Over the next few years I was able to track down the group’s two other 45s, and recently was lucky enough to get in touch with the group’s founder/leader, Lou Lupo.

Lupo (who studied classical and jazz saxophone in his early years) was a working musician before forming the Panic Buttons in 1968. In fact he recorded two albums of jazz pop that were released in Canada earlier that year (see labels below).

The Panic Buttons (originally ‘The Panics’) consisted of Lou Lupo (sax), Sonny Richards (trombone, voc)  Billy Ruth (drums, voc) Johnny "C" (trumpet, trombone & voc),  Les (guitar, voc)  Tony Tornetta (trumpet) and Mike Byrd (bass,  vocals), all members hailing from South Philly.

Lupo founded the Chalom label (a name he says came to him in a doctor’s waiting room) to record the group. Their first two 45’s were released on the label.

‘Hitch It To The Mule’ b/w ‘Loving Horns’ is a hard charging two-sider, with a super tight horn chart, and a funky rhythm section. The influence of the rest of the Philly-based “Horse”-craze records is clear but not overpowering.

The second release on Chalom, ‘O-Wow’ b/w  ‘Lisa’ , only brings the funk on the a-side, but it’s a killer. Featuring some very heavy bass and drum interplay, the tune was hot enough to get the group signed to Gamble Records, where the 45 was re-released.

During the group’s heyday they toured and played worked along side Ruby and the Romantics, Bill Doggett, The Flamingos, Wilson Pickett, The Three Degrees, Dionne Warwick, Smothers Brothers, and the Four Seasons among others.

The bands last 45, ‘Come Out Smokin’ b/w ‘Bad Karma’ (Gamble, the only Panic Buttons 45 not to be issued on Chalom). ‘Come Out Smokin’ stays true to it’s title with a wild horn chart. The tune seems like an attempt to capitalize on the success of the Electric Indian hit ‘Keemosabe’ (listen to the horns about halfway through the record, and check out other Philly “Indian” 45s by the Alliance and Pal and the Prophets).

The Panic Buttons would disband I the early 70’s, with Lupo going on to work on other Philly funk and soul 45s (he had his hand in a few Marmaduke releases) and to much success as a jingle writer.

He still plays today, having released two recent cds, “Sax On The Beach” on Forevermore Records and “Sax In The City” on his own label, Saxist Records (www.louielupo.com) .