Colin with thoughts on AC/DC, Sgt. Pepper’s and Badfinger, plus news on Watershed at Comfest and Natalie’s.
Read MoreMike Parks Benefit Sunday Afternoon at ValleyDale w/Joey Molland (of Badfinger), Willie Phoenix, Bowlers, Blinns & more
Columbus guitar-slinger Mike Parks has been diagnosed with stage-4 stomach cancer. To raise some money and raise his spirits, the folks at Team Productions have put together a truly once in a lifetime bill Sunday September 10th as part of their Valley Dale Ballroom Breakout series. (Click here for a Ricki C. story about the amazing history of Valley Dale) Doors are at 1 pm and music goes until 7 pm. Since I play in the League Bowlers (with Mike Parks) and Ricki C. is the stage manager for this show, I got the scoop on the line-up and set times. Dig this...
First off - click here for Valley Dale info, tickets, location and so on and so forth.....
Doors 1 pm
Rezes/Hall Band 2 - 2:30
Willie Phoenix 2:45 - 3:15
Black Leather Touch 3:30 - 4:00
Erica Blinn 4:15 - 4:45
League Bowlers 5 - 5:30
Joey Molland (Badfinger) w/ The Dan Orr Project 5:45 - 6:30
Yes, that is the real Joey Molland from the real band Badfinger. Click here to read a story by Scott Carr explaining why this matters and you should care.
Please pass on this info and I hope to see you there. - Colin G.
Conversation With Lillian Axe's Ron Taylor - by Scott Carr
I think most people who are passionate about music often have certain artists or bands that hold a special spot in their musical heart that may not be household names. There are always those artists that fly under the radar but somehow manage to leave a big impact on their fans. In the late 80's and early 90's one such band for me was Lillian Axe.
Lillian Axe released their debut album in 1987 and it's follow-up a year later. The band didn't achieve much commercial success with their first two releases and were dropped by MCA Records. After a couple of personnel changes the band quickly signed another deal with I.R.S. records and released two more records before taking an extended break to pursue other projects.
While commercial success always eluded Lillian Axe during their major label years, they managed to build a loyal fan base from constant touring. I saw Lillian Axe numerous times when they made their way through Ohio and it was always a guarantee that wherever they were playing, it was going to be a packed house and you were going to see a great show.
I recently got the chance to catch up with Lillian Axe singer Ron Taylor and ask him a few questions about his time with Lillian Axe and what he's been up to since officially splitting from the band in 2004.
Carr: Ron, who were some of your earliest influences as a singer?
Taylor: I always loved Steven Tyler, Steve Perry, Steve Walsh, David Lee Roth but wow, there were some awesome singers back then!
Carr: Most people first heard of you from seeing Lillian Axe's video for "Dream of A Lifetime" on MTV's Headbanger's Ball but prior to joining Lillian Axe you were in a very popular regional touring band called Stiff. Can you tell me how Stiff formed?
Taylor: I first met the Stiff guys at one of the coolest bars ever, Cardi’s Houston, where they had two band stages side by side. They were in a band called Frenzy and we were in a band called Bittersweet. Both bands stayed at the same short-stay apartment complex and for the entire week, it was just craziness. Rob and Jon were in that band and Drew Smith, who would later play guitar in both Bittersweet and Stiff, was their guitar tech. At some point both bands split up so we all got together and kept rocking.
Carr: Stiff recorded an EP called Straight Up, can you share some memories about recording that record and how guitarist Craig Goldie became involved?
Taylor: That record was an experience in how not to record an album at that time. We went out to LA to do it with someone who was better at advertising than they were at actual recording. We were young and green too, so we played our part in that fiasco. We had met Craig when he was out on tour with Dio and he came out and jammed with us a few times when we played in various spots. He was in LA when we were recording so he stopped by and played a little guitar. Great guy!
Carr: You along with Stiff members Jon Ster and Rob Stratton would eventually join Lillian Axe. How did that come about, was Stiff breaking up at the time?
Taylor: No, Stiff was doing their thing criss-crossing the country playing rock n roll and working to get signed to a record deal with one close call after another. We heard that Lillian was getting signed and soon after that, I received a call from Steve saying that the label wanted a different singer and asked if I would come along. I told him I wouldn’t leave without Rob and Jon and he found a way to make it happen. We hated to walk away from our band Stiff after so much hard work but it was a major label deal that we figured we’d better jump at.
Carr: Robin Crosby from Ratt produced the first Lillian Axe record. How much input did Robin have on that record and what was it like working with him in the studio?
