Dakota
returns With 'Deep 6'
Editor's Note: Looking for a review or want to plug on an up and
coming show? Local bands can contact Mark Uricheck via e-mail at Uricheck@aol.com
. Mark Uricheck NEPAtoday.com
Music Contributor NORTHEASTERN, Pa. - Dakota's back, and if you're
familiar with the band you won't be disappointed. If you've never
had their music cranked up on your car stereo on a sunny summer day,
then you just may want to consider doing so. Dakota are local legends
in NEPA. They honed their chops over a history that spans more than
three decades. And yes, they do indeed rock. The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton
area born band's current lineup features founding member Jerry Hludzik
on bass/acoustic guitar/vocals, Rick Manwiller on keyboards/guitar/vocals,
Jon Lorance on lead and rhythm guitars/vocals, and Eli Hludzik on
drums/vocals. Together they've recently released a sonic masterpiece
of an album called Deep 6 - a blend of their trademark tight, soaring
vocal harmonies with melodic rocking foundations a la Night Ranger/Journey.
The CD includes appearances from former band member Bill Kelly and
longtime associate Bill Champlin of the band Chicago. Infectious,
with well-crafted memorable songs Deep 6 is the sixth studio album
from the guys which already has created quite a buzz. More on that
later. Dakota can trace it's roots back to the late 60's/early 70's
when Jerry Hludzik was in a band called The Buoys, who scored a national
hit with the song Timothy in 1970. From the ashes of The Buoys, The
Jerry-Kelly Band was formed. The band's label Columbia Records suggested
a name change for the band after the first Jerry-Kelly record, leading
to the outfit being christened as Dakota. Dakota released its self-titled
debut in 1980 on Columbia, that same year bringing about a coveted
opening slot on Queen's successful U.S. tour. The local boys were
the pride of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area at the time; Rock 107
had even sent busloads of local fans to shows on that tour at Madison
Square Garden and The Spectrum. Jerry Hludzik says of that era: "We
were just bubbling under, we never broke through to where we were
the household word. We had albums in the Billboard charts in the 80's,
but we just didn't get the promotion." The political nature of
the music business may have kept Dakota from achieving superstardom,
but the band's musical integrity was never compromised. Dakota recorded
and toured until playing a "farewell" show in 1987 at Montage
Mountain. The band's future though, was far from over. Jerry Hludzik
received word in the mid 90's that there was a grass-roots interest
in Dakota'a music in Europe and Japan. The renewed interest began
with a record label in England licensing some older demos from the
band and releasing them to a positive response. From there Jerry says
"that started the ball rolling on an album called 'Last Standing
Man', the next one was 'Little Victories'- those two were also released
in Japan on different labels". That brings us up to the current
CD Deep 6, an album that sees Dakota taking full advantage of the
global power of the internet. Streaming radio has allowed the band
greater access to its overseas fans, and already Deep 6 seems to be
catching on. "'Holding Your Own' from 'Deep 6' I must have heard
about 7 times in rotation during a 24 hour period" says Jerry.
"Hopefully when other stations like this hear it, they'll follow
suit and play it." Locally, radio station 102.3FM The Mountain
has begun to play cuts off of Deep 6. At this point in their career,
Dakota finds themselves with a solid fan base, both local and internationally
as well. Jerry says that Dakota titles are available locally at Gallery
of Sound stores, and availability is growing internationally. "I
was in a record shop in Stockholm called Missing Pieces that stocked
all of our titles" he said. "It's great to know that I can
also click on a web site like Amazon.com and have one of our records
shipped to my door." It's the positive e-mails from every corner
of the globe that get him really excited. "I just had a kid e-mail
me from Japan saying how much he loved 'Dakota.' I couldn't believe
it when I scrolled down and saw where he was from- he was from Hiroshima,
he had relatives in the blast" says Jerry. Enduring years of
changes in the musical climate, Dakota's course remains steady and
true. They make no apologies for their "melodic, album oriented
rock" as Jerry Hludzik puts it. "I don't think I could write
any other kind of songs" he maintains. Dakota proves that the
music that put them on the map never died out. It went underground,
found its niche, and flourishes among those who find a connection
with it. Music's a beautiful thing. If it's good enough, it will effect
you. The really good stuff, it will stay with you. File Dakota under
the good stuff. The new Deep 6 CD is available at all local Gallery
of Sound stores. Preview most of the tracks and keep up with the band
at: www.digital-mixes.com/deep6
.
