Compositions and such
Musical selections, archived for posteriority…
New stuff is listed here as it’s added.
The Good Old Days
Back in the late ’70s I played bass and sang for an L.A. dance band called Giant City.
A couple different times.
We toured various disco venues like The Red Onion, Big Daddy’s/Flanagan’s, Filthy McNasty’s and others. The group went through various personnel lineups that always centered around the three-man horn section of Brian, Jay and (not Silent) Bob, plus my brother Tony on lead guitar and vocals. The band had a series of keyboardists, bassists, rhythm guitarists, drummers (including Brian Malouf – we were the ‘noted L.A. based rock and roll band’ he rarely mentions by name), and even a katana-wielding lead vocalist for a while.
Some of the guys back in the L.A. area still get together for the Giant City brunch each year, which is pretty remarkable, as it’s now been 30 years since we toured the Southland playing the latest disco stuff – along with as much Tower of Power, Earth Wind and Fire and original music as we could get away with.
The Giant City name was actually stolen from an early-’70s Chicago area band that included phenomenal vocalist Al Lathan, trombonist Andy Foertsch, guitarist Bill Waidner and others. They changed their name to Aura when they got a record deal (UPDATE: See below for links to the Aura album!!). As frequent readers here know, there’s also a weblog called giantcity, and I recently learned that there’s a new band called Giant City now – a New Orleans style dixieland jazz band, unrelated to us or the original as far as I can tell – down in Austin, TX.
Anyway, here are a few selections from the repertoire back in those days. Some are from demo tapes done when we were shopping for a record deal. Others were recorded live on stage (so they sound like it!). All of ‘em are old, so my apologies for the high-freq breakdown, sampling artifacts, etc. Brian had a significant hand in the production of most of these, by the way. No surprise that he’s gone on to be one of the more successful engineers / producers / A&R guys in the industry. Click Here for a playlist of the songs in this section or click on the individual titles to hear them.
“Remastered” Tracks
Some of the tracks listed below have been nominally restored using SONAR and the bundled Vintage Channel VC-64 mastering and Sonitus:fx Compressor and Reverb plug-ins. Go here for the listing. The cassette tape artifacts haven’t been corrected, but a lot of the mud has been removed. In some cases the tape hiss may have been enhanced a little, but it’s a small price to pay for the improvement in clarity on selections like Fly Away (where you can now hear the horns more clearly) and Tell Me Lies (which I’d somehow omitted when I first ripped this stuff from the CDs created by Bob). Enjoy!
You’re the Only One
Written and sung by Tony. Some nice vocals in this. Also nice horns.
Wouldn’t Wanna Be Like You
Cover of the old Alan Parsons tune from the third demo – Tony singing lead vocals. I’m glad I have this on CD, as there’s an absolutely rippin’ guitar solo by Tony through the last couple minutes of the track. Yeah. He was up there.
Fly Away
Another ballad written and sung by Tony. Note that the big band horn sound you hear near the end of this track was done by just three guys, overlaying tracks with an array of different instruments. Combined, the horn section played an impressive array of saxes (all of them), flute, clarinet, trombone, trumpet, flugelhorn… you name it. Remembering how full those horns sounded back then, it really breaks my heart that the sound quality on this track has suffered so over the years.
Good Things
Live recording during a rehearsal of the very first time we ever attempted this one (which is why the vocals kind of come and go). Written by me in a Steely Dan phase, I suppose. This was supposed to be a kind of show opener, so it talks about some of the other tunes we did. At the end you hear the beginning of one of our first times through Seems To Me, which follows below. (Visitors from OC – missing from this recording is the 45 minute “discussion” Brian and I had over music-theory-based vs. seat-of-the-pants songwriting.)
Seems To Me
From the second demo. Bob (bassplayer Bob, not saxplayer Bob) wrote this and it’s also one of my favorites. He fell ill during the recording sessions and I had to learn the bass part the night we recorded the rhythm tracks. This is me singing – back when I could still almost split wood with my voice. Sure miss those good old days!
