Journey comes down the road once again

For Neal Schon, the journey will always continue

By ALAN K. STOUT

MUSIC ON THE MENU

TIMES LEADER

JUNE 25, 1999

Journey’s latest musical voyage is taking the band down yet another path.

 It’s not a completely new path, nor is it one the group has fully travelled before. It’s simply the latest venture for a band with a history dating back more than 25 years.

 

Longtime lead vocalist Steve Perry is gone, replaced by new sound-alike/look-alike Steve Augeri. And founding guitarist Neal Schon, who still steers Journey’s ship with the pride of a seasoned captain, says Augeri’s presence has brought several things to the group.

 

“Number one, good vibes,” says Schon. “He’s a really great guy. He’s from New York, and he just brings new life to the band …

 

“This is the beginning of a new beginning.”

 

 In addition to good tidings, Schon says Augeri can also nail the songs - many of which originally featured Perry’s high-ranged vocal talents.

 

“He can sing the old material,” says Schon. “It’s frightening how similar they sound on some songs … He’s singing the songs and giving the songs due respect because he knows the fans are going to want to hear them like that or as close as possible.”

 

With more than 50 million albums sold and more than a dozen Top-40 hits to its credit, fans are something Journey appears to still have plenty of. The group, formed in San Francisco in 1973, enjoyed its greatest chart success from 1978-86 with albums such as “Infinity,” “Escape” and “Frontiers.” Hit singles included “Wheel In The Sky.” “Who’s Cryin’ Now,” “Don’t Stop Believin’,” and “Faithfully.”

 

More recently, the group’s 1989 “Greatest Hits” album became one of the first to receive the newly created RIAA Diamond Award, which recognizes albums which have sold more than 10 million units. And although the group disbanded in 1987, a brief reunion in 1996 resulted in the platinum “Trial By Fire,” the hit “When You Love A Woman” and a Grammy nomination. Perry’s continuing health problems, however, prevented the band from touring to support the album.

 

Schon says he was extremely disappointed.

 

That was really the thing that irked me the most and made me want to put this band together with new members,” he says. “That really got me. We were all busy doing different things and we all stopped what we were doing for this so-called `Journey reunion.’ We went in the studio, started writing material, and it was a lot of fun. We recorded the record, had a number-one single, and then didn’t have a band to work with.”

 

Time has helped Schon to cool off considerably, but a degree of agitation still surfaces in his voice when asked if he knows how Perry’s doing.

 

“I haven’t spoken to him, so I can’t speak for him,” he says. “I know he had physical problems with his hips, and I’ve heard that he’s now had a hip replacement. Now that we’ve finally got a new singer- now he gets his hips fixed so he can put his band together and go tour. We waited around for close to two years for him to get better. When he wasn’t doing anything and none of the therapy he was doing was working, we said we had to move on.”

 

The current lineup - which consists of Schon, Augeri, longtime members Ross Valory and Jonathan Cain and new drummer Deen Castronovo - recorded a song for last year’s “Armageddon” soundtrack and has already done a series of live shows. The tour is continuing this summer as the band teams up with Foreigner for a series of performances at outdoor venues.

 

Schon says initial fan reaction to the post-Perry Journey has been positive.

 

“I was expecting the worst,” he admits. “Sometimes when you set out to do something like this, you have no idea what’s going to go on. You throw it up against the wall and see if it sticks. If it does, than you continue. …

 

“We go to our Web site, and we ask our fans to write in and tell us what they thought about the show,” he adds. “We’d read (the responses) on the bus as we were driving to gigs, and I’ve got to say 99.9 percent of them were all very, very favorable. Steve (Augeri) just blew their minds. They were just raving about the band and saying it never sounded this good.”

 

Schon, 45, has always been a highly regarded guitarist. He joined Santana when he was only 17 and has worked with several other musical projects, including the successful Bad English. Schon points out that Journey existed for several years and recorded several albums prior to Perry joining the band, so continuing on without him isn’t as radical as it may seem. He adds that the new lineup has already written an abundance of new material and plans to enter the studio this fall. A new album should be out in early 2000.

 

“The way I look at it, we’ve got the perfect name for a band to continue and evolve,” he says. “I started this band way back in the beginning, and I figure as long as I’m here, we can do whatever we want to do.”

 

Schon says strong word-of-mouth and brisk tickets sales have caused concert promoters to move this summer’s tour to larger venues. He says the show will be a mixture of the old and new, but fans can expect all of their radio favorites.

