A long-lost lounge pop gem from the Detroit wedding circuit, ‘Glad to Be Alive’ is the only album by Carousel II, originally self-released in 1978 after over a decade of honing their craft.

A suite of elegantly arranged lounge music with a touch of melancholy, the record drifts between breezy saxophone-led instrumentals and yearning ballads, evoking a world of dimly lit dance floors and faded corsages. Over forty years later, Frederiksberg Records has given the album a well-deserved second life, revealing its understated emotional depth and the undeniable charm of a band that played for love as much as for a living. Self-released in 1978 after twelve years of tuxedoed toil, the album never got its due—probably because it was too damn smooth, too drenched in the kind of longing that only comes from playing ‘Besides You’ for the fiftieth time while some tipsy aunt cries into her champagne. But Frederiksberg Records saw the glow under the dust, and now this lush, brass-kissed relic gets a second chance to shimmer.

“Carousel II was really an evolution.”

It’s always thrilling when something lost is finally rediscovered. How does it feel to have your music out there for the world to hear, especially after all this time?

Chet Penkala: We were all surprised. The music had been out in the Detroit area for years, but hearing from Andreas about making it available to a much larger audience was exciting.

What was the reissue process like? How did you connect with Frederiksberg Records, and what was it like working with them?

The process was straightforward. Over the years, I had gained additional recording and mastering experience, so I knew how I wanted the album to sound.

I had hoped the finished product would be better, but given what Andreas had to work with, we were all pleased with the final result.

Andreas contacted me. At first, I was skeptical, but he saw an opportunity, so I willingly joined in. The chance to improve the sonics of the recording and get it out to a broader audience was too good to pass up. I had the opportunity to work with recording professionals, PR experts, and Andreas, and everyone made the project as pleasant and easy as possible.

Can you tell us a bit about your upbringing? Where did you grow up, and what was life like for you as teenagers?

I was born and raised in Detroit. My brother and all the guys in the band grew up in the Detroit metro area. Thanks to great parents, my brother and I had the opportunity to attend private, religious-based schools.

I started playing trumpet when I was about 10 years old. I was in the high school band, first chair trumpet for my junior and senior years. The first wedding band I joined was when I was a junior in high school (about 16 years old). I attended the University of Detroit, where I was active in choral music and communications (radio and TV in those days).

Life was good—music-based. I grew up in a blue-collar neighborhood. Not a lot of luxuries, but it was a happy time.

Was there a particular scene you were part of back then? Any favorite spots you hung out at? Did you find yourself attending a lot of shows?

I was never involved in a scene, as you probably mean it.

Between school, playing weddings and parties, and working part-time, I had my hands full. Playing took up the weekends. I had to make some money—like I said, not a lot of luxuries. Dates were on Sundays or casual during the week. Weekends were for playing.

If we could step into your teenage bedroom, what kind of records, fanzines, posters, or other memorabilia would we find?

You would find my bedroom quite boring. I don’t remember having any posters, magazines, or memorabilia. But I had lots of records—The Beatles, the Bee Gees, Chicago.

Being a trumpet player, I was always interested in melodies, harmonies, and musical arrangements, especially when it came to horns.

Brad McElroy (Guitar, Lead and Background Vocals)

Was Carousel II your first band, or had you been involved in other projects before? How did the band come together? Could you share the story behind the formation of Carousel II? What’s the story behind the name? Who were the original members of the band? Did the lineup change over the years?

Carousel II was really an evolution. Technically, you could say it was the only band I played in (other than school—drum & bugle corps, choral, etc.).

The band I originally joined was called Larry & the Carousels. As we got older, we dropped “Larry” and just became The Carousels. It was still Larry’s band, and he was still in it. A couple more years went by, and Larry decided he didn’t want to play anymore, so he left, but the rest of us wanted to continue.

To avoid any confusion with the people who already had us booked, we became Carousel II.

As Carousel II, we had very little turnover. The original band was myself, my brother Ron on sax, Gary on Cordovox, Brad on guitar, and Keith on drums. Keith was the first to leave after a couple of years—he was a music major in performance and wanted to play professionally. He’s still playing and is an alternate for the DSO. He was replaced by Mike (who is the album drummer). A couple more years went by, and Brad left due to family issues. He was replaced by Wally. That’s it—just those two guys.

What were the key influences that shaped your sound?

As I said above, melodies, harmonies, and arrangements were the key. I was the chief arranger, but it was truly a group effort.

Gary Sucaet (Cordovox, Piano, Organ, Vocals)

What kind of venues did you play at in those days? Any memorable bands you shared the stage with?

We almost exclusively played at various banquet halls for weddings and parties. Occasionally, we played festivals, but we weren’t enthusiastic about setting up for an hour-long show. We did those mostly to please our parents because they could come and watch.

