mrrockcandy

[mrrockcandy]

The Lonely Life Of A Prodigy

I have been waiting to write this piece since 1978!  That’s when I first saw Neal Schon play guitar. It was on TV and I remember a few things: his tremendous Afro, his tasty playing and THAT lead singer. His band, Journey, was on the edge of great success in 1978. I jumped on that bandwagon and am still riding it today. Along the way, I've enjoyed the many diversions that Neal Schon provided. These diversions were projects outside of Journey that Neal instigated because he is compelled to constantly play. Check out his social media! He is always playing at home and posting.

The Prodigy

Schon’s story is the stuff legends are made of. In 1971, at age 15, he was plucked out of Aragon High School in San Mateo, CA. to stand alongside Carlos Santana as the second guitarist in the group Santana. Not only that: At the same time, he turned down Eric Clapton and the Derek and the Dominos gig. The high schooler was blowing away the rock stars of the day. After 3 albums, he left a very dysfunctional Santana band. Also quitting was vocalist/keyboard player, Gregg Rolie the two eventually formed Journey and never looked back. Journey got as big as a band can get. It didn't happen overnight but eventually they ushered in a new era of melodic rock. While the band had a dynamic lead singer who commanded a lot of attention, my sights were always on the guitar player.

Of A Lifetime

My co-worker, Jimmy P., had a particular distaste for Journey. I didn’t understand because he told me he was a fan of Journey from day one. He had stories about them playing in Golden Gate Park and how bad-ass they were. Ok, so what’s the problem? He just looked at me and asked, “Have you ever listened to their first 3 records?” Umm no…

Journey debut album I had not.  It wasn’t until Perry joined that Journey hit my radar. So I purchased their first self-titled LP. I was blown away by the jazz/rock fusion jam band that Journey USED to be. Neal and his Santana band mate, Rolie, had quite a unique thing going with the original Journey. My eyes (and ears) were opened to these long-form jam songs. My appreciation for Neal’s playing only grew after listening to these early albums. Unfortunately, jazz/rock fusion music doesn’t make rock stars wealthy. The band enjoyed local fame in the Bay Area and worked the road very hard. The big time still eluded them.

Look Into The Future

Journey only survived because their manager, Herbie Herbert, had a different vision for the band. He met a hot lead singer whose smooth R & B voice, he felt, would mesh well with Neal's crunchy guitar. So he pushed for this singer to join the band. Even Herbie didn’t realize how brilliant that move was. The band reappeared with new songwriting blood and radio-friendly songs. To say that the band took off from there would be an understatement. The Steve Perry era began. I enjoyed every minute of it! 

Side Jobs

Luckily, for fans of Neal Schon, he is a workaholic. He is always practicing his craft. Whenever Journey had downtime, Schon used it to produce solo material and side projects with other musicians. Both resulted in impressive collaborations.  Since he lives in the Bay Area, along with many other notable musicians, there’s a lot of opportunities. These are the moments that I love! https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2qFr7ZH00q3SSdoPr6LKgI?si=2e0be8eed27a430d Neal's Side Projects In 1981, during some Journey downtime, Neal hooked up with famed jazz/pop keyboardist Jan Hammer. Hammer is famous for writing the theme song for the Miami Vice TV show. Hammer is a master of the sound that dominated the 80's. The collaboration was called “Schon and Hammer” and actually produced a charting song, “No More Lies”. The album was ‘Untold Passion’. The duo reunited the next year for another album, “Here To  Stay”. Neal would perform "No More Lies" on the Escape tour. I recently found out that Jeff Beck also recorded a live album with Jan Hammer in 1977. Coincidence? ..Perhaps.

HSAS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hu7LPtdAsF4 HSAS 1984 Next, in 1984, a 'super group' was created: HSAS! Neal was joined by Bay Area neighbor Sammy Hagar for a quick one-off album and some live shows. Both Neal and Sammy had a lot happening in their respective careers. Something sparked them to join forces. This four-piece powerhouse had Kenny Aaronson (Billy Squire) on bass and Santana’s amazing, original drummer, Michael Shrieve. The four gentleman's last name initials provided the band name. I was lucky enough to see one of the few concerts they played.  It was in SF at the smallish theater, The Warfield.  My friend Steven C. and I knew NOTHING of what we were to hear that night. No one did. It was a hard rock extravaganza! 8 or 9  brand new songs and they were heavy. Much heavier than most Journey songs. A show from San Jose, CA was taped for MTV and recorded for the group’s album.

Bad English

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cu6pclWsxzs Bad English 1989 The year was 1987 and the once-powerhouse band, Journey, was in trouble. The band was having internal turmoil. Lead singer, Steve Perry, went on an extended hiatus. Neal, forever the restless one, kept himself busy, musically. Besides working with big solo acts like Michael Bolton, Neal and Journey keyboard player, Jonathan Cain formed yet another 'super group'. This time combining Cain’s former band mates from The Babys. Jon Waite, singer, and Ricky Phillips, bass, joined Neal and drummer, Dean Castronovo. (BTW - Dean will figure heavily in Neal’s future). The band was called Bad English.  This band recorded 2 albums and played to big crowds. They had a top 20 hit with “When I See You Smile”. Lead singer, John Waite, put the kibosh on Bad English. Apparently, NOT enjoying the band’s success or playing to large crowds. They disbanded in 1991. Very sad because THIS band was the perfect combination of Waite’s awesome vocals and Neal’s hard edge on guitar. Between Waite, Cain and Schon, the songwriting was exceptional in Bad English. Power ballad heaven! https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1U4tFW9ltMFYIyMzaTHute?si=4929d8089826449e

