Gary Puckett Still Shines at 82: 'We Sold More Singles Than the Beatles in 1968'

SAN DIEGO – Achieving success in academics or hitting the Top 40 charts? Aiming for fame as a musician or studying psychological analysis? The Union Gap or the neural connection?

In 1960, when Gary Puckett relocated to San Diego—seven years prior to him and his group achieving their initial chart-topping song "Woman Woman"—his intention was to attend City College, rather than follow a career in music. However, destiny had different plans for him.

I had an interest in psychology and considered pursuing a medical degree," said Puckett, who attended City College for two years but could not afford the costs to go to SDSU or UC San Diego. "I was fed up with schooling and became much more passionate about music, so I began performing in local bands.

And not just small groups.

His initial notable San Diego group, the Ravens, was an 11-member band featuring a brass section and vocalists. In 1964, Puckett joined the Outcasts as their lead vocalist, a quartet that regularly played at the Quad Room in Clairemont. The band issued two singles, "Runaway" and "I Can't Get Through To You," which received exposure on local radio stations.

After forming another band called Gary and the Remarkables, he eventually transitioned into Gary Puckett & The Union Gap. Featuring his high-pitched—often nearly opera-like—vocals as the centerpiece, this group dressed in old-fashioned military uniforms achieved numerous chart-topping hits from 1967 through 1969, such as "Woman, Woman," "Young Girl," "Lady Willpower," "Over You," and "This Girl Is A Woman Now."

"In 1968, our sales of individual tracks—rather than full albums—exceeded those of the Beatles. We topped everyone else in single sales, which is somewhat of an achievement," noted Puckett, who is currently 82 years old, as he spoke from his residence in Clearwater, a seaside town in Florida.

These popular hits will be showcased during Puckett's performance as part of the 2025 Happy Together Tour. The tour includes Little Anthony along with present-day versions of the Turtles, the Cowsills, Jay and the Americans, and the Vogues. Although his participation is listed as Gary Puckett & The Union Gap, he mentioned that he'll be joined by the same four-member backing band that supports every act on the Happy Together Tour.

A resident of Minnesota, Puckett comes from the same city as Bob Dylan, whose track "The Mighty Quinn" was performed with energetic brass on The Union Gap's second album. The title of another Dylan song, "Changing of the Guards," most accurately describes what occurred to Puckett and the members of The Union Gap, who broke up in 1971, two years after the vocalist signed an independent record contract with Columbia Records.

‘Some slim times’

His 1971 album, "The Gary Puckett Album," performed very badly, failing to reach the lowest ranks of the national Billboard Top 200 chart. Following years of selling millions of records, traveling across the country, and making several appearances on some of the highest-rated television programs of that era with The Union Gap, Puckett's musical career disappeared seemingly overnight.

People were progressing forward, and those of my age group were starting families," Puckett remarked. "The younger generation was focusing on artists like David Bowie and T. Rex. The radio wasn't playing our kind of music. I ended up facing some tough periods.

I took classes in acting and produced a movie in the Philippines called 'Dynamite,' which wasn't successful. You'll never be able to find it. The story revolved around a group that became famous due to the passing of one of their members...

Following the completion of his film work, Puckett went back to Los Angeles for several years, having relocated there in the late 1960s. In 1978, he returned to San Diego and started performing as part of a pair with guitarist Paul Martin at the Anchorage Fish Company in La Jolla. They played songs from the band Union Gap, classic tracks by the Beatles and Buddy Holly, along with popular tunes from groups like Little River Band and Exile.

In 1980, Puckett started collaborating with SRO, a lounge group based in San Diego, and requested that Tom Arnold, who owned Kicks magazine, take charge of his management even though Arnold hadn't previously handled any musical acts. Early in 1981, Puckett formed a fresh band aimed at reviving his career and securing a record deal.

Following several opening performances in Las Vegas, the group held a hometown concert at the Bacchanal located in Kearny Mesa. The event was met with a lukewarm critique from the San Diego Union, which prompted Puckett to dismiss the band, terminate his young manager, and put his return plans on hold.

We performed at the Bacchanal, which I believe was an error," Puckett stated. "After all this time, Tom and I remain friends.

Puckett stayed out of the spotlight until 1984, when the Turtles initiated their inaugural Happy Together Tour and extended an invitation to Puckett along with a revived version of Union Gap to perform as part of the multiple-bands schedule. His popularity increased notably in 1986 when he and The Union Gap participated in the Grass Roots and Herman’s Hermits' tour celebrating the Monkees' 20th-anniversary reunion.

The tour featured a performance at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium, marking Puckett as the sole performer remembered for moving from performing at the Anchorage Fish House to playing at the stadium where the San Diego Padres compete.

It was an amazing tour, the largest of the season," he stated. "And we were fortunate that radio stations started playing the music from our era once more. The Monkeys definitely brought us back into the spotlight.

During an interview with the Union-Tribune ahead of the San Diego leg of the 2012 Happy Together Tour, the then-69-year-old Puckett described himself as "an old man." If someone had informed him at that time that he'd continue performing tours for another 13 years, what do you think his response would have been?

I never would have thought it!" Puckett responded. "I'd have said, 'Are you serious?' This year, I'm performing 59 or 60 shows with the Happy Together Tour and around 40 additional ones independently.

There are moments when I truly feel like saying, 'Okay, I'm finished traveling. I'd rather be spending time with my family and swimming with my grandchildren.' Then there are other instances where I’m deeply motivated by being on stage and energized by the crowd’s excitement as they shake my hand and express their gratitude. Therefore, I can’t predict how much longer I'll continue. I will step back when the right moment arrives.