November 16, 1997
WELL, PARTYING IN TOWN WAS NOT NEAR AS MUCH FUN AS I HAD HOPED IT WOULD BE. WHILE AT THE TRAVEL TUNES BAR AND TAP I BUMPED INTO THE MAN FROM THE AUTO BODY SHOP WHO HAD HIRED TED. WHAT HE TOLD ME IS NOT WHAT I WANTED TO HEAR. APPARENTLY TED CALLED AND SAID HE WOULD NOT BE TAKING THE JOB. WHILE I WAS GLAD TO BE TOLD THE INFORMATION IT NOW LEFT ME WITH NO LEADS. I TRULY THOUGHT, NOW, THE TAPES WOULD NEVER BE RECOVERED. AS I SAT WITH THE SHOP OWNER IN TOTAL REMORSE HE SAID, "BUY ME ANOTHER ROUND, I THINK I'VE GOT A WAY TO GET YOU A GREAT LEAD". BEING IN NO POSITION TO ARGUE, IT WAS BEERS ALL AROUND. HIS IDEA WAS PERFECT. WE WENT BACK TO THE SHOP AND PULLED OUT HIS PHONE BILLS. IT TOOK QUITE A WHILE BUT WE FINALLY FOUND A CALL TO AN "A. SLOAN". WE DIALED UP THE NUMBER AND FOUND IT TO BE DISCONNECTED......IT IS NEVER EASY. THE AREA CODE WAS GEORGIA, THUS IT COULDN'T BE JUST COINCIDENCE, SO OFF I WAS TO THE OUTSKIRTS OF ATLANTA TO FIND DR. ALLEN SLOAN. GOING BACK TO ATLANTA SEEMED TO BE BRINGING THIS ALL FULL CIRCLE. I HAD A STRONG FEELING THAT THE LONG JOURNEY MAY SOON BE OVER., BUT I ALSO HAD A GREAT DEAL OF FEAR AS THIS WAS PHIL'S HOME TOWN. WITH NO TIME TO WASTE I AM OFF TO THE STATES. THERE IS TEN MINUTES TO KILL BEFORE THE PLANE LEAVES, SO HERE IS THE LATEST NEWS.......
AT PRESENT ALL FOUR OF THE CD'S IN THE BUY SECTION ("GREAT SPECTACULAR", "STAND UP", "LIVE AT SIGMA SOUND" AND "INDUSTRY STANDARD") ARE BEING SHIPPED AND REMAIN IN STOCK WITH MANY OF EACH LEFT. AS ALWAYS, YOUR COMMENTS ARE WELCOME AS WELL AS YOUR REVIEWS AND THEY WILL BE POSTED IN THE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS SECTION. JUST E-MAIL THEM TO US AT: DREGS@ULTRANET.COM. PLEASE NOTE THAT EACH CD IS SHIPPED SEPARATELY. THUS IF YOU ORDER MORE THAN ONE DIFFERENT TITLE, YOU WILL RECEIVE THEM AT DIFFERENT TIMES. THIS IS DUE TO OUR SELF-INFLICTED BACKWARDS SHIPPING DEPARTMENT.
ALSO, THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE ORDERED CD'S WHICH WERE SENT AND CAME BACK DUE TO A BAD ADDRESS. IF YOUR NAME IS ON THE LIST PLEASE LET ME KNOW. SUPPLY THE CORRECT ADDRESS AND I WILL RESEND IMMEDIATELY.
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DO NOT KNOW WHAT THE ABOVE REFERS TO, PLEASE CHECK OUT BUY. YOU WILL FIND WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SECURE AND OFFER FOR SALE SOME ALBUMS WHICH HAVE NEVER BEFORE BEEN RELEASED IN CD FORMAT. SOON WE WILL ALSO BE OFFERING HATS AND T-SHIRTS FOR BOTH THE STEVE MORSE BAND AND THE DIXIE DREGS. THAT IS LIKELY TO COME ABOUT IN THE NEXT 3-4 WEEKS, STAY TUNED. FINALLY I CAN REPORT THAT THERE HAS BEEN SOME PROGRESS. THE DIXIE DREGS HATS ARE FINISHED. THE STEVE MORSE HATS SHOULD BE DONE IN A WEEK TO TWO. THEY WILL BOTH BE ADDED TO THE BUY SECTION IN THE NEXT POSTING ALONG WITH A PICTURE, SO YOU CAN SEE WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE. SHIRTS ARE STILL ANOTHER STORY. THEY ARE OUT FOR DESIGN AT ERNIE BALL (WHO IS HELPING WITH THE ARTWORK) AND SHOULD BE READY IN A BIT. WHEN YOU HAVE FIVE PEOPLE NEEDING TO APPROVE THE DESIGN, LIFE IS NEVER EASY...... WE ARE SORRY AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE.
CREDIT CARDS........ WE ARE NOW ABLE TO ACCEPT BOTH VISA AND MASTER CARDS FOR PURCHASES. YOU WILL NEED TO SUPPLY YOUR NAME, ADDRESS, CARD NUMBER AND EXPIRATION DATE. AND OF COURSE YOUR ORDER. YOU CAN EITHER MAIL THE INFORMATION OR E-MAIL TO DREGS@ULTRANET.COM OR FAX TO 508-6510899. WE HOPE THIS MAKES IT EASIER FOR SOME OF YOU.
ALSO, DON'T FORGET WE ARE ARCHIVING NEWS REPORTS AND QUESTIONS & ANSWERS SO THAT YOU CAN CATCH UP ON WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED. REMEMBER TO KEEP YOUR QUESTIONS COMING TO DREGS@ULTRANET.COM AND WE WILL ANSWER AS MANY AS WE CAN. SHOULD YOU HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO SEND THEM TOO.
THE FIRST PERSON TO CORRECTLY IDENTIFY "THE CHAMPAGNE JAM" IN 1979, AT GEORGIA TECH STADIUM WITH 60,000 IN ATTENDANCE WAS SHANNON BOBO OF CANTON, GA.. AGAIN, CONGRATULATIONS !!! AND SHANNON WILL BE GOING TO THE ATLANTA DEEP PURPLE SHOW WITH A GUEST, AS OUR GUEST, ALONG WITH BACK STAGE PASSES TO MEET STEVE.
THIS GO AROUND THE QUESTION IS: (AND IT WILL REMAIN DIFFICULT AS YOU ALL ARE GETTING THESE MUCH TO QUICKLY)
***WHILE RECORDING WHICH DIXIE DREGS ALBUM, WHAT "BEATLE" DID THE BAND MEET IN THE STUDIO?
THE FIRST CORRECT (THE CLOSEST ON ATTENDANCE WILL BREAK ANY TIES) ANSWER E-MAILED TO DREGS@ULTRANET.COM WILL RECEIVE A COMPLIMENTARY COPY OF THE "STAND UP", "INDUSTRY STANDARD" OR "LIVE AT SIGMA SOUND" CD OR GUITAR PICKS OR AS SHANNON BOBO WON, A FREE PASS WITH A FRIEND TO SEE DEEP PURPLE AND PASSES TO MEET STEVE. WINNER'S CHOICE.
REPEAT OF THE REQUEST:
AT THIS TIME WE WOULD LIKE TO ASK YOU ALL FOR SOME HELP AND EXPLAIN WHY. THE HELP WE SEEK, IS FOR ANYONE CHECKING OUT OUR SITE TO PLEASE TAKE IT UPON THEMSELVES TO MAKE OTHER DIXIE DREGS FANS OUT THERE ALSO AWARE OF THE SITE. WE ARE ON A MISSION TO BUILD UP THE LOCATED DIXIE DREGS FANS AND PROVIDE THEM ALL WITH A BRAND NEW ALBUM (CD) OF FRESH AND ORIGINAL MUSIC. WE WOULD LIKE TO DO THIS SOME TIME IN LATE 1998 OR EARLY 1999. WE WOULD ALSO LIKE TO DO IT ON OUR OWN, THROUGH "DREGS RECORDS" AND NOT GO THROUGH A TRADITIONAL "RECORD LABEL". IN ORDER TO PULL THIS OFF WE NEED TO LOCATE A GOOD SIZE PORTION OF OUR FAN BASE. THE COSTS OF THE RECORDING PROJECT WILL BE SIGNIFICANT AND THUS WE NEED TO INSURE WE HAVE ENOUGH FANS LOCATED SO AS TO MAKE THE VENTURE WORTHWHILE FOR BOTH THE BAND AND YOU OUR LOYAL AND VERY MUCH APPRECIATED FANS. WE THINK YOU WILL REALLY ENJOY THE CONCEPT WE HAVE IN MIND. YOU WILL HEAR THE RETURN OF ANDY WEST ON BASS YET DAVE LARUE WILL ALSO BE PROVIDING HIS IMMENSE CHOPS. WE WILL BE LOOKING TO GET TRACKS FROM MARK PARISH AND STEVE DAVIDOWSKI IF THEY CAN BE LOCATED AND OF COURSE T LAVITZ WILL BE THERE PROVIDING HIS SOULFUL LICKS. THE FIDDLE POSITION WILL BE HOT TOO. WE WILL BE LOOKING FOR MR. JERRY GOODMAN, DR. ALLEN SLOAN AND THE INCOMPARABLE MARK O'CONNER TO ALL LEND THEIR TALENTS TO THE ENDEAVOR. ON DRUMS AND GUITAR YOU WILL BE STUCK WITH ROD AND STEVE ALL THE WAY THROUGH AS NO ONE ELSE HAS EVER MANNED THOSE POSITIONS...... SORRY. BUT SERIOUSLY, WE HAVE GREAT HOPES AND EXPECTATIONS FOR THE RECORD, HOWEVER IT WILL ONLY BECOME A REALITY IF WE CAN MAKE MANY OF OUR FANS AWARE. A LONG TIME HAS PASSED AND OLD FANS HAVE DRIFTED OFF INTO MANY DIFFERENT AND HARD TO FIND PLACES. AS OLD FANS CONTINUE TO DISCOVER THE BAND'S ONGOING EXISTENCE, TO A PERSON THEY ARE PLEASED TO BE BACK IN THE FOLD. WE SINCERELY HOPE YOU WILL AID US IN LOCATING AND MAKING AWARE ANYONE YOU MAY KNOW WHOM YOU FEEL WOULD ENJOY THE NEWS. YOU WILL BE DOING YOURSELF, THE BAND AND THEM A BIG FAVOR. THANK YOU !!!!!!!!!!
DEEP PURPLE HAS ENTERED THE FINAL STAGES OF THEIR NEW RECORD. ALL THE BASIC TRACKS ARE DONE. STEVE IS DOING HIS OVER DUBS AND GUITAR SOLOS. IAN GILIAN IS WORKING ON THE VOCALS. THE REST OF THE CREW ARE CLEANING UP THEIR TRACKS TOO. DEPENDING ON WHOM YOU SPEAK TO, THEY WILL BE FINISHED EITHER EARLY DECEMBER OR EARLY 1998. AS TO TOURING PLANS I HAVE BOTH GOOD AND BAD NEWS. THE BAD NEWS, IS THAT THE STEVE MORSE BAND WILL NOT HAVE THE TIME TO GO OUT FOR THE BALANCE OF THIS YEAR. THE GOOD NEWS IS, DEEP PURPLE WILL. IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN STEVE WITH DEEP PURPLE PLEASE DO. YOU WILL BE SUFFICIENTLY BLOWN AWAY. NOT TO MENTION, YOU WILL BE LUCKY TO SEE THEM IN A VERY INTIMATE SETTING. THOSE DATES (AND THERE WILL BE MORE ADDED AT THE END) ARE AS FOLLOWS:
THE THREE SHOWS FOR STEVE WITH MANUEL BARRUECO ARE STILL SET. THEY ARE AS FOLLOWS:
***IF THESE SHOWS ARE IN YOUR AREA THEY SHOULD NOT BE MISSED. IT WILL BE A WHOLE NEW SIDE OF STEVE MORSE FOR MANY OF YOU. MAINLY ACOUSTIC AND MANY DUETS.
THE CLASSICAL PROJECT STEVE IS PRODUCING FOR WINDHAM HILL IS NOW BACK ON TRACK AND SHOULD BE DONE IN 2-3 MONTHS. TRACKS ARE IN FROM MARTY FREIDMAN, TREVOR RABIN, STEVE HOWE, PETER FRAMPTON AND STEVE MORSE. IN PROGRESS ARE VINCE GILL, DWEZIL ZAPPA AND JOHN PETRUCCI.
STEVE HAS ALSO BEGUN WORK ON HIS NEXT SOLO ALBUM. IT WILL BE AN ACOUSTIC PROJECT.
VINNIE MOORE HAS JUST SIGNED WITH HIS ORIGINAL LABEL, SHRAPNEL AND IS VERY EXCITED. PLANS CALL FOR TWO IMMEDIATE RECORDS. ONE AN INSTRUMENTAL AND THE OTHER A VOCAL RECORD.
