Tennie Komar

Tennie Komar "Temptation" CD

Written by Joe Viglione

Saturday, 11 July 2009 12:13

Title: Temptation Artist: Komar, Tennie 1)Summer of Love 4:00 Written by Komar, Tennie/Frulla, Yves 2)Temptation 5:14 3)Night On Night Paws 6:29 4)Dance With Me 4:02 5)Passion Play 4:35 6)Hunter With Your Eyes 6:02 7)You Can Do No Wrong 3:16 8)And He Says "Ah" 4:34 9)Savannah LeMar 5:09 10)Light That Would Be 6:01 11)Sweet Baby Darlin' 2:21 After many years in the making with early tracks released on a variety of compilations - "Summer of Love" on Boston Rock & Roll Anthology #15 (1992) a little longer at 4:25 (it's four minutes here), "Savannah LeMar" on Boston Rock & Roll Anthology #8 (1986) with November Group (the music changed dramatically for this CD with new instrumentalists added) and "Dance With Me" on Boston Rock & Roll Anthology #20 (1997) - clocking in at 3:47 (it's longer on the new CD at 4:02), Tennie Komar has released music she created after she left an early incarnation of The Pure Prairie League (called "The East Orange Express") and Tennie Komar & The Silencers (where she was partnered with Spirit Records / HealingSounds.com's Jonathan Goldman). The original tapes were transferred by M-Works (Jonathan Wyner's studio which has worked on the Bowie / Zappa catalogs for Ryko Disc) and then put into the digital domain with new tracks recorded at Boston's Newbury Media (Gold & Platinum albums for film soundtracks, Marky Mark, New Kids On The Block). What's interesting about the new version of "Temptation" is that it has the legendary Buzzy Linhart (Jimi Hendrix, Patti Labelle & The Bluebells, Carly Simon, Bette Midler) on xylophone and Celine Dion's Yves Frulla on keys. Tennie Komar with Buzzy Linhart at Newbury Media in 2007 recording "Temptation" Going Track By Track with Tennie Komar Interview conducted by Joe Viglione on July 12, 2009 GOING TRACK BY TRACK tm is a series which asks the original artist about each and every track on CDs they have released. Gemmzine: Tennie, were these songs from two or three or more sessions and do you remember the original dates? TK: The songs were from 4 separate projects or groups of musicians. Yes, I remember the dates as I have the copyright paperwork for them. The oldest is from "Tennie Komar and the Silencers", "You Can Do No Wrong", sometime between 1979-1980 with the old band. Gemmzine:How does the "Summer Of Love" on 1992's Boston RR Anthology #15 differ from the lead-off track on your Temptation cd? TK: "Summer of Love" is different from the original release on 1992 Boston RR Anthology # 15 as certain synth sounds were deleted and other's added, plus the piano. Also, the original drum machine tracks were deleted and re-produced by Ken at Newbury Media. Otherwise, it's pretty much the same. Gemmzine:Was the title track, Temptation, originally recorded on 16 track at Revere's Euphoria Studios in the 1980s? How did you go from analog to digital? TK: "Temptation" is from one of the six songs written with Yves Frulla, one very cold winter in 1987-1988 in Montreal. The studio was an 8 track over a garage complete with exhaust fumes. The boys were talking in French and I was passed out on a cheap vinyl couch. God know what they were saying. All transfers from tape were arranged by Joe Viglione, upon his requests (at Jonathan Wyner's M-WORKS mastering lab in Cambridge, Massachusetts- editor). Tracks that were "keepers" were lifted with Pro-Tools software by Ken Kanavos. Gemmzine:"Night On Night Paws" originally had members of A & M Recording artist November Group as well as members of RCA Records act Down Avenue. The new version is a dramatic departure from the original? TK: "Night On Night Paws" took a trip back in time to 1938. It still is a dance song but with the horns it's also a swing tune. I told the boys to makes sounds like wild animals. They did! All it took was a 6 pack of beer, too. Gemmzine:"Dance With Me" was co-written by Celine Dion keyboard player Yves Frulla, as was "Summer of Love" and other songs on this album. What did you do with the material, production wise, since originally released in 1997 on Boston RR Anthology #20? TK: "Dance with Me" & "Summer of Love": See answer # 2. "Dance with Me: got a "new bath" with BFD drums, etc. by Ken at Newbury Media. Also, new keyboard tracks and deleted synth tracks. Yves did it all in Las Vegas by internet wave signals before leaving on world tour with Celine. I also re-sang a few vocal lines in Dance. Gemmzine: "Passion Play" seems like an epic composition, what it is about? TK: "Passion Play", sung with Chris Rio, is about a past lifetime lover who comes back into one's life through re-incarnation. It's about 2 people who are destined to love each other again. Gemmzine: "Hunter With Your Eyes" came from the same sessions as "Savannah LeMar" and "Night On Night Paws", yet you've separated all three on this disc...do you feel there is a big artistic change from their original incarnation? TK: "Hunter" & "Night Paws" --yes a big departure from the originals. 1980's tecno-pop-dance hits a horn truck. It got the warmth and in-your-face brass thing going down. Savanah LeMar--I got the musicians from a Greek restaurant in Lowell, MA. It was a painful session but Ken in his genius saved the day. I was in fetal position under the consol. Yes, there is a BIG ARTISTIC change with all the songs because I produced them along with Ken. I told him what I wanted and he added to the sound with his expertise when he thought is was necessary. Gemmzine: Where did you record "You Can Do No Wrong" and what is the statement you are making in context with the other material here? TK:"You Can Do No Wrong" is about sex . . . . I did the vocal in two takes. It's from 30 years ago. We brought in a heavy metal guitar playing and gave him some "downs" to take his edge off. Either way, I still have a lot of testosterone running through my veins. Old men my age run in fear (58 yo). Everything was recorded at Newbury Media. Gemmzine:We usually ask the original artists to explain four of the final songs on the CD - please feel free to give us your random thoughts on the recording, musicianship, philosophy, lyrics or any other aspect of the material you would like to share with our readers TK:The final song: "Sweet Baby Darling", the main song for an unwritten musical that I have had in my mind for 30 years. It's about New Orleans and it's the song of a young woman who misses the man that really did it for her. I lived in New Orleans for 6 months at age 23. I'm lucky I got out alive. But, it was an experience. Thanks for your input on this project, Tennie. Tennie Komar on the cover of Boston Rock & Roll Anthology Vol. #8 (1986) featuring the original version of "Savannah LeMar" with A & M Recording artist November Group providing the backing.

Last Updated on Monday, 13 July 2009 04:21