The Association to perform in Newton

"You guys sound just like you did on the records."

Those words make Jim Yester very happy. The "guys" being referred to are the members of the Association, the pop vocal group that enjoyed a string of hits in the latter half of the 1960s.

During that period, the Association scored with songs such as "Cherish and "Windy" that relied equally on lush orchestrations and intricate harmonies. So to Yester, being compared to those vintage records is a compliment of the highest order.

"We always designed those songs to be done live," says Yester. "The vocals are still there. The shape of each song is still there. We're proud of that."

Yester and Jules Gary Alexander are the last original members still in the Association. But they are joined by two other musicians – Del Ramos and Jordan Cole – whose fathers were part of the band in the 1960s.

The current line-up of the Association will perform at the Newton Theatre this Saturday, March 14.

Despite its corporate-sounding name, the Association formed out of the folk music scene of Southern California in the early 1960s. Yester says that the Troubadour, the legendary L.A. club, would hold a hootenanny every Monday night. One Monday, the club's manager issued an open invitation to anyone who wanted to be in a band. About a dozen people showed up and started performing as the Men, who became the house band at the Troubadour for about six months.

"Too many guys, too many egos," Yester says. The Men disbanded, but a few members (including Terry Kirkman and Jules Gary Alexander) decided to stay together. Yester, who had not been in the Men, joined this new group before its first concerts.

"We all came out of folk groups, so we were very harmony-oriented," Yester says. "Our models were groups like the Four Freshmen and the Limelighters."

The Association had its first national hit in 1966 with "Along Comes Mary," written by Tandyn Almer. The song was not played in some markets, however, because some critics assumed the "Mary" was assumed to be marijuana.

Those critics were right, according to Yester. "It was a song of social protest," he says. "You had a society that puts down marijuana but condones alcohol. Is this fair? I think the lyrics work as poetry, because there's a beatnik, jazzy feel to it."

Despite the controversy, the Association began developing a following for its love songs, such as "Never My Love," "Cherish," and "Everything That Touches You." Those songs still elicit a response when the band does them in concert, Yester says.

The Association also performed some off-beat tunes, such as the trippy "Windy" and the enigmatic "Requiem for the Masses."

"It was a magical time in music," Yester says. "Audiences were aware of lyrics, and people were writing great melodies."

The Association has had periods when the group was dormant. At those times, Yester – who has been upfront about a past history of substance abuse – has been a frequent visitor to schools and community groups with an anti-drug message.

"It's my payback to the 1960s," Yester says. "The message is to get high on music, not on drugs."

Music is a high that Yester says he is happy to indulge; he is even happier to be doing it as a member of the Association.

"I feel so blessed to still be doing this," he says. "I can feel the reaction that people have to these songs, right from the first chords. These are songs that made a difference in people's lives."

THE ASSOCIATION

WHAT: This vocal group scored in the 1960s with both romantic ballads ("Never My Love," "Cherish") and whimsical, trippy songs ("Along Comes Mary," "Windy"). The current line-up includes original members Jules Gary Alexander and Jim Yester, as well as two members (Del Ramos and Jordan Cole) whose fathers played in the band.

WHEN: 8 p.m. Saturday, March 14

WHERE: Newton Theatre, 234 Spring St., Newton

TICKETS: $39 to $49

INFORMATION: 973-383-3700 or www.thenewtontheatre.com