30 years ago

[Smithers XKR]

Hi
I noticed this part of the forum and there is some great stuff on here.
Respect to all you young guys out there starting your journey from a decrepit oldie
My only advice is hey, never give up and just ignore the haters and critics. Critics only criticisise because they are failures remember that.
I post an old college project from back in the day in 95 in my student flat.
I had very little.... Atari with Cubase 3 and no HDD, Yamaha analogue portastudio, Korg X5 synth which I had to use the drum patches as no drum machine, little guitar amp with a couple of effects pedals and one old SM58 mike, thats it.

Done in a drunk state in my sad student flat. Never got the vocal tracks done, But hey there you go. Going to look at remixing it all now and lay down vocals with all of the modern gear I have now after all these years
Never give up and stay true to your musical beliefs

 

[TAE]

Totally for sure! Actually good job for a drunken slob Now add a John Bon Jovi or a David Lee Roth and some catchy vocals and we have a 90's super hit. I think it'd be fun for some of the folks here to take a stab at writing lyrics to it and laying vocals down over it.

 

[Smithers XKR]

Totally for sure! Actually good job for a drunken slob Now add a John Bon Jovi or a David Lee Roth and some catchy vocals and we have a 90's super hit. I think it'd be fun for some of the folks here to take a stab at writing lyrics to it and laying vocals down over it.

Ha ha! You're too kind mate

 

[Smithers XKR]

Totally for sure! Actually good job for a drunken slob Now add a John Bon Jovi or a David Lee Roth and some catchy vocals and we have a 90's super hit. I think it'd be fun for some of the folks here to take a stab at writing lyrics to it and laying vocals down over it.

I have a lot of other stuff in process, all very mid tempo West Coast type of influence and ballads with some 6/8 LA type grooves, Toto, Journey, The Dan, Michael MacDonald, Chicago.... that sort of thing.
I guess I am an old fart stuck in cold North East England in a rut dreaming of 70's and 80's sunny California music and life . ...

 

[Smithers XKR]

Totally for sure! Actually good job for a drunken slob Now add a John Bon Jovi or a David Lee Roth and some catchy vocals and we have a 90's super hit. I think it'd be fun for some of the folks here to take a stab at writing lyrics to it and laying vocals down over it.

I was very very drunk by the time I got to play the twin lead guitar breaks. So a lot of the timing of the lead guitar was very wobly. It was the last part of the recording . I took the inspiration for the two lead guitars from my love of Eagles and the Hotel California solos between Don Felder and Joe Walsh. Question and answer sort of thing and twin harmonies at the end. I panned each guitar line as far as I could to either side but it just not seemed possible to get it out there and the panning sounds very narrow stereo wise compared to a pro audio system compared with the analogue multitracker I was limited to.
It was ok for what it was but I was so disappointed with the final mix.
Guitars came out well, I was pleased with the clean chorus sound and raunchy rhythm but the lead guitar sound is horrible and weedy and too middly.
The drum sound is totally horrible, big bag of hammers.
I programmed a lovely punchy nice Ross Valory type bass line but it just got totally lost in the mix and sounds like mud..

Never mind, still got the original Cubase data and MT8X tape so can remix and re record with better drum sound from the Alesis drum DR5 rack and use bass guitar from the Roland JV1080. All data is there and can be remixed and re recorded
Cheers mate

 

[TAE]

I guess I am an old fart stuck in cold North East England in a rut dreaming of 70's and 80's sunny California music and life . ...

I am an old fart who lived, loved and rocked the sunny California music and life experience of the 70's and 80's and lived to tell the tale. It did not suck. I'm still living in the same city I was born in 69 years later. @ 30 miles east of Hollyweird. It's kind of fun to be able to say to people that I live in a city (Covina the city of coves and vines) where Van Halen, Motley Crue, Joan Jett and Quiet riot all played gigs before they were signed acts. They were all just local bands. Really good local bands but there were plenty of others that were definitely as good that never "made it" The fickle finger of fate has it's way. Really good times then...and now. Alas, winter is knocking on the door with her chilly ass. The cross I must bear.

 

[Smithers XKR]

My hero Edward nearly ended up in Kiss. Gene paid for the original demos that were done for WB. Gene wanted Eddie and asked him to join. Legend has it that Ed said only if you take my brother as well, but Simmons refused.
I actually prefer this early speed metal track on the original demo to what later became 'Hang em High'.

 

[Smithers XKR]

I am an old fart who lived, loved and rocked the sunny California music and life experience of the 70's and 80's and lived to the the tale. It did not suck. I'm still living in the same city I was born in 69 years later. @ 30 miles east of Hollyweird. It's kind of fun to be able to say to people that I live in a city (Covina the city of coves and vines) where Van Halen, Motley Crue, Joan Jett and Quiet riot all played gigs before they were signed acts. They were all just local bands. Really good local bands but there were plenty of others that were definitely as good that never "made it" The fickle finger of fate has it's way. Really good times then...and now. Alas, winter is knocking on the door with her chilly ass. The cross I must bear.


View attachment 122684

 

[Smithers XKR]

I am an old fart who lived, loved and rocked the sunny California music and life experience of the 70's and 80's and lived to the the tale. It did not suck. I'm still living in the same city I was born in 69 years later. @ 30 miles east of Hollyweird. It's kind of fun to be able to say to people that I live in a city (Covina the city of coves and vines) where Van Halen, Motley Crue, Joan Jett and Quiet riot all played gigs before they were signed acts. They were all just local bands. Really good local bands but there were plenty of others that were definitely as good that never "made it" The fickle finger of fate has it's way. Really good times then...and now. Alas, winter is knocking on the door with her chilly ass. The cross I must bear.


