Surprize - 1972 - Keep On Truckin'

Surprize

1972

Keep On Truckin'

01. Earth Odyssey 6:45
02. Sweet Love 4:18
03. Keep On Truckin' 5:10
04. Ev'ry Day 5:15
05. See The Light 6:29
06. Try A Little More 5:32

Bass, Vocals – Rick Martin
Guitar, Vocals – Mark Shapiro
Keyboards, Vocals – Frank Bissel
Lead Vocals, Percussion, Harmonica – Pete Accardi
Percussion – Fred Kieffer

Surprize were a 1970's psychedelic rock band from Philadelphia. After being together for eight months, the band recorded our first, and only, album "Keep On truckin'" in one of Philadelphia’s finest recording studios. Upon release the band started to get TV and radio airplay as well as being booked for larger concerts. The band were a great success and growing more and more popular every day.

A few years later Surprize were approached by a larger and more well-known recording company. They wanted to promote and produce the second album and give it a release on their own label which meant the chance of national distribution.

Shortly after this approach whilst performing out of town, band leader Peter Accardi had a supernatural occurence, which would change the bands.

In Peter's own words

" After the show I had a party at my motel room. There I met a man who possessed satanic, psychic powers so strong that he controlled the minds of my friends and acquaintances to a degree that you would have to see for yourself to believe. Everyone there seemed to be able to read each others’ thoughts and led me to believe that every NORMAL human being could do this. They claimed to know ALL about ALL."

"Many of my friends actually read my thoughts and told me exactly what I was thinking. They told me that all I had to do to be like EVERYONE else was to relax, and let my mind wander into their level. Then according to their counsel, I would fully understand ALL things: eternity, infinity, where I came from and where I was going."

I could actually feel an unbelievably strong pull on my mind and thoughts. I remember thinking that maybe this strange man was some sort of god, yet as I looked around the room, I saw only wrong and evil. At this I decided that he must be the anti-Christ, or even Satan himself. I had little knowledge of the Bible, but I had walked the aisle in a fundamental, Bible-teaching church to” receive Christ” at about age twelve."

The next morning Peter Accardi, called for a special meeting. At this meeting Peter shared how something supernatural had happened to him, and how he knew he was going to heaven. His life was changed and he tried to share how we all needed the same thing in our lives. Much to everyone's shock, Peter walked away from his career as the lead singer of the band and decided to go to Bible College in order to become a Preacher.

A few weeks later keyboard player joined Accardi in his new calling and followed him on his journey to become a Preacher. Not long after the band decided to call it a day.

As for Accardi and Bissel both now serve the Lord at the Elkdale Baptist Church, West Clifford, Pennsylvania. Peter Accardi is the church Evangelist and Frank Bissel serves as the Pastor of the church.