Euclid Beach Band

Tongue-in-cheek Cleveland surf-pop combo the Euclid Beach Band was founded in 1978 by Scene magazine staffers Rich Reising and Jim Girard, the former a onetime guitarist in Eric Carmen's backing band Magic. The group's debut single "There Is No Surf in Cleveland" -- the title, a quote from an unreleased Carmen song, seemed particularly meaningful during the brutal winter of 1977/78 -- was recorded with the aid of vocalists John Hart and Pete Hewitt as well as assorted local musicians; when the Euclid Beach Band announced their intentions to donate all proceeds from the novelty song to Cleveland-area charities, the record received considerable media exposure, and quickly sold out its original 10,000-copy pressing. Its success landed the group a contract with the Cleveland International label, and with Carmen tapped as producer, the Euclid Beach Band travelled to New York City to begin work on their debut LP; recorded with a number of ace session players, the project soon went well over budget, and although the single "I Need You" cracked the Top 100 in 1979, the self-titled album was nevertheless poorly received and the band dissolved in 1980. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide