Audiences will “Cherish” the time they spend watching The Association in the Cape May Summer Concert Series on Wednesday, Aug. 1. The Grammy-nominated group will perform at Cape May Convention Hall, 714 Beach Ave. in Cape May, beginning at 8 p.m.
In 1966, Jules Gary Alexander, vocalist and lead guitarist for The Association, was hired to play on a demo of “Along Comes Mary.” Convinced the song would be a hit, he asked the songwriter to give his band the chance to record the number before any other group. His instincts were as solid as his band’s harmonies, and The Association’s recording of “Along Comes Mary” hit Number 7 on the Billboard Hot 100. The success of the song led to the group’s first album, “And Then…Along Comes the Association,” which produced another Number 1 hit, “Cherish.” Named the Number 2 song of 1966 by Billboard magazine, “Cherish” also earned Grammy nominations in the categories of Rock & Roll Group Performance, Rock & Roll Recording and Vocal Group Performance.
The Association followed this success in 1967 with “Windy,” which reached Number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and “Never My Love,” which peaked at Number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and hit Number 1 on the Cashbox charts. “Windy” was nominated for Grammy Awards in the categories of Contemporary Vocal Group and Best Arrangement Accompanying Vocalists or Instrumentalists, while “Never My Love” earned a nomination for Group Vocal Performance, and the album “Insight Out” received a nomination for Contemporary Album.
In June of 1967, The Association made history as the opening act of the Monterey Pop Festival, the inspiration for Woodstock and other rock festivals. The group developed the soundtrack for “Goodbye, Columbus,” the film version of Philip Roth’s best-selling novel, and the title song received a Golden Globe nomination in 1970 for Best Original Song. In 2003, the group was recognized with induction into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame.
Tickets for this and all other summer concerts (with the exception of the free beach concert) are $48 for reserved seats and can be purchased in person at Cape May Convention Hall, 714 Beach Ave., or online at www.DiscoverCapeMayNJ.com. Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/capemaycity and follow us on Twitter @capemaycity. For more information, call (609) 884-9565.