BEAST
Lansing,
Michigan
1969-1971
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Hopefully other band
members can add their memories to this...but I'll
do what I can for now. Here's some of the
basics...I also put what other bands that I know of
that we were in. Terry Lefler - lead vocals,
percussion (The Mace, Paxton Center, Woodrose)
Cliff France - lead and R guitar (Paxton Center)
Rick Hansel - R guitar, vocals (The Mace, Toads of
Sleepy Hollow) Dean Hoag - drums, vocals (Paxton
Center) Marv Dekett - vocals (off and on in Beast)
Dennis Preston - bass guitar, vocals (The Mace,
Mother Courage) . For a brief period Rick was not
in the band. Tom Brunner joined us and while he was
in we were called Morgantown Zoo. Our song
selections began to lean in my taste of music. One
of the songs I remembered us working on harmonies
for was Rain by The Beatles...it was sounding good!
I don't remember what happened but once again Rick
was in and we were Beast once more. After Beast
broke up I began to spend more time designing
concert posters for around Michigan...and I also
began playing a more variety of instruments. When I
was in Beast I probably played guitar on only two
songs. I started another band with a guitarist and
a drummer...our name was Mother Courage (I believe
Dean Hoag gave me that name). Our influences I
would have to say were The James Gang and
Tyrannosaurus Rex (pre-T-Rex). Later on we had a
Traffic sound when Clyde Hamilton joined in with
his organ. We were jammers...I don't remember
performing anywhere. We didn't last long. I began
to write more songs. In 1976 I recorded an album
with some friends that was never released. The
studio that recorded it left town with the tapes.
In 1991 I released a CD of my songs...and a few of
my brother's songs were also on it. Since then I've
been writing songs and recording them on a
portastudio. Hopefully, some day I'll release these
basement tapes.
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Personnel:
Terry
Lefler - Lead Vocals,
Percussion
Cliff France - L & R
Guitar
Rick Hansel - R Guitar,
Vocals
Dean Hoag - Drums, Vocals
Dennis Preston - Bass, ocassional
Background Vocals
Marv Dekett - Occasional
Vocals
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Influences:
The
Beatles, CCR, The BeeGees
(pre-chipmunk voices), some early
60's / late 50's (not much
though)
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Setlist
Sample:
Sky
Pilot (with Ticket to Ride
inserted where the airplanes and
cool lead were in the real song
), It's Only Love, Proud Mary,
Road Runner, Rockin' Robin,
Runaway, To Love Somebody, Day
Tripper
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Equipment:
Dennis:
Apollo (Hofner violin body model)
bass, Sunn bass amp.
Rick: 1960 Fender Telecaster,
Sears Silvertone twin
12"
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Rehearsal
Space:
Terry's
basement....and for a little bit
a warehouse
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Band
Vehicles:
Cars
and a van
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Fashion
Statement:
Dennis:
Once in a while clothes I got
from Free Spirit (a hippy
department store in downtown
Lansing back then) but mostly
wore all black.
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Best
Gig:
None
listed
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Gig
from Hell!:
Dennis:
Lansing Community College. I was
in a bad mood that night. I got
on everybody's case. It must have
been their gig from hell too just
because the way I was. Sorry
guys.
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Last
Gig:
None
listed
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Comments:
They
weren't really gigs from hell but they did
give me memories. Cliff got us a job
playing at an Eastern High School
dance...turns out it was a black dance and
we were a band of white guys. There was
another band there and they were black.
They played first. Nobody danced to our
songs. During our break I said to the
guys..."Look, let's just jam some funky
stuff for them to dance to."...We did and
they danced. When we were finished both
dancers and the other band complimented
us. I felt bad for Terry our lead
singer...I think all he could do during
the jams was some minor percussion from
what I can remember. Cliff also got us a
job playing at the Cheboygan High School.
We walked around town before the
dance...there I was with the longest hair
(shoulder length at the time) in the band
and probably all of Cheboygan...people
pointed...cars went slowly by. Later that
night I was dressed in my normal stage
attire of all black and black wristbands
with silver studs...anyway...between songs
guys were yelling at me...calling me
Samson and wanting to fight. I leaned over
and told Cliff that if any of those guys
gets up here on the stage I'm going to bat
them off with my bass. We began to really
rock with songs that they liked. After the
dance Rick and I went back to the cabins
while the others went out and partied. I
was reading a comic when suddenly there
was a knock at the door. It was a couple
of the local guys. They said they really
liked our music and wanted us to come
outside to drink and fight. I told them
thanks about the music and no thanks to
the rest and closed the door. We played at
The Platters in Cadillac once. Band X were
the main act. They performed the whole
Abbey Road album for one of their
sets...it was excellent!!! I thought we
did pretty good also...even though our
stage was very, very small. The owner
liked us but told us we ought to dress all
alike..........no thanks. I won't even get
into what all happened later that
night.......all I'll say is somebody could
have used some Beano and it wasn't
me.
Editor's
Note:
Dennis Preston also played guitar on
occasion with the Lansing, MI based band
The
Cloud
(1968-1969).
While not an official member, his
recollections of the band can be found
there.
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Rick Hansel (1969 yearbook photo)
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Rick helping to
serenade a sleeping beauty...
another yearbook photo.
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Dennis
& roadie Jim Hawkins
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Lefler.gif)
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Terry (Thompson)
Lefler - 1970?
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Where are they
now?
Terry passed on. He worked for
Wherehouse Records. Cliff up north in Cheboygan
Rick, Dean, Marv and Dennis are still in Lansing at the time
of this entry April, 2001
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D_P
D_PDennis
- 2001