Hardline

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNzOIkGxirA Hardline 1992 With the possibility of a Journey reunion slowly fading away, our hero was looking for another project. In 1992, He approached his two brother-in-laws about playing with him. Johnny and Joey Gioeli had a solid set of songs, looking for a lead guitarist. The band called themselves Hardline. Hardline is an important project for Neal Schon fans. Neal produced the album and plays his most inspired 'glam' hard rock on it. Hardline’s only album with Neal is “Double Eclipse” . The group was working on album #2 when Neal moved on. Neal Schon has guested on countless recordings. Appeared at many concerts as a special guest also. Too many to list them all. However, one stands out to me. Neal joined former Free, Bad Company, The Firm, The Law and Queen (!) lead singer Paul Rodgers for a one night live tribute to Jimi Hendrix. The performance was recorded resulting in a 5-song EP of Hendrix classics. With Neal playing the part of Jimi! This is NOT to be missed!

Soul SirKUS

The next big thing-that never really took off - was a group called Soul SirkUS. It’s formation was the result of another try to work with Sammy Hagar. Neal and Sammy jammed out at Sammy’s home studio with Dean Castronova on drums and Michael Anthony on bass. They wrote some new material and loved what they heard. The group played together live a few times and made plans. Neal got busy writing more songs. The band was to be called “Planet US” (2002) . Much to Neal’s disappointment, those plans never materialized.  HOWEVER, the industrious Schon was not going to let those rocking songs go to waste.  He looked around for other players to join him and record this set of rockers he wrote. Neal had heard about Jeff Scot Soto’s reputation as a strong singer. In 2004, Neal got a chance to play with Jeff at the annual NAMM conference and it went fantastically well. Neal asked Jeff if he wanted to work together. Soto's first task was to put lyrics to the songs Neal wrote. Soto Scott did exactly that. He added lyrics and trimmed down the epic Schon jams into songs. The band (completed with Marco Mendoza on bass and Castronova on drums ) recorded the album in 2004 and planned a short tour. They made a stop at the Fillmore in SF (April 27, 2005) and I was there!  NOTE: In 2006, Journey hired Jeff Scot Soto to sing. His Journey gig only lasted one year Mr. Rock Candy's Soul SirkUS Pics

Journey Through Time

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyB3nKadyTQ Journey Through Time - Live at the Independent

Journey Through Time 2018 This most recent Neal Schon project, outside of Journey, was actually VERY inside Journey. The project was named “Journey Through Time” and was a reunion, of sorts. To be honest, I was waiting for this moment for quite a long time. Neal hooked up with Gregg Rolie, his Journey co-founder. The two did something that Journey fans have waited 50 years to see again. Schon and Rollie reunited to play their original Journey songs (pre- Steve Perry) live for the first time in a 'lifetime'.  It happened on February 9th, 2018 at The Independent in SF. The Independent is tiny. It fits (maybe) 200 people. Current Journey drummer, Deen Castronova, joined and Marco Mendoza was on bass. The set list was heavy with those early Journey jams; ‘Of a Lifetime’, ‘Look Into The Future’, ‘Kohutek’ and ‘Mystery Mountain’. The special night also included some of the rarely-performed Steve Perry era songs. (“La Do Da’, ‘Just The Same Way’, ‘Walks Like A Lady’). The shocker to the whole night was Deen Castronova's singing the Steve Perry songs to perfection! It was a full circle moment for me. I had listened to those old Journey songs for all those years without ever enjoying the live versions. Neal and Gregg Rolie did not disappoint. Neal played those long jams like he still had that big Afro hair. BTW, I  made sure I brought my old coworker, Jimmy P., with me that night. The whole thing was recorded and released on video and audio. A special night that I get to relive anytime I want! Today, the band Journey is enjoying renewed interest and Neal has been kept busy on tour. I look forward to the day when he has some Journey-free time. He will be on the hunt for something new. I will happily go along for that ride. Read the full article

[mrrockcandy]

Rockers Unplug and Raise $$ For Kid's Cancer Benefit

Bigger View of the poster SETLIST courtesy of setlist.fm This is one of those nights that I wish I could actually re-live. The following will have to do: A night that was jam packed with amazing moments. Luckily, many of the 1100 people at the Fillmore had their phones out, recording the once-in-a-lifetime moments. Including me! This was a benefit concert for the Pediatric Cancer Program at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital. The mostly acoustic evening was born out of a conversion between Sammy Hagar and James Hetfield. This event, in 2014, was the FIRST ANNUAL one. The last one was number eight and took place in 2023. No word yet on 2024…

Your hosts for the evening Hagar was already a supporter of the phenomenal work that the pediatric cancer program was doing and mentioned a benefit concert to his neighbor, James Hetfield, and very quickly they had an all-star lineup lined up. How the idea of ‘’acoustic’ came up is not clear but the lineup contained artists who are not necessarily known for their acoustic work. The organizers, Metallica lead singer James Hetfield and The Red Rocker himself, Sammy Hagar are definitely plugged in most of the time. Add Joe Satriani, the electric guitar magician, and the evening gets a little more interesting. 

The Poster

A look at the poster reveals the other musicians participating: Joe Satriani, Nancy Wilson of Heart, Billie Joe Armstrong (Green Day), Pat Monahan (Train), & Scott Mathews. Besides the ‘stars’ were Sammy’s guitarist, Vic Johnson and guitarist Lauren Langner Larson (UME)  This Fillmore poster artist is uncredited.

