Brad Delp Brilliant With Boston - Burning For The Beatles
by John Scott
In 1977, you couldn't pass the dial on any rock radio station and not hear "More Than A Feeling", "Peace Of Mind", or "Long Time". I was 16 years old then, and the band Boston was taking the country by storm. I remember dreaming, like most kids my age, of meeting my rock idol, Brad Delp. Well, I came pretty close.
I was at the Gannon Municipal Golf Course, which we called "Happy Valley" (I think it may now be a country club) in Lynn, MA. I was with my best friend, and we were both junior members at the course, enjoying summer vacation from high school, rockin' and rollin', trying to get girls and having the time of our lives.
We were on the first tee with no one ahead. Behind were two guys heading in our direction coming off the practice green. As my friend hit his ball, I looked at one of the guys coming toward us and thought he looked a bit familiar. I put my ball on the tee, looked back at him and said, "You look like the guy who plays drums in the band Boston." I would have known, having diligently studied every inch of that Boston album jacket. He replied, "Next time I see him, I'll tell him". I hit my ball with a horrendous trademark slice that went directly into the woods, creating that horrible knocking sound as the ball struck trees, broke branches and smashed limbs 200 yards deep. Sensing that this may be a particularly "long day," the guy asked if he and his partner could play through my friend and me, since they were in a hurry. The only thing on my mind was, "He knows this cool drummer.....Who is he?" We let them play through, and as this mystery man stroked his golf ball (no better than my shot, I might add), he then grabbed his clubs and briskly walked past me pointing to a faded, tattered concert t-shirt that faintly read "Foghat with Boston."
Stunned, I started following him, forgetting we offered to let them play ahead. As he tried to make his way down the fairway, with radar precision, I kept hitting my ball in his direction. By the end of the third hole, as if worn down by the torment of a teen or the constant dodging of my golf ball, Sib Hashian, drummer for the band Boston, asked me to play along.
I would later play 18 holes with him again that summer, and we became buddies. (Of course, none of my friends believed me.) Then we met again by chance, on a crowded frozen pond to play a game of ice hockey, which had to be cut short because of constant interruption by his fans. After he pulled away in his green Cadillac Seville, my friends seeing that I really did know him showed me a new respect, and a few girls who had never spoken to me before now suddenly did.
During this time of Boston's tremendous success, they had a top 5 single "More Than A Feeling" and subsequent hits "Long Time" (#22) and "Peace Of Mind" (#38). To this day, their now 16-times platinum first release holds the record for best selling debut album of all time! Boston's sound dropped jaws in music circles worldwide, with an incredible array of screaming harmonic guitar leads, space age power chords and rich layered vocal harmonies provided by lead singer, Brad Delp.
Brad Delp's vocal work speaks for itself. The long time Danver's native created his own individuality and a place in rock n roll history. Through it all, he maintained a deep burning sentiment and passion for his main influence, The Fab Four. Brad Delp is crazy about The Beatles; John, Paul, George and Ringo had a profound effect on his life. So much, in fact, that for the past 6 years, Brad has taken to the road with Beatle Juice, his Beatles tribute band, in which he plays the songs that fill his life with happiness. The band sounds so much like The Beatles that if you close your eyes when "Beatle Juice" is performing, you'd swear it really is The Beatles.
It's unclear whether Brad understands that the passion that he carries for The Beatles is echoed by a devoted core of his own fans who hold those exact feelings for him. The incredible music he gave us with Boston inspires joyous memories to a whole new generation that also knew The Beatles but grew up idolizing him. While I'm not certain that I began studying percussion as a result of my meeting Boston's drummer on that fateful day in 1977, I'm sure it was the catalyst of inspirational motivation. And perhaps Brad himself received similar inspiration on a special day in 1966 when he saw The Fab Four live in concert that fueled him to keep the spirit of their music alive and kicking as we "Get Back" with Beatle Juice.
How long has Beatle Juice been together?
