+ Larger Font | + Smaller Font
MC:
JOHN E: I really can’t say for sure, but Don Buday had told me that I was the catalyst in the band and that I was needed.
MC:
JOHN E: Within about three months after I separated from EC, I got a call from Carmelo Garcia. He’d heard what had happened and asked if I would like to rehearse. He said he had a few players and that he would like me to play. Carmelo knew who I was and that was it…he is a beautiful person. Hector Andrade and I hit it off instantly. We lost Hector several years ago, and I will always miss him…we had a lot of history together. Once during my time in Riot I was given a surprise party. The guys from Riot showed up and it meant a lot.
MC:
JOHN E: I never talked to Berry, though he may have been there watching our rehearsals or showcase. We just practiced at S.I.R. and showcased for the execs, and our management took care of the details. I would see Berry while visiting Motown headquarters but we never had a one-on-one conversation. I was usually there to visit Suzanne De Passe. Suzanne was my favorite… she was the head of Creative Services for Motown. I’d see others, like attorneys and people in promotion and marketing, but Ron handled the business with Berry. When we signed there was another exec that I spoke to. I can’t remember his name, but he really appeared to like the band. We went to the famous Motown picnics and played baseball and interacted with company staff and other artists on the label. I was in awe of all the heavies like Marvin Gaye and Diana Ross playing baseball at the picnic. The company was fun to be a part of, but the fact of the matter was that we were lost among these artists and being shelved, and I received nothing like the attention I had gotten with El Chicano and MCA Records. There were some really big names at Motown and Riot was near the end of the line…
MC:
JOHN E: I only wish you could have heard our band live. I think you would agree we were on the right track with a beautiful combination of percussive sound. In the beginning, we were a wall of energy with our percussion section dictating our concept. I think we later harnessed it as we went along. Our dominant abilities were channeled by our producers, and this led to what you hear on “Welcome To The World Of Riot.” Our live sound blended, but the strength of the percussion left our audience in awe…
MC:
JOHN E: Yes, I sang the parts at rehearsals but the day of the vocal session for the album something very urgent intervened and I I couldn’t make the session in time. The band doubled and overdubbed my parts. They did a good job. I continued to perform my parts live. I would have liked to have sung on the album, but my parts weren’t reason enough to cancel the session. Gab was our lead vocalist and we supported that…
MC & XAMAN:
JOHN E: We had a lot of songs of our own, and we had gotten our deal with Motown performing our songs, but our manager Ron Strasner had suggested that we use Nick and Dino because of their commercial strength, working relationship with Motown and availability. Ron had a good rapport with them so we were convinced to use them, thinking there was success in their track record. I liked Nick and Dino’s music and got along great with them. Unfortunately, almost all of our songs that got us our record deal were eliminated one by one from our mix of tunes. The band had incredible talent and we knew we would need at least one commercial hit to break from the album, so we reluctantly agreed to this. We learned Nick and Dino’s tunes, arranged them in a collaborative way, and went in and cut them. Our producers were fun to work with and the studio sound they produced was great.
MC:
JOHN E: The Starwood gig was great. That was a night to remember, with everybody taking lengthy solo rides and really stretching out. When Hector and I, Carmelo, and our vocalist/percussionist Gabriel Garcia would take off on a percussion jam, the crowd went wild. Tommy added percussive guitar parts and the stage was rocking. We played the album material as well as working more of our own tunes into the show. Tommy is a fabulous guitarist in his own right and he was definitely ON that night. He had been in Mandrill when they opened for El Chicano in Honolulu and stayed up all night hanging out with us after that show. Anyway, the Starwood was packed. A couple of the members of the Commodores were there, along with lot of the L.A. musicians and press, but I was disturbed that I didn’t see any Motown business people there. Riot never got the company support we needed to tour, and the Starwood was our only gig. When I look back on that it is really sad. Shortly after, we began rehearsing to prepare for the next album. Ron had said we were wanted at Capitol Records and would be given more freedom and support there.
MC:
JOHN E: Thank you so much… the band felt the same way. We were basically shelved when compared to other artists on the label. Maybe we should have met with Berry Gordy to express our frustration face to face… but we didn’t!
MC:
JOHN E: I’ve been a fan of Joe Bataan for a long time and I’m grateful for his liking of our music. I only wish we could have given him and the rest of the world more. I believe Ron Strasner came up with the name Riot. He met Carmelo first and then Carmelo brought me in, and I wasn’t aware of any conscious Joe Bataan influence in the band.
XAMAN:
JOHN E: No, I’m sorry, I don’t have boxes. In fact, I had given all my albums away and ended up having to get a copy for myself on eBay. Hard to believe, but that’s what happens. That Riot album is something special to me, but I wish more people could have heard us live!
MC:
JOHN E: After the Riot album was finished, our producers Nick and Dino called me, Jai Winding, Carmelo, and I think Jose Marino, to do a movie soundtrack for “Sugar Hill,” including the title song. Yes, a soundtrack album was released…I’ve seen it but don’t have a copy. If you find one, let me know! The three or four of us were the only ones from Riot to do the film soundtrack.
MC:
I had fractured my left tibia and fibula and was put into a cast that I would wear for nine months. I was released from the hospital, then transported back when bone particles lodged in my lungs in a rare condition that almost killed me, sending me to intensive care for several days in a touch-and-go situation. I missed some gigs with El Chicano in the aftermath of the accident, but finally rejoined them and finished “The Best of Everything” album. I appeared on the album “through the courtesy of Motown,” which I was advised to do, but then I ended up leaving Riot and Motown to totally commit to touring and promoting “The Best of Everything.” Riot still hadn’t made the move to Capitol, so I thought it better to leave. Riot broke up soon afterward, and looking back it was the best thing to do at the time. I felt real comfortable with El Chicano, almost like coming home, although the music had changed on the two albums I had missed. The band was now into using violins and background sweetening, whereas I was a believer in a pure sound, playing live in the studio and being able to reproduce that onstage with what we had. Still, I went along in the name of progress and respect for the creative process. On the plus side, I liked that there was more attention being paid to the vocals, and a lot more vocal harmony. What was most important was that the sound and feel of playing with Bobby, Mickey, Andre and Rudy was right there... we were instantly tight like I had never left, like a glove that was meant for my hand. Jerry Salas and I hit it off fine and Joe Perreira became an instant friend... just a cool guy from Hawaii... Everybody got along and there was no tension...I was welcomed back with enthusiasm and we just flowed with creative productivity.
