1. When you recorded Starhand Visions in 1982, was there a particular artist/group that had influenced you? Was there a particular sound that you were going for?

I wanted kind of a mix of Pink Floyd, Journey…, but really I enjoy A LOT of different styles of music and was just happy with the product that came out of those sessions.

2. Other than to mention that your solo CD is a positive listening experience and completely amazing on the headphones, I have a hard time describing it. Can you tell me about some of the other feedback you’ve had?

I can’t explain what happens, but a lot of people who have it are still listening to it now, which is way cool for a songwriter. I even have a few doctors who play it for recovering patients because it seems to touch them in some way.

3. Donnie Iris does some of the background vocals on Starhand. How did that come about?

I was working on recording sessions for a songwriter/friend named James Berk (who wrote Take Good Care of Her Heart and Tell Her I’m Home) and he was using Donnie Iris and Pete Hewlett in the studio on his sessions, so they ended up singing background on those two songs. Also B.E. Taylor who is an artist in his own right. Pete Hewlett used to sing back-ups for Carly Simon and Billy Joel. The keyboard player on those two songs was George Sipl who played with Eric Carmen on all of his stuff.

4. The liner notes on Starhand indicate that six songs were added when the vinyl LP was later made into a CD. Which songs were added, and what is the story behind this?

The Original “Starhand Visions” was released on Direct Disk Labs label in 1982. The songs on that vinyl record were:

The Arrival Theme
The Illusion Poem
Safe From The Light Of Change (song)
Hold On (song)
Marla Star (song)
Would You Say No? (song)
The Essence of You And I
Because Of You (song)
Feel The Fire (song)

The 2 James Berk songs, “Take Good Care Of Her Heart” and “Tell Her I’m Home”, he allowed me to add to the disc to give people more songs and to get his stuff out there. The rest of the material was from another recording project that I was doing titled The Cleveland Project, for lack of a better name.

In 1983 we had Chris Blackwell (President of Island Records…Robert Palmer’s label) come to Cleveland, Ohio to hear us. We were told that we had a record deal, MTV budget, etc…well, somehow 6 weeks later it disappeared. So Suzy (my wife) said, “Ya know, we better start making money now instead of pursuing dreams.”

We had 2 little children at the time. My Michelle who was 3 and Michael who was 1. That was also my third time of recording songs and almost getting an album deal. I should write all of these stories out, because it was every time…and that is a good sign when the industry is at least listening to your stuff. I’ll write it out for you when I have time. (ed note: thanks in advance!)

5. On track 5, Hold On, there is an intro in which a young person says, “Don’t feel bad. No matter how bad things seem to get, they’ll always get better. Just hold on.” Whose voice is this?

That was Melissa Rhemy, who is the daughter of Gary Rhemy who owned Peppermint Recording Studios, where we recorded “Starhand”. She was 3, I think.

6. Do you have any plans for another group or solo CD?

I would very much LOVE to do more recording, and probably do my songs, because when you write songs presented the way they come to you, and if people change them (like when you work with a band) they become different. And so far, I really like what is coming through…

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Gary, thanks again for your time! I can’t wait to hear the rest of the story!
~Michelle~