by: Brian Goslow
Long before pianist/guitarist Al Arsenault became a fixture on the local blues scene, he was a teenage rocker who played with The Phaetons, one of the most storied acts to come out of the region. 
Norton Records, who reissued their 45, had this to say: “Over the years they’ve caught much lip service as one of the Crescent City’s coolest white-boy combos. The truth be known, these cats let mosta [sic] their good times roll within the city limits of their hometown of Worcester, Mass.”
Singer Jimmy Clanton helped get them signed after The Phaetons opened for him at White City in 1957. He was so impressed that he offered to pitch their demo to Ace records. Ace issued Frankie Ford’s Sea Cruise alongside The Phaetons and the label went full-tilt behind the rockin’ hit and Love My Babyied on the vine. Still, the combo’s affiliation to a big-shot waxery helped The Phaetons maintain strong local status into the early ’60s. Continue reading “The Phaetons were first – Al Arsenault tells the story”