View attachment 122684

Yeah heros on electric - Alex Lifeson for sound and rhythm and picking and arpeggiation and Edward Van Halen for lead

 

[TAE]

I have a lot of inside i

My hero Edward nearly ended up in Kiss. Gene paid for the original demos that were done for WB. Gene wanted Eddie and asked him to join. Legend has it that Ed said only if you take my brother as well, but Simmons refused.
I actually prefer this early speed metal track on the original demo to what later became 'Hang em High'.

I have a lot of insider info on VH and how they got signed. They signed for 3.5 Million with Warner Brothers..The story goes that Gene saw them at the Whiskey and really liked them and wanted to give the a hand making into the big leagues. He flew them to Electric Lady Land Studios in New York to make the demo and then shopped it to AR peeps he knew...The demo was snubbed by several "professionals" before Ted Templeman heard it and said Hmmmm? My bragging rights is that my band Cheap Day Return had the luck and honor of being the last "local" band to play with VH after they were signed. Snow Crest Lodge, Mount Baldy California. We opened for them. It was just before Christmas 1977 and tons of VH friends and family were there. Just about a month before the album was released. That night after the gig we partied like Rock Stars. They were happy as hogs in slop. I'll never forget that they were all together for a moment and went into that bop dooby dobby doo wha thing... David sat with me at a booth drinking some coffee drink that had whiskey in it...they called em brown bears...hell he was buying I'm drinking. We rapped about the business and he gave me the sage advice of "stay together man" you guys are gonna make it...we didn't stay together and we didn't make it.

 

[Smithers XKR]

I have a lot of inside i

I have a lot of insider info on VH and how they got signed. They signed for 3.5 Million with Warner Brothers..The story goes that Gene saw them at the Whiskey and really liked them and wanted to give the a hand making into the big leagues. He flew them to Electric Lady Land Studios in New York to make the demo and then shopped it to AR peeps he knew...The demo was snubbed by several "professionals" before Ted Templeman heard it and said Hmmmm? My bragging rights is that my band Cheap Day Return had the luck and honor of being the last "local" band to play with VH after they were signed. Snow Crest Lodge, Mount Baldy California. We opened for them. It was just before Christmas 1977 and tons of VH friends and family were there. Just about a month before the album was released. That night after the gig we partied like Rock Stars. They were happy as hogs in slop. I'll never forget that they were all together for a moment and went into that bop dooby dobby doo wha thing... David sat with me at a booth drinking some coffee drink that had whiskey in it...they called em brown bears...hell he was buying I'm drinking. We rapped about the business and he gave me the sage advice of "stay together man" you guys are gonna make it...we didn't stay together and we didn't make it.

Wow! I'm not worthy !

 

[TAE]

Wow! I'm not worthy !

Kind of how I feel about my life in general.... underqualified and overpaid but I'm not going to complain. This morning I'll go out side in this warm California sun work on sealing some windows around the house. Then I'll clean up and get ready to go watch my 11 year old granddaughter in a performance where she has a solo...Oh damn I love this kid...fearless. Then head back to celebrate her brothers 8th birthday with the fam. He's a phenom of a creature and blows my mind with gratitude. Hug my other 4 grand kids and my 2 daughters, smile at the wife for making it all possible and then lay my head down on my pillow knowing well that I am one blessed lucky mo fo. Funny story about the wife and that particular gig with VH. She worked at a bank when I was in the band. Because we were on the inside we knew that VH had been signed, but so had several other bands we knew in the past that never really made it. She totally had the chance to go to this gig but chose to go to her banks Christmas party instead. Who da thunk they were on there way to Super Stardom Led Zepplin kind of levels of fame and fortune. Regrets we all have a few.

 

[Smithers XKR]

Kind of how I feel about my life in general.... underqualified and overpaid but I'm not going to complain. This morning I'll go out side in this warm California sun work on sealing some windows around the house. Then I'll clean up and get ready to go watch my 11 year old granddaughter in a performance where she has a solo...Oh damn I love this kid...fearless. Then head back to celebrate her brothers 8th birthday with the fam. He's a phenom of a creature and blows my mind with gratitude. Hug my other 4 grand kids and my 2 daughters, smile at the wife for making it all possible and then lay my head down on my pillow knowing well that I am one blessed lucky mo fo. Funny story about the wife and that particular gig with VH. She worked at a bank when I was in the band. Because we were on the inside we knew that VH had been signed, but so had several other bands we knew in the past that never really made it. She totally had the chance to go to this gig but chose to go to her banks Christmas party instead. Who da thunk they were on there way to Super Stardom Led Zepplin kind of levels of fame and fortune. Regrets we all have a few.

But you know what man? Sounds like things have worked out in your life just right When we were young we all wanted to be rich and famous rock stars with the money and adulation and the girls and the Ferraris. But look at guys who have had that and gone into hopelessness and drug and drink and despair and wonder what its all about?? I reckon you had a lucky escape man.
Sounds to me you got it made, seeing how well your grandkids are doing and you are sorted.

I never had kids but got 2 nieces and 2 nephews who I love to bits.
I reckon all I want in life now is to have enough money to live on which I have without having to work no more. Keep my health, play some golf, enjoy my old Jag car, mess around with my studio room, and make sure I dont stress my mom who I live with.
Just want to be happy and healthy bro