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Kevin Conley and the Blue Tornados
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The Musicians


Kevin Conley - Composer
Guitarist - Vocalist

Paul Logan
Bass Guitar - Vocals
Otis Coen
Keyboards - Vocals

Will Leuschner
Drums - Vocals
Charlie Hatley
Drums
Steve Conley
Saxophone
Dave Plenty - Drums
John Meadows - Bass
Bill Cordell - Keyboards
Kathy Davis - Backing Vocals
Rosco Franklin - Vacking Vocals
Curtis Nash - Trumpets
Eric Gunn - Drums
Lisa Leuschner
Backing Vocals
Fenton Murray
Hammond Organ
John Tindel
Guitar - Vocals



Dave Carwright (L)- Guitar
Howard Woodley (R) - Piano
Kevin Conley
Slide Guitar - Studio
Backing Vocal Tracks
Hear the Call Music Studio - 2005


Twist and Shake Beverly Paterson PO Box 6474 San Mateo Ca 94403
Music writer for various publications, including The Lance Monthly (www.lancerecords.com), Amplifier, Rock Beat International and my own independently produced zines. Specialize in garage rock bands, power pop music, psychedelic sounds, sixties British Invasion bands, bubblegum music, surf rock and vintage hard rock and heavy metal. Available to conduct interviews, write record reviews and do liner notes. Have interviewed many musicians, ranging from The Byrds and Paul Revere and The Raiders to Robin Trower to The Electric Prunes to Blue Cheer to The Sonics to The Standells to Motorhead to Raspberries to The Zombies to The Turtles to Foghat to Del Shannon to The Yardbirds and The Ramones. Have provided liner notes for Misty Lane Records, The Shambles, The E-Types, The Barbarians, Jeremy Morris, Retoff, McKenzie, Butler and Pierce, The Electric Prunes and Zakary Thaks.

THE TOP TEN ALBUMS OF 2007 in alphabetical order by Beverly Paterson 12-27-07

KEVIN CONLEY & THE BLUE TORNADOS "Walk In Love" An impressive debut outing from a band that expertly blends classic seventies rock, soul and blues into one neat package. And the guitar playing is absolutely incredible.

SONNY CURTIS "Sonny Curtis" Catchy country pop songs from one of rock and roll's greatest and most respected pioneers.

THE E-TYPES "Some Time Soon!" Here's what The Beatles, The Hollies and The Byrds would have sounded like had psychedelic music never happened. Truly the best album recorded in 1965 that of course wasn't recorded in 1965...

THE LOLAS "Like The Sun" Traditional power pop parked in the vein of The Rubinoos, Shoes, The Records and The Smithereens, with occasional detours into sixties flavored garage rock.

TONY LOW "Time Across The Page" Confessional lyrics, clinging arrangements and cooking hooks make for some mighty tasty tunes that leave the listener starving for more.

PAUL MCCARTNEY "Memory Almost Full" At this late in the game, a drop dead masterpiece would be asking too much from this legendary performer. But there's no denying "Memory Almost Full" ranks as Paul's most inspired effort in years.

RAQUEL'S BOYS "Mondo Fun" Visions of muscle cars, elaborate bongs, feathered haircuts, mood rings and platform boots arise on this rocking disc from Raquel's Boys, who don't conceal the fact they're avid disciples of The Sweet, Foghat, Cheap Trick and Artful Dodger.

TOL-PUDDLE MARTYRS "Psych-Out USA" A brilliant album from back to front. Sixties fashioned pop rock songs unite peacefully with new wave flourishes. Superb tunesmith skills, gripping melodies and a terrific vibe all the way around. Fans of The Kinks, The Flamin' Groovies, John Lennon and Elvis Costello take note!

THE WAY-OUTS "Psychotic Retraction" Killer diller sixties styled garage rock from the pride and joy of Belgium. Cranky vocals, complemented by squealing keyboard drills and lots of fuzztone guitars lead this disc to be a certified classic of its kind.

THE YARDBIRDS "Live At BB King Blues Club" Edgy, electrifying, energetic and paralyzing. But then again, we would expect nothing less from The Yardbirds. If you think their records are mind-blowing, which they certainly are, they're even more intense in concert. And the proof is right here...


