Taking No Chances

MEET THE C-TONES:
1987 found the surf band the C-Tones in disarray. With many albums behind them including Sherpas of Surf and the classic noire offering Death on Venice Beach—lead singer and writer Duane Carson found himself at odds with his drummer-brother Chris. Chris wanted to WRITE. Publishing was clearly where the bucks were and Chris wanted a taste. At a crossroads and still with several records due to the Echoe label Chris was able to convince the rest of the band (Jimmy James, Vic Ventura, Dino Luau and manager Steve Sterling) that the band was needing a new way forward. Not a reprise of the bouncy beach fluff of yore.

“Our Music needs a razors edge,” said Chris touching his smooth tan cheek as though he just shaved. His blue eyes hung like jewels on his face. He was cultivating his Tab Hunter look. He liked to wear his Ray-Bans poised on the end of his nose. It was a look that many found irresistible. One such admirer was Gerard Zeiden.

Chris encountered Zeiden at a leather swimwear convention on a weekend junket to Berlin. They hit it off. Zeiden was in between projects.

“Here you are looking for a producer and here I am,” offered Gerard to his bleached-blond Ubermench. Gerard was shopping a punk approach to Wagner’s Die Valkyrie. He saw Chris as his Siegfried. Sensing Chris’ frustration he offered to help with “the new direction.” Zeiden was the latest incarnation of the continental/techno punk that sported machine drums and synth base. A deal was struck.

Night caller
“Shit sounds like tar being extruded through a very tight hole,” Duane’s first words on a desperate late call to yours truly in NYC.

“Ouch!” I replied with a chuckle.

“Got any songs?” Duane Implored.

Lookin’ for the hit
Chris had apparently made a record deal with Zeiden while on the continent and Sterling was desperate for an appropriate hit. So Duane called me. I was in the throes of redefining my own sound having just done a series of exclusive gigs in the Tristate Coastal beach bars with the Reunion band the DEL RAYS. I thought, I have the tunes he needs. At the same time my friend and financial advisor Michael M. had heard the band and wanted to chip in on some new tracks. He was an oil trader and saw music as a commodities frontier he would like to explore. I went down to the commodities exchange (It smelled like a basketball court) and picked up some cash. From there I took a cab to Steve Gaboury’s studio in the East Village. There we met Duane and the other Tones.

Zeiden was there in his navy blue wetsuit doing his ‘expressionistic” modern dancing while Chris played some very large teak claves. Since the drums were done with machines, Chris was free to devote all of his attention to Zeiden, the Austrian Vunderboy. Chris wouldn’t play drums…he would act and mime his parts as Siegfried sans Roy. “

“I have always wanted to act,” said Chris, “I yearn to be seen and admired. I am already famous for my drumming. Now I will evolve into everything else.”

The band recorded two memorable cuts that night. TAKING NO CHANCES and the epic LEARNING TO LOVE.

This cut you are hearing is pulled from Zeiden’s tour de force album ROBOD with the C-Tones on the Dark Planet Label. It was even more successful than Neil Young’s techno incursion TRANS.

Alas this was to be the only Tone/Zeiden Release. He died shortly after in an alpine ski accident when he and Chris took an unmarked trail. Getting air off a glacier, Zeiden—favoring the long jumping skis, pin-wheeled into a lift tower.

SUBTEXT:

FRESH out of Stanford, Jules Levin moves to NYC and takes up residence in one of his father’s high rises on Liberty St.  He trades in futures and his fortunes rise as high and as quickly as he sees a world for sale and he is running the auction.  This is his anthem to himself.  He’s got the magic touch. But he’s taking no chances.

TAKING NO CHANCES
By Compton Maddux.
Gerard Zeiden —producer 1986.

Excerpted from the Album ROBOD

He’s got the advantage
But he’s losing his edge
The balls in his court
So he punts instead
Everything’s outrageous
Everything’s polite
But he’s taking no chances
with his life

He’s taking no chances
He’s taking no chances
with his life (2x)

He scrutinizes markets
and makes a million deals
What he can’t buy with endless wealth
He very simply steals
Everything’s outrageous
Everything’s polite
But he’s taking no chances
With his life

He’s taking no chances
He’s taking no chances
with his life (4x)

He’s getting nervous that he’s losing some ground
Leans more to the right
Everyday
He thought he’d lost
But he really found
A chance that he might take

Allegiances are temporal
Hardware deals no frills
If NATO can’t pay the price
The OPEC nations will
Everything’s outrageous
Everything’s polite
But he’s taking no chances
with his life

He’s taking no chances
He’s taking no chances
with his life…
© Compton Maddux 1987. All Rights Reserved

The Cast…..

Duane Carson…….vocals and wah/wah uke
Steve Gaboury……synths and thuramin
Compton Maddux….vocals and Tele
Vic Ventura……….Wavotron
Jimmy James……Fender Jaguar
John Moses……..Stratocaster
Dino Luau………Forearm Thumper/ bass overdubs

Didi Gold, Judy Bland, Tahne Fuji……Backing vocals
Mixage…………Jerry Mander
Drum Sequencing ……..DR. Rhythm
Produced by Steve Gaboury, Gerard Zeiden and Steve Sterling

Executive production Michael Marx