We've been together for about 7 years now. Most of the guys in the band I've known for about 15 years, and the drummer, Muzz, and myself go back close to 20 years.
In addition to you on lead vocal/rhythm guitar, who are the other members of the band?
Steve Baker is the keyboard player, Bob Squires is the guitar player, Joe Holiday, also of The Fools, plays bass and of course Muzz, formerly of Farrenheit, is on drums.
Obviously, this band is a "labor of love" for you. Is that what it's all about?
The whole point of this band was to try and not turn it into a job. The last thing we wanted to do was cut the set down and play fewer songs, so we could play 4 or 5 nights a week. Personally, I like it when we play once or twice per week, because when you're playing 60 or 70 songs in one night, you don't have the voice to play 5 or 6 nights a week.
How did forming the band come about? Was it your idea?
We were all influenced by The Beatles growing up. That's why I first got into the band. Most of us grew up in those times, back in the early 60's; therefore, I'm not sure if anyone in the band is a bigger fan than the other. However, the guitarist Bob Squires had been in two other bands that played all Beatles songs. The band came about through my getting together purely on a social basis for years with Muzz, and of course he had numerous drum kits set up at his house. We had talked about getting together to jam and possibly putting some songs together. I think in the back of our minds we thought that it would be great to play some Beatles music and really try to get it as close to the record as possible. So that's what we did. It's funny. The first gig we ever did as Beatle Juice was at a little backyard barbecue with family and friends, which gave us something to get ready and prepare for, and it was low key enough that if we didn't go over well, it wouldn't matter. The first time we played out in public was at Bleachers in Salem, MA, during mid week. I really didn't want to marquee the band as "the guy from Boston doing Beatles songs"; we simply presented it as "Beatle Juice: all Beatles, all night."
Explain the concept. Was it a conscious decision not to dress and look the part as well?
Yes. We didn't want to do the look alike type of tribute. I really wanted the audience to focus on the music and not the people that were performing it, and I think we've achieved that. Now since we've been playing for all these years, people have come to know the guys in the band, and it's no big deal, which I like a lot. People actually come to listen to the songs, and every time we learn a new song and present it to the crowd, it's real nice. For example, the last time we played The Town Line we did "Strawberry Fields" and that was the first time we ever played the song, which was great because we have a lot of regulars who see us there. Each time I ask people in the audience to raise their hands if it's the first time they're seeing us, and about three hands usually go up. I recognize a lot of the faces in the crowd. It's real nice to have a following like that; I really enjoy giving them some new material that they haven't heard from us.
The end of "Strawberry Fields" is very close to the original. Were those actual sampled sounds from the record?
At the end of "Strawberry Fields", there are a few things, either instruments or sounds, that The Beatles used which run in an endless loop at the end of the song. We have a sort of unwritten rule about doing as much as we can live. All the vocals and guitar are live; there is nothing programmed or pre-recorded. The great thing about keyboards is it allows us to do things like "I Am the Walrus", which features strings, cellos and a wide variety of horns. That is a luxury that The Beatles didn't have, of course. If they had tried to perform that music live back then, they would have had to take a full orchestra on the road with them, and that is really the reason they stopped touring. So although I love doing the early stuff, it's nice to know we are performing things that they were not able to do live. And I just think that this music lends itself to being heard in the intimacy of a small club atmosphere.
Your sets and song selection are not ordered from the early 60's through the 70's. Is there a reason for mixing it up?
We originally tried to do that, and for a long time we did it fairly chronologically. The first set was filled with early material like "Please Please Me" and "From Me To You", which would go up to about "Hard Day's Night". Then we would present the later stuff in the second set. The problem was that the band was feeling a little predictable, and our regular following would know exactly what was coming next. So we decided to change everything around. Now, consequently, it's not sequential. We had a set list the last time we played The Town Line of about 60 songs; during the past seven years, we've played over 100. We used to have a set list of about 75 songs on stage, and we could never get to them all. The difficult thing is trying to figure out which songs to leave out during the course of the night. But I enjoy mixing things up and sitting things down for a while and then bringing them back. For instance, we did "Lucy In The Sky" the other night, which we had not played in a while. That keeps it fun for us and hopefully keeps it less predictable for all the people who are loyal enough to come to all the shows.