James Hetfield

Billie Joe Armstrong

Nancy Wilson

Sammy Hagar

Surprise Collaborations

When it comes to benefit shows, expect the unexpected. The vibe is usually loose and when Sammy is running things, it can get super-loose. Performers meander on and off stage, joining in on each other's little sets. This night did not disappoint on that front. The buzz on anticipation was in the air all night. The big payoff for me was the collaboration/mashup of James Hetfield and Billie Joe Armstrong. Picture the scene of Hetfield stage right and Armstrong stage left. Acoustic guitars at the ready (one doesn’t have to picture the scene, it’s preserved for all to see as hundreds of us in the crowd lifted our phones to capture the moment). 

Hetfield & Armstrong Hetfield started the mashup with a Bob Segar classic, “Turn The Page”. Metallica covered the song years ago. After singing a verse and chorus, all eyes shifted over to Billie Joe. The crowd erupted when he began the familiar chords of Green Day’s “Boulevard of Broken Dreams”. The two exchanged verses of their respective songs. Very fun time. 

Acoustic 'Dreams'

The special night started with it’s founders Sammy and James addressing the crowd. Seeing two of my favorite artists teaming up is special. They explained the origin of the benefit and their commitment to making it an annual event. Meanwhile Vic Johnson was tuning up his twelve string, getting ready to start the show. Vic has been Sammy’s guitar player on and off since 1997 so I am confident that we are in good hands. A fun, acoustic version of the snappy Sammy classic “Red Voodoo” started the show. Next was a huge sing-along with the Van Halen hit “Dreams”.   https://youtu.be/9zH1jhwmE04 Higher and Higher The first cool collaboration of the night came next when Nancy Wilson walked out to join Sammy! Wilson appeared on the duet album “Sammy & Friends” , released a year prior. She joined Sammy on their song from that album , the tropical “All We Need Is An Island”, adding her soft vocal harmonies. It sounds great on the album. It sounded even better live! Sammy plays the 12 string on this song. 

Heart of the Matter

Nancy Wilson stayed onstage as it was her turn next to shine.  I was really looking forward to seeing her on the acoustic after hearing her jam on one for so many years. She is a true acoustic rocker! Of course, she did not disappoint! Heart’s power ballad, “These Dreams” started her set and was followed by “Let Me Roll It”, a Paul McCartney & Wings cover. Little did I know that Heart sings this song all the time in concert. I was beyond excited to hear this old favorite! Guitarist Lauren Langner Larson joined Wilson for another cover; Neil Young's “Hey, Hey, My, My (into the Black)”. Lauren is a dynamic performer BTW! Wilson's set ended with Heart’s rocker “Even It Up”. A short but lovely set. Read the full article

[mrrockcandy]

This Genius Skunk Can Really Play

Don’t ask guitarist/producer Jeff Baxter how he got his nickname, ‘Skunk’. He won’t ever tell you. It's not that he doesn't like the name, he just doesn’t want to tell. It’s his secret to keep and he can definitely keep a secret just ask the US Navy One day, roughly 45 years ago, I was looking at the back of The Best of the Doobies album. Definitely one of the stellar greatest hits collections in American pop music history. On the back of the album is a typical group picture. It’s the 1976 version of the Doobies and one of the members stuck out to my wise-ass teenage mind. I kidded my sister’s boyfriend, Gary, about the guy at the left end of the picture, with the snakeskin cowboy boots. “What kind of boots are THOSE?” “And those tight pants?” “This guy looks like a freak,” my inexperience on full display. 

Gary tells me, “If you are as badass as Jeff “Skunk” Baxter, you can wear whatever you want.” I was a Doobie Brothers fan at the time, everyone was. But I was unaware of Jeff Baxter and his history. In 1976 it was rare to see a rock band on TV so I hadn't caught him in action yet.

Seated?

I did eventually catch the Doobies on TV and noticed Baxter because he performed while seated on a stool. He had headphones and dark sunglasses on. His long hair and walrus mustache flowed as he jammed flawlessly. He was uniquely cool. It is said that Jim Henson, of Muppet fame, designed a rocker puppet based on Jeff’s look to play along with Animal! The Muppet's name is Floyd. I was unaware that I had already heard Jeff Baxter's guitar work many times on the radio. Baxter was a founding member of Steely Dan. Now it was all making sense. Again it was Gary who turned me on to a song called “Peg” by Steely Dan. My rock and roll heart wasn’t ready for Steely Dan at that time. It was years later that my appreciation came for these masters.  Baxter’s stint in Steely Dan ended up being very advantageous for the Doobie Brothers. It was through Steely Dan that Baxter met a singer/keyboard player named Michael McDonald. Baxter recommended McDonald to the Doobies when leader Tom Johnston left the group.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpaIfCY79gc One of the most memorable Doobie TV performances around this time  is from Soundstage

Musical Success

The addition of McDonald to the Doobie Brothers brought a string of hit records and a new sound. Thanks to Baxter’s recommendation, the band had new life! Baxter was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2020 as a member of the Doobies. Jeff “Skunk” Baxter’s music career is considered a smashing success!  At 75 years old, he can look back and see evidence of his greatness all over music. As a bandmate, a session player or producer, Baxter did it all! However his music career is NOT the story I want to tell. 

