The Fabulous Romantic Tony Zullo–”Cheap Extensions”
Cover for "Cheap Extensions"
Who isn’t totally fascinated by pop musicians whose personal lives catch your attention almost as much as their music?
The Fabulous Romantic Tony Zullo, also known as Mr. Magnificent, Mr. Fabulous, The Mighty Magnificent & Absolutely Unstoppable Tony Zullo, The Lovely T. Z., and in the ’80s simply as XTZ, crashed out of the Youngstown funk scene in the early ’70s with a blistering jam entitled “Open Letter to Tricky Dick.” A slew of recordings followed, as well as a wake of bad business deals, faulty contracts and failed marriages. The marriages with their subsequent (and almost immediate) divorces typically coincided with a hit single and thus provided an emerging pattern that endured for the next fifteen years.
In the mid-’80s, he faded briefly before re-appearing in 1989 with the tremendous hit “The Cadillac (That Took My Lady Away).”
Here’s the back for of the cover for “Cheap Extensions,” one of his first and funkiest singles. The bassline alone is one of the most recognized, having been used in several blacksploitation movies in the ’70s. Despite his record company putting up a fight, Zullo insisted on the leather-and-thread case for this single, which is now quite rare to find intact.
Side B
