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Frank Carillo is
the epitome of
the “musician's
musician.”
Throughout his
career, his
craftsmanship as
a gifted
world-class
guitar player,
electrifying
stage
performances,
memorable
prolific
songwriting and
his warm and
affable persona
have allowed him
to make an
indelible mark
on the
international
music scene.
BACKGROUND:
In 1972 and 1973
respectively,
Frank traveled
to England to
add his
distinctive
guitar sound and
style to Peter
Frampton’s
Wind of
Change
and
Frampton's Camel
albums for A&M
Records.
In 1973, he
formed Doc
Holiday which
recorded its
first album at
Olympic Studios
in England for
Metromedia
Records. The
album was
produced by
Chris Kimsey,
who had just
finished
recording the
Rolling Stones’
Sticky
Fingers
album at
Olympic. Kimsey
obtained
permission for
the band to use
the Stones’
equipment to
record their
album. As if
using the
Stones’
equipment wasn’t
enough, the
members of Led
Zeppelin, who
were mixing
their
Houses of the
Holy
album in the
adjoining
studio, became
fast friends,
which culminated
one night in an
unforgettable
Led Zeppelin -
Doc Holiday jam
session at
Olympic.
In 1978, Carillo
released his
first album for
Atlantic
Records,
Rings Around the
Moon,
which included
backing vocals
by Yvonne
Elliman, who had
a tremendous hit
with her
performance on
the Jesus
Christ Superstar
album singing “I
Don't Know How
To Love Him” and
as a member of
Eric Clapton’s
band singing
backing vocals
on the hit, “I
Shot the
Sheriff.” Just
prior to the
release of
Rings Around
the Moon,
Led Zeppelin had
requested that
Carillo be their
opening act for
a forthcoming
North American
tour, the first
time Led
Zeppelin used an
opening act for
a North American
stadium-size
tour. The tour
was cancelled
when,
tragically,
Robert Plant’s
son died.
Carillo toured
extensively
throughout 1978
and 1979,
playing with
such acts as the
J. Geils Band,
Cheap Trick, Van
Halen and Tom
Petty & The
Heartbreakers.
During a break
in touring late
in 1978, Frank
found time to
collaborate with
Carly Simon,
co-writing the
song, “Pure
Sin.” Frank
played guitar on
the track, which
was produced by
world-renowned
producer Arif
Mardin for
Carly’s
Spy
album. The
second Carillo
album,
Street of Dreams,
was released on
Atlantic in 1979
and also had
another luminary
doing backing
vocals: Michael
Bolton. After
the release of
this album,
Frank embarked
on a 64-show
U.S.A. tour
opening for Bad
Company.
Playing to
sold-out
audiences in
major areas
across America,
Carillo stunned
the critics and
fans with
electrifying
shows that
received rave
reviews
throughout the
United States,
with standing
ovations and
encores
occurring at
every show. The
tour culminated
in San Antonio,
Texas, when
after Bad
Company’s show,
Carillo and Bad
Company came out
on stage and
jammed, rocking
the roof off the
building! In
1986, Frank
began writing
and producing
sessions with
famed British
model, actress,
and singer
Twiggy while she
was in New York
performing in a
Broadway play.
These sessions
once again
brought Frank
and Carly Simon
together,
performing
backing vocals
on the Twiggy
recordings.
Ricky Byrd,
guitar player
and songwriter
for Joan Jett &
The Blackhearts,
collaborated
with Frank in
1988 to write
“Play That Song
Again,” which
appeared on
Up Your
Alley,
Joan Jett & The
Blackhearts’
multi-platinum
album. Two
years later,
Frank joined up
with singer
Annie Golden,
creating the duo
of Golden
Carillo, and
recording two
albums,
Fire In New Town
and Toxic
Emotion,
for Silenz
Records, which
met with great
acclaim and
success in
Europe. Golden
Carillo embarked
on a number of
extensive tours
overseas,
playing to
sell-out crowds
in Holland,
Belgium and
Germany. While
performing
in Europe,
Frank appeared
on countless
radio and TV
shows and
created a loyal
and strong fan
base. Between
European tours
Frank worked
with Atlantic
recording artist
and former Zebra
band member
Randy Jackson on
Jackson’s solo
album, produced
by John
Sonneveld.