Jerry-Kelly Somebody Else's Dream
Description: Sweet, authentic reminder of AOR's classic past Score:
79 Before forming the classic AOR band Dakota, singers/songwriters/guitarists
Jerry Hludzik and Bill Kelly had lengthy histories as pop craftsmen.
(Part of their story includes links to "The Pina Colada Song"
and a cannibalism scandal -- see Hludzik's website for details!) From
their remarkable chemistry came a sweet, intimate style, a tapestry
of glorious harmonies and plainspoken, engaging compositions. And by
the inexplicable currents that carry demo tapes from station to station
in The Music Biz, Danny Seraphine (Chicago) heard the duo and signed
on to produce their album. The resulting record from Jerry-Kelly, called
"Somebody Else's Dream," featured a carefully selected constellation
of studio stars, such as Earl Slick (guitar), Peter Cetera (bass/vocals),
and Don Gruisin (keyboards). Nonetheless, the album was distinctively
Jerry-Kelly, beautifully underselling the drama in their inviting, sporadically
intense melodic pop style. Their roots-grown sound coherently incorporated
influences of everyone from Cali-Rock (America, Eagles, etc.) to Chicago,
Little River Band, and even the soft, Rik Emmett-voiced sides of Triumph
-- which, as Triumph fans know, is significant praise for the soaring
vocals of Jerry-Kelly. Upon cursory listen, "Somebody Else's Dream"
compositions may seem somewhat uninspiring by 21st century standards;
they are straightforward constructions that nod to instrumental ambition
without committing to it. These songs emerged from a different tradition,
however, from days when listeners actually *listened* to music instead
of passively experiencing it as so much sonic wallpaper. From that classic
perspective, the songs are clear winners that amply reward attentive
listeners. Highlights include smart tales and tunes like the proto-pomped
Midwestern AOR of "Settle Down," the outwardly breezy "Dear
Love," the smooth, moody "Motel Lovers" and "Be
My Love," and the atypically intense, gripping rock of "Changes."
Ultimately, "Somebody Else's Dream" is not for everybody.
It does not have exceptionally gripping energy, and it is not essential
listening for younger ears that have become accustomed to arena-sized
AOR drama; it may not even appeal to casual Dakota fans who enjoy that
band's more full, rockin' soundscapes. For fans of the classic, true
AOR sound of the '70s, however, the album is a richly authentic slice
of a sweeter past life, and it should not be overlooked. --
Dakota
Description: Authentic, soulful, genre-stretching AOR Score: 81
Dakota's self-titled debut was a strong first step in a different
direction for mainmen Jerry Hludzik and Bill Kelly. It preserves the
smart, gently inviting Dakota soul of their previous outing, Jerry-Kelly's
"Somebody Else's Dream," but it also extends "Somebody
Else's" hints of rock-edged intensity into a more complete, full-spectrum
AOR feel. Combining elements of Eagles and Little River Band (especially
their harder edges), Midwestern grit (e.g., Prism, Michael Stanley,
Survivor, early Shooting Star), and Dakota's unique rootsy foundation
and soaring harmonies, the album is an instantly appealing set of
pop-sweet melodic rock, with a classic, genre-stretching AOR energy
that defies the simple stylistic conventions that preceded it. Highlight
cuts include the energized, pomp-touched Midwestern rock of "If
It Takes All Night," the breezy yet incisive "Possession,"
the lilting '70s balladry of "You Can't Live Without It,"
and the streamlined, propulsive pop/rock of "Restless."
"Dakota" is a just a first step in the band's development,
and neither its sound nor its songs were as compelling or fully developed
as their later work would be. Nonetheless, its smooth, smartly instrumented
AOR is undeniably authentic and energetic --massively melodic without
commercial soullessness-- and for fans of the genre's early days,
it is a rewarding collection that's well worth repeated listens. The
two bonus tracks on this reissue are also substantial additions to
the album, with rock-leaning energy that impressively maintains and
extends the momentum of the original set. ---------------------
Dakota Runaway
Description: Massively underappreciated, cult-classic AOR, reissued
Score: 88 Dakota territory expanded substantially with their second
album, 1984's "Runaway." Although the record retained the
unique Dakota soul and the heart of plainspoken immediacy and intimacy
that graced previous albums from band mainmen Jerry Hludzik and Bill
Kelly, it was a major instrumental leap forward, a smartly executed
move into rockier arenas. The band added keyboardist Rick Manwiller
to its lineup, and their sound correspondingly blossomed with new
fullness, edge, and depth. "Runaway" is a remarkable fusion
of Dakota's rootsy drive and soaring vocals with the most appealing
elements of groups like Survivor, Little River Band, ('80s-era) Chicago,
Prism, Michael Stanley Band, and even touches of 38 Special or Triumph.
