Richard “Smokey” Taylor - Sorcery
When and where were you born? Are you originally from Los Angeles, CA? What was growing up like for you? When did you first become interested in music and what was it about the guitar that initially fascinated you? Do you have any siblings?
Dallas Texas in 1947. No, I moved there in 1972. I grew up in Rome Italy, Tripoli Libya and London England. When I returned to America I lived in Dallas and got into the Texas Blues scene. I was in the house band for the Fort Worth Cellar. We also played the Cellar circuit which included Dallas and Houston. This is also where ZZ Top got their start. I started playing music when I was 5 and by the time I was 9 I could sight read for 6 instruments. I bought my first guitar in Libya when I as 12. I listened to all the great instrumental guitar bands of that era including Les Paul and the Ventures. No.
What was your local music scene like? Where would you go to see bands perform and who were among some of the first groups you saw live that left an impression on you? When did it dawn on you that music was something you wanted to pursue?
Classical, Middle Eastern and British Pop while I lived overseas. In Texas it was more Texas Blues and a bit of top 40. Like everybody, I saw bands at local clubs. By the time I was 19 I was playing so much I rarely got to see many other bands. Seeing Jimi Hendrix live made me want to become a professional guitar player. Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Cream, Blue Cheer and Deep Purple were also major influences. I was playing clubs and parties by the time I was 15. Looking back, I hadn’t made the leap to becoming a professional musician until I was 19.
Taylor during his high school years (he is to the right).
Did you participate in any other groups prior to Sorcery? When did the band initially start? Was it ‘77, or were you guys putting things together just before that?
I have played with members of Boston, Frank Zappa’s Mothers Of Invention, Vanilla Fudge, Rare Earth and Todd Rundgren’s Nazz. Right before Sorcery, Greg and I were in a band called Legs Diamond in1975. I guess it more, or less began when Greg and I were in Legs Diamond in 1974. Sorcery actually played a few songs from when we were in Legs.
Newspaper clipping from when Legs Diamond played the Whiskey.
Earliest known photo of Sorcery. This is the original lineup with 3 magicians. From left to right: Richie, Greg, Steve, Paul, Kenny, Fritz and Smokey.
How did you initially meet the other guys? What were your first impressions of everyone? When and where did you guys first get together to play and rehearse?
There was a service in LA called the Musicians Contact Service and a newspaper called the Recycler. Quite a few bands got together that way including Motley Crue. In fact, Tommy Lee’s band Suite 19 opened for Sorcery at the Whiskey before he was in The Crue. Greg and I already had worked together and Richie and I hit it off immediately. Both of them shared my love for loud aggressive Heavy Metal. All of us were into being part of something more than just another band. The magic show was something Greg and I came up with independently but our ideas melded perfectly. It was in Norwalk, CA in August of 1975, we had a large warehouse where we could practice not only the music but the entire show.
Sorcery headlining the Whiskey for 2 nights.
What was that experience like as well as the chemistry right off the bat? Tell me about writing as well as recording the tunes that are featured on the band’s first record, ‘Stunt Rock’ at the Warner Bros. studio. A record that eventually became a film as well?
Instant chemistry between the 3 of us. We replaced the drummer with Perry about a year later and he was also a perfect fit. We weren’t just a band, we were and still are family. Those songs were written for our live show over the course of 3 years. The only song written specifically for the movie was Stunt Rocker. The recording process was a real challenge. Not only were we recording, but we were filming the movie at the same time. Not exactly in that order. Brian Trenchard-Smith wrote and directed the movie. He had heard about us and after he saw us live asked us to perform the music and also to appear in the film as ourselves. The soundtrack album was the end result of our collaboration.
How did this all come about and can you walk me through the process of how that all came to be? When and where did recording start and how did the deal with EMI come about? The film wouldn’t be released until ‘81 due to some financial issues, can you tell me about that?
We played all the big clubs in the LA area. We headlined every show including the ones where Van Halen opened for us. Setting up the magic show was a grueling task. It was an all day event followed by performing that night. Once we became established our shows were always sold out. Our fans were what made us. If people don’t like you they don’t bring their friends to see you and you fan base doesn’t grow. It was sold out shows with standing room only wherever we played. EMI released the Stunt Rock soundtrack album for the Australian market in 1978. It was released by Groovy Records the same year for the European Market. Stunt Rock was released worldwide in 1978 with the exception of America. The film was to be distributed by Allied Artists in America also in 1978. Allied went bankrupt and the film sat in limbo here until 1981 when Film Ventures got the rights to release it. In some markets the name of the film was changed to SORCERY.
Smokey rocking his cape and Hammer Flying V!
Once it was released, what was that feeling like? How did all this, the record and film, impact your life around this time? How did you guys get linked up with Al Anthony and can you walk me through the gigs you guys played in Las Vegas at the Aladdin Theater on Halloween night? What was that experience like?
The film had done well overseas, but by the time it was released in America too much time had passed. Disco was popular and Heavy Metal wasn’t as popular as it had been in 1978. We were disappointed that it had taken so long to finally be released here. However, we had moved on and Sorcery continued to write new music and perform. We all were grateful for the opportunity to have a 35 millimeter film record of our live performance as well as the soundtrack album of our music. The money didn’t hurt our lifestyles either LOL. Al had heard of us and offered us the Aladdin gig. He helped us put together a much larger show because the stage at the Aladdin is huge.
