Laying The Groundwork

After I paid off my outstanding bill at the recording studio, the next thing I needed to do was choose the musicians I wanted to participate in this new project. One of the things that was different this time was I wasn't obligated to use anyone. I could use more than one drummer or bass player if I chose to. I decided that the best course of action would be to first see if the entire idea was even feasible. I contacted the drummer and bass player I had worked with in the band I had started when I had returned from Detroit, since they were good friends and good players, and there would be no pressure about doing this, other than the pressure we put on ourselves. After finding out that they were both available for, and open to doing some recording with me, I called Peter Solak, and booked the studio for four consecutive nights. The toughest part of this job was going to be adjusting to the obvious difference there would be on the bass parts, because Charles' bass playing had been very distinctive, and impossible to duplicate exactly. Charles had a real gift for bass, and a very black sense of rhythym and melody, and there was really nobody I knew who could ever really play like him...so I knew I was going to have to adjust what I expected to hear on these recordings to reflect the new players, and their tastes and styles, because otherwise, I'd never be satisfied with what I would hear. I had about a week to work on what I wanted to hear before we actually went into the studio, and during that time, I selected a song that wasn't as dependent on Charles distinctive bass playing, or Mark's distinctive guitar work as some of the other Avalanche songs had been. The song was called "Free"... and I had written it, and had been the only singer, and had done the only guitar solos on the song in the original band. I had always really liked the song, and it felt like a safe choice to test the waters with in this new uncharted territory I was about to embark into. I knew that by the time I was finished with the recording of this song, I would know whether or not this project had a chance to succeed, or whether it was just wishful thinking on my part...and so I summoned up my courage and my determination, and we headed into the studio to start recording "Going For Broke"...