Late A Lot Sooner
Just for fun. This one’s also by bassplayer Bob – now a music teacher at an L.A. area magnet school. Bob and Tony singing.
Say Something Right
Another one by bassplayer Bob? All these years later, you know, I just don’t remember. Fun tune, though!
Update: See Bob’s comment below (sorry for the delay on that, B).
Oh Money!
Brian M’s lament about money. Me singing. Our first demo track ever, I believe.
Shakin’ Me
Another Brian M tune. Tony singing. Nice rocker.
All I Wanna Do
Great rocker written and sung by Tony. Not hard to tell this was back when Chicago was popular, eh?
Some Additional Giant City Selections
In no particular order – some of these were recorded ‘live’, some studio…
Close to the Edge
The Game is On / Where’d You Go
Just Another Way
Just Turn Away
Girls Like You
Land of the Broken Hearts
Let It Grow
Livin’ A Dream
Reckless Child
The Answer’s In The Music
The Same Old Thing
Welcome Into My Heart
Wizards
Score / Soundtrack Stuff
These were all done with various computer-based orchestration programs like Voyetra’s Orchestrator, Cakewalk’s SONAR, etc. Ultimately they were recorded using SONAR and a Roland Super JV-1080 synthesizer. Click Here for a playlist of the songs in this section.
The March Home
This was a ‘treatment’ sort of thing I was going to submit as a theme for an anime-style kid’s game. Just for fun.
T.V. Show Theme
Playing around with a 30-45 second theme that might have fit a 1970′s version Leave It To Beaver. Or something.
Jefferson
Very rough mix of a theme that kept running through my head for an online graphic novel based on Thomas Jefferson’s later years, inspired by a visit to Monticello. The music materialized after a while. The novel is still trapped in my head.
Just Guitar and Vocals
In ’92 my wife went in for surgery and a short hospital stay. These are some songs I was playing back in those days. I recorded them at a local studio and put them on tape so she’d have them to listen to. She was always bugging me to play. Still does, though I guess I’ve gotten lazy as time’s gone by. Click Here for a playlist of the songs in this section.
Lifetimes
This was written for a “B” horror flick back in 1979 called “Haunted”. Reincarnation was a running theme in the movie. The song appears in numerous forms throughout the movie. Still waiting for my ASCAP royalties on this one.
BeginningEndings
An attempt at structured lyrics from 1990. Life’s ups and downs.
Two Voices
Song as an analog of spirit, I think. In the movie Phenomenon, the character George Malley talks briefly about Aspen groves – how a grove is actually interconnected by a complex, interconnected root system. And what appears to be numerous individual trees is actually all one enormous plant that lives for decades – sometimes centuries. I’ve always thought that was a nice analogy for the human spirit, and I’ve definitely felt that connectedness, from time to time, as part of a vocal group (or just two voices).
Falling
Yes, this one really needs some backup instruments or added orchestration. I’ll get to it someday. In the meantime, this is what happens when you meet the Love of your Life.
Love the One You’re With
Old Stephen Stills tune. Used to play this in the stairwell at language school when I first bought the 12-string you hear here (Monterey, 1973).
Giant City / Aura
We finally located a copy of the Aura album (vinyl, 1971) and I spent some time extracting MP3s from it. 36 years later – they still rock! Click Here for a playlist of the songs in this section.
Listen To Me
No Opportunity Needed, No Experience Necessary
Song of Everything
Show Me The Way
Truckin’
Life Is Free
Can You Imagine
Cross-Eyed Eagle
November 8th, 2008 at 1:22 pm
I have searched for this Aura album for years. One of my favorite bands from the 70′s, that no one seems to remember. I saw them live in about 1972 and their music and performance left a lasting impression on me. Any help in finding a copy of this would be greatly appreciated
November 8th, 2008 at 4:29 pm
Heh-heh! With regard to “Say Something Right,” Brian M put the words in my mouth in return for me putting them into his head. The inspiration for his song, he told me, was found somewhere in the chronic tale of woe I made him listen to whenever we carpooled from The Valley. Poor guy. Those dramatic days feel as if they were somebody else’s story now.
