Archives-Paraphernalia Live In The Studio 1982

When Russ and I started our little band in 1980, we couldn't play worth shit.  I just got my first real drum set.  an Zickos five piece clear drum set and spent most of that time collecting cheap cymbals in order to look like a real drumset.  There were two Zym Cymbals, an English made that had a nice ride sound to it but the other if you hit it too hard, it would bend.  It turned out to be a china like cymbal.  

The first session, Darren Johnson played guitar.  But it was mostly me and Russ trying to add our spin to Same Ole Song And Dance and Godzilla.

One year later, after learning on my own without lessons I managed to get better.  Doug Spinler and I jammed with his dad.  And when when Russ came back from leave we got together with Doug Bonesteel and Mike Swearingen.  Mike being the de facto leader and one we leaned heavily on for musical guidance.   A 1981 recording session we recorded Come Together and Rock Me Baby.

In late 1981.  The band was me, Russ, Mike, Doug B and Dewayne Schminkey and I managed to convince my dad to record our little EP making album on Jan 28, 1982.

The songs at hand.

Rock Me Baby

Take It On The Run

Lovin Touchin Squeezin

Heavy Medication (D. Schminkey solo song) 

Highway To Hell

Rocky Mountain Way (2 versions)

Personnel:

Mike Swearingen-vocals

Doug Bonesteel-Electric guitar

DeWayne Schminkey-Acoustic 12 String

Russ Swearingen-Bass

R. Smith-Drums 

The sessions were quite exciting,  I think I played more cymbals than drums.  I don't think it was actual drum playing but rather bashing the hell out of them due to being frustrated.  The second version of Rocky Mountain Way was used.

With this new and exciting sound, Paraphernalia became part of the Iowa music scene, tho we only did one gig, opening up for one of Mike's regular bands.   But it was our music and our way of doing things that makes this session somewhat special.  Due to time restrictions and Russ needed to get back to the Marine Corp two days later, there would be no more recordings.  Of course that didn't stop me from putting all the music that we did before in other sessions and solo stuff called Turn Off The Picture You're Disturbing The Sound.   These songs were known as the Live at 9 EP.    Rock Me Baby would be issued as a second single later on.

Eventually, we got better.  In 1982 without Russ, we became the Open Highway Band, with Dennis Lancaster drafted as harmonica and guitar player.  We did play the Pink Elephant in 1983 with Russ playing bass.  I remembered we tried out a bass player but he was looking for a band that was playing regularly.  We never did find that replacement.

A year later, Russ returned and Paraphernalia struggled to hang together.  By then, Doug Bonesteel and Dewayne Schminkey were no longer part of the band and Dennis Lancaster was full time guitar player. Will Sigsbee and Shawn Ster became guest guitar players at various gigs.  The December 7, 1984 OK Lounge gig would be our last.

In theory, the 1982 Live In The Studio session is really, our starting point. 

Technical stuff:

Cymbals: Zildjian A's

13 inch Quick Beat hi hats

16 inch Rock Crash

16 inch Thin Crash

16 inch Medium Thin Crash

18 inch Crash Ride

20 inch Rock Ride

20 inch Pang Sizzle

I'm surprised that these cymbals didn't crack under the constant bashing, especially the 16 inch crashes. The rock crash was rarely used outside of this recording and later on 4 of these cymbals were sold to a devious chump who only paid half of the 300 dollars  that was sold to him.  Even while winning a small claims court victory, the devious chump never paid for them.  I never quite forgave Mike on losing my cymbals on the honor system.

I think that these cymbals that I did buy gave me the ultimate sound and probably best cymbal lineup, up till I got the K's later in life.  They did sound great on the recording, they must have since I have played them more than the actual drums themselves.  For some reason I had the rock ride leveled with the bass tom, and the pang cymbal about 8 feet high (don't ask why).  It seemed like a good idea at the time to have the cymbals about five feet up, nowadays, my cymbals are about an inch or two higher than the 1982 set up.  At that time Ludwig's Hercules cymbal stands were the best, but the plastic that adjusted the cymbals would break off and if not tighten, the cymbal would fall to the side (as shown on Ratt's Round n Round video).  I later got a Yamaha stand to put the pang cymbal upside down but for a china, it was more of a washy and not a total china crash.  The sizzle sustain was the longest sizzler sound cymbal that I ever had.  Oh, I loved that cymbal but Russ absolutely hated it.   That cymbal remained a part of my lineup till 1987 when I foolishly traded it in along with the Quik Beats and Rock Crash to get a 20 inch Impulse Ride.  To which the folk at Phoenix Drums took great delight in ripping off an out of towner who was trying to update his sound.  And never realizing, he had the right sound of cymbals in the first place.