 

“I think we’re going to try out some new stuff, though not too much of it,” he says. “A lot of these people that are coming out have never seen us with the new band, so we’re still, in a sense, proving ourselves to them and that we can carry on and we can play the greatest hits.

 

“I’m looking forward to it. I love playing live.”

WHO: Journey and Foreigner

WHERE: Montage Mountain Ampithearter

WHEN: Tonight at 7 p.m.

TICKETS: $35, $30, $20. Available at the Montage Mountain Box Office and Ticketmaster

INFO: (570) 969-7669 

 

 UNREAL TALENT 

Mere Mortals brash new album, ‘Mondegreen Dream,’ cements the group’s place as the area’s best unsigned band

BY ALAN K. STOUT
MUSIC ON THE MENU
JANUARY 8, 1999

Out of all the local bands featured each week in this column, the Mere Mortals are clearly the best.

 They write the best songs. Their albums sound the best. They are wonderful musicians and fine live performers. And when listening to “Unreal,” a wonderful track on the band’s new album, “Mondegreen Dream”- one can’t help but be reminded of the group itself. 

 Unreal, without question, is a word I’m quite comfortable in using when talking about this project.

 Recorded at Sound Investments recording studios in Scranton, “Mondegreen Dream” is now available at the group’s shows and at Gallery of Sound stores. Produced by the band, along with Jerry Hludzik of Dakota, the album is the follow-up to the group’s 1996 well-received “Grin” CD. 

Cohesiveness, high production value, big hooks and a sharp musical edge were all goals of the band when they first headed into the studio.

 With “Mondegreen Dream,” they seem to have gotten it all. 

 “It’s a natural progression,” said guitarist and vocalist Eddie Appnel during a recent interview. “If you want to get better at something, you’re going to find a way to do it … I think we’re forcing ourselves to learn more and to get better.”

 “Even from the beginning, when the songs were being written, I think we had a much clearer vision,” adds guitarist Pat Flynn. “We’ve worked extremely hard … Hopefully, we can take it further. Every record’s a learning experience.” 

 Mere Mortals have always been among the area’s elite groups. Their 1992 debut, “In Search of Simple Things” was followed by a Songwriter’s Achievement Award from Billboard Magazine. “Grin” was also met with a rush of critical acclaim. It also sold well and received regional airplay. And at that time, the group was voted one of the area’s favorite bands in the Times Leader’s “Sound Choice” readers’ poll. 

 With “Mondegreen Dreams,” the group has released its most ambitious work. Throughout the stirring 12-track collection, there are fine harmonies and melodies, smart lyrics, plus elements of rock, funk, jazz, reggae, country and even a little techno. 

 “We haven’t shied away from any style,” says Appnel. “Our plan was to make the best record that we could … 

 “This has much more of a cohesiveness to it from beginning to end,” offers drummer Marko Marcincko, a talented and schooled musician who joined the group two years ago. “The music is much more orchestrated and formed.” 

 Appnel, who pens all of the band’s lyrics, says the group is also pleased with what producer Hludzik brought to the project. 

 “He helped us with the structuring of the songs - making sure we got those choruses to keep people hooked,” he says. “For me, he spent a lot of time with the vocals and the backing vocals … making sure the delivery and the pitch were right.” 

 “He did what we hoped he was going to do,” adds Flynn. “If he felt differently about something, he would say he didn’t agree, but I think he left us to our own devices.” 

 Appnel has a John Lennon-like quality, not only in his writing, but also occasionally in his demeanor. 

 “A donut and a small coffee,” he quips, when asked what Marcinko has brought to the table since joining the band. 

 (A few minutes earlier, Marcinko joined us at the table in a Pittston restaurant with a donut and a small coffee). 

 “He more or less upped the ante for us as musicians,” says Appnel, turning serious. “He’s a human clock, timing wise. It sets him off immediately if something isn’t just right. He’s not just the drummer, he’s the ultimate musician. You name the instrument and he knows how it operates.” 

 “Marko - with his arrangements and work with the horn sections - he’s made the three of us work a lot harder and be better musicians,” offers bassist Mark Kiesinger, whose own work is prominent on the recording. 

 Interestingly, three tracks on the album which first appeared on “Grin” - “Killing Me,” “Funny Animals (The Blast)” and “Mountainslide” - have been re-recorded. Appnel says the band always liked the songs, but saw room for improvement. 

