The magical, Mystical tour – reunited

They hadn’t performed together in 40 years, but you wouldn’t have known it. The soul men known as the Mystics during their student days in the 1960s didn’t miss a beat during their reunion performance during Alumni Weekend.

Formed as an ensemble of five a capella singers during their student years, the group later added instrumentalists and became a full-fledged band that performed on campus, in town, throughout the state and region, said founding member Ira Turpin, ’69, of Mitchellville, Md., one of two original members, along with Lawrence “Butch” Bates, ’67, of Cleveland. The two were joined by Gary Hayes, ’70, of Cleveland, Rick Pogue, ’70, of Washington, D.C., and Paul Brown, ’69, of Duluth, Ga. A group of local musicians that included Trustee and drummer Bob Hunt and Tony Paulus from Rusty Vinyl, opened their homes and hearts to the Mystics the week prior to their performance, and backed up the singers during their amazingly successful concert.

“We were just a group of five guys trying to have some fun,” Ira said, amid laughs and stories at rehearsal a day before the performance. As members moved on, new ones joined, instrumentalists were added and a full-fledged show band was formed. Their first performance was in 1966.

The Mystics were so successful that they became a business entity, eventually incorporating, purchasing a bus, their own sound and lighting equipment and a wardrobe, which they changed three times during each show.

“Not only were we having a ball, but we were running a business, like any intelligent college student would do,” Paul joked. “Back then, we were focused on getting an education. Had we really appreciated what we had accomplished then, today we would have gone in a different direction and definitely capitalized on our notoriety.”

The Mystics, looking stylish in black tuxedos and shades, re-created their old play list with such R&B classics as Hold On, I’m Comin’, Ain’t Too Proud to Beg, Soul Man, The Girl’s All Right With Me and What’s Goin’ On. They returned to stage for an encore performance of My Girl.

About 200 alumni clapped their hands, tapped their feet and sang along to the favorites – just as they had done four decades earlier.

Click here to view photos from the Mystcs reunion performance.

 
Posted 6-18-2007