JORDAN AND ROD ARE STILL ALL OVER THE WORLD PROMOTING THEIR NEW ALBUM. THEIR LABEL, DOMO RECORDS HAS BEEN DOING AN OUTSTANDING JOB FOR THEM. IT IS OUT NOW ALL OVER THE WORLD AND IS CALLED THE "RUDESS MORGENSTEIN PROJECT". CHECK IT OUT. WHILE DOING ALL THIS ROD STILL IS FINDING TIME TO BE DOING AN "ARTIST IN RESIDENCY" AT BERKELEY COLLEGE IN BOSTON, TWO DAYS A WEEK.
DAVE AND VAN WILL BE BRINGING THEIR "LAX" PROJECT OUT IN EARLY DECEMBER. TO DATE THE SHOWS ARE AS FOLLOWS:
ANOTHER PROJECT YOU WON'T WANT TO MISS, IS T LAVITZ'S NEW TOURING BAND. T WILL BE OUT BEGINNING IN MID JANUARY WITH BILLY COBHAM (DRUMS), LARRY CORYELL (GUITAR) AND ALPHONSO JOHNSON (BASS). THE PROJECT IS CALLED "JAZZ IS DEAD" AND YES THEY WILL BE DOING JAZZ VERSIONS OF YOU FAVORITE GRATEFUL DEAD TUNES.
*********WE ARE NOW ALSO OFFERING ANOTHER DIXIE DREGS PROJECT FOR SALE. IT IS A LIVE SHOW DONE ON JUNE 17, 1979 FROM SIGMA SOUND AND WAS ORIGINALLY BROADCAST LIVE ON THE KING BISCUIT FLOWER HOUR. THIS RECORD IS COMING OUT ON KING BISCUIT RECORDS AND WILL BE AVAILABLE IN OCTOBER. SO AS NOT TO MISLEAD ANYONE, THIS RECORD WILL ALSO BE AVAILABLE IN SOME RECORD STORES, WHERE AS THE 3 WE HAVE FOR SALE OURSELVES ON DREG RECORDS ARE ONLY AVAILABLE THROUGH US. WE ARE SELLING THE KING BISCUIT ALBUM, ALSO FOR $20.00 ($25.00 OUTSIDE THE STATES) AND THAT INCLUDES ALL POSTAGE AND HANDLING. WE HOPE IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN THIS LIVE ALBUM THAT YOU WILL DIRECTLY SUPPORT THE GUYS AND PURCHASES THROUGH THE BAND HERE AT THE WEB SITE. WE ARE ACCEPTING ORDERS NOW AND THEY WILL BE SHIPPED AS SOON AS THE CD IS READY IN OCTOBER. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED, PLEASE VISIT OUR BUY SECTION. AS ALWAYS THANK YOU FOR THE SUPPORT.
THAT'S IT FOR NOW, IT'S OFF TO TOWN TO PARTY DOWN, UNTIL THE NEXT TRANSMISSION BE WELL AND GOOD LUCK.
September 18, 1997
I AM NOW IN CALCUTTA. I MADE IT BY PLANE. THE RIDE WAS QUITE CHOPPY AS THE AIR WAS SO IONIZED AS TO KEEP SENDING LIGHTNING BOLTS AT US EVERY STEP OF THE WAY. BUT ALAS, THAT JOURNEY IS OVER AND I MUST CONTINUE TO SEARCH FOR TED. I HAVE BEEN TO MOST OF THE AUTO MECHANIC SHOPS THINKING TED WOULD BE VISITING ONE IN SEARCH OF A JOB, BUT NO ONE IN ANY OF THE SHOPS HAD BEEN APPROACHED BY A MAN NAMED TED LOOKING FOR A JOB. IT WAS QUITE BY ACCIDENT THAT I BECAME KNOWLEDGEABLE OF THE WHEREABOUTS OF "PHIL". I WAS PASSING SOME TIME IN A MUSIC STORE THINKING OF WHAT MY NEXT MOVE SHOULD BE IN SEARCH OF TED, WHEN I OVER HEARD THE MANAGER TALKING TO A MAN IN A SUIT. WHAT I HEARD WAS, "I HEAR PHIL IS IN TOWN". TO WHICH THE MAN IN THE SUIT REPLIED, "YEA, HE IS STAYING AT THE OLD CAPRICORN INN. HE'S CHECKING OUT A RUMOR ABOUT SOME OLD DIXIE DREGS MUSIC THAT SEEMS TO HAVE BECOME "AVAILABLE". WELL, AT LEAST I KNEW THAT I WAS IN THE RIGHT PLACE. MY TREK HAD TAKEN ME FAR AND WIDE AND FINALLY I SEEMED TO HAVE LANDED IN THE SAME PLACE AT THE SAME TIME AS THE LOST TAPES. WITH ALL THIS IN MIND, I KNEW THERE WAS NO TIME TO BE LOST. I MUST FIND TED BEFORE HE FINDS PHIL. SO WITH GOOD INTENTIONS I WAS OFF TO THE REST OF THE AUTO SHOPS AND FIX IT SHOPS TO FIND TED. I FINALLY GOT LUCKY IN AN AUTO BODY SHOP IN SOUTH CALCUTTA. THE MANAGER THERE HAD HIRED TED THREE WEEKS AGO. TED HAD JUST LEFT TWO DAYS AGO AND SAID HE WOULD RETURN IN A WEEK. IT SEEMS HE HAD LEFT SOME OF HIS GEAR AT A FRIENDS AND NEEDED TO RETRIEVE IT. WITH SOME TIME TO KILL I THOUGHT I WOULD BE GOIN' TO TOWN AND HAVE SOME FUN FOR A CHANGE, BUT BEFORE I DO, HERE IS THE LATEST NEWS.
AT PRESENT THREE OF THE FOUR CD'S IN THE BUY SECTION ("GREAT SPECTACULAR", "STAND UP" AND "INDUSTRY STANDARD") ARE BEING SHIPPED AND REMAIN IN STOCK WITH MANY OF EACH LEFT. "LIVE AT SIGMA SOUND" SHOULD BE SHIPPING IN 3-4 WEEKS AT MOST. AS ALWAYS, YOUR COMMENTS ARE WELCOME AS WELL AS YOUR REVIEWS AND THEY WILL BE POSTED IN THE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS SECTION. JUST E-MAIL THEM TO US AT: DREGS@ULTRANET.COM PLEASE NOTE THAT EACH CD IS SHIPPED SEPARATELY. THUS IF YOU ORDER MORE THAN ONE DIFFERENT TITLE, YOU WILL RECEIVE THEM AT DIFFERENT TIMES. THIS IS DUE TO OUR SELF-INFLICTED BACKWARDS SHIPPING DEPARTMENT.
ALSO, THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE ORDERED CD'S WHICH WERE SENT AND CAME BACK DUE TO A BAD ADDRESS. IF YOUR NAME IS ON THE LIST PLEASE LET ME KNOW. SUPPLY THE CORRECT ADDRESS AND I WILL RESEND IMMEDIATELY.
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DO NOT KNOW WHAT THE ABOVE REFERS TO, PLEASE CHECK OUT BUY. YOU WILL FIND WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SECURE AND OFFER FOR SALE SOME ALBUMS WHICH HAVE NEVER BEFORE BEEN RELEASED IN CD FORMAT. SOON WE WILL ALSO BE OFFERING HATS AND T-SHIRTS FOR BOTH THE STEVE MORSE BAND AND THE DIXIE DREGS. THAT IS LIKELY TO COME ABOUT IN THE NEXT 3-4 WEEKS, STAY TUNED. I KNOW WE HAVE SAID THIS BEFORE, BUT THE HATS WILL HOPEFULLY BE READY FOR THE NEXT POSTING ALONG WITH A PICTURE OF WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE IN THE BUY SECTION. THE HATS ARE BEING PROTOTYPED AS I AM WRITING AND THE SHIRTS ARE BEING DESIGNED AT PRESENT TOO.
CREDIT CARDS........ WE ARE NOW ABLE TO ACCEPT BOTH VISA AND MASTER CARDS FOR PURCHASES. YOU WILL NEED TO SUPPLY YOUR NAME, ADDRESS, CARD NUMBER AND EXPIRATION DATE. AND OF COURSE YOUR ORDER. YOU CAN EITHER MAIL THE INFORMATION OR E-MAIL TO DREGS@ULTRANET.COM OR FAX TO (508)651-0899. WE HOPE THIS MAKES IT EASIER FOR SOME OF YOU.
ALSO, DON'T FORGET WE ARE ARCHIVING NEWS REPORTS AND QUESTIONS & ANSWERS SO THAT YOU CAN CATCH UP ON WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED. REMEMBER TO KEEP YOUR QUESTIONS COMING TO DREGS@ULTRANET.COM AND WE WILL ANSWER AS MANY AS WE CAN. SHOULD YOU HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO SEND THEM TOO.
THE FIRST PERSON TO CORRECTLY IDENTIFY "INTERLOCKEN" AS THE MUSIC SCHOOL T LAVITZ ATTENDED PRIOR TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI WAS ANDY MOST OF HERMITAGE, TN. AGAIN, CONGRATULATIONS!!! AND THE CD WILL BE MAILED.
THIS GO AROUND THE QUESTION IS: (AND IT WILL BE MORE DIFFICULT AS YOU ALL ARE GETTING THESE MUCH TO QUICKLY)
HOW MANY PEOPLE ATTENDED THE LARGEST CONCERT THE DREGS WERE A PART OF, WHAT WAS IT CALLED AND WHERE WAS IT?
THE FIRST CORRECT (THE CLOSEST ON ATTENDANCE WILL BREAK ANY TIES) ANSWER E-MAILED TO DREGS@ULTRANET.COM WILL RECEIVE A COMPLIMENTARY COPY OF THE "STAND UP" ,"INDUSTRY STANDARD" OR "LIVE AT SIGMA SOUND" CD OR GUITAR PICKS. WINNER'S CHOICE.
AT THIS TIME WE WOULD LIKE TO ASK YOU ALL FOR SOME HELP AND EXPLAIN WHY. THE HELP WE SEEK, IS FOR ANYONE CHECKING OUT OUR SITE TO PLEASE TAKE IT UPON THEMSELVES TO MAKE OTHER DIXIE DREGS FANS OUT THERE ALSO AWARE OF THE SITE. WE ARE ON A MISSION TO BUILD UP THE LOCATED DIXIE DREGS FANS AND PROVIDE THEM ALL WITH A BRAND NEW ALBUM (CD) OF FRESH AND ORIGINAL MUSIC. WE WOULD LIKE TO DO THIS SOME TIME IN LATE 1998 OR EARLY 1999. WE WOULD ALSO LIKE TO DO IT ON OUR OWN, THROUGH "DREGS RECORDS" AND NOT GO THROUGH A TRADITIONAL "RECORD LABEL". IN ORDER TO PULL THIS OFF WE NEED TO LOCATE A GOOD SIZE PORTION OF OUR FAN BASE. THE COSTS OF THE RECORDING PROJECT WILL BE SIGNIFICANT AND THUS WE NEED TO INSURE WE HAVE ENOUGH FANS LOCATED SO AS TO MAKE THE VENTURE WORTHWHILE FOR BOTH THE BAND AND YOU OUR LOYAL AND VERY MUCH APPRECIATED FANS. WE THINK YOU WILL REALLY ENJOY THE CONCEPT WE HAVE IN MIND. YOU WILL HEAR THE RETURN OF ANDY WEST ON BASS YET DAVE LARUE WILL ALSO BE PROVIDING HIS IMMENSE CHOPS. JORDAN RUDESS WILL NOT BE IGNORED ON KEYBOARDS AND WE WILL BE LOOKING TO GET TRACKS FROM MARK PARISH AND STEVE DAVIDOWSKI IF THEY CAN BE LOCATED. OF COURSE T LAVITZ WILL BE THERE PROVIDING HIS SOULFUL LICKS. THE FIDDLE POSITION WILL BE HOT TOO. WE WILL BE LOOKING FOR MR. JERRY GOODMAN, DR. ALLEN SLOAN AND THE INCOMPARABLE MARK O'CONNER TO ALL LEND THEIR TALENTS TO THE ENDEAVOR. ON DRUMS AND GUITAR YOU WILL BE STUCK WITH ROD AND STEVE ALL THE WAY THROUGH AS NO ONE ELSE HAS EVER MANNED THOSE POSITIONS...... SORRY. BUT SERIOUSLY, WE HAVE GREAT HOPES AND EXPECTATIONS FOR THE RECORD, HOWEVER IT WILL ONLY BECOME A REALITY IF WE CAN MAKE MANY OF OUR FANS AWARE. A LONG TIME HAS PASSED AND OLD FANS HAVE DRIFTED OFF INTO MANY DIFFERENT AND HARD TO FIND PLACES. AS OLD FANS CONTINUE TO DISCOVER THE BAND'S ONGOING EXISTENCE, TO A PERSON THEY ARE PLEASED TO BE BACK IN THE FOLD. WE SINCERELY HOPE YOU WILL AID US IN LOCATING AND MAKING AWARE ANYONE YOU MAY KNOW WHOM YOU FEEL WOULD ENJOY THE NEWS. YOU WILL BE DOING YOURSELF, THE BAND AND THEM A BIG FAVOR. THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!