The fascinating story of Jeff "Skunk" Baxter is his life OUTSIDE of the music business. The impetus for this post is my discovery of Baxter’s first solo album Speed of Heat, released in 2022 (it is extraordinary, by the way). This spurred me to, once and for all, get to the bottom of Baxter’s “day jobs”.  Actually he has multiple day jobs as a consultant on ballistic missiles systems and counterterrorism among other ‘secret agent’ duties. This fact has confused me ever since I heard it mentioned years ago.  Once I learned about Baxter’s early life and achievements, it became apparent, almost destined, that he would become much more than a rock star. From starting classical piano lessons at five to learning Spanish at age 9, after his family moved to Mexico City, the young Baxter was a prodigy. This is about the time a young ‘skunk’ first picked up a guitar.  Baxter was and continues to be an eager lifelong student with an insatiable appetite for learning. 

The Birth Of A Genius

When he was just 10 years old, he was playing in a little Mexican rock and roll combo. It was 1958, rock and roll was in it’s infancy but the young Baxter was absorbing all the music. He was especially fond of surf-rock pioneers, The Ventures. (Baxter’s amazing life came full circle when he produced a Ventures record). His love of the guitar and natural curiosity caused him, like many guitar-heads, to take apart his guitar and learn how it worked. This helped him later in his teens when he began working part-time in Manhattan for legendary guitar maker Dan Armstrong.

The Birth Of A Musician

The young, brilliant Jeff Baxter turned to music full time after he spent a year in New England at the University’s School of Communication. He joined a psychedelic folk-rock band Ultimate Spinach in 1968. Two years later his guitar playing was featured on a recording by Tim Buckley and Linda Hoover that recently resurfaced. This song was written by Walter Becker and Donald Fagen. These two future Steely Dan founders were impressed with Baxter’s guitar chops. After a move to Los Angeles, Steely Dan was born with Baxter onboard on guitar. That debut album “Can’t Buy a Thrill” drew a lot of attention. Scoring Baxter many, many jobs as a studio musician. In 1974, he left Steely Dan for the Doobies where he remained until 1979.

Finally...the story

Somewhere around this time is when our story takes a severe turn. Baxter was helping a neighbor in Los Angeles dig out from a mudslide. This neighbor was a retired engineer who helped design the Sidewinder missile for the US Navy. As a thank you for his mudslinging, this neighbor gifted Baxter subscriptions to Aviation Week and Janes Defense. Baxter took to these publications and found his interests pointing to missile defense systems. This began a deep-dive that lasted years and resulted in Baxter writing a paper proposing a conversion of the military’s Aegis plane defense program. How does a musician, no matter how brilliant, go from playing and producing music to designing a missile defense system?

CDs and Defense Missiles

It was the early 1980s and the music industry was changing from analog to digital! A producer with the curiosity of “Skunk” would have learned all he could about digital compression and how to manipulate it. His deep-dive into the new technology opened up a new world and stimulated him to imagine applying the technology to other scenarios. He married this knowledge with what he was studying in defense missile systems and the result was a technical paper. Baxter shared the paper with a California congressman friend of his, Dana Rohrabacher, who shared it with the chair of the House Military Research and Development Subcommittee. This must have made an impact because in 1995 Baxter was nominated to chair the Civilian Advisory Board for Ballistic Missile Defense.

Many Jobs

The rocker who sits and plays beautifully, whose likeness is borrowed by a Muppet, is indeed working for the government and he CANNOT discuss any of it with you. This was only the beginning for ‘Secret Agent” Skunk. The government then asked Baxter to lead enemy forces in war game simulations. When pressed, Baxter will reveal his other affiliations over the years.  He is a consultant for the Global Security Sector of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, a member of the Director’s Strategic Red Team at MIT Lincoln Laboratories and a Senior Thinker for the Institute for Human & Machine Cognition. He is also the chairman of the Civilian Advisory Board for Ballistic Missile Defense for the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies.

Rebecca Sapp  Getty Images for The Recording Academy

More Jobs

In between guitar solos, Hall of Fame Inductions and winning 2 Grammys, Baxter has worked as a consultant for Northrop-Grumman, Science Applications International Corporation, Ball Aerospace, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Photon Research, General Dynamics Information Technologies, and other companies. He is also under contract with the Department of Energy, the Department of Defense among others.  Jeff “Skunk” Baxter is a man of multiple talents. To the general public, he is more famous for his musical prowess than for his civic duty. To those in the National Defense realm, he is an invaluable American asset. It’s hard to decide which one benefits humanity more. One thing is for sure, we can hear and see the evidence of his musicality all over the airwaves. What he does in the dark corners of our military establishments is none of our business.  Read the full article

[mrrockcandy]

I Saw Them When (INSERT NAME HERE) Played Lead

Sometimes you know that it will be the last time. Other times it comes as a surprise, a shock maybe. When a soldier in a rock group leaves that group, for whatever reason, it affects everyone involved. It could signal the end of an era. Or the start of something new and bigger. I watched a few bands go through this and lived to tell about it.

