TONE WORLD "NEWZ"
08/18/05 - Upcoming CD News
Updates on Slashtones related CD releases.
Part One: "Bells - Bells - Bells!"
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Were very proud of the fact that everyone played cowbell on "Pretty Tied Up", not to mention the outrageous musicality of the performances of everyone on both tracks. Those tunes will be popping up in a lot of places after Versailles release their CD.
Part Two: "Paid for every dance, selling each romance"
We've completed post-production and are about to begin recording our version of the Louis Prima classic, "Just A Gigolo / I Ain't Got Nobody". "Gigolo", who's first release will be on Versailles Records' David Lee Roth tribute due out on November 22nd of this year. We're taking a very different approach to this tune than David Lee Roth did on his 1985 EP "Crazy From The Heart". It's the 20 year anniversary of DLR's rendition, so we're not going to try and emulate what he did.
The music will be along the lines of DLR's version, but a little harder edged, yet remaining faithful to the original Louis Prima version as well. We'll be taking a "Heavy Metal Big Band" approach to the backing tracks, adding horns galore, as well as keyboards, Hammond organ, additional percussion (cowbell), and a whole slew of odd instruments. Vocally it will be closer to the Louis Prima version as far as the background vocals and harmonies, but more so. The best way I can describe what I'm hearing as an end result would be Led Zeppelin and Chicago doing the backing tracks, with the Mills Brothers and the Ronnetts singing backup for Tom Waits, Elvis Presely, Axl Rose and Rodney Dangerfield, as produced by Mel Brooks.
(Take a moment for your head will stop spinning.)
Now this is what we (I) hear, and hopefully it's what we'll end up with. The end result could sound like crap as well, but let's hope not.
The projected lineup of musicians includes the five members of The Slashtones, Roderick Kohn: all guitars, Hammond organ & vocals, Tony Moore: bass & vocals, Steve Budgie Werner: drums & vocals, Arno Hecht: all saxophones & vocals and Harry Slash. Also included in this project is former Slashtones' bassist from 2001, Rawn Randell, but not on bass. Rawn will be part of the "Gigolos Choir" along with Frank Fortune (Reckless Fortune), Joe Pecora (Happy Anarchy), Pam Purple and several other names of renown who for the time being will be called "JL Gigolos", "SB Gigolos", "PA Gigolos" and "RS Gigolette".
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| Rawn Randell | Frank Fortune | Joe Pecora |
Part Three: "Television Generation"
The title of The Slashtones CD, due out next year, is now "Television Generation". The title, suggested by Arno Hecht, perfectly describes the campy nature of the songs and the CD as a whole. We're about 60% of the way to completion of this project, with only a handful of tunes left to record. Unlike past attempts at recording a record, this one will mainly feature the five members of the band, (Slash, Kohn, Hecht, Moore, Werner) and only few guest spots here and there.
Part Four: "How The Rest Got Lost."
(Info coming soon)
Part Five: "Barbed Wire Love Songs"
(Info coming soon)
Part Six: "The Past Is The Future"
(Info coming soon)