Here's Lesley West's first band The vagrants, they were pretty popular on Long Island from 1965-1968, this is the only clip I can find although I didn't look very hard. Lesley is playing some kind of wierd Hofner shaped guitar with lipstick pickups like Dan Electros used.
Re: Lesley west, The Vagrants.
Posted: Mon Oct 25, 2010 4:21 pm
by 242_foxtrot
Lesley West is playing a Danelectro Bellzouki.
Re: Lesley west, The Vagrants.
Posted: Mon Oct 25, 2010 6:56 pm
by elreydlp
242_foxtrot wrote:Lesley West is playing a Danelectro Bellzouki.
Correct-o-mundo! The later version.
I had an earlier teardrop-shaped, one pickup model.
When I interviewed Leslie a couple years ago, we were talking about The Vagrants. I said, "The Vagrants were a really great band," and his reply was, "Do you think so? Yeah, I guess we were good, but we couldn't get arrested ouitside New York." That was true. They were a huge draw on Long Island and the five boroughs, but that's about as far as it went.
Re: Lesley west, The Vagrants.
Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2012 3:37 pm
by valco
Hey that looks like a gibson Les Paul Special that the other guy is playing ! Coinsidence ? I think NOT !!!
Re: Lesley west, The Vagrants.
Posted: Sat Aug 04, 2012 10:23 pm
by kenposurf
Classic..Thanks Bob!
Re: Lesley west, The Vagrants.
Posted: Thu Dec 05, 2013 7:45 am
by FrankieC
Growing up in New Jersey, I remember seeing the Vagrants play many times in the N.Y. area. One time was at Palisades Park. I believe it was around 1967. I was about 17 years old, and was with my new girl friend.
The Vagrants, Mountain, West Bruce and Lang have come and gone, my new girl friend then, is still with me now. Our 40th wedding anniversary is pending this January.
Thanks for the wonderful memory.
Re: Lesley west, The Vagrants.
Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2016 10:53 pm
by drumbob
I saw The Vagrants at the Village Theatre in '67, opening for The Who. The Village Theatre became The Fillmore East. I loved The Vagrants. Leslie had a backline of Gibson guitars, including a couple of Les Pauls and a white SG Custom. I have never forgotten that.
Re: Lesley west, The Vagrants.
Posted: Mon Apr 04, 2016 10:26 am
by Happyface
I recall that the girls in my high school sported "Rascals" and/or "Vagrants" lovingly inscribed on their notebooks and paper book covers. Quite a rivalry!
Re: Lesley west, The Vagrants.
Posted: Mon Mar 27, 2017 4:36 pm
by squirebass
Wow, didn't expect to see this one to come up on RRF, but that's just what makes it such a great place! I was a huge Mountain fan, but unfortunately I didn't get into them until AFTER they'd broken up, although I loved "Mississippi Queen" when it came out. Corky Laing, and Felix Pappalardi were two big influences on me, as I was playing first drums before I switched to bass in high school. And of course, Jack Bruce was a big influence, not only with Cream, but also with West, Bruce, and Laing. I have everything they released on vinyl... Then, when I was going to see Ten Years After in 1975, riding with a friend to the concert, he got lost driving to the arena, and we missed Leslie and Corky, who opened for TYA. We arrived just in time to see their roadies cleaning up after their show, getting ready for TYA. So, I've NEVER seen him play live! I read tons of interviews with Mountain, West Bruce and Laing back in those days, and HEARD a whole lot about the Vagrants, but didn't know too much about them since they were mainly a NYC band, and I was in Texas.
Apparently they played with Billy Joel at some events as well, Leslie has always said they were playing the same venues way back... This thread is a little dated, but I would love to hear more about this group....I believe Leslie's brother played with them....IIRC...
Re: Lesley west, The Vagrants.
Posted: Wed Mar 29, 2017 8:07 am
by ric480
Might that be a Ricky that Leslie has in this "video" ?
Man, that one is so obvious there in the pic that at first I thought it must be photoshopped!!!
Cool pic, and Leslie looks almost Beatle-y!
Re: Lesley west, The Vagrants.
Posted: Sun Apr 01, 2018 11:03 am
by Tube_Fan
rictified wrote:Here's Lesley West's first band The vagrants, they were pretty popular on Long Island from 1965-1968, this is the only clip I can find although I didn't look very hard. Lesley is playing some kind of wierd Hofner shaped guitar with lipstick pickups like Dan Electros used.
I read tons of interviews with Mountain, West Bruce and Laing back in those days, and HEARD a whole lot about the Vagrants, but didn't know too much about them since they were mainly a NYC band, and I was in Texas. 