The Castiles

Lore & Background

The Castiles originated from an earlier band called the Sierras, formed by George Theiss in 1964 after he saw the Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show. The Sierras included drummer Mike DeLuise on lead guitar, Vinnie Roslin on bass, and Bart Haynes on drums, and played a few gigs at the Elks Club. In May 1965, Theiss and Haynes reformed the band as the Castiles, naming it after the shampoo brand Theiss was using. Paul Popkin became lead vocalist and Frank Marziotti played bass. Theiss, who was romantically interested in Springsteen's sister Virginia, saw Bruce playing guitar at her house and asked him to join as lead guitarist in June 1965. Springsteen later wrote in his autobiography that Theiss knocked on his door and told him about a band forming that needed a lead guitarist. They walked to a house in the 'Texas' neighborhood of Freehold, where Springsteen joined his first real band.

The band practiced in half of a duplex belonging to Haynes, whose neighbor Gordon 'Tex' Vinyard became their manager. The Castiles played at local venues including junior high school dances, roller rinks, drive-in theaters, supermarket openings, clubs in Asbury Park, and Cafe Wha? in Greenwich Village, New York City. They wore white pants, Beatle boots, and Beatle haircuts, and performed covers of other bands' songs. Personnel changed over time: in October 1965, Haynes joined the Marine Corps and was replaced on drums by Vinny Manneillo; Haynes was killed in action in Vietnam on October 22, 1967. In February 1966, Marziotti left and Curt Fluhr became bassist. Bobby Alfano played keyboards in 1966 and 1967. The Castiles played their last show in August 1968 at the Off Broad Street Coffeehouse in Red Bank, New Jersey, and broke up due to musical disagreements between Theiss and Springsteen.

Reader's Guide

The Castiles hold significance primarily as the launching pad for Bruce Springsteen, who would go on to become one of the most acclaimed rock singers in history. The band recorded a demo in May 1966 at Mr. Music in Toms River, New Jersey, paid for by manager Vinyard, featuring two original songs written by Theiss and Springsteen: 'Baby I' and 'That's What You Get'. 'Baby I' was finally released in 2016 on the album Chapter and Verse, a companion to Springsteen's autobiography Born to Run, along with a live recording of Willie Dixon's 'You Can't Judge a Book by the Cover'. A compilation titled The Bruce Springsteen Story Vol. 1: The Castiles was released in 1993. Theiss continued playing in other bands in Central New Jersey after the Castiles disbanded. Springsteen's 2020 album Letter to You was inspired by Theiss's death in 2018; Springsteen, as the last living member of the Castiles, wrote tracks including 'Ghosts' and 'Last Man Standing' reflecting on the band. The documentary Bruce Springsteen's Letter to You includes footage of Springsteen teaching his cousin to play 'Baby I'. The Castiles' legacy is thus tied to Springsteen's early development and his later tribute to his former bandmates.

Did You Know?

• The band was named after the shampoo brand George Theiss was using at the time.
• Bart Haynes, the original drummer, was killed in action in the Vietnam War on October 22, 1967.
• The Castiles' demo song 'Baby I' was not officially released until 2016 on Springsteen's album Chapter and Verse.
• Bruce Springsteen is the last living member of the Castiles.