I started playing guitar professionally immediately upon graduating from high school. I always knew that I was going to be a guitar player, and was a musician all through junior high and high school. I think the only reason I passed high school electronics class was because I figured out how to modify one of my guitar pedals in a meaningful way. The instructor told me that it wouldn’t work, but I changed the rules just a little and did it anyway (wah pedal became a stereo panner). I could tell he regarded me different after that. Other than that, well, I just remember that my radio project blew up and it was quite a hoot for the class, me with white capacitor powder all over my face (probably some long ago banned toxic substance).

The local guitar hero was and is Dale Showler. He was a couple years older than me, and played better than anybody. He became my good friend and we jammed all the time. What a magical time it is to be supported by parents, and have the time and mindset to be totally compulsive about something , such as playing guitar. It’s all we thought about and all we did. I never would even listen to anything but guitar parts, ignored lyrics, horns or keyboards – forget it, just guitar, electric over-driven rock guitar. I would put on albums and play along with one side and then the other side. I would slow down the turntable I had to 16 RPM, retune to that pitch, and learn the fast stuff. Stuff like “I’m Going Home” by 10 Years After. I can still hear the growl of those notes slurring at half speed.

Well, when I graduated high school, I joined a band called “Hot Lucy”. I had jammed with these guys because Dale had played with them, they were all older than me and playing in the clubs. Their out-going guitar player, Derek St. Holmes, had accepted an offer to tour and record with Ted Nugent (he’s the guy who did Hey Baby and Stranglehold). Derek was hot, I mean I was so intimidated by this guy. I remember jamming on stage at a club with him for an audition he won. I was still in school and nervous, he was in platform shoes, huge afro style hair, hoop earrings, and he cranked up and walked out to the front of the stage and Rocked that crowd. What a lesson that was, damn. I could see how Dale was a way better guitar player (me too), but I could also see that the crowd didn’t necessarily know or care. Anyway, this band “Hot Lucy”: was what was left of a Detroit group of some success known as “Julia”. Julia was led by a guy who has since gone on to be Nashville’s “Blue Miller”. And one of their two female backup singers went on to tour with Clapton. Julia got most recognition as Bob Segar’s backup band. They had toured and played with lots of the big name acts, British and American, so they had some ego. The drummer and rhythm guitarist had started “Hot Lucy”, and I still think it was a great name. I guess our best gig was opening for Kiss. Another lesson juxtaposing musical ability against showmanship. We had always looked down on Kiss as simplistic and not worthy. But seeing them walk onto the same stage that I had just stood on and take over was humbling to say the least. We learned a couple of Kiss songs after that, and bought a smoke machine too! I played with Hot Lucy almost two years and we played about 300 gigs.

I think the first gig where “Tilt” was born was a gymnasium gig in central Michigan somewhere. We weren’t called Tilt yet, I remember a moment that defined a new aspect to me. I always loved that big echo sound in a gym, and I had my new sound mostly deployed with the Strat and Ampeg/Marshal half stack, and it was sounding so good, it made me play better just so I could enjoy it more. Most of the people I had played with focused on musicality, and pretty much ignored visually putting on much of a show. Well, I hear Frank yelling in the mic at the crowd – understand that yelling at the crowd just wasn’t done in my circles. And I hear him bellowing in that great big voice of his “...and we’re going to rock your socks off tonight!” And I thought to myself, well I guess I need to act like I’m rocking their socks off. So, having watched Derek and Kiss up close, I went for it, and never looked back.

I had heard of a manager in Detroit. He actually had worked with Hot Lucy after I left and one of those guys told me about him. What caught my attention was he had gotten them loans for equipment AND clothes – leather clothes. And lots of work. So I called him. I don’t remember the conversation now, but if you think you see a little cockiness in me now, be sure that back then I was way cocky. We had a gig coming up in Ann Arbor at the Second Chance which was an upscale showcase room. We opened for a few acts there such as Junior Walker and New York Dolls lead David Johaansan. Joe Cocker played there coming back and Cheap Trick played there coming up. So Ron came to see us there and we signed a 5 year contract with him, guaranteeing specific yearly grosses which sounded huge at the time. It was a good thing. Ron had an excellent strategy for bringing us onto the Detroit scene. Ron had good Canadian contacts, across the river from Detroit. We started touring over there for about the first year I guess, Ontario to Toronto. I remember our “Detroit debut”. It was at one of those little clubs that for whatever reason packs them in and all the best bands play at. It was packed, the promo had been good. Having been playing for a year already, we were seasoned, had a show, lights (with follow-spot), clothes, and we were way hot. This was about 1977. I had acquired a couple of Leslie speakers that were pretty amazing sounding (flangers weren’t even common then, and they sucked). We opened with Aerosmith’s Season’s of Whither. We entered the dark stage tuned and ready. Picture the guitar opening on those two leslies, one on each end of the stage, picking that haunting riff, we were all in black leather, all blue lights, with fans blowing hair and scarves everywhere. Frank’s voice nails it at least as good as Tyler. It was sublime. The crowd was left slack-jawed. I swear I’m not exaggerating. Picture a rowdy standing room only major Detroit rock club ready to party, completely silenced until Frank speaks up. Awesome. That club was our west-side home after that.

Tilt was one of those rare occurrences where 4 very talented people happen to meet, be available, be hungry for it, be ready for it, can stand each other, not ruined with problems, etc. Starting as a bar band, covers make or break you. Frank had a voice that was infinite. He could sound exactly like different people. He could sound like Roger Daltry, Bob Segar, Rod Stewart, Frampton, clean or heavy, high or low. Lead vocals are all most people hear anyway. He played decent rhythm guitar too, stayed in tune, didn’t need to compete for lead parts. Doug could sing so good that girls would fall for him. A true crooner. He wrote much of what he sang, and the songs would get us a major record deal. Oh yeah, he was the best bass player I’ve ever heard before or since. In fact, he was one of three brothers who all played bass, and they were legendary around town years before. And Doug played a Rhodes piano to good effect with Frank on bass. John was about 6 ½ feet tall. He used huge drum sticks. He made spare change writing out marching drum arrangements for the high school so he knew what he was banging on. He was awesome to watch, a real presence that was seen and felt. I lived to play the lead guitar. I had developed ways of playing in all different positions, I do mean playing musically, not just banging or faking. I would climb on things, running around drenching a set of clothes every set. I’ve had light trees fall on me (lucky not to have GE seared onto my forehead from a light bulb), humped my amp stack until it fell down on me, then on down to the dance floor with me under it (did have a volume knob dent on my forehead). This may sound klutzy, but that wasn’t it. This is pure rock and roll abandon, the real thing. I made a point to play guitar parts just like the record, even using the same kind of guitar used on the record (strat or paul). This was a great band. Four part harmonies, two lead singers. Queen was new then and we actually did a decent version of Somebody to Love, not too bad for a bar band.

Next, The Deal.