Adrenalin & DC Drive

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ADRENALIN & DC DRIVE During their 16-year tenure from 1977-1993, these east side Detroit rockers known first as Adrenalin and then as DC Drive created rugged, muscular, earnest working-man's music that was as much the epitome of Detroit as anything created by forebears such as Mitch Ryder or Bob Seger.
That the group's brief moments in the national spotlight - three albums and a minor hit, "Road of the Gypsy" in the movie "Iron Eagle" - does not diminish the passion the groups displayed as they slogged through the trenches.
As drummer Brian Pastoria notes, "That's what we initially set out to do - make music. That was the whole goal. We didn't get the breaks like some people, but the music still stands up."
"Drama" and "intrigue" were words used to describe this east side Detroit group as much as the terms "dynamic" and "exciting."
They endured the suicide of their lead singer, the jailing of the owners of the record label, the loss of their master tapes and a revolving door of high-profile vocalists.
Still, Adrenalin -- and its later incarnation, DC Drive -- remains a legend in the Motor City. The group emerged from a club scene that boasted the likes of Strut, The Romantics and the Rockets.
"We always felt we were as good as any band out there, but we just didn't get the breaks," said Brian Pastoria, who now runs the Harmonie Park recording studio in downtown Detroit with his brother Mark.
"We knew it wasn't going to last forever, and we felt the moment had passed us by and we weren't going to fool ourselves, so we split up and put our lives together."
Adrenalin gained attention in 1979 with its independent single, "Gimme Gimme Good Lovin... In '84 they were signed to Rocshire/MCA and had a Billboard AOR charted song called "Faraway Eyes."
Singer David Larson, who worked at Eastland shopping center in Harper Woods by day and rocked with the band at night, shocked his band mates when he committed suicide in the winter of 1980.
"We were at a show waiting for him and he never came," Pastoria recalled. "It wasn't like him to miss a show at all. After we found out what happened, it was hard to believe."
The group's personnel changed with the addition Marc Gilbert -- brother of the late Rockets vocalist Dave Gilbert -- and later, young vocal powerhouse Joey Bowen.
More behind-the-scenes problems continued with record labels and lawsuits and the band changed its name. Each time, it appeared national success was near but elusive. They were mentored by Grammy Award winning producer Vini Poncia (Kiss) through two albums American Heart and Road of the Gypsy (Iron Eagle).
In 1987, they hooked up with former Grand Funk Railroad front man Mark Farner and toured North America before regrouping with new singer Joey Hamady. The new band called themselves DC Drive and recorded their self titled album for Capitol records produced again by Vini Poncia. After 4 years of non-stop touring and on the eve of their American tour Joey decided he "wanted to do his own thing". By this time the Pastoria and Romeo brothers after 16 years of slugging it out as a band felt it was time for a change. The members got on with their lives and started families.
Nine years and 13 children later, the group is back.
WRIF-FM (101.1) program director and longtime band pal Doug Podell initiated the reunion after attending a recent Ritz reunion party at the Emerald Theatre in Mount Clemens.
"I was thinking, Adrenalin is one of the best bands in Detroit, they need to hook it up," Podell said.
In lieu of the groups' four singers will be Chris McCall and Robb Roy's Graham Strachan; other guest musicians for upcoming shows include saxophonist Alto Reed from Bob Seger's Silver Bullet Band, Jazzhead percussionist Roberto Warren and the Hefty Horns.
"We didn't think anybody (cared)," says Pastoria, 45, who was pitched the reunion by WRIF-FM program director Doug Podell. "We thought we could get a few people there - a lot of our family, maybe. But this feels really good, and it's brought us back together from all the different things we were doing."
The Pastoria brothers now operate the successful Harmonie Park studio complex and record label in downtown Detroit. Jimmy Romeo is a producer while brother Michael Romeo runs a construction business. Schafer works for a technology company while Haggerty owns a plumbing firm.
Because of those commitments and young families, Pastoria doubts that Adrenalin/DC Drive will be a continuing concern. But, the group has recorded some new songs and has issued a 17-song anthology entitled "Adrenalin: 25 Years."