MC:
JOHN E: I really liked “The Best of Everything” album. We were showcasing the best of our strengths in music, and it was meaningful to me because it reflected my return to the band and my contribution. It was refreshing to work on various types of music, and although we fell into the trendy over-production of the times, we saw this as growth. Everyone on our production team was successful, so it felt good to trust and go with the flow. We had become a little sophisticated and allowed diplomacy to run within our decision making process. I believed the band was finally at full vocal strength and people really liked our vocal power. When Joe Perreira joined the band, in addition to the fine fit of his bass work, there was a definite overall vocal range improvement. We found that we could fully orchestrate our vocals. We were at a show somewhere in Texas and the sound man told me that his favorite part of the band was our vocals. He said he loved to mix them during the performance. I realized then that our attention to that aspect of our music had paid off. I first learned the importance of harmonic construction of vocals while singing in the church choir as a kid. Then, when I took Chorus in the 7th grade at Montebello Jr. High, Mrs. Vorhees was brutal about our vocal parts. In Glee Club in the 8th and 9th grade at Schurr Jr. High, harmony was really instilled as a fundamental part of my vocal repertoire. When I listen to a band I partition the vocal strength and analyze its power, intonation and arrangements. Sometimes a chorus in unison works well and lends itself to the philosophy that less is more.
MC:
JOHN E: I think I’m going to have to pull the album and work the memory a little. I do remember that on the “Pyramid” album things were getting independently creative in the band. “Barreta’s Theme” was a request from Johnny Musso at MCA to cover the T.V. show’s theme. “Pam’s Man” and “#88” were both pseudonyms for Andre. Pam was Andre’s lady, and Andre used to wear this Chicago Bears Jersey with the number 88 on it.
MC:
JOHN E: We were at full form during that period, very tight. We went on tour with Earth, Wind & Fire at the top of their career. Herbie Hancock opened for us and we opened for EWF. We headlined in Caracas, Venezuela and were met at the airport with banners, in full Beatle fashion. We sold out two nights at the Polidro arena…they loved us.
XAMAN & MC:
JOHN E: Playing with Carmelo and Hector was a nice learning curve for me. I thought I knew how to play timbales but when those guys played, I knew I had to step up. Carmelo is one of my favorite players, and this was a beautiful experience. I also studied tims on my own a lot and developed my own style through jamming and a real serious absorption of historic Latin music. As you know, drums and tims have completely different approaches to rhythm. While playing drums and timbales together, I play two concepts within a tune. This gets a little weird sometimes but it works for me. If I play just tims alone I use Latin technique, style and energy.
MC:
JOHN E: For starters, I would listen to recommended Latin music. Tito Puente’s “Top Percussion” would be a good place to start. Remember that timbales are played in reverse of a drum set if you are right handed, with the larger drum on the left. I would learn timbales separately and not join the tims with a drum set until you have an understanding of the fundamentals while playing. For instance, the paila (the sides of the tims) are most often played when a piano player takes a solo. This makes sense if you think about it… Listen to other tim players and different rhythms and learn their names. I really don’t like to hear a drummer play regular drum styles on timbales…it is fudging and parades your ignorance to those who know. Real drummers don’t want to look and sound foolish!
MC:
JOHN E: I first played the cuica on the “Best Of Everything” album after learning to play it with Riot. Carmelo and Hector and I would interchange instruments and play them at rehearsal. Some musicians find it difficult to get the damp rag on the cuica stick and mimic the language, but, if you understand what you’re really looking for, you can communicate it...just practice over and over and over again! Try dancing while playing it!
MC:
MC:
JOHN E: Disco music was death to many bands and musicians. Nightclub stages were being taken over by DJ’s and many artists had to put things on hold for a long, long time. ‘Dancing Mama” was an in-your-face, “You want it, here it is” song. We had fun with it. We got the road crew involved with it by threatening to put one of our crew, Wayne Herrille, on stage in a tutu! The song was indirectly written and performed with Wayne in mind and is affectionately dedicated to him. Wayne and I had a lot of fun on the road...he set up my drums for years. I set them up one time when Wayne was in his room ill, and then he came down and told me I was setting them up wrong... I just backed off and said: "okay... just trying to help!" I rarely had to move anything when Wayne set up my drums! I have a lot of respect for road crews and ours was great. At that time we felt our road crew and Road Manager Bob Jackson were also members of the band. They got us through the touring nonsense the best anyone could. Hard times were approaching, and I thank them for hanging in there and giving part of their lives to us.
MC:
JOHN E: First of all, we had a lot of adversity being in the middle of the Chicano Movement. At the time, most non-Hispanics in the Southwest didn’t know how to react to us. In the Midwest we seemed to be well-accepted because many people hadn’t experienced the civil disorder related to the Chicano Movement and simply liked our music. As for the market factors, at the time we didn’t fit with a company’s target market for promotion within a single specific mainstream genre of music. We were not clearly identifiable. We were getting Billboard, Cash Box and Record World awards for instrumentalist band of the year with our first album, and were on all the charts except country & western, but our label simply didn’t know how to satisfactorily market us…I heard it from them. I have to admit, it was a challenge to market our band. As for not having a more lasting success, the sad thing was that we didn’t continue as a family. Andre and I and others agree that greed and personality conflict broke up our band, coupled with egos and a chain of untimely, unfortunate events caused by almost desperate decision-making. I left the band because I could no longer trust my partners to guide my career, and I couldn’t bear to witness ugly differences that really didn’t amount to much. Recently, Andre told me we should have played together another twenty years, but things within the band had soured like the ugliness in a marriage gone bad. I have forgiven everyone, but it is difficult to forget and for the others to do the same. Our downfall was painful. Just as in a family squabble, forgiveness is the key to a peaceful and fulfilling life… especially with people you still love and care for…
MC:
JOHN E: The latter, I think…I believe I had already quit the band when “Little Brother” was recorded. Unfortunately I had also re-fractured my leg in another car accident after leaving the studio the night we finished recording “This Is…El Chicano,” and was sidelined again for several months.
MC:
JOHN E: Yes it was a goal… well, probably more of a destiny. My parents raised me to believe that the question was not whether I would go to college but –where-- I would go to college. My dad wanted me to attend the University in Mexico City. He said it was a great international college, and talked it up every time the subject of college came up. I didn’t agree with him about my going there. My dad had been in the Navy and I liked the idea of attending the US Naval Academy at Annapolis. I knew it would be hard, so I started pitching the idea. I had heard that my half-sister was married to a congressman and I knew I needed a congressional recommendation, so, I figured that is where I would be going. When my dad died, I had moved out of the house at age seventeen had gotten an apartment with the sax player of the Prophets, David Parsley. I left school and knew I needed to return at some point. After I left El Chicano for the second time and gave up on a serious attempt to overcome disco and promote my band with Joe Perreira, “Fuse,” I decided to return to school and finish my education. At first I went to Roosevelt Adult School and took vocabulary building, math, and courses needed to complete my high school diploma. I was so into it that I aced all my classes, took the GED, and enrolled in a full-time schedule at East Los Angeles College (ELAC) in February of 1978. I took everything from business to psychology, from real estate to music. After my first semester I was hooked, and after a year, I knew I wanted to transfer…I wanted a quality education no matter the cost. I knew I liked business; my intentions in the beginning were to start another record company. I was very impressed with my economics professor at ELAC who had gone to USC, so I applied to and was accepted directly into the USC School of Business. When I first walked onto that campus I felt great…I was so comfortable there. On my first day on campus, I saw a group of students entering Bovard Auditorium and so I went in and sat down. President Gerald Ford was giving a speech. I was blown away… I believe education cultivates a student’s latent potential. I absorbed my education like a sponge. I have been impacted by USC in so many ways that I can’t begin to list them here. However, if anyone is curious, I would gladly answer their specific questions. Just contact me through my website or email address.