Kevin Conley and the Blue Tornados "Walk In Love"
Lance Records June, 2007

"Their playing is crisp and crackles with expression." What we have here is an eight song sampler of the upcoming debut album by Kevin Conley and The Blue Tornados, a Northern California band that pays visible homage to the roots of rock and roll, while coincidently possessing the smarts to sling refreshing thoughts and ideas onto the canvas.
The title track of the disc mines a dreamy, soulful domain that immediately tells us the magic of Motown artists like The Temptations and Smokey Robinson and The Miracles has not been lost on this banner band. Navigated by steamy funk flavorings, "She's My Whole World" and "Inside or Outside Your Love" channels the ghost of Stevie Ray Vaughan to monumental effects. The guitar playing is fat and fluid and the vocals are incredibly passionate and assured. Professional and rehearsed but flexible enough to be earthy and earnest, Kevin Conley and the Blue Tornados are taut and constantly attuned to each other. Their playing is crisp and crackles with expression. The purring hum of a keyboard is also a prominent factor, which furnishes the band's well-written and structured material with an occasional moody touch. Sporting an agreeable assortment of soul, blues, funk, pure rock and roll and even a splash of reggae, "Walk in Love" has something for everybody, no matter what their musical tastes may be. By all means, Kevin Conley and the Blue Tornados is a band to watch for.

Beverly Paterson http://www.lancerecords.com/news2.htm#d

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Blitz - The Rock And Roll Magazine For Thinking People

BITS AND PIECES - NEWS ABOUT YOUR FAVORITE ARTISTS by Michael McDowell
WALK IN LOVE:
 A PROMISING DEBUT FOR KEVIN CONLEY AND THE BLUE TORNADOS


Although their numbers have been somewhat disconcerting in their growing infrequency, every few years a pioneering artist nonetheless emerges with a debut that reminds everyone from the complacent to the fervent elitist of the power that music has to inspire and motivate. One such artist is Kevin Conley, whose band, the Blue Tornados has in Walk in Love one of the most original and captivating new releases of the millennium to date.

A native of the Los Angeles suburb of San Pedro who presently resides in Watsonville, California, Conley is one of those rare artists whose work truly defies categorization. Although musicologists who need a reference point may find elements of the work of such unlikely artists as the Blackbyrds and the Steve Miller Band in his material, Conley's efforts remain invariably the result of his own cohesive vision.

To that effect, Conley offered a healthy perspective on the recent Blitz editorial, Listen to the Band, which chronicles the Monkees' current struggles against the elite of the commercial music industry. That Walk in Love is making its debut exactly forty years after the release of the Monkees' groundbreaking Headquarters album is ironic.

"I didn't realize the Monkees did so much for so many just by standing up for their creativity, what ever the consequences", said Conley. "That's my whole approach to music. Creating what comes naturally, not contrived for financial gain. How can you put a price tag on expression? I guess if the public responds to your creativity, someone is going to want to make some money off of it. It's just how the world operates. At this point, it has cost me more than any thing or experience in my life. But It's worth it, no matter what happens with it".

Like the Monkees, Conley has a vision that involves blessing and enriching lives in ways that are outside of the parameters of the recording environment.

"Some things in life are beyond a price tag. In fact, the desire behind my album is to encourage people to find their creative voice, as an alternative to destructive attitudes and behavior. We also have a music fund for disadvantaged children called Mothers' Children Music Fund, which funds and supports music education and musical instrument purchases for vulnerable kids. A portion of every CD sold goes into the fund. I believe we can help people by promoting creativity".

That CD, Walk In Love features fifteen Conley originals that are inspiring in their versatility, including the title track, plus Beautiful Girl, Dreams Into Dollars, Inside Or Outside Of Your Love, My First Love, One Last Kiss, Light At The End Of The Tunnel, To Be With You Tonight, Power, Slot Machine Of Life, Who You Are, She's My Whole World, What Is Love?, Sweet Six String and We Need Justice. Of these, Inside Or Outside Your Love, To Be With You Tonight and We Need Justice were all recorded in Los Angeles in 1994. The remaining twelve tracks were cut in 2004.

While some of the titles might have graced earlier recordings by such pioneers as the Playmates, the Temptations and Bobby Vee, Conley has given those themes a vision that intrinsically reflects his own unique muse.

"I wrote all the songs, music and lyrics", said Conley, with characteristic reserve. "But I am not a one man band. I had a lot of excellent musicians helping me. The Blue Tornados in various groupings are responsible for the arrangements".

