Sakell played in many rotating outfits throughout the 60s and 70’s that included Ondi and the Playboys, The American Beetles, Mass Confusion, and Flesh just to name a few. Sakell would go on to record a single after the insurance company of British Columbia, ICBC, raised the rates of insurance making it nearly impossible for young people to afford and so the legend of Flasher was born. In this exclusive first time interview with Robert, we talked about his early days growing up in Fall River, Mass, his passion for all things music and all the bands he would go on to be apart of and of course FLASHER! Enjoy!

It all started when I was 8--10 years old. I use to shoe shine in the busy clubs. Made my own shoe shine box and all. Made a few bucks doing that for a few years. When ever the sailors ships would come in. I'd walk a mile to downtown and shine there shoes. And most of the clubs had big bands playing there on weekends. I just loved the sounds of the music then. I'd stay in some of the clubs and just listen to them play. Then move on to the next club. And there would be another band playing. And I'd shine shoes to the beat. My mother was a waitress for most of her life.I'd come and eat there where she worked. Was only allowed in the kitchen. There was also a band there. I must have been 6 years old. My mother would sometimes sit in with the band. Sang great blues tunes. Not sure if that sunk in my head. But it made me feel good watching her on stage. Never thinking I'd live my life on stages. I was proud of her.

Back in the day. There were quite a few DOO WHOP groups on every corner of my town. FALL RIVER MASSACHUSETTS, I loved the sound of harmony, so I formed my own group. Ondi and the Playboys. The bunch of us. 5 total would go to Lincoln Park to the dances. They always had local bands that played there. I couldn't help notice that the girls loved the organ players. All I ever heard them say to each other was. Who's on the organ/Humm. So I chose the name ONDI. Get it? I hadn't begun playing yet. The group kept singing songs and we improved. Some how some way we got hired to sing background vocals for a group called JIM SCOTT AND THE CRUSADERS.

They played in a club called PA PA VANS in Brockton Mass. Friday and Saturday nights. I was around 14 --15 at that time. I loved being on stage singing back up. But they had an organ player. And he caught my interest. I asked him to show me how to play. His response was. You'll never learn to play keyboards. I was to stupid to learn. That pissed me off. When I was 13 we moved to a new place on Pleasant St. I lived at 212 WAMSUTTA since birth. My sister just got married and we moved to Pleasant St. Right across from a night club, that had live country music FRI_SAT_SUN. I use to lay in bed and listen to it every weekend. Then it would close and I'd watch the fights as the drunks left for home. The funny thing was it was right across the street from the police station and fire station.

But getting back to the music. I could start picking up the bass lines from the stand up bass player who was playing in the country band and loved the steel guitar player who had a lot of licks in his bag of tricks. So now my head was full of big bands, vocal groups, now country. And then being out on weekends singing back ground to Dion and The Belmonts and all the groups who were popular at that time. I learned to sing like FRANKI VALIE-Four Seasons. Seen them live and loved them. Now back to Keyboards. We had a piano in our new house my aunt gave us. I was 14--15 years old at that time. I stayed and never went outside for about 6 months, first single notes. Then 2 notes. My first song I ever played was LOOK AT KILLER JOE GO.

Finally I started to figure out cords. That organ player who said I'd never learn. Had burned a hole in my soul. His favorite song was GREEN ONIONS. I practiced ed that for over a month. Not telling anybody what I was doing.Finally I had it down to a science. So we were to sing background once again with Jim Scott again for the summer. So I was full of piss and vinegar and ready to show this guy I wasn’t stupid. I asked the leader Jim if I could sit in on that song, GREEN ONIONS. The keyboard player said no, but Jim let me. So I blew the roof off of it and the keyboard player shook my hand and never said anything to me again. Man I was proud of myself for all the work I did. Now 1964 on a Sunday night on TV. I first saw the Beatles. My hair grew 2 inch and my life changed that night. Oh forgot that in 1962 I was actually playing organ and foot bass in a band in Newport Rhode Island.

Yes I was actually get payed and playing Hammond organ. Did that for about 2 years. Now The Beatles enter my life. I started my own group called THE AMERICAN BEATLES. That was the real start of my career as a musician. We played every drive in theaters in the area. Every where the Beatles films played we got the job of playing them. Plus playing large ballrooms and making lots of money. Then touring across the country. It was a hit at the time. We won every battle of the bands we entered. Then I needed to expand my playing. I joined a group from Boston area called. EVERETT and The Screamers.