[ed: see bottom for contact details]
XAMAN:
JOHN E: No, I wasn’t… I thought about it but I was really busy. I was totally involved with school. I did keep playing some local gigs, but turned down traveling gigs because I had a full schedule of classes. My major was Business Administration with my option in Finance and Business Economics and a specialization in Real Estate. I was involved with the nation’s oldest business fraternity, Alpha Kappa Psi, and would play for our Pledge Active party. Jerry Salas and Joe Perreira played with me at the Law house near the Row at SC. I did fund raisers and really had to regulate my time. I had so many responsibilities it was not funny. I found a little gig on campus that made it easy to study and get paid. One day the phone rang and it was Rudy Salas, the leader of Tierra, asking me if I would like to join his band. I talked to him for a while but I told him without hesitation that I was totally committed to school and it wouldn’t be fair to him or the band…I couldn’t leave SC and travel. I loved playing with Rudy and his brother Steve, and Andre had joined Tierra as well, but I just couldn’t commit. I loved where I was going… and knew I needed to be there…
MC:
JOHN E: Danny Diaz and Hector Gonzalez are both fine musicians, and I came to know Ruben through them. I was told that Ruben was putting together a group to perform a musical/theatrical/lyrical version of barrio life. When I was told the band’s name, I must admit I had second thoughts because of the gang tag connotation of the phrase “con safos.” Ruben really had to convince me to wear “vato” garb and that it was part of the show. I wasn’t into stereotypical images, but in this case there was an artistic point. So, I reluctantly did with some clothes that were more comfortable but that still depicted and blended in with the “vato” image. We performed at the Whiskey, which I was real familiar with. I had known Mario from the Whiskey forever, and it was great to be back to play for a full house and an introduction by Cheech Marin who used to tour with and open for El Chicano during the years of our first three albums while he was part of Cheech & Chong. The crowd went crazy and Danny tore it up with his guitar playing. Looking back, I must admit it was a cool experience to be in Con Safos, even though I didn’t completely agree with all of Ruben’s lyrical poetry at the time, but then that isn’t anything new. I haven’t seen Ruben in many years. He is a very talented artist and I hope he is doing well…
MC:
JOHN E: I wrote "Nothing to Lose" while at ELAC and recorded it while at USC with guitarist Peter Geerlings. We were playing in a band called "Kicks," with Joe Perreira on bass and Harry Manaka on Hammond B3 and other keyboards. Peter, Joe and I went into the studio and cut a couple of tunes, one of which was "Nothing To Lose." This song was written while I was going through rough times in a relationship that led to a break up. Well, for some reason we didn't promptly finish the single. Then in an interview I started to prematurely talk about the project and its hopeful release, when Peter just disappeared. I sang the lead vocal on the song and have a copy of the master on cassette, but that was one of those weird things that happen in this business. I think the track still holds up. I just need to locate Peter Geerlings… Hey Pete! Where are you?
MC:
JOHN E: When I was in college I knew this guy that was a real entrepreneur, a financier. He saw me play and sing and he thought I had talent. I told him about my background with El Chicano and he said I should be promoted as a solo artist. Of course, I agreed...ha ha! Anyway, when I got out of Business School I started a small real estate consulting firm doing small contracts like appraisals and such. My entrepreneur friend called me to do an appraisal on a Las Vegas casino of which he was a principal, and then called me again several years later from Greece to bounce some financial things off me and to ask whether I had pursued my solo career. I told him that I’d just been gigging around Southern California while putting together business and real estate transactions and dabbling in investment partnerships. He said that I should come over and check things out because there was a shortage of Latin music in Europe and that we could make things happen. So, he brought me over to Athens in 2000. We talked for weeks about various things and I advised him on major financial and concert promotions. While in Athens I also did some singing. I didn't even play drums, but people there liked my voice and it was a great experience. I went up to Delphi and loved it…I could live in Athens.
Everything was pretty cool until my friend sent me to London to open a mortgage banking firm for him. I stayed for a while in London and also got an offer to start up a financial services company and later a film studio, but turned the offers down. Though I met some really great people in the U.K., my personality just didn't seem to mesh too well there, not to mention that it was too cold and the food wasn’t what I was used to. The environment just wasn’t for me. I flew home, rejecting a five-year contract. My friend still wants to promote me, however. There’s a need for Latin music in Greece, and I was invited back to Athens but have not set a date. Since I've been so busy, it may be some time before that happens. If I go back to Greece I would like to stay for a while. The weather and people there remind me of Southern California, except of course for the language, which sounds Greek to me…
FROM MC:
JOHN E: Since I was a kid, I dreamed of owning a boat. About 12 years ago one of my fraternity brothers from AKPsi, Perry Wong, invited me to Marina Del Rey where he was a member of the Yacht Club. We sailed often and had great fun. I kind of fell away from it for a while, but then while on a gig with sax player, Howard Crossen, he started talking about his sailboat moored in Newport Beach. The way Howard told stories, I had to get a boat, so, in 2003 I finally found a sailboat I liked and started learning everything I could about it. I started racing with SC friends and finally did the biggest yacht race in the world, the Newport-Ensenada Yacht Race. I’ve now incorporated sailing into my life completely. I currently own two sailboats, one for racing and one for cruising. I love the feeling of the ocean. I take my Ovation guitar that I use to write and practice with, and bongos and drum sticks and a whole lot of music and movies. I get chills playing and listening to music on the ocean. Creating music is easy with the sounds of the wind and water splashing. What’s more, the beach community is really friendly and laid back, really easy to be around. I’m living a dream…
MC:
JOHN E: I’ve played with Bob pretty steady since college and Phil for the last four years. In between, I’ve been working with so many people over that span of time and I’ve had my own band that emerges from time to time. I’ve been singing since I was five years old. After I left El Chicano, I just opened up to lead vocals and a lot of different types of music. I really pushed myself, and now I’m comfortable singing Gershwin songs and other great standards and sometimes am hired just to sing, it’s great! I met Mel Torme once, backstage at the Hollywood Bowl. He was so cool…I had seen him at the Cerritos Performing Arts and watched him play drums on Gene Krupa’s set. I loved it! This was a big moment for me. I’ve read most of Mel’s books. I liked Mel’s autobiography “The Velvet Fog,” and his books on Judy Garland and Buddy Rich. Mel and Buddy were best friends and he offers great insight. Mel did it all. At Mel’s funeral, his manager called him “a jack of all trades, and a master of them all.” I think I have every song Mel has recorded, but my favorite is “Stardust.” During the memorial, they played his recording of it and I just felt like I had lost my greatest inspiration…I was sad for a long time. I love Frank Sinatra of course, and Tony Bennett, and also sing a couple of their songs. I do plan to record some standards someday. People are always asking if I have any of my vocals on CD. I hope to satisfy this need….
