The Redcoats (American band)
| Industry | Music |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1964 |
| Headquarters | Wildwood, New Jersey , United States |
| Products | Music recordings, albums, singles |
The Redcoats emerged as a garage rock ensemble from Wildwood, New Jersey in 1964. Drawing substantial inspiration from the Beatles, they initially released a single under the Redcoats name before adopting the moniker Sidekicks. As the Sidekicks, they attained nationwide recognition with the track "Suspicions" and produced an album in 1966. In 2001, previously unreleased recordings surfaced in the album Meet the Redcoats! Finally.
History
John Spirt (drums), one of the founding members, had earlier achieved success as a songwriter and vocalist on the Ran-Dells’ 1963 Top 20 hit "Martian Hop." Motivated by the British Invasion, Spirt established a band reflecting Beatles-inspired sounds that complemented his songwriting approach. He enlisted Zach Bocelle (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Randy Bocelle (bass guitar), and Mike Burke (lead guitar, vocals), while bringing on Steven Rappaport—Spirt’s cousin and producer of "Martian Hop"—to manage the group. Rappaport acknowledged the Fab Four and Merseybeat as key influences. Following rigorous rehearsals, they secured a contract with Laurie Records in 1965.
Prior to recording as the Redcoats, the band released "She Belonged to Another" under the name Statesiders on Laurie's Providence Records label. The song was credited to Carnaby and Shakespeare, pseudonyms for Spirt and Burke, and likely did not feature the Bocelle brothers, which may explain its omission from Zach Bocelle’s official history. This track was later included in 1986 on Mindrocker, Volume 12.
Under the Redcoats name, they produced two Merseybeat-style songs: "Love Unreturned" and "The Dum-Dum Song," showcasing English-influenced vocal harmonies. These tracks gained airplay on New Jersey radio stations, helping to cultivate a local fan base. Additional recordings were made but remained unreleased through Providence Records.
In 1966, after Rappaport relocated to Europe, the band obtained financial backing from Philadelphia investors and signed with RCA Records, rebranding themselves as the Sidekicks. Spirt’s composition "Suspicions," enhanced with orchestral arrangements, became a modest national success, peaking at number 55 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Subsequently, the Sidekicks recorded the album Fifi the Flea, blending Spirt’s original songs with popular covers. Unfortunately, their new management misappropriated much of their royalties, prompting Spirt to dissolve the group by early 1967.
Years later, Rappaport uncovered master tapes from the Redcoats’ sessions. Despite suboptimal original audio quality, he digitally remastered twelve tracks—including ten previously unreleased—which Dionysus Records issued in 2001 as Meet the Redcoats! Finally. This release was unusual for a 1960s garage band to have such archival material officially issued decades after recording. Eight more compositions from that era have yet to be found. Music historian Richie Unterberger remarked that while the album lacked innovation, its melodic appeal surpassed many obscure garage rock releases of the 1960s.