The 2nd Time Around

I wonder what everyone thinks about us reconnecting and writing old memories here. This blog seems to have gotten a lot of hits. If only we could have sold this many records!

Thinking about old acquaintances has made me remember how I ran across people from back in the day. Donna Burton in Las Vegas spotted me swimming in the pool at Caesar's Palace and recognized me....that's how she came to be sitting at the sound board at a Manilow show. Dee Dee Dardarian and I saw each other at a party in North Hollywood. She was working wardrobe for Vanna White on Wheel of Fortune. I saw Paul Leka in Connecticut at a club I went to after a performance at some arena in Hartford. He was scouting the band that was playing the club, wondering whether to take them into his studio and produce a demo for them. Na Na Na Na, Hey Hey, Good-bye Paul. I saw Gayle Philips in West Hollywood when she was on vacation and we talked about old times. I ran into Reid King at a NAMM Show in Anaheim, and we were both trying out guitars in the Ovation booth. We looked up at each other and said "I know you!" If you remember Gabe Gomez from Massapequa, he was an organ player and we used to jam at his house....his sister was named Nina, and I saw her in London when she was staying at the same hotel as me and we were all hanging in the bar late one night. She had become quite the sophisticated New Yorker!

My wife Elaine and I went to see Leah sing in a club in LA around 1991 and she still sounded great. She and her boyfriend at the time came to my house in the San Fernando Valley a few times to hang, and she updated my astrology chart. Mike Gregory and I connected here in the SF Bay area and had a nice dinner together with our wives at a restaurant in Berkeley.  I went back to my old high school for an all-class reunion and saw Mike Bernardo and his sister Janet. I used to see Eddie when I traveled to Vegas for gigs, he would come hang at whatever hotel I was working at and I went to see his 3 kids. I remember taking him to the backstage area one day and showing him the drummer's kit and sampling gear. I tried to talk him into coming to that high school reunion but he passed on it. I have a vague memory of seeing George at some point in Hollywood at a liquor store but it is a very hazy memory. I remember going to Joy's house a few times when I first moved back to LA after being home on LI for a couple of years.

The band used to rehearse in my parents' house in the back porch room. My Mom used to keep the refrigerator stocked with ice cream sandwiches. Now my 12 year old son plays drums. Downstairs I have a room with a set of drums, 3 amps, an electric guitar, some basses, and a piano. Guess what?  The bands my son plays with rehearse here. Payback!! And then we have to feed them all. He has actually done some paid gigs, and the girl singer/bassist he was in a band with has had meetings with record companies.  Her name is Gabbi Wilson and there are videos of her on youtube. She is 10 years old and has already been on a few TV shows. But as far as my son is concerned, I am not the stage manager Dad....he goes his own way and makes his own decisions about how deep he wants to go. We do jam together quite often, and that is an absolute blast.

But back to SBP....we were first The Love Garden, then SBP, then Fresh Air. We all had nicknames, I was Eel. Mike Gregory was The Atomic Peanut. Eddie was Yaddie. I don't remember any others. There is a lot I remember but probably more I don't. But keep the memories coming and I look forward to reading more all the time.

And thanks Joy for making all this possible.

Marc