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intothewellsabyss
Dec 10, 20223 min read

Y&T - Yesterday and Today (1976)

𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐑𝐘𝐏𝐓𝐒 - 𝐂𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐁𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐏𝐀𝐒𝐓 𝐀𝐋𝐁𝐔𝐌 𝐑𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐄𝐒 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐨𝐟 𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐃 𝐑𝐎𝐂𝐊 & 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐕𝐘 𝐌𝐄𝐓𝐀𝐋…



On December 9, 1976, Y&T (then known as Yesterday and Today) released their debut full-length studio album Yesterday and Today (self-titled) via London Records.


(Advertisement for debut album)


Long out of print, in 2009 it was made available on the band's official website together with the follow-up, Struck Down, on a single CD.



Background:

Yesterday and Today (Y&T) began in San Francisco with Leonard Haze, Bob Gardner, and Wayne Stitzer. Then an unnamed band, the three musicians jammed only to cover tunes. Dave Meniketti later joined the trio as guitar player in 1972. Soon after, the band received a call for their first gig, but they needed a name. According to Meniketti (and Haze), Haze had taken their name from the album that was playing on his turntable at that moment – Yesterday and Today – the studio album by The Beatles.



Their first lineup as Yesterday and Today (still only playing covers of songs by other artists) consisted of Haze on drums, Stitzer on piano, Gardner on bass, and Meniketti on lead vocals and lead guitar. After Stitzer quit the group, Gardner switched from bass to rhythm guitar and piano, and Phil Kennemore (R.I.P.) was brought in to play bass. In 1973, Gardner left the group and was replaced by Joey Alves in January 1974. It was during this 1974 lineup change that the band began writing original material.


(Phil Kennemore, the early days)


After stealing rhythm guitarist Joey Alves from a rival band, the group began to gig constantly around the Bay Area, opening for such heavyweights as Journey and The Doobie Brothers, while building a strong local following. During a show opening for Queen on their Night at the Opera tour, Y&T were seen by the president of London Records (who had been invited), and were subsequently signed to the label. London released Y&T’s first two studio albums, Yesterday and Today and Struck Down, in 1976 and 1978 respectively.


(Joey Alves, the early days)


While the band were finishing their second album, London disclosed that they would be getting rid of all their rock artists, and Meniketti has since commented that this essentially meant that Struck Down "would go nowhere." The band continued to tour extensively, building up to headliners while they opened for bands such as Wild Cherry, AC/DC, and KISS.


(Dave Meniketti, 1976)


As Meniketti has said in numerous radio, television, and magazine interviews over the past four decades, a new record deal ("which took forever" to secure) in 1980 with A&M Records prompted the band to shorten their name to simply Y&T, as influenced by their encores where fans would chant "Y&T, Y&T, Y&T."


(Joey Alves and Kelly Saunders in the dressing room at the Starwood in Hollywood in 1976, with Eddie Van Halen standing inbetween; Van Halen were the opening act that night.)


(Yesterday and Today in 1977, playing Sonoma State open air as support to Journey.)


(Yesterday and Today in 1977, playing Centinnal Hall, USA)


Note: The reviews shared here are for historical reference. The views and opinions expressed within are not always supported (in full or in part) by Into the Wells. — E.N. Wells



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(Dave Meniketti, 1976)

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