History:

The Slavis Brothers consisted of brothers George and Bill Slavis. George and Bill were twins, born in West Nyack, New York. They grew up and lived near Pearl River. The brothers were both avid musicians with Bill playing the drums and George playing guitar. The duo performed in several groups including The Fabulous Viscounts and apparently recorded a demo for Columbia Records. It is possible that their younger brother, Robert, was also a member of the group.

The brothers’ only known release was an EP on RPC Records. The EP was untitled and supposedly released in 1968 in an extremely small run of possibly 25 to 50 copies. It was recorded after Bill’s return from service in the Vietnam War. The EP was intended as a demo to possibly shop to larger labels. The four songs were written, produced, arranged, and recorded by friend Joe Gugliuzzo. The trio recorded the EP on a 2-track recorder in Gugliazzo’s garage. All three contribute numerous instrumentation and vocals. After this recording, the group apparently changed their name to just Slavis and played many events in Rockland County.

It's unknown how long the brothers were still active after the late 1960's. Bill Slavis passed away after a car accident in 1975. Robert passed away in 1981 due to a heart attack and George later passed away in 2022. Joe Gugliuzzo’s whereabouts are unknown.

Review:

The Slavis Brothers / Untitled (RPC, 1968?)

Rating: 8/10

This is a top-notch psychedelic affair considering it’s a demo. The vocals leave a bit to be desired, but the instrumentation and freak-outs are really great. “Eileen” is perhaps the most solid track on the EP. The song has a good melancholic vibe and features some great upfront electric piano along with a sloppy fuzz solo at the end. “Sing Your Own Song” and “I Just Can’t Believe It’s True” are musically similar to each other. Both feature the same core instrumentation as well as vocal harmonies. However, “I Just Can’t Believe It’s True” is superior by miles, due to its clever bridge, good lyrics, and outstanding drumming. “She Was A Spanish Lady” is a microcosm of what people look for in “underground” records. It’s horribly corny yet extremely fun to listen to due to extreme fuzz and a bombastic horn solo. I wish this was an album because I bet these brothers had a lot more great music to offer.