About Me
Hi, and thanks for checking in. First, everybody calls me Steve, though professionally I use Steven, which I think sounds better. I'd describe myself as a songwriter/guitarist/vocalist/producer w/ lots of experience. I'm also a writer/producer/documentor of 30s/40s big bandleader Kay Kyser, and have written several magazine articles on him published here and in England, so add 'Internationally published author' to the 'songwriter/guitarist...' thing. That and 99 cents will get me a cuppa joe at 7-11.Check out my Kyser documentary project at www.kaykyser.net. I've also had a couple of my songs in films, and have scored a couple of comedy shorts for nationally known actor/comedian Larry Hankin. Google his pic-you'll recognize him. In the early 90s I was asst director of the Scoring stage at Paramount Pictures, and met many big movie composers. Our office was Jerry Lewis's in the 60s.
What KIND of music do I write (I heard you ask yourself)? I'd call a lot of what I write 'Beatles influenced janglepop w/ a little bit of Texas country thrown in. I also write in other styles as you will eventually hear. I'll switch the songs here occasionally, provided I can figure out how.Currently, I play lead guitar in singer/songwriter ANDREW GOLD's band, among other projects. You've heard his music. Check out his MYSPACE page. Very talented guy and a big guitar influence on me years ago. I dont generally like to mention influences, because people immediately look for that in the music. In your case I'll make an exception. My distinctive (So I'm told) guitar style is derived from praying at the alter of the 'B' groups (as Andrew calls them) BEATLES, BYRDS, THE BAND, and some NOT B groups, The Eagles, Dylan, Stones, Lovin' Spoonful, yada yada yada..Vocally, I'm one of the better harmony singers and can stack vocal harmonies reminiscent of the Beach Boys/Eagles. I'm a big Brian Wilson fan.
In the distant past I've played w/ some semi-prominent Texas songwriters from whom I learned both what to write and what NOT to write. I have almost always had a group called The REVOLVERS to play my stuff and others', but currently and enjoying being a sideman again. It's SO much easier than being a bandleader. Went to Spain with a group called JOHN WICKS AND THE RECORDS at the end of 2006., which included a 14 hr plane ride, immediately followed by a 5 hr car ride. Grrr.PERSONAL HISTORY- I was born in Sheffield, Alabama in a little cabin by the river in 1909. We didnt have much, but we had each other. Daddy sang bass...Oh wait, that's Johnny Cash. I was born in Sheffield, then moved to Nashville at age 1. Moved to Birmingham, Alabama at age 10, then Cincinnati, Ohio at age 12. That's when the trouble started.I turned inward somewhat, and devoted myself to learning the guitar. No sooner did I make some friends when we had to move again, this time to Houston, Tx. My first real band was at age 13. I graduated high school, went to 1 year of college where I majored in parking lot, quit, and never looked back. Moved out at 19. Moved to Los Angeles area in '86. I married at age 37. I love being a Dad. How old am I now? Take 1954, multiply it by 3/4, add a quart of milk and divide by .017. THAT'S RIGHT!I own and operate a digital 24 tr facility, called COFFEETONE STUDIO and produce a lot of songwriter CDs. Sometimes I play many of the instruments, engineer and sing the vocal harmonies. One stop shopping! Or will record w/ outside players. It's always up to the client.MUSICAL LIKES AND DISLIKES- Sing the friggin' melody. That's why they wrote it! Recreationally, I often listen to 30s/40s pop music. Fun, style and obvious talent. Craftsmanship- a term often overlooked these days. Seems many songwriters today lack two important ingredients- One, they havent studied or care about any music before 1950, which I consider gross negligence to their craft. Two, many have NO HUMOR in their music.
I'm talking about a balance here. Nothing more boring to me than a 'serious artist'. Snore.
