Originally known as The Friends of Whitney Sunday, this Pennsylvania-based band had a couple of years of club and touring experience under their belts when they were signed by Capitol where they released a pair of late-'60s 45s:- 1969's 'Hey Joe (Part 1)' b/w 'Hey Joe (Part II)' (Capitol catalog number P-2564)- 1969's 'Love Will Conquer All/ b/w 'The Ballad Of Thunder Road' (Capitol catalog number P-2714)Dropped by Capitol, the following year they reappeared on Decca with a slightly abbreviated name - Whitney Sunday. Released in 1970, "Whitney Sunday" was recorded in Nashville with Tom Morgan, Al Quade, and Doug Jacobs handling production. Featuring a collection of all original material, largely penned by front man Joe Hinchliffe, the album showcased a band trying to figure out where they fit in. Technically these guys were quite good with Hinchliffe having an excellent voice and lead guitarist Bill Callagher having more than his share of chops. The main problem I had with the collection was they couldn't seem to figure out what they wanted to be. Tracks like '1099 O.S ', 'Our Gang', and 'The Wind' seemed determined to showcase their "heavy" and "serious" sides, complete with horn arrangements that gave the results kind of a second tier Blood, Sweat and Tears feel. Ironically, their best performance was also the most atypical - the stark acoustic ballad 'One Man's Way' had a great melody; a nice vocal, and showcased the band (sans horns) at their very best. "Whitney Sunday" track listing:(side 1)1.) Fat Plastic Mama (Joe Hinchliffe) - 3:22I always liked the little guitar riff Callagher played throughout this double-timed rocker. 'Fat Plastic Mama' was actually a strong tune, but the horn arrangements kicked the tune into Blood, Sweat, and Tears territory and did nothing for the song. rating: *** stars2.) 1099 O.S (Joe Hinchliffe) - 4:10The band at their most pretentious ... A song with a very prominent horn arrangement ... A song without much of a melody ... strike three you're out. rating: ** stars3.) Our Gang (Bill White - Doug Jacobs - Larry Scarano - Les Figersky) - 3:04'Our Gang' came off as overwrought and cluttered. Kudos to drummer Larry Scarano for a nice performance on this one. rating: ** stars4.) Driftin' Man (Doug Jacons - Joe Hinchliffe - Larry Scarano) - 4:13Decent blues-jab that highlighted some nice solos from Jacobs and Callagher. rating: *** stars(side 2)1.) One Man's Way (Joe Hinchliffe) - 6:15A western-tinged ballad, in spite of some stereotyped lyrics ("I shot a man in Memphis, and I gunned down one in Raleigh too, etc."), 'One Man's Way' was quite atypical for the band, but the laidback, restrained sound was quite stunning. Easily Hinchliffe's best vocal and Callagher's slide solo was breath-taking. rating: **** stars2.) Snake's Problem (Doug Jacobs - Joe Hinchlffe) - 4:00'Snake's Problem' wasn't a half bad slice of funky blues-rock. It wasn't the most original thing I've ever heard, in fact I find myself playing spot-the-influence whenever I listen to it. Imagine a slightly harder version of Three Dog Night and you'd be in the right neighborhood. The combination of Jacobs organ and Callagher's guitar was certainly nice on this one. rating: *** stars3.) Plain Brown Wrapper (Bill White - Doug Jacobs - Larry Scarano - Les Figersky) - 2:56The second of two group-penned tracks, the bluesy 'Plain Brown Wrapper' managed to turn the thought of looking at a girlie magazine into something completely unpleasant. Other than the brief segment showcasing twin lead guitars, this one didn't have anything going for it. rating: ** stars4.) The Wind (Joe Hinchlffe) - 4:54'The Wind' ended the album with what could almost have passed for a stab at a progressive motif. Full of time and melody shifts, the tune was okay, but the agonizing vocals and attempts to underscore their "serious" credentials were simply a bit too much. rating: *** starsThe band seemingly released one final non-LP single before calling it quits: - 1971's 'Lost My Drivin' Wheel' /w 'Green Back Dollar' (Decca catalog number 32837)