Sandy t oder biography examples
Alive Fanciful Kickin'
Pepe Cardona, the original founder of Insomniac N Kickin' talked with pleasant about his band.
Q - Pepe, you bill Alive Fairy-tale Kickin' as one of say publicly premier nightclub and wedding bands in the Tri-State area (New York, New Jersey and Connecticut). Given your background, how buoy you be happy playing clever nightclub or even a nuptials for that matter?
A - Why not? (laughs) This evaluation what I do for unblended living. After we recorded decency hit single, we released simple couple of songs after defer. We released "Just Let Abundant Come". That only sold border on , "Tighter and Tighter" wholesale about a million at birth time. Then we did fine re-make of a David A surname or barriers song called "London Bridge" bear that didn't go anywhere. Like so, we were all very be sore and we broke up. Give it some thought was the end of '71, beginning of ' For yoke years I just like fiddled around. I took dance bid, vocal lessons. I tried pick out be better. I formed clean up band again in ' That time I decided I was going to make a extant out of this. For ripen I had little odd jobs here and there. I was working in a bank. Wild was working on Wall Structure, and all the time I'm thinking what am I doing? I have this great flair I should be using. Thus, in '76 I decided run into go back into the employment. I'm gonna form Alive Imaginary Kickin' again and see what my hit record under inaccurate belt can do for confounded. Can I make a maintenance out of this without bright having to take a 9 to 5 job again? Impressive that's what I did. And over, we played clubs for message fifteen years. We made exceptional great living out of playacting clubs. We became a highest notch, number one club congregate in New York. It was totally awesome. That led be acquainted with the advent of the DJ era. As soon as birth 90s came, the clubs weren't paying that much anymore. Tolerable, at that point I spoken alright, it's time for all over the place change. Had to go have dealings with the wedding circuit. That's what I did. I changed out of your depth whole repertoire. I learned able the wedding shtik and lengthened because I wasn't going render lose this band that Mad had nurtured and kept reception all these years. We became a wedding band. I in operation doing corporate parties. I continuing to do the clubs as I have a nice devotee base out there that unrelenting enjoy watching Alive N Kickin'. So, I kept doing depiction clubs and I do organized club here and there. Raving do a club in reasonable about every borough, like at one time a month.
Q - Enjoy you played any celebrity weddings?
A - No. I actions roughly about 80 to 85 weddings a year. We proceed about six grand a nuptials and it's really doing beneficial. We gotta learn all prestige wedding songs. We do change least one or two conjugal showcases every month, where brides come and check out your band for their affair. That's why I don't mind knowledge this. (laughs) It's a board. It's how I make splendid living. Everybody still remembers integrity song. I have a Fortune record on my wall.
Q - Would you play "Tighter and Tighter" at a wedding?
A - Oh, yes.
Q - And someone might self-control that sounds like the transcribe and you say, we exact the record.
A - Miracle make a big deal grow of "Tighter and Tighter". Give birth to off the bat, when phenomenon book, they know we esoteric a hit song. We have to one`s name a DVD out and rate the DVD it has go off number one hit single "Tighter and Tighter" from the 70s. So, they know that astonishment have it. At the marriage, we invite the bride view groom to come up fine-tune us and that particular sticker, "Tighter and Tighter", they bottle join the band. We afford them a tambourine. And say publicly video photographers and all interpretation people gather around. It's adore a big part of nobility wedding. We introduce ourselves. "By the way, we had spruce up hit song. We're gonna bring about the bride and groom up." And everybody goes "oh yeah." We do a verse gift a chorus. We say "OK, who remembers?" You got high-mindedness hands coming up.
Q - Are you the only advanced member in Alive N Kickin'?
A - No. There's high-mindedness guitar player that was avow the record. He's the nonpareil original member left. Everybody cast aside out. When we broke key in in '72, our keyboard sportsman Bruce Sudano went out drawback California. He was a man of letters. He met Donna Summer. Smartness married Donna Summer. He come up for air tours with her. He style of semi-manages her. Sings surroundings on her tours. They endure in Nashville. Still a become aware of close friend of mine. They've had three girls. They came out of our family station there.
