Gary Van Scyoc born November 21st 1946 in Waynesburg, Pa is the bass player and guitarist/singer/songwriter who has performed and recorded with John Lennon, Elephants Memory, Yoko Ono, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Stevie Wonder, Mick Jagger, Jerry Garcia, Neil Sedaka, Keith Moon, Paul Simon, Howard Tate, Carl Hall, Benny Mardonas, La La Brooks (The Crystals), Gene Cornish (The Rascals), Mark Hudson and new artist Michael Chance produced by former Elephants Memory producer Rena Sinakin.
Voted most talented in his high school class of 64 Gary headed to music school in 65. As a freshmen at Salem College W.Va. Gary joined the group the Dynatones as their bassist and lead vocalist. He recorded with them at Gateway Studios in Pittsburgh. Hanna Barbera records (The Flintstones label) signed the band and released the instrumental hit single “The Fife Piper” from the LP in 1966. After moving to New York City in 1969 Gary recorded with the band Pig Iron on their Columbia Records release. Pig Iron’s music was brassy hard rock in the style of Chicago and Blood, Sweat & Tears. The group toured the U.S. playing large outdoor festivals like the “Chicago Pop Festival” with Kenny Rodger’s First Edition, Canned Heat, Bob Seger’s System and Chicago. In 1970 Gary was hired to be the bassist in the “Hit Factory” house band with old friend owner/songwriter/producer Jerry Ragavoy who wrote “Piece of My Heart” for Janice Joplin. They were recording 60’s R&B soul legend Howard Tate for his self titled Atlantic records LP “Howard Tate” and his hit single “Eight Days on the Road” when Gary was asked to join the band Elephants Memory to promote their album “Take It to the Streets” that included the top forty hit song “Mongoose”. The Elephants also had received a gold album for recording the sound track for the academy award winning best picture “Midnight Cowboy” starring Dustin Hoffman.
After hearing a tape of an Elephants Memory live concert on Long Island radio station WLIR in late 1971, John Lennon showed up at the band’s rehearsal studio Magnagraphics and asked them to join his Plastic Ono Band Band. Finally they agreed to merge and came up with the name Plastic Ono Elephants Memory Band (P.O. E. M.) In 1972 John Lennon released the LP “Sometime in New York City” produced by Phil Spector and backed by P.O.E.M. During the summer of 1972 Lennon and Elephants Memory performed at Madison Square Garden and recorded “Live in New York City” that was released in 1986 on CD and VHS. In 1973 the band recorded “Approximately Infinite Universe” a double LP for Yoko Ono with Lennon producing. John Lennon also produced the 1972 Apple release “Elephants Memory” that included Gary’s songs “Wind Ridge”, “Chuck and Bo” and “Baddest of the Mean”. Gary appeared with the Lennon’s on the Mike Douglas show, the Dick Cavett show, Dick Clark’s Rolling Stone’s 25 Years, Flipside, VH-1’s Legends and Behind the Music, as well as the motion pictures “Imagine” and “The U.S. vs John Lennon”. The last Elephants Memory release was “Angels Forever” written by Gary on RCA in 1973. Angels Forever became the title track for the Hells Angels documentary film “Angels Forever” in 1974. The band broke up a few LP’s later in 1977 with the coming of the “New Wave” but reformed briefly in 1980 with all original members to record an instrumental version of “Imagine” produced by Rena Sinakin for Philadelphia International (Gamble and Huff) as a tribute to John Lennon after his death. Gary also put together a tribute show “Imagine” with Randy Clark formerly the “John” character in the broadway show “Beatlemania” which did a short six month run throughout the East coast. He finished his Bachelor of Arts degree at C.U.N.Y in 1990.
His recordings with Chuck Berry are included on the releases Chessbox (1988), Gold (2000) and currently “Have Mercy” (2010). Gary was inducted in to the Pittsburgh Music Hall of Fame in 2010. He continues to record, perform, teach, and write. On November 22nd 2010 he was featured in the PBS “American Masters” series documentary film “LENNONYC” which went on to win an Emmy Award in 2011. In 2012 he was featured in the documentary “Strange Fruit” a history of “Apple” records. 2012 brought the formation of a new group “Birds Of Paradox” which includes Gary’s Plastic Ono Elephants Memory band mate Adam Ippolito on keys as well as “Wings” drummer Steve Holley and Laurence Juber also of “Wings”. Gary has a new CD released in 2014 “Pop Goes The Elephant” available on his website exclusively. The single from the CD “The Jacktown Fair“ was produced by the late Dennis Ferrante, John Lennon’s engineer.
Gary makes his welcomed debut at International Beatleweek as he joins Mark Hudson and friends in their show ‘With A Little Help From My Friends – The Boys Who Knew The Lads’ which you can catch at The Royal Court Theatre on Monday evening.