"LIQUID SMOKE - Click for Larger Views"
Hi! Do you remember Liquid Smoke? Dean's College Inn? How about, clubs like The Mousetrap, The Daisy, or Leone's? Or Bands like Hot Soup, The Unspoken Word, or Banana Street?
I played drums for Liquid Smoke and I would love to hear from anyone who shared this time period with me and remembers me, Liquid Smoke and/or any of the bands and clubs that were part of the Long Island rock scene in the late 60's thru the early 70's. If this blog grows the way I am hoping; we will have lots of memorabilia, pictures and stories to share and maybe link back up to people we haven't been in touch with for YEARS! -- Well, it's up to you now. Check back frequently; I will be adding my own info as well as responses I get from others! -- ENJOY!

LINKS:

Byrons Place

Liquid Smoke info on Discogs

Want to hear Some Liquid Smoke?

Liquid Smoke on SPOTIFY

Wanna hear more music? . . .
just Click these youtube links

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5TI7kI_xVY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxYWKWTM-pw&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpILPB2sngE&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NX_CIgjAM9c&feature=related

MY MUSIC HISTORY - A CHRONOLOGY

As most of you know, I have had a long (if not illustrious) career in music. I was singing when I was 4, started writing songs at around 10 and took up the drums in my early teens.
I have begun trying to piece together facts and pictures etc. to chronicle my Rock N Roll history. (Some of the facts are kinda fuzzy for me – especially through the early 70's – not sure why. . . I had stopped smoking pot by then. . .)

So, below is a list, roughly in order of occurrence, of the Bands (the main ones anyway), the People (mostly the musicians) and the Places. If you have any recall and/or photos that would help me, please contact me and send whatever you have. Wherever you see a
"___________" – it means I have no recall of the person's name(s) in that slot – feel free to fill in the blanks by writing to me. Also, when you see [sic] – it means I am not sure I have the correct spelling of the name. (r.i.p) should be self explanatory.

In the near (hopefully) future, I also plan to start an ongoing blog - sorta like a book, sorta like an autobiography [no doubt with some pages missing – some intentionally; some not] maybe even sort of a confessional. . . . yes, there will definitely be some pages missing. Tentatively, it will be called "For Love and Music" (Watch for it!)

Oh. . . . the list:

The Changing Mood: Terry Anderson, Bass – Hugh Joshua Dillingham III, Guitar - Rufus Clarke, Organ – Ronnie Ledbetter, Vocals. Later lineup: Charlie Wells, Keyboards – Larry Robinson, Guitar. Chas, Drums (I also would come out front and sing whenever my friend and fellow drummer, Harold "Pig" Meacham (r.i.p.) was around)
Base: Kings Mountain, NC
Related Places: Grover Rescue Squad, KM National Guard Armory.
Time: Mid 60's

The Floyds: Mickey Floyd, Guitar – Mike Floyd, Bass – Philip Sanders, Drums – Chas, Lead Vocals. I think Ronnie Floyd also did something in the band (maybe keyboards) and there may have been a rhythm guitarist_______ _________.
Base: Kings Mountain, NC.
Time: Mid 60's (I have no recall of the clubs)

Scorpio: Larry Blake, Guitar, Vocals (R.I.P.) – Danny "Buttons" Kennedy, Lead Guitar – Ike "DumDum" Patterson, Bass R.I.P. – Chas, Drums & Vocals. Later Lineup: Mike Fowler, Lead Vocals – Stuart "Simon" Glass, Bass
Base: Kings Mountain, NC and Gastonia.
Related Places: Rockin' Palace, Bessemer City, NC – Highway18 Club – Teddy Bear Den, Charlotte, NC – Bamboo Lounge, Charlotte, NC
Time: Mid 60's

Counts IV: Don Roof, Keyboards – Mike Fowler, Lead Vocals – Stuart "Simon" Glass, Bass – Mike Fitch (Fitchett?) [sic] Lead Guitar – Chas, Drums
Base: Goldsboro, NC
Related Places: The Experience, Raleigh, NC – Seymour Johnson Air Force Base
Time: Mid 60's

