Majic Ship

1970s American Psychedelic Rock Band

Hard Rock/Pop/Psychedelic band formed in New York. Arising out of adolescent garage band the Primitives, which played primitive covers of British Invasion tunes, the New Primitives came together in New York City in 1966, originally composed of a group of high school friends: Ray Rifice (guitar), Tommy Nikosy (guitar), Rob Buckman (drums), and Mike Garrigan (vocals). Soon, the band increased to a group of five with the addition of bassist/organist Gus Riozzi. They kept a busy performance schedule throughout the next few years when their high school commitments allowed it. In 1968, Rifice left the band to attend college, but at about the same time, former '50s crooner turned manager Johnny Mann saw the band live and promised to get them a recording contract. Philip Polimeni replaced Rifice on lead guitar, and the New Primitives became Majic Ship. Mann introduced the band to the Tokens, who produced their first single, "Night Time Music." It became a local hit, even gaining the band some national airplay, as did a second single, "Hummin." After much touring and a couple more singles, Majic Ship found their way to a studio to record their self-titled debut album in the summer of 1969. Majic Ship melded hard rock, pop, and psychedelia in a way similar to fellow New Yorkers Vanilla Fudge. The band continued on for the next couple of years with plans to record a second album, but those plans were nixed when the band's shared house in Staten Island burned to the ground in 1971, taking with it virtually all their recording equipment and instruments. Without any insurance, the band members called it quits.