Taylor: We loved Robbin both as a person and as a talent. He was freaking awesome to work with both in pre-production and in the studio where he worked us hard and completely engaged with the project. We learned a lot from him.
Carr: During your time with Lillian Axe, you recorded four proper studio records along with a couple compilations and a live record. Love and War seems to be the fan favorite. My personal favorite is Psychoschizophrenia, which Lillian Axe record is your favorite?
Taylor: Love and War is my favorite although I’m proud of all of them.
Carr: I'm sure there were many highlights during your time in Lillian Axe but what is one of your fondest memories of being in the band?
Taylor: We were playing LA and were staying at the famed Hyatt on Sunset. Darrin and I had adjoining rooms and the next morning around 10am, I heard a loud voice coming from his room. I walked thru the adjoining door to find Darrin talking to none other than Little Richard! Little Richard was the last person in the world I expected to see in Darrin’s room at 10am in the morning! He had met him in the hallway and he was signing an autograph for him. Just Crazy!
Carr: Lillian Axe took a break during the 90's and you were in a project called The Bridge and released a CD called Demo. I love this CD and thought it really showcased your voice and songwriting abilities. It was a pretty big departure from anything you had done with Stiff or Lillian Axe, I always hoped there would be another release from The Bridge. Can you tell me a little bit about how that came together?
Taylor: Drew Smith played guitar in both BitterSweet and in Stiff and lived in AZ. so when I came off the road from Lillian, we got together and just started writing and recording songs. I was definitely ready to do something different and still love those songs. We had a blast!
Carr: You did a reunion with Lillian Axe in the early 2000's and record a live CD with them. Why did you not continue on with the band after that?
Taylor: Yeah, the reunion shows started around '99 or 2000 and we played quite a bit until 2004, playing the U.S., Europe and Japan. After living on the road constantly and chasing that ever-elusive rock n roll dream for over 20 years, I was just completely burnt out on the entire business of music and was ready to stay a little closer to home and do something different. It was never my intention stop singing, heck, that's what I am, a Rock n Roll singer! I was just ready for a new chapter.
Carr: In recent years you have been keeping yourself busy with a cover band called The Daze and an original band called Lowside. Both bands feature former Lillian Axe bandmate Darrin Delatte. How is that all going?
Taylor: Darrin and I have had a blast over the last 10 or so years, playing in our cover band and doing our acoustic duo thang. During that time, we were writing and recording songs which eventually became the Lowside CD. That was one of the best musical experiences I've ever been a part of.
Carr: Last year former Stiff/Lillain Axe guitarist Jon Ster sadly passed away. You and Jon go back a long way, can you tell me how you met Jon and was Stiff the first band you guys were in together?
Taylor: Yeah, Jon and Rob both came from Frenzy and they were my best buddies for many, many years. We've got a many a story and even more that we've surely forgotten.
Broke my heart to lose Jon.
Carr: I met Jon several times back when you guys used to play at the Alrosa Villa in Columbus, Ohio. He was always super nice to the fans and always seemed to have a big smile on his face. Jon brought a lot of energy and talent to Lillian Axe. I always thought Jon was the secret weapon in the band. Thoughts?
Taylor: Oh, I totally agree with you! Jon was an amazing person and musician! He did some wonderful guitar work, keys and vocals for us!
Carr: You played in Columbus many times with Stiff and Lillian Axe. Both bands had a loyal following in this area. Do you have any specific memories of playing in Columbus?
Taylor: We always looked forward to playing the Alrosa and always had a great time with our wonderful friends in Columbus!!
Carr: Thanks for taking out some time to answer these questions Ron. Is there anything else you would like add?
Taylor: Thanks for having me!! Man, I feel so very blessed to have had a life of making music and am still having a blast playing almost every weekend still.
Carr: Lastly, what are your top five favorite albums of all time and what's the first record/album you ever bought?
Taylor: Whew, that's tough to answer since we go thru so many musical phases during our lives.
I think Three Dog Night - Naturally, was the first album I ever bought.
Favs - 6
Aerosmith - Toys in the Attic
Van Halen - Women and Children First
Journey - Infinity
Rush - Moving Pictures
James Taylor - Greatest Hits
Doyle Bramhall II - Jellycream
______________________________________________________________
You can check out Ron Taylor's band Lowside HERE.
Below you will find several YouTube links to music Ron has made over the years with Stiff, Lillian Axe and The Bridge. Make sure to give them a listen.
