The Paupers

The Paupers, originally a British Invasion-style crew named The Spats, were a part of the '60s Yorkville folk scene. After their original lead singer left they changed their name, dropped the overt Beatles influence, hired a new manager (Bernie Finkelstein, who also managed Kensington Market) and moved to New York City, where they landed gigs opening for bands like Jefferson Airplane. At this point, The Paupers consisted of Dennis Gerrard (bass), Adam Mitchell (rhythm guitar, vocals), Skip Prokop (drums, vocals) and Chuck Beal (lead guitar). They quickly attracted praise from critics and the attention of super-manager Albert Grossman (who also represented Bob Dylan at this point), who landed them a recording contract with Verve. After recording their first single for Verve ("If I Call You By Some Name," which was a minor hit) they released an LP (Magic People) in '67 and set out on a yearlong tour which included high-profile gigs at Whisky a Go Go and Fillmore West. However, the grind of constant touring led to tension within the band, and Gerrard left before the release of their second album (1968's Ellis Island), followed shortly thereafter by Prokop (who went on to work as a highly-renowned session musician and co-found Lighthouse). The rest of the band soldiered on for a while, but for all intents and purposes The Paupers were finished. Mitchell went on to a solo career which included work as a producer and a couple of folk-rock hits throughout the '70s and early '80s, Gerrard released one solo album before joining McKenna Mendelson Mainline, and Beal managed a few bands before becoming a rock broadcaster and historian.



Magic People was produced by Rick Shorter, with arrangements by Shorter and The Paupers, and every song on the LP was written by Mitchell and Prokop. It's a solid late-'60s folk-rock album, particularly distinguished by Prokop's versatile drumming. The title track is a melodic folk-rock tune punctuated with bursts of manic percussion and psychedelic sound effects. "It's Your Mind" is a moodier number that segues into an extended, Doors-esque instrumental coda, while "Think I Care" is a nasty, harder-edged track with Middle-Eastern touches throughout. And "Simple Deed" is back towards the poppier side of The Paupers' sound, a tuneful singalong which also includes a bit of Mideast flavour.

Magic People
It's Your Mind
Think I Care
Simple Deed