“‘Glad to Be Alive’ was the result of our attempt to do something new and exciting”

When ‘Glad to Be Alive’ was released in 1978, it seemed to break away from its time, blending lounge elements with a reflective, almost melancholic vibe. Did you see the album as a product of its era, or did you always feel it stood apart from the music scene of that time?

‘Glad to Be Alive’ was the result of our attempt to do something new and exciting. We were doing very well with weddings and wanted to expand beyond that. We had no illusions about being the next big thing, but we thought the songs were good enough to maybe get picked up—maybe sell, maybe, maybe.

By that point, we had started writing our own material and thought people would enjoy the music.

How did you end up becoming a wedding band? I imagine you played a mix of material—did you perform your own songs alongside wedding standards?

We always were a wedding band. We were a group of guys who could play anything—from Bob Seger to polkas, swing to Barry Manilow. We truly enjoyed the opportunity to play different styles.

Yes, we did perform our own compositions, though most of the time, we played the lighter ones—dinner music, some danceable songs. We played more of our own material once we had copies of the album to sell.

The instrumental arrangements on ‘Glad to Be Alive’ stand out, with marimbas, Cordovox, and lush horns creating such a distinct texture. How did you approach the production of these arrangements, and were there any challenges in achieving the sound you envisioned?

The songs were rehearsed extensively in my basement before going into the studio. Since we were only able to record at night, we were paying higher hourly rates and had a limited budget, so we had to be as efficient in the studio as possible.

The biggest challenge, as I remember, was the mixing process. With my lack of experience, I didn’t fully understand how the mix would translate to vinyl.

<a href="https://frederiksbergrecords.bandcamp.com/album/glad-to-be-alive-2">Glad To Be Alive by Carousel II</a>

Your album was self-released in 1978. How many copies did you press, and how did you handle distribution and promotion back then? How was it received at the time? Any airplay or local press coverage?

We pressed 1,000 copies. We sold a bunch (I don’t remember how many, but a bunch) and gave a copy to anyone who booked us. I handled all the distribution and promotion.

The music was generally well received. We did get some local radio airplay. I don’t remember if we got any press coverage, but we did receive a number of rejection letters from record companies. I still have those. I think I have about three or four copies of the album left—one is still in the plastic.

Where did you record ‘Glad to Be Alive’?

Lorio Studios. They were a local studio that went out of business in the early ’90s.

Could you walk us through some of the tracks on the album? Any particular stories behind them?

‘Almost Sounds Like a Love Song’ & ‘Besides You’ – Those were the songs we played the most at parties. Those were also the ones that got the most interest from record companies.

‘Love Affair’ – I wrote that one for my wife. I’ve written over 200 songs, and to this day, it’s still her favorite—and yes, she’s biased.

‘Sunny Day’ – Brad wrote that one. We played it occasionally, but we lost enthusiasm for it as the definition of “gay” changed. We re-recorded it a couple of years ago, and I changed some of the words.

‘January 8, 1976’ – An instrumental. Mike loved that tune. I couldn’t come up with a name for it, but I always write the date I finish a song on the manuscript. I finished it on January 8, 1976.

‘Glad To Be Alive’ – To this day, one of my favorites. Brad and I wrote it. We envisioned it as a big, joyous celebration. I loved the trumpet stuff at the end. This is one I would love to re-do with today’s technology.

At what point did you stop playing together, and what did life look like for you after the band?

Life happened. My dad passed away, my job responsibilities grew, my daughter was born, Gary became a dentist, and Wally became a lawyer. We ended the group responsibly. Life has been generally good. My daughter has given me three healthy grandchildren. She married a great guy. I still play music for seniors—I play keyboard and trumpet at the same time and sing when I’m not doing that. The only downside is that my wife is suffering from MS and all the challenges that brings.

There’s a deep sense of melancholic beauty throughout the album. What do you think was the driving force behind the songs?

I don’t know that there was any driving force. To be honest, I had a whole bunch of songs written, Brad had a few, and we picked the ones we liked the best. There was a lot of pride that went into the album.

Ron Penkala (Sax, Bass, Percussion, Vocals)

Looking back, what stands out as the highlight of your time in the band? Which songs are you most proud of, and do you have a most memorable gig?

There is no doubt about the highlight—all the men, the great musicians that I had the honor of making music with. Even to this day, we still see each other and get together occasionally.
There are lots of memories, most of them pretty funny

Memorable gigs? We always took the attitude: this is someone’s wedding—we play a large part in making it memorable. I think we were successful.

‘Glad To Be Alive’ is probably my favorite from that time period. I’ve written some songs since then that I think are wonderful, but ‘Glad To Be Alive’ still stands out.

By the way, I wrote a song called ‘Looking Back’ about my band time.

Is there any unreleased material from that time? Perhaps a side project or anything else you were working on?

I have recorded 18 songs from that time period. If I remember correctly, I sent those to Andreas. Wally and I have recorded 13 CDs of additional new material over the last 14 years. I am currently working on number 14.