The piece I'm talking about is the Pete Englehart "Reco Reco." It makes a nice hand held instrument but how I like to use it is mounted on my drumset just to the left of the hi hat. It looks like two cowbells welded together with a small spring and a large spring stretched between the top edges. I play the large spring with my stick like a ride cymbal. It makes a great quiet but noisy sound in a rock context, sort of like riding on a small crash cymbal but not as polite. It also has dangerous-piano type vibe. I don't use it for loud rock gigs because it doesn't cut through volume wise and the one time I did try it I ended up denting the bell. So I only use it for low volume gigs and recording mostly. I like it because it's very different but still musical sounding.
Since leaving Blue Oyster Cult in 1982 I made a solo album for Columbia Records, went back with BOC for 2 weeks in 1985, wrote songs and played and recorded with Robert Gordon, wrote and recorded one last BOC album for Columbia in 1988, played oldies shows with Spencer Davis, Mammas & Papas, Peter Noone, Lou Christy etc.., produced a bunch of groups for Roadrunner, Atlantic and Megaforce Records, went back to school and got my BA in music in 1990.
I formed the Brain Surgeons with Deborah Frost, Billy Hilfiger, Peter Bohovesky and David Hirschberg in 1994. Since then tBS have put out 4 CDs and toured on the East and West coasts of the USA. If you've wondered where we've been lately, Billy was diagnosed with a malignant tumor in December and required the services of brain surgeons with medical, rather than musical, credentials. We're hoping to get back on the road as soon as possible- especially so everyone can hear my new DW kit- the first drums I've ever been excited enough about during my career to endorse. The Brain Surgeons can be found on the web. Check out the Artist Shop at: www.artist_shop.com/cellsum/index.htm
Sound bytes on John Swartz's Post-Op web page: members.aol.com/tbspostop/index.html
And for the very latest news on gigs, etc., the Brain Surgeons page is: www.NovPapyrus.com/bs/
