Kit Kats (the) - It's Just A Matter of Time

Name: The Kit Kats
Album: It's Just A Matter of Time
Year: 1967
Style: Male Vocal Group, Baroque Rock
Similar Bands: Association, We Five, Turtles, Bachelors, Kingston Trio, Beach Boys, Herman's Hermits, Four Seasons, Zombies, Vogues
"One-Word" Review: Old Time Barbershop Vocalists with a wild side
Based Out Of: Philadelphia, Pa
Label: Jamie Records

Cover, Record

Record, Back

It's Just A Matter of Time (1967)

1. Let's Get Lost on a Country Road 2:25 (single)
2. Breezy 2:30 (single b-side)
3. Cotton Fields 2:33 (cover)
4. Liza-Jane 2:34
5. These Are a Few of My Favorite Things 2:20 (cover)
6. The Nut Rocker 2:00 (B Bumble & the Stingers cover) /
7. Funny How Love Can Be 2:05 (Carter-Lewis cover)
8. That's The Way 2:10 (single)
9. Sea of Love 3:05 (Phil Phillips cover, single)
10. Won't Find Better Than Me 2:45 (single)
11. You Got to Know 2:40 (single)
12. Cold Walls 2:20 (single)

Album Rating (1-10): 6.5

Members & Other Bands:

• Bob Finiz - Producer, Engineer
• C(K)arl Hausman - Rhythm & Vocal Arrangements, Vox, Keys (Chancellors, Roscoe & the Green Men)
• Richard Rome - Strings & Horn Arrangements (African Suite)
• Kit (Carson Wesley) Stewart - Vox, Drums
• John Bradley - Vox, Guitar (Chancellors)
• Ronnie Cichonski (Shane) - Bass
• Dom Romeo - Engineer
• Phil Macey - Engineer
• Max Bodden - Photos
• Tom Kennedy - Cover Design

Unknown-ness: Never heard of The Kit Kats. But they look like a generic Hermans Hermits, Monkees or Beatles band of the mid to late 60's. I can't imagine it being anything else than musicians for hire playing record label suit composed music, even if the bio on the back gives them credit as musicians playing the south-eastern chunk of PA and seashore resorts.

Album Review: Sometimes getting close to the harmonies of the Beach Boys, this packaged band that looks like it might be mod like the Beatles or Kinks has more in common with the Weavers, Bachelors and Kingston Trio, with barbershop harmony vocals and light, whispy songs. They even make "Favorite Things" sound like a monk's religious chant. At least that's on the A side of the record, or the "parent's side"...on B, they let their hair grow a little longer, and have punchier and more dance-able melodies (save "Cold Wall"). It is a much more mod song, with You Got to Know getting a little crazy, like a sugar filled toddler crashing.

They were local to the Philly area, especially at their start, but they played from Harrisburg to the shore (The Riptide in Wildwood). With local success making them enough money- more than they may have found had they broken out nationally, they stayed local, only chancing national success with "Country Road" reaching #119 on the billboard charts. They lasted 12 years however, 1962 - 1974, and had a name change to New Hope in 1969 (and at times, went by Pablo Ponce Four or the Tak Tiks). They were different and a cut above their competition, if only because they blended a lot of popular styles and played their own instruments. They reunited a handful of times in the tri-state area, and still will (as of 2015), but Kit Stewart passed away in 2001.

Stand Out Track: That's The Way

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