Standing Room Only

Cleveland, 1963-70

Founding member Ed Sarley recalls the popular Cleveland band Standing Room Only - "I was a founding member of the Cleveland band Standing Room Only in the year 1963. At that time the original members consisited of myself on bass guitar and vocals, Alan Chupa on guitar and vocals, and Jim Stamper on the drums. Throughout most of '63 and into '64, we would augment the trio with Alan's older brother Lonnie Chupa on guitar; and later on, my younger brother Greg Sarley on guitar and vocals. The band played lots of parties and junior high dances featuring a wide array of guitar driven pop and rock favorites from groups like the Ventures, The Beach Boys, Eddie Cochran, Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison, The Everly Brothers, The Beatles, The Searchers, The Hollies, The Kinks, The Rolling Stones, Duane Eddy, Buddy Holly, and anything else that was playing on the radio at the time."

"In 1965, I began my freshman year at St. Ignatius High School in Cleveland, and my mother and father moved across town to Seven Hills, Ohio. With the combination of the traveling distance, and my responsibilities at one of Cleveland's premier college prep high schools, I soon found it impossible to make all of the young band's performances (I was 14 at the time, everybody else was younger than me). Jim Stamper asked if I would mind if his local neighborhood friend Rich Reising filled in for me on bass guitar when I couldn't make it. I was agreeable. In the meantime, my brother Greg and I had hooked up with new Seven Hills friend George Sipl, and I can remember playing many dances with him on keyboards and/or guitar."

"By 1966, my studies at St. Ignatius and the traveling distance saw me leaving the band to be permanently replaced by Rich Reising. Within a year (by 1967), Rich had moved up to guitar and vocals(his primary instruments), his longtime buddy Steve Knill was brought in on bass, Jim Stamper remained on drums, as well as George Sipl on Keyboards. This was the band that I believe recorded the two song on the acetate. In fact, I can remember Rich Resing playing the newly mastered acetate for me soon after it was recorded."

"Standing Room Only went on to play together through about 1969 or 1970, at which time they disbanded."

The band cut an acetate of two original songs in 1967. To date they remain unheard by us. In 1973 the band reformed using the name SRO. More information on that band can be found under that name in the bands listing.

Rich Reising, George Sipl, and Steve Knill have been well known in Cleveland music since the 1960s, most notably having been in Magic, the band that Eric Carmen used to back him on his 1st LP and tour. For more information about Ed Sarley and his current and past music, visit www.EdSarley.com