The results will bring a smile to the ears of any fan of authentic
AOR; highlight tracks include the propulsive title tune, the pomp-touched,
uptempo pop of "When The Rebel Comes Home," and *absolutely
everything* on side two of the album. (A note for younger fans: Do
NOT put this CD into your player upside-down. If you are confused
by the meaning of the words "side two," please ask someone
who listened to LPs and cassettes.) "Runaway" was cut loose
in 1984, and for better or worse, it sounds like it. From its synth-washed
overtones to its dry drum sounds and a few post-New-Wave guitar leanings,
some of the set may sound dated by 21st century standards. Furthermore,
in its fusion of classic and forward-looking directions, the album
occupies a kind of stylistic middle ground that may not satisfy everybody.
But much of the power of "Runaway" is the crackling energy
of its transitional sound, the sound of two eras colliding to form
the Next Big Thing. Indeed, in a profound way, the album feels like
the artistic expression of a band on the cusp of Something Big. Unfortunately
for all AOR fans, that Big thing was not stardom, it was dissolution,
and the Hludzik/Kelly team split up before another Dakota release.
The promise of "Runaway" was recaptured by Dakota's excellent
"The Last Standing Man," released nearly 15 years later,
but the moment of "Runaway" --the '80s excitement, the discovery,
the chemistry-- is unique. For fans of early-'80s AOR, it is an amazingly
underrated collection that ranks with the best cult-fave AOR from
The Glory Days. Overlook it at your own risk. ----------------
Dakota Lost Tracks /
The Last Standing Man
Description: Soulful melodic hard rock from the past Score: 89 Dakota's
"Lost Tracks / The Last Standing Man" is a two-disc collection
of energetic, otherwise unavailable AOR that richly deserves an audience.
Although both albums have the unique soul of (last standing) mainman
Jerry Hludzik and Dakota, and they form a coherent set, each disc tells
its own story. "Lost Tracks" is a revision of the now-obsolete
"Mr. Lucky" album, a from-the-vaults set that exposes cuts
from the mid-'80s through the mid/late-'90s. Given the sizable transitions
that Dakota experienced in that span --prominently including the departure
of co-founder/singer Bill Kelly and the emergence of keyboardist Rick
Manwiller and guitarist Jon Lorance-- the album is understandably a
bit of a mixed bag. Nonetheless, it's an impressive bag, grounded in
both the intimate AOR-pop of Dakota's early albums and the harder pomped
professionalism of their late-'90s material. Although Kelly's soaring
vocals only occasionally appear, and some tunes have a dated or demo-ish
feel, the songs reflect the craft and power at Dakota's core. Highlights
range from sweet, intimate tones (the uptempo drive of "Believin',"
the Nashville-tinted ballad "All Through The Night" and midtempo
pop of "These Eyes") to driving hard rock (the bouncy, '80s-soundtrack-ready
hard pop of "Mr. Lucky," the pomped intensity of "Heaven
Or Hell"). Throughout, the songs resonate with Dakota soul, the
unifying force behind every Dakota disc, and despite its motley origins,
"Lost Tracks" is a worthy listen and a solid bridge to the
excellence that would follow. The first shot of ensuing excellence was
the superb "The Last Standing Man." Released nearly 15 years
after Dakota's previous proper album, the energized and criminally overlooked
"Runaway" outing, "Last Standing Man" shows Hludzik
and his cohorts embracing the more pomp-touched, harder-edged sound
hinted at on "Lost Tracks." The result was a tight set of
catchy, dramatic melodic rock that immediately re-established Dakota
at the genre's forefront. "Last Standing" incorporated elements
of harder-edged Survivor, mid-'80s Little River Band, .38 Special's
refined southern rock, and a whisper of new country twang into the unique
Dakota soul. Sporting smart solos, beautiful harmonic construction,
and top-flight musicianship, the band's keyboards and power chords rock
hard yet sweet on highlights like the visceral, pulsing "Hot Nights,"
the southern flavored "Mama Teach", the dark, Michael Stanley-ish
"Only Game In Town," the gripping ballad "Struggles With
The Heart," and many other gems. For classic rock and AOR fans
alike, it is a magnificent discovery, and for Dakota fans, it is a sensational
return. Each of the two discs in "Lost / Last" comes with
bonus cuts unavailable on their previous European releases. The bonuses
on "Last Standing Man" are solid but not quite compelling
enough to require casual fans who own the old version to upgrade to
the new release. The bonuses on "Lost Tracks," however, are
absolutely wonderful (if demo-feeling) discoveries in the proto-pomp
feel of Prism, early Shooting Star, etc. For fans of the genre, this
