The Screaming Cheetah EWIs

In et Ex Amor Blues

Anima Homo

La Banda UNITAS performs their "Blues Bros." skit at the Naval School of Music, 1980.

David Dekoff - vocals

Mediam Noctem, performed by Big Daddy and the Macs

Earl Grigsby, vocals and bass

Sam Stephenson, harmonica

John Miles, sax

Layne, guitar

Willie Phelps - vocals

Platea Ludius

Nusquam Homo / Die Trinus

Larry's spectacular trainwreck happened early enough in the song so that we recovered.

Our band did a "Beatles Medley" -- the intro was a capella version of the beginning of Nowhere Man, Day Tripper, finishing off with Can't Buy Me Love.

This is an early version of how we played it. Later on, we added bits of Satisfaction by the Rolling Stones, interpolating that with an April Wine tune  (whose name I forget today). lol.

In addition to our 15-piece showband, there was a 5-piece rock band within the group, which was increased to 6 pieces when Al Gaumer showed up. Occasionally Dave Dekoff would sit in with us, adding a second guitar.  We would play extra gigs as needed, depending on the requirements.

Our lineup:

Billy Hatfield -- keyboards and vocals

Larry Edgeworth -- guitar

John Miles -- saxophone, percussion, occasional vocals

Phil Burns -- bass guitar

Scott Gloede -- drums

Fijo

In March of 1980, the Navy Showband UNITAS was deployed for about a month on the USS Nassau on a Caribbean Ops cruise. We toured numerous Caribbean islands and Venezuela. The ship was huge, about the size of a WWII aircraft carrier, with an aircraft elevator and hangar below the deck that would hold numerous aircraft (there were some Harriers aboard, as well as a fleet of Marine helos). The ship, designed for amphibious assaults, was capable of opening the stern, which was square and its entirety would swing down on a gigantic hinge, taking in water, lowering the rear end of the ship so that various craft would float out the back end. On that particular cruise, there was also a Marine tank crew aboard.

After exploring the ship for a few days and settling into a routine, and even having a few rehearsals down in the hangar deck, where the various sailors spent their spare time engaging in basketball games and hanging out when not on duty, the band was bored. I was bored. One day Julio Melendez was playing some sort of latin tune on his cassette deck. I liked it, and thought that I could easily and quickly turn it into an arrangement for the showband. So, I did. It took me only a few hours to arrange the tune by ear and a few more to write out the parts. The next day we had another rehearsal, and it was so successful that it became our closer. I took advantage of all of our percussion players. Thanks, Julio, for turning me onto this great tune!

Billy Hatfield and Larry Edgeworth worked out their parts on synthesizer (a Yamaha analog with presets) and electric guitar, adding a very heavy rock flavor that contrasted with the latin rock feel. It was very cool!

Recorded at the Naval School of Music, Little Creek, Norfolk, VA, 1980

Brotherhood, composed and arranged by the amazing Alan Gaumer

"My horn shrank!"

This was one of my favorite tunes to play.

This also was a very cool and funny skit, coming right after he performed a Chuck Mangione ballad. Bob Boyer, who always did an excellent job in the role of MC, would go into his schpiel. Al, who would grab a plastic trashcan, swabbie, and cleaning rod, proceeded to clean his horn on stage in front of the band. Bob would then ask Al what he's doing -- and Al would inform him that he's cleaning his horn. However, when he pulled the trumpet out of the trashcan, it would be a piccolo trumpet. The audience would always love it, and the kids present always were amazed. There are some great photos of their shocked looks of disbelief that are so funny. After testing the horn to see if it "worked", Al would immediately do the countdown (in 6) to Brotherhood.

I think it was 2005 when Robert Arnold and I started a band called the Sharecroppers. The original bass player was really a bluegrass guitar player so, that didn't work.

Somehow, I ran in to Earl and we enlisted him.

I probablty need to give you a nutshell of things that were going on. I was running Bill Dees' publishing company, had released one album I produced for him with another in the can, waiting for the art work and also had my record finished and being mastered.

Robert had the idea of getting Bill to play piano. Bill was one of those guys that could play genuine barrelhouse stuff but, only in C. So, we had to transpose for most stuff. We were doing stuff I wrote, stuff Bill wrote and quirky sort of cover stuff..."Long Tall Texan" to "I Wanna Be Sedated". And, it was pretty good schtick seeing Dees singing harmony on a Ramones tune along with Robert's whole shuck and jive.

Anyway, we got Earl and things started grooving pretty good right off. He was playing great and singing great but, he never made a rehearsal on thime...NEVER. And, not just late...an hour, two hours, three hours. And, the thing was, there was a little bit of hype behind what Bill and I were doing. I was talking with real deal booking agents and some of the better roots oriented indie labels. So, we were rehearsing a lot because there was a possibility that things could get to a higher level.

I took Earl aside and had a heart to heart talk..."I love you man. Love your playing. But, if you show up an hour late again, I'm going to have to get somebody else....blahblahblah..." And Earl agreed, sincere apology and all that.

Now, we had a gig booked at Ahoy's at the Kimberling Inn like, a couple of weeks out. On the Saturday before that, I got a call from Mark Prater who was doing a solo gig at Ahoy's that night. It seems that Mark was up at the bar before his first set and Earl came rolling in with his bass. Mark was thinking, "Cool! Earl heard I was here and wants to sit in." Earl satrted wheeling his wholle rig in there...two big assed cabs and suff so, Mark figures he better go say something as it was an acoustic show, no need for all that gear.

So, Mark went over to talk to him and Earl says, Where are the rest of the guys?"

"What guys?"

"Robert and Jack and them".....

Sam - Harp

John Miles - Tenor Saxophone

Layne - Guitar

Earl Grigsby - Bass

M-Presh-Unz