Jan Errico is a drummer and singer who was a member of two San Francisco rock groups in the 1960s, The Vejtables and The Mojo Men.
Background Errico is the daughter of Vincent Errico who, himself was an accomplished drummer.The Times, Monday, March 21, 1960 - Page 13San Francisco Chronicle, April 15, 2005 - Vincent A. Errico, Obituary She is the cousin of Greg Errico, the original drummer for Sly and the Family Stone.NPR, August 18, 2011 - Sly Stone: The Early Days In The East Bay - Ed Ward It has been written that she changed her name from Errico to Ashton to sound more British.Record Turnover, January 28th, 2011 - Sit Down, I Think I Love You
Female drummers in rock bands in that era were rather rare.Guía Del Pop Y El Rock 60, Aloha Poprock, By Antonio Méndez - Page 386 Vejtables, The. Estados Unidos
Career In 1962 or 1963, when she was around age 12, she recorded the single "It Was A Lie" (bw "Come Along With Me") for the Shelby Records label. The backing group was credited as The Twilights, who were really Joe Piazza and the Continentals.Reverb Central - Janet Errico and the Twilights - It Was A Lie c/w Come Along With Me
By 1964, she was a member of The Vejtables, both singing backup and playing drums.The San Francisco Sound, Friday, November 26, 2010 - THE VEJTABLES FAMILY TREE While with the Vejtables she contributed to a good part of their written material including their minor hit, "I Still Love You", which she sang lead on.Billboard - ARTISTS / The Vejtables, BIOGRAPHYFuzz Acid and Flowers Revisited: Comprehensive Guide to American Garage Psychedelic and Hippie Rock (1964-1975), Vernon Joynson - Page 15 By November 13, 1965 the song had spent four weeks in the charts, eventually reaching no 84.Billboard, November 19, 1965 - Page 30 Billboard HOT 100 She also sang lead on the group's take of Tom Paxton's "The Last Thing on My Mind".Fuzz Acid and Flowers Revisited: Comprehensive Guide to American Garage Psychedelic and Hippie Rock (1964-1975), Vernon Joynson - Page 15
It appears that at some stage in 1966, there may have been a brief change of direction for her in attempting a solo career. A single "Cold Dreary Morning"/"Smile, Smile, Smile" was recorded but Autumn Records never released it.Allmusic - Jan Ashton Biography by Richie Unterberger
Errico joined the Mojo Men around spring 1966,Jingle Jangle Morning: Folk-Rock in the 1960s, By Richie Unterberger- - replacing the band's drummer Dennis DeCarr.The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music, Colin Larkin - Page 2872 In 1967, she and the band recorded 20 songs in one day at Coast Recorders.If These Halls Could Talk, Heather Johnson - Page 6
The last single released by the group then known as The Mojo was "Everyday Love" bw There Goes My Mind in 1970.Las Solanas - The Mojo Men, Singles
Solo discography + List Title Credited artist Release Label Year Notes "It Was A Lie" Janet Errico "It Was A Lie" / "Come Along With Me" Shelby Records (C-45-2C) (c) 1962/1963 Reverb Central - Janet Errico and the Twilights - It Was A Lie c/w Come Along With Me "Smile, Smile, Smile" The Vejtables Feel... The Vejtables Sundazed Music SC 11031 1995 "Cold Dreary Morning" The Vejtables Feel... The Vejtables Sundazed Music SC 11031 1995 Discogs - The Vejtables – Feel... The Vejtables
References
External links Jan Errico's Song - It Was A Lie Discogs: Jan Errico