Tone Group - The Untold Story

Every song has a story behind it. I'll touch on just a few. On Vol. I you will note that there are two versions of the cut "Too Far Too Fast." (Here is a little insight as to how the music business works.) Alan Melina, an executive with Famous Music Publishing, asked us to write a song for a movie using that title and one line of lyrics. The movie was to star John Lithgow and Ralph Machio. Doing this was supposed to be a favor for the band getting some sort of publishing deal. I finished the song and the orginal version is the one we first recorded at Holly Hill Studios in Kansas City, KS. We flew back out to L. A. with our first cut. He was very excited and loved the song, but he said "can you make it sound more like Bon Jovi." So, we went back to the studio and re-cut the song. The second cut is the one they used in the movie. Later they paid The Heat $2500 dollars to cover the studio costs. The song has also been used in the movie "True Colors" with John Cusack and Robert Duvall. The Heat is credited for recording the song.

"All the Way" was the last song written for Vol. I. It was early 1989 and by this time we had been through some big disappointments, but still had a definite confidence and direction for the band and the fans seemed to love our music more than ever. That song really tells the story. (Notice the contrast from this song to "No More L. A. Nights" on Vol. II)

By the first part of 1989 I had moved to Kansas City and was working as a house producer at Westend Studios with the owner, a great freind of mine, Mike Miller. (I have to give Mike a lot of credit for the sound on the earlier albums by The Heat and much of Vol. I. Mike taught me a lot.) By 1989 The Heat toured without me most of the time, while I worked on the songs and production of the next album.

Vol. II was written and recorded, mostly, after the band had actually stopped touring. In Vol. II you can also see the direction The Heat was taking. One thing that really hit me when listening to this album is the sound. The Heat had really developed a Heavy rock - high screamin' vocal harmony sound. One of its own that did not really compare to any other band. "There truly is no one that sounds like The Heat."

In early 1989 Dana Miller had pretty much given up on The Heat, but Sam Riddle, producer of Star Search and other shows, was still very excited about the band. Sam fronted the money for quite a few trips to L. A. and set up a few good connections. "Crimes of the Heart" was written with Michael Jay, a CBS songwriter along with Dave and I. "When the Love is Over" is also a Michael Jay song with Tony Mills. Michael is one of the connections arranged by Sam and he gets credits for the video as well. Sam became a good friend and there are cetainly a few stories about that...many thanks Sam Riddle.

One of the last connections Sam made for us was a Japenese tour and record deal. It had become quite popular at that time for U. S. rock bands to get their big break in Japan. The Japanese Label offered us $110,000 dollars for a three week Japenese tour and record deal. Unfortunately, by the time the paperwork was drawn up the label had changed their mind saying that heavy rock was on the way out. It was 1991 and "grunge" was in. We were defintely not a "grunge" band. We could actually sing (Ha Ha).

You'll notice that "Angie" is also on Vol. I. Sometimes there are those songs that you just know are a hit if you could just get the right recording. So, we decided to cut it again. " Angie" is one of those simple love stories we've all experienced. You know your both in love, but that tiny little bit of human doubt creeps in, keeps you apart, and creates a hopelessly lost feeling. The song has a very "singable" melody and we just felt it would really catch on. We gave the song one more try.

Lastly, is the song "No More L. A. Nights." I remember sitting on the balcony on my 5th floor room overlooking Sunset Blvd. Across the street the guys in the band were watching Motley Crue get their next tattoo. Later that night, the roads were blocked because "Sam Halen" was making a special appearance at "The Whiskey." Little Richard lived one floor above us and it was $27.00 dollars for a burger and a beer. (Well maybe that was two beers.) The night before I had walked out on a meeting between Sam Riddle, Tim and I. Sam had been his usual generous self, paying for everything, loaning us the BMW and leaving a $100 tip. But I had had enough. There was nothing real or desirable about anything here for me at all. I just wanted to go home. The song speaks for itself...

I hope you enjoy the tunes and also, thank you sincerely, because it really does come down to the fans ... or the music just dies. Thanks Anthony

It's great that this "body" of work has finally been released. It is also very flattering that so many fans of The Heat still exsist almost 20 years later. That's right, October 1987, was the first taping of our Star Search adventure. The band actually stopped touring in September of 1989 and the last recordings were done in 1990 & 1991. From the week long tours in Colorado, to the treks across Kansas, to the extremely sold out, standing room only; no getting to the little boys room, shows in Manhattan, KS. These songs have brought back some fond memories for me of a magical time and I hope they will for you too. I invite any fans, old or new, to email in with questions about the band or the songs. So, staying true to the format of TTG, I'd like to start now with a few significant points about the volumes.

The Heat orginally formed in the summer of 1985. Two albums had been released by the time we appeared on Star Search. The band had received some great airplay with "Lovin' Me Tonight" and "Just Too Young" and the possibility of a record deal with Tony Bon Jovi (uncle of John) through Power Station Studios in New York. The band had developed a very top 40 rock sound. Great harmonies, singable melodies and a walking little bouncy groove colored with some drivin' guitar. On Vol. I, you can really hear that in the two regional hits, "Caroline" and "Heartaches."

Volume I was pretty much written and recorded around the time of Star Search (Oct. 1987) and the following year. Coming off the show we had acquired managment with Dana Miller of Endless Summer management. Dana also handled Rick Springfield and The Outfield at that time, so we felt we were in pretty good hands. We did some showcases for record executives and talked to publishers and spent some time in Los Angeles. After one showcase, at the Lingere Club in L. A., our management told us that the "the suits" will not applaud, so don't expect it. They gave us a standing ovation. Things looked really good! By April of 1988 we were offered a $60,000 dollar one record deal with Warner Brothers Records. Managment turned it down thinking it was too little for the type of attention we had been receiving from the music business. Unfortunatley, a better offer with management, never came.