Ornge: (I only found out after I left the band that it was spelled ORNGE not ORANGE.)
Rick Vannoy (r.i.p.), Lead guitar & Lead vocals – Mike Archuleta, Bass (R.I.P.) – Chas, Drums
Later Lineup included: Vince Fersak, Lead guitar (not a replacement to Vannoy, but, in addition to) Frequent jams with Stan Behrens, Harmonica (harp) extraordinaire.
Base: Fayetteville, NC
Related Places/People: The Apple House, Fayetteville, NC – Bob LaRoy – Bill Ashford – Danny Potter - Bill Cain – Harry Ennis [sic] – Paul Scott – Ft. Bragg/Pope Air Force Base.
Time: 67-68

Liquid Smoke: Sandy Pantaleo, Lead Vocals – Ben Ninnman, Keyboards – Mike Archuleta, Bass – Vince Fersak, Lead Guitar (R.I.P.) – Chas, Drums
Base: Greenville, NC – Later, Long Island, NY
Related Places/People: The Buccaneer, Greenville, NC – The Bird Cage, Jacksonville, NC – East Carolina University – Ronnie Hedland – Farmingdale, NY - Massapequa, NY – The Daisy, Amityville, NY – Dean's College Inn, Deer Park & Long Beach, NY – Mrs. Benjamin and Sid – Vinny Testa (R.I.P.) – Avco Embassy Records - Dean Serafianous [sic] – John Knox – Stan Behrens (yep, he jammed with Liquid Smoke too) – Unganos, NYC – Leone's, Long Beach – The Mousetrap, Island Park
Time: 1968-early 70's
Also, for a brief time during this period, Mike Archuleta and I were putting together a band with Vince Martell, Guitar (of Vanilla Fudge fame) but, the band only played out once (for some local political rally) and never really got off the ground.

The Caravelles: (Later to become "Scratch") – Mickey Floyd, Lead Guitar – Terry Anderson, Bass – John Bennett, Keyboards – Ronnie Ledbetter, Lead Vocals – Tommy Bennett, Percussion & Trumpet. Later Line up: Dave Chapman, Lead Guitar.
Base: Kings Mountain NC
Related Places: Holy Crap! I can't remember one place that we played. But, we did, HONEST!.
Time: Early 70's

Lumbee: (not to be confused with the "original" Lumbee – Willie Lowery's band.)
John Pander, Bass – Rick Vannoy (R.I.P.), Lead Guitar – Karl _______, Keyboards – Carson Huggins, Drums – Chas, Drums (Yep, 2 drummers) (Lotsa Allman Brothers)
Base: Fayetteville, NC
Related Places: Ft. Bragg – Cottonade Farm – Beverly Bretz, Sue Windsor – Hmmm can't remember the clubs. . . But, I remember the farm.
Time: Early 70's

S. Wolfgang Hart: Phil Davis, Lead Vocals & Guitar – Richard Putnam, Keyboards – Alan Stewart, Guitar – Gary Lyons, Bass – Chas, Drums.
Base: Shelby, NC
Related: This band did originals and some covers. We never played out but, it bears listing anyway.
Time: Early 70's

The Generation Gap: (now it gets fuzzy . . .) Rick Lankford, Keyboards – Mike Harn, [sic] Lead Vocals – Mike Jones (I think) Lead guitar - *Bobby Pace, Bass – (at some point there was a little red haired guy called "Monk" who also played with us).- Chas, Drums
Base: Charlotte, NC
Related Places/People: Paul's Lounge, Charlotte, NC – *Bobby Pace had a brother, Johnny Pace who played drums. They were in a band with Pat Walters called, The Good, The Bad and The Ugly – Walters went on to play with The Spongetones.

King Louie & Horse: King Louie, Lead Vocals – Tony ________ Bass, ________ _______, Guitar - _________ __________ Keyboards (yes, that's what we call . . . drawing a blank) – Chas, Drums
Base: Charlotte, NC
Related Places: Paul's Lounge, Charlotte
Time: Early 70's
*One of the best bands I played for. Oddly, I can't recall most of the members' names.
Go figure!

