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By Beth Curlin
The Cowsills sang a concert in Waco Hall Thursday night that had something for everybody, from Vietnam soldiers’ sweethearts to teeny-boppers.
The first half of the show, the singing family harmonized on their three hit songs, and several other past hits like “By the Time I get To Phoenix” and “Silver Threads and Golden Needles,” with a swinging country-western sound.
The songs were interspersed with jokes from the sons, Bob, Bill, John and Paul about their Mother and sister Susan. They took time out to tell the audience questions fans usually asked them, and the answers.
The most noticeable style of the group was their harmony, the traditional harmony that is pleasing to listen to and that made a good show with the hits that they sang.
The singing strength of the group was with mother Cowsill, Barbara, in her yellow and white mini-skirt. She didn’t do any boogalooing to the music and looked like a sedate mother through it all. But 11-year-old Susie took care of the dancing for the whole group.
Mrs. Cowsill sang “The Cruel War is Raging” and dedicated it to her son who is now in Vietnam and all the sweethearts of men in the war.
The second half of the show brought in by a medley of Beatles songs, took a turn from the folk harmony sound of the first half to just the “kids” pounding out on some loud, rather hard rock.
All the songs had been heard before, “Hey Jude”, “You Say It’s Your Birthday”, “Rollin’ on the River” and other oldies but goodies. The audience broke in several times with applause for the loud sound. They didn’t, however, dance in the aisles when “Dancin’ in the Streets” blared out.
John Cowsill, on the drums, pleased the audience with a falsetto rendition of “I Want Some Red Roses For a Blue Lady” and everyone in the family had the lead in other songs in various parts of the show.
They did several sons they had written themselves, but sounded more professional on the well-known numbers they did. At times they sounded like a barbershop quartet, a folk group, then like a good rock ‘n’ roll band.
The biggest plans for the Cowsills now include three televisions shows, Music Scene, Kraft Music Hall on Christmas Eve. Susie Cowsill will make a solo appearance on the Dean Martin Thanksgiving show.
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