So, he says, "It wouldn't be out of the question to perform now and then and have some fun. We might do some recordings after this, but we're just thrilled to see the reaction from fans literally, all over the world, on the internet and the strong interest in our music. It's been 20 long years and the fire's still burnin'....So we'll see what happens."
American Heartland Rock n' Roll
ROCK REPORT INTERVIEW BELGIUM 2002 Interview by EK
Adrenalin & DC Drive were two bands that ruled the airwaves way back in the eighties and the beginning of the nineties. Not so long ago, these guys released a very strong compilation of Adrenalin and DC Drive material, which gives the listener a very good impression of what they were capable of. As a real lover of their music, I was anxious to come in touch with their drummer Brian Pastoria and ask him what started the ball rolling and more!
Q. First of all, let's go back to when and where it all started for Adrenalin and tell us how it all came together?
A. The origins of the band are deep in family and friendships. Most of the band grew up together on the east side of Detroit. My brother Mark and I, the Romeo brothers and Bruce Schafer all went to grade school together at St. Veronica’s in East Detroit. I met Flash Mike Haggerty in high school at Grosse Pointe North. The first incarnation of the band played at a basement party Halloween night 1974 while Flash and I were still in High School. We were a 4 piece then with Ray Spitzley (who is a partner with us now at Harmonie Park) on vocals and Jeff Gerow on the other guitar.
We did 10 songs, (Strutter, Can’t Get Enough, Bad Motor Scooter, Personality Crisis, Mama Kin, Rock n’ Roll Queen, Under My Wheels, Mississippi Queen, Got a Line on You and another one that I can’t remember right now). We put on a hell of a show in Jeff Lubeck’s basement. They loved us so much we played the same set again cause we didn’t know any other songs! It was all in fun but Flash and I really struck a chord about getting a band together.
In the fall of ’76 after graduation I saw Flash driving down Mack Avenue in Grosse Pointe. He asked me if I’d like to come by and jam with his new band. I stopped by the following night and I knew right away that this was where I wanted to be. Flash was writing some great songs and it was the creative voice that I was searching for. The original band didn’t have a name yet, but it was myself, Flash, Glen Young on bass, Kevin Derlon on vocals and Matt Barron on rhythm guitar.
I then got a call from a good friend, Mike Smith (the drummer in the popular Detroit band Figures On A Beach) who said his mom heard David Larson sing on a loading dock. She said this guy was great and that she gave him my number. David called the next day and said: “Let’s get together, I’m your guy, I’m ready to do this”. We hit it off great right from the start. The first song he sang was “Stealin” by Uriah Heep and we knew right away this was our lead singer. He had the voice, the look, the attitude AND he was a great guy.
A couple of weeks after David joined, we knew we had to bolster up the guitars. We were really looking for that 2-guitar attack like the Stones and Aerosmith. I suggested an old friend from grade school, Mike Romeo. Flash and I went over to Mike’s house, he was still in high school and he played the shit out of some Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin, Hendrix and some old Chicago stuff. As a 16 year old, Michael was amazing!
We were searching for a name and settled on the name we used in high school, Adrenalin. We were a high-energy band and the name fit. We then started to play high schools, colleges, backyards and anywhere we could. We were growing amazingly fast as a band and we were looking for a new bass player.
As fate may have it, we had to look no further than another grade school friend from St. Veronica’s, Bruce Schafer. Bruce was and is one of the most solid bass player’s around, and his chemistry with the band was great. We were getting a great reputation around town for our live shows and we were really starting to click. Bruce added that foundation we were looking for. We were doing more recording and we were starting to find our sound.
In ’79 we were really getting serious about original material and recording. We needed a manager and I ran into Jimmy Risk at his T-shirt store on the east side of Detroit. A rough tape I played for him in my van inspired Jimmy. After seeing us live, he said he thought he could get us a recording contract. We needed someone who believed in us like we did and someone to take us out of Detroit and into the Music bus. Jimmy was the guy.
Another key element in the Adrenalin sound was Michael’s brother Jimmy on sax. The heartland rock ‘n’ roll we were starting to write was crying for something different and Jimmy brought that to us with his sax and vocals. Jimmy was also a friend from childhood and again the chemistry was awesome.
Right after Jimmy Romeo joined the band we started to put on concerts in local Detroit bars with opening acts. It was a concept that the Rockets had started to do and it was right where we wanted to be. Jimmy Risk hooked us up with a producer named Jerry Allaer during this time. Jerry took us into the studio for our first real recording with a producer. Those were the sessions that produced “Gimme Gimme Good Lovin”. We recorded some originals but it was the Crazy Elephant cover song that caught the attention of W4 Disc Jockey Doug Podell.
Jerry played “Good Lovin” for Doug at a party on the east side the night after we recorded it. Doug said he wanted to play it on the air immediately. In August of ‘79 I was driving down that same street that I met Flash when I heard “Good Lovin” on the radio for the first time; What a rush! We were officially one of the hottest local bands now. “Good Lovin” would become a very popular song for the next 6 months on Detroit radio, thanks to Doug Podell.
At this time a production company from LA was hot on signing us to a deal with Warner Bros. Dino and John Barbas, both legendary record guys, and Peter Greene of Fleetwood Mac were very excited about the band and came to Detroit to see us at Fraser Hockeyland. We thought this was our big break. We then hooked up with producer Howard Steele (Lynyrd Skynard, Diana Ross, Rossington Collins), who rehearsed us for a week in February of ‘80 before going into the studio to do some songs for WB.
That week was to end with a gig at a local high school where Howard would see us live. Ironically enough Graham Strachan, who sings with us now, was at that gig. Well David never showed and 2 days later he was found dead. Needless to say we were rocked to the core losing our best friend and singer.
Giving up wasn’t an option, and we hooked up a short time later with Marc Gilbert, who had recently auditioned for the Joe Perry Project and was working with Bob Seger keyboardist Robyn Robbins. Marc was the younger brother to Dave Gilbert, lead singer in the Rockets, another great Detroit band. Our first gig with Marc was at a sold out Punch and Judy Theatre late spring of ’80. It was back to the live gigs to work out the new band.
Later that year we recorded a demo with Eddy Harris (who had a hit called “Hot Thang” in the early 70s). At this point my brother Mark went into the studio with us and played piano on some of the new songs. Mark then played his first gig with us at a packed club called Harpo’s on Detroit’s east side on Valentines Day ’81. Mark was a natural fit for the band and rounded out our sound with his great keyboard work, songwriting and arranging talents. We had become a band of musicians and friends who had a common goal: to conquer the world with our music.
It was also during this time that Jerry Wexler took an interest in the band. He tried to get us signed with the WEA family, but it didn’t work out. He said we reminded him of the Rascals. Jimmy Risk and I talked to Mr. Wexler regularly and he was very inspiring and encouraging. Having lunch with him at his Manhattan loft was a great thrill.
Our next major release was an independent record called “Don’t Be Lookin Back” in 1983. Howard Steele came back into town to produce us, but it was obvious we needed a new producer, and the hunt was on for major label deal. A Southwest tour for “Don’t Be Lookin Back” landed us in Texas performing sold out shows. It brought us to the attention of MCA’s Rocshire Records. Gary Davis and former all pro football player Cedric Hardman saw us in a club and basically signed us on the spot. The next move was to have Jimmy Risk track down a producer that we wanted to work with, Vini Poncia.
Jimmy delivered, and Vini came to Detroit and started pre production for “American Heart” at our Detroit rehearsal studio. A couple of months later we were at the Boogie Hotel (Foghat’s old studio on Long Island in New York) recording our first big league record. This was the start of a great relationship with Vini Poncia and the band. He also produced DC Drive as well. The next 3 years we did nothing but play everywhere we could.
Q. Like you said, David Larson - who was the very first & serious lead vocalist of the band - was found dead very shortly after the ball was set rolling for you guys. Aside of the dramatic loss of such a talented guy, it must have given a huge setback!
A. It was the worst. David was a great friend and brother. He was also the best frontman around. David had his demons and in the end they won. He was a great guy. He was like our older brother. We all looked up to him. Of the 3 singers we worked with, David had the whole deal, the voice, songwriting, charisma, looks, the gift of gab, his stage performance, he had the whole package. He was not replaceable, but we had no choice but to move on. We knew it wouldn't be the same and we didn't approach it like that. It was a new band when Marc Gilbert came on board and fortunately we were able to keep it together. At the end of the day our band was built on the friendships we had throughout the years.
Q. After the loss of David, you guys found yourselves a new vocalist in the person of Marc Gilbert, younger brother of Dave Gilbert, who was the lead vocalist of the Rockets, which was also a very famous band in the Detroit area at that time. How did you come up with him?
A. I was given Marc's number by a waiter in a restaurant in Detroit's Greektown after a conversation about the band and David. This guy told me that Marc had just auditioned for the Joe Perry Project and he was looking for a band. We were big fans of his brother’s band.
Q. You recorded the mini-album "Don't Be Looking Back" and the very first full-length album "American Heart" in 1983 and 1984. How do you look back on these two albums and that period of time?
A. It was the start of a great journey where we stepped into the big league. Our relationship started at this time with our producer Vini Poncia. He played a huge role in our career and was a great friend.
Q. The Rocshire label, where the debut album was recorded for, folded and you were given the chance by MCA Records to do a follow-up for the debut. Why was it that "Road Of The Gypsy" became a remake of "American Heart", but with a slightly different tracklist?
A. MCA signed us after we recorded “Road Of The Gypsy” for the “Iron Eagle” soundtrack. Capitol did the soundtrack, but MCA (who distributed Rocshire) somehow got access to our “American Heart” masters (mmm). We were able to get an album release on a major and we thought maybe now those songs from “American Heart” could see the light of day. So doing “Gypsy”, another new song called “Summer Nights” and 8 songs that needed just a remix was a quick way to get back out there. Richard Palmiese, who now works with Clive Davis, signed us. We had a great relationship with MCA. Unfortunately they got caught in a payola scandal just after the release of “Gypsy” and all the independent money dried up. There wasn’t much that could happen at the time without independent promotion, so we didn’t have a shot. “Road of the Gypsy” is a great song though; I think it could have been a great radio anthem.
Q. As a producer you guys have worked with Vini Poncia, who became famous for his work with Kiss. A great experience?
A. He was the best, our musical mentor, friend and teacher. He lived with us when we made our records; he was a real record producer and a gifted and schooled songwriter. One of the greats of all time, right out of the Brill Building. He knew and worked with everybody. Vini took us to the ‘college of musical knowledge’. He showed us how to make records and write songs.
Q. How did you guys manage to get "Road Of The Gypsy" become one of the songs on the "Iron Eagle" soundtrack?
A. Jimmy Risk went to Don Grierson at Capitol Records to try and revitalize our career with another album deal after the Rocshire fiasco. 3 days later he called saying, no album deal, but "Gypsy" could work for a new Lou Gossett movie.
Q. Why is it that Adrenalin's back catalogue hasn’t been re-issued on CD so far?
A. I don't really know. Maybe we should ask the folks at MCA! Anyway the music is available on our website and at least this way we know how many records we sell.
Q. After Adrenalin broke up, a couple of you toured with former Grand Funk Railroad frontman Mark Farner. Did he ask you guys to join him?
A. Actually Bruce, Michael, Jimmy, myself and my brother hooked up with Mark and travelled North America as his band. We had a ball with Mark. We needed a break and a change after all that had happened. Grand Funk was one of our favorite bands. We met Mark when we played together at a Vietnam veterans benefit called “Guitar Army”.
Q. Then you started DC Drive with four former Adrenalin members plus ex-Flash Kahan member Doug Kahan and the very talented and powerful singer Joey Bowen aka Joey Hamady. This band created a groovy R&B influenced powerful melodic rock album, which hit the streets in 1992. Did this gem turn out the way you wanted it to?
A. We never got to finish what we started with DC Drive. We were a different kind of band at a time when grunge was starting to happen. We were nothing like that. It was very satisfying cause the band was really great at this point live and in the studio. We did a great video for “U Need Love” that featured Motown choreagropher Cholly “Pops Atkins”.
We had the experience of working with a new manager Frank Rand who regularly brought us down to reality, and brought a great A&R perspective to us. He was brutally honest with us and it helped us big time.
Dean Cammerone and Tim Trombley signed us to Capitol in Canada and we had a hit in Canada with “U Need Love”. They were a great company.
Tim Trombley is the best A&R guy we’ve ever worked with. But the camaraderie wasn’t there that we had in Adrenalin. DC Drive could have blown up with “U Need Love”, but Joey had his own ideas about the music business and how he wanted to operate.
Doug was extremely talented, but after Joey left to go on his solo trip he moved to Nashville. After touring Canada we were getting ready to release the record in the US. On the eve of signing the deal Joey walked out. He said he was tired of singing soul music and he wanted to move in the direction of what was happening at that time, the grunge thing. Whatever it was, we couldn’t relate. Anyway he wanted to do his own thing. God bless him. But at this point it was 16 years running and we were ready to get on with it and focus on the families and start a new life.
Q. Unbelievable that also this band didn't get the opportunity to record a second album. There was so much chaos around you guys. How come?
A. I don't really know, it's the breaks in life; you just keep plowing straight ahead. We always felt it was a privilege to do what we do. Some get the breaks, some don't. I think we accomplished more than most, and the music holds up.
Q. What did you do in the period between 1993 & 1999, because that was the time between the split of DC Drive and the reformation of Adrenalin!
A. Started families and businesses. The real world was waiting.
Q. With new vocalist Graham Strachan (who at this time still is the lead vocalist) you started to do some Adrenalin comeback shows! Did it start to itch again?
A. Oh yeah. It was great fun. I honestly never thought it would happen. Thanks to Doug Podell for getting us back together.
Q. Recently you released a compilation of some of Adrenalin's and DC Drive’s best songs and made it very special by putting in some unreleased tracks of both bands. How are the reactions so far?
A. Great reaction from around the world! We are getting great response from South Africa, Australia, The Netherlands, Belgium, France, Poland, Italy, Sweden and New Zealand. It has been very rewarding to know people still care and the music stills sounds vital. Read the comments in our guest book on our website http://www.adrenalin-dcdrive.com, it's a mind blower. We did this to make a connection with people, to be a voice in some way. Knowing that we did that is very gratifying. If we could do it again that would be unbelievable. The biggest kick is that our kids get to see us now, all 13 of them!
Q. Can we expect a new album of Adrenalin in the near future and/or are there already new songs written or recorded?
A. I really don’t know the answer to that. What we do know, is that it has been great being back together again and it has inspired us to get back in the studio and come up with some new songs with Graham Strachan and Chris McCall on vocals. We'll have to see where it all leads. The business is very different these days. There are lots of opportunities out there.
Q. AOR music in general is coming back in the picture. I personally think a revival is going on, don't you think so?
A. I don’t know, album orientated rock music is hard to sell cause the labels are all focused on the single. It's all about having a voice. I like to hear new music that says something to me, that is a voice of what is happening no matter what genre. Success today relies too much on the hit single. Hip hop is actually closer to that mentality than rock.
Q. Brian, thank you for the interview and would you end this up in your own words, please!
A. Living the dream was always important to us and there is a lot to be thankful for. Opening for Aerosmith, Bob Seger and a lot of great bands was great. Anytime you play with your heroes it's a thrill. But there are lots of great moments and stories.
The best part of the whole road experience was the interaction with our fans and the people that helped our machine run over the years, the people we travelled with and were there for us night after night. Jimmy Risk, Vini Poncia, Bobby Schaper, The “Midnight Express”. My brother David “Dangerman” Pastoria, Thom “Kuch” Kuchulan, Tony “Veal” Vitello, Bobby “Lites” Piva, “Flip”, “Rooster”, Rudy, Dave Bernas, Jay “Hot Sam”Barth, Glenn Preston, Dan Novak, Steve Shultz, Jimmy Pal, Frank Rand and all who helped make it happen for us. The memories are a lifetimes worth.
Thanks for your interest. We appreciate you keeping our music out there! Peace to all!