Returning to
Europe to record
the Toxic
Emotion
album for Silenz
Records, Frank
utilized a
studio in
Belgium owned by
Golden Earring
guitarist George
Kooymans, and
they became good
friends. He was
reunited with
producer John
Sonneveld, and
Frank, George
and John
produced the
Toxic Emotion
album, which had
a great deal of
success in
Europe. In
1992, Frank,
along with Annie
Golden, made his
first major film
appearance as a
musician in
Prelude to a
Kiss,
which starred
Meg Ryan and
Alec Baldwin.
Frank and Annie
also co-wrote
and performed
the song,
“Waiting For
Someone,” on the
film’s
soundtrack. In
1995, George
Kooymans
introduced Frank
to Dutch vocal
sensation Anouk
and Frank wrote
two songs,
“Pictures On
Your Skin” and
“Time Is a
Jailer,” on her
platinum debut
album.
When Golden
Earring
journeyed to
upstate New York
in 2003 to
record their
most recent
album,
Millbrook,
U.S.A.,
Frank
co-authored
seven songs on
the CD along
with Golden
Earring members
George Kooymans
and Barry Hay.
He also
contributed
backing vocals,
slide guitar and
laud.
Frank toured
North America
and Europe as a
member of
legendary
bluesman John
Hammond’s band.
Playing with
some of the
greatest blues
musicians in the
world was a
tremendously
artistic
experience for
Frank. He
played guitar on
Ready for
Love,
one of John
Hammond’s albums
recorded during
that time, which
was produced by
David Hidalgo of
Los Lobos.
In 2004, Frank
formed a new
band called
Frank Carillo &
The Bandoleros,
featuring Norman
DelTufo on
percussion/backing
vocals, Eddie
Seville on
drums/backing
vocals, Karl
Allweier on
upright
bass/backing
vocals and
Frank’s brother
Andrew Carillo
on guitar. With
the formation of
the band, Frank
also reunited
with his former
manager, Phil
Lorito. The
band’s debut CD,
Bad Out
There,
was released on
Jezebel Records,
Inc. in 2005
both in the U.S.
and in numerous
European
countries.
Embarking on its
first headline
tour of Holland
and Germany in
January, 2006,
the band played
night clubs that
were sold out or
nearly sold out,
receiving a
minimum of two
and sometimes
three encores
each night.
This tour
established the
band’s base as
one of the most
impressive new
American groups
in Europe.
In the United
States,
Bad Out There
received rave
reviews and was
selected in many
journals as one
of the year’s
best. Songs
from the CD were
added to Play
Network, which
streamed tracks
to over 15,000
retail outlets
throughout North
America,
including
Starbucks, TGIF,
Krispy Kreme,
Hooters and
Eddie Bauer. In
addition, DMX
In-flight played
tracks from the
CD on all major
airlines
worldwide, with
American
Airlines
featuring Frank
Carillo and the
Bandoleros on
one of its
channels.
The CD enjoyed
Top 10 airplay
on XM Satellite
Radio, which
also aired a
live recording
of Frank Carillo
and the
Bandoleros in
the summer of
2006. Songs
from the CD were
eventually
played on over
180 Triple A,
Americana and
Roots radio
stations in the
United States,
with different
stations playing
all 14 tracks
from the CD at
one time or
another.
Bad Out There
did very well on
the AMA charts
and achieved # 1
on both the
Roots Top 100
and the Roots
Rock Top 40,
including a run
on the Roots
Rock Top 40
chart for over
42 weeks. The
CD was “Featured
CD Review” on
the Roots Music
Report where it
was given the
highest rating -
five stars.
In a display of
the album’s
versatile
appeal, the
band’s single,
“Red Queen,” was
shipped to
country radio in
the U.S., where
it was warmly
received, and
was also
included on the
CDX Country
Radio release.
