Lawrence - Past & Present

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I am starting to string together the past and the present. In an earlier blog entry, I mentioned I was unable to locate a photo of Lawrence, the lead guitar player of Mystix. I lost touch with Lawrence about 18 years ago. It was a very exciting moment when I received an email from Lawrence today after he discovered this blog on the internet. We spoke on the phone and caught up on what is going on in our lives today as well as sharing past memories. Lawrence emailed me some photos of Mystix; two of which are now posted on this blog. Lawrence, who has become very successful in his own business in Florida, is also still very much an artist creating music. Please see Lawrence's latest You Tube music video "Need A Hero" on this blog; and visit Lawrence's MySpace artist page to listen to new-great original music at http://www.myspace.com/lorenzozabal.

Lorenzo Z. - Need A Hero

Red Rum - Conquerin Man - Lyrics

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I lived 6 months in southern California then I moved to Florida. More specifically I lived in the town of Palmdale before it was built up. The year was 1986 and you could see desert all around. There were Joshua trees off to the side in the desert when you drove the lonely road between Palmdale and Lancaster. Joshua trees originally came from Israel. I used to have a big poster of U2's album "The Joshua Treee" hanging on the living room wall in my apartment. This poster was the exact image of this place. During my short time living there; I did quite a bit of writing. I wrote a book on roulette; and I also filled a notebook full of lyrics. I had a small keyboard with me; but I didn't put any original music to the lyrics. I played songs on the keyboard to get me in the frame of mind to write. The songs I wrote were not about real experiences; but an account of my emotional state of being.

It was now 1987 in Miami Springs, Florida where I showed Deniz my notebook of lyrics. Deniz liked one of the songs called "Conquerin Man". Deniz introduced me to his friend Mark (Mark Funk); he was 18 and played guitar. Mark came from an average middle class family. We drove to Mark's home where he lived with his parents. In the garage, Mark took out his guitar; and said, "Kenny I have a perfect riff to your lyrics". Mark played it for us; instantly Deniz and I thought it sounded great.

We now had to put a band together. Mark knew a drummer also named Kenny. He also had a friend Rich who played bass guitar. Kenny kept a steady beat and was fast on the drums. Rich was just a natural bass player; and Deniz was the lead singer. I will expand on each member of the band in a future blog entry. Deniz already had a name picked out for the band long before it ever existed. The band was to be called "Red Rum". For the purpose of staying on point of the story, I won't get into the origins of the band's name for now.

The band rehearsed the song several times and then was ready to go into the studio to record. We all chipped in to pay for the recording. Deniz cut up my lyrics "shortened" to fit the music; see the final lyrics below. The engineer in the studio recommended we do a track where all of us would sing the chorus together. We stood around a big black boon Mike and sang the track. Mark then overlaid a track with a guitar solo. In the last verse, we added a sound effect of "wind blowing" to provide the right impact for the words.

Red Rum would record one more song in the studio before an unusual event ended the group. Please listen to Conquerin Man and type your comments.

Conquerin Man - Lyrics
In a boat on a river
There’s a chill in the air
Surrounded by nature
Alone in despair
Exiled from my family
Abandoned my career
With no place to go
And no one who cared

Yes I’m a drifter
Like a leaf in the wind
If I had my choice
I do it again

So here I am
I’m walking tall
In a world all alone
I’ve got it all

Traveling shore to shore
I’m moving on
Continuing to explore
Not knowing where I’ve gone
I move forward
I never look back
The faster I move
The stronger my attack

Yes I’m a drifter
Like a leaf in the wind
If I had my choice
I do it again

So here I am
I’m walking tall
In a world all alone
I’ve got it all

I just kept traveling
Going place to place
Keeping myself hidden
Alone without a trace
Then one day
My luck ran out
I died a drifter
Without a doubt

But alone and peaceful
I lie in the sand
Knowing that I lived
A Conquerin Man

Yes I’m a drifter
Like a leaf in the wind
If I had my choice
I do it again

So here I am
I’m walking tall
In a world all alone
I’ve got it all

Really, Julio Iglesias and Elton John?

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Each week Mystix tried to scrape up enough money to rehearse in a music recording studio for a couple of hours. We would all chip in money equally. When we could afford it, we would rehearse in the studio sometimes twice a week and/or extended hours. The cost back then was about $60 an hour. There were 5 of us at the time, Deniz, Laurence, Leo, Rich and me. At the end of each rehearsal, I would go up to the office and reserve a room for the next week. The intention, like the previous band "Red Rum", was to create original music and practice enough so that we could start recording professionally in the studio once we found some investors to pay for it.

It was a typical hot day on a Friday in Miami. As I am watching the clock at work, I am thinking about the exciting weekend that is coming; starting with tonight. The plan was to rush home at 5 pm; grab something to eat; shower and change into my Caravicci jeans, Italian shoes, Rock t-shirt, matching jeans jacket and a white hat. This was all very much in style in the 1980's. Everyone in the band would pile into Deniz's van and head to the studio around 6:30 pm. We had a room reserved at 7 pm. After a couple of hours of practice, we were then supposed to go to Hallandale Beach to see a Heavy Metal band play at a rock night club.

When we rehearsed at the studio, we would use some of the studio equipment such as Mikes, Amps etc. The rest of the instruments were in the van. As the guys were unloading the van, I walked up to the office to get us checked into the practice room and to pay the rental fee. Deniz accompanied me to the office. The guy there said, "You can't rehearse here tonight". I quickly responded that we reserved a room last week. He completely ignored the fact I made a reservation and told us that the entire studio is rented out for the evening. He said we can rebook for a different day. To say the least, we were pissed and argued for a short time, but with no success. We asked when did this happen? He said on Wednesday the entire studio was reserved for Friday night. We kept asking, who is reserving the studio tonight, but the guy in the office refused to give us a name.

As we were storming out of the office, we walked down the main hall. I looked to the left and saw big black equipment boxes with silver metal trim. On the black boxes there was the name "Iglesias" from a spray painted stencil. Deniz and I proceeded closer to check it out. Some of the other equipment boxes had "Julio Iglesias" painted on them. We walked out the back door of the studio and met the guys in the parking lot. We had to break the bad news to the rest of the band that we can't practice tonight because we got kicked out by Julio Iglesias. There were mixed emotions like anger and disappointment. At the end, we just laughed about the whole thing. In our minds with our Rock'n Roll egos, it was embarrassing at the time to lose our practice studio to Julio Iglesias. If we lost the room to Bon Jovi, Slayer or Van Halen, then it would have been viewed as cool.

We had a couple of hours to kill before we plan to go to the night club in Hallandale Beach. We drove to a Bennigans. Everyone ordered drinks and dinner. Deniz knew a waitress there, so he was chatting with her as we all just hung out for a while. I had already eaten dinner in my small apartment earlier, so I just ordered a Coke and a piece of pie. Then around 8:30 pm we drove to the night club. The guitar player in the band playing that night was Deniz's friend. Last year this guy won the local rock radio station, 97 GTR, guitar contest. I don't remember this guitar player's name; however I do remember he won the guitar contest again in 1988. In 1989, my new bride "Deya", Deniz and I actually went to the bar where 97 GTR hosted the guitar contest; and saw this guy win again for a third year in a row. As you listened to his guitar solos, you are mesmerized by how great he played; it was unbelievable! We left the restaurant and drove to the club. It was about a 20 minute ride. The club was dark, the heavy metal music was loud, and the place was packed with 21-24 year old guys and girls hanging out. When the band had a break, Deniz introduced us. It was a fun evening at the club. After a couple of hours, around 11pm we decided to leave and start driving home.

