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Fire was begun in early
1968 by Dave Redmond, at the end of his
participation in Hang Five and later Saturday
Review. It was started as a three member band,
influenced by Jimi Hendrix Experience, but it was
felt a fuller sound was needed, and a rhythm
guitarist was added. Fire won the Talented Teen
USA Pageant DuPage County award, and placed third
in the National Contest at the Pru in Chicago
(winter of 1968-69). That enabled us to cut a
master of our original songs at a downtown studio
for free.
Fire played throughout the
metro Chicago area (and infrequently in southern
Wisconsin). Some venues included Frank Bond's in
Berwyn, The Jaguar in St. Charles, Biester Gym at
Glenbard West High School, Duane Street Civic
Center in Glen Ellyn, parties at Northwestern
University, Butterfield Country Club, and clubs in
the Lincoln Park area.
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Personnel:
Dave Redmond - Lead guitar and band
leader
Frank Cole - Drums
Ted Wass, - Bass guitar
Rob Klueppel - Rhythm guitar
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Influences:
Jimi
Hendrix, Vanilla Fudge, Joe Cocker,
Stones, and Motown
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Setlist
Sample:
Foxy Lady, Fire, Purple Haze, Hey Joe
(Hendrix), Train Kept a Rollin'
(Yardbirds), Jumpin' Jack Flash (Stones),
Knock on Wood (Eddie Floyd), 1/3 of our
songs were originals, all from Dave, such
as Yellow Turns to Grey.
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Equipment:
Ludwig drums, Epiphone and Fender guitars,
Ampeg amps, Shure mikes.
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Rehearsal
Space:
Dave
Redmond's basement.
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Band
Vehicles:
Doc
Redmond's station wagon, Bruce Thompson's
Chevy Bel-Air.
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Fashion
Statement:
Suits at
times, usually a tie even when in
jeans.
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Best
Gig:
Mount
Carmel High School, Chicago. Upon
arrival, local Blackstone Ranger gang
members threatened "whitey, get the ****
out of town", so we weren't sure we should
stay and play. But fear must have
inspired our performance, because the
crowd returned incredible applause and we
even got screams from the girls, some of
who sought souvenirs between sets. We
connected with an agent that night, Dick
Noble (aka "The Stroker" because later he
would often "rake us over the coals"), and
got a police escort back to Lake Shore
Drive after the gig.
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Gig
from
Hell!:
Apart
from our agent's giving us wrong addresses
for gigs, wrong dates for gigs, and wrong
starting times, the absolute worst gig was
our recording session for Atlantic and
Delta records, arranged for by our agent.
We tanked, most seriously when we were
asked to play "something from the Top 10",
which we abhorred. We dusted the cobwebs
off Sunshine of Your Love, gave a
lackluster rendition, and the record execs
left in a huff. Fire was soon
disbanded.
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Last
Gig:
See
above
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Comments:
I was checking up
on old band members, and www.myfirstband.com popped
up when I searched for Ken Slauf (see Grope),
another friend from grade school. In 1964-1965,
Ken began drumming with a garage band called
Midnight Ryders, put together by myself, Ken and
Paul Wiedner. Along with Ken on drums, Paul and I
shared lead/rhythm guitar, Rick Hayward played
organ, and Dave Sweeney was lead vocal. We
practiced at Paul Wiedner's garage near Sunset
Park, and had only a few gigs before we went our
separate ways upon starting high school. This
short-lived band was influenced by Paul Revere and
the Raiders, and I received my nickname from the
stage dancing we performed during their
songs.
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