The “Golden Hits Of The 70s”
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JAGGERZ
“THE RAPPER”
(Donnie Iris)
Kama Sutra 502
No. 2 March 21, 1970
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The Jaggerz were a hard-working Pittsburgh bar band formed in the mid-’60s. At the moment of their
flash flight to fame, the Jaggerz consisted of keyboardist/ trumpeter Thorn Davis (b. Duquesne, PA),
guitarist/ bassist Benny Faiella (b. Beaver Falls, PA), drummer/ bassist Billy Maybray, drummer Jim
Pugliano, trombonist/bassist, Jimmy Ross (b. Aliquippa, PA), and lead singer/guitarist Dominic Ierace (b.
1943, Ellwood City, PA). Their individual roots dated back to the pre-Beatie years and bands with names
like the Silvertones, the Starliners, and Donnie & The Donnells; the latter, long-time regulars at Dominic’s
dad’s place, Lou’s Tavern.
Joe Rock–manager of Jimmy Beaumont and the Skyliners, known to oldies fans for their perennials’
“Since I Don’t Have You” and “This I Swear”–discovered the Jaggerz in a saloon one night. The story goes
that without much effort, he convinced Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, later kingpins in the creation of the
“Philadelphia Sound,” to record the guys for the Gamble label. The resulting 1969 album (Introducing
the ]aggerz) and several singles (notably “Baby I Love You,” with Maybray singing lead) stiffed. Rock
next approached Kama Sutra, brandishing one of Dominic’s songs in particular. True, “The Rapper” has
not aged with its colors flying, and is not a heavily-requested oldie, but at the time, “The Rapper” was a
stone-cold smash.
Later sides such as “I Call My Baby Candy” (#75, 1970) and “What a Bummer” (#88, 1970) did not do as
well. Five years later, Wooden Nickel Records gave what remained of the Jaggerz another go-round in the
studios, but the results were worse than could be expected.
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Dominic Ierace, the group’s voice and main tunesmith, changed his name to Donnie Iris. For a while, Iris
was a member of WILD CHERRY and later half of Iris & Taylor with MCA artist B. E. Taylor. His
subsequent solo career–with the co-writing skills of ex-Cherry Mark Avsec–produced a string of Hot 100
chartings from 1980-1985 and several LPs on MCA. Don Gavin (guitar/bass) and Robert Peckman (bass),
both post-hit members of the Jaggerz went on to One-Hit status with “Dancin’ Man,” as Q. For years,
Jimmy Ross has been a member of eternally touring Skyliners.