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Digging deep into the vaults, Bruce pulled out demo tracks and live cuts of songs that he and Richie worked on in the pre-Bon Jovi days. Because of the raucous nature of their live shows, where by the end of the night the band and crowd would whipped up into what resembled an underwater feeding frenzy of gray sharks, these various incarnations of Bruce's live band would
affectionately be known to fans as Shark Frenzy. Included are studio tracks performed by The FM Band / The Next (an FM Band era, Richie
vocal cover of "Southern Belle" from Bruce's 1st album), The
Bruce Foster Band and even an outrageous live version of
"Laura's Birthday" recorded live at Charlie's Uncle in New
Brunswick, NJ once the home base of legendary Shark Frenzy shows.
From the SHARK FRENZY Volume 1 CD liner notes:
"It was 1978, I was playing in a
club in East Brunswick, New Jersey, tightning up some new
songs. An immediately likable 18 year old named Richie
Sambora asked if he could jam with us. To my band's
amazement, I agreed. We started playing "Kansass City", a
song everybody knows. Richie's rhythm playing was O.K., so I
said, "Richie, take a solo" -he flipped the toggle switch on
his Les Paul Custom and played one beautiful, sustained note
that sounded like a violin. Before he played the next note I
turned to him and said, "You're in the band."
This album features Richie's first time playing and singing
in a recording studio. The master tapes of these priceless
recordings were erased by the recording studio. I had the
mixes on tape which went under 2 feet of salt water and
river silt in the flood.
Now over 20 years later, though months of
careful restoration (thanks to new computer formats), these
recordings equal and in some cases exceed their original
sonic spectrum."
Bruce Foster
From the SHARK FRENZY Volume 2 CD liner notes:
I was 18 when I first heard Steve, Jody,
and Bruce Foster putting out a lot of sound for a power
trio. Their reputation preceeded them, having collectively
played on several hit recordings for other artists.
Onstage they seemed anarchic and maybe a
little out of their minds - the music version of a bunch of
sharks in a feeding frenzy...One week later I was in the
band and I realized that their anarchy was somehow organized
and their insanity somehow controlled.
This was my first band of brothers, first
songs I wrote, and first recording sessions. Now they're
finally released especially for our friends and fans to
hear, including a new live track from a reunion concert in
May 2005.
Long Live Shark Frenzy!
Richie Sambora |