is a truly outstanding twin-disc collection, and its fan-friendly pricing
makes it an outstanding value as well. Do not miss out. --------------------
Dakota Deep 6
Description: Authentic, classic AOR energy Score: 86 Four years
after their strong "Little Victories" set, Jerry Hludzik
and his bandmates return with the memorable melodic glory and unique
Dakota soul of "Deep 6." Although it feels very similar
to "Victories" in its organic core melodicism --it fuses
Dakota's classic, rootsy foundation with polished westcoast smoothness,
midwestern grit, Nashville-tinted AOR, and smartly understated pomp
ambition-- it is more consistently energized and compelling than its
predecessor. Its title must be ironic, too, because there are no throwaways
on "Deep 6"; highlights include the streamlined hard AOR
of "Brothers In Arms," the moody, vulnerable "Back
To Me," the unleashed, full-spectrum rock energy of "Eye
Of The Storm," the hard-drivin' cool of "The Ride,"
the bristling intensity of "Not So Much In Love" and "Luck,
Time & Mind," and the ultimately hooky summation of the title
track. Despite its instantly appealing tunes and graceful emotional
power, "Deep 6" is not as striking or groundbreaking a melodic
rock statement as the best of Dakota's past, 1984's criminally underappreciated
cult classic, "Runaway," and 1998's long-awaited, outstanding
return, "The Last Standing Man." In a genre crowded with
faux-arena ambition and soulless modern rehash, however, "Deep
6" is a profoundly welcome return to the melodicism that made
AOR great in the first place. It is about songcraft, not bluster or
contrivance, and for fans who appreciate pomp-touched pop/rock authenticity,
"Deep 6" merits a number of deep listens.
Thank you very much for sharing your music
with me! It was great to hear both the evolution of the Dakota sound
and the consistency of what I wound up calling the "unique Dakota
Soul" at the roots of all your work. As the reviews indicate,
I enjoyed all the albums very much, although in fairness, I personally
like "Last Standing Man" ;"Runaway" and "Deep6".
:-) I hope you find the reviews worthy, and please be in touch any
time. Thank you!
A Brief History of Dakota
by: Rick Manwiller, Dakota Keyboardist and Unofficial Historian
The strange saga of Dakota begins WAY back in the early 70's in Northeast
Pa., with a band called The Buoys and a million-selling single called
Timothy. The song, written by Rupert Holmes (The Pina Colada Song),
was supposedly about the local Sheppton mine disaster, during which
cannibalism was rumored to have occurred. Years later, another Holmes
song, Give Up Your Guns, became a European hit and is still played
on Euro-radio to this day. The band was spearheaded by lead singer/guitarist
Bill Kelly, and also featured Jerry Hludzik on guitar and vocals.
The two eventually broke off from the group to form The Jerry-Kelly
Band , using members from popular local bands. Thanks to the efforts
of long-time friend Michael "Dad" Stahl , (who was working
for Claire Brothers Audio, doing house mix for the band Chicago) drummer
Danny Seraphine and Rufus keyboardist Hawk Wolinski got a hold of
a demo tape from the guys, and signed them to Columbia Records to
record Somebody Else's Dream , the first and only Jerry-Kelly album.
When it was time for the next Columbia release, the label felt it
was time for a name change (I believe one comment was that the name
'Jerry-Kelly' sounded too much like the Irish Rovers). Drummer Gary
Driscoll had left the band (and sadly, a few years later was murdered
in an apparent case of mistaken identity) and producers Seraphine
and Wolinksi had chosen John Robinson (also of Rufus, and quickly
becoming one of the top studio session drummers in the world) to play
drums for the now-drummer-less band. Rumor has it that John actually
was the one who suggested the name Dakota, which Columbia thought
was a great name. Therefore, it stuck... ...and Dakota was born. The
first release yielded a regional hit across the country called If
It Takes All Night (regional hit means that some radio stations played
it, and most didn't). Michael Stahl was now working with a band called
Queen, who were touring to support their album The Game. Michael worked
his 'schmooze magic' once again, and Dakota wound up getting the nod
to be the opening act, and a 35-date tour ensued. The band now consisted
of Jerry Hludzik and Bill Kelly on guitars, Bill McHale on bass, Jeff
Mitchell on keyboards, Lou Cossa on keys and guitar and new drummer
Tony Romano. All sang but Tony, and the overall vocal sound was quite
superb. ( Jerry and Brian May became fast friends.) At the time of
the Queen tour , Columbia was feuding with Chicago, and the association
with Danny Seraphine led to Dakota basically getting NO tour support.
