I am sitting here with a big ol' progressive rock grin on my face, listening to the new CD "3113" by mid-Michigan's own purveyor of this instrumental rock genre Rocktropolis ®. What this band has done is keep our state in the face of musicians and fans alike of guitar-driven prog, with a CD that soars and screams and then gently soothes you with the flying fingers of Pete Metropoulos, Sam Metropoulos and whoever the drummer is (Ed. Note: Always include liner notes on who's actually in the band). There are cuts here that would be right at home in an action movie opening sequence as well as the end credits of a sci-fi thriller.
I'm pleasantly surprised at the amount of keyboards that grace these tunes: as a keyboard player myself, I'd like them louder because they really fit well but hey, that's me! The production is stellar and consistent across the tracks with very tight drums and bass laying a solid background where the many guitars (and apparently a whole lot of fingers) of Pete builds his own signature soloing identity.
My only beef - I understand the less expensive (and sometimes labeled "green") single sleeve packaging that this disc comes in but it leaves no room for all the extra information one might want to know: where recorded, who did the writing…and who's in the band! But that's really my only complaint and that might just be my opinion only.
Good job gents - it's apparent you know what you're doing. Highly recommend.
“I’m not a musician. I’m a bass player who loves music. And I’m a hell of a bass player!” T. Money Green
The Beginning
Born Edward Anthony Green (Tony Green), T. Money Green, a native Detroiter, began his music career at the age of only 14. He picked up the bass, strummed a few chords, and it was love at first listen. The bass became his healer, his motivator, and eventually the key that would change the course of his life.
Green was born into a military family on Selfridge Air Force Base in Mount Clemens, Michigan. After the death of his father, his family moved to Detroit where he spent the remainder of his youth. Growing up, his family struggled to make ends meet. Although he grew up in a musical family, he didn’t have the luxury of owning his own equipment. His lack of money, however, would not be a showstopper for Green.
Green had something money couldn’t buy: the will to find a way to play bass. He auditioned for several bands but was never accepted because his equipment was not good enough. Seeing no other opportunity, Green created his own band called Roadwork. After a few years of having his own, Green left the band to pursue something more.
Wise Beyond His Years…
By the age of 17, while most kids were enjoying music and high school dances, Green was putting in endless hours playing bass, writing songs, and performing any chance he could. His hard work began to pay off when he was invited to join The Dramatics, a popular band based out of Detroit. After joining as a bass player, Green quickly adopted the roles of songwriter and producer as well. For the next 20 years, he performed globally, building his reputation as a top-notch bass player.
As word spread of his talent, people were in awe of his unmatched style; a right-handed guy who played the bass upside down. Anthony Edward Green’s persona soon became known as T. Money Green, the Godfather of Bass. During those years, T. Money Green earned numerous awards as a writer and musician, including a Gold Album for “Do What You Wanna Do” with The Dramatics and multiple awards at The Detroit Music Awards and ASCAP’s.
T. Money Green Experiences the Blues
After an exhilarating 20 years, Green was burnt out and made the decision to leave The Dramatics. With no plan in place, Green found himself “down in the dumps,” as he put it. “I really had no idea what the fuck I was going to do,” Green explained, “I never believed that I was done. My only thought was, ‘what’s next?’ I’m not a musician. I’m a bass player who loves music. And I’m a hell of a bass player!”
A glimpse of opportunity came his way when he was asked to manage and develop the music career of David Ruffin Jr., the son of the late David Ruffin, from The Temptations. Ruffin was a young singer and T. Money willingly took on the challenge. “During that time, I could hide behind David until I figured out what I was going to do next.”
Working with David presented another set of issues. David was young and had his own agenda. With countless hours in the studio with David, T. Money soon discovered a new sound that had David, along with the rest of his generation, in a frenzy. “David was a fan of Dr. Dre, and would sit and listen to rap all day long.
I did not come from that genre of music. I came from a genre that had lyrics professing love and romance. So I could not relate to it. My head was spinning with my issues and with how I was going to get [David’s] career off the ground. I couldn’t grasp onto anything at that time. The loud rap music distracted me from getting my thoughts in order. I was struggling to make sense of everything around me. I would tell David to ‘shut that shit off!’ It was a fucking low time for me.”
Twist of Fate
One of the final shows Green played with The Dramatics was a gig he booked in California. In a spur-of-the-moment decision, Green decided to let David open the show with a few songs. That decision turned out to be a game changer for the careers of both T. Money and David. David’s music had such a huge impact on a woman in the audience that she contacted T. Money several days later.
She invited them back to California and offered to help with their music careers by connecting them to the “who’s who” in the California music biz. Green was flattered with the offer but reluctant to return because of a lack of money and time. Proving how serious she was, the woman sent Green a $2000 gas card to help with travel expenses. T. Money and David packed up their bright green, rusted out Impala and headed to California. “It was a long drive. After seventeen hours of listening to rap music, the shit started to grow on me,” laughs Green.
Fate Takes its Course
After T. Money and David settled in from the exhausting road trip, the woman who lured them back to Cali made good on her promise. She took them out to a club where the music gurus hung out. There they were introduced to a guy named Warren, who happened to be Dr. Dre’s brother. That encounter led to a meeting with Dre. Sparing them the embarrassment of taking their own car, the woman offered up her Mercedes Benz for them to drive to Dre’s office. “We showed up for the meeting in someone else’s Mercedes and Dre pulls up right behind us driving the same exact Mercedes. Fake it till you make it!” jokes Green.
