Remembering Frank Tesinsky, Beloved Chicago Musician, Key to The Buckinghams' Characteristic Sound

Each time the opening notes to “Kind of a Drag” come on the air, whether it’s your car radio, your phone, or choice of streaming media, the first 23 notes you hear inform you immediately that not only are you hearing “Kind of a Drag,” but you are hearing The Buckinghams.

That instant recognition, in turn, is thanks to the talent of musician Frank Tesinsky, who arranged the iconic tune for producers Dan Belloc and Carl Bonafede in a 1966 recording session in Chicago’s Chess Studios. The Buckinghams family was greatly saddened to learn of Frank’s passing on November 9. Catherine Johns, his wife of 32 years, was a beloved part of his life and part of Chicago radio as well.

In February 1967 "Kind of a Drag" was #1 on the Billboard charts for two weeks, and it forever defined the sound of five young men from the northside of Chicago. Just 27 notes, right? And yet, it defined the magic of what would become known as “the horn sound” that The Buckinghams are best known for and identifiable by. Beyond “Kind of a Drag,” you’ll hear Frank’s arrangements on most of the songs on The Buckinghams’ eponymous debut album on USA Records, produced by Belloc and Bonafede.

In Chicagoland music history, there are many horn groups. And, as such, it’s often easy to confuse the order in which these groups came to public notice, accolades, and spots in history. Because they were more of a performing band than a recording band, The MOB is often overlooked as the originators of what is casually referred to as “the Chicago horn sound” in all of their arrangements, most of them due to individual talents and collaborations among their band members.

However, the first band to bring virtual identity with the term “pop rock horn sound” is The Buckinghams. That’s because Dan Belloc asked Frank, his big band trombone player, also a skilled arranger, to “do something” with a catchy song. The original tune the band heard was played by songwriter James Holvay for the group on a very inexpensive acoustic guitar, and sung into a portable tape recorder at the request of a persuasive promoter and producer, Carl Bonafede.

Based on what he’d heard of Frank’s arrangements, The Buckinghams’ next producer, James William Guercio, took that auspicious start and created horn-heavy arrangements for their next albums, including “Time and Charges” and “Portraits,” which furthered the band’s identifiable sound. Ironically, the band never toured the country with horns when they performed, nor did they play with horns on stage from 1965–1970, when they disbanded.

It was actually in the 1980s, when Carl Giammarese and Nick Fortuna reformed The Buckinghams as a touring band did they begin to perform with horns. At home and in the Midwest, The Buckinghorns include Carlo Isabelli (trumpet), Charles Morgan (trombone), and Dan Moffett (saxophone). So, what began as a recording studio contribution turned into a permanent sound for a beloved band whose popularity now spans the course of 58 years.

The Buckinghams are indebted for the talents of a kind and gracious man, Frank Tesinsky, whose contributions are remembered and prized forever. On behalf of the entire Buckinghams' family, we send our condolences to Frank’s wife, Catherine, his son Frank Jr., grandchildren and other family members.

With great respect, Carl Giammarese and Nick Fortuna