“In the beginning the gods created the Pony (or the Poney to some) … they saw it was good. Maker and breaker of many a hopeful lot. Time passed and many a legend was born and sent out into the world to make good. Some did. Some didn’t. But time is a funny thing …. ha! Just when you expect just another R&B clone, fate deals you a joker. Enter … “The Human Element.” Why the Pony? And why such a place for their very first gig? These and many other questions can only be answered … in time!”

First entry in The Human Element scrapbook … Joe Streno 1986

Post Updated: 06/07/2009 added photo of The Human Element T-shirts.

It’s funny … I was searching my negative files for photos of my band, The Human Element. I’m working on a huge post about T.H.E. But while I was searching for group promo photos that my friend and artist Dorian LaPadura took, I stumbled upon black & white promo photos I took of the Smoots band at the old Wall Township, NJ house. They even include new trombone player Tommy Meares.

To my amazement, I also found the few photos I took of the Smootsters, well at least Gary, Judy, Kenny (see Kenny I DID take photos of the drummer!) and the engineer/producer, who’s name escapes me right now, at the NYC recording studio where they recorded these three songs. I also don’t remember the studio name either. I’m sure someone out there will remeber those details. And I’m almost positive there might be more studio photos … but then again that could be my mind playing tricks again.

(Edited on 05/26/2008)

Well … I couldn’t wait for Kenny to get me “Six Million Dollar Man” so I decided to put up the two tracks that I have. I don’t think Gary would mind. When I get the “Six Million” I’ll re-post all three to one post.

Drummer man Kenny Douyotas sent me a present today … it was a “Six Million Dollar Man.” Well … at least the Smoots band studio recording of it. It was appropriate for this Memorial Day. We can all listen and remeber. Remember all those summer nights we saw the Smoots band and had fun fun fun! Yah man! Skankin’ and rankin’ until the wee wee hours.

Okay. Since I started writing about Gary and company I’ve been getting mondo hits on my blog. One of those hits was from Kenny Douyotas (Smoots band drummer) himself. He left a comment.

Wow, I can’t believe I found this, why no pictures of me? The drummer never gets any respect…..

Oh Kenny … we all respect you. 

I eMailed him back and he sent me his phone number. So we chatted and played catch-up. One of the things he told me was he had a mix-down of the three songs that Smoots recorded in the studio. Plus he had some other tunes from a sound check, taped direct from the soundboard. The studio tunes he had already digitized, and the other tape he still had to digitize.

These are live shots I took of Junior Smoots And The Disturbers at the Harbor Inn in Brielle, NJ. The photos were taken one night in August of 1982. I would imagine it was the Harbor Inn. If anyone knows differently leave a comment below. Or just leave a comment for the hell of it.

It was sometime in the summer of 1982. Cande Brought aka Cande Roth of Shadow Traffic fame called me. I hadn’t heard from her since we graduated from CW Post Center out on Long Island. Then again, after graduation my friend Charley Maria and I did a month long trip to England & France. It was all business the first week. I had hot hot hot photos of the Clash at the start of their Combat Rock tour which started at the Asbury Park Convention Hall. He had his more “social” photography work to try to hawk while we were in London for the first week. These were the first picts of the tour & I was guest listed all three night. Thanks Cosmo!