The Dave and Sam Show

Can't I like BOTH? Big names on my list are the lead singers who left. It’s hard to imagine a band continuing a successful career AFTER replacing the main voice. Well, Van Halen sure did. On September 14th, 1982, I finally got the chance to see Van Halen perform live (Cow Palace, Daly City CA).  Four years after their debut album burned the wax out of my ears. They had become my favorite band by this time. Listening to them was fun but seeing them live was transformational. Lead singer David Lee Roth was unbelievable in his heyday. While never considered a great singer, he is definitely considered one of the best front men in rock history. My favorite DLR moment comes out of the darkness of the Cow Palace that night. Right after the announcer asks us to welcome "The Mighty Van Halen!" , the stage explodes in bright light, the blonde lead singer can be seen high in the air, in mid-jump, off the drum riser. My love for VH continued, even after Dave left. Roth’s replacement, Sammy Hagar, brought an established entity into the VH fold. Many fans, even to this day, resent Hagar’s time with Eddie and Alex. The band’s style did change slightly but that was Eddie's natural evolution. Van Halen was actually more commercially successful with Sammy. Both eras are kick ass. Regardless, old men, like me, still argue about it.

Now I'm Here

Unlike David Lee Roth, who is still walking the earth, some artists didn't quit or get fired from their band. Some, tragically, died in the middle of their careers. I saw Freddie Mercury and  Queen perform in 1982 (Oakland Coliseum Arena, CA ) on the Hot Space tour. This tour was the last time Freddie played in North America. Freddie’s stage presence was unique and magical. Every move was a picture. His perfect voice was as good in person, if not better, than on record. The Queen set list is a trip through the popular music of my adolescence. The concert was a blur of action. An immense stage, banks and banks of lighting, smoke and a very loud guitar filled the Oakland Arena. But Freddie stood out. No one took their eyes off of him.  After Freddie died in 1991, the world mourned along with the band. The demand for Queen music persisted. It wasn't until 2004 that they dared to reunite. The quite-capable Paul Rodgers (Free, Bad Company) agreed to stand behind the mic. Queen + Paul Rogers lasted 5 years (1 record, many, many miles on the road)

Queen + Adam Lambert during their "Rhapsody" tour appearance on Aug. 22, 2019. Adam Lambert sang with Brain and Roger as part of "American Idol" in 2011. Then, years later, he repeated the act at a show honoring the band. That gig turned into a much longer one. Lambert hit the road with Brian May and Roger Taylor for a HUGE Queen tour. He fit perfectly despite his age compared to his band mates. Lambert displayed just the right combination of respect and vitality to Freddie's masterpieces. No one could have done better at honoring and celebrating Freddie Mercury. This may not even count. I saw Jefferson Starship with 3 original members of the Jefferson Airplane. The key, for me, was Grace Slick. Granted this was many years after the Airplane set the psychedelic world on fire. Pretty damn cool to hear Grace Slick singing "White Rabbit" in 1984 (Greek Theater, Berkeley CA) . It brought a little of that 60’s vibe to the 80's concert experience. Her voice never faltered. 

He Stopped Believin'

Steve Perry of Journey performing at the Rosemont Horizon in Rosemont, Illinois, May 21, 1982. (Photo by Paul Natkin/Getty Images) Another man, nicknamed the “Voice”, fronted a local band. This local band went from obscurity to full-blown superstardom right under my nose. Even though they originated in my backyard, I first saw them on TV in 1978. They were on a PBS show, out of Chicago, called “Soundstage”. The band is Journey and the ‘Voice’ belongs to Steve Perry. There is one important thing to remember about Steve Perry: his incredible voice sounds no differently live than on record. A true crooner for a generation with a range not usually found in a rock band. Journey was the soundtrack of my high school years.  I was lucky enough to see and hear Perry sing with Journey twice. It wasn’t enough. Steve Perry split from Journey in 1987 The band was dormant until Perry returned in 1995 to record a new album. A full reunion and tour was planned but never materialized . Journey pushed on because their music had a resurgence. The band went through a few lead singer replacements but never caught the fire again. The music will always speak for itself and Journey songs are part of the American fabric. Currently, the band is fronted by its longest-tenured replacement, Arnel Pineda. Arnel has an unbelievable story. He was plucked from YouTube (and the Philippines) by Journey guitarist/founder Neal Schon to front the band. The band continues to enjoy healthy touring success with Arnel singing his heart out.

Same Makeup, Different Guys

KISS original members Peter Criss (left) and Ace Frehley (right) were replaced

My first concert t-shirt I first saw KISS in 1979. It was the Dynasty tour.  I had been waiting 3 years to see my heroes. My 15 year old head exploded that night. They were still in full costume and face paint in those days. So many firsts, both good and bad, happened to me that night. KISS originals Ace Frehley and Peter Criss were still in the band in 1979. The show was spectacular. The tour was the last with the originals until 1996 when they reunited. After these two members left (were fired), the band replaced them. KISS continued to record and tour for many years without 2 of the founding members. The replacements lived through KISS’s decision to take off the makeup. Then had to sit on the sidelines while Gene and Paul reunited with Ace and Peter for a Reunion tour. Finally the band decided that the replacements would wear the face paint of Ace and Peter. The band embraced it’s past and toured before and after the COVID pandemic. They officially calling it quits 4 years later. Stay tuned!

Tragedy Strikes

Street Survivors Last album by the original Lynyrd Skynyrd Lynyrd Skynyrd was 2nd on the bill of my first-ever rock concert. It was the summer of 1977 and Peter Frampton was headlining a Day on the Green stadium show. Frampton was the attraction for me.  I knew some of Lynyrd Skynyrd's radio hits but I didn’t appreciate the band until a few years later.  I remember singing along to “Sweet Home Alabama” and “Freebird” and enjoying the whole experience. Tragically, later on this same tour, the plane carrying the band crashed on it’s way to Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Killed on impact were lead singer and heart of the band, Ronnie Van Zant and Steve Gaines, along with backup singer Cassie Gaines (Steve's older sister), assistant road manager Dean Kilpatrick, pilot Walter McCreary and co-pilot John Gray. Such a tragedy. There are some fantastic videos of the band from the show I was at. I only wish I had focused more on Skynyrd that day.