 “The structuring of the songs and the arrangements fit more in that pop vein now than they did before,” he says. “We may have been on the tail end of the grunge-thing the last time we did those songs. With so many new melodic bands coming out, it’s good to be hooky and poppy and have those things working for you.” 

Most of the other tracks, said Appnel, have been written over the past three years. A self-described “pack rat,” Appnel says he keeps little notes and lines for lyric ideas in notebooks, hoping they may later blossom into songs. 

 “We have a really good relationship when it comes to writing,” says Flynn. “Eddie’s better at starting, I’m better at finishing.” 

 Appnel agrees. 

 “Sometimes I’ll have two verses and a chorus,” he says. “I’ll sit down with Pat for an hour and the next thing you know, it turns into full song. “To go in to the room in the early stages and have these three guys go to work on something … it’s not something that I usually envision at first,” he adds. “To see it happen just gives me a huge lift.” 

 Particularly noteworthy throughout “Mondegreen Dream” is Flynn’s guitar work. On tracks such as “Fat White Dawg,” “Feeling You” and “Killing Me,” the guitars both bite and burn with energy and force, yet never overstep the songs. The leads are fiery yet compact and even the fills seem to carry a sense of purpose. With this record, Flynn has cemented his place as the area’s top rock guitarist. 

 “I’m always trying to push and keep learning as much as I can,” he says, embarrassed by the compliment. “For the most part, I’m happy. I think it’s the next step toward where I want to be. It was definitely a conscious effort to bring it up a notch.” 

 As for the future, the band hopes “Mondegreen Dream” will get some regional airplay and garner national attention. Even without a national recording contract, they already have plans for national distribution. They’ve also shot a top-notch video for “Unreal,” which they’ll include in any promo packages sent to record labels. And they’ll also attend a national music convention in Los Angeles next month which will feature up and coming bands. For now, however, the band should take comfort in knowing they’ve recorded the best regionally released indie rock record in years. 

 “It sounds like Mere Motals,” says Appnel, “and I think we’ve gotten even better at that.” 

WHAT’S IN A NAME?

 

 The title of the Mere Mortals new album, “Mondegreen Dream,” is a play on the word Mondegreen. The term first originated in the 1950’s and is used to describe song lyrics that are misinterpreted. One of the most famous Mondegreens is associated with Jimi Hendix’s “Purple Haze,” when Hendrix sings the line “Excuse me while I kiss the sky.” The song is often heard being sung by unknowing admirers as “Excuse me while I kiss this guy.”

Columnist Sylvia Wright came up with the name after hearing the Scottish folk song, “The Bonny Earl of Morray.” She wrote that when she first heard the lyric, “Oh, they have slain Earl o’ Morray and laid him on the green” she heard it as “Oh, they have slain the Earl ‘o Morray and Lady Mondegreen.”

 Pete Palladino of the Badlees once joked that some people thought he was singing “Grease landing in Italy” on the band’s 1995 hit “Angeline is Coming Home.” The words were “resplendent in dignity.”

“In a way, it’s kind of the highest form of compliment you can get from someone - to have them misinterpret your lyrics,” jokes Mere Mortals vocalist Eddie Appnel, explaining the new album’s title. “To have them singing the most absolute wrong thing … it turns out funny sometimes. It’s kind of a personal innuendo.” - Alan K. Stout

 

 

 

     

                           The spin on Mere Mortals

Band set for return after shooting video for the song `Unreal.’

By ALAN K. STOUT
MUSIC ON THE MENU
JULY 3, 1998

Mere Mortals might not have the highest profile, play the most shows, or draw as big a crowd as some of the other bands on the local music scene. They are, however- out of all the unsigned groups in the area writing songs andmaking records- clearly the best.
   
The band’s music offers clever lyrics and arrangements, sometimes edgy and sometimes slick instrumentation and an unwavering sense of purpose. On the group’s CDs the production value is full and glossy, and as a live act the band has a quiet charisma and a polished yet driving sound.
   
If you’ve seen them play, you will undoubtedly go again.
   
And if you haven’t, you should.
   
Now - after laying a bit low throughout much of the winter and spring – the band is set for a return. The group’s members recently shot a video for the song “Unreal,” and while doing so, received the royal treatment from their hometown of Pittston. And in August the band will begin putting the final mix on a new album, tentatively-titled “Mondegreen Dreams.”
   
In addition, the group has begun to play more shows, plugging in at area nightspots several times each month.
   