DEEP PURPLE HAS REENTERED THE STUDIO AS OF SEPTEMBER 15TH. SO STEVE IS BUSY RECORDING AND WRITING ON THAT PROJECT. WE ARE LOOKING TO BRING THE STEVE MORSE BAND OUT. BEGINNING, EITHER THE END OF OCTOBER OR EARLY IN NOVEMBER. WE ARE LOOKING TO GO TO NEW ORLEANS AND WEST AND UP INTO THE COLORADO AREA. DETAILS SHOULD BE KNOWN IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS AND WILL BE POSTED ACCORDINGLY. THE THREE SHOWS FOR STEVE WITH MANUEL BARRUECO ARE NOW SET. THEY ARE AS FOLLOWS:
IF THESE SHOWS ARE IN YOUR AREA THEY SHOULD NOT BE MISSED. IT WILL BE A WHOLE NEW SIDE OF STEVE MORSE FOR MANY OF YOU. MAINLY ACOUSTIC AND MANY DUETS.
THE CLASSICAL PROJECT STEVE IS PRODUCING FOR WINDHAM HILL IS NOW BACK ON TRACK AND SHOULD BE DONE IN 2-3 MONTHS. TRACKS ARE IN FROM MARTY FREIDMAN, TREVOR RABIN, STEVE HOWE, PETER FRAMPTON AND STEVE MORSE. IN PROGRESS ARE VINCE GILL AND JOHN PETRUCCI.
JERRY GOODMAN IS VERY CLOSE TO A SOLO RECORD DEAL AND WE HOPE TO BE ABLE TO BRING YOU ALL THE DETAILS IN THE NEAR FUTURE. THE SAME GOES FOR VINNIE MOORE, HE TOO, SHOULD BE INKING A NEW SOLO PACT IN THE DAYS AHEAD. PLANS CALL FOR BOTH ROD MORGENSTEIN AND JORDAN RUDESS TO BE A PART OF THAT PROJECT.
JORDAN AND ROD HAVE LITERALLY BEEN ALL OVER THE WORLD PROMOTING THEIR NEW ALBUM. THEIR LABEL, DOMO RECORDS HAS BEEN DOING AN OUTSTANDING JOB FOR THEM. IT IS OUT NOW ALL OVER THE WORLD AND IS CALLED THE "RUDESS MORGENSTEIN PROJECT". CHECK IT OUT.
DAVE AND VAN JUST FINISHED THEIR TOURING WITH "LAX" AND THE RESULTS WERE VERY POSITIVE. GOOD SIZE CROWDS AND LOTS OF ENTHUSIASM. VAN HAS PLANS TO GO BACK OUT WITH BERNIE WORRELL AND THE WOO WARRIORS AGAIN SOMETIME IN THE FALL.
WE ARE NOW ALSO OFFERING ANOTHER DIXIE DREGS PROJECT FOR SALE. IT IS A LIVE SHOW DONE ON JUNE 17, 1979 FROM SIGMA SOUND AND WAS ORIGINALLY BROADCAST LIVE ON THE KING BISCUIT FLOWER HOUR. THIS RECORD IS COMING OUT ON KING BISCUIT RECORDS AND WILL BE AVAILABLE IN OCTOBER. SO AS NOT TO MISLEAD ANYONE, THIS RECORD WILL ALSO BE AVAILABLE IN SOME RECORD STORES, WHERE AS THE 3 WE HAVE FOR SALE OURSELVES ON DREG RECORDS ARE ONLY AVAILABLE THROUGH US. WE ARE SELLING THE KING BISCUIT ALBUM, ALSO FOR $20.00 ($25.00 OUTSIDE THE STATES) AND THAT INCLUDES ALL POSTAGE AND HANDLING. WE HOPE IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN THIS LIVE ALBUM THAT YOU WILL DIRECTLY SUPPORT THE GUYS AND PURCHASES THROUGH THE BAND HERE AT THE WEB SITE. WE ARE ACCEPTING ORDERS NOW AND THEY WILL BE SHIPPED AS SOON AS THE CD IS READY IN OCTOBER. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED, PLEASE VISIT OUR BUY SECTION. AS ALWAYS THANK YOU FOR THE SUPPORT.
THAT'S IT FOR NOW, IT'S OFF TO TOWN TO PARTY DOWN, UNTIL THE NEXT TRANSMISSION BE WELL AND GOOD LUCK.
August 8, 1997
I have made it to the highlands and the beauty of the area is overwhelming. The people are very kind and there is no indication of any fighting going on here. As you recall in my search for the missing Dixie Dregs tapes, I have come here in search of Ted the mechanic. I was told I would find him at the old saw mill that used to be there but no longer is. Sounds a bit confusing, but there I must go and so I did. After questioning a few locals as to where it might be I was pointed in the right direction. It was a long walk and I went right passed a true highland wedding in progress. Lots of dancing, food and drink. I was sorry I could only look from a far. A mile or two beyond the wedding on the main road was unmistakably what had to be the old saw mill. Never have I seen so much saw dust piled up in one place (never have I seen so much of anything piled up in one place). Directly adjacent to the pile of dust was a gas station, and in I went looking for ted. Of course as my luck would have it, I was told Ted had left the highlands two weeks ago and was believed to be on his way to Calcutta to meet "Phil". But as important, I was told that ted was carrying a large bag which he let no one see into. His former boss at the gas station did say once he saw ted open the bag and he thought he saw movie reels. Well this was enough to keep me going as those were likely to be not movie reels but the lost tapes I have been searching for. So with good intentions I will head to Calcutta. I'm not sure how I will get there but before I look into that here is the latest news.
At present all three CD's in the BUY SECTION ("Great Spectacular", "Stand Up" and "Industry Standard") are being shipped and remain in stock with many of each left. As always, your comments are welcome as well as your reviews and they will be posted in the questions and answers section. Just e-mail them to us at: DREGS@ULTRANET.COM. Please note that each CD is shipped separately. Thus if you order 2 different titles you will receive them at different times. This is due to our self-inflicted backwards shipping department.
Also, the following people ordered CD's which were sent and came back due to a bad address. If your name is on the list please let me know. Supply the correct address and I will resend immediately.
For those of you who do not know what the above refers to, please check out BUY SECTION. You will find we have been able to secure and offer for sale some albums which have never before been released in CD format. Soon we will also be offering hats and t-shirts for both the Steve Morse Band and the Dixie Dregs. That is likely to come about in the next 3-4 weeks, stay tuned. I know we have said this before, but the hats will hopefully be ready for the next posting along with a picture of what they look like in the BUY SECTION.
CREDIT CARDS........ We are now able to accept both Visa and Master Cards for purchases. You will need to supply your name, address, card number and expiration date. And of course your order. You can either mail the information or e-mail to DREGS@ULTRANET.COM or fax to 508-6510899. We hope this makes it easier for some of you.
Also, don't forget we are archiving news reports and questions & answers so that you can catch up on what you might have missed. Remember to keep your questions coming to DREGS@ULTRANET.COM And we will answer as many as we can. Should you have any suggestions, please feel free to send them too.
The first person to correctly identify Duane Allman's guitar as the one used in Twiggs approved was Mark Oppenlander of West Chester, PA. again, congratulations!!!
This go around the question is:
***Prior to T Lavitz attending the university of Miami (where he met the guys) what music school did he attend?
The first correct answer e-mailed to DREGS@ULTRANET.COM Will receive a complimentary copy of the "Stand Up" or "Industry Standard" CD or guitar picks. Winner's choice.
Before the news I wanted to address the past trivia question. Many if not most people said the answer was Twigs Lyndon. To insure we got the proper answer I went to the closest possible source, my friend, Steve's guitar tech and all around wonderful guy...Scoots Lyndon. Per Scoots, Twigs never owned the guitar. He took it after Duane's death for safe keeping. After Twigs's passed away Scoots gave it to Steve to play and safeguard for some time. Steve kept it hid in a false wall in the old Dregs studio and band house. It was then given back to Scoots and the Lyndon family held it for some time. When Duane's daughter was old enough to realize it's importance, it was transferred to her. And that is the story as told by Scoots.
In our last update the link in the news section to Steve's celebrity page with the Earth Force Network was not functioning properly for a bit of time. The link has been corrected. This avant garde company founded by Steve's friends Peter Short and Marissa Kelly is setting a new business paradigm buy giving away an unprecedented 50% of it's profits to grass roots native americans and environmental projects. The Earth Force Network is being launched now and Steve invites each of you to work with him to make this socially conscious endeavor a huge success.
The Christmas track for Epic Records, Joy to the World, is now finished and has been turned in. Steve and Deep Purple did 3 shows in July. One each in Germany, Lebanon and Switzerland. They have also just finished one show in Western Canada. As of the moment there are no further touring plans for Deep Purple in 1997. However, this is always subject to change and we will of course let you know. On september first they will reenter the studio in Florida and record their next album. They should be done recording by early October. The mixing will likely be done some time in November. Then it will be turned in and released in early 1998. As to Steve's plans, we would like to get the trio out for two weeks in late October. The possibilities with Al Dimiola and Steve Howe have both fallen through for the moment. Scheduling problems have made both difficult. The Steve Howe package appears the most likely to occur at some point in he future. In January of 1998 Steve will be out doing 3-4 shows with Manuel Barrueco, the great classical guitarist. They will be in California and will be doing acoustic and classical duets. This is something not to miss if they get to your area. As soon as the details are known they will be posted. *********We are now also offering another Dixie Dregs project for sale. It is a live show done on June 17, 1979 from Sigma Sound and was originally broadcast live on the King Biscuit Flower Hour. This records is coming out on King Biscuit Records and will be available in October. So as not to mislead anyone, this record will also be available in some record stores, where as the 3 we have for sale ourselves on Dreg Records are only available through us. We are selling the King Biscuit album, also for $20.00 ($25.00 Outside the States) and that includes all postage and handling. We hope if you are interested in this live album that you will directly support the guys and purchases through the band here at the web site. We are accepting orders now and they will be shipped as soon as the cd is ready in October. If you are interested, please visit our buy section. As always thank you for the support.
Rod Morgenstein and Jordan Rudess have their project done and ready for a September release on Domo Records. If you can not wait that long go to our new "links" section and visit Rod or Jordan where you can obtain an advance copy of "RPM".
As referred to above we have added a new "links" section. We hope this will provide you with some instant access to some of our favorite places. We hope you enjoy them....But like E.T. ......Don't forget to phone home.
T Lavitz is out with the Starship for some isolated touring this summer. As we told you in the last news update they were to go out with "the band" and " the JGB Band" for a major summer tour but a problem with one of "the band" members ended that tour. Thus if you keep an eye out in your local area you may find a salvaged date for the starship. If you make it to a show we would love to hear your comments at DREGS@ULTRANET.COM.
Vinnie Moore has a clinic and concert upcoming at the Berkeley Performance Center in Boston, MA on August 19th. We hope to see you there, it will be a great show.
Van Romaine is out with Bernie Worrell and the Woo Warriors in various parts of the United States in August. Exact dates and places are not yet determined so once again keep your eyes peeled and don't miss the funk.
Dave LaRue and van will be bringing their LAX project back out in September. To date the shows are as follows:
As the blanks fill in we will post them or you can check Dave LaRue's web site at davelarue.com.
That's it for now and it's off to Calcutta. Until then be well. We will be back in touch soon.
June 29, 1997
AFTER FINDING THE ONLY OPEN RESTAURANT ON THE BARBARY COAST, I HAVE VENTURED INTO THE MODOC FOREST. IT IS A VERY DARK PLACE WITH TREES SO THICK IT IS LIKE WALKING IN A TUNNEL. NON OF THE FIGHTING SEEMS TO HAVE MADE IT TO THIS AREA, SO HOPEFULLY MY PASSAGE TO THE HIGHLANDS WILL BE BOTH QUICK AND SAFE. AS I KEEP WALKING ALONE IN THE DARKNESS I CAN'T HELP BUT FEELING LIKE I'M FREAKING OUT. I HAVE NO COMPASS TO GUIDE ME, ONLY THE SUN TO KEEP MY COURSE STRAIGHT. I HAD TO CROSS A RIVER THAT WAS LOADED WITH BLOOD SUCKING LEECHES. LUCKILY NONE LATCHED ON TO ME. ONCE ACROSS THE RIVER I WAS ABLE TO CATCH A GLIMPSE OF THE HIGHLANDS. AS I WANDER ON THROUGH THIS JOURNEY, ONLY THE THOUGHT OF FINDING THE LOST TAPES KEEPS ME GOING. THE PLEASURE OF HEARING A LIVE DIXIE DREG SHOW CAUGHT ON TAPE. STILL I WONDER AS I APPROACH THE HIGHLANDS, HOW WILL I FIND " THE OLD SAW MILL, THAT USE TO BE THERE, BUT ISN'T ANY MORE"? THE EDGE OF THE FOREST IS NEAR AND I WILL USE ITS SHELTER TO KEEP ME SAFE FOR THE NIGHT. TOMORROW I WILL JOURNEY ON TO THE HIGHLANDS. NIGHT IS CLOSE AND MY BATTERIES ARE READING LOW, SO BEFORE I LOSE TRANSMITTING POWER, HERE IS THE LATEST NEWS.