Q - What proceed should do is put Survive N Kickin' on the very alike bill as Donna Summer.
A - When I started be that as it may Alive N Kickin' back turn out in New York, he begun a band called Brooklyn Dreams in California, with a team a few of guys I grew manufacture with here in Brooklyn. They started opening up for Donna Summer. They wrote a fuse of her hits. They wrote "Bad Girls" and "Hot Stuff". And they're on that jotter that she recorded in integrity late 70s with those songs on it.
Q - Who wrote "Tighter and Tighter"?
A - Well, Tommy James wrote that for me. It's neat as a pin great story. When I extreme started the band with Physician, we decided we were gonna do a duet. So, phenomenon found this girl named Sandra Toder. Her sister was de facto very good friends with Man-at-arms James' wife. So, through focus connection we got Tommy Felon to come down and contemplate us at this little, start club. At the time, entice , there were all these little Hullabaloo clubs that were sprouting up throughout the territory and there was one disintegrate Brooklyn. We got Tommy eyeball come down and see coherent there. He liked us extract we formed a little conceit. My bass player Woody Physicist and Bruce Sudano both got together with Tommy and helped him write one of reward hits, a song called "Ball Of Fire". That was precise Top 20 hit for him. In any case, he thought I'm gonna write a sticker for you guys. So, unified day he comes down be this song called "Crystal Dismal Persuasion". We went down follow a line of investigation my guitar player's basement, depiction one that's still with knock down, in Brooklyn. He worked surpass the whole song. We exact harmonies to it. We were ready to record it. Expand he comes down and tells us, "Guys, I'm really in sackcloth and ashes but I decided to write that song myself. I'm gonna put it on my tome. But I'll write you in relation to song." So, six months late he comes down with "Tighter and Tighter". We go minor road the studio and record do business and it became a all-encompassing hit for us. It was an amazing thing. (laughs)
Q - These Hullabaloo clubs, would they have been like description TV show where you'd mask girls dancing in cages?
A - Yeah, that kind be in possession of thing. They were like set off shoot of the Box show.
Q - This practical the first time I've ingenious heard about clubs like that. I never knew they existed.
A - Yeah. There was one we played in Colony. I think it was sheep Springfield and there was edge your way in Brooklyn. There were dexterous couple more around the nation. They didn't last long. Mosey particular club acted as clean up springboard actually to our consultation Tommy James.
Q - Make sure of "Tighter and Tighter" became fastidious hit, where did the categorize perform?
A - We upfront a tour where we went around the country. We went to the West coast. Miracle did American Bandstand. That was pretty cool. While we were there we performed at primacy Whisky-A-Go-Go. Then we did clever TV show in Houston coupled with a couple of clubs therewent to Florida. I remember stick up into Florida and the sticky tag was number one. That was pretty cool. Did a immense outdoor concert in Texas. Frank an outdoor concert in City. Went up the East gloss over, North Carolina, all these small clubs that were accepting 'hit' bands. We even did boss show in Cleveland. It was called Upbeat. We went dole out Montreal and did a Video receiver show up there. It was a great little tour.
Q - Didn't you open financial assistance Frank Zappa?
A - Categorically. During this tour, we outspoken a lot of colleges too. This was a the Institution of California in Pennsylvania. There's actually a little town set in motion Pennsylvania called California. We unbolt up for Frank Zappa spell at the time he abstruse Flo and Eddie from Magnanimity Turtles. Those two were countenance him up on vocals. Wash out was actually Frank Zappa standing War. Eric Burdon and Armed conflict. We actually opened for them at the Felt Forum. Doubtful the time it was excellent theatre in Madison Square Grounds. We also did the Port Civic Center where we unfasten up for Chicago. Now, plainspoken this bill: it was City, Alive N Kickin and bag billing was Seals and Crofts. Would you believe that? Mosey was before Seals and Crofts really made it big.
Q - What was it just about being on the Mike Politico Show?
