Pezband - Cover to Cover Remix

If one had ever asked yours truly which PEZBAND was his favorite record, it would never had come to mind to answer "Cover to Cover". Well, even the band itself was not happy with that record.

But now one should seriously reconsider before answering that question because this remixed version make "cover to cover" one hell of a record with a bright and powerful sound just the way it was always meant to be.

So it's time to shine the light again on one of the best american power pop bands ever. One that never was afraid to put some serious power in his pop!

Time to talk to singer and guitar player Mimi Betinis.

First I will say a big warm hello to fans who are new to listening to the group and to the release of Cover To Cover. We are from Oak Park, IL. I sincerely hope you enjoy our sound.

1) For the viewers of this blog who would not know you, What would you tell about PEZBAND to introduce yourselves? How long are you together as a band?  Who is playing what instrument in the band nowadays?

In the spring of 1977, our 1st LP was released on Passport/ABC Dunhill records. We were the 1st American rock group to hold the Power Pop label which came out of the Passport promotional department and we were featured on NBC's Today Show with Jane Pauly as "the latest sound, powerpop". We also played the ABC/Dunhill record convention that spring and were voted most promising act of 1977. Exciting stuff for us back then. We had been together as a rock group for about 5 years before we signed with Passport Records. Nowadays- Mike and I play and record. Mike plays with different groups. Mick plays drums with different groups and Tommy plays acoustic guitar at home.

2) About the recently reissued full length record "Cover to cover",  do you remember the recording process? Was this a "live" in the studio recording or a track by track recording with lots of overdubs? The album is now completely restored and remixed by producer John Pavletic. Did he work with the original multi-tracks recorded in 1979?

Many of the basic tracks on Cover To Cover were recorded on a remote 8-track tape machine. We rented a small house and did a great deal of pre production and recording. The recording studio which was called Tanglewood was in the process of being built so we were there only on a part-time basis. Once the studio was completed we recorded full tracks and many overdubs there. John Pavletic worked with us at both facilities. The 24 track masters were mixed at Tanglewood with John in 1979. I had the 24 track original recordings digitized and took them to John's home Pro Tools studio in March of 2018. He worked on the tracks for about 9 months.

3) If Pezband were to record a new album would you consider using the nowadays digital recording technology or do you guys only work with analog machines in analog studios?

We have done a few recordings in the past few years. The process was rhythm tracks live to tape, then tape transferred to digital Pro Tools system. All of the overdubbing was done on Pro Tools.

4) Is there a main composer in the band or is everybody involved in one way or another?



All of us write the material but I would say that I have done the most writing, co-writing and singing.

5) What is your favorite topic/topic that comes easily when you write a new song?

A song topic arrives from many influences such as current events, girlfriends, ex-girlfriends, situations, books and of course love. Many of the songs I have written were based on my personal life.

6) To what kind of music did you listen to as teenagers? What were your favorite bands as a teenager? Name 3 bands that you consider still have an influence on your own work today.

The groups we listened to as teenagers were The Beatles, The Yardbirds, The Kinks, The Who, Argent, Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac, John Mayall and The Bluesbreakers, Badfinger, ELO, and countless others. The 3 artists that influence my work today would be Jeff Lynne, Paul McCartney, and Wes Montgomery.

7) Do you have a  video on youtube featuring a track from the LP??

Yes, check out the Stella Blue video.



8) What can concert goers expect at a PEZBAND gig? Are you playing any famous cover songs during the gig? 

I really can't answer this question because we are not playing at this point.

9) Are there any bands in the USA today you consider yourself close to?

I think a fair comparison would have to be set to the 1970s and the band that was our competition was Cheap Trick. They opened many a show for us back then. At some point we opened shows for them as well.

10) What are the plans for the rest of 2019 as far as PEZBAND is concerned?

The plan for the rest of 2019 regarding Pezband is to continue the Cover To Cover promotion campaign. The media promotion is handled via Marty Scott and JEM records. I do most of the radio interviews and rely on our webmaster/artist Randy Nargi for all the special internet video and production. There might be a Best Of Pezband released this year.

11) Anything you wanna add?

On behalf of the group, I would like to thank all our fans around the world for their support and interest in our music. Music is powerful and I am thankful to be a part of it.

Go to Pezband's Official page. http://pezbandofficial.com/

PURCHASE A PHYSICAL COPY HERE:
http://www.jemrecordings.com/

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