User:Abe Speller

Early Years
Abe Speller is an American drummer born July 4, 1951 in Ossining New York, his Father Abram L. Speller and mother Vivian M. Speller. Abe growing up at the Star of Bethlehem Baptist Church there was always music in the household. A piano at his Grandparents home was an invitation to sit down and doodle around. But the key influence was his cousin tenor saxophonist Edward Cross who lived on the top floor of the family home. Edward was 10 years older and had been working with people like Wilson Pickett and other RnB bands that would come to New York with horn section charts looking for players. Edward would turn Abe on to records by Max Roach, Buddy Rich, Donald Byrd and GiGi Gryce at an early age. This was the time when the Beatles and Motown were heavy on the charts, to play in a band in High School you had to know these songs, it was a new phase for young musicians, 50's out 60's in. But between Edward and JD Schaa who ran the local record shop in town there was a wealth of knowlege coming my way. But their was one other musician that stood high above the rest that grew up right up the street, his name is Sonny Sharrock; I would see Sonny walking with RayBan sunglasses, big Afro and his guitar in his hand going to catch the train to NYC.

Performance
Abe started performing at age 18 with Avant-garde guitarist Sonny Sharrock at many of the lofts and clubs down in SOHO in New York City. While performing with Sharrock the Ohio based band Brute Force had just been signed by Herbie Mann to his newly developed label Embryo Records, which Sharrock was featured on and a feature in Herbie Mann's band. The Brute Force moved to New Paltz New York and added Abe to its roster in 1970. While Brute Force played locally in the Upstate New York area and in Greenwich Village but in time the musicians went their separate ways.

New York City
Charles Earland "The Mighty Burner" at the Two Saints on 2 Saint Marks Place in Greenwich Village while performing with CLIVE STEVENS and EMMETT CHAPMAN the inventor of the Chapman Stick. Earland's band had taken off like a rocket with the help of WRVR disc jockey Van Jay. Charles had been a popular artist with his many hit albums like Black Talk, Leaving This Planet and others, and his huge hit instrumental version of More Today Than Yesterday. The band took to the road stacked with a band of young guns that featured Santos (Weather Report) on congas/percussion and Jamaladeen Tacuma on bass. Performing with acts like George Benson, Donald Byrd and the Blackbyrds, Jean Carn, The Crusaders, Stevie Wonder and many others. Three years on the road and Three records with Earland, "Odyssey" "The Great Pyramid" and "Revelation" it was time for Abe to move on to new territory.

Sonny and Linda Sharrock by now had new management and were working on new materiel for an upcoming record date. Abe now back in New York City began recording with RCA Fandango featuring lead vocalist Joe Lynn Turner (Deep Purple, Rainbow). They were working on their first release "Fandango" and needed a more session savvy drummer, that's when keyboardist Joe Delia called Abe to come in and lay some basic tracks down with the band The chemistry was their so the project was off and running. There would be one more record with Fandango called "Cadillac" and one year of touring to promote the record. Opening for Little Feat, Marshall Tucker Band, The Allman Bros.and Shawn Cassidy.

Abe had already been working on films by Director Abel Ferrara "Driller Killer" "Ms 45" "Bad Lieutenant" "King of New York" and "Body Snatchers". But it was Abe's 2 year association with Cabernet singer Helen Schneider while performing at Tramps on 15th St that Catch A Rising Star owner Rick Newman pulled him aside, come check out his new artist that he had high hopes for, her name is Pat Benetar. So it was Pat's bass player and long time friends Joe Delia and David Snider on guitar and into the rehearsal studio and put a set list together and hit Tramps with this new talented singer, Pat was a strong singer and a great personality, we had a lot of fun playing uptown at Catch A Rising Star then downtown at Tramps. While performing with Pat at Catch all the Saturday Night Live people were hanging out until all hours, we spoke with comedian/writer Richars who had a morning drive show on 660am radio called the Brink & Belzer Show about an upcoming HBO special he was working on. "THE BELZ" was filmed/recorded at The Bottom Line with an opening act, a band called Dire Straits. Backstage was a little tense, I don't think they got the Belz's backstage antics. One more HBO special called "One Lone Nut" also filmed in New York Not long after that the Belz would move to Paris and then get a staring roll in the hit TV show Homicide Life on the Street and Law & Order.

Denmark
There would be one more record with Fandango called "Cadillac" and one year of touring to promote the record. Opening for Little Feat, Marshall Tucker Band, The Allman Bros.and Shawn Cassidy.