Category: Mark’s Memoirs

Several of my good friends formed a band called “Workin’ Loose.” My buddy Steve Sanders was the drummer, and he wanted me to come hear them practice. I had never seen them play, so I was excited about sitting through one of their rehearsals. I walked in to the practice room and all the members were there except Steve. They said he was going to be late, so they asked me to sit in on the drums till he got there. Now these guys played at a much lower volume then “Steamer” did. We played four songs and it sounded pretty good especially since the drummer didn’t know the songs. I was still trying to get used to playing at a softer volume. I keep talking about playing at a lower volume for a reason. You hit the drums more softly when you play at a lower volume. Now we were in the middle of the next song, and I was having a great time playing with my friends. Then something happened! I couldn’t raise my snare drum stick up! I had poked a hole in the snare drum head! My stick was stuck in the hole!

First thing I thought was; Steve is going to kill me! I believe there is an unwritten rule, you don’t go around and break other musicians’ instruments! I was thinking to myself, what am I going to do? Now the band members weren’t much help at all! They were all laughing at me! I told them that I had to go! One of them even called me chicken!!! I don’t remember Steve ever saying anything to me about it. 30 years later I organized a get together party with some of my old friends. I invited Steve, but I didn’t think he was going to come, because he was living in Utah. When I got to the party, Steve was the first person to meet me at my car! I was surprised he came all the way from Utah for the party! So during the party I got my nerve up and I brought up the story of me breaking his snare drum head. He looked at me with a puzzled look on his face and said. I don’t remember that happening! What I was kind of hoping for was   “Yeah You Big Jerk” but all I got was a big smile!

I went to my Senior All Night Party with my date Alisa Head, and friends Kevin Ivey and Patrice Hamilton. Walking in I was thinking this band sounds really good! I walked up front to see what kind of equipment they were using. While I was up there, I was getting some strange looks from the band members. We then went to the center of the floor and started dancing! The band sounded great, the music was very tight, and the vocals sounded right on the money. The band finished a song, and the guitar player motioned for me to come up to the front. We went up front, and they ask me if I was the drummer for Steamer? I said yes, and they told me they had seen Steamer play several times and they really liked us. I ask them what songs they were going to play throughout the night. They told me some of the songs, and then they told me they were saving their best for last. They wouldn’t tell me the name of the last song, and told us to stick around till the end, that we wouldn’t be disappointed.

We decided to stay all night because the four of us wanted to hear their best song. I was having a great time dancing with a beautiful girl, and we were both really digging the music. We started getting pretty tired, and you could tell the band was getting tired. The keyboard player could hardly keep his eyes open. But we were going to stay and hear this hot last song! About 5:45 AM the band announced, this is going to be our last song! All of us were standing there waiting for this smokin’ song to start. Then the guitar player started the song off with some power cords. I looked at Alisa and I said, they got to be kidding us, this is their best song? Now I like Deep Purple, but I have always felt “Smoke on the Water” is an awful song. I looked at Kevin and said we are out of here. I waved at the band, and the four of us left. As we were walking to the car, Kevin, Patrice and Alisa were laughing at me, because all three of them like that song! Don’t know why, but I still really dislike that song???