Click here to read "Remembering Jon Ster" by Scott Carr
Scott Carr is a guitarist who plays in the Columbus, OH bands Radio Tramps and Returning April. Scott is also an avid collector of vinyl records and works at Lost Weekend Records. So...if you are looking for Scott....you'll either find him in a dimly lit bar playing his guitar or in a record store digging for the holy grail.
THIS DATE IN ROCK N ROLL HISTORY - BADFINGER RELEASES STRAIGHT UP BY SCOTT CARR
December 13, 1971 - Badfinger: Straight Up is released.
Released on The Beatles Apple record label, Straight Up is the third album released by Badfinger and the follow up to the previous years breakthrough album No Dice, which contained the hit "No Matter What" and the original version of "Without You," a song that would be covered by Harry Nilsson on his album Nilsson Schmilsson in 1971 and become one of the biggest selling rock songs of the era.
Technically, Straight Up is the third album by the band but the second to feature the classic line-up of Pete Ham, Tom Evans, Joey Molland and Mike Gibbins. The first album to be released under the Badfinger name was Magic Christian Music in early 1970, that album was comprised of three new songs produced by Paul McCartney, including the McCartney-penned "Come and Get It" which became a top ten hit for the band in the US and UK. The rest of Magic Christian Music featured remixed version of seven other songs that were recorded by the band when they were known as The Iveys. The Iveys were the first band to be signed to The Beatles Apple label and their name would be changed to Badfinger, which was inspired by The Beatles song "Bad Finger Boogie" that later became "With A Little Help From My Friends."
With Straight Up Badfinger continued to evolve and create a sound of their own. Being so closely associated with The Beatles had made it tough for the band to achieve their own identity. Initially the band recorded twelve songs in early 1971 that they thought would be the follow up album to No Dice but those tracks were rejected by Apple Records and George Harrison was brought in to oversee the project. Harrison would end up working on four new tracks with the band that would eventually make their way onto Straight Up, but Harrison was unable to complete work on the album because of other commitments, including The Concert For Bangladesh. Harrison told the band he could not finish the project but invited them to perform with him at the Concert For Bangladesh in August. With Harrison out of the picture.....Todd Rundgren stepped in to complete the sessions for Straight Up. Rundgren mixed the entire album and received production credit for eight of the albums twelve songs, with Harrison getting credit for the remaining four songs.
George Harrison with Pete Ham
Day After Day single
Listening to Straight Up you would never guess that there were so many obstacles in the way of making such a great record. It comes off as a very focused and cohesive collection of songs with strong performances from the band. Loaded with power-pop harmonies and hooks.....Badfinger managed to make a near-perfect album with Straight Up. Two singles were released from the album - "Day After Day" and "Baby Blue" - both written by Pete Ham. "Day After Day" came from the George Harrison sessions and features George on slide guitar along with Pete Ham. It would become the highest charting single for the band in the US. "Baby Blue" followed and would be the group's last top twenty single, peaking at No.14 on the Billboard charts. "Baby Blue" had a big resurgence in popularity when it was featured in a recent episode of AMC's Breaking Bad, becoming a top-selling song on iTunes following the airing of the episode. Elsewhere on Straight Up you will find many other standout tracks, including Pete Hams "Name of the Game," "Take It All" and "Perfection." Bassist Tom Evans would also contribute some of his best material, with the songs "Money," "Flying" and "It's Over." Likewise Joey Molland had a strong showing with the songs "Sweet Tuesday Morning," "Suitcase," "I'd Die Babe" and the albums most rocking tune "Sometimes."
Sadly Straight Up would be Badfinger's commercial peak and the band would make one more album for Apple Records before leaving to sign with Warner Brothers. A series of tragic events would follow and bring this line-up of Badfinger to an end with the release of the album Wish You Were Here in 1974. Wish You Were Here is considered by many Badfinger fans to be the bands best work since Straight Up, but unfortunately it was too little too late and the band was drowning in a myriad of bad business decisions and lawsuits. Basically the band was completely broke, had been all but shut down by their legal problems and could not continue. Guitarist Pete Ham committed suicide in April of 1975, followed by the suicide of bassist Tom Evans in 1983. Drummer Mike Gibbins died in 2005. Joey Molland is the only surviving member of Badfinger and still tours and performs the music of Badfinger.
I highly recommend watching VH1's Behind The Music on Badfinger if you are unfamiliar with their career, it truly is the most tragic story in rock history........
Scott Carr is a guitarist who plays in the Columbus, OH bands Radio Tramps and Returning April. Scott is also an avid collector of vinyl records and works at Lost Weekend Records. So...if you are looking for Scott....you'll either find him in a dimly lit bar playing his guitar or in a record store digging for the holy grail.