{"id":27360,"date":"2021-03-09T11:29:00","date_gmt":"2021-03-09T17:29:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/kjagradio.com\/themic\/?p=27360"},"modified":"2021-03-29T16:44:55","modified_gmt":"2021-03-29T21:44:55","slug":"fire-fall-with-dj-dan-3-8-2021","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kjagradio.com\/themic\/fire-fall-with-dj-dan-3-8-2021\/","title":{"rendered":"FIRE FALL with Dj Dan 3\/8\/2021"},"content":{"rendered":"<!-- VideographyWP Plugin Message: Automatic video embedding prevented by plugin options. -->\n\n<p><strong>LEGENDARY ROCK BAND FIREFALL RELEASES NEW CD,&nbsp;<em>COMET<\/em>FIRST NEW ALBUM IN MORE THAN TWO DECADES FEATURING SEVERAL GREAT ORIGINALS AND SHOWCASING SIGNATURE FIREFALL SOUND OUT DECEMBER 11 ON SUNSET BLVD. RECORDS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe  id=\"_ytid_91272\"  width=\"696\" height=\"391\"  data-origwidth=\"696\" data-origheight=\"391\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/m_WfrgogTXM?enablejsapi=1&#038;autoplay=0&#038;cc_load_policy=0&#038;cc_lang_pref=&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;loop=0&#038;rel=1&#038;fs=1&#038;playsinline=0&#038;autohide=2&#038;theme=dark&#038;color=red&#038;controls=1&#038;disablekb=0&#038;\" class=\"__youtube_prefs__  epyt-is-override  no-lazyload\" title=\"YouTube player\"  allow=\"fullscreen; accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen data-no-lazy=\"1\" data-skipgform_ajax_framebjll=\"\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;Very few legendary rock groups boasting a string of seminal 1970s hits contain three original members in their ranks more than four decades later. Even fewer have a brand-new album out that vividly captures the sound and power of their best-known classics. Firefall has both. That\u2019s reason for serious celebration from their legion of loyal fans.\u201cFirefall hasn\u2019t made a new record for a long, long time, since the \u201890s,\u201d says&nbsp;Jock&nbsp;Bartley, the band\u2019s founding lead guitarist and vocalist. \u201cWith three of us original guys in the band\u2014myself, Mark Andes on bass, and David Muse on saxophone, flute, and keyboards\u2014we\u2019ve been touring, and it just felt to me as leader of the band, \u2018It\u2019s time. We need to start looking at material, writing material, to put a new album out.\u2019\u201d&nbsp;<strong><em>Comet<\/em><\/strong>, out December 11 on Sunset Blvd. Records, is that long-awaited release. Their lineup completed by drummer Sandy Ficca and singer\/guitarist Gary Jones, Firefall set out to make an album on the same lofty artistic par as their \u201870s classics for Atlantic Records, when they set the pop singles charts ablaze with \u201cYou Are The Woman,\u201d \u201cJust Remember I Love You,\u201d and \u201cStrange Way.\u201d They succeeded magnificently.&nbsp;\u201cI wanted to make sure that at least half of the record, or three or four songs for sure, sounded like Firefall from the \u201870s&#8211;acoustic-based vocal songs,\u201d says&nbsp;Jock. \u201cThe quality of the songs, I think personally, is real high because for years and years, I was looking at songs from outside writers that we might be able to use, and I was writing a bunch of songs. When it came time to try to select what ten songs would be on the record, we really looked at a lot of new songs. Because really, that\u2019s the key: the quality of the songs. And then, of course, the singers and players that play on it.\u201d&nbsp;The band had to overcome a few obstacles along the way. \u201cThe problem was that the five members of the band live in five different states,\u201d says&nbsp;Jock, who produced the disc along with the band and a handful of collaborators. \u201cWhen we\u2019d fly somewhere to a gig, at soundcheck or something, we might look at a new song or talk about recording or whatever. But to get all of us in the same town at the same time to record was really a challenge for me. We\u2019d have a gig in Colorado, and everybody would come out and we\u2019d stay out for a couple of days and record a couple of songs. Same thing when we\u2019d go into Nashville\u2014we\u2019d go stay at Gary\u2019s house and go in the studio and record a song or two.\u201d&nbsp;Conquering those logistical roadblocks was worth all the effort. The rocking opener \u201cWay Back When,\u201d one of four tracks on the set that Bartley wrote or co-wrote, pays tribute to the classic musical era that inspired Firefall. \u201cThe first verse and first chorus is set in 1965. The second verse and chorus is \u201867, and the third verse and chorus is 1969,\u201d says Bartley. \u201cThe first verse is kind of the Beatles and the Stones sand the Byrds. The second verse is Aretha Franklin and the Young Rascals and the groups that had music out then. I sing the song, but the person singing the lyrics is looking back and remembering how the \u201860s were so vibrant and had such great music. We thought it would never end.\u201d&nbsp;Bartley wrote another driving rocker, \u201cThere She Is,\u201d for the disc. \u201cThat was a song of mine that I wrote just trying to be kind of positive and happy and an in love kind of guy, singing the song. Because so many songs are depressing or dark or not that well-written these days. So I really took my time and tried to write. And when I finished \u2018There She Is,\u2019 I presented it to the band, and I kind of thought it would be more a light rock song, like \u2018Just Remember I Love You.