What do Motley Crew, George Brett and Rush Limbaugh all have in common?
All three were fans of a classic rock band that was the first American band to sign with Virgin Records. (think Bay City Roller days).
The band was from Kansas City. Their first album was produced in London by Gus Dudgeon--Elton Johns' producer. They opened for Robin Trower, Heart, Cheap Trick, Journey, Jefferson Starship, etc. They played the Hollywood Bowl, Madison Square Garden and witnessed the rumbles of Mt. St. Helen going off a hundred miles away while recording their second album. Their name was Shooting Star. My brother Ron Verlin was the bass player. He and the lead guitar player, Van McClain started the band.
The band actually started conceptually in 1963 when my brother went up the street looking for friends in our new neighborhood. He rang the doorbell at Van's house--asking if their was anyone to play with that lived there.
Van and his brother Craig became my brother and my best friends.
We would imitate the Beatles (I got to be Ringo and beat upon an old suitcase) pantomiming along to songs being played on our little record player in the garage.
In 1964 our grandmother took the four of us to the opening of A Hard Day's Night. I remember screaming as a five year old for the girls to shut up and sit down--as I couldn't hear the music (I was almost thrown out).
That movie changed everything--and Van and my brother began taking guitar lessons. Craig did as well and I played a snare drum for one week before my mom said, "enough"!
Years later in high school--Van and my brother formed a '50's band (about when Sha Na Na came out with the resurgence of the '50s sound).
They rehearsed in our basement, did demo recordings (my brother imitated Elvis) and played area soc hop parties, etc.
Several years later--they decided to go to England to visit a buddy of theirs who got a small contract with Decca records, named Dean Klevatt. He had a song called "Don't Bury Molly" that I still think of today.
Van began song writing at that time and they recorded a four song demo tape and took it with them.
While in London--they shopped it around to various record labels--even Apple Records (where they got to see the Beatles old drum kit).
They eventually had Arista records audition them in New York--and a bidding war started with Virgin. Virgin eventually signed them in 1980.
I was in college in Abilene, Texas and worked the night shift as a DJ at a top-40 radio station. I remember the 2am call when my brother called me that they had just signed to Virgin--and their picture was in Billboard magazine.
We happened to have a copy of it in the studio--and in the middle of the magazine was a full page ad of "new releases from Virgin" with Shooting Stars picture taken on the Country Club Plaza in Kansas City.
They were famous! Wow.
When they returned from England and I from college in 1980--rehearsals started in our basement again as Van partnered with new songwriter, keyboardist, singer--Gary West. I would help sell t-shirts at concerts or even be a part-time roady.
The McClain/West songwriting team would produce over ten albums and great songs like Tonight, You've Got What I Need, Flesh & Blood, Hang On For Your Life and their most loved song--Last Chance. Here's Wilkipedia's take: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting_Star_(band)
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| The bands' 1st album, Shooting Star included their hit Last Chance that had a cult following. |
Soon, they found out that Motley Crew "idolized them" (according to a worker in a music store in L.A.). The song "Hollywood" was featured being played in a limousine of a Motley Crew video.
They also discovered that numerous Kansas City Chiefs players, KC Royal Hall of Famer George Brett and conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh were Shooting Star fans.
The phrase "Shooting Star Maniacs" was launched and the band did numerous tours around the country. I attended their opening performance for Journey & Uriah Heap at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. Steve Perry was upset with his girlfriend backstage and their were fans freaking out.
I was told Journey would make $100k on just t-shirt sales at a stadium show--and back in the early '80's, they'd do forty shows each year.
Shooting Star's popularity increased--but their record contracts didn't always pan out--as a label may not promote them after a release (the band would have to pay the label back for upfront record production costs and tour advances before they would make any money).
After a series of disappointments--including one label folding--my brother opted to retire from the band (as did Gary West).
Van McLain began working with his father in developing residential neighborhoods but kept his pulse in the music business.
Then--in 1990--in a beat up desk in our parents basement and sitting in an old airplane seat they had used in a music van years earlier--my brother began to realize that they were getting airplay in twenty major markets--with no product available.
Years had gone by with no Shooting Star albums available but they were still being heard on radio.
Enter my father and Van's father to put up some money for the band to start V&R Records (Van and Ron)--in producing The Best of Shooting Star cd--featuring the song "Touch Me Tonight".