Just Missed These Guys

There are many times that I have seen a band playing with the replacements of an original member. Sometimes it’s even a replacement of the replacement. However, I have missed many notable originals. Cliff Burton died in a bus crash that his band mates survived. Amazingly, Metallica pushed on. I have enjoyed every decibel of every Metallica concert. I still wish I had witnessed Cliff Burton on bass.

Bon Scott and Brian Johnson AC DC I also missed Bon Scott singing lead for AC/DC. Scott's replacement, Brian Johnson, has been the recipient of the bulk of AC/DC's success. But, as is often the case, AC/DC would never have reached that success without Bon Scott. I never saw Keith Moon playing the drums for the Who. To be fair, I was probably a little too young to see these last two.

Ozzy and Randy I was hoping to catch the Ozzy the next time he came around. Randy Rhodes played guitar for Ozzy Osbourne. He was a brilliant player. I had my chances to see him live and I missed them. By the time Ozzy came back around, Rhodes was long gone.  I suppose that the lesson learned is to never take anything for granted. Enjoy those live moments at concerts. Those times are fleeting. You may be witnessing history. And give those replacements a break!! Read the full article

[mrrockcandy]

Let's all send a message out there that Brittany Howard deserves the Grammy this year for her album "What Now" Read the full article

[mrrockcandy]

THIS IS Tom...Growing Old?

One of my earliest live concert experiences was unforgettable: at an iconic venue, watching the epitome of cool pour his heart (and sweat) into every note. OK, the fact that my parents took me may not be very cool. Also the fact that it was one of my parent’s artists, not cool. I was 12 years old so I wasn’t going to argue because we were seeing Tom Jones!  The year was 1975. The venue was The Circle Star Theater in San Carlos, CA. Just last month (October 2024) 50 years later, I had the pleasure, once again, of seeing SIR Tom Jones perform at the Fox Theater in Oakland, CA. This got me thinking about Tom Jones, his staying power and how special he has been to me throughout my life.

I Heard it In The Womb

Source: via City of Minneapolis Archives / Flickr I didn't have a choice regarding Tom Jones. His music was part of my childhood. My mother was a big fan of his. All the mothers in my neighborhood were fans.  In the late 60’s, early 70’s, Tom had the housewife market locked up, All the moms were stay-at-home and listened to the same radio station. There were days when Tom Jones could be heard coming through the open windows up and down the block. Besides digging his music, hearing his voice reminds me of my mother and that’s really great.  I remember watching his short-lived TV variety show. “Ladies and Gentlemen….THIS is Tom Jones!” . He was so dynamic and exciting. A Tom Jones performance must be so exciting to see in person. Luckily for me, my parents were music fans.  They had a good collection of records and attended live shows every now and then. They had, of course, seen Tom Jones already a few times so when they saw that he was coming back to town, they made plans to see him again. 

I’m Going

I am not sure how I ended up going with them. Did they invite me? Did I ask to go? Did I beg to go? Did I bug the hell out of them so they took me? Any of these are possible. Whatever it was, the three of us plus my sister and her boyfriend, hopped into the family Granada and headed down Highway 101 toward San Carlos and the magic that was The Circle Star Theater.

The Circle Star Theater was a one-of-a-kind venue. It opened in 1964 in the sleepy peninsula town of San Carlos.  Surprisingly, the venue was backed by big Hollywood types, including Sammy Davis Jr., Debbie Reynolds and others. It was located 25 miles south of San Francisco. The name refers to the stage which was a circle and rotated. Capacity was 3,700 and no seat was further than 50 feet from the stage. In 1971, the stage became rotating. It would take 8 minutes for the stage to make a complete circle. The performers would enter by walking down the “Star Aisle” from the back of the venue to the stage. I once saw Chuck Berry there (another great story). He stood behind the mic and stated, "I guess I have to start playing for this stage to start turning, so here goes!" It was quite an impressive place and, for a time, attracted the biggest stars, including  Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., The Jackson 5 and Cheech and Chong. I, personally, attended a good number of shows there until it tragically closed in 1993.

Circle Star-Struck

Needless to say, I was sufficiently blown away by the whole situation at the Circle Star. I was beside myself to see Tom Jones run down that “Star Aisle” and take the stage in all his hairy-chest glory. In 1975, Tom was 35 years old, in fantastic shape. It was Tom’s 10th year in show business. 

His vocals were still full-throated baritone. His head of hair had big 70's volume, his attire was a silk shirt, unbuttoned, big crucifix hanging around his neck and black slacks. The pants seemed to have a full salami stuffed in them. I soaked up everything. His performance, his look, his moves, the Circle Star: all left a lasting impression on me. 

Call It "TJ Confidence"

A little secret I am revealing here: As a teen, I used to listen to Tom Jones music as I prepared to go to a dance or on a date. I was hoping that some of his swag and coolness would wear off on me. Looking back on it, the ritual was a confidence builder. It worked.  Watching Tom Jones helped me figure out how to move on a dance floor. I was never mistaken for a good dancer but I successfully blended into the crowd. Listening to my parent’s “Live in Las Vegas” album and it’s infectious energy always helped me awaken my Joe Cool mojo. 

