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steve2020
Steve2000
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Welcome to my "band" page. I want to share some music I've recorded over the years. I was a member of one of the the San Francisco Bay Area's top dance/show bands for 15 years.
Based out of San Jose, we played covers tunes in dance clubs from L.A. to Canada and had a stage act which also let us do showroom type gigs in Nevada. The circuit we played doesn't really exist anymore. We were fortunate enough to come along during a golden time in the late 1970s through the 80s when a band inclined to do the work could play fulltime- 5 to 6 nights a week in the same club, usually multiple week bookings in these same clubs. You could make a living at it. And we did, playing 45 plus weeks a year for many years.
Today, the best cover bands are usually lucky if they can book a weekend in the same club and outside of the few true 'show' bands left playing a much smaller circuit, today's cover bands - at least in this area - can't make a living as fulltime musicians.Our ultimate goal was always to write and record originals and get a major label deal. To this end, even though we were probably the highest paid (per man) cover/show band in the area for several years, we put ourselves on modest salaries and created a recording fund which allowed us to professionally record and release a couple albums/CDs worth of material in the late 70s through the 80s. We got regional airplay on the singles and sold 5000 units of the album length project and at least another 5000 singles, as EPs or tapes.
Because I wasn't the band's primary songwriter (or main lead vocalist), I'm only going to put up my songs here. These tunes were either written or co-written by me. See the individual songs for credits and ancecdotes.
On most of the professionally recorded stuff, I was mainly the lead guitar guy, solos, fills, whatever it took- and background vocals. So all electric lead and most electric and acoustic rhythm guitars, some bass played by me. Lest you think it's all me, on the band stuff it's very not. I was a member of the band, always playing for the song.
Why this name?
It's the screen name I've used since I began posting to guitar and other music newsgroups in the mid 90s.
Do you play live?
I love to play live and do so whenever I can. As an ex-fulltime professional musician it's essential to balance in my life.
How, do you think, does the internet (or mp3) change the music industry?
Filesharing has changed everything. The Mp3 format and the internet has empowered musicians and music fans. The major labels are still reeling from the impact and after 5 years are only beginning to adjust to the new world order that's hit the music business. We're starting to see some attempts at new business models.
Would you sign a record contract with a major label?
Sure, but it would have to be the right one. As screwed up as the music business is, the major labels still hold the keys to major distribution and probably will for a quite a while longer.
I am very encouraged by the avenues now open to unsigned bands or bands signed to small labels. It used to be a closed, rigged game. It's still rigged at the top but some bands and artists are building major careers without having to play the ages old game the major labels once had iron fisted control over. Major label music sales are still down, but this is as it should be. Filesharing and Internet distribution of music has given 'unsigned' artists a shot at being heard. It's taken some of the total control the major labels used to have and given it to the fans who now have options for buying only the music they want and more ways to be exposed to music they might never had heard in the past. The last major hurdle is corporate radio and what it still is able to force feed us. I'm hoping a lot of people choose the satellite option to unplug Clearchannel and the other music killing entities a bit. Big Music may be in trouble, but 'music' is healthier now than it's been in years.
I am very encouraged by the avenues now open to unsigned bands or bands signed to small labels. It used to be a closed, rigged game. It's still rigged at the top but some bands and artists are building major careers without having to play the ages old game the major labels once had iron fisted control over. Major label music sales are still down, but this is as it should be. Filesharing and Internet distribution of music has given 'unsigned' artists a shot at being heard. It's taken some of the total control the major labels used to have and given it to the fans who now have options for buying only the music they want and more ways to be exposed to music they might never had heard in the past. The last major hurdle is corporate radio and what it still is able to force feed us. I'm hoping a lot of people choose the satellite option to unplug Clearchannel and the other music killing entities a bit. Big Music may be in trouble, but 'music' is healthier now than it's been in years.
Band History:
Long story, to be completed when I have some time. Briefly (again) a popular San Jose-based dance show band during the late 1970s through the 1980s. We used the money we made playing clubs to record original material. Our self released album received a Billboard "Recommended Hot Pick" the same week The Who's "Who Are You" was the pick of the week. Through clever self management we avoided getting signed to a major label recording deal. We had offers, but kept waiting for the right one, or at least better ones- which eventually never came. Close Though.
Your influences?
Early Clapton, Mike Bloomfield and Jeff Beck. Also love country guitar ala Albert Lee, Brent Mason and Vince Gill and the telemasters Danny Gatton and Roy Buchanan. Can't pick it like them, but love it. Love Joe Pass and Pat Metheney and many other jazz players. Someday I'll sit down and learn some real music. Huge fan of early Larry Carlton and anything Robben Ford did or does. Jeff Beck is may favorite guitarist, but I play nothing like him. No one does.
Favorite spot?
Hawaii, Cancun, Vegas.
Equipment used:
I'm a blues rock guitarist who's after big tone but I'm not a tube amp snob. Since getting into true home recording in the early 90s, I've was searching for ways to get big tone without big volume. Years before PODs came out, I used speaker emulators and recording preamps to get overdriven tones. Probably wasted some money jumping into modeling before it was quite there. Got my first serious modeling preamp from Roland in 1996. My first modeling combo, Line 6 AX2 was purchased in 1998 but it took till 2001 for it to become a main gigging amp -along with a Marshall 6100/TSL. Current most fun amp is the Vox Valvetronix which will be gigging as soon as I get the large pedalboard. If I only woulda had some of this gear when I was in the studio all the time 10-20 years ago. Was luck to have some fine and classic Fenders and Marshalls in those days and every now and then we'd get lucky. We were in good studios with sometimes great engineers but the recording budgets were tight.
Anything else...?
Hope you enjoy the songs as they appear here. Realize that some were written and recorded when the Eagles and Steely Dan were popular. As time has gone by and the trends have changed, I still like rock and roll with a lot of guitar. I find a lot of great picking on today's 'country' recordings. Every year country gets closer to classic rock and roll and southern rock. If I were to pursue a fulltime career in music today I'd probably naturally gravitate toward a country situation.