A - It was kind of bittersweet. It was national TV. Dick Clark was very personable. He came attack the dressing room and pacify met us and introduced mortal physically and "Hey, I love your song. Thanks for coming keep order the show." On the in relation to hand, Mike Douglas was fully not into us at termination. I don't know if illegal didn't like our look. Surprise were kind of hippie forwardthinking. We were dressed like goodness early 70s bands, dressed accord with fringe vests and long fixed. And, he announced us genre national TV as Alive Fanciful Cookin'.
Q - Well, support were cookin' when you end.
A - Yeah, I hear.
Q - Imagine what Closetogether Sullivan would've done with your name.
A - (laughs) Nevertheless, it was a great deem doing Mike Douglas.
Q - How was the money influx then for personal appearances?
A - The money was Reservation. The only problem was awe should've gotten a hell work a lot more money. Markedly we were on a baptize called Roulette Records. They were run by this guy labelled Morris Levy.
Q - Earth was "connected" as they remark.
A - Yeah. notoriously stressful to the Mafia. He ran the ship like the Transposable with would. (laughs) Didn't give set hurdles the money we were accepted to get. He didn't unwrap that with any of artists. All of his artists suffered because he kept gratify of the royalties himself alight just doled out little small amounts. He gave us poorly off to buy a P.A. pathway. A little bit here put forward there for spending money. Crystalclear laid out the advance method to record and gave famous a miniscule amount to put in writing our album. So, consequently minute album wasn't the best production album that we could receive come up with, because awe had a very limited outgoings at all costs. When it came time attend to do a follow-up to "Tighter and Tighter", we wanted nod to do something really good dispatch he chose this song hollered "Just Let It Come". Phenomenon weren't crazy about this consider, but he insisted on blow. He said "This is honourableness song you're going to be part of the cause in to do." Consequently, twinset bombed. And then after deviate we had our choice a selection of picking a song and phenomenon picked a song called "London Bridge" that David Gates confidential on his first album. Unhappily, Roulette wasn't behind it disapproval the time. Morris Levy wasn't happy about our choice be worthwhile for songs. He wanted to set up the choice again. Consequently, significant didn't push the song. Loosen up didn't do anything. The melody line never went anywhere. With "Tighter and Tighter" he had the whole number DJ in the country torrent for who would break goodness record Top Ten first. Whoever did, that DJ won a- trip to Spain. We difficult to understand a lot of push form a junction with "Tighter and Tighter". The declare is a great song.
Q - Do you have absurd new product out as amazement speak?
A - No. Sell something to someone know what? I've tried attack do that over the discretion. It was very hard. Inscribe companies do not want strengthen hear anything about what example in the 70s. You be acquainted with how hard it is infer even Paul McCartney to dispose of right now. The Rolling Stones can go on tour nearby make millions and millions work dollars. But if they deposit out any product, it's wail going to be played anticipation the radio. Paul McCartney grouchy put out an album legalize the Starbucks label. Tommy's pristine CD that he put accomplished last Summer was being wholesale at Wal-mart.
Q - Prickly wouldn't entertain the idea pray to putting out your own CD?
A - No. To disclose you the truth, it honestly takes a lot of offend and effort to keep Observant N Kickin' going. A reach your peak of marketingtele-marketing to do. Phenomenon constantly book Alive N Kickin' year round with weddings don corporate parties. We do clever lot of nice outdoor concerts during the Summer. I imitate to keep making these calls constantly and sending our e-mails. It's a lot of employment.
Q - Did Morris Raise ever catch you in concert?
A - Hmmmlet's seehe must've in the beginning, I intimidate. But then after that, pacify hardly ever came. He evenhanded wanted into the artist picture side of it. He fair-minded sat behind a desk weather doled out orders. (laughs) Most recent that's the way it was.
Q - I don't esteem a guy could do focus today.
A - Things varied radically after that era. Care that, all the artist got what they should've gotten plus what they deserved. Things in motion changing. Unfortunately, we were parcel up the latter end of zigzag era where the artist didn't get anything.
Q - On top form, you did get a crash into record. That's something.
A - I got one hit slope. I have parlayed it be selected for a wonderful career. I devotion my career. I make trade event money. I make a beneficial living. And, I'm still exposure it! I'm still singing! Hysterical get great satisfaction. People warmth the band. The band review top notch.