SAY WHAT?: Padte: "We are named after one of the best sax players of all time--Maceo Parker. He began his career as the saxophonist within James Brown's horn section (the JB's). In his solo career, he always claims his music is 2% jazz, and 98% funky stuff."

THE SOUNDS: Ramirez: "Our main influences are Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Sly and the Family Stone and other assorted Motown and R&B greats. We are currently playing songs by these artists and Al Green, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson and Marvin Gaye, among others." Padte: "We've been working on originals, but currently we do not have any completed."

ON THE WAY TO FAME...: Ramirez: "The band has been around for four years.... We are an evolving group, picking up new members each year." Padte: "We have played a variety of performances, including the Hasty Pudding Man and Woman of the Year events for the past 3 years."

BATTLE OF THE BANDS: 98% grooved the audience out of their seats and onto the dance floor, even earning a call for an encore. 98% was winner of the Battle of the Bands.

CRIMSON SAYS: GREATEST HITS

FAVORITE COLOR JELLO: Padte: "Jello isn't the favorite of some members of the band; chocolate is popular though."

WHERE?!?: Saturday, May 8 in the Currier House Courtyard. E-mail blaugrun@fas for updates.

Aileen Brophy for Putney Swope

WHO?: Putney Swope is Aileen Brophy '00 (guitar), Raegan Hicks '00 (bass), Courtney Ellis '00 (vocals) and Adams Rackes '02 (drums).

SAY WHAT?: "Putney Swope has a nice ring to it. We got it from the movie of the same name...people always mispronounce it, though (Putney Swoop, Puppy Smoke, etc.)."

THE SOUNDS: Frenetic and energetic, Putney Swope is described in the ARTS FIRST '99 Guide as "post-punk, mod-rock" or alternatively, by Brophy, as "our own special brand of laid-back adult contemporary folk-rock."

ON THE WAY TO FAME...: "Putney Swope has existed since spring of last year, with another drummer (John Reuland '00) and a keyboardist (Doug Muller '00).... Then we all lived together in a house last summer in Allston, and played shows in our basement. It was all very Real World. Then John went to England for a semester and Adams (who we also knew through WHRB) took his place. Then all the Voltron lions were in place..."

BATTLE OF THE BANDS: "You could hear the crickets chirping, but we didn't mind."