45 RPM is a 60s British Invasion band that performs in the Indianapolis area. Bill Rumely, second from left, is a New Palestine resident.
Submitted photo
GREENFIELD – Picture hundreds of Hancock County residents – all ages – singing along to “Happy Together” during a warm summer sunset.
It is a perfect picture for Bill Rumely, lead vocalist of the ’60s British Invasion band 45 RPM, who was pleased as punch when he performed to his home crowd Aug. 26 and so many familiar faces sang along with him.
Rumely performed with 45 RPM at this summer’s final concert of the Entertainment at Depot Street Park series. While the band has more than 30 Indianapolis area concerts a year, Rumely said the gig in Greenfield was all the more special because of the family-friendly party atmosphere with so many acquaintances in the crowd.
“The band feeds off the energy of the crowd, so when the people enjoy it, it really comes back to us and makes it all the more fun and exciting to be playing for them,” Rumely said.
The band plays music specifically from 1964-68, including The Beatles, The Byrds, Johnny Rivers, The Kinks and more. At the concert in Greenfield, the dance floor was lit with adults and children alike, and brightly-colored beach balls bounced through the crowd during songs of the surfer fad.
Rumely, a New Palestine resident, is an attorney and assistant volleyball coach at New Palestine High School. Bandmate Doug Wilson introduced him as the “de facto mayor of New Palestine” for his ties to Hancock County, having been an active member of St. Michael Catholic Church for years.
The groovy vibe of the 60s has stayed with Rumely for decades.
Rumely grew up in the northern Indiana community of LaPorte. At age 11, he watched as The Beatles went on Ed Sullivan for the first time in 1964.
“Just seeing them on TV and how popular they were and how great their music was – myself and all my friends just became immediate Beatles fans,” he said.
He’d listen to British Invasion tunes on the radio, and through records his older brother had.
“It’s catchy, it’s fun; very seldom is it angry,” he said. “There are some breakup songs in there, where something went wrong in the relationship – but for the most part, it was pretty happy music.”
An athlete in high school, Rumely didn’t have the time in his schedule to explore music or theater. But he bought a guitar when he was in his mid-20s and just figured out “which chords go with which songs.”
“I never really knew if I could sing, but little by little I got more comfortable with it,” he said. “I’d hang out with friends and they’d say, ‘Hey, did you bring your guitar?’ I’d say, ‘No,’ and they’d say, ‘Go back home and get it.’”
Rumely moved to Hancock County in 1977 and married his wife of 44 years Elyse in 1978. They lived in Marion County about eight years, but moved back and have lived in New Palestine ever since 1987. They raised their daughters Rachel and Sarah in the community; both girls are now grown and are living in Boston and North Carolina respectively.
Rumely, who explored solo acoustic acts, got involved with 45 RPM about seven years ago when he auditioned for a 1970s band that lost their lead singer. Rumely couldn’t reach the high notes of that era, but the band wanted him to be their lead.
“We kind of just put our heads together and came up with, ‘What about ’60s music?’” Rumely recalled. “I immediately said, ‘Oh I love ’60s music and I think I can sing that stuff.’”
Rumely plays guitar and sings lead on many of the songs, and also plays tambourine and harmonica. The rest of the band live in the Indianapolis area and are also vocalists. Wilson plays drums; Jack Fazio is on bass guitar; Pat Finnigan on keyboard; and Richard Breedon – a native of England – is lead guitar.
Performing some of his favorite songs is anything but “a hard day’s night,” but Rumely said it’s difficult to choose a top contender. While he enjoys the energy of “Paint it Black” by the Rolling Stones, he is a fan of “the mellower stuff” like “Daydream Believer” by The Monkees and hits by Gerry and the Pacemakers, like “Ferry Cross the Mersey” and “Don’t Let the Sun Catch You Crying.”
While it’s great to see people get up and dance at their concerts, Rumely said it’s just as satisfying to see people simply relax and sing along to all the words because he knows their concerts bring back fond memories.
But it’s not just people who grew up in the 60s that are enjoying their songs, he said. Fans in their 30s are singing along because their parents brought them up listening to oldies; now even children are enjoying their shows because their parents and grandparents share the music with them.
“We’re trying to bring people back to the exact sound when they were listening to it in the ’60s,” he said. “These are the songs a lot of people grew up with and had the most important impact to them as listeners; we want to make it instantly recognizable – note for note – just exactly as the song came out.”
He said the music is timeless, and it’s fun to watch all ages enjoy their shows.
“We feel like the music is intergenerational, and spans not just one age group,” he said. “The songs are still fun, and people at any age can like them.”
The band will perform again in Greenfield Nov. 19 at the H.J. Ricks Centre for the Arts. For more, visit www.45rpm60s.com.