That Voice Stayed

My Tom Jones fandom has continued on until this day. I spent my adolescence making my way through popular music and, definitely, making my own choices. Whether my latest obsession was Huey Lewis and the News or Metallica, I always tried to keep tabs on Sir Tom. He would fall in and out of favor over the years but he continued to work. In the 90’s, however, he had a big resurgence based on the popular TV show “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air” and it's character, Carlton. Tom continued to make music and some songs actually charted. His voice, THAT voice never, ever faltered. This is the true appeal of Tom Jones. Yes, the ladies love his sex appeal and all the guys want to be cool like him but it’s his voice that has stood the test of time. 

Sir Tom

Fast forward to today, Tom is now called Sir Tom after being made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1999, was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2006 at Buckingham Palace for his services to music. Tom has also had a resurgence due to his judgeship on the UK’s version of the TV show “The Voice”. He has been back in the studio and produced a few serious chart contenders. He has appeared ageless save for the full head of silver hair. His voice has survived the years. Can he still hit those full-throated baritone notes? Most would say he ‘almost’ gets them. Tom Jones’ ‘almost’ is better than most singers.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofQcvPezclk Tom’s “Surrounded By Time” Tour made a stop at the Fox Theater in Oakland this year. I was very happy to attend. Tom is 84 years old. He has, understandably, slowed down.  His signature stage movements are mere suggestions now. Both hips have been replaced and he has to sit down a few times over a 90 minute show. His show is a good mix of the big hits and poignant newer songs that are more appropriate for a man of Tom’s age.  In fact, the show starts off quietly with a song from his “Surrounded By Time” album called “I’m Growing Old”. Tom sits on a stool and laments about aging, looking old and feeble. What a fake-out that was! He may be growing old but he is not withering away.

He IS Growing Old

Tom Jones is the VOICE and that voice shows no sign of growing old. After that opening number set the tone, Jones spent the rest of the night proving it wrong. He wasn’t moving like he did in 1975 but he sure was hitting all the notes. An amazing 49 years later, I am still amazed and entertained by the same man. Tom and his young, energetic band ripped through the greatest hits, playing them in a stripped down way. There was no orchestra, just a small group of musicians who could recreate the magic. Even on those classics from the 60s. The stripped down versions of “Delilah” and “What’s New Pussy Cat” sounded as fresh as the day they were released.  There is still the glimmer of a sex symbol even at his advanced age. Ceremonial panties were thrown on the stage. Ladies of all ages were swooning at an 84 yr old man. For Tom, it’s business as usual. He knows exactly how to act and exactly what to say. Lately Tom has been talking about his relationship with Elvis. The two were apparently good friends during Elvis’ Vegas years. I can only imagine!! Seeing Tom STILL killing it at his age only makes me think of what Elvis would be doing these days. I’d like to think he has grown old gracefully with his voice still intact. Just like Tom Jones has done.  Read the full article

[mrrockcandy]

This Genius Skunk Can Really Play

Don’t ask guitarist/producer Jeff Baxter how he got his nickname, ‘Skunk’. He won’t ever tell you. It's not that he doesn't like the name, he just doesn’t want to tell. It’s his secret to keep and he can definitely keep a secret just ask the US Navy One day, roughly 45 years ago, I was looking at the back of The Best of the Doobies album. Definitely one of the stellar greatest hits collections in American pop music history. On the back of the album is a typical group picture. It’s the 1976 version of the Doobies and one of the members stuck out to my wise-ass teenage mind. I kidded my sister’s boyfriend, Gary, about the guy at the left end of the picture, with the snakeskin cowboy boots. “What kind of boots are THOSE?” “And those tight pants?” “This guy looks like a freak,” my inexperience on full display. 

Gary tells me, “If you are as badass as Jeff “Skunk” Baxter, you can wear whatever you want.” I was a Doobie Brothers fan at the time, everyone was. But I was unaware of Jeff Baxter and his history. In 1976 it was rare to see a rock band on TV so I hadn't caught him in action yet.

Seated?

I did eventually catch the Doobies on TV and noticed Baxter because he performed while seated on a stool. He had headphones and dark sunglasses on. His long hair and walrus mustache flowed as he jammed flawlessly. He was uniquely cool. It is said that Jim Henson, of Muppet fame, designed a rocker puppet based on Jeff’s look to play along with Animal! The Muppet's name is Floyd. I was unaware that I had already heard Jeff Baxter's guitar work many times on the radio. Baxter was a founding member of Steely Dan. Now it was all making sense. Again it was Gary who turned me on to a song called “Peg” by Steely Dan. My rock and roll heart wasn’t ready for Steely Dan at that time. It was years later that my appreciation came for these masters.  Baxter’s stint in Steely Dan ended up being very advantageous for the Doobie Brothers. It was through Steely Dan that Baxter met a singer/keyboard player named Michael McDonald. Baxter recommended McDonald to the Doobies when leader Tom Johnston left the group.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpaIfCY79gc One of the most memorable Doobie TV performances around this time  is from Soundstage

Musical Success

The addition of McDonald to the Doobie Brothers brought a string of hit records and a new sound. Thanks to Baxter’s recommendation, the band had new life! Baxter was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2020 as a member of the Doobies. Jeff “Skunk” Baxter’s music career is considered a smashing success!  At 75 years old, he can look back and see evidence of his greatness all over music. As a bandmate, a session player or producer, Baxter did it all! However his music career is NOT the story I want to tell. 