I listen to you sing a Paul McCartney lead vocal, and I'm convinced he's your main influence. Then you do a John Lennon lead vocal, and I change my mind. Which Beatle was your main influence?
When I was growing up, it was probably Paul because I've always had a relatively high voice. (I guess I'm a tenor) I learn music; I don't read it. When I was a kid in bands, it was my job to figure out the vocal harmonies in the songs we were doing and assign the parts to each member of the band. So, initially, Paul was the influence, but as we began with this band, I started looking more closely and gravitating toward the John Lennon songs. Regardless, it is all so much fun for me. I mean, when you get into those songs that put you right back to where you were when you first heard them, it makes you feel like a 15-year-old again.
When you're on stage performing the various Beatles songs, are you consciously trying to imitate the lead vocal style? How much Brad Delp are we actually hearing?
I hope very little. I saw Beatlemania when it came to Boston way back, and those guys had an uncanny ability to create the image.... from the wardrobe to the left-handed bass player who looked and sounded like Paul. Can you imagine how difficult it must have been to find someone like that? I give them a lot of credit for covering all those parts. I actually saw The Beatles in concert back in 1966 at Suffolk Downs, so when you see someone that is almost an eerie sort of representation, there is something that happens in your mind that says, "Yeah, but it's not them." I think to appreciate what we are doing, someone needs to hear a complete set; it tends to grow on people as the music goes along. We really try to capture what I hope is the spirit of the music. We try and get the music as close as we can, in addition to projecting our own enthusiasm. If you're a fan, you remember every little inflection. You also remember things like when John would sing the wrong words or sing different words than Paul on a lot of those records. We don't always do that, but I feel we truly capture the spirit. The biggest compliment someone can give us is to say, "When I close my eyes, it really takes me back to those times."
Have you ever met any of The Beatles?
I met Ringo! Actually (and that was the great thing about being in Boston), it afforded me the opportunity to meet certain people. It turned out when Ringo was here. I believe it was his second All-Star tour, and he had the same tour manager that we had in Boston. So the tour manager had heard me talking a great deal about The Beatles and called me when Ringo was in town and asked, "Do you want to come down to the show?" I said, "I'd love to." He said, "Great, we're staying at The Four Seasons Hotel in Boston, and you can ride down with Ringo and me for the sound check." Suddenly panic set in and I said, "Well, I don't know, I don't really need to do that, I'd just love to come to the show, that would be great". He said, "Well, O.K.". So I hung up the phone and thought to myself that I'd probably never get this opportunity again. My first reaction was that I wouldn't have the vaguest idea of what to say to Ringo. I'm just not good at meeting my idols. After some thought, I called the tour manager back and said, "I'll be there in 45 minutes." So I got there and ended up riding down with the tour manager who I fortunately felt comfortable with, along with Ringo and his wife Barbara, who were very gracious. Along the way, they told me that normally when they came to town a guest comes up and does a song with them, and, would I like to sit in. So, in short, I actually got to go on stage and sing "Get Back" with Ringo and his All-Star Band at the Tweeter Center and that was definitely among the coolest things that ever happened to me. The other incredible thing was that I got to sing twice with George Martin (The Beatles' producer). On the second occasion I actually sang at The Hollywood Bowl along with a number of other people and performed "Live And Let Die" and "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" with The Hollywood Bowl Orchestra and George Martin conducting. I happened to be the only person from out of town; most everyone was from L.A., and they put me up in the same hotel as George Martin. We had to do a few rehearsals to prepare for the show, and he and I rode to work every day, which was truly incredible. When I look back at my career and all the success of Boston, I have to think that was the greatest thing that ever happened to me. You know, selling records and all the other things that occured, I have to be eternally grateful to Tom Scholz, because if it wasn't for him I wouldn't have got the chance to sing with George Martin or Ringo, for that matter. I have not met George Harrison or Paul McCartney, but I've seen Paul in concert on a number of occasions, and I can actually say that on August 18, 1966, I saw The Beatles perform at Suffolk Downs.
