the Hazards

North Jackson, 1966-70

This group was formed by two sets of brothers who lived in the truck stop communities of North Jackson and Berlin Center. The oldest member had been playing since the early 60s in small combos using the name Peppermint Twisters but in 1966 the official Hazards formed, originally under the name Saints of Soul. The band didn't have much opportunity to play live as there were very few places to play. In 1967, 23 year old Chuck Tomich from nearby Ellsworth joined the band as keyboard player (he had been Western Reserve High classmates of the drummer some years ago). Chuck took his military severance pay and bought the band new equipment and changed the name to the Hazards. Chuck wrote a couple songs, using the pen name Jason C. Lee, and the band went to United Audio and recorded the garage psych masterpiece "Tinted Green", which reflected Chuck's disillusionment about his Vietnam War experiences. The excellent "Hey Little Girl" was originally intended for the A-side. The band got the tapes to Bryte Star in Newbury for release and distribution. The band was told that at least 2500 copies were sold, but due to the record's extreme rarity, that seems like a con job (about 2490 copies must be in a warehouse somewhere). Copies of the record were distibuted with a picture insert. The Hazards didn't last long, as three of the members were well into their 20s and a couple wanted a steadier gig. Chuck Tomich hooked up with a couple Youngstown area musicians in a short lived band called Group Therapy before forming Blue Amber.