Paul Logan is Conley's chief collaborator and "good friend", as well the Blue Tornados' co-producer, bass player, backing vocalist and mixing engineer. Logan was sufficiently impressed by Conley's superlative songwriting capabilities to pursue a working relationship with him. "In the autumn of 2004, Kevin and I were sitting around", Logan explained. "He started playing some new tunes he had recently written. I was knocked out by the gut wrenching lyrics of What Is Love? and One Last Kiss, the melodic hooks of, Beautiful Girl and Dreams To Dollars".

Conley had developed his skills while interning in Blitz's home town of Los Angeles for a season. Those early works were strong enough to survive for inclusion into the present project.

"Kevin also had a few chestnuts from a past effort when he lived in Los Angeles ten years earlier that I was familiar with, Inside Or Outside Your Love, To Be With You Tonight and We Need Justice", Logan explained. "These tunes were recorded in 1994 in Los Angeles. Those versions appear on this CD".

Despite the remarkable potential of these earliest outings, a few refinements were still in order.

"We had tried unsuccessfully to record a live performance of some of his songs a few years earlier", said Logan. "The chemistry and the situation were not quite right for doing full justice to Kevin's material".

As such, Conley and Logan opted to present their wares in a live setting for instant feedback. Their strategy was a success.

"After hearing Kevin's new material that night in 1994, I convinced him to do a few open mikes with me to see what kind of reaction we got", Logan explained.

"It was just Kevin and I, so these were very stripped down versions. I've always said that if you can't break a song down to one instrument and a voice, you don't have a song. The reaction was great. Our confidence was increased.

With their self-assurance on the rise, Conley and Logan began to nurture relationships with various colleagues who would become an integral part of the band's development.

"We decided to try and make a quick demo of five or six songs, using a friend's studio", said Logan. "That friend was Otis Coen, who stuck with the project as basic track engineer and computer guru through completion".

As the project began gained momentum, vacant slots in the band's lineup were also filled, at least for the time being.

"We enlisted Will Leushner for drums and vocal harmonies", said Logan. "He turned out to be a major collaborator at the beginning of the project, before moving out of the area and becoming unavailable. Will helped arrange vocal harmonies on songs like, Slot Machine Of Life and Walk In Love. His contributions to tunes like, Light At The End of The Tunnel, and Beautiful Girl was crucial. Lisa, Will's daughter, sings the burning question at the end of What Is Love?"

However, perfectionists that they are, Conley and Logan were not, in their estimation, quite ready for prime time at that juncture.

"After a few weeks of rehearsals, we had rough arrangements, which included surprisingly richharmony vocals", Logan explained. "We decided to emphasize this in the songs. The initial demo was a mixed bag. The songs were holding up, but we were unhappy with the production.

"I called my friend Stevie Heger, who is an accomplished engineer, and (Beach Boys rhythm guitarist) Al Jardine's personal producer, for some advice about bringing out the harmonies. Would he mind, very much, sharing some

of the mike techniques employed by legendary vocalists? I employed his idea, which resulted in six simultaneous tracks recorded for a live acapella sound. Doubled, that's twelve tracks of vocals in only two takes! The sound was incredible! Despite some setbacks at the onset, the band persevered.

"But we had used V-Drums, an electric drum set, and hated them", said Logan. "We tried to re-record the drums. But it was too difficult without a click track.

"Frustrated, we decided to start over. This meant that the amazing sound of the harmony vocals was going to be lost, because the set up process was so time consuming, and it was too complicated a technique for us. In addition, Will moved away shortly after our second attempt. Replacing someone like Will on vocals was not realistic. So Kevin and I decided to carry on, singing all of the parts ourselves. Will sings and plays drums on some of the final recordings. But only one of the original harmony recordings survived the re-recording process. You can hear this rich sound on the choruses of What Is Love?"

Encouraged with each development, Conley and Logan were determined to bring the project to fruition.

"This second time, Kevin and I decided to go full boar and we pulled out all the stops", said Logan. "We did everything to a click track. It simplified a lot of production ideas later on. We also had to employ other drummers, since Will was leaving. Our drum tech from the start was Eric Gunn, a friend of ours. He has worked at a top notch studio, and I wanted him to lend his expertise in recording techniques, which he did.