BOTH THE "GREAT SPECTACULAR" AND "STAND UP" ARE NOW SHIPPING AND REMAIN IN STOCK. THE REVIEWS ON BOTH ARE COMING IN AND SOME HAVE BEEN POSTED INTO THE QUESTION AND ANSWER SECTION. WE WOULD WELCOME OTHERS TO DO THE SAME, JUST E-MAIL THEM TO US DREGS@ULTRANET.COM AND WE WILL POST SOME MORE UP.
"INDUSTRY STANDARD" WON'T BE MUCH LONGER. TWO WEEKS AT MOST. THE ART IS DONE. IT DID TAKE US MUCH LONGER THAN ANTICIPATED TO GET THE MASTER FROM ARISTA. TO THAT END WE ARE TRULY SORRY. SHOULD ANYONE WISH A REFUND, PLEASE LET ME KNOW AND IT WILL GO IN THE MAIL ASAP.
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DO NOT KNOW WHAT THE ABOVE REFERS TO, PLEASE CHECK OUT "BUY". YOU WILL FIND WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SECURE AND OFFER FOR SALE SOME ALBUMS WHICH HAVE NEVER BEFORE BEEN RELEASED IN CD FORMAT. SOON WE WILL ALSO BE OFFERING T-SHIRTS FOR BOTH THE STEVE MORSE BAND AND THE DIXIE DREGS. THAT IS LIKELY TO COME ABOUT IN THE NEXT 3-4 WEEKS, STAY TUNED.
CREDIT CARDS........ WE ARE NOW ABLE TO ACCEPT BOTH VISA AND MASTER CARDS FOR PURCHASES. YOU WILL NEED TO SUPPLY YOUR NAME, ADDRESS, CARD NUMBER AND EXPIRATION DATE. AND OF COURSE YOUR ORDER. YOU CAN EITHER MAIL THE INFORMATION OR E-MAIL TO DREGS@ULTRANET.COM. OR FAX TO 508-6510899. WE HOPE THIS MAKES IT EASIER FOR SOME OF YOU.
ALSO, DON'T FORGET WE ARE ARCHIVING NEWS REPORTS AND QUESTIONS & ANSWERS SO THAT YOU CAN CATCH UP ON WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED. REMEMBER TO KEEP YOUR QUESTIONS COMING TO DREGS@ULTRANET.COM AND WE WILL ANSWER AS MANY AS WE CAN. SHOULD YOU HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO SEND THEM TOO.
THE FIRST PERSON TO CORRECTLY IDENTIFY THE BAND SEA LEVEL AS THE BAND THE DIXIE DREGS TOURED WITH IN EUROPE WAS DOUG BRACEY OF JUPITER, FL. AGAIN, CONGRATULATIONS!!!
THIS GO AROUND THE QUESTION IS:
***WHOSE GUITAR WAS USED FOR THE SLIDE SOLO IN TWIGGS APPROVED?
THE FIRST CORRECT ANSWER E-MAILED TO DREGS@ULTRANET.COM WILL RECEIVE A COMPLIMENTARY COPY OF THE "STAND UP" CD OR GUITAR PICKS. WINNER'S CHOICE.
AS TO THE NEWS, STEVE HAS JUST FINISHED HIS ACOUSTIC TRACK FOR THE WINDHAM HILL CHRISTMAS ALBUM. THE TRACK IS TITLED "IT CAME UPON A MIDNIGHT CLEAR" THE ELECTRIC TRACK FOR THE EPIC PROJECT IS IN PROGRESS. THAT SONG WILL BE "JOY TO THE WORLD". DEEP PURPLE HAS FINISHED THEIR WRITING SESSION IN FLORIDA AND SEEMS TO HAVE GOTTEN ABOUT 9 SONGS DONE. THEY WILL REMAIN ON A BREAK UNTIL THEY FINISH THE SHORT TOUR OF TWO DATES WHICH WILL RUN BETWEEN JULY 4 AND JULY 10. THEY WILL BE AT A LARGE GERMAN FESTIVAL AND DOING A SHOW IN LEBANON. THEY WILL THEN RETURN TO THE STUDIO TO FINISH THE RECORD. IN THE MEAN TIME WE ARE TRYING TO SECURE SOME TOUR DATES FOR PERIODS WHEN PURPLE IS NOT WORKING. WE ARE LOOKING FOR SOME CO-BILLING SITUATIONS. THE TWO POSSIBILITIES WE ARE NOW INVESTIGATING ARE: ONE WITH AL DIMIOLA AND THE OTHER WITH STEVE HOWE. AS SOON AS WE KNOW ANYTHING DEFINITE WE WILL POST ONTO THE WEB. WE ALSO HAVE AN OFFER FOR STEVE TO GO SOLO INTO ARGENTINA FOR 3 SHOWS, CHILE AND URUGUAY. THESE WOULD BE WITH VICENTE AMIGO, THE SPANISH FLAMINGO GUITARIST AND BADEN POWELL, A LEGENDARY BRAZILIAN GUITARIST. STEVE WOULD FILL THE ROLL AS A JAZZ/ ROCK GUITARIST TO FILL OUT THE BILL. AGAIN, AS SOON AS ANYTHING IS DEFINITE WE WILL LET YOU KNOW. WE ARE GETTING TO THE PLANNING STAGES OF STEVE'S NEXT WINDHAM HILL PROJECT AND ONE OF THE IDEAS BEING TOSSED AROUND IS FOR AN ACOUSTIC PROJECT. YOUR OPINIONS ARE MOST CERTAINLY WELCOME AT DREGS@ULTRANET.COM. THAT PRETTY MUCH BRINGS YOU UP TO DATE ON THE DOINGS OF STEVE.
ROD MORGENSTEIN AND JORDAN RUDESS HAVE FINALLY SIGNED THEIR RECORD DEAL WITH DOMO RECORDS AND IT IS SCHEDULED FOR A SEPTEMBER RELEASE. THEY WILL BE DOING CLINICS TOGETHER AT GUITAR CENTER STORES ON THE FOLLOWING DATES:
THESE CLINICS ARE GETTING GREAT REVIEWS AND ARE FREE, SO IF YOU ARE IN THE AREA STOP IN AND SAY HELLO. ALSO, THEY WILL BE DOING A FULL DUET PERFORMANCE TOGETHER ON JULY 14 AT THE BERKELEY PERFORMANCE CENTER IN BOSTON, MA. THIS IS A MAKE UP FOR THE APRIL PERFORMANCE CANCELED DUE TO THE BIG BLIZZARD. I GUARANTEE YOU WILL NOT WANT TO MISS THIS.
T LAVITZ IS STILL WAITING TO CONFIRM THE SUMMER "STARSHIP" TOUR. THEY WERE TO GO OUT WITH "THE BAND" AND "THE JGB BAND" FOR A SHED TOUR. HOWEVER, THERE SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN A PROBLEM WITH "THE BAND" AND THINGS ARE TEMPORARILY ON HOLD.
"LAX" WITH VAN ROMAINE, DAVE LARUE, AND GREG ALEXANDER JUST FINISHED THEIR SHORT TOUR, TO WHAT WE WERE TOLD, GREAT MUSIC AND GREAT AUDIENCES. THEY WISH TO THANK YOU FOR THE SUPPORT. ANYONE WISHING TO SEND IN A REVIEW OF A SHOW WOULD BE WELCOME AND WE WILL PUT IT UP IN THE NEXT Q&A SECTION. (SEND TO DREGS@ULTRANET.COM. VAN ROMAINE IS ON HIS WAY TO JAPAN FOR THE DATES WITH BERNIE WORRELL AND THE WOO WARRIORS. THE WILL RETURN TO THE STATES FOR SHOWS IN JULY AND AUGUST. VAN IS ALSO WORKING ON A RECORDING PROJECT FOR A NEW BAND CALLED "PRODUCT". THEY WERE RECENTLY SIGNED TO ARISTA RECORDS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM..
FINALLY, STEVE WANTED TO INCLUDE THIS PRESS RELEASE ABOUT HIS GOOD FRIEND PETER SHORT'S NEW VENTURE.
Steve is excited about a new venture in which he recently invested called The Earth Force Network. This avant garde company, founded by Steve's friends, Peter Short and Marissa Kelly, is setting a new business paradigm by giving away an unprecedented 50% of its profits to grassroots traditional Native American and environmental projects.
The Earth Force Network is being launched NOW and Steve invites each of you to work with him to make this socially conscious endeavor a huge success.
Endorsing and promoting the company along with Steve are original Dregs bass player, Andy West; Taj Mahal; The David Grisman Quintet; NFL New Orleans Saints kicker, Doug Brien and Wavy Gravy, as well as some of the country's premier Native American leaders.
The Earth Force Network produces and distributes the state of the art, physician formulated, herb, vitamin and mineral daily supplement, "Earth Pak". This superb product is not available in stores, but is distributed through network marketing. Enjoy this rare, ground floor opportunity to work with Steve as a distributor in his down line organization. Call Earth Force co-founder Peter Short toll free at 1-888-968-7423 or visit Steve's Celebrity Page at the Earth Force website.
THAT'S ALL THERE IS FOR NOW, IT'S TIME TO HEAD OFF TO THE HIGHLANDS. I WILL REESTABLISH COMMUNICATIONS THEN. I CAN TELL YOU THOUGH THERE ARE SOME INTERESTING THINGS TO COME. UNTIL THEN.....BE HAPPY.
REMEMBER YOU CAN REACH US AT DREGS@ULTRANET.COM
May 21, 1997
I HAVE MADE IT TO THE BARBARY COAST. THE FIGHTING IN THESE PARTS SEEMS TO BE MORE PERSONAL. THERE IS MORE OF A ONE ON ONE THING GOING ON. INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS SEEM TO BE TAKING ON INDIVIDUAL A&R PEOPLE AT EVERY TURN. I HAVE SEEN NO BLOOD SPILLED, BUT THERE HAS BEEN SIGNIFICANT EVIDENCE OF HEAD BANGING. IN LOOKING FOR TED THE MECHANIC, I WAS TOLD HE WORKED AT THE FILLING STATION NEAR THE DOCKS. OF COURSE WHEN I GOT THERE AND ASKED FOR HIM I WAS TOLD HE HAD MOVED ON. I WAS POINTED IN THE DIRECTION OF THE OLD SAW MILL, THAT USED TO BE THERE, BUT IS NOT THERE ANY MORE. WHEN I ASKED, "HOW WILL I KNOW IF I'M THERE, IF IT IS NO LONGER THERE?'. I WAS QUICKLY TOLD NOT TO WORRY, "YOU WILL KNOW." I BEGAN TO THINK LONG AND HARD ABOUT GIVING UP THIS GOLDEN QUEST AND JUST TAKING THE ROAD HOME. BUT THE MORE I THOUGHT OF THE IMPORTANCE OF THE LOST TAPES, I NEW I HAD TO KEEP ON KEEPING ON. THE OLD SAW MILL IS LOCATED IN HIGHLANDS. BETWEEN HERE AND THE HIGHLANDS IS THE MODOC FOREST AND THE SCENE OF SOME OF THE MOST HORRIFIC FIGHTING TO DATE. IT MATTERED NOT AS I WAS ON A MISSION AND KNEW I MUST GO ON. AS IT IS GETTING LATE AND I AM STARVING I MUST MAKE MY WAY TO SOME FOOD BEFORE I START THE JOURNEY ACROSS THE MODOC FOREST, BUT BEFORE I DO, I WILL LEAVE YOU THE LATEST NEWS.
THE "GREAT SPECTACULAR" IS NOW SHIPPING AND THE REVIEWS ARE BEGINNING TO COME IN. YOU CAN FIND SOME OF THEM POSTED AS PART OF THE QUESTION AND ANSWER SECTION FOR EVERYONE TO ENJOY. OTHERS ARE WELCOME, JUST E-MAIL THEM TO US DREGS@ULTRANET.COM AND WE WILL POST MORE THE NEXT TIME.
"STAND UP" IS NOW SHIPPING TOO. WE HOPE YOU ENJOY YOUR COPY. "INDUSTRY STANDARD" WILL BE OUT IN ABOUT 3 WEEKS. THE ARTWORK IS IN PROGRESS NOW AND THEN WE WILL PROCEED WITH THE MASTERING AND THE PRESSING. AS ALWAYS, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE!!!!!!! NONE OF THIS HAS BEEN AS EASY AS WE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE.
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DO NOT KNOW WHAT THE ABOVE REFERS TO, PLEASE CHECK OUT "MERCHANDISE". YOU WILL FIND WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SECURE AND OFFER FOR SALE SOME ALBUMS WHICH HAVE NEVER BEFORE BEEN RELEASED IN CD FORMAT. SOON WE WILL ALSO BE OFFERING T-SHIRTS FOR BOTH THE STEVE MORSE BAND AND THE DIXIE DREGS. THAT IS LIKELY TO COME ABOUT IN THE NEXT 3-4 WEEKS, STAY TUNED.