As we were approaching the highway, we noticed an entourage of limos and other vehicles getting on the highway going north. Leo mentioned that Elton John was performing at Joe Robbie Stadium tonight. This was the new Miami Dolphins football stadium that had a seating capacity of at least 60,000. We were just arriving at the point when the concert was over. The traffic was immense if you could imagine. We all lived south, but someone in the car said let's follow Elton and see where he goes. We agreed, as strange as it was, and entered the highway going north. As we approached Ft. Lauderdale, we could see the limo ahead of us signaling to exit. I was new to Florida and unfamiliar with the area. The guys knew exactly where Elton was going. There was a very upscale gated condo community on the ocean called Turnberry where the rich and famous lived or had vacation homes. Ok we now know where they are going, why are we still following? We were discussing that there could be a great after concert party. We decided to continue to follow Elton. I could see a gate entrance ahead. I asked how we are going to get in. Leo said we will just say we are with the band. We had music equipment and certainly looked the part. I then proceeded to laugh uncontrollably. When we got to the gate, Leo told the guard that we were with the group ahead as part of the band. Deniz's old van was a clear give away. This guy at the gate was intelligent enough to know that we did not fit into the Elton John entourage profile. We were told to enter so that we could turn around to leave right back out. Yes, a split second flashed through my mind about making a run for it on the Turnberry grounds, but we just followed the guard's instructions and turned around and headed home.

In the end, the band didn't rehearse because we were kicked out of the studio by Julio Iglesias. Also, we couldn't attend the Elton John after concert party. But even though we had an unexpected little adventure, we were able to listen to great original heavy metal music at the rock club; and overall it was a fun night. Of course, the events regarding Julio Iglesias and Elton John turned out to be a funny story to tell the next day.

Roads of Destiny - Tall Tales - Lyrics

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One of my favorite short stories is the "Roads of Destiny" by O'Henry.

"I go to seek on many roads
What is to be.
True heart and strong, with love to light--
Will they not bear me in the fight
To order, shun or wield or mould
My Destiny?"

My road of destiny began in the winter of 1987 in Miami Springs, Florida. This is the time and the place that set in motion events that define me today. Here are some key examples: 1. This was the time I started my career. Today almost 22 years later I am now successful still working in the same industry (Not related to music). 2. Miami Springs is where I had a life changing experience that resulted from a serious motorcycle accident in late 1987. Since that time, I see life differently; and try to value and appreciate everyday as if it could be my last. 3. This is also the place that lead me to meet my wife. I have now been married over 19 years with two beautiful children. 4. Finally, this is the origin of the music and the true friendships that followed.

I lived in a studio apartment facing the pool. There was a hotel across the street where future flight attendants stayed while they were training in school to work for Eastern Airlines or Pan Am. (Both airlines are not in business today.) You could say that outside my apartment there was a lot of social activity happening. Out by the pool is where I met Deniz for the first time. Deniz and I coincidentally are both originally from New Jersey; and we were both 22 years old. Deniz was living in an apartment in another building not far from mine. He shared the apartment with a friend and his friend's wife. I can't recall their names. Deniz introduced me to his room mates. From that day forward, Deniz and I became good friends, which continues on today.

Deniz's room mate was a guitar player (Willie Vega). They recorded one song together in the studio with other musicians. The song was called "Tall Tales". I listened to the song for the first time; and was very impressed.

Deniz had a serious disagreement with his friend's wife; and eventually had to move out. What happened next was the formation of a new band that Deniz and I put together. Details to follow in a future blog entry. The copy of the original recording of the song, that Deniz gave me, was on a cassette. The reel-to-reel transfer was done at a very low gain, which means you will need to amplify the sound by turning up the volume when you play the song. I have also included the lyrics below so you can follow along while listening. Please send your comments after listening to "Tall Tales".