South: Roger Smith Lead Vocals - Phil Davis, Lead Vocals – Sally Davis, Lead Vocals (OK, she wasn't Davis then, but, she is now and I can't remember her maiden name) – Gary Lyons, Bass – Richard Putnam, Keyboards (OK, see why S. Wolfgang Hart was important. . . .) Johnny Sneed, Guitar – Chas Drums
Base: Shelby, NC
Related Places/People: Rock Hill, SC – Buddy & Flicka Ashe (not a joke – honest! That was her name) – The Midnight Sun, Charlotte, NC
Time: Early 70's

Harry Toledo: Harry Toledo, Guitar & Vocals – Ed Tomney, Lead Guitar & Vocals –
________ ________, Bass Guitar – Chas, Drums.
Base: Manhattan
Related Places: The Ocean Club NYC – Max's Kansas City, NYC
Time: Mid 70's

In 1977 I started doing piano bar with Randee Kapner, Keyboards – Chas, Vocals.
Base: Flushing, NY
Related Places: Pearl's Place, NYC – Good Times, NYC – Bushes, CPW, NYC – The Steer Barn, Syosset, NY
Time: Mid to Late 70's

I continued to sing and write but, did not play drums again until the early 80's when I was invited to record some of my originals at a Recording Institute of America master class at JAC Recording, NYC
Musicians on the sessions were: Randee Kimbrell, Keyboards – John DeMartino, Flute, Sax and Backing Vocals – Rob DeMartino, Bass & backing vocals – Ronni Crooks, Guitar(R.I.P.) – Sean Grant, extra vocals – Chas, Drums & Lead Vocals.

Uppercut: (not to be confused with the later horn band with the same name - (incidently, we came first) Rob Shepard, Keyboards & vocals – Randee Kimbrell, Keyboards – Debi Giacalone (aka Lemay), Lead Vocals – Rob DeMartino, Bass & guitar & vocals – Joe Aiello, Lead Vocals & Occasional Drums - Chas, Drums & vocals, Occasional Lead Vocals. Later lineups included: Linda Barba*, Lead Vocals – Robin Barba*, Lead Vocals– Frankie Falco, Lead Vocals – Vito Lombardo, Lead Vocals – Freddie Wadlington (aka London), Lead Vocals – Eddie Ames (R.I.P.) Lead Vocals, Occasional drums – Mark Leigh-Manuel (sic), Bass – Joe Greco (R.I.P.), Lead Guitar, Occasional drums – Betsey Freedman, Lead Vocals.
*(sisters – from band "The Barba Dolls" – the other sister was Michelle).
Base: Long Island, NY
Related Places/People: Cahoots, Kaps, Whispers (all hotel lounges) - Ernie Barry's Brooklyn, NY - Frank Wayne – Shorty Lavender's, Syosset – Wampus, Armonk NY –
Rocky Magistro (sound man) - Mike Barberich, (Sound Man) (and jams) – CPI (Canoe Place Inn) – Montauk Yacht Club – OBI (Oak Beach Inn)
The City at the Sheraton, New Rochelle, NY.
Time: Mid 80's – 1991

Which brings us to my 2nd major hiatus from playing drums - From 1991 to 2005 – almost 14 years. In 2005 I did some fill-in gigs for:

Axis: Rob Broccolo, Bass & Vocals – John Hasseth, Guitar & Vocals – Chas, Drums
Base: Long Island, NY
Related Places: Peanut's, Yaphank, NY – Jessica's, East Meadow, NY
Time: 2005

After another VERY Long Hiatus (my longest ever), I am Woodshedding and trying to get some of my Chops back. A lot has happened since I wrote this original blog about 18 Years ago... That's right... 18 YEARS... Eventually, I will be looking for a band/project to play, sing and/or record with.
So, feel free to contact me about that too.