“I’m more excited about this band than I ever have been,” says guitarist and vocalist Eddie Appnel. “Everybody that we have working with us on the album and with the video are true professionals. … “Everything is in place this time.”
   
Not that things haven’t gone pretty well in the past. The band’s 1992 debut, “In Search of Simple Things,” was followed by a Songwriters Achievement Award from Billboard Magazine, and the band’s 1996 release, “Grin,” was met with a rush of critical acclaim and was preceded with the band being voted the area’s best original act in The Times Leader’s annual “Sound Choice” readers’ poll.
   
Appnel says things are continuing to move forward and positively for the group, and that drummer Marko Marcinko- a talented and schooled musician with a jazz background who joined the band in January 1997- is working out wonderfully.
   
“He’s turned out to be a huge asset to the band, bringing his expertise and his musical knowledge in for this recording,” he says. “He’s got a terrific sense of humor and he’s a fun person to be with … As far as our live performances, he’s really tightened things up. He’s making us better musicians.”
   
Equally exciting to the Mortals - which also feature guitarist Pat Flynn and bassist Mark Kiesinger - is the new album, which is being produced by Jerry Hludzik of Dakota and recorded at Sound Investments studios in Scranton.
   
“This had been a giant step forward,” says Appnel. “I think we’ve matured as writers and there’s a polish that Jerry adds to the production end. A lot more detail was put into the structure of the songs and with the vocal harmonies to make them as radio-friendly as possible. … It’s a pretty slick record.”
   
Song titles include the aforementioned “Unreal,” plus “Feeling You” and “Fat White Dawg.” There’s also re-recordings of Mortals’ favorites “Killing Me” and “Funny Animals” and “Mountainslide.”
   
“There’s a little bit of restructuring, mostly due to Jerry’s pop-sensibility,” says Appnel. “A pop song is a pop song, and you go for those hooks and you hang on to ’em. It really seems to be making these songs a lot catchier.”
   
Still, Appnel says fans needn’t fret that the group will lose its rock edge.
   
“The elements of the band aren’t being altered in any way, but strengthened,” he says. “Every group matures, and that’s what I believe is happening with us. But the basic elements of Mere Mortals are still the writing and the line-up of the band. We’re a guitar band and we have our own style. … I don’t think anything’s going to really alter that.”
   
The video, shot last month in the downtown area of Pittston, was directed by independent filmmaker Sam Daley. While on location, streets were blocked off and fire crews splashed down storefronts with high-powered hoses, helping simulate rain for a few water-drenched scenes. The video will be used as a promotional tool for the album and will be sent to some of the band’s contacts at MTV.
   
“It was a blast,” says Appnel. “Just from seeing some of the rough footage, I really believe we’re going to have a top-notch piece.”
   
Appnel says the group plans to continue performing more regularly in coming months, and that “Mondegreen Dreams” should be available in stores and at the band’s shows by the fall.
   
“With each record, we’ve come a little bit further along, and at this point, it’s certainly making the last seven or eight years all worthwhile,” he says. “Not to take anything away from the last two recording we did, but this is what Mere Mortals always wanted to be.”

 

 

HOME-GROWN PASSION FOR MUSIC 

WVIA-FM'S GEORGE GRAHAM HAS BEEN NURTURING LOCAL TALENT AND PROVIDING EXPOSURE FOR AN ECLECTIC MIX OF ARTISTS FOR THE PAST 25 YEARS

ALAN K. STOUT

TIMES LEADER STAFF WRITER
JUNE 14, 1998

JENKINS TWP.- Whether it's listening to music for several hours a day, searching albums for that one special track, recording original music, writing album reviews or producing live radio concerts, George Graham's life is music.

 He has shared his love with others. And if you took a survey among area musicians asking which person has offered the public the most insight into their work and who has been the most appreciative and most supportive of that work, Graham's name would likely appear on every list.

 This year marks WVIA-FM's 25th year of radio broadcasting and Graham's 25th year at the station. As a DJ, producer and chief engineer, Graham has worked with hundreds of regional artists, overseen hundreds of recording sessions and hosted thousands of broadcasts.

 He's become somewhat of a legend in the local music community, perhaps in part because of his night hours and relatively low public profile. His 25th anniversary is a milestone that has not gone without notice by area musicians.

 Graham was recently acknowledged by the Local 120 Musicians Union with an award for his continued efforts in promoting live music.

