Your favorite local "UNKNOWN" players

[NitroLiq]

Speaking of South FL bands in the 80s, anyone remember "Defiance" with Benjii on guitar and Ray West (Later of spread eagle) on vocals? When Ray left, he was replaced with Oni Logan (of Lynch Mob fame). I have an old board tape of them from Summers on the Beach when Ray was singing with them...catchy hard rock...Ray was such an amazing front man....knew how to work the crowd and pump them up for sure.

[MarkCameron]

Oh Mark, I didnt mean that in a bad way, hell, John Norum is Fuckin awesome, just that on that album ("Up From The Ashes") John was still with another label, and didnt get the same amount of 'playing space' as Billy White. I dont consider Norum to be unknown. I thought his playing on that Europe album "The Final Coutdown", was excellent. His style had elements of Blackmore, Schenker, Roth,Moore and Malmsteen, but at a very high commercially melodic level, that seemed to elude alot of the afore mentioned players.

I saw Don Dokken on that tour, it was Don, John, and Billy, along with Accepts bass player and King Diamond's drummer. Don was complaining of laryingitus, but said he didnt want to cancel ($$ probably). Hell John Norum, by singing a whole hell of alot, saved that show, cause Don was sounding like Marge Simpson that night .

I didn't take it in a bad way....
John plays allot more then you think. And the songs have allot more to do with John then Billy. They all most sounded the same. Go check some of the live you tube stuff from this tour. Its about 50/50. Billy and John lived together for about a year and a 1/2. John said all they did was play guitar all day and night.
Did you hear how he got that gig? Billy went to a Ratt show and tossed a tape at Warren D but missed Juan found it and put it in his pocket never to be seen again.......until Juan was trying to find a tape to record a song to show Don............Don wasn't into the song.......Don puts the tape in a pile of other tapes................So Don needs a tape to get a song to someone......grabs this tape BUT before he does he listens to the other side and hears Billy and calls Juan. Juan doesn't know who Billy is and couldn't remember where the tape came from. It took I think like 6 months to find him. And that's a year after he tossed the tape on that stage.
Also check out
"Sistershootingstar", The Billy White Trio, DMZ Records
"Illusionation", The Billy White Trio, DMZ Records

[Tone Slinger]

Thanks man, I havent heard any of his playing except that one album. I'll check this stuff out.

[St August]

Another From Right here in Flint is Jason Cate..
This guy has fenom chops.. He is here in the BoilerRoom as we Speak recording his First CD.. When Its all done he is definately worth checking out ..
Ask VG he kicks ASS

[blfrd]

Anyone remember a band from the midwest called 'Sly Dog'?

I know two of the guys that were in that band..

[jnewlyn]

Maybe a little of topic here as this band was better known and had a record deal but Steve Walsh (KANSAS) had a band called "STREETS" with a guy names Mike Slammer on guitar. Another one of my top favorites.

[fillmore nyc]

We have to give credit to some guys that never made it big, but who nonetheless influenced the way we play. I am talking about the guys that you remember from days past that you thought "should have made it", but didn't. Post them here folks. Tell us where they were based, and why they made such an impact on you.
I'll start...

You know, this is a really great thread, Ear. I've posted this guy before, but I gotta do it again. I can never get enough of seeing things like this around the city!! He's officially my favorite player (tonight). http://www.chelseaguitars.com/videopage.html

[Eargasm]

We have to give credit to some guys that never made it big, but who nonetheless influenced the way we play. I am talking about the guys that you remember from days past that you thought "should have made it", but didn't. Post them here folks. Tell us where they were based, and why they made such an impact on you.
I'll start...

You know, this is a really great thread, Ear. I've posted this guy before, but I gotta do it again. I can never get enough of seeing things like this around the city!! He's officially my favorite player (tonight). http://www.chelseaguitars.com/videopage.html

Thanks Fill! Just like a lot of people, I don't want these influences to be forgotten just because they didn't "make it". I'd hate to see this thread slip down the board...I asked to make it a sticky so that wouldn't happen, but it hasn't yet. (???)

Hey, awesome clip! Those guys look like a "Kosher" ZZtop!!!...they should start a band!!! Jammin' just the way they look there...Man, that would great wouldn't it?

[Eargasm]

Bump.
This should be a sticky.

[npminard]

Check these guys out, ran across them on MySpace...Still Rain...songwriting is great too.

check out 'desertion'

http://profile.myspace.com/stillrainmusic

[T.L.]

There's a guy named Dan Rivera who used to play in a Prog-Metal band called "Seventhsign". They were from New Mexico, and they were awesome (their singer later went on to do some background vocals for Bruce Dickenson, and then worked with guitarist Roy Z).

Anyway, Dan is an incredible guitar player and has what I think is tone to die for. He now plays for a band in Texas called "Social Jab"...

[CCT]

"Craig Collins Turner was Randy's most technically advanced student so much so that Randy after a short while, could not teach him anything else. Randy taught him at his home as opposed to Musonia. He brought him to the shows with him and mentored him during his last several years in Quiet Riot.
Craig played in a band with Kelle Rhoads called Grand Theft. He also spent 8 years on and off teaching Randy's students at Musonia. He played in several bands with Drew Forsythe most notably Network and Highlander. He went on to play in a version of Quiet Riot pre Metal Health days and after the crash was asked to audition for Randy's job with Ozzy. The final three guitarists up for the job with Ozzy came down to Craig, George Lynch and Jake E. Lee.
The first to go was George Lynch. It came down to Craig and Jake E. Lee and ultimately Jake got the job."

I found that on a RR web site. My friend was a student of his and we would goto Network shows. Don't hold the Quiet Riot thing against him . One of the best guitar players Iv ever seen.

Wow, thanks for the kind words Mark!!!

I realize that this is an old thread, but a friend saw this and told me about it and suggested that I check it out.

Seems to be lots of cool stuff on the site Hope I can add something here.

Check out my website listed below and you'll be able to hear some of the old(very ) Network stuff as well as a bunch of later tunes as well.

Again, thanks for the mention and look forward to joining in here.

Craig

[54strat]

I lived in Phoenix as a teenager in the late 60's/early 70's. There was a band called The Beans. I thought Bill Spooner was great, and he had a Flying V, first time I ever saw one! The only time I messed with going to after football game dances at Maryvale High was when The Beans were playing. They were real trippy and jammy. I remember one set was just one song....nothing like they were later after they moved to LA, added a lead singer and changed their name to The Tubes!

We have a lot of great guitarists in and from Lubbock. Jesse "Guitar" Taylor (RIP) who played with Joe Ely for a lot of years, Joe Don Davidson who was in The Planets. John Sprott (Elvis T. Busboy & The Blues Butchers) still amazes me. John plays slide with a microphone stand better than most can with a slide!

[tonepilgrim]

Welcome to the forum Craig. Checked out the website, sounds good. Good stories too!

[CCT]

Welcome to the forum Craig. Checked out the website, sounds good. Good stories too!

Thanks tonepilgrim...much appreciated. Glad you enjoyed the stories too