My post SAC days started at the end of 1968 when Randy Seol and I quit the band over a disagreement to fire our crooked manager.
We both rejoined the band we were in prior to SAC called Waterfyrd Traene, which in the interim had changed their name to The Public Bubble.(they once opened for SAC and LOVE at the Hullabaloo in Hollywood where Arthur Lee asked Their flute player Steve Bartek to come up and Jam with LOVE) That name then changed to Buffington Rhodes. (Named after Stephanie Buffington, Arthur Lee's girlfriend and muse for the song Stephanie Knows Who).
After a year of solid rehearsal and writing we debuted at the Shrine Exposition Hall opening for Procal Harum, The Chicago Transit Authority and non other than Arthur Lee and LOVE.
We played the following week at the Whiskey A Go Go opening for Ten Years After, Chicago (again) and Alice Cooper.
We went into the studio twice. Once with Dave Hassinger and then with Bill Lazarus....all the tapes were stolen....we never had a release and have never found the tapes. The band broke up shortly thereafter.
In 1969 Steve Bartek and I and longtime friend Dave Gluck started writing songs together...(Steve and I had written many songs together prior to SAC which became SAC songs.)
We went into the studio with Dennis Dragon who I knew from the Beach Boys tours and had remained friends with.
We had a band called Calamity...which was an appropriate name. It lasted maybe 6 months.
In the 1970's Steve and I got back together with Randy Seol and formed an experimental jazz rock avant garde ensemble called Little Red Rocket. We went into the studio (Wally Heider's) and recorded several songs for an odd show called Capt. Ben Schlosberg's Magnificent Balloon Uprising! One of the tracks was used as ABC In Concerts theme during the 1974 California Jam. We also appeared in that show...with the Balloon...don't ask!
We later wrote a 26 song rock musical about PT Barnum called Barnum. We shopped it around untill our idea was stolen and turned into a saccharine Broadway musical...dreck!
In the late 70's I ended up playing with a slew of country acts...it started with one gig in San Diego where bass player Bob Mosely asked me to fill in for him while he went on tour with Neil Young...I did that circuit until 1980 or so.
But, in 1979 Bartek and I teamed up again with a female singer - song writer named Bascha (aka Beth Marlin Leichter). Along with guitarist James Harrah and drummer Brad Swanson and keyboardist Clay Benard we formed Speed Bumps. This band recorded some 50 tracks with Dennis Dragon. Beth was financing the whole shebang. We nearl got signed to A&M records when the bottom fell out. Beth had signed with a management company that the record company didn't like and the Danny Elfman told A&M that he didn't want Bartek to be playing in Speed Bumps anymore. Oingo Boingo was about to bust loose.
In 1982 Mark Weitz, Lee Freeman, Gene Gunnels, Leo Gaffney and myself did a show at a local club called the Music Machine as The Strawberry Alarm Clock. They had put an ad in the paper saying "coming soon"...we thought WTF...and called the club...they said they were hoping we'd call.
Mark decided he didn't want to do it anymore and Leo and Gene also bowed out.
Lee and I called Randy Seol and got James Harrah on guitar and then Peter Wasner on keyboards.
In 1983 we played at Harrah's in lake Tahoe for a week. Also on the bill was Sammy Davis Jr and Loretta Lynn...go figure.
Anyway, SAC played fairly regularly throughout the 80's and 90's.
After Harrah left to go on tour with Madonna, guitarist and Walton's cast member Jon Walmsley came on board along with Public Bubble drummer, Bruce Hubbard. Jon left to tour with Richard Marx.
Clay Benard came in on Keys along with Howie Anderson on guitar and in 1987 we made a national appearance on Solid Gold.
We were in and out of the studio mostly with Dennis Dragon and got a song called Love Story on an album called Footprints for world hunger.
In 2001 we played a show in San Diego with Moby Grape and others. We had Bruce on Drums, Randy Seol on vibes and drums, Gene Gunnels on percussion along with Lee, Howie and I.
There was a bunch of time off after that.
In 2003 Paul Marshall asked if we would do a show at Amoeba Records in Hollywood to herald the release of the Beyond the Valley of the Dolls DVD.
So, Paul, Lee, Randy, Gene, Steve and Howie and I played.
More time off...Lee was in Ill health. He had all sorts of complications from his alcohol abuse and smoking...bad shape.
In 2005 we were approached by PBS and TJ Labinsky to appear on a special they were doing. We contacted Ed King, Greg Munford, Mark Weitz, Randy and Steve and we all agreed to do it. When the contracts were deliverd via FedEx for us to sign they did not include our agreed upon requests. when we questioned them they said we'd have to take their word for it. Ed King told them on the phone that "We Pass"!
In 2006 Randy, Steveand I started writing and recording some stuff. I said we should call Mark and Howie and Lee and do SAC.
A show came up in Philly with the Vanilla Fudge and the Iron Butterfly...we were all set to do it but the agent that got us the gig went nuts on the promoter and they cancelled us out of the show.
In 2007 Roger Ebert called us and asked if we could get the original SAC lineup to play at his 9th annual overlooked film festival in Champagne, Ill. He said they'd do whatever it takes to make it happen.
I called Ed and we decided it would be a fun reunion.
We called Paul Marshall as it was his songs in the movie and Gene Gunnels called to say he wanted to come too.
We had 9 people on stage...including a very sick Lee Freeman.
The show was a success.
We ended up playing allot of shows that year and then began recording our album, Wake Up Where You Are.
Soon Lee was too ill to do anymore shows so we carried on without him.
Steve had to leave the band in 2010 as his work with Danny Elfman on film scores and other projects were too much for him to handle. Not to mention we were using his studio to rehearse and record in.
He finished the album with us and it was released in Feb. 2012.
We continue to write, record and do shows if we feel we like the venue or cause.
We played The LOVE RIDE 29 on Oct. 21st 2012 and we recently played at the Saban Theater in Beverly Hills for a Roger Ebert Tribute where the screened the movie BTVOTD.
We have rehearsals today and tomorrow....new material coming
--Previous Message--
: I know that the original band Disbanded in
: 1971 and made a brief comeback circa
: 1975.What sorts of endeavors were you guys
: up to when you weren't jamming
: together?Other bands or just general
: business interests?Also,ever by any chance
: encounter David Crosby much up and down the
: strip back in the day?
:
:
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