HEAD AND THE HARES - "One Against The World" (H&H Productions, 1966)

by Achille Brunet

The mysterious HEAD AND THE HARES fascinates while remaining very elusive. The fact that a 1990s garage revival band borrowed the name and also covered one of their songs does make the task more difficult. But we now have a bit of a lead...

Playing at least since mid-1965, Head and the Hares was formed by students from the Boston, Massachusetts area. Charles Cirrone (vocals? bass?) and Ray Gomez, Jr. (guitar) attended high school in Everett, MA while Joseph Oliveri (drums) was in Revere, MA.

These three guys were all 17 in Sept 1965. The other members, if there were any, are not known, but in the case Charles played bass, the band could very possibly have been a trio.

Seems the "Head" loses a bit of "Hare". 

The event that originated the band's name?

(The Boston Evening Globe - Sept 8, 1965)

In Sept 1965, the three members were photographed at Louis D'Assisi's barber shop with D'Assisi cutting Charles Cirrone's hair, his high school having apparently ruled that he had to get rid of his long hair or be expelled.

The band self-funded and self-released one single in May 1966. The A-side, "I Won't Come Back", was written by Ray, while the flip side, "One Against The World", was co-written by Ray and Charles.

The single was pressed by Decca Custom Records in New York. Unfortunately, according to TeenBeat Mayhem, a defective mastering or stamper causes slushy sound reproduction playback on all copies.

Hear both sides:

No trace of a gig could be found. The band possibly disbanded at the end of the school year.

Despite being a classic to my ears, "One Against The World" only found its way on the original New England Teen Scene LP in 1983, plus on one Wyld Sydes CD and now remains uncomped for decades.

Charles David Cirrone kept up with music later in life, also playing saxophone, and passed away on June 30, 2024 at Care Dimensions Hospice House in Lincoln, Massachussets. See his obituary HERE.

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Some 1966 yearbook pics of Ray Gomez and Charles Cirrone HERE.

More about this band would be appreciated.