are in this catagory

[mjcamck71]

I am so grateful for You Tube. We get to see all these great groups instead of just hear them. I've decided Heaven is the place where we all get to live in the British Invasion Days of the 60's. I KNOW these guys are actually English. They are in fact from my home town of Chicago, Illinois (where there's a Buckingham Fountain). Still, the influence spilled over. It Was a Magical Time. Peace & Love to ALL.

[Gapiro]

@mjcamck71 yeah we get to see them, however the miming is of such a terrible quality! :P

[mjcamck]

@Gapiro - Hello. I know, TV was still a relatively new technology in the middle 60's especially "in living color" television, so it is a bit primitive. Watching films of some early variety shows, mics fade out, curtains get stuck, props fall over, etc. Still, it's wonderful to be able to see these bands again, not just hear recordings. PEACE.

[mjcamck]

@mjcamck71 - CORRECTION to Sentence #4. Should Read: I know these guys are "NOT" actually English (but it could be in their genealogy; so many of us have British blood). Their name is taken, indirectly, from Buckingham Palace (i.e. Chicago's Buckingham Fountain). Peace, All.

[liveontheclassics]

I love the bass player, he's cute! :)) Anyway I adore this song!!! Let's go Mod! <3

[str4to]

Classic Zawinul tune.

[henrypeckstv]

thank you janet for leading me to this video.

[jbird11368]

Dennis Tufano does a great job as usual with the lead vocals in this clip. Is the other guy doing the lead vocals organ player Marty Grebb? He's doing good too. Although Dennis and Marty are no longer with the group, along with Jon Jon Paulos, who died in 1980, Carl Giammarese (who sounds somewhat like Dennis) and Nick Fortuna are keeping the tradition alive.

[mzklover]

@jbird11368

Yes, the other guy is Marty.

[Godzie1]

Growing up in Chicago on the NW side in the 60s going to a grammer school near 1 of their houses.

I want to say sorry to the Buckinghams for the stalking girls from Batemen.

I was not one of them but a lot were!

Must of drove you're parents crazy!

[Freespeech1776]

I They were really good. I was in high school at the time, this song was big, it was blasting out of cars everywhere. I forgot all about them, brings back so many good memories.

[robertrothman]

marty grebb

[DestiniAprilRoyal]

♥ Dennis! he is faboulous singer! god if only i was born in 46' and not 86' lol i would love to been born in this time!!! but anyways i love this song and all the songs he sings!!! great music ...... even though im 24 i dont like the music now adays that they have :) thanks for posting

[YesDinx]

Im with you..Im 31 and this music is fantastic..Today's music is shit for the most part...

[pmoyer50]

BCPM. Agree! The Rascals were great, too. Ever hear the Pied Piper by Crispian St Peters? Also, Bobby Fuller Four had soul. I think the Kinks of the sixties had soul with wit.

[harrisongs]

lol!!! a beatle bass, in a rival band...

[kikiolala]

that is so not true remember black artist weren't givent the recognition.

if not mistaken cannonball adderly wrote the music.

My dad did the lyrics

[drifter1dc]

Written by Canonballs baby brother Nate.

[jwinmedia]

@drifter1dc The music is actually by Joe Zawinul for Cannonball Adderly. The lyrics were added later but I couldn't tell you who wrote them.

[chinzebo]

Fun song and these guys had soooo much make-up on it was funny...Bottom line, the song is one that gets stuck in one's brain! THX for posting!

[shloopy724]

hahaha that close up of 1:12 to 1:20 or whatever is just fucking hilarious

[MYJESUSROCKS]

i dated 3 playboy bunny's that worked out of the playboy club on rush street / chicago

[tearmann]

of course they have soul! they're from chicago - a blues and jazz city since the 1920's.

[tearmann]

what's with the union flag? these are chicago guys. :-)

[whysored]

That bowl cut is taking names.

[sisterfuzz]

Great video-great sound.

[BobbyColePopMusic]

Most white bands don't have soul. But the Buckinghams and the Rascals did.

[giligara30492]

@BobbyColePopMusic

What about The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Who, and Led Zeppelin?

I think there's no other definition of soul...

[etbella3]

@BobbyColePopMusic Black people can be white but white people can never be black. I know things.

[Gregorius1953]

@BobbyColePopMusic , and just what IS soul?

[MrBEB123]

@BobbyColePopMusic White Bands don't need "soul" if they had talent which most all of the big name bands that were White or mostly White did.

[RamonaFromPomona]

Who said white boys don't have soul

[ptlover2000]

They are lip sinking to this for the TV show -- the actual music feed is the record. I'm not complaining, as it is tough for groups to actually re-create the sound of the record, just pointing out a fact. Great tune!

[StanBennet]

@ptlover2000 And the dumbasses thought they were British which is why the Britain flag is all over the stage.

[CosmicTraveler]

Didn't Jazz great Joe Zawinul write this?

[nealbfinn]

Indeed he did. Originally recorded (without lyrics) by the Cannonball Adderley Quintet

[samscott54]

great video

[Scarletapril]

Great! I remember it well.

[wouldntyoulike2know]

Dennis! <3

[StevenCharlesJazz]

Great vocal version of this classic tune! I remember this growing up in Chicago, cool band!

[BobbyColePopMusic]

No It's not a Buckinghams's original, but they sure do a great job on it.

[wwcox56]

@BobbyColePopMusic It was with lyrics. Holvay and Beisber wrote them. Joe Zawinul (then with Cannonball) wrote the music and recorded it as an instrumental.

[owossodude22]

is this a Buckingham original?

[Ihy744ppp]

originally by (vocal version) Larry Williams & Johnny Guitar Watson

[msstevie1951]

OMG I saw them back then live! I am from a Chicago Suburb and they were great! Can not believe I found them on here! xxx

[60smom54]

Great song!! More Smothers Brothers?