 Mayor James Connors recently proclaimed a special "George Graham Day" in Scranton.

 The duo Flannery and Clarke recently performed a song written in Graham's honor at the station's 25th Anniversary Open House.

 And Badlees vocalist Pete Palladino- during the group's recent performance at the station- also presented Graham with a commemorative plaque from the station and thanked him on behalf of all of the musicians who he's supported over the years.

 "I just try to cultivate individuality," says Graham, reflecting on his 25 years in public radio. "I try to be as sensitive to the music as I can, rather than trying to make somebody sound like something that they aren't or sound like a hit record."

 Commercialism is of no consequence to Graham. It's quality that matters.

 His "Mixed Bag" program is aptly named, offering an eclectic array of music. His "Homegrown Music" programs - which can be equally diverse - offer artists the opportunity to make quality recordings at the WVIA studios and then have them broadcasted on the program.

 Graham also hosts WVIA's "All That Jazz."

 A native and resident of Carbondale, Graham, 47, was hired in 1973 as an engineer to help put WVIA-FM (89.9) on the air. A natural choice to help get the station started, Graham held a degree in electrical engineering from Duke University and had several years of college radio experience. His "Homegrown Music" program began on a weekly basis in 1976, but it was actually in the fall of 1973 that the first acts appeared on the show: folk singers Lex Romane and Ted Bird.

 The live concerts began in 1982, and have become a monthly feature. Graham says nearly 500 artists have appeared on the program.

 And unlike the popular "basement tape"-type programs that are found on many FM stations across the nation, the music played on the "Homegrown Music" show does not consist of tapes or independent releases sent to Graham by musicians, but rather music he has personally recorded and produced.

 " ‘Homegrown Music’ is, by definition, music that originated from the WVIA studios," says Graham, adding that the station was built with the idea of also serving as a recording studio for area artists. "I figured a public radio station should be kind of an artistic resource. The management at the time agreed, so recording equipment was put into the original budget for getting the radio station on the air."

 Musical history

 Graham says his love for music has been life-long, and that he first began honing his skills as a producer while still a teenager.

 "I had a fascination with audio and music going back to grade school," he says. "In high school, I recorded some bands and worked with the AV department and recorded some concerts. In college, I continued with radio and was involved in some recording projects. It's always been an interest of mine."

 Graham - who plays piano and can read music - names The Beatles' "Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band," Miles Davis' "Kind of Blue" and Atlantic's "Best of John Coltrane Collection" as a few of his "desert island" albums. Still, he pauses when asked to name the type of music he likes best, or the sounds that had the greatest effect on him and led to his career in music.

 "It's hard to say," he says with a smile. "I liked easy-listening things growing up. My piano teacher was good in the sense that every week he would give me a classical piece, and a pop standard, so I learned these songs sort of unwittingly ... .

 "Of course, in college, between '68 and '72, this was that whole period of turmoil, and the '60s and that whole scene of very eclectic music was just happening ... The Beatles releasing the `White Album' and later breaking up ... the psychedelic era ... . Some of it was really pretty fascinating and presaged a lot of the music which is still around.

 "Some of the early precursors of New Age music was coming out at that time," he adds. "The Moody Blues were starting with the whole `art-rock' thing. I remember going to a Janis Joplin concert at college, and she was advocating the blues and spreading the blues to wider audiences ... . I liked a good deal of it."

 Graham's eclectic tastes are showcased on the "Mixed Bag" program, which premiered in 1974 and includes the "Homegrown" show and his "Weekly Album Review." Graham says the show has evolved over the years, and that because there was no true commercial rock FM station in the area when WVIA first hit the airwaves, he once played more mainstream artists on the program.

 That, of course, was before they were mainstream.

 "Once commercial radio started moving into album rock, I started moving into other directions to provide an alternative," says Graham. "If YES and Bruce Springsteen were going to be on commercial radio, then we could get into blues, folk music and other different things that would have some crossover appeal from the commercial rock audience but would be different and go into different areas. The eclecticism of the program is, to some extent, driven by the alternative factor."

Graham says the recent trend of large corporations purchasing many commercial FM radio stations has resulted in a diminished role for program directors in choosing music. At WVIA, he's been able to maintain musical control of the programming, and spends several hours each week just listening to the national and independent releases he receives, deciding what to play.

 "A lot of times, the most commercial track is the first one on the CD, which for me would be a turn off," he says. "So I go further into the record. If I hear something that's intriguing, then I give it more time. ...