MC:
JOHN E: Jump music evolved through the downsizing of the big bands. I was first exposed to it by my dad, who would play records from Louis Armstrong and Louis Prima at the pool parties (or when people just stopped by to socialize). The top cats for me, my favorites, were Earl Bostic, Louis Jordan, Louis Prima (and his longtime bandleader, saxophonist Sam Butera), and Prima’s wife, vocalist Keely Smith. I would check Sam Butera out in Vegas, and even went alone if I couldn’t find someone to go with. I would hang out at the Desert Inn or the Tropicana or wherever he was and wait for his lounge shows. I always said hello and exchanged a few words and that was really fulfilling for me. What great inspiration to play the jump feel!
I had been playing jump music a lot while working with the Bob Bergara Band. I was playing at the Castaway in Burbank on a gig with Bob and met a sax player named Ernie Tavizon. Ernie told me he hadn’t played for a while and I made it my mission to get him back into music. He had been influenced by Sam, Earl, Big Joe and others from that era, and it showed. I told Bob that he should hire Ernie more often because he added a sweet kick that we needed. Ernie played all these Pachuco-style songs that I had played with the Royal Rhythms. I had been going to Bob Bergara’s former sax player, Bob Carrow’s house in Costa Mesa for jam sessions and had met Don Tosti. I posted a collage on one of my websites that has pictures and names from those jam sessions. This all happened while I was in college, and I eventually added a keenly-developed sense of jump-style music and drumming to my repertoire. I love “punches” in the music, and this music gave my bass drum and left hand the kind of workout that I needed!
Anyway, I got a call from Flattop Tom to play with his kicking band and stayed with them for about four months. We played the Derby and did shows at other swing clubs, and I continued to have a good time with my dad’s favorite type of music. I got involved with a group that was getting together to play at a scholarship fundraiser at the Pasadena Civic in honor of Don Tosti. We jokingly named the band Hip Replacement, rehearsed, and played there for a packed audience. Everyone wore pachuco zoot suits, we got completely into character. I have a recording of it with all of us getting into our vato characters and Tony Garcia doing this hilarious shtick. I threw my sticks into the audience at the end of our performance and caused quite a stir with the girls! I had started throwing drum sticks into the audience when I played at the Salesian Rock and Roll shows when I was fifteen and later with El Chicano. Anyway, Hip Replacement went over so well that we were hired to play for the East Los Angeles College installation dinner for the incoming president. After that, we retired the band.
MC:
JOHN E: I knew the drummer that had the gig. He felt that it didn’t pay enough for his trouble, so, he asked if I might be interested. I told him “sure!” Well, Ed called and asked me some questions and then invited me to come to the gig. While at the gig, I thought, “these guys are really good,” and I ended up joining the group. When we were playing this Orange County jazz club near Knott’s Berry Farm, this guy sits in front of me really close to the stage. After a set, he starts asking me questions about the band and a bunch about Ed, who I really had no background on and told him so. He said to me “you really don’t know who he is, do you?” I told him I guess I didn’t, and he started to tell me that he had come out from New York to see Ed and that he was this great sax player and this and that… so I introduced him to Ed and he was just giddy. I came to be really proud of the history of the band membership that I was working with. We had a famous singer and great keyboard player in the band, too, and lot of famous jazz players would stop by. I introduced myself but these guys were older and had history with Ed and Joe, so I just let them have their space. After about four months, I just couldn’t do the gig anymore and told Ed I had to leave. He tried to talk me out of it, but there were too many demands from school finals and other opportunities. Joe Comfort was a breeze to play with, I mean effortless to execute and keep time with. He told me he liked the fact that I listened when I played… we had great sessions together.
MC:
JOHN E: Sure… I’ve always played that same Ludwig blue sparkle set that my dad bought me. New hardware was added to the bass drum, and also to reinforce my original 13” tenor tom and another identical tom that I added to my set later. My set originally had a Supra snare. I switched snares to a Rogers Super Sensitive but switched back to the Supra about five years ago. The Supra has the distinction of having been the most recorded snare in drum history…I just love it! I also own a deep-width brass Ludwig snare for a heavy rock sound. I play Rogers brass timbales on the left of my drum set. I have a few 24-inch cymbals, splashes and crashes, all Avedis Zildjian. I also own a white marine pearl bass drum that was once Louie Bellson’s, which I have retired, as well as a small natural maple jazz drum set for small stage gigs and rehearsals. I have a collection of other percussion instruments that I use from time to time, as well as assorted drums in storage that I need to do something with. I carry practice pads and heavy drumsticks in my boats, trucks and motor home, which gives me access to execute and solidify what I’m thinking about. I usually practice with a full set at the gigs, so I get there early. Back in the day, I used Regal Tip 5A sticks and practiced with 5B, now I use Vic Firth Steve Gadd drum sticks, both regular and nylon tip, depending on the tune and what sound I want to paint.
MC:
JOHN E: One of the first gigs we did after “Viva Tirado” was released was the Apollo Theater in New York: Jerry Butler, the O’Jays, Carolyn Franklin and the Last Poets were on the same bill for a week. We played Palisades Park with the Temptations and that was really exciting. I really liked the Caracas gig that I mentioned earlier and a New Year’s Eve gig at the Sports Arena in San Diego, as well as the last gig of the EWF tour in Vegas. We will leave –that-- story in Vegas…or at least until my book comes out.
MC:
JOHN E: Recently a drum teacher told me that he liked the independence of my left hand, and people tell me that this is one hallmark of my playing,along with my cymbal work and bass drum drops. Young drummers listening intensely to my drumming would probably be checking out those aspects of my style. I also think the “feel” I bring to each song that I play is important. I love to create a hypnotic pulsing groove, like on Riot’s “Put Your Gun Down Brother.” After El Chicano and Riot, I got more into playing with brushes... I guess we were too loud to use them before. I’ve used mallets from the beginning, and if you listen to my recordings I use a lot of mallets for effect. I consider this part of my cymbal work, but when used with timpani, that’s a whole other ball game. Now, I can get a similar cymbal affect with just the drum sticks. Another thing I’d like to be remembered for is the fact that cutting loose on the drums is in my blood. I can’t imagine not pushing my ability to its fullest for a ticket-buying audience. I’m an artistic soloist and express myself through drums. In a show setting, I am on! I think I influence the band and their mood through my playing. Anyone that knows me can tell you that if I’m singing or playing drums, I’m giving it my all. I wish I could have gone in the studio with every project band or group I’ve played with, because I have grown a lot as a drummer, percussionist and vocalist. Most people only remember my drumming from back then. I’ve come a long way since then… come hear me live and don’t forget to say hello.