\u2019 \u201cBut boy, when we started playing it, it turned into a scorching rock and roll song. Which I thought, \u2018Hey, we can use a few of those!\u2019\u201d&nbsp;The Bartley-penned \u201cBefore I Met You\u201d is a mellower gem, while \u201cA New Mexico,\u201d with guest vocalist Mark Trippensee, is a belated followup to the band\u2019s classic \u201cMexico\u201d from their eponymous 1976 debut album. \u201cI kept saying to myself, \u2018We need a new \u201cMexico.\u201d We need a new song like \u201cMexico\u201d that sounds like Firefall that I can just burn on and play my signature guitar stuff on,\u2019\u201d explains&nbsp;Jock. \u201cI kind of took the idea and the groove from our original \u2018Mexico,\u2019 written by Firefall co-founder Rick Roberts, and updated it and changed the chords. I didn\u2019t really think about writing a song named \u2018A New Mexico,\u2019 but it turned out that way. That was one of my attempts to pretty much sound like some of the old \u201870s Firefall records.\u201d&nbsp;Lead singer Jones penned the powerful \u201cNever Be The Same.\u201d \u201cHe\u2019s a singer-songwriter out of Nashville, and he\u2019s been in the band for four or five years now. And I was really pushing him to present some songs,\u201d says Bartley. \u201cIt\u2019s basically about his mother passing away. So it\u2019s a really heartfelt song where he talks about his mom.\u201d \u201cHardest Chain\u201d was co-penned by Ficca. \u201cThat\u2019s another one in a modern, kind of different way, but it sounds a lot like Firefall because Firefall used to have a lot of minor-chord, darker songs,\u201d notes&nbsp;Jock. \u201cNot every song we did was \u2018You Are The Woman\u2019 or \u2018Just Remember I Love You.\u2019\u201d&nbsp;Andes fronts a rousing remake of Spirit\u2019s immortal \u201cNature\u2019s Way,\u201d paying tribute to the days when he was that band\u2019s rock-solid bassist (he left Spirit in 1971 to form Jo Jo Gunne). \u201cWe\u2019ve been playing the song \u2018Nature\u2019s Way\u2019 live a lot and getting great response from our fans who love Spirit,\u201d says&nbsp;Jock. \u201cMark knows Timothy B. Schmit, and he asked him and John McFee from the Doobie Brothers if they\u2019d play and sing on the song, and they did.&nbsp;&nbsp;Nashville country songsmith Gary Burr is responsible for the wry \u201cYounger.\u201d \u201cGary sent us that song, and we were going to get together and rehearse in the following week or two, and every one of us just said, \u2018Wow, that\u2019s great!\u2019\u201d says&nbsp;Jock. \u201cGhost Town\u201d hails from outside sources; Tony Joe White was its co-author. \u201cThat was a song that David Muse brought,\u201d says&nbsp;Jock. \u201cHe lives in Florida, and he has a little club band that he plays with sometimes. Evidently he\u2019s been playing that song \u2018Ghost Town\u2019 for a long time.\u201d&nbsp;The late Virginia rocker Robbin Thompson, a longtime friend of Firefall, scribed \u201cA Real Fine Day,\u201d given a thoroughly uplifting lead vocal by Jones.&nbsp;\u201cRobbin\u2019s version is a little bit different than what we did to it, but same melody, same chords, same lyrics,\u201d says Bartley. \u201cHow many songs do you hear today that are really happy, really positive, and talking about what a great day it is? Not too many!\u201d&nbsp;&nbsp;\u201cI was really just looking for really good songs that worked together and showcased Firefall as a band. I think I was pretty successful, and I\u2019m really happy that at long last, even with the pandemic, it\u2019s coming out!\u201d The album title refers to Comet Neowise, which lit up the Western U.S. nighttime skies a few months ago (it\u2019s pictured on the CD cover). That image is reminiscent of the striking artwork on the band\u2019s \u201870s albums, referencing their unusual name.&nbsp;\u201cThe name Firefall comes from Yosemite National Park, where for over 100 years, they light a bonfire off on top of a cliff and slowly push it over. And they say, \u2018And there was a firefall!\u2019 It was this big tourist attraction,\u201d explains Bartley. \u201cWhen Rick Roberts, the leader of the band in the \u201870s, when we had to pick a name\u2014it was a lot easier to learn the songs than to pick a name. And Rick said, \u2018How about Firefall?\u2019 \u2018Firefall?\u2019 \u2018Maybe&#8211;put it on the list.\u2019 So we had so few names on the list, he went, \u2018Okay, we\u2019re Firefall!\u2019\u201d&nbsp;Firefall came together in Boulder, Colorado in 1974. Bartley had crossed paths with Roberts a short time earlier in New York City when&nbsp;Jock&nbsp;was the lead guitarist with revered country rockers Gram Parsons and the Fallen Angels and Rick, formerly with Parsons in the Flying Burrito Brothers, was performing there at another club. \u201cWe were saying, \u2018You live in Boulder? I live in Boulder! Hey, man, we should get together!\u2019\u201d says&nbsp;Jock. \u201cHe and I got together in Boulder and started rehearsing on his songs.&nbsp;\u201cAs soon as Mark Andes started joining in with us, it became obvious that it could be a band, especially with Rick\u2019s vocals and Rick\u2019s songs. And with me and Mark playing on it, there was magic there. Rick said, \u2018I know this guy in Washington, D.C., Larry Burnett, who\u2019s driving a cab. And he\u2019s looking for a gig. We should get him out here!