 "Today, it's far less the gut reaction of a local program director, but rather marketing research and computer analysis that's driving the programing of commercial radio," he says. "That's great for building audience numbers and getting your (ratings) up, but it does leave a few people unserved."

For 25 years, Graham has served not only listeners, but also artists. He names The Badlees, Tom Flannery, The Blue Sparks and Bob Dorough as some of the musicians that have stood out in his mind over the years. He says that he's aware that because the media has become so star-oriented, it's difficult for up-and-coming artists to find media exposure.

 To further articulate what he finds interesting about certain music, Graham also writes detailed album reviews, which can be found on his Web site at www.georgegraham.com. The site also has archive information on past programs, as well as information on upcoming broadcasts.

 In addition, some pre-taped "Homegrown Music" live studio concerts are being aired on WVIA-TV on selected Fridays at midnight, and the station recently released an 18-track CD, the "Homegrown Music Sampler," featuring a variety of artists who have performed on the program over the years.

 "To me, it's a great deal of fun to introduce people to new music," says Graham. "There's just something about it. ... I find it a lot of fun to say `Hey, listen to this. This is really interesting.' ...

 "After 25 years, it's still fun doing that."

 

(Alan K. Stout has written about rock and pop music in Northeastern Pennsylvania since 1992. His weekly radio show, "Music On The Menu," airs every Sunday from 9-10 p.m. on 105 The River in Wilkes-Barre, Scranton, Hazleton, Bloomsburg.)

 

DAKOTA

BACK WITH RAVES
FORMER REGIONAL FAVORITES AND NATIONAL RECORDING ARTISTS

 RELEASE NEW ALBUM 

By ALAN K. STOUT
MUSIC ON THE MENU
April 19, 1998


SCRANTON- The names of the rock and pop musicians from Northeastern Pennsylvania who have had some national success make for a very short list.  But rightfully on that elite roster is the band Dakota, which recorded a string of nationally released albums in the late '70s and early '80s.

Now, after a 12-year absence, Dakota is back. Still a popular act among collectors and fans of '80s-rock throughout Europe and Japan, the band has released a new album, "The Last Standing Man," which is available as an import at Gallery of Sound stores.  And with rave reviews pouring in from overseas, Dakota co-founder Jerry Hludzik is feeling a sense of musical revival.


"I knew this was a possibility for me to dig down and get some of the writing juices flowing again and maybe finish some of the legacy of the band," says Hludzik.  "It's a long shot - in other countries far away - but it's a chance."

The Legacy

Hludzik has always taken chances. He has dozens of road stories and tales of record company politics, power-plays and inner-band squabbles that have at times helped and at other times hindered his career. But whether the stories have good or bad endings, there's always a sense of pride in his voice when discussing any aspect of his musical past.


The history of Dakota can be traced to The Buoys, the area band that recorded the song "Timothy," which became a national hit in 1971. Hludzik and vocalist Bill Kelly were members of the group, but left in 1978 - straining some relationships - and released the Jerry Kelly album for CBS/Epic Records.  In 1980 the group changed its name to Dakota. That same year, they released their self-titled album on Columbia/CBS Records, and later snagged the opening slot on part of Queen's U.S. tour, which included three sold-out shows at Madison Square Garden.  In 1984, the band released "Runaway" on MCA Records, but label politics and changing musical trends prevented the band from reaching national stardom. The Kelly/Hludzik creative relationship and friendship soured, and the group disbanded in 1987,  giving a farewell concert at Montage Mountain.  "The Lost Tracks," an independently released recording featuring previously unreleased material, was distributed regionally in 1987.


In 1995, Hludzik says he was contacted by representatives from a Swedish label who informed him that the band was still selling albums overseas and had maintained a fan-base there. In 1996, Hludzik reached an agreement with Escape Records to re-release the "Lost Tracks, with a few minor changes, throughout Europe under the title "Mr. Lucky." Soon, Escape asked Hludzik if he was interested in recording a new Dakota album.


After some deep soul-searching, he decided he was.

Hot Nights

Keyboardist Rick Manwiller - who had joined Dakota in 1982 and has remained friends with Hludzik - was contacted, and a reformed Dakota began to take shape.


"I told him I decided I was going to give it a go, and that I hoped it was with him rather than without him," says Hludzik. "He called back the next day and we decided we were going to do it."

