User:EllenZoe/sandbox/The Castiles

The Castiles were a Freehold, New Jersey-based rock and roll band that featured vocalist/guitarist/harmonica player Bruce Springsteen, and was formed by guitarist/vocalist George Theiss, with various lineups during its existence. They recorded two songs, performed throughout New Jersey and New York before disbanding in 1968.

History
In 1964, Theiss saw The Beatles performing on The Ed Sullivan Show, and decided to form a band called The Castiles, named after the shampoo brand he was using at the time. He was romantically interested in Springsteen's sister, Virginia, and when Theiss would go to the her house, her brother was playing guitar. Theiss asked Springsteen to join The Castiles in 1965 as lead guitarist.

“I was sitting in my South Street home one afternoon when a knock came at our front door,” Springsteen wrote in “Born to Run.” “It was George Theiss, a local guitarist and singer who’d heard through my sister that I played the guitar. I’d seen George around the Elks. He told me there was a band forming and they were looking for a lead guitarist. While I hesitated to call myself a lead guitarist, I had been hard at it for a while and worked up some very rudimentary ‘chops.’ We walked across town to Center Street and into a little half-shotgun house fifty feet up the block from where the metal-on-metal war of the rug mill spilled out open factory windows onto the streets of Texas. In Texas I’d slip on my guitar and join my first real band.”

Theiss and Springsteen were joined in The Castiles by original members Paul Popkin; guitar/vocals, Frank Marziotti, bass; and Bart Haynes. When Haynes joined the army and went to Vietnam, he was replaced by Vinny Maniello. Marziotti left, and Curt Fluhr became the bassist.

The Castiles practiced in one half of a duplex home belonging to Haynes. Gordon "Tex" Vinyard lived in the other half of the two-family home, and he became the band's manager. They played gigs in local spots of Freehold from junior high school dances, roller rinks, drive-in theaters, supermarket openings, even clubs in the area and places like Cafe Wha? in Greenwich Village, and Asbury Park. They wore white pants, Beatle boots, and Beatle haircuts, and performed cover songs.

The Castiles played their last show in August 1968 at the Off Broad Street Coffeehouse in Red Bank, New Jersey.

Discography
In May 1966, Vinyard payed for a demo record which included the song, "Baby I", and "That's What You Get," both written by Theiss and Springsteen.



https://www.discogs.com/artist/2901159-The-Castiles They recorded two songs in May 1966 at a public recording studio, "Baby I"“Baby I,” a Castiles song that Theiss and Springsteen wrote together, was included on Chapter and Verse, the companion CD to Springsteen’s 2016 autobiography, “Born to Run.” It is the earliest original Springsteen song to be widely available to his fans. and "That's What You Get".Both where written by Bruce and George. https://www.njarts.net/pop-rock/george-theiss-an-early-springsteen-bandmate-dies-at-68/

The Castiles - The Bruce Springsteen Story Vol.1: The Castiles was released 1993https://www.discogs.com/The-Castiles-The-Bruce-Springsteen-Story-Vol1-The-Castiles/release/4698571

played with The Castiles, Bruce Springsteen's first band consisting of singer-guitarist-harmonica player Bruce Springsteen, guitarist-singer George Theiss, bassist Curt Fluhr, drummer Vinnie Manneillo and singer Paul Popkin. 'Chapter And Verse' wad a compilation album with eighteen tracks. Of those eighteen songs two songs by The Castiles.https://www.bluesmagazine.nl/recensie-bruce-springsteen-chapter-and-verse/ released 2016. https://www.allmusic.com/artist/curt-fluhr-mn0003553848

The Castiles #1 1965 to Oct 1965 Bart Haynes : drums Frank Marziotti : bass Paul Popkin : guitar / vocals Bruce Springsteen : guitar / vocals George Theiss : guitar / vocals The Castiles #2 Oct 1965 to May 1966

Vinny Maniello : drums Frank Marziotti : bass Paul Popkin : guitar / vocals Bruce Springsteen : guitar / vocals George Theiss : guitar / vocals The Castiles #3 May 1966 to Sep 1966

Curt Fluhr : bass Vinny Maniello : drums Paul Popkin : guitar / vocals Bruce Springsteen : guitar / vocals George Theiss : guitar / vocals The Castiles #4 Sep 1966 to Aug 1968

Bob Alfano : organ Curt Fluhr : bass Vinny Maniello : drums Paul Popkin : guitar / vocals Bruce Springsteen : guitar / vocals George Theiss : guitar / vocals