ALSO, DON'T FORGET WE ARE ARCHIVING NEWS REPORTS AND QUESTIONS & ANSWERS SO THAT YOU CAN CATCH UP ON WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED. REMEMBER TO KEEP YOUR QUESTIONS COMING TO DREGS@ULTRANET.COM AND WE WILL ANSWER AS MANY AS WE CAN. SHOULD YOU HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO SEND THEM TOO. REVIEWS OF THE "STEVE MORSE BAND" SHOWS ARE ALSO WELCOME. I AM SURE MANY OF US WHO CAN NOT MAKE THE SHOWS WOULD LIKE TO HEAR ABOUT THEM.
THE FIRST PERSON TO CORRECTLY IDENTIFY THE BELOVED ALLEN SLOAN AS THE BAND MEMBER BURNED AND BROKEN ON STAGE WAS ANDY MOST OF HERMITAGE, TN. AGAIN, CONGRATULATIONS!!!
THIS GO AROUND THE QUESTION IS: (AND THE DEGREE OF DIFFICULTY HAS BEEN RISEN ONCE AGAIN)
***AS PART OF THE MAKING OF "NIGHT OF THE LIVING DREGS" THE BAND DID A SHORT EUROPEAN TOUR. WHAT BAND DID THEY TOUR WITH?
THE FIRST CORRECT ANSWER E-MAILED TO DREGS@ULTRANET.COM WILL RECEIVE A COMPLIMENTARY COPY OF THE "STAND UP" CD OR GUITAR PICKS. WINNER'S CHOICE.
WELL, THE LATEST "STEVE MORSE BAND" TOUR IS NOW OVER AND BY ALL ACCOUNTS THINGS WENT GREAT. I HAVE POSTED SOME REVIEWS IN THE "QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS" FOR ALL TO ENJOY. AS TO THE NEXT LEG OF TOURING, THERE IS NO REAL ANSWER. DEEP PURPLE BEGINS IN THE STUDIO AROUND MAY 23 AND THAT IS LIKELY TO GO ON FOR QUITE A WHILE. BUT YOU CAN BE SURE AS SOON AS WE SEE A WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY, WE WILL BE ON THE ROAD AGAIN. WE WOULDN'T WANT TO GET ANY DUST ON THE BAND TRUCK. WHILE RECORDING WITH DEEP PURPLE, STEVE HAS TWO OTHER SHORT RECORDING PROJECTS TO KNOCK OUT. ONE WILL BE AN ACOUSTIC TRACK FOR WINDHAM HILL RECORDS UPCOMING CHRISTMAS ALBUM. THE OTHER WILL ALSO BE A CHRISTMAS ALBUM, THIS ONE WILL BE FOR EPIC RECORDS AND IT WILL BE AN ELECTRIC PIECE. OTHERS COMMITTED TO THE EPIC ALBUM ARE JOE SATRIANI, JOE PERRY, ERIC JOHNSON, STEVE VAI, JEFF BECK, BRIAN MAY AND KENNY WAYNE SHEPHERD. DID YOU MISS STEVE LIVE WITH DEEP PURPLE WHEN THEY WERE IN AMERICA? DO YOU WISH YOU DIDN'T? DEEP PURPLE WILL BE RELEASING A LIVE ALBUM FROM A 1996 GIG IN PARIS.
ROD MORGENSTEIN AND JORDAN RUDESS COMPLETED THEIR 3 GIGS OPENING FOR THE STEVE MORSE BAND IN STYLE. FOR ENCORES THEY CAME OUT AND PLAYED WITH THE BAND, WHICH INCLUDED BOTH ROD AND VAN ON DRUMS AT THE SAME TIME. THE REPORTS ON THE RUDESS - MORGENSTEIN PROJECT (RPM) HAVE BEEN COMPLETELY OVER THE TOP. THESE REPORTS COME FROM NOT ONLY YOU THE FANS BUT FROM PROMOTERS AS WELL. THEY WILL BE DOING SOME SHOWS TOGETHER AT THE FOLLOWING MUSIC STORES: SAM ASH STORES: JUNE 2 IN MIAMI, FL., JUNE 3 IN COLUMBUS, OH., JUNE 4 IN KING OF PRUSSIA, PA., GUITAR CENTERS: JUNE 9 IN COVINA, CA., JUNE 11 IN FOUNTAIN VALLEY, CA., AND JUNE 12 IN HOLLYWOOD, CA. IF YOU CAN GET THERE CHECK IT OUT. MOST PEOPLE SAY IT IS MORE POWERFUL THAN EMERSON LAKE AND PALMER. THERE RECORD DEAL IS ALMOST DONE AND WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO LET YOU KNOW ABOUT IT WITH THE NEXT UPDATE.
DAVE LARUE, VAN ROMAINE AND GLEN ALEXANDER ARE BRINGING THERE "LAX" PROJECT BACK OUT ON THE ROAD. THE SHOWS THEY HAVE ARE AS FOLLOWS:
THE SHOW IS FUN AND IS A BLUES TYPE GIG. IT IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO SEE DAVE AND VAN DOING SOMETHING DIFFERENT. ENJOY THE SHOWS.
T LAVITZ HEADS BACK ON THE ROAD WITH THE JEFFERSON STARSHIP AT THE END OF JUNE. WE WILL BRING YOU ALL OF THOSE DATES IN OUR NEXT TRANSMISSION.
WELL THAT IS ABOUT IT FOR NOW THE HUNGER PAINS ARE ENORMOUS SO IT IS TIME TO EAT BEFORE I BEGIN THE JOURNEY ACROSS THE MODOC FOREST. ONE THING BEFORE I GO, SHOULD YOU HAVE QUESTIONS FOR ROD, DAVE, ANDY, ALLEN JORDAN, OR ANY OF THE CREW, THOSE TOO CAN BE E-MAILED TO DREGS@ULTRANET.COM. WE WILL TRY AND GET WHAT WE CAN ANSWERED. UNTIL THE NEXT TIME ....ALL THE BEST.......
April 23, 1997
I MADE IT TO HE PARK JUST AS THE FIGHTING BEGAN TO HEAT UP AGAIN. THE CD'S ARE EXPLODING ALL AROUND AND THE DAMAGE APPEARS TO BE SIGNIFICANT WITHIN THE CITY. IN THE PARK THERE APPEARS TO BE ONLY COLLATERAL DAMAGE. FINDING THE ART STUDIO WAS NOT AS EASY AS I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE. THERE ARE MANY LITTLE BUILDINGS IN THE PARK AND MOST HAVE BEEN BOARDED UP IN ANTICIPATION OF THE FIGHTING. LUCKILY I BUMPED INTO SOME LITTLE KIDS WHO WERE ABLE TO POINT OUT THE STUDIO. THEY SENT ME IN THE DIRECTION OF A SMALL OUT BUILDING ON THE NORTHERN EDGE OF THE PARK. WHEN I GOT TO THE BUILDING IT APPEARED TO BE BOARDED UP TIGHT, BUT WHEN I KNOCKED ON THE DOOR A LIGHT WENT ON AND A VOICE ASKED WHO WAS THERE. I IDENTIFIED MYSELF AND WAS ASKED TO STAND BACK SO THAT WHOM EVER WAS INSIDE COULD SEE I WAS CARRYING NO WEAPONS. THE DOOR THEN OPENED AND I WAS GREETED BY A MAN IN A CLOWN'S SUIT. BEFORE I COULD ASK, HE TOLD ME HE COULD NOT FIND A RED CROSS SUIT BUT THAT BOTH WARRING PARTIES SEEM TO TREAT CLOWNS WITH THE SAME RESPECT AND LACK OF HOSTILITY AS THEY DO THE RED CROSS. I WAS IN NO POSITION TO QUESTION WHY AND I THOUGHT IT BETTER TO GET ON WITH MY BUSINESS. I ASKED THE CLOWN IF HE KNEW WHERE I COULD FIND NEON PARK AND HE TOLD ME THAT IN FACT HE WAS NEON PARK (AND YES, IT WAS HE WHO DESIGNED THE LITTLE FEAT ALBUM COVERS). I QUICKLY TOOK OUT MY PICTURES OF THE MAN SEEN RUNNING FROM THE STUDIO WITH THE TAPES AND ASKED NEON IF HE KNOW OF HIM AND WHERE HE MIGHT BE. TO MY DELIGHT, HE DID RECOGNIZE THE PERSON BUT COULD PROVIDE NO NAME. HE APOLOGIZED SAYING HE HAD MET HIM LONG AGO AND THAT THOSE WERE HIS "FOGGY YEARS" HOWEVER, HE DID SAY THAT JUST BEFORE THE FIGHTING BROKE OUT HE HAD SEEN HIM WORKING WITH TED THE MECHANIC. WITH LITTLE TIME TO WASTE AS THE SHELLING HAS QUIETED DOWN I AM OFF TO FIND TED, WHOM I KNEW TO BE ON THE BARBARY COAST. I'M OFF TO THE COAST BUT BEFORE I GO HERE IS THE NEWS.
NEW TOUR DATES HAVE BEEN ADDED!!!!!!!!!!! SEE TOUR DATES SECTION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
AT LAST !!!! FINALLY !!!! YOU CAN STOP HOLDING YOUR BREATH !!!!!!!!!!!
THE "GREAT SPECTACULAR" IS NOW SHIPPING. BEING THE ONLY ONE TO HAVE HEARD THE CD TO THIS POINT, LET ME SAY THAT I WAS MORE THAN PLEASANTLY SURPRISED BY IT. I THINK YOU ALL WILL ENJOY IT VERY MUCH. PLEASE DO NOT HESITATE TO SEND ME YOUR COMMENTS AND REVIEWS OF IT. I WILL THEN POST SOME OF THEM FOR ALL TO READ. (DREGS@ULTRANET.COM)
"STAND UP" WILL BE THE NEXT TO SHIP. THIS SHOULD BE IN ABOUT 2-3 MORE WEEKS. THE ARTWORK IS ALMOST DONE AND THE CD'S WILL BE PRESSED SOON AFTER THAT. INDUSTRY STANDARD" WILL FOLLOW THAT BY ABOUT ANOTHER 2-3 WEEKS. THAT SHOULD BRING YOU UP TO DATE ON THE STATUS OF ALL THE CD'S. BUT MOST OF ALL......THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE!!!!!!!!
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DO NOT KNOW WHAT THE ABOVE REFERS TO, PLEASE CHECK OUT "BUY". YOU WILL FIND WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SECURE AND OFFER FOR SALE SOME ALBUMS WHICH HAVE NEVER BEFORE BEEN RELEASED IN CD FORMAT. SOON WE WILL ALSO BE OFFERING T-SHIRTS FOR BOTH THE STEVE MORSE BAND AND THE DIXIE DREGS. THAT IS LIKELY TO COME ABOUT IN THE NEXT 3-4 WEEKS, STAY TUNED.
ALSO, DON'T FORGET WE ARE ARCHIVING NEWS REPORTS AND QUESTIONS & ANSWERS SO THAT YOU CAN CATCH UP ON WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED. REMEMBER TO KEEP YOUR QUESTIONS COMING TO DREGS@ULTRANET.COM AND WE WILL ANSWER AS MANY AS WE CAN. SHOULD YOU HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO SEND THEM TOO. REVIEWS OF THE "STEVE MORSE BAND" SHOWS ARE ALSO WELCOME. I AM SURE MANY OF US WHO CAN NOT MAKE THE SHOWS WOULD LIKE TO HEAR ABOUT THEM.
THE FIRST PERSON TO CORRECTLY IDENTIFY THE LOCATION OF THE ORIGINAL BAND HOUSE AS DECATUR, GA WAS SUZANNE MOST OF HERMITAGE, TN. THE GUITAR PICKS ARE ON THE WAY. CONGRATULATIONS AND KEEP PLAYING.
THIS GO AROUND THE QUESTION IS:
WHICH MEMBER OF THE DREGS HAD HIS HAIR CATCH FIRE AND BREAK HIS LEG WHILE THE BAND WAS PERFORMING?
AGAIN, THE FIRST CORRECT ANSWER E-MAILED TO DREGS@ULTRANET.COM WILL RECEIVE AN AUTOGRAPHED STEVE MORSE GUITAR PICK. HOWEVER, SINCE (CHECK OUT THE TOUR DATES) WE MAY BE TOURING IN YOUR AREA, SHOULD YOU INSTEAD WISH TO BE OUR GUEST AT A SHOW YOU MAY RECEIVE THAT AS A PRIZE INSTEAD. JUST LET US KNOW.
DEEP PURPLE HAS NOW LEFT SOUTH AMERICA AND THE GUYS HAVE RETURNED TO THEIR RESPECTIVE HOMES. SOUTH AMERICA BY ALL ACCOUNTS WAS QUITE A WILD RIDE. THE CROWDS WERE VERY LARGE AND VERY WILD. THEY ENJOYED THE BAND AND ALL THE REVIEWS HAD GREAT THINGS TO SAY ABOUT THE LEAD GUITARIST. BUT IN STEVE'S OWN WORDS HERE IS WHAT HE HAS TO SAY:
"IT WAS A GREAT TOUR BUT I'M STILL A LITTLE MESSED UP FROM SOMETHING I ATE IN BOLIVIA. CHILE WAS WHERE THE CRAZY PEOPLE KNOCKED DOWN THE P.A. AND LIGHT TOWER AND NEARLY KILLED A DOZEN PEOPLE. ARGENTINA WAS VERY CIVILIZED. BRAZIL TURNED OUT TO BE VERY FRIENDLY AND WE SPENT THE MOST TIME THERE (8 CITIES I THINK). PERU WAS JUST A GIG AND GONE AND BOLIVIA WAS THE WEIRDEST. WE STAYED IN A TOWN BUILT IN THE TOP OF A VOLCANO, THE HIGHEST CITY IN THE WORLD AT 13,500 FEET. WE WERE ALL FEELING THE THIN AIR DURING THE SHOW. EVERYWHERE FRIENDLY, GOOD HEARTED PEOPLE WITH A LOVE FOR MUSIC. DESPITE GETTING SICK I WANT TO GO BACK SOON."
