LIFE AFTER DEATH : A Story. 

It was the beginning of summer 1985. 1983 had been my last year at Palos Verdes High, and unfortunately, I did not graduate with the rest of my class. I had turned 18 entering my senior year, as my birthday was in August and school started in September. That meant I could write my own absent/sick excuses if I missed school. And that’s what I did. School didn’t interest me. I didn’t know what I wanted to do but I know it wasn’t going to high school. I loved music, surfing, and girls. In the 80’s there weren’t any Asian rock or pop singers to look up to or model myself after, so I hadn’t thought about a career in music, and I was still too young, and inexperienced for hookups with women, so I surfed a lot (PV & the South Bay, in general, being famous for its surf spots). And smoked a lot of Pot! My best friend in high school was Paul Thomas and we hung out every day. Paul, even back then, had a reputation as a being good musician. He was in the high school jazz band playing piano and was just as proficient on the guitar. We both had big record collections and we would get stoned and listen to records all day (vinyl back then), each turning the other on to new music. 

During a family vacation in Hawaii when Paul was 12, he befriended Jake Feldman, who was staying in the same hotel with his family. Jake and Paul were the same age, and they became good friends during their vacation time. Jake’s father happened to be a famous jazz pianist/percussionist, who started his career in the Miles Davis band. Victor was actually the real writer behind the composition “Seven Steps To Heaven” (released in 1963 as written by Miles Davis). The Feldman’s lived in Woodland Hills about an hour from PV, and upon returning from their vacations, Paul and Jake remained friends, staying in contact. During our senior year Paul and Jake formed a progressive rock band called “Interval,” and I would tag along to the band’s rehearsals. After those rehearsals Paul and I would get stoned and listened back to the rehearsal tapes. I got to become good friends with Jake, as well. Interval played as a 4-piece band, adding fellow high school friend Curt Anderson on drums (who would replace Mark Load as drummer in the future as Life After Death transitioned into Spellbound), and various vocalists they got via classified ads in local newspapers. And so senior year continued in high school until graduation day came... and I was uninvited. 

Paul’s father William was an intelligent and successful businessman who didn’t see any need for Paul going into college when he knew damn well that Paul would be headstrong in pursuing a career in music with his band. With the advice of Victor Feldman, he decided to enroll Paul at Dick Grove School of Music, an independent and highly respected music school located in the San Fernando Valley. The classes would have special guest specialists coming in to teach as well. Guests including Victor Feldman, Lee Ritenour and Larry Carlton to name some names. Mingling with young newcomers, some students were already well-established artists wanting to improve their craft. Soon after graduation day Paul and I were talking about the future. “Wouldn’t it be great for both of us to be involved in music?” Paul said. “Yeah. But what would I do? I don’t really have any musical skills except loving music,” I answered. “But you know music," he said. "You know how a song is arranged. You know the players, the producers.” “Well, to tell you the truth my fantasy dream would be to be a lyricist and a studio engineer who played a little percussion and keyboard on the side…Like a Brian Eno figure,” I started. “Then you should pursue your dream and look into a studio engineer course at Dick Grove where I’m going,” he cut in. 

That’s how it all started I suppose. I thought about it, investigated and finally brought the idea to my dad Warren. Warren, at the time, was on a business trip in Japan (he also lived there part time due to his law firm in copyright protection being located there). “I’ll think about it Bob and we’ll talk more when I get back,” he said.