Do you have a favorite Beatles song?
Actually, I do. And here's the funny thing....we don't play it yet. We've talked about doing it for a long time, and it's kind of a tough song to get together. You may not have even heard it, but it's called "Yes It Is."
What album was it on?
It was never on an album, I don't think. It was a single and resembles the style of "This Boy," but there's something about the harmonies in it that almost sounds a little discordant, and I think it's a beautiful song. On a number of times, we've started to learn it but somehow never finished, and I always think of that song as my favorite.
What is your favorite song to play onstage?
"I Saw Her Standing There". It's usually the song we end the night with, and something about the energy of that song makes it so great to sing. The Beatles are such a short mystery because they came to the U.S. in 1964 and broke up in 1969, though "Let It Be" was released a year later. So the whole recorded history that we know of them was only a period of 5 years, which, when you consider not only the incredible amount of songs but the fact that you can sing along with just about every one of them, is amazing. When we do "I Saw Her Standing There", which to this day still holds up as well as any other song you could possibly play, people love that song and it's like coming full circle.
Besides The Beatles, who were your musical influences?
Growing up, I got into my first band probably in 1965, when I was 14 years old. It was the summer before I began high school. I met these guys in Danvers who lived across town, and they were looking for a singer. I had a guitar at home, which I played but never with a group of people. So at that time it was the British invasion with the likes of The Rolling Stones, The Animals and all of those bands. Later, as I began listening to another musician, and I'm sure his style doesn't show itself on any Boston records. That musician was Stevie Wonder. He is a vocalist that I truly admire, and I can't think of anyone more talented.
Explain the formation of Boston and when you initially met Tom Scholz.
It was either 1969 or 1970 when I originally saw Tom, Barry Goudreau, who played guitar on the first two Boston albums and drummer Jim Masdea in a club on Revere Beach. They were playing as a trio. They had a vocalist who had moved away, so he wasn't with them, and they were primarily playing instrumental stuff. I auditioned about a week later and got the gig. We eventually started making some very unsophisticated recordings. Tom simply wired two little stereo tape recorders together, and that's how it basically all began and evolved from there.
Can you tell me a little about the band Boston and your execution of those great harmonies?
Well, Tom (Scholz) was responible for the harmony layering. The good thing for me is Tom plays just about every instrument, but he has a very low singing voice and he likes very high harmony parts. He's told me that a lot of his big influences, aside from Led Zeppelin and the heavy guitar kind of bands, were The Hollies and that kind of singing. So the fact that I had a high voice is probably what got me the gig when I auditioned for him. The reason that all the vocal parts were done by me on the first album, in particular, was that we didn't really think about the consequences when we went out on tour. Tom was creating a song, and in his head he had the sound and what he wanted to hear. To achieve that sound, he'd have me try different things. It was really fun for me, because I was able to contribute as well, adding different things and my own interpretations, which allowed me to be involved in the creative process. Eventually, I got used to harmonizing with myself, and it became easier than singing with someone else, and the finished result became our sound. When we went out on tour, we did exactly what we do now with Beatle Juice, sitting down with the record and figuring out the harmonies and assigning them to members of the band. When Boston went out on tour, there were only five of us in the band; therefore, it was tough to cover all those harmony parts. And Tom, to his credit, was adamant that we were not going to use any pre-recorded stuff, so we did everything live and, consequently, it wasn't exactly like the record, but we tried to cover it to the best of our ability.
Has your voice changed over the years? Can you still hit those incredibly high notes like in "More Than A Feeling"?
