By Joe Gagliardo

Like so many players of his generation, when a young, impressionable kid from the Chicago metropolitan area named Joe Cuttone tuned into the Ed Sullivan Show on a Sunday night and witnessed Paul and The Beatles…. you know how the story goes!

His first instrument was a Tescio. And after a seven-year run of playing the Chicago club circuit from five to six nights per week with Jerico, a popular band Cuttone formed while still in high school – fate intervened. Joe and bandmate Glen Rupp received a life-changing call from music promoter and manager Barry Fox.

Joe and Glen accepted an offer from Fox to immediately fly out to Los Angeles where The Hounds, who were also a fixture on the club scene, were getting ready to record their first LP for Columbia at the legendary Record Plant.  Joe and Glen hightailed it out to the City of Angels, and within a few weeks Unleashed was recorded.

A mix of hard rock, glam. and punk, the track “Another Drugland Weekend” was aired every Friday at 5:00 PM on iconic Chicago rock radio station, WXRT. Using his Guild B-301 bass guitar, The Hounds were led by John Hunter.

The Hounds “Another Drugland Weekend”  https://youtu.be/XmPEt-WTykM

Shortly thereafter, Joe and Glen were full-fledged members of The Hounds, and they recorded a second LP for Columbia at the Record Plant in Sausalito; Puttin’ On The Dog.  A mix of originals, and revved up covers, including “Under My Thumb” and “Who’ll Be The Next In Line” – on this record Joe used his  modified ’72 Fender Jazz bass – he swapped out the neck for an Alembic graphite neck, and added a badass bridge and 2 EMG pickups!

The Hounds “Under My Thumb”  https://youtu.be/QQzq9D36KYs

After The Hounds five-year run, Joe and Glen were part of the John Hunter Band, which released two LPs; Famous At Night which spawned the hit “Tragedy” which reached #39 on the Billboard Top 200 and More Than Meets The Eye.  

Check out Joe with John Hunter on American Bandstand https://youtu.be/MfmYmjjBaT0

Nowadays you can catch Joe with BannedJoe, a country and rock band, which features Cuttone on bass banjo. Being a versatile and aggressive player with a strong stage presence, you can catch him playing Who covers with Who’s Next; Led Zeppelin covers with Black Dog, and ACDC covers in another repertory ensemble.

Check out more of Joe’s playing:

Beatles Medley https://youtu.be/ad5Q0bTkJQg

BannedJoe https://youtu.be/znB4xMZtaKk