THEY WILL RECONVENE ON OR ABOUT MAY 10 IN THE ORLANDO AREA TO BEGIN THEIR NEXT RECORD. IN THEIR USUAL STYLE THEY WILL ALL PARTICIPATE WITH WRITING THE MUSIC FOR THE SONGS. ONCE THE SONGS ARE COMPLETED THE LYRICS ARE COMPOSED BY IAN GILLAN.
OUR FRIEND T LAVITZ IS STILL BUSY, THIS TIME HE HAS TWO SHOWS COMING UP WITH ALEX LIGERTWOOD. ON APRIL 18 THEY ARE AT SAINT MARKS IN VENICE, CA AND ON APRIL 26 YOU CAN FIND THEM AT THE BAKED POTATO IN NORTH HOLLYWOOD. T. WILL ALSO BE WORKING ON A RECORDING PROJECT WIT A BAND CALLED "SONS OF THE DEAD", THEY ARE GRATEFUL DEAD TYPE ACT AND T SEEMS VERY UP ABOUT THIS PROJECT.
ROD AND JORDAN RUDESS BRING THEIR DUET PROJECT TO LIFE AS THE OPENING ACT FOR THE STEVE MORSE BAND. THEY WILL BE OPENING FOR US AT TRAMPS, CLUB BENE AND THE INTERMEDIA ARTS CENTER (IMAC). CHECK OUT THE TOUR DATES SECTION TO SEE WHEN THOSE SHOWS WILL BE. IF THEY ARE IN YOUR AREA IT SHOULD BE A MUST SEE, SO GET TO THE SHOWS EARLY. ALSO, THEIR RECORD DEAL SHOULD BE SIGNED ANY DAY NOW FOR WORLD WIDE RELEASE IN LATE JUNE OR EARLY JULY. THEIR BAND IS CALLED "RPM". FOR ALL YOU DRUMMERS OUT THERE, ROD ALSO HAS A BOOK COMING OUT SOON. IT IS CALLED "MY DRUM SET MUSICIAN" AND WAS CO-WRITTEN WITH RICK MATTINGLY.
VAN ROMAINE CONTINUES TO KEEP BUSY WITH "BERNIE WORRELL & THE WOO WARRIORS". THEY WILL BEGIN WORKING ON THEIR RECORDING PROJECT EARLY IN MAY. IN JUNE THEY WILL LEAVE FOR JAPAN FOR SHOWS JUNE 27,28&29 IN TOKYO, JULY 1 IN NAGOYA, JULY 2 IN OSAKA AND FINISH UP ON JULY 3 IN SAPPORO. I HOPE SOMEONE ON THAT END OF THE POND WILL MAKE IT TO A SHOW AND LET US KNOW HOW IT WAS. I DO KNOW VAN IS VERY EXCITED ABOUT THIS PROJECT.
IN THAT SAME LATE JUNE TO EARLY JULY PERIOD STEVE WILL BE BACK OUT WITH DEEP PURPLE. THEY WILL BE IN GERMANY AND OTHER PARTS OF EUROPE AS WELL AS PARTS OF THE MIDDLE EAST. THOSE SHOWS WILL BE POSTED AS SOON AS THEY BECOME OFFICIAL.
ALSO, THERE HAS BEEN SOME QUESTIONS AS TO, IS THIS SITE SANCTIONED BY STEVE MORSE AND THE DIXIE DREGS. THE ANSWER TO THAT IS YES. THE SITE IS RUN BY FRANK SOLOMON MANAGEMENT AND STEVE MORSE. OF COURSE WE GET A LITTLE HELP FROM OUR FRIENDS. THAT'S IT FOR NOW, IT'S TIME TO HIT THE BARBARY COAST, SO OFF I GO AND WILL BE BACK IN CONTACT FROM THERE. UNTIL THEN.....BEST REGARDS.......
March 26, 1997
I HAVE MADE IT TO ROSA'S. THE PLACE IS LOADED WITH MUSIC PEOPLE LOOKING FOR A BREAK FROM THE WAR. I HAVE BEEN SHOWING THE PHOTOS OF THE PERSON SEEN LEAVING THE STUDIO WITH THE ALLEGED TAPES TO ANYONE WHO WILL LOOK. SO FAR NO ONE WILL ADMIT TO KNOWING THE WHEREABOUTS OF THIS PERSON, OR WHO IT MIGHT BE. I WON'T LOSE HOPE YET AS THE DRINKS ARE FLOWING AND I AM SURE LIPS WILL LOOSEN. SOMEONE HAS JUST DROPPED A NOTE IN MY LAP AS I AM GETTING THIS OUT TO YOU. THE NOTE SAYS, "GO TO ROCK & ROLL PARK AND LOOK FOR NEON PARK AT THE ART STUDIO. I CAN TELL YOU NO MORE." WELL,THE ONLY NEON PARK I KNOW OF CREATED MOST OF THE EARLY LITTLE FEAT ALBUM COVERS. COULD THIS BE THE SAME PERSON? I GUESS I SHOULD START MOVING TOWARDS THE PARK(S). IT IS NIGHTFALL AND THE COVER SHOULD BE GOOD FOR SAFE TRAVEL, WITH ANY LUCK I SHOULD BE THERE BY MORNING. BUT BEFORE THE ODYSSEY CONTINUES FOR ME, HERE IS THE LATEST NEWS FOR YOU.
NEW TOUR DATES HAVE BEEN ADDED!!!!!!!!!!! SEE TOUR DATES SECTION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
AS TO THE "GREAT SPECTACULAR" IT HAS NOW BEEN AUTOGRAPHED BY STEVE, ROD AND ALLEN. IT IS ON IT'S WAY TO ANDY, THEN OFF TO YOU. THE "STAND UP" ARTWORK IS ALMOST DONE AND THOSE SHOULD SHIP IN 3 MORE WEEKS. "INDUSTRY STANDARD" WILL NOT BE FAR BEHIND. SO ALL IS GOING WELL AND THE MUSIC SHOULD BE YOURS TO ENJOY SOON.
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DO NOT KNOW ALREADY, PLEASE CHECK OUT "BUY". YOU WILL FIND WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SECURE AND OFFER FOR SALE SOME ALBUMS WHICH HAVE NEVER BEFORE BEEN RELEASED IN CD FORMAT. SOON (IN THE NEXT 3-4 WEEKS) WE WILL ALSO BE OFFERING T-SHIRTS FOR BOTH THE STEVE MORSE BAND AND THE DIXIE DREGS, SO STAY TUNED.
ALSO, DON'T FORGET WE ARE ARCHIVING NEWS REPORTS AND QUESTIONS & ANSWERS SO THAT YOU CAN CATCH UP ON WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED. REMEMBER TO KEEP YOUR QUESTIONS COMING TO DREGS@ULTRANET.COM AND WE WILL ANSWER AS MANY AS WE CAN. SHOULD YOU HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO SEND THEM TOO.
ALSO, WHEN YOU GO TO SHOWS YOU CAN DO US ALL A BIG FAVOR BY REVIEWING THEM FOR THE REST OF US. IF WE CANNOT BE THERE, AT LEAST WE CAN GET A VICARIOUS THRILL. THIS GOES FOR DEEP PURPLE SHOWS TOO. AGAIN, SEND REVIEWS TO DREGS@ULTRANET.COM AND THESE WILL GET POSTED IN THE Q&A SECTION.
THIS TIME OUR TRIVIA QUESTION DID ELIMINATE MANY OF YOU WHO HAD BEEN SO EASILY PLUCKING THE ANSWERS. THE FIRST PERSON TO CORRECTLY ANSWER THE QUESTION WAS GARY LINH OF STERLING, VIRGINIA. AS YOU MAY REMEMBER, GARY WAS ALSO THE PREVIOUS WINNER. MANY PEOPLE GUESSED THE ANSWER TO BE TWIGGS LYNDON. A GOOD TRY, BUT THE CORRECT ANSWER WAS THE ALLMAN BROTHERS. GARY WAS NOT INTERESTED IN THE PICKS AGAIN, SO GARY PLEASE CHECK OUT OUR TOUR DATE SECTION AND IF ONE OF THOSE DATES IS GOOD FOR YOU, GET BACK TO ME AND BE OUR GUEST.
THE QUESTION FOR THIS GO 'ROUND IS: IN WHAT TOWN IN GEORGIA WAS THE OLD "BAND HOUSE" LOCATED?
AGAIN, THE FIRST CORRECT ANSWER E-MAILED TO DREGS@ULTRANET.COM WILL RECEIVE AN AUTOGRAPHED STEVE MORSE GUITAR PICK. HOWEVER, SINCE (CHECK OUT THE TOUR DATES) WE MAY BE TOURING IN YOUR AREA, IF YOU INSTEAD WISH TO BE OUR GUEST AT A SHOW, YOU CAN RECEIVE THAT AS A PRIZE INSTEAD. JUST LET US KNOW.
THE DEEP PURPLE SOUTH AMERICAN TOUR IS ROLLING RIGHT ALONG. TO DATE THE CROWDS HAVE BEEN LARGE AND VERY ENTHUSIASTIC. YOU MAY WANT TO CHECK OUT THE DEEP PURPLE WEB SITE (http://www.deep-purple.com) AND GET THE DETAILS ON SOME OF THE INSANITY THAT HAS FOLLOWED THE BAND. TO GIVE YOU A TASTE, ON THE VERY FIRST DATE IN SANTIAGO, CHILE, THE SCAFFOLDING OVER THE SOUND BOARD COLLAPSED UNDER THE WEIGHT OF FANS WHO HAD CLIMBED UP FOR BETTER VIEWS. UNFORTUNATELY, MANY PEOPLE WERE INJURED AND NEEDED TO BE TAKEN TO NEARBY HOSPITALS FOR TREATMENT. THE SHOW WAS STOPPED 20 MINUTES AFTER IT STARTED. ONE HOUR LATER THE BAND WAS ABOUT TO LEAVE WHEN THEY WERE BEGGED TO STAY BY BOTH THE PROMOTER AND THE POLICE WHO FEARED A RIOT IF THE SHOW DID NOT GO ON. BEING THE TROUPERS THEY ARE, THE BAND CAME BACK AND FINISHED THE SHOW.
STEVE IS DOING 2 CLINICS WHILE DOWN THERE. THE FIRST ONE DREW 350 PEOPLE. SO AS YOU CAN SEE THINGS ARE EXCITING FOR THE GUYS IN SOUTH AMERICA. THE RECORDING OF THE NEXT DEEP PURPLE ALBUM HAS BEEN MOVED TO MID-MAY TO ACCOMMODATE THE STEVE MORSE BAND WHO WILL BE DOING ANOTHER MINI-TOUR BEGINNING IN APRIL AND ENDING IN MAY. BE SURE TO CHECK THE TOUR DATES SECTION FOR ALL THE DETAILS. WE ARE GOING TO BE IN MANY OF THE CITIES YOU ALL HAVE BEEN ASKING ABOUT. THE STEVE MORSE BAND'S NEXT ALBUM WILL PROBABLY BE PUT ON HOLD FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS AS SOME OTHER PROJECTS BEGIN TO UNFOLD.
DON'T FORGET THAT VAN ROMAINE HAS SOME EUROPEAN DATES WITH "BERNIE WORRELL & THE WOO WARRIORS" COMING UP SOON. WE HOPE ALL OF YOU EUROPEAN READERS WILL SEND IN YOUR REVIEWS. THE DETAILS OF THESE DATES TOO, CAN BE FOUND IN OUR TOUR DATES SECTION. IN MAY VAN WILL ALSO BE OUT DOING SOME SHOWS AS THE DRUMMER IN "BLOOD SWEAT AND TEARS," THESE DATES WILL ALSO BE POSTED AS SOON AS THEY BECOME AVAILABLE.
JORDAN RUDESS HAS A VERY INTERESTING SHOW COMING UP ON APRIL 5 IN NEW YORK CITY AT THE BEACON THEATER. HE WILL BE PERFORMING WITH WENDY CARLOS. THEY WILL BE DOING "SWITCHED ON BACH," WHICH HAS NEVER BEEN DONE LIVE BEFORE. IT WILL BE QUITE THE SHOW AND TICKETS ARE LIKELY TO GO FAST. BACKING UP TO APRIL 1 (THEY'RE NO FOOLS), JORDAN AND ROD WILL BE PERFORMING AT THE BERKLEE COLLEGE PERFORMANCE CENTER AS A DUET. THEY WILL BE PART OF THE SCHOOL'S "DRUM WEEK" FESTIVAL. THIS TOO SHOULD NOT BE MISSED. AS TO THE DUET CD PROJECT OF ROD AND JORDAN WE TOLD YOU ABOUT, THEY HAVE JUST BEEN OFFERED THEIR FIRST CONTRACT. WE WILL LET YOU KNOW THE WHAT WHERE AND WHEN AS IT BECOMES AVAILABLE. THE PROJECT ROD AND KIP WINGER DID IS NOW OUT AND AVAILABLE IN JAPAN AND EUROPE. TOURS ARE BEING PUT TOGETHER AS OF THIS WRITING.
