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» member profile:
joe solo
» genre:
Rock >
Progressive Rock
» location:
Joe DeCristopher
» label: World in Sound
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ffred
NEWS
Our bass player, Mike "Bones" Robison, passed away in 1995. We had been looking for "Fat Mike" since the beginning of plans for the belated release of our first album in February, 2000. If you haven't yet, check out the fine bass work on Cheese Dog and Perverseerance (from the second album, "Notes on a Picnic", and the unique composition of Mike's magnum opus, "Chaos in the Convservatory", also from "Notes on a Picnic."
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We broke up in 1974, but had our first album produced in 2001 when World in Sound, a small label operating from Schwetzingen, Germany, found us after hearing a 45 rpm single we releaased in 1971. Since then, we have released "fred" and "Notes on a Picnic", and "live at the bitter end", recorded in New York City in the summer of 1974, and released March 20, 2004.
George Graham, long time Disk Jockey for WVIA-FM in Wilkes-Barre, PA, had these kind words in his review of music released in 2003 about "Notes on a Picnic":
"The Best Archaeological Find Award goes to three CDs released for the first time in 2003 of material dating back decades. One was the Willie Nelson demo sessions, another was the live recording by the famous Bloomfield-Kooper Super Session band recorded live at the Fillmore East in December 1968, and the other was a regional gem by the Lewisburg, PA, based art-rock band Fred, called Notes on a Picnic, recorded in the mid 1970s but never released until now, thanks to the interest by a European collectors label."
http://georgegraham.com/reviews/gdgawd03.html
George Graham, long time Disk Jockey for WVIA-FM in Wilkes-Barre, PA, had these kind words in his review of music released in 2003 about "Notes on a Picnic":
"The Best Archaeological Find Award goes to three CDs released for the first time in 2003 of material dating back decades. One was the Willie Nelson demo sessions, another was the live recording by the famous Bloomfield-Kooper Super Session band recorded live at the Fillmore East in December 1968, and the other was a regional gem by the Lewisburg, PA, based art-rock band Fred, called Notes on a Picnic, recorded in the mid 1970s but never released until now, thanks to the interest by a European collectors label."
http://georgegraham.com/reviews/gdgawd03.html
Why this name?
Well, our name is really "fred" with one "f", but we had to add an "f" to get on mp3.com, which is now kaput, so we kept it for Soundclick. Beyond that, check the album cover's rendition of the lyrics for Jefferson Airplance's "Volunteers for America', and compare with what is sung.
We were playing during the waning days of the Vietnam war, and "fred" means "peace" in Swedish, the ancestry of a long time friend and fan. We kind of liked that association. Also, it happened to be the first name of Ken's roommate at the time.
We were playing during the waning days of the Vietnam war, and "fred" means "peace" in Swedish, the ancestry of a long time friend and fan. We kind of liked that association. Also, it happened to be the first name of Ken's roommate at the time.
Do you play live?
We last played ensemble in 1974, and our virtuouo violinist, David Rose, and innovative bassist, Mike "Bones" Robison, have long since passed to the heavenly combo, once referred to as "St. Peter's Band" in Mike's Beach Boys send-off, "Get 'em Up, God,". Our album, "Live at the Bitter End", caught us at the top of our form before we parted ways in late 1974.
How, do you think, does the internet (or mp3) change the music industry?
Laws are made to protect the interests of those with power and status, and the resources to maintain them. To the extent that the internet shakes that applecart, more power to it.
Would you sign a record contract with a major label?
The question is moot. Any takers should talk to Wolfgang Reuther at World in Sound.
Band History:
fred came to be as part of the turn on, tune in and drop out culture of the late 60's and early 70's, when several of us were students in very rural east-central Pennsylvania. We started playing music together in the autumn of 1969. From what started as a lyrical, almost art rocky band featuring David's violin, we became a jazz rock fusion band, inspired by the Mahavishnu Orchestra and Return to Forever. When we parted ways, we were playing primarily instrumental jazz-rock with classical elements of composition and arrangement, but where improvisation and risk taking were the orders of the day.
Your influences?
Early on, we modeled ourselves after Procol Harum, the Band, Traffic, and Frank Zappa. Later on, we gravitated toward Mahavishnu Orchestra and Return to Forever. We were similar to Dixie Dregs, but with more of a jazz feel to the compositions.
Favorite spot?
The zone.
Equipment used:
David played a violin made by a craftsman named Waltersdorf in York, PA through a custom system assemebled by Charlie Bozenhard. Bo played Rogers drums. Joe played a Gibson SG Standard through Fender Bassman or Sun Coliseum amp. The keys, shared by Pete and Ken, were Fender Rhodes through Fender and Farfisa through Leslie for live shows, some acoustic piano in the studio. Mike initially played a Gibson bass through Fender, but wound up on a fretless Fender bass.
Anything else...?
The players:
In memoriam:
David Rose, violin and vocals
Mike "Bones" Robison, bass and backing vocals
Gary Rosenberg, lyrics
Dick Joseph, management
Charlie Bozenhard, Dave's rig for violin
Alive and kicking:
Bo Fox, drums, percussion and vocals
(honest, the drums on "live" are just Bo, proving the rumor that like his favorite super hero, Spider Man, Bo is no mere mortal, but a near divine being with super-human powers!)
Ken Price, keys and vocals
Peter Eggers, keys, saxophone, percussion
Joe DeCristopher: guitar
The crew: Roger Brown and Pat Biggs
Graphics and photos: LJ Kopf
extra kudos to Pete for technical assistance on the album cover work for live at the bitter end, not to mention those amazing tunes.
last but not least: Thanks to Wolf and Miguel for taking old tapes out of the can and making 3 albums available after 30+ years on the shelf, and for the engineer at WIS who brightened up that monoral live recording from the Bitter End.
In memoriam:
David Rose, violin and vocals
Mike "Bones" Robison, bass and backing vocals
Gary Rosenberg, lyrics
Dick Joseph, management
Charlie Bozenhard, Dave's rig for violin
Alive and kicking:
Bo Fox, drums, percussion and vocals
(honest, the drums on "live" are just Bo, proving the rumor that like his favorite super hero, Spider Man, Bo is no mere mortal, but a near divine being with super-human powers!)
Ken Price, keys and vocals
Peter Eggers, keys, saxophone, percussion
Joe DeCristopher: guitar
The crew: Roger Brown and Pat Biggs
Graphics and photos: LJ Kopf
extra kudos to Pete for technical assistance on the album cover work for live at the bitter end, not to mention those amazing tunes.
last but not least: Thanks to Wolf and Miguel for taking old tapes out of the can and making 3 albums available after 30+ years on the shelf, and for the engineer at WIS who brightened up that monoral live recording from the Bitter End.