Artwork was done by local friend, Dennis Atkinson.
Dennis included cryptic "alien" looking images that people thought were some sort of "code" from Mars or something.
Producing 10,000 CD's and cassettes--and getting local rock station KY102 to interview them and promote it--all product was sold in local record stores in one week!
Selling 10,000 of anything was a success--but due to pent up demand (some radio stations were playing their first album on back-up tape due to the LP getting worn out), continued airplay--buzz was created of this new CD.
A L.A. record label contacted them a few days later, flew them to California and signed them to a multi-record contract.
That label went out of business several months later.
But the band played on. Van reorganized the group and would produce several more albums and tour throughout the 2000's--including having a dvd produced by a video production company (fan) of theirs: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlyG-BgUduE
In 2009--Shooting Star was inducted into the Kansas Music Hall of Fame, http://www.ksmusichalloffame.org/inductees.html . A celebration was held at keyboardist, Dennis Laffoon's family restaurant with a rehearsal performance in the back. It was good seeing old friends and memorabilia from the early days.
This past September--a great interview with Van is included, http://www.goldminemag.com/article/despite-its-optimistic-name-shooting-star-never-could-catch-a-break
If you're a Shooting Star fan--or just want to know more--Van McLain keeps the band going--and you can learn more at: http://theshootingstarband.com
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| One of my fav pics--my brother Ron in the cap--Van on far right
The band recently added a new lead singer and performed in England.
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In reflecting back on my involvement with the band and seeing where they were--and where they've gone--I have mixed emotions.
- The good was seeing Gary and Van work together and produce some great songs (a number of nice ballads like Just Friends and Rainfall).
- Experiencing the excitement of hearing their songs on radio, going to performances, having people ask me about the band, etc.
- Staying with them for a few days in Finchley outside of London when I was there in 1975. We got to see Abbey Road, Paul McCartney's flat in St. John's Wood and the Marquee Club (where the Stones and David Bowie started).
- The bad was seeing the loss of David Walker--the first keyboardist of their 50's band, and the death of Bill Guffey (several years ago--the keyboardist on their first album).
- Feeling the frustration of seeing the band almost break big, then have their hopes dashed.
But all in all--watching Van and the guys press on has been a lesson in persistence. Van has reinvented the band and kept it going time and again.
If ever a band deserved stardom--it is Shooting Star. They've been recognized by the industry as well as other bands and performers. Two of their former "roadies" have gone on the national prominence in Nashville and L.A.
I stay in touch with Van (he recently helped me sell my old house and buy a new one not far from my brother) and hope the best for this latest album/tour.
I had lunch with his brother Craig (now a pastor) and we reminisced about having a fiftieth neighborhood reunion.
At my twentieth high school reunion--I had a guy come up to me that I didn't know. He said--"didn't you have a brother that played in Shooting Star?" I said yes. He then went on to tell me about a song he wrote or something and wanted to know if I could give him any connections, etc. Well--can't blame him for trying!
If you'd like to buy their music--visit the band link above and I believe they're available on Amazon and other sites.
In a way--they may have been blessed by not making it huge, as the rock and roll lifestyle can kill (Elvis, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, etc).
My brother, Van and the other guys never really got into that lifestyle (although substance abuse most likely killed keyboardist, Bill Guffey).
Gary went on to build a radon-detection business, my brother working for a physicians lab group among some of the post-Shooting Star careers.
As George Harrison was quoted to have said when asked if fame changed him, he said, "no--but it changed everyone around me".
Regarding the fame part of it--yeah, you would have people look at you a little differently knowing you were associated with something popular. It would only irritate if they wanted free tickets, or go out with you, etc (although I didn't have that problem much!)
The strangest experience I had--was at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City when Shooting Star opened for Jefferson Starship. Afterwards, in the packed dressing room, I was told someone wanted to see me. It was a guy looking in an open street view window wanting access to the dressing room/party since i had a crush on his sister--in kindergarten!
As far as the fortune part of the business--due to reimbursements to record labels for upfront advances to record albums and tour support, if you didn't generate enough to revenue to pay those back--you made no or little profit (other than travel expenses, etc).
Most groups end up being struggling musicians unless they have a huge hit and honest accountants, managers.
Today--with so many options for getting music content, streaming music, digital downloads--I'm sure the business model has changed dramatically.
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