T LAVITZ IS STILL ROLLING AROUND IN THE STARSHIP AND THE BLUESBUSTERS AND WE HOPE TO HAVE SOME NEWS OF LIVE DATES SOON. T CONTINUES TO WORK WITH PETER HIMMILMAN ON THE SOUNDTRACK FOR AN UP COMING MOVIE CALLED "SOULAR OPPOSITES." T CAN BE SEEN PERFORMING SATURDAY MARCH 29TH AT CAFE BOOGALOO IN HERMOSA BEACH. ON TUESDAY APRIL 1ST, T WILL BE SITTING IN WITH A BAND CALLED "BLOOD LINE" AT THE HOUSE OF BLUES IN L.A. THEY WILL BE OPENING FOR THE "JGB BAND".
VINNIE MOORE'S "OUT OF NOWHERE" ALBUM IS CONTINUING TO DO QUITE WELL AND HE SHOULD BE HEADING INTO THE STUDIO TO BEGIN HIS NEXT PROJECT SHORTLY. THERE'S THE NEWS AND IT'S TIME TO HEAD OF INTO THE SAFETY OF THE NIGHT. I WILL BE BACK WITH MORE AS SOON AS I HIT THE PARK. UNTIL THEN....... BE WELL......
March 1, 1997
THE CHINESE FOOD WAS WONDERFUL. THERE WAS A PLACE CALLED "WOK N ROLL" THAT WAS STILL OPERATING HERE ON THE BATTLEFIELD. I WAS ABLE TO RECHARGE THE BATTERIES BY TAPPING INTO SOME HIGH TENSION WIRES, SO I SHOULD BE SET FOR A WHILE. THE GOOD NEWS IS, I HAVE MADE IT TO THE STUDIO. THE BAD NEWS IS, THE LOST TAPES ARE NOT HERE. HOWEVER, I DO NOT THINK THEY WERE DESTROYED, AS THERE ARE STILL TAPES HERE FROM OTHER GROUPS IN THERE PROPER SLOTS, OUR SLOT IS EMPTY. I WAS ABLE TO VIEW THE TAPES FROM THE IN-HOUSE VIDEO SECURITY SYSTEM (IT WAS STILL OPERATIONAL) AND SAW A LONG HAIRED TYPE LEAVING WITH WHAT APPEARED TO BE TAPES. I'M GOIN' TO TOWN NOW TO VISIT ROSA'S CANTINA AND SEE IF THERE IS ANYONE WHO CAN POINT ME IN THE DIRECTION OF THE PERSON SEEN ON THE SECURITY VIDEO TAPES. SO, HERE IS THE NEWS AND I WILL REESTABLISH COMMUNICATIONS WHEN I REACH ROSA'S.
I AM HAPPY TO REPORT PRODUCTION OF "THE GREAT SPECTACULAR", "INDUSTRY STANDARD" AND "STAND UP" IS NOW ROLLING ALONG. BE SURE TO CHECK OUR BUY SECTION TO SEE HOW YOU CAN OBTAIN YOUR COPIES OF THESE GREAT CD'S.
ALSO, DON'T FORGET WE ARE ARCHIVING ALL NEWS REPORTS AND QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS SO THAT YOU CAN CATCH UP ON WHAT YOU MAY HAVE MISSED. REMEMBER TO KEEP YOUR QUESTIONS COMING AND MAIL TO (E-MAIL DREGS@ULTRANET) AND WE WILL ANSWER AS MANY AS WE CAN. SHOULD ANYONE HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO FORWARD THEM TOO.
AS TO THE TRIVIA QUESTION.... THE FIRST PERSON TO CORRECTLY STATE THAT STEVE ALSO PLAYED THE VIOLIN WHILE WITH KANSAS WAS, GARY LINH OF STERLING, VIRGINIA. AN AUTOGRAPHED PICK IS ON THE WAY. CONGRATULATIONS!!!!
IT IS APPARENT THAT MY TRIVIA QUESTIONS ARE TOO EASY FOR YOU ALL OR YOU PEOPLE JUST KNOW TOO MUCH, SO PLEASE PREPARE TO HAVE THE DEGREE OF DIFFICULTY RAISED.
THE QUESTION THIS TIME IS: FOR YEARS THE DIXIE DREGS USED A TRUCK TO CART BOTH THE EQUIPMENT AND THE BAND AROUND. A ROOM WAS BUILT IN THE TRUCK FOR THE BAND TO TRAVEL AND SLEEP. WHO WAS THE PREVIOUS OWNER OF THIS TRUCK?
AGAIN, THE FIRST CORRECT ANSWER E-MAILED TO DREGS@ULTRANET WILL RECEIVE AN AUTOGRAPHED STEVE MORSE GUITAR PICK.
DEEP PURPLE WILL BEGIN WRITING IN FLORIDA EARLY MAY. THIS MAY ALLOW US TO PUT ON SOME STEVE MORSE BAND DATES IN THE NORTHEAST SOME TIME IN LATE APRIL. STAY TUNED TO FUTURE UPDATES AND WE WILL LET YOU KNOW AS SOON AS WE KNOW. DAVE LARUE AND VAN ROMAINE'S DATES WITH THEIR BAND "LAX" WENT EXTREMELY WELL, I WILL LET YOU KNOW AS THEY ADD MORE. ONE OF VAN ROMAINE'S OTHER MUSICAL OUTLETS IS "BERNIE WORRELL & THE WOO WARRIORS" ASIDE FROM BERNIE (OF "PARLIMENT" FAME) THE GROUP FEATURES, DAVE FIUCZYNSKI/ (SCREAMING HEADLESS TORSOS) ON GUITAR, CATHERINE RUSSELL (STEELY DAN) ON VOCALS, LAMAR MITCHEL ON KEYS, WINSTON ROYE ON BASS AND OF COURSE VAN ROMAINE. THEY HAVE A SHORT EUROPEAN TOUR COMING UP, THE DATES CAN BE FOUND IN OUR TOUR DATE SECTION. T LAVITZ HAS A SOLO GIG ON FEBRUARY 28 IN ORLANDO AT THE SAPPHIRE SUPPER CLUB WHICH IS ALSO FEATURING GREG KOCH AND THE TONE CONTROLS. THE NEXT DAY (MARCH 1) AT 11:00AM T IS GIVING A CLINIC AT THE THOROUGHBRED MUSIC SHOW IN ORLANDO. AND IF THAT'S NOT ENOUGH, T IS ALSO IN THE STUDIO WITH PETER HIMMELMAN RECORDING ON A FUTURE PETER HIMMELMAN PROJECT. OUR FRIEND VINNIE MOORE HAS AN ALBUM OUT ON MAYHEM RECORDS CALLED "OUT OF NOWHERE". IT SHOULD BE A MUST HAVE FOR VINNIE MOORE FANS. ROD AND KIP WINGER HAVE FINISHED A CD TOGETHER AND LANDED A RECORD DEAL IN JAPAN. AMERICAN DISTRIBUTION SHOULD BE ANNOUNCED SOON. YOU CAN ALSO FIND ROD ON MARCH 1ST AT THE THOROUGHBRED MUSIC SHOW IN ORLANDO, WHERE ON TOP OF REPRESENTING HIS ENDORSERS (SABIEN AND PREMIER) HE WILL BE A PART OF THE HOUSE BAND PERFORMING WITH MANY OF TODAY'S GREAT GUITARISTS. YOU CAN ALSO CATCH DAVE LARUE AT THIS SAME THOROUGHBRED SHOW. WE JUST SAW STEVE LUKATHER IN LOS ANGELES, HE SAT IN WITH STEVE'S TRIO AT THE HOUSE OF BLUES ON TWO EXTENDED SONGS, ALSO SITTING IN ON THOSE TWO SONGS WAS NONE OTHER THAN THE GREAT ALBERT LEE. AFTER THEY LEFT THE STAGE, T LAVITZ AND JERRY GOODMAN CAME OUT FOR THE TWO ENCORES ("THE BASH" AND "CRUISE CONTROL"). NEEDLESS TO SAY THIS WAS QUITE THE SHOW TO BE AT. STEVE LUKATHER HAS JUST FINISHED A NEW ALBUM WITH TOTO AND IS IN THE STUDIO IN L.A. PRODUCING JEFF BECK'S NEXT ALBUM. STEVE WILL ALSO BE DOING A TRACK FOR OUR CLASSICAL PROJECT.
THAT'S ALL THE NEWS THAT'S FIT TO PRINT, SO BEFORE I AM TOO TIRED TO MOVE IT IS OFF TO ROSA'S CANTINA TO CONTINUE THE SEARCH (AND MAYBE HAVE A BEER OR TWO). I WILL BE BACK IN CONTACT FROM THERE, UNTIL LATER BE HAPPY.
February 6, 1997
I AM STILL ON MY WAY TO THE STUDIOS. THE BATTLE SEEMS TO HAVE ESCALATED, THE SIGNS OF RUIN ARE EVERYWHERE. AS THE NIGHT FALLS YOU CAN SEE SMOKE ON THE WATER FROM A CRUISE MISSILE USED TO TAKE OUT A BAND BUS. LUCKILY THERE APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN NO ONE ON BOARD AT THE TIME OF THE STRIKE. I WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE TOWARD THE STUDIO IN HOPES OF RESCUING THE LOST TAPES. I HAVE SINCE ARMED MYSELF WITH A PAIR OF DRUMSTICKS AND A CYMBAL. I KNOW IT'S NOT MUCH BUT IT WILL HAVE TO DO FOR NOW. BEFORE THE BATTERIES RUN LOW I HAD BETTER GET OUT THE LATEST NEWS. I WILL GET OUT WHAT I CAN AND ESTABLISH COMMUNICATIONS AGAIN AS SOON AS I LOCATE FRESH BATTERIES.
PLEASE NOTE THAT THE PRODUCTION OF THE "GREAT SPECTACULAR" HAS BEEN DELAYED FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS. THE REASON FOR THIS IS, AS STEVE WAS TRANSFERRING FROM THE EXISTING TAPE TO THE FORMAT REQUIRED FOR CD PRODUCTION HE WANTED TO IMPROVE THE SOUND QUALITY FOR US ALL VIA A REMIX AND REMASTER. NONE, OF THE ORIGINAL MUSIC HAS BEEN ALTERED IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM. THIS HAS BEEN DONE STRICTLY TO IMPROVE THE FIDELITY. WE HOPE YOU WILL UNDERSTAND AND WE ARE SURE IT IS WORTH THE EXTRA COUPLE OF WEEKS. BESIDES, WHAT'S A COUPLE OF WEEKS, WE'VE ALREADY WAITED 22 YEARS. SHOULD ANYONE WISH A REFUND BECAUSE OF THE DELAY PLEASE LET ME KNOW AND I WILL HAVE IT SENT IMMEDIATELY.
WE ARE ALSO NOW ACCEPTING ORDERS FOR BOTH THE STEVE MORSE BAND'S "STAND UP" AND THE DIXIE DREG'S "INDUSTRY STANDARD". THE COST OF EACH IS $20.00 (INCLUDES ALL POSTAGE AND SHIPPING). FOR ORDERS SHIPPED OUTSIDE OF AMERICA PLEASE REMIT $25.00. NEITHER OF THESE WILL BE AVAILABLE IN RECORD STORES. THEY CAN ONLY BE PURCHASED TROUGH DREGS RECORDS AT P.O. BOX 639, NATICK, MA 01760. PLEASE SEE OUR "BUY SECTION" FOR OTHER NEWS AND INFO ON HOW TO GET THE "GREAT SPECTACULAR" AND OTHER DETAILS.
REMEMBER TO KEEP YOUR QUESTIONS COMING (E-MAIL DREGS@ULTRANET). LOOK FOR THE ANSWERS IN OUR Q&A SECTION. THE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS AND THESE NEWS UPDATES ARE BEING ARCHIVED BY DATE FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO WISH TO ENJOY THE PAST QUESTIONS OR PICK UP ON NEWS ITEMS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED.
THE WINNER OF THE LAST TRIVIA CONTEST WAS RICH MURRAY. RICK (WAS THE FIRST TO ANSWER) CORRECTLY THAT THE BAND REFERS TO ROD AS "STICKS" AN AUTOGRAPHED GUITAR PICK IS ON THE WAY TO RICK. CONGRADULATIONS!
THE QUESTION THIS TIME IS:
WHAT INSTRUMENT DID STEVE PLAY IN KANSAS BESIDES THE GUITAR?