When it was over, it was "back to the bars" to start over.
The crew at the time was Tom Cush /road manager/drum tech, Mike Keating
/house mix and Dave "Waddy" Skaff /monitor mix/guitar &
keyboard tech. Tom is now a big-time stock broker, Dave is out on
tour with various name artists (U2, Steve Miller, etc.) and Mike (who
does the main mix for Sting) took 1996 honors as Performance Magazine's
"Live Soundman of the Year." Around the same time, in nearby
Reading, Pa., Rick Manwiller was in a progressive rock band with guitarist
Eric Rudy and drummer Spyro Sbilis, called Steph. Steph broke up in
late 1981, and Rick heard through the grapevine that Northeast Pa.
recording band Dakota was auditioning. He joined in early 1982. Less
than a year later, he was off to Hollywood with Dakota to record Runaway
(MCA-5502) , on the MCA/Full Moon label, engineered by Humberto Gatica,
and produced by 'Hummy' and Danny Seraphine. Band drummer Tony Romano
had left the group prior to the sessions, and Danny gladly pitched
in and played drums on the album (also appearing on the album as players
were guitarists Richie Zito and Paul Jackson, bassist Neal Steubenhouse,
Rolling Stones sax-man Ernie Watts, Chicago singer Bill Champlin and
Toto keyboardist Steve Porcaro). The bar scene had become quite taxing
to the band members, and everyone decided to get away for a while:
Jerry and Bill were doing their acoustic duo around NE Pa.; and Rick
Manwiller and Bill McHale had skipped town to Bermuda to do their
duo routine. Around the same time, another local band, Synch, was
starting to write original music. Band leader Jimmy Harnen had, along
with a friend, written a pop balled called Where Are You Now? . Jimmy
was a big fan of Dakota, and wanted Bill and Jerry to get involved
with the recording of a Synch EP. When Bill McHale officially left
Dakota, Jerry convinced Jimmy to also hire Rick to help out with the
Synch project. Rick actually wound-up co-producing and arranging Where
Are You Now?, recorded at The Warehouse in Philadelphia. The song
entered the Billboard Hot 100 Chart at 77, and eventually climbed
into the Top Ten (more on that later.) When Runaway was set for release
in July, 1984, Jerry, Bill and Rick started assembling a band to tour
with. Syracuse drummer Robbie Spagnoletti was chosen, along with Tom
Navagh on bass. Tom was later replaced with Robbie's friend, bassist
Jim Fricano. This was the official 1984-5 lineup, but through the
usual bad luck/bad politics syndrome that followed (it has since been
re-dubbed "The Dakota Curse"), the Runaway album never got
the proper promotion, and it 'withered on the vine'. As did the live
tour... Jerry, Bill, and Rick decided they could only afford to maintain
the nucleus of the band as a trio, and Rick's drum machine (affectionately
dubbed "Dexter") was incorporated into the pseudo-4-piece
band. (Dexter went on to become the most used drummer in NE Pa, playing
on literally hundreds of studio sessions, by dozens of artists. He
is currently in retirement at Rick's house, where he is used to "stud"
small rhythm boxes). During this time, Jerry and Rick built Closet
Studios in Rick's house, a small but high-quality 16-track facility,
actually inside a walk-in closet. They also began to establish themselves
as quality songwriting partners, as Bill became involved in non-musical
things on his own. 1987 brought about the inevitable, as Dakota played
what the band thought would be it's final performance at Scranton's
Montage Amphitheatre , in front of roughly 17,000 loyal fans. Despite
3 acts on the bill, it's safe to say that most of those people were
there to see Dakota- a fact Tommy Conwell unfortunately found out
too late (but he WAS a good sport about it). As a final tribute, the
three remaining members created a local release, Lost Tracks , several
tracks from which got large amounts of airplay on local radio, particularly
the pop ballad All Through the Night , which spent 7 solid weeks on
the Top 5 request list. Almost the entire album was done at (or perhaps
in) Closet Studios. Bill Kelly eventually moved to Nashville, and
is currently playing as guitar player/singer with Canadian artist
Charlie Major. Jerry and Rick decided to try something new, and Rick's
old friend, guitarist Eric Rudy (from Steph) was brought in to play
and sing, forming the new band, Secret City . Meanwhile, Jerry and
Rick also experimented with writing country music, and once again
Michael Stahl was instrumental with connections, and they wound up
getting the Oak Ridge Boys to record two of the songs. This led to
them eventually landing a deal as staff writers at MCA Nashville.