Tall Tales - Lyrics

You're telling me

You really care

That don't cut it baby

You've got to prove yourself

You're telling me

Things can work out

Give you time to play

while you're away

I'll wait

You're telling tall tales

It's nothing new

You're telling tall tales

I'm doing it to you

You say you want time

It's something true

What you really want

Is to say goodbye

Goodbye

You're telling tall tales

It's nothing new

You're telling tall tales

I'm doing it to you

I can't let go

I can't let go

You're telling tall tales

It's nothing new

You're telling me

You really care

That don't cut it baby

You've got to prove yourself

You're telling me

Things can work out

Give you time to play

while you're away

I'll wait

You're telling tall tales

It's nothing new

You're telling tall tales

I'm doing it to you

You say you want time

It's something true

What you really want

Is to say goodbye

Goodbye

You're telling tall tales

It's nothing new

You're telling tall tales

I'm doing it to you

I can't let go

I can't let go

You're telling tall tales

It's nothing new

You're telling tall tales

I'm doing it to you

You're telling tall tales

It's nothing new

You're telling tall tales

I'm doing it to you

You're telling tall tales

It's nothing new

You're telling tall tales

The Bubble Gum Song - Lyrics

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The music we created with Mystix, Red Rum and other band/musicians where Deniz Kose was the lead singer, always was in the Rock Genre. Some of the songs would be classified as hard rock or 80's Heavy Metal. The musical style specifically of many of the Mystix songs could be compared to a Bon Jovi, Poison etc. As you listen to the songs on this blog, you will find one song that is a little different which crosses over to another genre, "You Keep On Breaking My Heart".

On a Wednesday evening in Miami, I drove to the studio with the original members of Mystix that included Deniz "Lead Singer", Lawrence "Lead Guitar", Rich "Bass" and Leo "Drummer". When we arrived to the studio to practice, Deniz and Laurence said that they wrote a Bubble Gum song. They showed it to Rich who then created a bass line for the song. Everyone in the group got a big laugh out of it. Even though we joked we kept working on the song. Without playing any instruments, everyone would rehearse harmonizing by singing together the two verses. I recorded the A-Cappella like singing of the song, but I did not post this to the blog; however the completed song is on the blog for your enjoyment.

The loose definition of "Bubble Gum Music" is simple lyrics with a sticky melody. Bubble Gum Music are catchy pop songs that were popular between 1967-1970 with groups like the Monkees, and Archies etc.

The song is called "You Keep On Breaking My Heart". The first two verses, the bridge and the chorus repeat through out the song with a couple of word changes in the later repeated verses. The group sing the verses together; Deniz sings the rest including the chorus. When listening to the chorus, you will hear "Heart" sang in the background. That is Leo on drums adding his vocal effect to the chorus. The song was fun to do; and you can even hear towards the end a little laughter from Deniz. ***However in the Mystix tradition you still have a hard rock guitar solo in the middle of the song played at the same time with the catchy bass line. Keep in mind this is a practice session recording of low quality; the song was never professionally recorded. Please listen to the bubble gum song and write your comments. Below are the lyrics to the song so you can sing a-long when you listen.


You Keep On Breaking My Heart - Lyrics
When you're walking down the street
You're the girl I have to meet
Leather and lace doesn't fit your style
Come on baby let's sit for a while

I feel your love when I look in your eyes
Are you ready for paradise
Watch me baby I'll hold you tight
Together loving through the night

Babe I love you so
Babe don't go don't go
Babe I love you so
Please don't go

You keep on breaking my heart
Oh baby - heart
You keep on breaking my heart
Oh baby - heart
You keep on breaking my heart
Oh baby - heart
You keep on breaking my heart
Oh baby

When you're walking down the street
You're the girl I have to meet
Leather and lace doesn't fit your style
So come on baby let's sit for a while

I feel your love when I look in your eyes
Are you ready for paradise
So hold me baby and I'll hold you tight
Together loving through the night

Babe I love you so
Babe don't go don't go
Babe I love you so
Please don't go

You keep on breaking my heart
Oh baby - heart
You keep on breaking my heart
Oh baby - heart
You keep on breaking my heart
Oh baby - heart
You keep on breaking my heart
Oh baby

When you're walking down the street
You're the girl I have to meet
Leather and lace doesn't fit your style
So come on baby let's sit for a while

I feel your love when I look in your eyes
Are you ready for paradise
So Watch me baby I'll hold you tight
Together loving through the night

Babe I love you so
Babe don't go don't go
Babe I love you so
Please don't go

You keep on breaking my heart
Oh baby - heart
You keep on breaking my heart
Oh baby - heart
You keep on breaking my heart
Oh baby - heart
You keep on breaking my heart
Oh baby

Heart heart heart heart
Heart heart heart heart
Heart heart heart heart
Heart heart heart heart

You keep on breaking my heart
You keep on breaking my heart
Heart heart heart heart heart heart