Sorcery headlining the Aladdin. The band sold more tickets than Queen.
Ticket to the concert footage that was shot for the movie Stunt Rock circa: 1978.
Not only were we well received, we were held over for an additional performance the following week. It was the largest crowd we had ever played for up to that point. It was a sold out performance and to be honest it was a little unnerving. I opened the show playing a funeral dirge I had written without accompaniment so the pressure was intense. Just me playing with a blue spotlight shining down on me. After the first note it was just amazing, I knew it was going to be a great show. I could feel the excitement from the crowd. Around the middle of the performance I played a more traditional guitar solo and to see thousands of lighters and hear the crowd cheering was a moment I’ll never forget.
Guitar God!
That following year in ‘82 the band released its second LP ‘Sorcery 2’. Can you tell me about writing as well as recording that album? How did you guys want to approach this release that was different from the previous record? Tell me about signing with Sebastian Productions in ‘83 to do the film ‘Rocktober Blood’.
It was written and recorded between 1981-1982. We recorded some of the songs at the Scottie Brothers studio and some at Pasha. It was less pressure and we had more time. Some of those songs were on our 2 Dick Clark Productions television appearances. Dick Clark really helped us become more successful. I would like to add that he was a wonderful person. We were approached by our label to do another record, so we did. We had already recorded all the songs so it was quite easy. They brought us the offer based on our history. We wrote songs specifically for the movie and they fit the action on stage. I did a guitar solo in that film that really shows off the Taylor Slide. That’s the technique where I put my right hand over my left and do hammer-ons and pull-offs with my left hand while moving my right hand up and down the fret board.
Ticket stub for Sorcery's sold out performance at the Aladdin in Las Vegas circa: 1981.
You guys recorded at Baby-O studios in Hollywood, correct? What happened to the band exactly after that film was released the following year in ‘84?
Yes, we recorded the songs there as well as doing some of the actual filming. I recorded all those songs using a Fender Strat I had highly modified and a Marshall 50 watt combo. That’s the guitar I was playing during my solo in the movie. And yes, at the beginning of the solo I am only using my left hand. Richie, Perry and I continued to play together until 1989. At that point we retired from the music business. Seems the band took a hiatus until the reunion in 2000.
Can you tell me about reuniting with the guys and what that experience was like for you? What have you been up to in more recent years? Have you been working on any projects outside of Sorcery? How do you feel about the growing love and appreciation the band continues to receive after all these years?
We remained good friends through all of it. The Internet provided us with a new showcase for our music. Our fan base has been growing ever since then. The 2 films we appeared in also are a great way to show new fans what we were like in live performance. I mean, how many bands from our era have 35 millimeter film footage of their live show? I still write and record. I started playing again in 2004 and now I play music pretty much every day. I learned how to play the drums so I can now record all the instruments in my home studio. It is like a dream come true. I always wanted to be able to have a proper studio and now I do. I call my one man band Metal Orchestra. I have a couple of videos up on YouTube. My music still sounds like Sorcery only with me doing all the parts. I have done a bit of recording with my friend Randy Holden from Blue Cheer. I played bass on his CD Psychedelic Blue and I played keyboards on a song he wrote for the movie Charlie Says. Greg and I have decided to start writing new music for Sorcery as well. We owe it to our fans to give them some new Sorcery.
Smokey and Perry backstage before a concert.
What do you think about the legacy of the band? As of last year, you guys are reissuing the record with Daniel over at RidingEasy. Can you tell me about that and how this all came to be?
It’s hard to believe that after all these years we still have a growing fan base. I’m proud of what we did and I thankful to still be good friends with Richie and Greg. I have to think that our music has stood the test of time and because of Stunt Rock we are still known for what I think was the best live show in Rock. Yes. It will be released on CD, cassette and digital format on May 11, 2022 and as a full blown reissue on vinyl in early October 2022. The vinyl reissue will have the original art with the gatefold album cover. There will also be a great deal of original Sorcery merchandise available. This fall one of our songs called Whales will be on a compilation album called Scrap Metal 2 also from RidingEasy Records. It was a crowd favorite. Fans used to shout & quote: ‘Whales, Whales’ right before we went on stage. I mentioned my friend Randy Holden earlier in the interview. He signed with RidingEasy Records a couple of years ago. Randy asked Daniel if he had ever heard of my band Sorcery. Daniel had seen Stunt Rock and had really liked Sorcery. Randy put us in touch and Daniel and I have developed a very good friendship as a well as a splendid working relationship.
Is there anything else you would like to further share with the readers?
Stunt Rock will be released as a Blu-ray on June 17, 2022 as well. It is in 4K so if you have never got to see Sorcery live, this is your chance. We perform 2 songs in the studio and we do 5 illusions on stage. There were no camera tricks, they just filmed us doing our show. One more thing to add. Daniel sent the movie soundtrack to Nick Townsend at Townsend Mastering to ready it for vinyl pressing. Nick discovered a defect on the original vinyl album and was able to correct it. If you are technical, the album was originally mastered out of phase. If you have an original version of the soundtrack you are in for a real treat. I always thought our music sounded a bit thin and weak on the album. Well, not any more. This reissue Stunt Rock album sounds like SORCERY!
Dakota Brown
https://www.instagram.com/sorcerybandofficial/
https://www.facebook.com/sorceryrockband
https://www.ridingeasyrecs.com/product/sorcery-stunt-rock-soundtrack/