In 1989, Jimmy Harnen's song Where Are You Now? experienced a major
resurgence, and wound up rocketing up the Billboard charts, landing
at #10 on the Top 100 , and #3 on the Adult Contemporary Chart (now
Jerry, Bill and Rick were the producers of a Top 10 U.S. single.)
Jerry, Rick and Eric from Secret City joined guitarist Jon Lorance
(from Synch II) and drummer Joe Bennish to form Jimmy's backup band,
doing a small tour that played Sarasota, Fla. and Springfield, Mass.,
amongst other venues. Secret City's need for a "real" drummer
soon became evident, and Robbie Spagnoletti was once again added to
the line-up. Eric Rudy eventually left, and was replaced by Jon Lorance,
or "JL" (from Synch & Jimmy Harnen). Within a few months,
Robbie had decided to get out of bands for a while, and Dexter manned
the drum seat again. Secret City lasted till around 1992, when Rick
Manwiller decided to "go solo", and headed to ST. Thomas,
USVI for the summer, then a 4-month European tour over the winter
(sounds backwards, doesn't it? Well, it was...) Rick also recorded
a solo album, another fine Mesozoic (which got several rave reviews
in print.) Jerry and JL put together a country band called Pony Express
(with ex-Dakota member Lou Cossa), as well as an acoustic duo. Later,
a rock band was formed called Little Big , with rock singer Josette
Miles (Josette later recorded an album for Escape Music, LTD, produced
by Jerry and engineered by Rick.) In March of 1994, Jerry started
to get feedback from across Europe that Dakota, despite spotty support
in the states over the years, was a well-known and well-respected
band there, and he eventually singed a deal with Escape Music to re-release
a slightly modified Lost Tracks as Mr. Lucky (ESM-005) . The resulting
success of the new release led to Jerry contacting Rick Manwiller
to start writing together again, and put together today's version
of the band. Jerry sings and plays bass, Rick handles keyboards, Jon
Lorance plays guitar, and Jerry's son Eli plays drums. The Mr. Lucky
album paved the way for The Last Standing Man (a reference to Jerry,
the only remaining original member of Dakota), and the CD was released
across Europe in September '97 and in Japan in February '98. Encouraged
by the success of The Last Standing Man in Europe and Japan, Dakota
went to work on their next studio project, Little Victories . Released
in 2000, Dakota again found success overseas. Dakota is currently
in the studio, working on their sixth album. The as-yet-untitled album
will feature founding member Bill Kelly on several tracks. Editor's
Note: The above-mentioned sixth album has been finished. Entitled,
Deep 6 , the album was released in December, 2003.
Dakota Interview May-2004
Let me tell you at once - I'm VERY found of nearly everything Dakota
has done in the past! Their 2000 release "Little Victories"
is among my all time favorites. Again here in 2004 and their brand
new record "Deep 6" is an elegant mixture of AOR and West
Coast music will appeal to every music lover from fans of Chicago
i.e. on tracks like "Right this minute" to hard rock fans
of REO Speedwagon and others on tracks like "Eye of the Storm"
and "Shut up and drive". Since 1971 when vocalist/bassist/guitarist
Jerry G. Hludzik (nowadays only original member) and co-founder Bill
Kelly teamed up first under the name The Buoys they have made this
intelligent cocktail - but it was in 1978 they made the foundation
to Dakota as Jerry/Kelly with their selftitled debut. Since then one
of their highlights was their 1984 released "Runaway" and
I caught them first with their "Lost tracks" which became
"Mr. Lucky" on Escape Music i 1997. This was a triumphant
return after 10 years abcense with Hludzik as only remaining member
- he teamed up with the current line up of Rick Manwiller (who actually
has been in the band since 1981) on guitar, keyboards and vocals,
Jon Lorace on guitars and vocals and Eli Hludzik on drums. I have
talked to Jerry G. Hludzik - but Rick Manwiller has also a few words
to say: The Interview: Q: You have just released a new CD under the
Dakota moniker called "Deep 6 and it got pretty good reviews
all over the Internet Community - What is the story about the CD this
time? A: Jerry: Well 1st of all we are very happy the way Deep 6 is
being received world-wide but this one took us on a very crazy journey!
Rick had called me to find out if I was ready to give it a go again,
which was strange to begin with cause I m the one who is always bending
his ear phoning him up saying come on let s do this. Once we started
to assemble the tunes we both thought it would go smoothly wrong.