The meeting with Dr. Dre went better than Green could have imagined. Green began recording bass lines for Dre and many of his artists including Snoop Dogg, who has since become a good friend of T. Money. What was supposed to be a short trip to California ended up lasting about four years. It just so happened that the music Green thought he “couldn’t relate to” ended up being the music that raised the bar for his career.
There’s No Place Like Home in the “D”
Green’s California experience was exactly what he needed to re-illuminate his path. It opened Green’s eyes to a new sound and new endeavors. He returned to his roots in Detroit where he exploded with ideas. Green started his own label called Hyped International Records, which has become an avenue for distributing his music.
He currently has over 2,000 songs in his catalog. The variety of writing and producing music ranges from funk, like his song, “Have Not’s,” to songs with a rock edge like, “One Shot,” as well as songs with a southern feel like, “Round and Round.” He is also mentoring several new artists, writing and producing for them. In addition, every Friday evening, T. Money is the host of the online radio show, 5XL Large & In Charge, on TAPDETROIT.COM. The talk show covers a variety of topics and guests appearances like our editor, Retro Kimmer
Green is an advocate for Detroit musicians. His appreciation for homegrown talent resonates in his most recent project. “I wrote a Detroit song [“My Home Detroit City”] and invited different artists to write their own lyrics about our great city. [It’s] amazing how many people have participated in this song,” he says, “I appreciate the hustle that goes into making it in this business. I want to move people along. It’s a tough grind but you have to keep trying and trying and trying. Everybody has a story and everybody has their tears. But somehow things always seem to fall into place.”
“My Home Detroit City” will be featured on Channel 4. T. Money is currently nominated for four Detroit Music Awards. There is no disputing the fact that T. Money Green is creating his mark in the music world just like his hometown Detroit!
Had a good time last night performing with The Essentials. (Blues & Soul) who's members include: Ray Goodman, Glenn Giordano, guest bassist Tony Suhy and guest keyboardist Phillip J Hale. We decided against featherbowling this time due to the fact that we don't know how. But it sure looks like fun. One day I will actually read the rules and give it a try. And that's just the beginning...
TOSHA AND KIMMER
Tonight, March 13th I will be performing for you with The Essentials (Ray Goodman, Glenn Giordano, guest bassist Tony Suhy and guest keyboardist Mike Skory). at the newest blues spot in Royal Oak....Boos located at 215 S. Main St in Royal Oak inside the Mr. B's Restaurant. These events are hosted by Detroit blues man Mark Pasman. You can make reservations by calling (248) 399-0017. There is a $10 cover tonight And a nice menu. Time: 8:30pm - 11:30pm.
Saturday night, March 14th I will be performing for you with Constant Velocity (Rock & Blues) who's members include: Mike Smith, J T Monroe, Jeremy Kanouse and Mike Bertrand at The Fowling Warehouse located at 3901 Christopher in Hamtramck. Fowling is the activity that is sweeping the Detroit area. The only way I can describe it is that it is like bowling but instead of using a bowling ball, you use a football. The lanes are wooden and dirt. It looks like a lot of fun. You can bring in food and they supply the beverages including a bar. We will be hitting the stage at 9:00pm and go till 1:00 am. Come and listen to the band and watch or get on the list for an available lane for only $10.
Anyway, have a great weekend everyone and stay blessed.
DETROIT: The
return of eleven time Detroit Music Award winners SWEET CRYSTAL with their latest release “QUAD” finds the band
sounding larger and more powerful than ever, thanks to the collaboration with
award-winning mixer/engineer Chuck Alkazian (Christina Aguilera, R Kelly, Mitch
Ryder, Pop Evil) and Pearl Sound Studios,
Canton, MI.
From the opening flourish of “Fanfare” right
into the slide-guitar driven progressive rock anthem “Foot Of The Cross”, these
songs will satisfy the cravings for more SWEET
CRYSTAL from even the most demanding fans.
Featuring performances by special guest vocalists Amy Susan Heard and David Perez , there are
storylines and soaring musical lines on QUAD for every taste and situation.
“We’ve really upped our sonic
onslaught with QUAD” says founding member Marq Andrew Speck. “There are songs
here about desperation and redemption, asking questions of faith and finding
real answers for our lives as well as some mighty sweet instrumentals.”
The physical CD also contains a 14 minute bonus track: an
in-depth interview with the band conducted by local rock DJ (and a legend himself) Doug "The Doc Of Rock" Podell, giving listeners more insight into SWEET CRYSTAL and what QUAD
is all about; a must have for new and classic fans alike.
The disc and digital download versions of QUAD will be available beginning in April at Amazon, iTunes, CDBaby, Bandcamp and all other Internet music sites.
SWEET CRYSTALis a very
rare group of musicians. Not only has the band remained in existence for an
impressive 40 years, but also the core trio of Marq Andrew Speck (lead vocals,
keyboards), Bill Blatter (guitar, vocals) and Steve Wieser (drums) has remained
intact for the entirety of that time. Perhaps most importantly, the band has
remained standing strong on the front lines of the Michigan Christian rock
scene, even before that music genre had a name.
SWEET CRYSTAL and QUAD – still “Reaching The World, One
Song At A Time ™”!