MC:
JOHN E: I don’t know about that project and whether Bobby is included or not, but his playing speaks for itself. Bobby and I have known each other since we were teenagers. I have seen him grow as a musician and so I never thought about how it feels to play next to him, except only to say it feels great when we play together! He and I have an imposingly undeniable chemistry. I know what Bob will do as he is leading up to it…
MC:
JOHN E: I know of a documentary that my long-time friends from the Romancers Max Uballez and Bob “Lyon” Hernandez have something to do with and that if I’m called, I might have something to do with it. I’ve recently offered to help Max and Bob “Lyon,” but that’s really all I know at the time of this answer.
MC:
JOHN E: In August 2007 Daniel Meza came to me to express his sentiments toward the band and his interest in doing a documentary about us. We agreed that El Chicano’s main musical influence was that of its founding members with their unique chemistry and subsequent sound. We both agreed that that trademark sound was developed before and during the first three albums. For months prior to my meeting with Daniel I had been talking about the band for the first time in years with my drummer friend and Gil Vera. Gil and I had discussed the importance of Latin music as a whole, the significance of El Chicano’s contributions, and the unlikelihood of the band ever having a legitimate reunion. By the time Daniel and I spoke I was prepped to do something with this part of my life’s work. We still needed an angle to this story, and through our conversations Daniel came up with an obvious one… the Chicano movement that surrounded the band during the early years and the ways in which the movement impacted the band and vice versa. Having unsuccessfully worked on a couple of attempted reunions, I wasn’t interested in suffering through a partial reunion. I believe it is a rip off if the event is billed as a reunion and doesn’t provide all of the living band members. I think the audience should be advised of who is a part of it. Gil and I and Daniel talked about the importance of making it true to form. I believe that when El Chicano broke up, there wasn’t an opportunity to say goodbye to our audience and no explanation was given as to what happened to us. I was always answering that question, and had gotten tired of it. I wanted the band members, despite all of their remaining differences, to come together for a last performance and to leave any unresolved issues at the door and just play our music… the very music that we once rehearsed in a garage. I knew that conflict could emerge and it would take a lot of patience and a high spiritual sense of forgiveness in order to reach a mutual agreement. Director Daniel Meza is working tirelessly to complete this project, and after months and months of development and overcoming obstacles, I think we are closer. The process has been trying, but I’m optimistic that it will be worth all the trouble if promises are honored and everyone treats each other with respect and sincerity. The public may finally have an answer to their questions. We have organized a Re-Union of El Chicano to exhibit what we did and explain what the band went through during our early years of albums: one, two and three. I hope to get the story across accurately this time. We, as a band, changed our point of view and got involved with the program of fighting oppression and inequality through our music. I am committed to staying on point and to accurately present what happened during that period, the story of El Chicano’s beginnings and the band during the Chicano Movement. The interviews for the documentary film have been completed and the performance will be at the Avalon Nightclub in Santa Clara, CA on May 23, 2008. Rehearsals have begun and it will be nice to have closure and relive the period through the songs of the first three albums.
MC:
JOHN E: That would be nice…
EDDIE: Is there a chance that El Chicano might record a new CD like the “Viva Tirado” album, with the original members?
JOHN E: Our “In The Eye Of The Storm” DVD will include songs from the first three of the band’s albums and could be out in the summer of 2008 if everything goes as planned. As far as a new studio latin jazz-like album featuring all of the original members, probably not.
MC:
JOHN E: Yes, this project is a product of a beautiful long-lasting relationship with key musicians. Guitarist Danny Diaz and I had been talking about a project for years and so I just took the initiative to start developing a CD concept. We are both really busy, but I have all the material and just need to pick the right players from a small pool of musicians who I know will gel quickly. We still need to discuss, schedule, rehearse and record. I want to keep things loose and not over-rehearsed but will probably take a few gigs to woodshed the band before going into the recording studio. I will probably produce, as I have most of the vision on this one. The El Chicano documentary has taken so much time in development that I had to put the CD on hold. I know better than to take on too many projects at once. I will keep updates on various projects on both of my MySpace sites, as well as Moonflower Café and Latin Rock Café. [ed: see bottom for details]
MC:
JOHN E: Absolutely, we have to give back to our community. We all have to know that when we leave our planet its in better condition than when we arrived. We can do this not only by taking advantage of our resources and the gifts given us, but by being aware of what we replace them with. I learned this from Phyllis Rose, a Native American film actor, singer, artist, activist and consultant. Native Americans had a philosophy of replacing what is used or taken from the land. Out of respect, If a tree is cut, one is planted. Phyllis says “we are entrusted with the land,” and if we do this collectively we can change the world. I will continue to help people move ahead and explore creative avenues. During and after college, I have been helping women achieve educational goals and have watched many of them become independent and strong. I think women need an extra boost to get ahead: the “glass ceiling” still exists, but it can be shattered through education and with the help of others. I mentor as many people as I can and it keeps me busy, but the reward is perpetual and gratifying. We need to come together and help our neighbors with a caring effort… it is not that difficult to take a little time and share your strengths with people. It is important to help a student or someone who wants to help themselves get ahead…such a person can later give back by helping others. This is why we are here…
MC:
JOHN E: Besides managing my business endeavors, assets and investments, much of my time lately has been devoted to performing, producing and preparing for the documentary on El Chicano. Mickey Lespron and I have also talked about doing an album together. In addition, I have that musical project in development that that I mentioned, which is currently on hold until the El Chicano project is completed. I like to keep busy with meaningful artistic productions while making a new history with them. I don’t think I will ever retire and stop reaching out for a new creative heartfelt project. I love doing live gigs with great musicians, and perform 80 to 100 times a year, primarily in L.A. and Orange Counties. That should remain the same, unless I decide to start traveling more extensively to promote my projects. I know I could better promote myself in the studio or by traveling, and that may change, but like the actor in community theater, I love live moments and instant appreciation and gratification. I want to produce another musical niche documentary and have discussed this with other filmmakers. Through my USC Alumni ties and close friends, I know I will continue to stay inspired and hopefully accomplish more challenging projects, and I think things will continue to progress in a positive specific direction. I feel blessed to be able to pick my projects without duress…
MC:
LISA D.: Who are some musicians that you have not played with that you would like to someday?
JOHN E: Good question Lisa. I really haven’t given that much thought, but I love Pat Martino’s guitar playing, Scott Hamilton’s sax playing, Diana Kraal and pianist Paul Smith, who I used to catch at Sinatra’s hangout, next to the Whiskey. I think it would be nice to play with any of them. L.A. has the best players in the world and that must be why so many move down here. I see great musicians playing all over town and I wonder where these guys have been. There’s always a pleasant surprise in L.A...
MC:
JOHN E: Thank you… this has been a very impressive, well thought out interview and I hope I have given it justice with my answers… God bless all of you…
[ed: John invites Café patrons to keep tabs on his career and activities at: myspace.com/johndelunamusic and myspace.com/johnedeluna, and to contact him at jdlmyspace41@yahoo.com. 