We had equipment go bad in the studio due to the summer heat and I
had to drive 3 hours 1 way to get there -It was not fun. Needless
to say the summer of 2002, we sort of walked backwards. We resumed
in the fall and things were going well until end of December. I was
in a car accident and out of commission for 8months then it was back
to working on the record however along comes Jon - our guitar player,
he too was in a bad accident...and He still had 3 more gtr traxs to
finish. Are you sort of getting a feel for this comedy of errors??
Luckily Jon mended after a few months and we were once again back
to work on DEEP 6. We finally finished tracking, but in the middle
of mixing, Rick got a travel sound- mixing job with a new country
music star Jimmy Wayne. It would have been good, if the timing was
compatible but it wasn t. Rick was gone for weeks at a time, and production
was once again on hold. Eli who lives 10 hours away,had also been
touring extensively with his jazz funk fusion band Ray s Music Exchange.
Finally in April of 2003, we found a window to schedule him and the
studio to do his drum traxs. IT WAS THE ALBUM FROM HELL!!!! It didn
t want to be finished! Total time from start to finish 18 months----We
recorded and mixed the DAKOTA self titled for CBS in Canada/ 1980
in 4 weeks! But all kidding aside- it was a labor of love. I learned
a lot about myself on this one, especially patience. When it was time
to walk away from it, I felt good - we did our best. Q: The album
"Deep 6" has been several years in the making - I remember
your last release Little Victories very well and have expected this
album very anxiously. How do you see the newest album compared to
your last one? A: Jerry: Yes now that I listen back to Little Victories,
Deep 6 is more Classic Melodic AOR Rock/with big hooks that hopefully
you ll walk away from and remember...this is just the way they came
out. We ve always listened to vocal bands with good harmony melodic
structure and chourses that can be remembered longer than 3 minutes
after the song is over. I hope "Deep 6" is to the ear as
I described it. Q: Can you describe the work process doing this new
album? How did it start? In my opinion Deep 6 has a more sharper edge
than some of your previous work...? A: Rick: We are pretty happy with
Deep 6 , particularly since we did this one pretty much "in-house"
at Closet Studios, our own facility. Everything on the record was
tracked there, except that we did the drums at Sound Investments,
where we usually do the entire Dakota records. We had some experimenting
to do on this one that we couldn't do at someone else's facility,
we've have gone broke. So we pretty much took the budget and upgraded
our own studio. As I said, we recorded the drums at S.I.R., and we
used 2" analog tape for the sound, then we dumped it into the
Closet Studios digital system (we use Nuendo) and started overdubbing.
To be honest, it wasn t that easy - Jerry and I had outlined the songs
in demo form, using sampled drums. But a lot of the keys and guitars
we did for the demos were useable for the final mixes, because I always
track at 48K/24bit, even for rough ideas. So, once we had the rhythm
tracks pretty tight, Eli came into the picture, and he actually played
his drums to the tracks - not an easy trick, as any drummer out there
will attest to. But we knew he could do it, because he had done well
with that approach years before, as far back as Mr. Lucky, where we
had him track a live kit for an alternate European version of the
title track. Mixing was done all-digital, using no outboard gear at
all - only using great plugins. Not that I have anything against hardware
processing - some of it is the best stuff there is. But the studio
isn t set up for a lot of outboard processing, and (b) I was forced
to do some pre-mixing and mix experimentation on airplanes and such,
and I needed to keep it as digital-domain as possible. Yes, we wanted
it to rock. But I don t think it s in the arrangements as much as
the writing, because we also wanted the keyboards more dominant than
on Little Victories. So, I guess we managed to get more rocked out,
yet still bring out the keys as well. JL always rocks, no matter what's
around him And Eli- well lets just say we all know whose driven the
bus! Q: How do you see the CD's chance on a very complex market of
today? To me "Deep 6" is a scholar example of how to do
an album right in the middle of the west-coast genre and half way
to the more edgier AOR genre. You can do the very complex vocal work
as well as the more straightforward guitar-slinger-job... A: Jerry:
Although it s been getting good press so to speak, with a style of
music that is for the taste of only a cross-section of world-wide
listeners (and you all know who you are) it s a constant up-hill battle.
