Kansas on plastic at the Found diamond shop
Cover of the 3-CD collection consisting of a 24-page pamphlet with pictures as well as comprehensive notes from Jeff Wagner
Kansas is commemorating their 50th wedding anniversary with comprehensive touring in The United States and Canada this year. The band is presently consisted of initial guitar player Richard Williams, bassist/vocalist Billy Greer, vocalist/keyboardist Ronnie Platt, violinist/guitarist David Ragsdale, keyboardist/vocalist Tom Brislin as well as initial drummer as well as supervisor Phil Ehart, that talked with Found Diamond regarding the brand-new 39-song profession extending plan.
FOUND DIAMOND: Congratulations on this fantastic brand-new plan, a wonderful enhancement to the Kansas collection.
PHIL EHART: Well, thanks. We are extremely happy with it as well as are extremely glad to Within Out since it was their suggestion, as well as they did most of the job placing it with each other. What a wonderful tag.
GM: Discussing tags, allow’s return to the start on the Kirshner tag. I saw your launching efficiency on Don Kirshner’s Rock Show in 1974. A brand-new document shop based out of Buffalo increased to my home town of Cleveland called Document Theater. Its square video was massive. So, the complying with weekend break, with my reasonably brand-new chauffeur’s certificate, I drove my friend John there as well as got your launching cd, the initial of several Kansas cds I have actually bought for many years.
PE: We were reasonably young ourselves, 18 as well as 19. It was something to listen to, “You are mosting likely to get on television, as well as you are mosting likely to play online. Don’t make any kind of blunders.” We were as well unskilled to bother with anything, simply delighted to be there as well as had a blast. We recall at it currently as well as feel we were a smokin’ band. We havinged fun as well as played well.
GM: You still do. The brand-new collection opens up with a brand-new variation of the initial track from your launching cd which was the initial track on the tv show, “Can I Inform You.” It is strong as well as fast lane. The brand-new schedule seems excellent.
PE: Thanks. I concur. I am extremely happy with the existing schedule.
GM: After 4 cds, the team lastly struck the Leading 40 with “Continue Wayward Kid” with all the various components consisting of Richard Williams’ electrical guitar, a fave of my partner Donna.
PE: Already, we had actually been appointed the task of being the opening band for each band worldwide, yet it was a wonderful understanding experience. After “Continue Wayward Kid” ended up being such a radio hit, it enabled us to relocate from being an opening up act to coming to be a headliner which likewise was an expanding experience.
GM: “Factor of Know Return” adhered to in the Leading 40 from late 1977 with very early 1978 and after that came my preferred track of that year, the Leading 10 hit “Dirt in the Wind,” including Robby Steinhardt’s violin solo. I talked with Tiffany last month regarding her Leading 5 all-time preferred rock tunes, it consisted of “Dirt in the Wind.”
PE: Wow. Thanks, Tiffany. Exactly how is she doing?
GM: Along with her voice that we initially listened to in the 1980s, she has actually ended up being a remarkable songwriter with a set of strong back-to-back cds, Parts of Me as well as Darkness, both on Deko.
PE: That is excellent to listen to. Our courses went across at once. After our years on the Kirshner tag with 1982, we moved to the CBS Associated tag for 1983, and after that we were gotten by MCA in the mid-1980s. After that Tiffany signed up with the tag. We were welcomed to the MCA workplaces, as well as we believed it was rather great to be welcomed. We showed up as well as saw a banner. We sought out as well as review it, “Invite Tiffany.” We didn’t obtain a banner, yet she did. That’s alright. Our response was rather amusing. I enjoy to hear your favorable response to her brand-new songs. Great for her.
GM: I was paying attention to an old American Leading 40 reveal with Casey Kasem from 1979 when “Individuals of the South Wind” remained in The Leading 40 as well as he discussed that you were based in Atlanta. Did the entire band action from Kansas?
PE: The majority of us did. While we were still obtaining developed with our initial 3 cds, we would certainly drop to Atlanta at all times as well as play Alex Cooley’s Electric Ballroom. It was a rather huge club, as well as you can play there for a week. Costs weeks there, we was familiar with the areas. We were all solitary at the time. We observed that there were a great deal of attractive ladies in the community as well as at the time there was a proportion of around 10 ladies to every person in the largest city in regarding a 3 to 4 state location, a lot of ladies came there for job or institution, leaving their towns, plus the weather condition was excellent. Topeka had all the snow. Eventually we asked ourselves, “Why are returning to Topeka?” Ultimately everyone relocated to Georgia other than Robby that relocated to Florida. A few of us are still right here in the Southeast, like you. My partner Laurie as well as I live simply beyond Atlanta with our youngsters as well as our child goes to Kennesaw State College.
GM: We utilized to reside in Kennesaw also. Allow’s proceed with the very early 1980s. After Steve Walsh left as well as launched his fantastic 1980 solo cd Schemer-Dreamer on Kirshner and after that created the band Streets with Billy Greer, you co-wrote Kansas’ 3rd highest possible charting solitary “Play the Video Game Tonight” with John Elefante on vocals, as well as I like his voice, as well.
