Joe Bouchard's posted this on J&A's about the RegalTones Reunion gig at Bonnie Castle Stables, Alexandria Bay on July 7th:

Hey Ralphie,
The show was great! It was a different format than last year in with 9 opening acts competing in a Battle of the Bands. The audience was a wide range of people from teens to middle agers like us.

I was concerned how it would all work out because those things can turn into a staging nightmare. But all the bands played on time and were very respectful of their opportunity to be a part of this event. All the bands were great, with many young musicians still in their teens and then there were several veterans our age. The winning band was a hard rocking group of young studs, Minus Mike from Clayton our hometown, who played the highest energy rockin set.

Okay, here's the set list:

Burnin' For You
Tequila
Ruby Baby
Memphis Tennessee (vocal Steve & JB)
Walk-Don't Run
Rebel Rouser
Lucille (vocal Ted)
What'd I Say
Runaway
Sleep Walk
Louie Louis (Albert guitar and vocal)
Joan Crawford (vocal Albert and piano Joe)
Surfing USA
California Girls
Fun, Fun, Fun
I Get Around
Do You Wanna Dance? (vocal Albert)
Twist And Shout
I Saw Her Standing There
Things We Said Today (vocal Ted)
Secret Agent Man (vocal Steve)
A Hard Day's Night
I Need You (vocal Ted)
Help!
Pretty Woman
Gimme Some Lovin (vocal Albert)
You Really Got Me
Godzilla

Encores:
(Don't Fear) The Reaper
Johnny Be Goode
Born To Be Wild
Goodnight Sweetheart

34 songs altogether. We cut down the set from last years 50 or so songs, but we didn't take an intermission and we added a few new numbers that garnered a great response.

Most likely the RegalTones will rise again. When I looked across the stage at the band, there were the same guys I played with over 40 years ago and we're still as evergetic and youthful as we were back then. (We actually rehearsed all week again! It's amazing what that can do.) We are all blessed with great health and vitality for a bunch of old geezers.

Also I must add I played the best game of golf I ever played. I got a Birdie on the fourth hole of the Wellesley Island State Park course. I was dancing around like an idiot, but it was worth it.

Cheers. See you in ireland!
Joe

The Regaltones are riding again - the Cellsum upcoming gigs page at last has something to report. A new gig, although it's 4 months off:

Saturday, July 7th, 2007 8:00 PM EDT
Bonnie Castle Stables
1 Outer Holland Street
Alexandria Bay, NY 13607
Price: $TBA

Sounds like an occasion not to be missed.

Albert has just commented on the reunion gig:

The Regaltones show was amazing, one of the best shows any of us has played. It was a lot of hard work getting ready for the shows, a lot of research, planning and rehearsal but it paid off

Some photos of the Regaltones show are available here.

Joe just reported back on the Regaltones gig:

Just got back home from the Regal Reunion. The show was beyond awesome. Great set lists, a packed house with over half the town attending.

For a few photos check out: this link.

Here's the run down. Was it taped? Yes. The venue was a hockey arena so it isn't the optimum sound, but the crowd was so rabid that any sonic deficiencies are covered by everyone singing along to every song. Not to mention the Twist contest!

RegalTones Set Lists

Walk-Don't Run
Tequila
Rebel Rouser
Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On
Kansas City (lead vocal Ted Streets)
Boney Maronie (lead vocal Albert)
Ruby Baby
What'd I Say
Sleep Walk
Runaway
The Twist
Peppermint Twist
Green Onions
Let's Twist Again
Louie Louie (lead vocal & guitar Albert)
Wipeout
Pipeline
Surfing USA
California Girls
Fun, Fun, Fun
Oh Pretty Woman
This Diamond Ring
Johnny Be Goode
Burnin' For You

INTERMISSION

Twist And Shout
I Saw Her Standing There
You Can't Do That
Things We Said Today (lead vocal Ted Streets)
A Hard Day's Night
Day Tripper
I Should Have Known Better
I Feel Fine
Help!
I Need You (lead vocal Ted Streets)
The Night Before
You Really Got Me
Love Potion No. 9
For Your Love
Secret Agent Man (lead vocal Steve LaLonde)
Hang On Sloopy
The Last Time
Charlena
Godzilla

Encores:
(Don't Fear) The Reaper
Satisfaction
Goodnight Sweetheart

Here's Joe's latest news on the RegalTones:

I've attached the RegalTones flyer as a JPEG. Albert plans more graphics and announcements on the Cellsum site.

I've also attached a photo I got from Eddie Bazinet, the bass player, from January 1974 featuring the RegalTones nine years later.! From left to right: (Cousin) Ted Streets, guitar & vocals, Joe Bouchard, guitar, piano & vocals, and Ed Bazinet, bass guitar. Seated Albert Bouchard, drums & vocals. Missing from the photo Steve LaLonde, alto sax & vocals.

RegalTones Reunion!!
Cellsum brings us the exciting news that Albert and Joe's original home-town high-school band, the RegalTones are reuniting "on July 8th 2006 for a special benefit show in Clayton NY. "

"Details are being worked out but it will be a long sweet trip down memory lane."

I asked Albert for some more details. Here's what he said:

Well, this will be the first time we will have played together since 1965. The RegalTones played over 400 shows in their career. We had a repertoire of over 220 songs but will probably only play 40 or so at this show.

It is a one off but it will be well documented I think. We will probably have opening acts that will be our nieces and nephews. A number of them have bands.

It is a benefit for 2 charities. The Ryan Russell Memorial Scholarship Fund (our cousin once removed) and the Stevens-Johnson Syndrome Research Fund.

If you click the image above, it opens up a newspaper clipping which mentions the RegalTones were in a Battle of the Band finals. I asked how they did in this competition:

We actually did win that battle of the bands. We lost other smaller contests but that was the biggest one in the area. It was a multi-day event with 2 run-off rounds before the final. So to win we actually had to win 3 contests. In the final we played This Diamond Ring, She Turns Me On (an original) and Johnny B Goode. We were the only band in the area to play original tunes.
Al

PS We will be wearing uniforms