The gritty, soul-searching sound of El Chicano’s first three albums seemed to go by the wayside after you, and then Freddie Sanchez, left the band and new lead vocalist/second guitarist Jerry Salas came on board. Jerry had a very appealing, radio-friendly voice and new producer Johnny Musso had a pretty good knack for helping the band turn out commercially viable Latin Rock records. With the “El Chicano” album, some of the band’s street-smart edge was relinquished in return for the lush beauty of strings, female background vocalists, brass (the returning Bobby Loya) and bright, smooth production. El Chicano’s turn toward a lighter sound seemed to pay off, with “Tell Her She’s Lovely” becoming a major hit, and many fans count the corresponding “El Chicano” album (and it’s more salsa-influenced follow up, “Cinco”) as among their favorites. As you were on the outside at the time, doing your own thing, what were your impressions of El Chicano’s changing style? How might the band’s music have been different if you had remained during this period?
Even though I was out, however, I could see that Jerry was a positive addition to the band. I know our fan base had really broadened during my first stint of more than four years and three albums, and they were primed for another hit single. I knew in my heart that
El Chicano had the chemistry and creative motion to produce a good product.
It wasn’t long before you hooked up with a unique new group called Riot, fronted by four percussionists: yourself, Latin jazz veteran Carmelo Garcia (who had worked with Mongo Santamaria, Luis Gasca, Gabor Szabo and many others), Hector Andrade (later to play with the Latin fusion band Caldera) and Gabriel Garcia, a lead vocalist who also played percussion. How did you meet Carmelo, Hector and Gabriel and decide to collaborate?
I was so moved. We all knew what love of one another meant… and they expressed it… we had a great time.
Our manager Ron Strasner managed Rare Earth and other artists, and loved our band. We started rehearsing at Studio Instrumental Rentals [ed: aka S.I.R.] on Santa Monica Blvd. We had it all together. Our percussion section was untouchable, with our polyrhythms and an enormous wall of sound elements. We played a set for record executives that Ron had brought in from Motown and I saw them with their mouths open…it was huge! We were so confident and explosive that it was like knocking them out and then calmly walking over to talk in a casual way. I knew things would happen right away.
Riot was the first Latin Rock-oriented band on the Motown label. John, you were signed to three contracts: as artist, writer and producer. How did you attract Motown’s interest? Did Berry Gordy have a role in signing you and, if so, did he explain what his vision was for you and the band?
John, I’ve just recently been getting acquainted with Riot’s album “Welcome to the World of Riot.” The range of material on the set is impressive: jazz, rock, Latin funk, pop and boogaloo. Gabriel Garcia’s fine rock vocals and Jerry Rush’s atmospheric trumpet and flugelhorn command much of the focus, along with your always tight, front-and-center drum team. Rush conjures Miles Davis as he introduces the lead track “Welcome To The World,” which builds into a driving Afro-Cuban guaguancó beat, topped by irresistible cowbell interplay and a timbal solo by Carmelo (who thrives in the spotlight given him on this album). As the title track segues into “Just Beyond,” a listener might think that Blood, Sweat & Tears singer David Clayton-Thomas and jazz-funk trumpeter Donald Byrd had stumbled into a moody Main Ingredient or Marvin Gaye session…albeit one with heavier percussion. This is a strong track that grows with each listening. Other highlights, for me, include “Put Your Gun Down Brother,” a timbal and horn-driven funk groove cut from the same cloth as Eddie Palmieri’s great “Harlem River Drive” project, and the addictive closing track “It’s Been Oh So Long.” This last song is a mellow mind-sticker, with Three Dog Night-like harmonies riding easy over an understated mid-tempo Latin groove. Unlike most other Latin Rock projects, the guitars and keyboards take a subdued supporting role on this album, giving the band a unique sound. Was this an intentional part of your concept?
Did you do any singing with Riot? It sounds as if there could be more voices on the album than just Gabriel and Carmelo.
“Welcome to the World of Riot” featured only one song written by the band. For the other tracks, Motown paired you with songwriters Nick Zesses and Dino Fekaris, who also produced the album. Zesses & Fekaris had written hits like “I Just Want to Celebrate” and “Hey Big Brother” for Rare Earth, so this seemed like a promising pairing. Was Motown trying to cast you as a Rare Earth-style band? How did the group feel about these songs, and about not being able to contribute more of your own original material? How did you go about learning to play the Zesses/Fekaris compositions? Did you and the other band members have any input in the arrangements, or were they totally dictated by the songwriter/producers?
Your bio mentions Riot’s debut gig at the “Starwood” (formerly P.J.’s). Was this an event that was attended by industry people or the general public? What was the buzz like at that first performance? Can you tell us about subsequent gigs…the venues, who else was on the bill, crowd reaction? Playing live, did Tommy Trujillo get to stretch out a little more on guitar? He was a good player who went on to do some nice work with Mandrill…especially their track “Solid” which featured Tommy taking a page from Mickey Lespron’s book!
As a Latin Rock & El Chicano fan and also a Motown and Rare Earth fan, I would have been in Riot’s target audience, yet I never heard about “Welcome To The World Of Riot” until recently. Why weren’t record-buyers like myself made aware? Was the album not widely released or promoted? It definitely deserved to be heard by more people!
Latin soul singer Joe Bataan’s publicist Mark Matlock says that Riot’s name and musical mix were influenced by Bataan’s album “Riot.” Matlock also quotes Joe Bataan as saying earlier this year that “(the band) Riot is the bomb and ‘Welcome To The World Of Riot’ is still a favorite in my record collection.” Do you have any comments about influences from and interactions with Joe Bataan?
Do you have a couple of boxes of Riot albums stashed away somewhere? That's a rare and expensive album.
During your time with Riot, Nick Zesses and Dino Fekaris did some work on the soundtrack for the 1974 blaxploitation/ zombie flick “Sugar Hill,” and you played on the movie’s title song. Did the entire Riot band play on the soundtrack, or were you playing with some other musicians? Was a soundtrack album ever released?
You were in a near-fatal automobile accident while en route to a Riot rehearsal, and were sidelined for almost a year. Around this time, Riot dissolved and you began the road back to El Chicano. What can you tell us about this period?
JOHN E: Riot was tired of waiting for something to happen with Motown, so we were in the process of moving to Capitol records. We had been rehearsing songs for a second album. It was going to be a composite of all of our original tunes that were not on the “Welcome To The World Of…” album and maybe a couple of commercial formula tunes. We were all excited to get back into the studio; we practiced and were ready. Then one night I bumped into El Chicano while rehearsing with Riot…it turned out that both bands had been rehearsing at S.I.R. I suggested we meet at J. Sloan’s, a historic actor’s watering hole on Melrose in West Hollywood, and a favorite place of mine. Andre told me he had had a dream about me and wanted me back with El Chicano.
