Interview with Rick Levy of Wax from 2010

In 1965, living in Allentown, PA (home of pop hitmakers Jay & The Techniques, who I’ve managed and been guitarist since 1985), I was playing in a garage band called “The Limits.” The band was fun, mostly covers, but some originals, and we regrouped in the ‘80s, and again for our 40^th anniversary in 2005, and still play a few dates a year. Beau Jones, one of the three Jones brothers in The Limits, was the bassist.

After high school, I went to University of Pennsylvania in Philly, and Beau (a certified genius..but strange..) ended up in the US Army! By late 1968, Beau ended up stationed at a high security missile base in NJ, but lived with a bunch of us college hippies in Philly. The first Wax was formed then, more of a folk rock group with a girl singer, and flute player.

By 1969, the lineup of Wax that almost made it first time was set, however, with David Kagan, lead vocals, Rob Hyman, keys, vocals, Rick Chertoff, drums, Beau Jones, bass, vocals, and me, guitar and vocals. We all wrote songs. Managers Bill Sisca and the (to become legendary) John Kalodner guided us in an amazingly fast ascent and descent! As a quick aside, Rob and Rick Chertoff played in a campus band called “Buckwheat” before Wax, and David played in various blues bands. I was in one of them with him called “Mrs Wiggs Cabbage Patch.”

The quick story is we signed a huge deal, began recording in the Record Plant in NYC (John Lennon and the WHO were there at the same time.) Our label got shut down by the IRS, and voila! We were out of a deal, no tapes, nothing. We soon recorded a totally live group of songs that were going to be used to sell the band again, but frustrations and other personal changes caused the band to break up.

The now infamous lost live tape from 1971 was complete forgotten…as members and management went their ways. Here’s a brief recap:

Rob Hyman recorded with Baby Grand on Arista, then formed the million selling Philly group, The Hooters, He also co wrote the classic “Time After Time” for Cyndi Lauper, and he’s recorded with everyone from Mick Jagger to Levon Helm.

Rick Chertoff became a five time Grammy nominated record producer. forgoing drumming to produce hits for Joan Osborne, Cyndi Lauper, Sophie B. Hawkins, The Hooters, The Band, Bill Joel.

David Kagan also was in Baby Grand, and after that went into magazine publishing and advertising, which he still does quite successfully.

Beau Jones played with the later Limits, and lots of ‘60s pop groups, but died of brain cancer September 3, 2010. He is the reason Wax reunited!

I have been a fulltime musician and manager, managing and/or leading bands for ‘60s hitmakers Herman’s Hermits, Tommy Roe, Jay & The Techniques, Bo Diddley, and more.

John Kalodner, co manager became Columbia Records’ legendary A&R man, signing Foreigner and working with Phil Collins, AC/DC, and many more.

Bill Sisca co manager, became one of the most successful video informercial directors in the country.

Rob has a world class studio outside of Philly, and he, along with John O. Senior, and Paul Hammond were able to remaster. We couldn’t remix because there were no multitracks. It was two-track live recording, but it sounds great.

Sadly, Beau died September 3rd, 2010, about a week before the worldwide release, and damn we miss him! Waxreunited to perform at a musical celebration of Beau’s life (we sounded great) with pal Eric Bazilian playing bass.  Yes, I would love to tour again, but that’s another story.