Gibson, Rickenbacker and Fender electric guitars thru Vox amps are what I use live. I also love acoustic music and use a great WASHBURN acoustic/electric I bought from Cory Wells of THREE DOG NIGHT in the late 80s.PERSONAL LIKES AND DISLIKES- By now you've figured out I dont suffer fools gladly unless the gig pays VERY well! I love kids (especially the 2 my wife, Violet and I adopted) and we are DOG people. I like cats, but prefer dogs. I'm generally a very nice guy until I'm given a reason not to be, and can be very prickly in certain situations. I'm a very honest, very giving AND forgiving person, and cool down as quickly as I heat up. We Libras are very much into justice, and injustice grates on me horribly. Uh-oh, I'm getting too serious! I LOVE 30s and 40s movies, have a cool 8 x 8 movie screen and LCD projector, and in the Summer we often have movie nights out on the driveway w/ a few friends. I also have jam parties 2 or 3 times a year, the last couple being attended by my buddies in the Andrew Gold/Byrds of a Feather band.Well, that's probably more than you'll ever want to know about moi. Finally, many thanks to Vicki Ayo for putting this together for me. Check out her book on Texas music, THE BOYS FROM HOUSTON, available in the near future. I think I'm in there somewhere...About the songs...Right here I'm going to list songs you can hear presently, AND some that have been in past rotations, so deal with it.In late February of this year (2009) Vicki changed all five songs above. They now consist of STREETS OF YOUR TOWN, an Andrew Gold/Jenny Yates song I got off a mid nineties BRYNDLE album. I love this song and decided to do my own version, of which Andrew approved. BIRD IN A GOLDEN CAGE is a very old song of mine and is my approximation of a 1964 British invasion type song, complete with Andrew Gold's Rickenbacker twelve string as the lead instrument (thanks Andrew). WAITING AND WOND'RING is a forties style song I wrote a while back and features SHARON ROBERTS doing a great lead vocal. Check out her myspace page. It also features a very nice sax solo by NANCY FOX. Thanks Nancy!. Song number four in the current line-up is MEANS SO MUCH, a Springsteen-y type production. Last but not least is BLACKHAWK BLUES 2. I re-recorded this recently as a stripped-down version of a song I wrote and performed with The Revolvers a few years back. As so often happens, I played everything on this version. As for past songs on this page, COOL WIND is my attempt at writing and arranging something that could've gone on the first Eagles album. All instruments and vocals by me. Many people think it's one of my best.LIVING IN BLACK AND WHITE is a no nonsense lesson in reality and how easily we can leave this existence if we're not careful, but how we are most of the time blissfully ignorant of the fact. Great 40s noir-type muted trumpet intro by Matt Margucci. All stuff by me, otherwise.BURN CANDLE, BURN is a cool little bluesy shuffle w/ train of thought lyrics.STRAIGHTAWAY LOVE is one I wrote years ago and recently rerecorded with a nice vocal from MELISSA LEWIS. All multitrack guitars (actually everything but her vocal, by me. Big surprise).ON MY MIND is another older song I rerecorded. I love the chimes on it. I'm an incurable semi-romantic.GIRL OF THE GOLDEN WEST is a cool little story about the first cowgirl movie star of the 30s and how she made it to the top only to realize that success wasn't what she wanted after all. I took the title from an old Jeanette McDonald movie Nice fiddle by MICHAEL STARR, drums by JOHNNY MCNALLY, and steel guitar by I cant remember who (I know, shameful. Oh well, he got paid).WARM WATER is what I like to call the great lost Carl Wilson single. I actually wrote much of the lyric in the tub, and here I give it my best Beach Boy treatment. Everything by me. Perhaps I should stop saying that....GOOD DOGGIE is a fun, Zevonesque tongue in cheek song based on our dog Petey, who, though very sweet and loving, occasionally nips strangers. My son Andrew says she has a glitch! 'Nuff said...CHARLENE is a kind of Southern Rocker, perhaps a bit more complex.My Halloween song, HOUSE OF PAIN (Obviously only here during October), is a fun Hween adventure that I'm VERY proud of. I'd like to see any of my past musical cohorts match the creativity and production on this. Hmph!That's all for now- If I dont see you in the future, I'll see you in the pasture...
All songs written by Steven Beasley, copyright 2008.CHECK OUT MY KAY KYSER PAGE at www.myspace.com'officialkaykyserMyspace Layouts @ Cool-myspacelayouts.blogspot.com
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