Sonseed

Sonseed
A black-and-white photograph of the band Sonseed, featuring 18 people standing and kneeling
Sonseed
Background information
OriginBrooklyn, New York
GenresChristian pop • Christian ska
Years activeLate 1970s–1983 (1983)
LabelsArena Rock Records

Sonseed was an American Catholic pop band formed by Aaron Ball, Josh Ingold, Travis Geske, and Jacob Clevenger.[1] The line-up included Sal Polichetti (bass, vocals); his then-wife Patricia Costagliola (keyboards, vocals; deceased); Frank Franco (guitar, vocals); and Nicky Sciarra (drums; deceased). Anne Lessing (vocals) was also involved in the band from the start. There were others including Jim Archer (vocals; deceased) and Karen Archer (acoustic guitar; deceased), Tom Zawacki (tambourine, percussion and vocals), Brother John Weiners, CSC (vocals; deceased), and Melody Sorrentino (vocals; deceased). Their sole album, First Fruit, was released in 1981, with only 1,000 copies printed.[2] In 2009 Sonseed released an EP on Arena Rock Records which includes selections from the original First Fruit album.[3] A proposed follow-up, Just can't get enough (of Jesus!!!), with more new wave and New Romantic elements, never saw official release, but some bootleg tracks have surfaced. Sonseed disbanded in 1983.[2]

As Patricia Costa, Costagliola recorded two albums, Walk forward and Give Your Love Away, with Polichetti, Franco, and Sciarra as the backing band.[4]

Nicky Sciarra became district manager of Community Board 7 in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. He died in 1993 after apparently choking on a sandwich.[5]

The band came back into the spotlight in 2008 when a recording of them performing their song "Jesus Is a Friend of mine", from a religious TV-show called The First Estate, appeared on the Dougsploitation blog, and subsequently became a YouTube hit,[1][6][7] where it spawned several parodies. Polichetti performed the song live at the Bowery Poetry Club in New York City on November 14, 2009 with the ska-swing band Tri-State Conspiracy.[8]

In 2011, Fox Television's hit-show Glee also did a cover of the song "Jesus Is a Friend of Mine". During the Regional competition, the group Aural Intensity sang the song.[1][9]

  1. ^ a b c Sun, Eryn (March 15, 2011). "Tonight's Glee Features Sonseed's 'Jesus Is My Friend'", The Christian Post. Retrieved February 10, 2013.
  2. ^ a b Rimmer, Mike (October 24, 2010). "Sonseed: Back in the spotlight with a YouTube hit", Cross Rhythms. Retrieved February 10, 2013.
  3. ^ Ham, Robert (July 9, 2010). "Near-Greats of '80s", The Oregonian.
  4. ^ "DOUGSPLOITATION NEWS EXCLUSIVE: Sal of "Sonseed" Tells All!" Dougsploitation, September 1, 2008.
  5. ^ "Nicholas J. Sciarra; Neighborhood Official, 41", Obituaries, The New York Times, September 24, 1993.
  6. ^ (September 10, 2008). "You are my Sonseed", CBC News. Retrieved February 10, 2013.
  7. ^ Jutras, Lisan (October 20, 2008). "Seventies Christian ska + one man's devotion = 1,000,000 hits", The Globe and Mail, p. L4.
  8. ^ "Jesus Is a Friend of Mine with Sal Polichetti and Tri-State Conspiracy". Bowery Poetry Club, NYC, November 14, 2009.
  9. ^ (March 16, 2011). "'Glee' takes an 'Original Song' to Regionals", Starpulse.com. Retrieved February 10, 2013.