After talking with the El Chicano guys at J. Sloan’s I agreed to return to El Chicano as a full partner. At first, I was playing with both bands, rehearsing with Riot in the day and with El Chicano at night. One night I invited Hector Andrade to the El Chicano rehearsal after our Riot rehearsal. Afterward, Hector, my close friend Frank Aguilar and I jumped into Hector’s Camaro convertible to try to catch another rehearsal in Eagle Rock. On our way back, traveling down Figueroa, we spun out and hit a wall after being slammed from behind by a truck going about 65 miles an hour. We were transported to USC Hospital, lucky to be alive. We were all badly hurt, particularly Frank, who had to have facial reconstructive surgery.
The first two albums you recorded after rejoining El Chicano were produced by Lenny Roberts and seemed to feature a team of outside players/writers/arrangers associated with him. The initial LP, “The Best of Everything,” El Chicano’s sixth, contained some great tracks… the gorgeous ballad “Primavera” stands out. The group’s vocal work overall was in fine form, with smooth harmonies on tracks like “I Want You To Know,” but El Chicano’s trademarks - Bobby’s Hammond organ and Mickey’s “octave” guitar solos, backed by prominent Latin percussion, had begun to take a back seat now. The outside team had brought in some middle-of-the-road pop material that was a pretty radical departure from the El Chicano sound of the past. Did MCA insist that the band work with Roberts and his company Garrett Enterprises, or was it a case of the band members wanting to make overtures toward a mainstream “light rock” audience at that time?
The next of the Roberts-produced dates, “Pyramid of Love and Friends,” featured several different lead vocalists: Jerry, Bobby, bassist Joe Perreira, and Steve and Rudy Salas, who came back to sing “Barretta’s Theme (Keep Your Eye On The Sparrow),” and the material was even more disparate than on “The Best Of Everything.” Was the experimentation with different styles an effort to stretch and try new things or a sign of MCA grasping at straws for one more hit? Who were the mysterious “Pam’s Man” and “#88” who were credited as sidemen on the “Pyramid” album?
Even on the Roberts-produced albums, El Chicano still played with a lot of improvisational fire on Latin Rock tracks like “Zaire,” “Follow The Apollo” and “Pyramid (of Love and Friends).” Was the band still stretching out and cutting loose a little in your live shows during this time?
By the time you went into the studio to record El Chicano’s eighth album, 1976’s “This Is...El Chicano,” Rudy Regalado had left, and you were not only El Chicano’s trap drummer, but the timbalero as well. Had you picked up timbal playing advice from Carmelo Garcia and Hector Andrade while with Riot?
What were the challenges in making timbales a part of your trap set-up, and what advice would you give to drummers who want to do this in order to cover both drums and timbales on gigs?
Have you ever gotten into playing Brazilian percussion? There was some cuica on the El Chicano tracks “Make You All Mine” and “Zaire.”
El Chicano had left the band’s longtime label, MCA, after the “Pyramid” album and moved to independent Shadybrook Records for ”This Is…El Chicano.” According to Bobby Espinosa, this was the first album on which you guys had full creative and production control and, at least to my ears, there is a sense of loose, good vibes. Your co-composition “Ron-Con-Con” is a groovin’ jazz mambo with you holding things down nicely on timbales and taking a solo “con mucho sabor.” “Mello Hi” represented a step into jazz fusion. It was a very eclectic album that also showed the influence of the Batteau Brothers, Tito Puente and Earth, Wind & Fire. I guess the good feelings were to be short-lived, but at the time did you feel that El Chicano might be entering a positive new phase in your career together?
JOHN E: Yes, we definitely entered a new phase, but as it turned out it was the final one. I’m very proud of “Ron-Con-Con.” It has been played all over the world and re-recorded for the movie “Suckers…” this song has been a nice footprint for me, Andre, El Chicano and Latin music. I’m also glad you like my timbale solo, thank you…
Your co-composition “Dancing Mama” on that same album managed to blend a Latin Rock sound with the ubiquitous disco feel of the later half of the 70’s. How tough were the disco days on a band like El Chicano that originated in an earlier musical era?
In 1976, El Chicano was hit hard by a series of disasters: a fire destroyed your studio, your equipment truck flipped, destroying your gear, and disputes over management and financial matters arose. The group splintered under the weight of these troubles, with Jerry leaving to start a solo career, you and bassist Joe Perreira starting your own jazz-rock fusion band called Fuse, Andre leaving to join Rudy and Steve Salas’ band Tierra, and Bobby and Mickey both leading their own versions of El Chicano (which were said to have featured many different players, including Poncho Sanchez). El Chicano had been an extremely talented band. You had toured extensively, sharing the bill with a number of major stars, and gained plenty of fans outside of the Chicano/Latino community, even in Canada and several Asian countries. What do you think are some of the factors that kept El Chicano from even greater and more lasting success?
The year after “This Is...El Chicano,” Shadybrook released an El Chicano single entitled “Little Brother.” Johnny Musso from “Tell Her She’s Lovely” success was back in the producer’s chair. The song was a mildly Latin-flavored Neal Sedaka tune, well-played by the band, that would’ve fit on the “Cinco” album. “Little Brother” had a trendy “talk box” solo and a nice little hook that could have made it a hit. Was this the last track that you recorded with El Chicano, or was “Little Brother” part of a new album that was being worked on when the band broke up?
Unfortunately, many of our favorite musicians have fallen into self-destructive paths. You, however, chose the road to higher education. We’re told that after leaving El Chicano you studied at East L.A. Community College, transferred to USC for a bachelor’s degree in business and finance, and went on to attend graduate school. Had this been a long-time goal for you, and what kind of difference has your university education made in your life?
Were you a member of the USC marching band, and if so did you get to record "Tusk" with Fleetwood Mac?
Rubén Guevara is a vocalist, writer, keyboardist and producer who entered the public eye as leader of Ruben & the Jets, a 1970’s tongue-in-cheek retro rock’n’roll and doo wop band mentored by Frank Zappa. In 1980, Rubén formed a rock music and performance art group whose material was based on life in the barrio, calling it Con Safos. This group included yourself on drums and vocals, Danny Diaz (of Chico) on guitar, Hector Gonzalez (from The Eastside Connection) on bass, two saxophonists, graffiti artists, and Guevara, who sang and did dramatic spoken-word narrations over the music. Mark Guerrero refers to you having played with Con Safos over a period of about three years at venues ranging from prominent nightclubs to art galleries and poetry readings. Rubén had written music for and acted in Cheech Marin’s movies, and some of your shows were emceed by Cheech or fellow actor/comedian Paul Rodriguez. Con Safos recorded the track “C/S” for Zyanya Records’ “Ay Califas – Raza Rock” anthology. Guerrero says that you shared bills with everyone from Cannibal & the Headhunters, Los Lobos, and Thee Midniters to a Pre-Columbian percussionist named Luis Perez Ixoneztli. Are there any interesting recollections or anecdotes you can share about Con Safos?
