Regents - 1974 International Quartet Champions

There's a Broken Heart For Every Light on Broadway; arr. Ed Waesche
Every Street's a Boulevard in Old New York; arr. Renee Craig

I noticed there were no recordings available for Regents, our 50th anniversary champions (at time of posting), so I wanted to fix that by uploading audio of two of their songs from their gold medal set.

Hailing from southeast Pennsylvania, Regents first hit the contest scene in 1968, placing 36th at International. They took a couple years off and returned in 1971, climbing to 31st. Former baritone Dave Reed would then leave the quartet, prompting former lead Ron Knickerbocker to move to baritone in what would become the quartet's championship lineup. After finding a new lead, the quartet looked like this:

Tenor: Harry Williamson
Lead: Joe Mazzone
Baritone: Ron Knickerbocker
Bass: Hal Kauffman

With a brand new lineup and sound, the Regents' success at contest would skyrocket, jumping all the way to a 3rd place bronze medal finish in 1972. Along the way, they would go win their district championship in MAD the same year. They would repeat this finish in 1973, before finally taking the crown in 1974.

I feel Regents go underappreciated in the phenomenal period of barbershop that was the early 1970s. Amongst absolute titans we know and love today like the Oriole Four, Gentlemen's Agreement, Dealer's Choice, and of course possibly-best-to-never-win-medalists Sundowners, they had their work cut out for them making the contest climb. I'm hopeful that this upload, in celebration of their 50th anniversary will help more come to know and love this champion that had a meteoric contest rise in one of barbershop's most fierce competition periods. Long live the Regents!