Guitarist Jon "JL" Lorance, who played with Hludzik and Manwiller in SecretCity, a post-Dakota project, was enlisted, and the drum stool was filled with Hludzik's teenage son, Eli.  Soon, the band was working at Sound Investments studios in Scranton, writing and recording new songs and looking to spark some new musical chemistry.  New numbers such as "Hot Nights" and "The Last Standing Man" seem to address, even lyrically, the fact that there's still some unfinished business left in the Dakota story.


Hludzik says he felt compelled to make a record that stylistically complemented the band's previous work.


"We had to make another Dakota record," he says. "And I had to exorcise a lot of demons.  It was the first thing I would be involved with Dakota without Kelly being a part of. I knew there was a possibility people would rip me apart ... but I'm not afraid of falling down.


"Failure to me ... I've been on my face so many times ... it’s just a word. If you lay down and don't get up, then it's a tag."


Overseas reaction to the album has been positive. Lawrence was featured in an interview with Young Guitar magazine in Japan and there have been flattering articles in Music Life and Music Guide magazines. There was also a four-star review in Belgium's Rock Report.  The CD was also spotlighted as the "Album of the Month" in Power Play magazine in England, and there was a "four-skull" review in Italy's "Metal Shop" publication.


"You've got to promise bite the head of bird to get a review in that magazine," quips Manwiller.

The music

Now in their mid-40s, Hludzik says the band's members - who are also involved in other musical projects - are still able to make their living performing, writing and producing music. Still, he and Manwiller say inspiration for songwriting now comes from different sources than it did in the '70s and '80s.


"I don't think either one of us could have written songs like this when we were 20 years old," says Hludzik. "You have to go through a little experience with a lot of different things to come up with where you are at the present time."


"We both have teenage kids," adds Manwiller. "A lot of the lyrics Jerry came up with were about parenting. It becomes more important to you, and you think of things that might help somebody."


One track, "Mama Teach," which Hludzik describes as "therapeutic," is about his son Eli leaving the house to go off to college.


"No matter how old your son or daughter is, you want another day," he says. "You want another day of sitting down with them before they leave the fold. It's about letting go. If someone can relate to that, and it helps them - that's the joy of it.


 Also a joy for Hludzik was working with his son. He points out that Dakota had never had a permanent drummer, and that Eli, now 19, is the first drummer to be an official member of the band.


"To have my son playing with me at my side was something you can't describe as a father," he says. "And it wasn't because we were throwing him a bone, but because he deserved to be there. I can't think of another drummer around that I would have wanted to use. He's so beyond his years, as far as music savvy ...


 "That was really instrumental in making the album sound the way it sounds," he adds. "What Rick and I brought to the table was one thing, but Jon and Eli upped the game of Dakota. The guitar playing ... I could have had three hands and couldn't have played as well as Jon played on this record."


Hludzik - who says there are no immediate plans for Dakota to perform live - adds that the recorded project and the positive response it's received has rejuvenated his interest and love for creating music. It's a feeling he admits had at once left him. He reiterates those sentiments - and his appreciation to those who still have an interest in Dakota's music - by referring to the lyrics to the album's title track:


"To remember how it felt to touch through expression," he says, quoting the song ... "I had forgotten about that."


He then finishes the line:


"Now we'll take our place, in your hall of grace, and sincerely - thanks to you all."

(Alan K. Stout has covered rock and pop music in NEPA since 1992. His weekly radio show, “Music On The Menu,” airs every Sunday from 9-10 p.m. on 105 The River.) 

Out of Respect for Elvis

Pittston’s Shawn Klush delivers the music

 of Elvis Presley with a striking resemblance and sound

ALAN K. STOUT

MUSIC ON THE MENU

JANUARY 9, 1998

 As an eighth-grade student, Shawn Klush asked his principal if he could sing a number at the school’s annual year-end play.

 He chose Elvis Presley’s “Memories.”

 “It was my way of saying that we’re going on to high school,” says Klush, 28, of Pittston, who was already a big fan of The King.

 “I was scared to death, but I stood there and I did it. I look back on it now and laugh like hell … but it was a step.”

 A step - one might say - right into The King’s own blue suede shoes.

 Klush is now one of the world’s most respected tribute artists to the late Presley, who would have turned 63 on Thursday. He has performed across the country, including near the gates of Graceland, and has recorded with some of Elvis’ own closest friends.

 Last year, he placed second out of nearly 800 worldwide entrants in a huge Elvis convention/competition in Canada, judged by Elvis’ former drummer, D.J.Fontana, and backing singers, The Jordinares.