We played 7 nights a week, 2 jam sessions on Sat-- Sun. Everett the leader taught me most of what I know today. If your up on stage, look good, play good, act like your a professional at all times. He was truly a leader. Played every instrument, sang every style of music. Played with him until 1967-68 and never was out of work ever. Was making more money than my dad was making at the time. Always wore suits on stage and had a 1961 Corvette, had hair cuts every 2 weeks. Was living the life… Girls by the hundreds. So I now need to get where the action is. Tired of 7 nights a week for over 2 years. All around Boston. My friend Gig moved to L.A. a couple of years ago. We got to talking and 7 of us from Boston agree to go to L.A. He is a great drummer, but I run into a problem.

Easy Meat (Lassiters house band for 4 years)

My friend who I've been playing with. Now wants to come too. Problem. He also plays drums. He begged me and I caved in. Not knowing what will transpire. His name is Billy. I played with him for many years. Loyal as you could find anywhere. Newly married and with a baby boy. I decide to take the chance and maybe make something of my self. Build my career. So I talk to my new bride and she freaks out.Its me or the band. The bands going to win. I need a chance to test the music business WATERS. My mother God Bless her has always been the one who has the positive attitude has got my back again. She also was the one who bought my Hammond organ for me. I ran away from home until she promised to get it for me. I needed it to be successful in this game.

So I asked her if she could buy me a van so I could leave for L.A. She bought me a Volkswagen Van. 1961 window van. Put a new motor in it and new tires. My mother was so happy that I was making the leap of faith. She had seen how hard and determined I was. Music was my life at that point. So off we go, Billy and I to the new world. Get to New Jersey and the motor conked out. We coasted off the free way right into a U-Haul dealer. Luck, or what. I explained what and where I was going. He only had a 18 foot truck there at that time. I offered my van for a truck to L.A.

He wrote me a contract with no return date and said GOOD LUCK. Off we go again. 7 days later we arrived. Broke from the gas that that big truck burnt. But we made it. On the bottom of the street where we were about to live with 9 guys and one bedroom. Yes all were there and were the last ones to get there. On the bottom of Argle St. was Capital Records. It was a dream. So we called the band MASS CONFUSION. Why not?

So I’m in this band. We had a record deal and it was time to get signed. The guitar player never showed up for the audition for the record company. This was in L.A. It broke all our hearts and we spent months getting ready. So now comes the Canada story. Mass Confusion went up to Canada for some gigs in the province of ALBERTA. There was an agent there who had one of his acts on a tv show. He loved us and we packed the places we played.

I was one of the music directors in the band. I wrote horn parts etc. I studied music in Berkley.Harmony was my strong suit. From all the years of putting vocal groups together.It was easy for me to do. So the band went back to L.A. for a recording contract. That blew up in our faces. I got a call from the agent in Canada to ask if I could write some horn parts for his friend who had a TV gig. I was still pissed that the guitar player blew our chances for a recording contract. So I said maybe I would. Things were falling apart in the group and it was time to make a new plan.

So I took the deal and flew up to Canada. I had everyones respect and it felt good to be able to show my talents. I managed a few groups, but I had the urge to form my own group. I fooled around Alberta Canada for a few months. Then I got an offer to go to VANCOUVER Canada to join a recording group called Cheeta. I went right into the studio and thats were I knew I belonged. Met all the heavy hitters from VAN. Duris Maxwell drummer for Powder Blues group SKY LARK, Jerry Doucett, Heart, too many to list.Both of us were asked to join B>T>O.Back to Calgary Alberta we went. It never developed, but I met so many players because of were I was. Brian Adams, Loverboy, Headpins. On and on I could go, but the key player that I met while in the band CHEETA was my great friend CY GARBOR. He owned his own studio. I recorded there lots.

The legend of FLASHER

So one night I was really mad at the insurance company of BRITISH COLUMBIA. They raised the rates up to were it was impossible to get insurance. I was on my couch and the melody popped into my head. I smoked some JASS TOBACCO and picked up the guitar and the song began to happen. ICBC. So I called it Icky Bicky… Named the people who did it and thought of all the kids who got screwed. Wouldn’t be able to drive. It was around 7 pm when I had the song finished and I called CY GARBOR my friend and played it over the phone and he said LETS DO IT. I called a few friends to help me out.

We went in around 10 or 11 pm. Was done by 1 am. Didn’t have a B side, so I played it backwards and that was it. I did all the vocals and played piano on it. Danny Tripper played guitar, Billy Margardo played drums, who was with me for over 15 years from Fall River Mass. and the rest is history. Danny gave me the idea of CRIMINAL RECORDS. The B side is recorded backwards with the vocals and talking in forward. Kind of a Beatle thing, or idea. That song was done, written and recorded in about 12 hours.

Dakota Brown

Robert Sakell - Flasher

Alex Wilson - Iron Claw

Max Combs - C.T. PIlferhog