On a good day! By and large I feel kind of lucky because I can sing most of that stuff, but, for instance, that high note in "More Than A Feeling" .....those days are gone. And I've noticed that as singers tend to get older, they lose that higher register, particularly for a rock singer, where you really have to belt that stuff out. Even when Robert Plant came back with Led Zeppelin, he was singing a lot of those songs down an octave. Paul McCartney, as well, has lost his ability to reach a lot of those notes. But the interesting thing is you develop a different vocal texture, and to me it's not totally unpleasing. For instance, when I'm doing John Lennon songs, I feel I'm doing them better now than I ever have because my sound has changed slightly, and I really enjoy singing them. In the last couple of tours with Boston, I've shared vocal duties with Fran Cosmo, the other vocalist, who defies what I just mentioned about hitting the high notes as you get older; he can still hit them clear as a bell.
Did you have any formal vocal training?
Actually, no. I never really took any lessons, and I don't read music. I've talked to different vocalists who do breathing exercises, but I like to just go out and start.
What instruments do you play?
ebony porn I play guitar, generally acoustic about half the night with Beatle Juice. I play keyboards by ear and play live on some things when we are on tour with Boston.
Is Boston still together, and are you part of the band?
Yes. As a matter of fact, I worked with Tom last week on a new song for an album that he is currently working on. Tom is hoping the new Boston record will be out this summer, but I'm not making any promises! I've learned long ago that when Tom is happy with it, that's when it will be released.
Back when Boston dominated the airwaves and you were at the pinnacle of success, did you get to enjoy and savor that persona of "rock star", or was it a fleeting moment in time?
Well, I think that perhaps the savoring and enjoying aspect is maybe now, more so than when you're in the middle of something. For example, the first goal was to simply be recording. When I met those guys on Revere Beach in 1970, I had never been in any type of recording studio, and when they told me they had done a demo and wanted me to come in and record, I thought, "Great, I'm actually going to get a chance to make a recording." To me, that was the greatest thing ever. Then we wanted to get a recording contract and were sending tapes out and being rejected by everyone, including the label that ended up signing us. When we finally got signed to a recording contract and the record came out, we were all happy with it, but honestly, I don't think we had a clue whether it would do well or tank. So when the record came out, they put us on a tour of larger 1000-seat clubs in the Midwest. I remember when we came out and did "Rock-n-Roll Band" I was amazed that everyone in the front was singing along and seemed to know the words to every song. The tour was supposed to last 8 weeks doing these clubs in the Midwest, which we thought was great, playing for 1000 people in a room. It ended up lasting 10 months, turning into arena dates opening for the likes of Black Sabbath. By the end of the tour, we were headlining Madison Square Garden. But we never stopped from those initial shows to actually think about it. I remember when we were on the road and got a telegram from the record company that we had sold 500,000 copies. They sent us a can of Boston baked beans, and by the time the tour ended the record sold over 1 million copies. So it was kind of like being in a bubble at that time. I'm glad my mother fortunately kept a scrapbook, because I never collected anything, and it's nice to be able to reflect on that.
Did you enjoy touring?
It was exhausting but at the same time exhilarating. I had never traveled west of Hershey, Pennsylvania.
Have you ever thought about doing a solo album?
Probably the genesis of Beatle Juice was really to put a solo album together. I had some particular songs in mind. I guess my biggest regret may be that, for whatever reason, I never got those songs of my own together the way I wanted to. I still have it in mind to accomplish that at some point.
What place do you most like to frequent in the North Shore area?
The first time I ever went to Einstein's Bagels on Route 1, I had the best "everything"
bagel that I can ever remember enjoying, along with the greatest cup of coffee! It's to
the point now that when they see me pull up, they have my order ready. That's my
strong pride of Route 1 now. Another great memory of mine growing up in Danvers was
going to Lenny's On the Turnpike. That was a place that any jazz great - be it Dizzy
Gillespie, Buddy Rich, or Maynard Ferguson - would play. I had a friend of mine in a jazz-fusion type band who had recorded an album with his band Guns and Butter; they played Lenny's and asked if I would come down and sing a few songs with them, so I did. And that was a real thrill for me to have sung at Lenny's On the Pike.