 Tonight, Klush - along with fellow Elvis tribute act Rick Saucedo - will perform in The Woodlands Grand Ballroom in Plains Township.

 Although raised in Pittston, Klush’s voice is occasionally peppered with a slight southern drawl. His lip occasionally curls upwards when he speaks, and he often breaks into a boyish grin after telling an interesting story. He often begins and ends his sentences with the word “man,” and even in plain clothes and a relaxed environment, there’s an uncanny likeness to Presley.

 “By the time I was 8 years old, I probably had every Elvis record that ever existed and could probably sing every song,” says Klush, who became a fan at age 4. His father, also a big Elvis fan, was once a DJ for WPTS-AM in Hughestown and actually saw The King perform at Madison Square Garden in 1972.

 Music, says Klush, always filled the home.

 “I grew up listening to Elvis and Dean Martin, which is funny for a kid born in 1969,” he says. “When you grew up in the ’70s, you were listening to KISS and Queen and Billy Joel … I still enjoy listening to that and love it, but to me it all stems from what Elvis did. He was the man.

 “There’s just something about his magnitude and something about Elvis that you can’t walk away from.”

 Klush says he respects and appreciates the great instinct Presley had for music.

 “His style, and the way that he felt music … I don’t think there was ever a guy that had that much natural rhythm,” he says. “He could just zone in … The whole style and everything that he did - even in the ’70s - there was still something to explore. Elvis was an unbelievable cat. To this day, I can still get chills listening to `2001? start. (Elvis’ traditional entrance music). You knew something was going to happen.”

 Klush’s childhood love for Elvis continued throughout his teens. He began working with friends in area bands, and at 17, played in a group called Triple Shot. He then sang in another Elvis group that performed frequently in the Scranton area, and later moved on to the Pocono resorts. He eventually landed steady work with the Las Vegas-based “Legends In Concert” tours and has been a regular in Myrtle Beach, S.C. Klush also landed an annual gig playing near Graceland in Memphis.

 “Every August, I play across the street from the mansion,” he says, reverence in his voice. “It’s the coolest thing. You have no idea what it’s like to stand in front of that house singing something like `My Way’ and looking over that wall … I consider myself real lucky to have that gig.”

 Last Aug. 16 marked the 20th anniversary of Presley’s death. The milestone drew some of Graceland’s biggest crowds, and while performing in Memphis, Klush was able to meet and spend time with Joe Esposito, Presley’s best friend, plus Presley bandmates Charlie Hodge, Scotty Moore and Fontana.

 Interestingly, Klush says he won’t perform in costume while performing near Graceland. On those occasions, he prefers to let the music do the talking.

 “That’s my way of showing respect for Elvis,” he says. “I won’t wear a costume or a jump-suite or anything like that. I just wear street-clothes.”

 The respect that Klush feels for Presley is now being returned by some of Presley’s friends. Klush’s new CD, “From the Heart” - on which he covers Presley’s material - features backing vocals by Elvis singers J.D. Sumner & The Stamps, plus Charlie Hodge. The suit Klush wears on his cover was done by the same designer who made suits for Elvis. And the striking vocals on the album could easily pass for The King.

 “I never had to force myself to sound like that,” says Klush. “We have almost the same tones, the same range and same baritone. I could sing a baritone note and still hit a tenor part and not have a problem.”

 For tonight’s show at The Woodlands, Klush will offer the music and persona of the Elvis of the late ’60s and early ’70s, while Chicago’s Rick Saucedo will stick to the Elvis of the ’50s and ’60s. Both singers will be backed by The Northern Lights from the Bronx, N.Y.

 Klush says he hasn’t performed in his home region in about six years. He says the special birthday event will not be simply an Elvis show, but also will offer outstanding musicianship from the band. Nearly 1,000 seats already have been sold.

 “I’m not Elvis and never will be,” says Klush. “I can’t scratch the surface of what this guy was. We’re only copying it, but hopefully we’re bringing it across the line where people can believe … If you let your inhibitions go when you come into the show, you’re going to have a better time.

 “It’s a real show paying tribute to a man that rocked the world.”

(Alan K. Stout has written about rock and pop music in Northeastern Pennsylvania since 1992. His weekly radio show, "Music On The Menu," airs every Sunday from 9-10 p.m. on 105 The River in Wilkes-Barre, Scranton, Hazleton, Bloomsburg.)