PE: Yes. John still sings excellent today. He is a hero as well as a buddy. It is constantly excellent to hear his brand-new songs. He sends me his tunes as well as we switch e-mails. We still remain in touch. It was a fascinating time. He signed up with the band in an extremely turbulent time, with Steve leaving, yet John came on board, thankfully.
GM: You discussed your child. In 1983, a pair months after our child Brianna was birthed, you launched the cd Extreme Procedures, without violin on it as Robby had actually left the band. The memorable solitary “Battle Fire with Fire” seems a little bit like Survivor to me, which was extremely suitable for the time.
PE: I’ll take that as a praise. They are a wonderful band. It was strange for us not having a violin on our songs, yet we went this way for some time and after that Robby returned, remainder his heart.
GM: Yes. I created an In Memoriam post on him in 2021 as well as his widow Cindy offered a stunning illustration of both of them. The other hand of “Battle Fire with Fire” was “Occurrence on a Bridge” which is fairly lively, as well as the key-boards advise me of the band Asia. I am so happy that both sides of this solitary made it to the brand-new collection.
PE: Asia is one more excellent band to recommendation. Thanks. It is a rather great track that we have actually never ever played online.
Kansas
Fabulous Other Hand: Occurrence on a Bridge
A side: Battle Fire with Fire
Signboard Warm 100 launching: September 3, 1983
Peak setting: No. 58
CBS Associated ZS4 04057
GM: The brand-new plan has a splendidly detailed pamphlet composed by Jeff Wagner. It consists of a tale of exactly how David ended up being the band’s brand-new violinist after Robby’s separation, including violin components to Kansas tunes on a tape.
PE: David Ragsdale has actually been our violinist for several years currently. Years back, he called me as well as was distressed that there was no more a violinist in Kansas. He would certainly send me cassette tapes, playing violin along to our songs as well as he encouraged me that he was actually worth including in the band. He is an actually hero as well as an extraordinary artist. David has actually been a wonderful enhancement to the team. He is an actually excellent guitarist, as well.
GM: You hear him instantly on the track “Summer season.” It is such an appealing track.
PE: Yes. We played that track for a number of years live, which was a great deal of enjoyable.
GM: A terrific component of this compilation is the addition of more recent product that old Kansas followers might have missed out on consisting of “Summer season” as well as the title track from The Lack of Existence. That is a work of art. Brianna as well as I simply like it.
PE: Thanks. Zak Rizvi, that remained in the band at the time, in addition to Tom Brislin, that is still in the band, actually created that track. It is a title that I generated as well as I tossed it at them. Tom took it as the title for the verses of that track as well as simply did a remarkable task with it. It is an extremely solid track.
GM: Ronnie Platt’s vocals are extremely solid on the recording.
PE: After Steve returned and after that proceeded, he left some actually huge footwear to load. Ronnie actioned in as well as did an extraordinary task as well as is with us to now. He has a great deal of affection for Steve, exactly how Steve sang points as well as his wording. Ronnie has actually done a wonderful task of remaining near to the initial shipment yet including his very own design. We didn’t desire a Steve Walsh duplicate. We desired someone that was similar to Steve. Ronnie has his very own voice, design as well as phase existence. He is a hero.
GM: There are 39 tunes on the brand-new 3-CD collection without area for extra, yet if there can be a 40th track, as well as it is one more lengthy one like “The Lack of Existence,” I would certainly suggest “Incomudro – Hymn to the Atman” from your 2nd cd Tune for America. Your 1:40 drum solo from 6:50-8:30 in the 12-minute track is my all-time preferred drum solo.
PE: Oh, my benefits, thanks. That consists of a great deal of drum solos, so many thanks.
GM: There is the rate, the electronic devices between, as well as exactly how the complete audio of the track is rejoined is simply amazing. I paid attention to it on my mobile 8-track gamer with my earphones a whole lot in 1975 to totally delight in the stereo experience.
PE: Well, many thanks a whole lot. Recording that track was a problem. At that time, they didn’t have a great way of overdubbing. I needed to play the whole 12 mins, consisting of the drum solo, pay attention back as well as make certain there were indisputable. My tension degree was to the moon since I needed to play that solo faultlessly every single time or we needed to do the entire point over once more. I had the ability to catch one for all infinity. I needed to make certain I liked it since I would certainly need to pay attention to it for the remainder of my life. I didn’t wish to pay attention to blunders for all my life. I was privileged to carry out a good solo. Thanks for putting in the time to pay attention to all 39 tunes as well as certainly extra for many years. You have actually done a wonderful task for Found Diamond, as well as I have actually had a good time speaking with you.
L to R: David Ragsdale, Phil Ehart, Ronnie Platt, Richard Williams, Tom Brislin as well as Billy Greer, Emily Butler Digital Photography
Find Out More on Kansas in our upcoming Found Diamond April/May 2023 print version
Relevant web links:
Found Diamond 2022: Tiffany’s Leading 5 Rock Songs consists of “Dirt in the Wind”
Found Diamond 2021: Kansas’ Violinist Robby Steinhardt In Memoriam
Found Diamond Fabulous Flip Sides currently in its 8th year
goldminemag.com/columns/fabulous-flip-sides
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