The fascinating story of Jeff "Skunk" Baxter is his life OUTSIDE of the music business. The impetus for this post is my discovery of Baxter’s first solo album Speed of Heat, released in 2022 (it is extraordinary, by the way). This spurred me to, once and for all, get to the bottom of Baxter’s “day jobs”.  Actually he has multiple day jobs as a consultant on ballistic missiles systems and counterterrorism among other ‘secret agent’ duties. This fact has confused me ever since I heard it mentioned years ago.  Once I learned about Baxter’s early life and achievements, it became apparent, almost destined, that he would become much more than a rock star. From starting classical piano lessons at five to learning Spanish at age 9, after his family moved to Mexico City, the young Baxter was a prodigy. This is about the time a young ‘skunk’ first picked up a guitar.  Baxter was and continues to be an eager lifelong student with an insatiable appetite for learning. 

The Birth Of A Genius

When he was just 10 years old, he was playing in a little Mexican rock and roll combo. It was 1958, rock and roll was in it’s infancy but the young Baxter was absorbing all the music. He was especially fond of surf-rock pioneers, The Ventures. (Baxter’s amazing life came full circle when he produced a Ventures record). His love of the guitar and natural curiosity caused him, like many guitar-heads, to take apart his guitar and learn how it worked. This helped him later in his teens when he began working part-time in Manhattan for legendary guitar maker Dan Armstrong.

The Birth Of A Musician

The young, brilliant Jeff Baxter turned to music full time after he spent a year in New England at the University’s School of Communication. He joined a psychedelic folk-rock band Ultimate Spinach in 1968. Two years later his guitar playing was featured on a recording by Tim Buckley and Linda Hoover that recently resurfaced. This song was written by Walter Becker and Donald Fagen. These two future Steely Dan founders were impressed with Baxter’s guitar chops. After a move to Los Angeles, Steely Dan was born with Baxter onboard on guitar. That debut album “Can’t Buy a Thrill” drew a lot of attention. Scoring Baxter many, many jobs as a studio musician. In 1974, he left Steely Dan for the Doobies where he remained until 1979.

Finally...the story

Somewhere around this time is when our story takes a severe turn. Baxter was helping a neighbor in Los Angeles dig out from a mudslide. This neighbor was a retired engineer who helped design the Sidewinder missile for the US Navy. As a thank you for his mudslinging, this neighbor gifted Baxter subscriptions to Aviation Week and Janes Defense. Baxter took to these publications and found his interests pointing to missile defense systems. This began a deep-dive that lasted years and resulted in Baxter writing a paper proposing a conversion of the military’s Aegis plane defense program. How does a musician, no matter how brilliant, go from playing and producing music to designing a missile defense system?

CDs and Defense Missiles

It was the early 1980s and the music industry was changing from analog to digital! A producer with the curiosity of “Skunk” would have learned all he could about digital compression and how to manipulate it. His deep-dive into the new technology opened up a new world and stimulated him to imagine applying the technology to other scenarios. He married this knowledge with what he was studying in defense missile systems and the result was a technical paper. Baxter shared the paper with a California congressman friend of his, Dana Rohrabacher, who shared it with the chair of the House Military Research and Development Subcommittee. This must have made an impact because in 1995 Baxter was nominated to chair the Civilian Advisory Board for Ballistic Missile Defense.

Many Jobs

The rocker who sits and plays beautifully, whose likeness is borrowed by a Muppet, is indeed working for the government and he CANNOT discuss any of it with you. This was only the beginning for ‘Secret Agent” Skunk. The government then asked Baxter to lead enemy forces in war game simulations. When pressed, Baxter will reveal his other affiliations over the years.  He is a consultant for the Global Security Sector of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, a member of the Director’s Strategic Red Team at MIT Lincoln Laboratories and a Senior Thinker for the Institute for Human & Machine Cognition. He is also the chairman of the Civilian Advisory Board for Ballistic Missile Defense for the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies.

Rebecca Sapp  Getty Images for The Recording Academy

More Jobs

In between guitar solos, Hall of Fame Inductions and winning 2 Grammys, Baxter has worked as a consultant for Northrop-Grumman, Science Applications International Corporation, Ball Aerospace, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Photon Research, General Dynamics Information Technologies, and other companies. He is also under contract with the Department of Energy, the Department of Defense among others.  Jeff “Skunk” Baxter is a man of multiple talents. To the general public, he is more famous for his musical prowess than for his civic duty. To those in the National Defense realm, he is an invaluable American asset. It’s hard to decide which one benefits humanity more. One thing is for sure, we can hear and see the evidence of his musicality all over the airwaves. What he does in the dark corners of our military establishments is none of our business.  Read the full article

[mrrockcandy]

Rock Candy Music Blog

A kid from the 70's reminisces about growing up listening to the best music of the century

SAM I AM

Day On The Green July 2, 1977 . Where it all began

Samantha Fish Rocks the Fillmore

LATEST BLOG POSTS

HOT

SWEET

STICKY PHOTO GALLERY - Upfront Fanatics Love These! all original photos - John Lennon 'Before Elvis there was nothing.'

- Elvis Presley 'Rock and roll music, if you like it, if you feel it, you can't help but move to it. That's what happens to me. I can't help it.'

- Billy Joel I think music in itself is healing. It's an explosive expression of humanity. It's something we are all touched by. No matter what culture we're from, everyone loves music..

Read the full article

[mrrockcandy]

Verified by MonsterInsights

[mrrockcandy]

Verified by MonsterInsights