Thanks for putting these tracks up, Ron. That’s another item on my own list of things to do that I can scratch off now.
Keep writing, be well, and keep me updated with new music postings. It’s great fun to listen to what you are up to.
My latest ditty is a “period piece” to accompany the student drama running currently at school http://vimeo.com/2166306 . The quotes are more than a bit too obvious, but the director is happy with that.
b2
December 16th, 2008 at 3:29 pm
[...] Compositions and such [...]
January 15th, 2009 at 4:43 am
My cousin is Bill Waidner the guitarist from Aura. He and I janned recently (It was a great treat to play with him). He’s still got chops. Will show him the website and see if we can add something from a real member. The bass player went on to play with the Flock (I think).
January 15th, 2009 at 4:54 pm
Cool! It’d be great to hear from Bill. He likely wouldn’t remember unless he happened to catch the name of the band, but he and I spoke briefly when we auditioned at a club in L.A. where his band was playing at the time. I’m sure I grilled him on whatever happened with Giant City / Aura, the record deal and the rest of the guys. Having only ever seen him on stage in Chicago in 1971-72, it was pretty weird running into him in L.A. years later. This would’ve been around 1977-ish, I think.
June 16th, 2009 at 7:07 pm
Finally found your website. Thanks for the good words. The band was a great ride and some of us are still in touch. BTW, most of us hated the name “Aura” but Mercury made us change it for a real BS reason. Jerry Goodman was in the Flock before he was with us. Last I heard, and this is old news, he had something to do with Hohner but I don’t know what. There weren’t too many copies of the album made, I think only about 10,000, if that many. I have linked my page to your site so that people, where I live now, Florida, can listen. There’s also a web page on My space, “horn rock heaven” that has one of our tunes and 100′s from different bands of our era, They’re writing a book and going to do a bit about us. Peace
June 16th, 2009 at 9:37 pm
Hey Andy – great to hear from you!
June 21st, 2009 at 1:39 am
[...] can actually hear it. The SONAR software program has been great for that, since you can write entire orchestral MIDI compositions using something called a “piano roll” that gives you a graphical representation of the [...]
September 18th, 2009 at 11:48 pm
Just a Heads up…. Aura/Giant City/For Days and a Night will be doing a reunion at this venue on 11/22 along with other Chicago Bands of the era
http://www.chicagopopfestival.com/index.php
October 10th, 2009 at 6:00 pm
i think this album is ok not great im a little more picky than most. i do love the brass horn rock from the 60′s and 70′s and there isnt enough of it. this album along with gas mask – their first album 1970 need to be released on cd. Enjoy
October 25th, 2009 at 4:23 pm
AURA was the best band to see live back in the day, bar none. Mercury FUBAR’d the mastering of that record, which shoulda been a big hit. I will ABSOLUTELY be at the reunion!!! Peace.
SM (keyboards-Ides Of March)
November 27th, 2009 at 8:05 pm
Hi just got a copy of Aura’s lp form a yard sale. Played it and was happy I bought this one. did a search for more info and found your site .thanks for info
December 11th, 2009 at 1:58 pm
I managed Aura way back in the 70′s. they truly were a great band!
I am thrilled to see that after almost 40 years, people still are enjoying their music. It was great to see postings from Andy and Bill and to learn that the band is getting together for some reunion performances. I would love to learn if all the guys still are in Chicago.
I moved to Los Angeles in the 1980′s. I stayed in contact with Jerry Smith (bass player. BTW, he was in the Flock, prior to Aura) but over time lost contact with him as well.
December 28th, 2009 at 3:31 pm
I was in the Mauds (later morphed into Flash) during the same era. I knew Giant City/Aura in Chicago. Good band…knew Bill Waidner and George Gonzales (bass) and Al Lathan and Sam Alessi (I think these names were all in the band…maybe I’m cross-referencing several bands here, like the Soul Machine).