The industry that we once knew when we were on the artist roster @
CBS and MCA has vaporized! It s up to the bands that make the music,
fans of the music, the Web-sites and magazines like yours, that keeps
the machine oiled and running. We re all not winning the race, but
at least were all still in the race thru sheer love of what we all
do for this it s worth it don t you agree? Rick: Yes I agree this
time we by accident, might of just found the right nitch I d like
to say it was sheer genious but it wasn t. This is just the way the
songs took shape this time. We sort of have a plan but we let the
songs themselves dictate to us where they want to go. After that we
just put the icing on the cake so to speak. Q: What are your main
influences in music? I'm as mentioned not a hard-core connoisseur
of westcoast rock, but I can see and hear influences from Steely Dan
to Mr. Mister is that a useful observation? A: Jerry: Your pretty
much on the money with that. We all loved and listened to Mr. Mister
and Steely Dan and still do it was part of our landscape. We were
making records for major US labels but that didn t stop us from rooting
for other groups that we admired. My admiration goes farther back
than that to my roots of Beatles Hollies CSN Eagles. And as much as
you try to or say that your are original You know the old saying you
are what you eat, but it s good eating!!! Q: The westcoast genre as
well the more melodic genres - as AOR, has suffered from less attention
the last 5 years, but I think I can sense a certain optimism nowadays
with new record companies, lots of websites, and lots of discussion
groups on the Internet - how do you see the genre? A: Jerry: I feel
also lately there s been a swing towards a forward motion and a much
needed push for this genre of music. The world needs it back. I think
a lot of people can t stand what the music scene has become, at least
in the USA. If everyone can hold on- just do what there doing to preserve
it, we can win small battles enough to make everyone happy. Do I think
it will be as strong as it once was? I d like to say yes but, I think
it will never happen in our life-time! Q:You have chosen to take care
of the distribution an releasing yourself as an independent band how
come? A:We were very close to a deal with FRONTIERS in Italy. We liked
what direction the label was headed and thought Dakota would be a
great fit .however in the final tweaking of the terms, we respectfully
declined. We look forward to down the road, having an oppourtunity
to work with them on a Dakota project in the future. We are also now
in talks with a few Japaneese labels about a "Deep 6" licensing
deal for an early fall release Q:How about Dakota - the band? What
are you up to these days? And how about a tour in the future for Dakota?
Have you ever been to Europe? Do have plans for that in the future?
A:Jerry: Plans for new studio album spring summer of 2005 and Dakota
best of Volume 1 Rick and I also talked about each wanting to do solo
projects. Very very busy! At the moment we are working the telephones
and the internet, with radio play, magazines etc to promote DEEP 6
. We ve also discussed possible touring again for the 1st time in
years..this would be fun. Right now we are all off doing other things
but always close enough that if something breaks, were ready to go.
Yes I really believe that touring europe is right around the corner
- always have. We ve now built up a catalog of songs and enough of
a following in Europe, that I think it s definitely do-able. Promoters
of Europe did you hear that? Anyone who likes our style of music should
know we were always a better live band than a studio band (and I think
we ve made some pretty good records). And I think that we re not too
shabby of singers either. With all the material to pick from - and
trust me - we re very good live can you imagine? The band is very
powerful live it always was. We ve always takin pride in that. We
toured with a lot of bands back then but ONLY in the states. There
was talk of Dakota also doing the European leg of the tour but we
just did the USA . BUT since I m on the subject of Queen.... Now this
was big time rock and roll. I could tell you stories that would curl
up your toes but I ll be tight lipped for now. All in all Queen s
entire organization was top notch- they treated us like part of the
show not just the opening act. One little flash ... I remember in
Detroit after doing their video of Another one bites the Dust They
all (including Freddy.. it was only a cymbal on a stand but) helped
us and our crew carry some equipment From the back of the stage to
the front so we could do a sound check. This was definetly a moment!!!
However about being in Europe... in 1997 Bill Kelly and I were in
Holland a weeks worth of radio and television promo. One of the shows
was called Top Pop. I still have the video footage. One of the gems
that is in consideration of DVD released stuff. We stayed in Hilvershum
and spent time in Amsterdam @ EMI records-and yes I was also informed
by Hans Beljjard of AORDreamzones that "Give Up Your Guns"
is on the top 100 of all times charts in the Netherlands @ 50! Thanks
to Radio Veronica all those years ago. It s pretty amazing. Plans
are ..... if the band doesnt go the touring route, lately I've been
missing the live thing ...so I just may pack my bags, acoustic guitar
and head for Europe for a few weeks. I think by now i can find some
audiences. What do you think? Q: I have already reserved a ticket
- just give me a date and a place... Thank you very much for your
time. I hope that Dakota will find a special spot on the music map
of today - good luck to you and your band! Steen Peitersen Thank you
Steen Peitersen and Peitersen.com for all the support you've given
Dakota over the years we really appreciate it! Jerry G. Hludzik/Dakota
April, 2004
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