And Then...Along Comes the Association

AND THEN.ALONG COMES THE ASSOCIATION was the debut album by the Los Angeles sunshine pop act the Association, originally released in July 1966 on the small indie Valiant Records, and reissued the following year when the band signed to the larger Warner Brothers label. Produced by pop cult hero Curt Boettcher (the Millennium, Sagittarius, etc.), the album contains two enormous hits, "Along Comes Mary" and the glorious ballad "Cherish," both of which showcase the group's signature complex close harmonies. Most of the album was written by the bandmembers Gary Alexander and Terry Kirkman, although guitarist Russ Giguere and keyboardist Jim Yester each contribute a track, and a small handful of songs were written by familiar Los Angeles hitmakers. The Boettcher-composed "Message Of Our Love" and Kirkman's "Enter the Young" are particular highlights.