Background

The Headlights, Eric Lefcowitz, Greg Pichler, and Raymund Cuevo, formed in the Fall of 1976. At that time all of the members of the group where students, attending their respective Sophomore year at Walt Whitman High School in Bethesda, Maryland.

Pichler first met Eric Lefcowitz in Geometry class. After school finished for the day Lefcowitz and Pichler often met to play acoustic guitars, largely covering Lennon/McCartney songs. The 15 year old boys largely met at Lefcowitz's residence on Custer Avenue in Bethesda, Maryland.

Later over the course of their Sophomore year, Lefcowitz introduced Pichler to Raymund Cuevo, whose residence was fully equiped with musical instruments, including a drum set, a Yamaha organ, a Fender guitar amplifier. In addition to the equipment, the Cuevo's also owned a Gibson Les Paul electric guitar, and a Gibson SG electric guitar.

Lefcowitz, who had written an arsenal of songs, largely sang the lead vocal for the group. Raymund Cuevo played the drums and occasionally Cuevo played the Yamaha organ.

At first Pichler contributed to the group, playing the alto saxophone. However, later Pichler switched to the electric guitar.

Raymund's brother, Joseph Cuevo, also initially played in the band as a percussionist. However, Joseph, who was a year ahead of Raymund at Walt Whitman High School, eventually lost interest in the group.

The group auditioned to perform at the annual high school talent show, Circus Circus, performing Lefcowitz' original song, The Awakening, in front of the talent show committee, including committee chair, Bari Bergman, in the Fall of 1977. However, the committee outright rejected the group. Later in January, 1978 or thereabouts Lefcowitz and Pichler, undetered, auditioned to perform at a coffee house event at Walt Whitman. As there was little competition, the committee invited Lefcowitz and Pichler to open at the coffee house event. The coffee house event was held in February, 1978. Lefcowitz' parents attended the event.

Edward Rosenthal, who Lefcowitz knew while attending Bethesda Elementary School on Arlington Blvd, later joined the group in December, 1977. Rosenthal, whose father was the late Benjamin Rosenthal, a US congressman representing the New York 8th district for twenty-two years, also attended Walt Whitman High School in the same grade level as the other members. At first Rosenthal contributed on the harmonica and also sang on a number of compositions. However, later Rosenthal switched to the guitar, purchasing a Gibson ES 335, electric, guitar.

The collection below is largely recorded from a live performance on December 31, 1977 at the Highboro Road studio.

The collection entitled, The Live Performance at the Highboro Drive Studio, December 31, 1977, was initially captured on the cassette tape on December 31, 1977. As the title implies the cassette tape was recorded at the Highboro Drive basement studio on December 31, 1977.

List of Tracks

The list of tracks from the collection, The Live Performance at the Highboro Drive Studio, December 31, 1977, includes:

1. 00:00:02 (Track 1) Cowgirl In The Sand (Neil Young)
2. 00:03:56 (Track 2) Incidental I
3. 00:05:58 (Track 3) Brown Sugar (Keith Richards) ‡
4. 00:10:16 (Track 4) Incidental II
5. 00:11:39 (Track 5) Helpless (Neil Young)
6. 00:15:44 (Track 6) Mystery Dance (Elvis Costello)
7. 00:18:22 (Track 7) Just What I Needed (Ric Ocasek)
8. 00:21:58 (Track 8) Red House (Jimi Hendrix)
9. 00:27:03 (Track 9) Ain't That A Shame (Fats Domino)
10. 00:28:06 (Track 10) My Generation (Keith Townsend)
11. 00:33:42 (Track 11) Long Tall Sally (Little Richard)
12. 00:37:17 (Track 12) Beast Of Burden (Keith Richards)
13. 00:43:48 (Track 13) Blues Improvisation
14. 00:46:29 (Track 14) Mystery Dance (Elvis Costello) •
15. 00:50:33 (Track 15) Summertime Blues (Keith Townsend)
16. 00:53:30 (Track 16) Just What I Needed (Ric Ocasek)
17. 00:56:55 (Track 17) Mystery Dance (Elvis Costello)
18. 00:59:05 (Track 18) Beast Of Burden (Keith Richards) †
19. 01:05:08 (Track 19) Improvisation †

The latter songs were recorded over the course of the weeks following the new years event. Roger Greenawalt, who went on to pursue a long career as a professional musician and music producer, contributed a guitar part to the last two songs on the colleciton. However, Greenawalt did not participate in the live performance on December 31, 1977. Greenawalt was never a participating member of the group, The Headlights.

Music Contributions

The members of the high school group, The Headlights, and their musical contributions are as follows:

• Raymund Cuevo: Percussion
• Andreas Reif: Percussion •
• Craig Lyons: bass guitar ‡
• Edward Rosenthal: Harmonica, vocals
• Eric Lefcowitz: Gibson Les Paul guitar, acoustic guitar, vocals
• Greg Pichler: Gibson Les Paul guitar, vocals
• Roger Greenawalt: guitar †

Credits

The archive photos were taken over the course of Pichler's senior year attending Walt Whitman High School in Bethesda, Maryland in 1977.

more information

circus circus program, dated March 16, 1978
talent show application, dated 1977
The Headlights' version of the Song, Ashes Can't Be Burned, recorded in July, 1978