Forgive David Foster if he wasn't nearly as disgusted, amused or intrigued as everyone seemed to be over Guns N' Roses finally releasing Chinese Democracy late last year. For starters, he's never really been a big Axl guy. And even more to the point, having an album 18 years in the making simply isn't that awe-inspiring to him.
"The initial recording for my CD began some 22 years ago, [in] 1987," the veteran crooner (best known for his work with The Shaboo/Mohegan Sun All-Stars) revealed about his recently released The Lost L.A. Sessions. "It was supposed to be my shot at the big time… and introduction to the world. I'm an older guy now, and I'm pretty sure that shot has passed, but there's some great stuff with some great players on it. I'm just happy it's finally going to see the light of day."
According to Foster, the first studio session occurred in L.A. for a project originally spearheaded by legendary drummer Buddy Miles. Work progressed regularly for about three months. Then, out of the blue, Buddy went bye-bye. "Just flat out disappeared," Foster recalls. "Not a word… an explanation. Wouldn't even return our phone calls."
Foster would later surmise that the entire project was most likely a bargaining chip. "Buddy was going out [on tour] with Santana, and you get more money if you can prove you're in the middle a project than [if you're] idle," he explains.
With their supposed leader AWOL and some fairly fantastic stuff in the can, Foster says he decided to pick up the reins and press on. It didn't take long for him to find a valuable ally.
"Normally it would cost thousands upon thousands of dollars just to say hello to Paul Rothchild [who worked with The Doors and Janis Joplin]," Foster says. "But I played him some of what we had, and he agreed to produce our project on spec."
Spec being short for speculation, of course. So in lieu of his normal fee, Rothchild agreed to render his highly sought-after services in hopes of realizing a piece of the finished product action. It's a fairly standard agreement, yet one that inherently gives up the artist's rights in the interim.
Which wouldn't have been a problem, Foster adds, had Rothchild not died of pancreatic cancer mere weeks after the sessions were over—tying up the masters in his estate in the process.
A flurry of legal wrangling ensued in the months and years that followed. Foster said he had all but given up on the effort when the Fed Ex truck pulled up to his Hampton home one lazy afternoon earlier this year. "It was the masters, with a note from Rothchild's son," he recounts. "Here are the masters to do with as you please… sorry we stopped your career."
To begin the process of having The Lost L.A. Sessions find its way into your mailbox, visit www.shabooproductions.com and click on "The Band."
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And since you've got your browser open and credit cards out—veteran Valley experimental rockers Tagyerit report that their latest studio effort is also available for purchase online at tagyerit.com. The "culmination of years of creative playwork," called Shimmer, reportedly offers odes to junk collecting, Halloween and the return of the "Vulgar Boatmen."
Westfield rockers (K)nowledge also have a cyberhome, of course. It's at myspace.com/knowledgemusic. But when it comes to celebrating/purchasing their latest studio opus, Beneath The Rising Sun, the band would prefer you do it in person at their release party this Friday, Sept. 25 at Chicopee's Maximum Capacity.
Lastly, as Foster, Tagyerit and (K)nowledge peddle new product, singer-songwriter Pete Mulvey has been… well, just plain pedaling his Rans recumbent bike, replete with custom-built aluminum guitar carry rack, clear from Grand Rapids, Mich. on a journey that started Sept. 9 and will conclude this Saturday, Sept. 26 at his Iron Horse engagement in Northampton.
Send correspondence to Nightcrawler, P.O. Box 427, Somers, CT 06071; fax to (860) 698-9373 or e-mail:garycarra@aol.com.