\u2019 We flew Larry out, and the first day of practice we had, we had 30 songs to work out!\u201d&nbsp;The band still needed a drummer. \u201cRick said,&nbsp;\u2018Well, Michael Clarke\u2019s driving around the great Northwest in his VW bus with nothing to do\u2014should I call him and have him come down?\u2019 And Mark and I looked at each other and Larry and said, \u2018Sure, get Michael down here!\u2019 Michael was with the Byrds!\u201d&nbsp;Chris Hillman had also been a longtime Byrd.&nbsp;Jock, Rick, and Mark were moonlighting in his self-named band at a New York City gig when Hillman fell ill and was unable to continue. \u201cWe told the owners of the Other End, \u2018Hell, the three of us are the band Firefall\u2014we can fly the other two guys out and finish the two-night stand!\u2019\u201d says Bartley. \u201cSo Firefall went to New York City and played two nights, and that\u2019s right when we were shopping our demo tape. Atlantic Records was quite interested in us, and came and saw us two nights. At the end of the night they got in the dressing room and said, \u2018We want to sign you guys!\u2019 And we got our record deal and we were going to make our first album.&nbsp;\u201cWe had three guitar players, with me being the lead guitar player. We realized we needed a keyboard or a sax,\u201d continues&nbsp;Jock. \u201cRick Roberts said, \u2018Hey, man, I know David Muse! I grew up with him in high school. He\u2019s great\u2014let\u2019s get him out here!\u2019 And David became our sixth member.\u201d&nbsp;Firefall cut its 1976 Atlantic debut album at Criteria Studios in Miami. It included \u201cYou Are The Woman.\u201d \u201cRick was thinking in his head, \u2018I need to write a really happy, positive pop song that\u2019ll be in the Top Ten!\u2019 And he wrote \u2018You Are The Woman,\u2019\u201d says&nbsp;Jock. \u201cSome of us in the band didn\u2019t really like it, because it was really different. It wasn\u2019t like \u2018Mexico\u2019 or \u2018Livin\u2019 Ain\u2019t Livin\u2019\u2019 or \u2018Cinderella\u2019 or any of that strummy, fast, ballsy stuff that Firefall was becoming. But boy, most everybody, including the producer and then Atlantic Records, they heard that song, and they went, \u2018That\u2019s what we want!\u2019\u201d \u201cYou Are The Woman\u201d crashed the Top Ten. 1977\u2019s \u201cJust Remember I Love You\u201d and \u201cStrange Way\u201d the next year cemented their stardom.&nbsp;\u201cBoulder, Colorado became this hotbed for music, and Firefall was kind of the shining light out of that,\u201d says&nbsp;Jock. \u201cA lot of people have called Firefall \u2018the Colorado Sound.\u2019\u201d&nbsp;Now&nbsp;<strong><em>Comet<\/em><\/strong>&nbsp;is poised to rocket into the cosmos, the latest chapter in Firefall\u2019s amazing saga.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Firefallofficial.com |&nbsp;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"http:\/\/facebook.com\/FIREFALLofficial\" target=\"_blank\">facebook.com\/FIREFALLofficial<\/a>&nbsp; |&nbsp;&nbsp;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"http:\/\/instagram.com\/firefallofficial\/\" target=\"_blank\">instagram.com\/firefallofficial\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>LEGENDARY ROCK BAND FIREFALL RELEASES NEW CD,&nbsp;COMETFIRST NEW ALBUM IN MORE THAN TWO DECADES FEATURING SEVERAL GREAT ORIGINALS AND SHOWCASING SIGNATURE FIREFALL SOUND OUT DECEMBER 11 ON SUNSET BLVD. RECORDS &nbsp;Very few legendary rock groups boasting a string of seminal 1970s hits contain three original members in their ranks more than four decades later. Even [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":26675,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"video","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[155,145],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-27360","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-video","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-dj-dan","8":"category-djdanny","9":"post_format-post-format-video"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kjagradio.com\/themic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27360","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kjagradio.com\/themic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kjagradio.com\/themic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kjagradio.com\/themic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kjagradio.com\/themic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27360"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/kjagradio.com\/themic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27360\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":27387,"href":"https:\/\/kjagradio.com\/themic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27360\/revisions\/27387"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kjagradio.com\/themic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/26675"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kjagradio.com\/themic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27360"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kjagradio.com\/themic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27360"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kjagradio.com\/themic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27360"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}