From Dennis Polkow - more information on Al Decarlo, Chicago musician that I hung out with at the California Transit Authority concert the other night: “Addison” Al DeCarlo is best-remembered for his stint as the lead singer and guitarist of classic 1960s progressive power rock trio Bangor Flying Circus, which he founded with Addison, Illinois schoolmate, keyboardist and later Grammy Award-winning songwriter David J. “Hawk” Wolinski. The band played the circuit around Chicago and suburbs as well as toured and released “Bangor Flying Circus” on Dunhill ABC Records. Original Chicago members Terry Kath and Danny Seraphine heard Bangor Flying Circus at the Whiskey A Go-Go in Hollywood and brought them to the attention of Chicago manager and legendary record producer James William Guercio, who bought out the band’s contract from Dunhill and began producing them under the new name of Madura. In grandiose Guercio style, the first Madura album on Columbia Records was an opulent two-record set complete with a poster of the band hanging out of a helicopter over a field with the band’s name plowed in it -- the field itself was the album cover -- and handwritten lyrics printed on the record sleeves. Madura was the regular opening act for Chicago throughout the early 1970s and often joined the band onstage for Chicago’s encores. Madura was also used for the filmed concert sequence of Guercio’s 1973 cult classic “Electra Glide in Blue” performing Al’s “Free From the Devil,” which is included on the film’s United Artists’ soundtrack. Al and Madura drummer Ross Salomone also performed on Chicago songwriter Robert Lamm’s 1974 solo album “Skinny Boy” with Terry Kath on bass. Al also made a guest appearance on one of the first “Dick Clark New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” ABC network specials, hosted by Chicago. Al was considered as a Chicago replacement for his friend Terry Kath when he passed in a tragic accident. The elaborately-produced “Madura II” was one of the first albums recorded at Guercio’s legendary Caribou Ranch in the Colorado Rockies and tested the bells and whistles of the studio complex before the likes of Chicago, Elton John and John Lennon began recording there. Since Madura, Al’s distinctive voice has been heard on a variety of commercial jingles and in various performance and cover band configurations. Al reunited with Hawk Wolinski for a documentary being made about Al by California-based Barefoot Boy Productions (facebook/pages/Barefoot-Boy-Productions/139357546181532) that is nearing completion. The documentary also includes interviews with James William Guercio, Danny Seraphine and Robert Lamm, among others. Updates about the film, live performance dates, guitar clinics and other Al-related projects and news will be posted here. Friends and fans are also invited to share memories and become eligible to do so by “like”-ing this page.
Posted on: Mon, 21 Apr 2014 05:13:05 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015