Although named after somewhere in New Jersey, Hackensack were a British rock band, through and through. They featured a number of music scene stalwarts in their line-up, which makes it all the more surprising that they never really took off.
Formed by Nicky Moore in 1969, Hackensack were considered one of the heaviest live bands of their day. They only released one album (on Polydor) during their lifetime. Over more than 270 gigs they built up a small but loyal following but weren’t able to generate sufficient revenue to continue as a viable project. Their sound was a heavy blues/rock mix and is ‘Up the Hardway’ is highly regarded amongst collectors and very collectable. They split up in 1974, the year of its release. I bought the album at the time because I was a Marvel comics fan and loved the artwork – and always loved its gritty, earthy vibe. Nicky is no relation, by the way! :-)
Line up:
Nicky Moore: Vocals, guitar (Samson, Mammoth)
Ray Majors: Vocals, guitar (British Lions, Mott)
Stu Mills: bass
Simon Fox: Drums (Be-Bop Deluxe, Trevor Rabin, Pretty Things)
World Music - the Music Journey 