The Good Rats - From Rats To Riches (1978)

1964 - a Rat is born
Formed in 1964, the original group consisted of 5 students from St. John's University...Ted Haenlein, Frank Stapleton, Eric Crane, Denny Ryan and Peppi Marchello. The group was originally called the U-Men and played most of their gigs in the Rockaways (Peyton Place & McNultys) & Long Island (The Attic, Tiger's Tail etc.).
In 1966, Frank Stapleton's brother, John, arranged for the group to play at a club in Queens, New York (The John Doe Room) where a record company executive heard them and eventually signed the band, but suggested a name change was in order. The band continued to play top 40 covers while working on their own original music. During the latter part of the sixties, the composition of the band changed...by 1968, Eric, Frank and Ted (drafted and went to Vietnam, but did rejoin the group from 1970-72) were gone, replaced by Peppi's brother, Mickey, and Crazy Artie (bass).
1969-'73 - the Good Rats
In 1969, the band released their first album, the self-titled The Good Rats. In 1972, the lineup changed, with guitarist John “The Cat” Gatto, bass player Lenny Kotke and drummer Joe Franco joining the Marchello brothers. The Good Rats continued to build a following, playing Long Island’s thriving club scene, along with other notable names such as Twisted Sister, Zebra, and Rat Race Choir.
1974 - this is Tasty
In 1974, the Good Rats released their best-known and most popular album, Tasty. It featured a blend of hard and progressive rock with subtle jazz influences, highlighted by Marchello’s powerful and raspy vocals. Various songs from this record, including “Injun Joe”, “Papa Poppa”, a rock ode about cults, the autobiographical numbers “Back to My Music” and “The Songwriter”, and the jazzy title track, received airplay around the country on FM radio.
During the following years, the Rats performed at venues such as Madison Square Garden, The Philadelphia Spectrum, The Nassau Coliseum, The Hammersmith Odeon in England, and New York’s Central Park, as well as showcase rooms such as The Bottom Line in Manhattan, My Father’s Place in Roslyn, NY, Whiskey a Go Go in Los Angeles and The Paradise Room in Boston. They headlined or opened for bands such as Rush, Journey, Kiss, Meat Loaf, Aerosmith, Ozzy Osbourne, The Grateful Dead, Bruce Springsteen, and Styx. Live shows were famous for the band’s stage antics, as Peppi would play air guitar on his baseball bat, throw rubber rats into the crowd, and beat the daylights out of a battered garbage can as he sang.
1976-'81 - From Rats to Riches to Rats again
On a nationally syndicated radio interview, a member of the band Journey called them "the greatest rock band in the world."
Between 1976 and 1980, The Good Rats released a series of albums, including Ratcity in Blue, From Rats to Riches, Birth Comes to Us All, and Live At Last, all of which were well received by the band’s fan base, and received some airplay on FM radio, without actually putting the band over the top.
In 1981, Gatto and Kotke left the band, and were replaced by future Kiss guitarist Bruce Kulick and bass player Schuyler Deale, (who later played with Billy Joel and Michael Bolton), for the album Great American Music. Shortly thereafter, the band broke up.
the 80's - The marchello decade
Throughout the 1980s, Peppi Marchello continued to write and produce recordings with his son Gene. They toured locally for a while under the name "Popzarocca" until the song "First Love" became a minor hit for the band (now renamed "Marchello"), with the music video receiving minor airplay on MTV's "Headbanger's Ballroom". This band featured Gene on guitar and lead vocals and also included drummer John Miceli (Meatloaf, Rainbow, "We Will Rock You"). The band recorded two albums (only one which was released).
the 90's - Family matters
In the mid-1990s, Marchello and sons Gene Marchello and Stefan Marchello began playing out locally under “The Good Rats” name. They released three new studio CDs with this lineup, Tasty Seconds (1996), Let's Have Another Beer (2000), and Play Dum (2002). Marchello also released a live recording of a 1979 appearance on a Rochester radio show, Rats, The Way You Like ’Em.
In 1998, Marchello wrote "A Tale of Two Balls," the introduction to the book Conflicts of Disinterest (Aardwolf Publishing) by sometimes controversial author Clifford Meth.
2014- like father, like son
On April 5, 2014, Stefan and Gene Marchello stepped into the shoes of their father for one last emotional performance with "the boys". The "last reunion", which took place at the legendary BB Kings Blues Club in New York City, was one of the bands most memorable performances. Every fan, friend and family member was there to celebrate the life of Peppi and his music through the voices of his sons. You could feel his smile shining down as the band put their heart, soul and tears into his songs one last time.
The band now continues with Stefan Marchello. Stefan Played with Peppi for 23 years. 11 and a half years on drums and 11 and a half on bass. Peppi said Stefan is an invaluable advisor and project coordinator. You can hear Stefan perform acoustic shows and full band performances alongside other great musicians and special guests. For upcoming show dates click here!
(goodrats.com/bio)