The Trade Winds was an American pop group formed in Providence, Rhode Island. The group's members were Peter Andreoli (aka Peter Anders) and Vincent Poncia, Jr., and had previously had a hit single together (with a third member, Norman Marzano) under the name The Videls with a song called "Mr. Lonely", which hit #73 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1960.
After a few further single releases, The Videls folded, and Anders and Poncia began writing tunes with Phil Spector for groups such as The Ronettes and The Crystals. Recording under the name The Trade Winds in 1965, they released several singles and scored two more U.S. hits, "New York's a Lonely Town" (#32, 1965) and the psychedelic-tinged "Mind Excursion" (#51, 1966). In 1966 they changed their name to The Innocence, recorded a full-length eponymous album, and had two further hit singles, "There's Got to Be a Word!" (U.S. #34, 1966) and "Mairzy Doats" (U.S. #75, 1967). Following the LP release the duo released another album under the name Anders & Poncia on Warner Bros. Records in 1969, and shortly after broke up.
Poncia later went on to produce material for artists such as Ringo Starr, Melissa Manchester and Kiss.
The group was mentioned on an episode of Mad Men.
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—William Cobbett (1762–1835)
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