Frank Carillo
and the
Bandoleros are
on MySpace with
tens of
thousands of
fans and
listeners and
the band has
been noted in
the Top 10 most
popular
Alt. Country
artists in New
York State on
MySpace.
ABOUT SOMEDAY:
In the fall of
2007 Frank
Carillo and the
Bandoleros
entered
Millbrook
Studios in
upstate New York
and teamed up
again with
producer/engineer
Paul Orofino,
who also
produced
Bad Out There.
At Blue Cat
Studios in San
Antonio, Texas,
legendary
keyboard player
Augie Meyers
(Bob Dylan, Sir
Douglas Quintet,
John Hammond,
Texas Tornados)
added his
distinctive
keyboard talents
to four songs.
The result is
the remarkable
new CD,
Someday.
“I met Augie
Meyers when we
were in John
Hammond’s
‘Wicked Grin’
band,” remembers
Frank. “Augie
and I hit it off
right from the
first day of
rehearsals. He
is one of the
great
storytellers,
can tell you a
joke and all the
while you think
it’s a real
story until he
gets to the
punch line. He
gets me every
time. I was a
fan of his from
the days of Sir
Douglas Quintet,
as well as the
Texas Tornados.
We’ve become
really good
friends over the
years and try to
get together
whenever
possible. He’s
a great
songwriter,
musician and,
most of all,
he’s a great
friend. We were
having a drink
together when we
were on the road
somewhere in
Europe and he
turned to me and
said, ‘Ya know
Frank, don’t get
too excited when
things start
goin’ good
‘cause they’ll
eventually go
bad. But don’t
get too excited
if they go bad,
‘cause they’re
gonna go good
again.’ Then he
gave me this big
Texas grin. A
truly great
man.”
Someday
demonstrates
Frank Carillo’s
knack for
combining potent
songs and
stirring
performances,
resulting in a
disc that
radiates with
the values of
traditional
heartland, blue
collar
roots-rock. Of
the 14 songs on
Someday,
Frank
shared his
thoughts about a
few of them in
particular.
“Regarding ‘Roll
the Bones’ - I
was listening to
some old CDs by
Fairport
Convention and
Steeleye Span -
British
folk/rock. I
have always been
amazed with the
content: lust,
murder, war,
betrayal, sheep
shearing! All
the things that
make up a great
story! I wanted
to write
something that
was in that
highwayman vein;
the guy with the
mask and
three-cornered
hat who robbed
the coaches in
England. I
thought it would
be fun to add
some romance
along with a
sprinkling of
betrayal and
revenge. I
wanted to slip
in some of my
favorite places
in London as
well, Chelsea
and the Old
King’s Road. It
was a kick to
write.”
“‘Someday’ was a
deliberate
attempt at
writing a song
with just one
chord. It
started with
just that Slim
Harpo kind of
rhythm and grew
from there. The
lyrics pretty
much wrote
themselves. In
fact, while we
were recording
it, the ‘see the
light inside
your head’ verse
just came flying
out. It wasn’t
on the lyric
sheet. I love
this one ‘cause
it’s one of the
songs on the CD
that the lead
vocal was
recorded while
we were cutting
the track and
the recording
was very
spontaneous.”
“I started
writing ‘Eastern
Time’ on an
instrument from
Spain called a
laud. It has a
shape similar to
a mandolin, but
much bigger and
it has 12
strings. I
picked it up in
Barcelona when I
was on the road
with John
Hammond. Augie
Meyers and I
found it in a
small shop off
some side
street. I’ve
always been
inspired by new
and different
instruments. It
seems like they
have new songs
built into
them. Anyway,
the lyrics came
after a trip to
Thailand and
Hong Kong that
my wife and I
took. It has
kind of an old
1940s mystery
movie theme.
There are shady
characters (I
love shady
characters -
from a
distance),
exotic locales
and a bit of
humor. There
are some bits of
reality, too,
like the Quan
Yin. It was
given to us in
Hong Kong, but
we didn’t have
to smuggle it
into the
States! This
was written
mostly in
Arizona. Go
figure.” |