"Later, we asked Eric to play on Beautiful Girl because he had a certain style we thought would really work with that song. Kevin had met drummer Charley Hadley at a gig and wanted to try him. We ended up using Charley for five songs. Otis Coen, Fenton Murray and Howard Woolley all contributed keyboard work. Dave Cartwright contributed guitar to Who You Are.

At this juncture, it was obvious to all involved that they had a potential masterpiece on their hands. Attention to detail became a priority.

"The project began to get huge", said Logan. "Kevin insisted on doing a full blown fifteen song CD. We didn't have fifteen songs at the time. But we continued to rehearse and write well into the recording process. Kevin never stopped revising the tunes. He would make changes right up to the moment of a take. The complicated time changes at the end of Power were added at the last minute, much to Will's consternation.

And in the great tradition of many of rock and roll's finest classics, inspiration was nurtured in less than ideal conditions.

"We began to take over Otis's apartment", said Logan. "He had a typical two bedroom, one bath abode. The master bedroom was the main recording room, with drums and me on bass, directing the drummer to get the best take, knowing I'd redo the bass.

"Kevin was in the other bedroom. Otis had a video camera focused on Kevin, and a monitor in the room with us so we could see him. Everybody on headphones. It worked great, and we did that for about six months.

Inspiration in turn begat perspiration. It also brought surprisingly remarkable results, given the fact that much of the process involved on the job training.

"After the basic tracks were recorded, the project shifted to over-dubbing at Kevin's home studio", said Logan. "Kevin and I wanted to explore different guitar sounds and recording techniques, and refine the vocal parts. So we moved the project to Kevin's studio to work without the clock ticking. At the start, I had no knowledge of how to operate the Logic Pro software we were using. Otis taught me during basic tracks, and I became the wet-behind-the-ears main engineer for the rest of the sessions. Kevin and I both learned as we went. Many nights he and I worked on guitar and bass parts, finally admitting to each other that at times, Kevin had better ideas for bass than I did, and I had some great ideas about the guitar parts. Occasionally we went back to Otis's, where we took advantage of his copious keyboard selection". And while the results didn't generate quite the same controversy as that which is chronicled in the Rolling Stones' Get Off Of My Cloud or the Small Faces' Lazy Sunday, the results were equally timeless and aesthetically rewarding.

"Kevin's neighbors never complained, much to our amazement", Logan marveled. "We gave Kevin a nickname, 'Kevin Power-Chords-After-10 Conley'. We struggled to mix the dense sound. Kevin's rich overdubbing was getting pretty thick. The first song to be fully realized was Slot Machine Of Life. I was not feeling comfortable with trying to mix that. I suggested we take it to Justin Meyer, at Bear Creek Studios, considered to be one of the best in the area. He did a beautiful job, and we then had him mix She's My Whole World.

"Justin was highly skilled, but his schedule and ours was always a problem, so Kevin decided to dig into it ourselves, expressing confidence in my rapidly increasing abilities. I jumped at the chance".

The amount of digital info we created was always in need of intelligent filing, and Otis was able to make sense out of all the files. I don't know what we would have done with out his knowledge of back-up systems. This was the biggest thing Kevin and I had ever tried, and neither one of us could deal with all the files, other than create them. The resultant Walk In Love is set for June release. Advance pressings indicate that the band's labors were most assuredly not in vain.

"It has taken two and a half years to do", Conley summarized. "It really took much longer than I thought it would. It has also taken up most of my time and money. Love is the general theme. It fuses spiritual ideas with secular, kind of like real life does.

Most of all, Conley has carried Bobby Vee's maxim, Be True To Yourself with him throughout this project. His artistic integrity has won a number of converts, including no less a rock legend than the E-Types' cofounder and resident visionary, Bob Wence.

"I met Bob through his cousin Dan Tyner, who owns a paint store", Conley explained. "Bob shared his music with me, and I shared what tracks I had at the time with him. Bob gave me a lot of encouragement regarding my music and also advised me on where to have the album manufactured professionally. I must admit, I feel very fortunate and blessed to have such a person as Bob to help keep my chin up through all of this. It has been a long haul, with a lot of ups and downs".

To be certain, Conley's integrity and determination have provided much of the foundation for the finished product. "I just feel it, hear it, write it, and play it that way", Conley explained. That's just me being me in a very involved way. I did want to give it my best, and not think about time constraints. The players all knew I wanted the best they could give for my songs. I really appreciate what they all brought to the CD. So for whatever it's worth, please enjoy it, from one person to another".