AGAIN, THE FIRST CORRECT ANSWER E-MAILED TO DREGS@ULTRANET WILL RECEIVE AN AUTOGRAPHED STEVE MORSE GUITAR PICK.
BE SURE TO CHECK OUT THE TOUR DATES SECTION. WE HAVE UNEXPECTEDLY PUT TOGETHER A SHORT RUN IN MID FEBRUARY IN CALIFORNIA. WE HOPE YOU CAN MAKE IT OUT TO THE SHOWS. IF ANYONE WANTS TO E-MAIL ME A REVIEW OF ANY OF THE SHOWS I WILL TRY AND POST SOME OF THEM IN THE "Q&A" SECTION IN MY NEXT UPDATE. HOPEFULLY, IT WILL GIVE THE REST OF US AN IDEA HOW THE GUYS ARE SOUNDING. ALSO, IN THE TOUR DATES YOU CAN FIND THE NEXT DEEP PURPLE RUN (SOUTH AMERICA) WHICH BEGINS ON FEB. 27 AND RUNS THROUGH MARCH 31. HERE TOO, REVIEWS ARE WELCOME, ENGLISH PREFERRED FOR THOSE OF US WHO ARE NOT BI-LINGUAL.
THE START OF DEEP PURPLE'S RECORDING OF THEIR NEXT RECORD WILL NOT BEGIN IN FEBRUARY AS WE ORIGINALY SAID. IT HAS BEEN PUT OFF UNTIL THE BAND RETURNS FROM THE SOUTH AMERICAN TOUR. ALSO, IT WAS REPORTED IN A DEEP PURPLE NEWS GROUP THAT STEVE AND MANUEL BARRUECO ARE WORKING ON AN ALBUM TOGETHER. THIS IS NOT THE CASE, HOWEVER, IN JANUARY OF 1998 STEVE AND MANUEL WILL LIKELY BE DOING SOME GIGS OF DUETS TOGETHER. THE CD ROD AND JORDAN DID TOGETHER IS NOW FINISHED. IT IS CURRENTLY BEING SHOPPED AROUND FOR A RECORDING DEAL. I'D WISH THEM LUCK, BUT THEY WON'T NEED IT. FOR THOSE OF YOU IN THE ATLANTA AREA, OLD FRIEND, (YOU'LL HEAR PLENTY OF HIM ON "STAND UP") JERRY PEAK IS PLAYING WITH THE PRUETT AND DAVIS GROUP. THEY JUST FINISHED A NEW ALBUM TO WHICH JERRY CONTRIBUTED(WROTE) TWO SONGS INCLUDING THE TITLE TRACK "TIMES ARROW". THE ALBUM WILL BE AVAILABLE IN BORDERS BOOKSTORES BEGINNING IN APRIL. I SPOKE TO JERRY GOODMAN LAST WEEK. JERRY IS DOING WELL AND IS BACK IN LOS ANGELES AND HAS BEEN WORKING ON SOME SOUNDTRACK PROJECTS. T CONTINUES TO WORK WITH THE STARSHIP AND BLUESBUSTERS AND IS ALSO WORKING ON A PROJECT WITH ALEX LIGERTWOOD.
THE BATTERIES ARE BEGINING TO FADE SO I HADE BETTER SIGN OFF FOR NOW. I NEED SAVE ENOUGH POWER TO PHONE IN FOR SOME CHINESE FOOD. ONE GETS HUNGRY HERE ON THE BATTLEFIELD. I WILL BE BACK WHEN THE BATTERIES ARE FRESH. UNTIL LATER, GOOD LUCK TO ALL, AND MY KINDEST REGARDS.
January 31, 1997
I HAVE MADE IT TO A WHAT APPEARS TO BE A SAFER PLACE, THE CONSTANT EXPLOSIONS SEEMS TO HAVE CEASED FOR THE TIME BEING, YET THERE IS STILL THE ODOR OF BROKEN INSTRUMENTS EVERYWHERE. IT IS TIME FOR ME TO HEAD TOWARDS THE RECORDING STUDIOS, IF ALL GOES WELL I SHOULD BE THERE IN TIME FOR OUR NEXT TRANSMISSION. WELL BEFORE I AM BLASTED INTO THE HEREAFTER I SHOULD GET OUT THE NEWS FOR NOW.
DAVE IS CURRENTLY OUT IN CALIFORNIA AT THE NAMM SHOW DOING HIS WORK FOR BOTH ERNIE BALL AND AMPEG. VAN I S CONTINUING WITH BOTH PROJECTS MENTIONED BEFORE. IT DOES APPEAR THE BERNIE WORRELL PROJECT (BAND IS CALLED WOO WARRIORS) WILL BE DOING SOME TOURING IN THE NORTHEAST. AS SOON AS THE DATES ARE AVAILABLE THEY WILL BE POSTED. DAVE'S "LAX" PROJECT HAS ADDED TWO MORE TOUR DATES, FEB. 4 THEY WILL BE IN WESTFIELD, NJ AT CROSSROADS AND FEB. 6 THEY WILL BE IN THE BIG APPLE AT DOWNTIME (THE OTHER SHOWS CAN BE FOUND BY CLICKING ON THE PREVIOUS LETTER). ROD AND JORDAN ARE ALSO OUT AT THE NAMM SHOW, DOING A COUPLE OF SHOWS TOGETHER AND WORKING FOR THEIR RESPECTIVE ENDORSERS. PREMIER AND SABIEN FOR ROD AND KURZWEIL FOR JORDAN. YES, BY SHOWS TOGETHER I DO MEAN JUST DRUMS AND KEYBOARDS. IF YOU GET THE CHANCE, CHECK IT OUT, IT IS QUITE AMAZING. I SPOKE WITH ANDY WEST THE OTHER DAY. HE IS ALIVE AND WELL, LIVING IN ARIZONA, DOING COMPUTER PROGRAMMING AND MAKING NOISE ABOUT DOING SOME MUSIC. THE SAME DAY I ALSO SPOKE TO ALLEN SLOAN. HE TOO, IS ALIVE AND WELL, LIVING IN GEORGIA AND WORKING IN HIS PAIN MANAGEMENT PRACTICE (THAT'S DR. ALLEN SLOAN). STEVE AND DEEP PURPLE WILL GET TOGETHER FEB. 1 TO BEGIN WRITING FOR THE NEXT ALBUM. THEY WILL LEAVE FOR THE MONTH OF MARCH FOR AN EXTENSIVE TOUR OF SOUTH AMERICA.
THE CLASSICAL ALBUM MENTIONED IN THE LAST BRIEFING, BEING DONE FOR WINDHAM HILL IS BEGINNING TO TAKE SHAPE. SO FAR JOHN PETRUCCI (DREAM THEATER), STEVE HOWE, DWEZIL ZAPPA, STEVE LUKATHER, VINCE GILL AND MARTY FREEDMAN (MEGADEATH) HAVE SAID THEY ARE PARTICIPATING. AGAIN, IT IS BEING PRODUCED BY STEVE AND WILL BE 12 CLASSICAL TRACKS EACH BEING DONE BY A GUITARIST NOT OF THE CLASSICAL WORLD. STAY TUNED AS OTHER ARTISTS COMMIT TO THE PROJECT.
AS PROMISED HERE IS THE FIRST OF MANY TRIVIA QUESTIONS TO COME. THE PRIZE FOR THIS QUESTION WILL BE A STEVE MORSE AUTOGRAPHED GUITAR PICK. THE FIRST CORRECT ANSWER E-MAILED TO ME AT DREGS@ULTRANET.COM WILL BE MAILED THE PRIZE. PLEASE BE SURE TO PROVIDE YOUR ADDRESS.
AND THE QUESTION IS: WHAT IS THE NICKNAME THE GUYS IN THE DIXIE DREGS USE FOR ROD MORGENSTEIN?
ALSO DON'T FORGET TO E-MAIL ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE FOR THE GUYS OR WHATEVER ELSE AND WE WILL TRY TO ANSWER AS MANY AS POSSIBLE EACH TIME. AGAIN, THEY SHOULD BE E-MAILED TO dregs@ultranet.com.
AND NOW FOR SOME GOOD NEWS...... WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO LICENSE THE RIGHTS FROM ELEKTRA RECORDS TO PRODUCE CD'S OF THE STEVE MORSE BAND'S "STAND UP" ALBUM. THIS ALBUM HAS NEVER BEFORE BEEN RELEASED IN CD FORMAT ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD. IF THAT'S NOT ENOUGH, WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO THE SAME WITH THE DREGS' LAST ALBUM ON ARISTA, "INDUSTRY STANDARD". THIS ALBUM WAS RELEASED IN CD FORMAT OVERSEAS BUT NEVER HERE IN AMERICA. WE WILL BE MAKING BOTH OF THESE CD'S AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE. WE NEED ONLY TO FINALIZE OUR LICENSING COSTS AT WHICH POINT THE RETAIL PRICE CAN BE ESTABLISHED AND THE MUSIC PUT INTO THE HANDS OR SHOULD I SAY EARS OF ALL OF US WHO HAVE WANTED IT FOR YEARS. ALSO, DON'T FORGET THE DIXIE DREGS' "GREAT SPECTACULAR" WHICH IS NOW UP FOR SALE. AS TO SHIRTS AND OTHER MERCHANDISE PEOPLE KEEP ASKING FOR, PLEASE BEAR WITH US IT WILL COME SOON, BUT ONLY ONE THING CAN BE DONE AT A TIME AND WE THOUGHT IT MOST IMPORTANT TO SECURE THE LONG LOST MUSIC FIRST. FOR DETAILS ON HOW TO ORDER THE"GREAT SPECTACULAR", PLEASE CHECK OUT OUR "MERCHANDISE" SECTION.
TIME TO GO FOR NOW. I HOPE YOU ARE ENJOYING KEEPING UP WITH THE GOINGS ON OF THE GUYS. WE WILL BE TRYING TO GIVE YOU AS MUCH INFORMATION AS POSSIBLE AS WE ROLL ALONG. AGAIN, IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS PLEASE ASK. UNTIL LATER.......STAY WELL!!!!!
January 9, 1997
Steve Morse Band has a new release StressFest, on High Street Records. Steve Morse is about to kick off a new tour with Deep Purple, starting in March and will be in South America (the dates will be posted next time).
Here's the latest from deep in the bunker of the Steve Morse Camp. I'll have to be brief as the fighting has begun. All around me the CD's are beginning to explode and the cassettes are going up in flames. But as the battle rages on I will make attempts to keep you informed. I will begin to make my way to safer haven now, so if I lose contact I will reestablish communications as soon as I can. Fear not for me as I am well protected and should be safe from structural damage and if supplies run out there is always the kat food. Well here is the news so far.
The trio just completed five shows in the Southeast. Everything seemed to go quite well. Now that they are back Steve will begin in mid-January to work with Deep Purple on their next album. At the same time, Steve and Dave LaRue will begin along with Van to get started on the trio's next recording. Luckily, the Deep Purple project will take place in Florida too, so both projects can be worked on together. If that isn't enough we are also working on a project Steve is producing for Windham Hill of Classical pieces. The trick to this is that each piece is being performed by a different artist outside the Classical world. Let's see, that's three major projects going on at the same time. Hopefully it's not time for another "STRESSFEST".
As to touring plans for the trio, at the moment there are none. But don't lose hope because something will likely be announced as soon as we coordinate all the other activities. There are rumors of a Deep Purple tour in South America in March. We hope to be able to clarify much of this in our next briefing (do we sound a bit like NASA?). Speaking of our next briefing it is our hope to be updating every two to three weeks. With this in mind, as a part of our future entries we would like to be able to answer some of your questions. So if there are any questions you might have, just e-mail them to dregs@ultranet.com. We will try to answer as many as we can each time. In the future we will also post a trivia question where the first correct answer can win some type of prize.
In other news, Rod and Jordan Rudess have just completed two projects together. They have also been the opening act for Dream Theater on a few occasions. Rod has also kept busy working with Kip Winger on Kip's new solo album called "Thisconversationseemslikeadream" (yes that is one word). T. Lavitz is out playing with both the Bluesbusters and the Jefferson Starship and has even done some solo gigs opening for the Jerry Garcia Band. Rod and Dave have recently played a benefit in Chicago for Lou Gehrig's disease where they were the rhythm section for both Vinnie Moore and Marty Freedman of Megadeth. Needless to say they were incredible, as were both guitarists. Also if you haven't heard yet, T. Lavitz has a new solo album out called "Gossip". A must have for Lavitz fans. Van Romaine has also been keeping himself busy with a couple of other projects. He is working with Bernie Worrell (of PARLIMENT Fame) on a project called "Woo Warriors" and is a part of a new release on Intercope Records called "Goat Boy". And what about Dave LaRue you ask, well Dave's band LAX will be going out doing some dates in late January into early February. Jan 31 they will be at The Court Tavern in New Brunswick, NJ., Feb.1 they will be at Pancho's in Wilmington, DE., and Feb.7 they will be at Havanna in New Hope, PA. As new dates are filled in we will post them here. Also appearing in LAX are Van and Glen Alexander. Check it out. Well that's it for now. Be sure to keep checking back as we promise to keep this current and you, our fans (without whom we'd be nowhere) informed. Thank you and Happy New Year!!!!