Can you tell us about your single “Nothing To Lose,” released in the 1980’s? Was this a solo project of yours, and what was the music like?
Your bio says that you’ve performed in Europe as a solo artist. Can you tell us a little more about that experience?
I’ve heard that you have a passion for sailing. How were you first exposed to sailing, and how long have you been doing it? Does being out on the water allow you to unwind, clear your mind, and maybe get some creative inspiration?
We’re told that a lot of the work you’ve done over the past thirty years has been with bands playing swing music and Latin jazz, such as those led by keyboardists Bob Bergara and Phil Anthony. You’ve not only played drums with these bands, but have also contributed some lead vocals. You’re reportedly an excellent lounge singer and an admirer of Mel Torme. Could a John De Luna vocal album be in the cards?
You were active in the “swing revival” some years back, playing “jump music” with both fifties-style group Flat Top Tom and the Jump Cats and the pachuco-themed band Hip Replacement, both of which had all the band members decked out in period attire. The latter group, a tribute to Mexican-American jazz and boogie pioneer Don Tosti and other musicians from the “zoot suit” era, carried a full horn section, including your old friend Tony Garcia from the V.I.P.’s and Thee Midniters’ horn players Larry Rendon and Romeo Prado. This must have been an incredibly fun, high-energy scene!
You were jazz tenor saxophonist Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis’ drummer in his later years. Playing alongside you in “Lockjaw’s” combo was veteran bassist Joe Comfort, who had backed a long list of legends such as Nat “King” Cole and Ella Fitzgerald. What did it mean to you to be able to play straight-ahead jazz with two of the greats?
Can you give us the specs on the drum and percussion gear you’ve used through the years, how your kit has evolved and what impact that has had on your sound during the various periods of your career?
You toured extensively while with El Chicano, and served as Earth, Wind & Fire’s regular opening act in 1975-76. From your time with El Chicano, what particular gigs or tours do you remember most fondly?
You have said that you like the feeling that you have left a legacy to the music world, and particularly to drummers who are familiar with your work. What do you feel are some of the trademarks of your drumming style that are being carried on by younger players who grew up listening to El Chicano?
Re-listening to my El Chicano albums, the thing that strikes me most is the supremely expressive soulfulness of Bobby Espinosa’s work on the Hammond B3 organ. Bobby’s playing, particularly on the first four albums, impacts me deeply, in much the same way as the sound of Carlos Santana’s guitar. How great was it to be able to play alongside such a master organist, and why do you feel he hasn’t received greater recognition? I have heard that Bobby was to be included in a documentary on the greats of the Hammond organ…do you know anything about that project?
Can you tell us anything about Jon Wilkman’s pending made-for-TV documentary “Chicano Rock?” (featuring El Chicano, Tierra, Santana, Thee Midniters, Los Lobos, The Romancers, Ritchie Valens, Lalo Guerrero and others)? Do you know how much El Chicano footage is going to be included and when the program is going to air?
What can you tell us about the El Chicano reunion concert and the documentary film “El Chicano: In The Eye Of The Storm” being directed by Daniel Meza?
Several years ago, Bomba Records of Japan reissued ago most of El Chicano’s individual albums on CD. These Japanese CD reissues have since become out-of-print collector’s items and are sometimes seen selling for as much as $300.00 a piece. Among Latin Rock bands, El Chicano was second only to Santana in popularity and longevity…it seems criminal that much of your work would be out-of-print. Is there any chance that the whole El Chicano catalog might see a general release on CD? Of course, an El Chicano fan’s dream would be to have outtakes, bonus tracks, even a Rhino Records-type boxed set with all Kapp/MCA, Shadybrook, and CBS tracks and even any V.I.P.’s-era demos included!
You’ve recently put together a Latin/rock/blues band with a set of strong material and are laying the groundwork for an upcoming CD. Is this band an outgrowth of your long-running “John De Luna & Friends” group? Can you tell us about the players that are involved? Do you have plans to establish a website with updates on the band and your other endeavors?
John, with El Chicano you performed for the United Farm Workers and Chicano Movement, playing material that could be considered a consciousness-raising call-to-arms for the struggle for equal rights and cultural identity. With Con Safos you drew attention to the realities of barrio life. With Hip Replacement you paid tribute to Chicano music pioneers and evoked an important era in Chicano history, while raising scholarship money for deserving youth. Your career seems distinguished by an identification with and a desire to work for the benefit of the Chicano/Latino community. Do you envision future musical projects with this type of focus?
What sorts of projects have you taken on as a producer, and what are your goals in the production arena?
Thus far in your music career what accomplishments are you most proud of?
JOHN E: Well, first of all, I always thank God that I survived a dangerous period in our history. Some might not understand why I see that as an accomplishment, but in the entertainment industry you have to make the right choices while traveling through its demands. This is not easy sometimes; life deals us different cards. I’m not one to be proud of or impressed with the venues that I’ve performed at. I’ve heard that playing a place like Carnegie Hall is a measurement of success and accomplishment, but I think that is just sad and shallow. Carnegie Hall is a rentable place of business that is made famous mainly by classical musicians who performed with New York’s famous Philharmonic and the best of solo tenors and other solo artists, mostly from long ago. I didn’t dream of playing there or anywhere, I dreamed of more substantive things: developing my voice and playing drums to a stream of continuous audiences, while creating a legacy of good musicianship.
I’ll begin with what I consider to be a true inner measure of pride and accomplishments: I’m proud to be an American and a Californian and lucky to have been born in this venue. I appreciate having had number one hit records, compositions and performances, but I’m most proud of finishing high school, graduating from East Los Angeles College and then the University of Southern California. I’m proud of being a Christian man and leading by example. I’m really proud of starting out with my God-given talent and a set of drumsticks and using them for employment, enjoyment, inspiration and the betterment of others. I’m so proud of watching students who follow their dreams and flourish, especially through any contribution of mine. I love setting goals and objectives, creating a strategy to get there, and realizing the rationale behind it. This has been a very satisfying approach I’ve taken in my business endeavors and I’m proud to have used it ethically to reach a preferred and positive outcome. In general, I’m very proud of where I came from and the values instilled in me by my parents and grandparents and the education from all my teachers, schools and organizations like the Boy Scouts, DeMolay and Masons. I’m proud to know and be advised and influenced by wise people and musicians who I chose to call my friends and who encircle my life. I’m most proud of my integrity, the sincerity of my music, and my faith and love for Christ our Savior... I hope that covers your question…
John, as a big El Chicano fan from way back, I want to express our gratitude for all the great music. Thank you, too, for spending this time with us at Moonflower Café, and for all the time spent cross-checking facts in response to some of your questions. Here’s wishing you success in your new ventures…we’ll be listening!
For info on the original El Chicano band and the film “El Chicano: In The Eye Of The Storm,” Moonflower Café recommends that you visit the El Chicano MySpace page: myspace.com/elchicanoband ]