Starcastle
Encyclopedia
Starcastle was a progressive rock
band formed in St. Louis, Missouri
in 1969.
and it was released in early 1976. The response to the music of Starcastle was overwhelming and despite some detractors accusations that they sounded like a Yes
clone, the album received heavy FM airplay throughout the US & Canada. The group began an even more intensive touring schedule including some of the biggest shows of their careers. The first album sold well, and Epic Records
sent the band to Le Studio
in Morin-Heights, Quebec with producer Roy Thomas Baker
.
Although Roy was well known for his success with Queen
, the band was not sure if it was a good fit or not, as Roy did not understand Starcastle's vocals and other aspects of the sound. The atmosphere and surroundings of Le Studio were idyllic, but the final product, Fountains of Light
(considered by many fans to be the band's best release) turned out to be something other than what the band envisioned. More touring followed this time including a number of headlining shows in small halls and universities with Journey
and Foreigner
supporting Starcastle on some dates. Fountains of Light garnered the band critical acclaim, and while the single "Diamond Song (Deep is the Light)" failed to chart, the album sold respectably.
Real to Reel
was an album the band felt should have never been released, despite some impressive material. Most of the more 'progressive' demos done for the record were rejected by CBS, and the band had stopped believing in what they were doing. The album was released and fell flat. During the subsequent tour, keyboardist Herb Schildt decided it was time to leave to pursue his passion – computers, and Terry, who had his eyes on producing, left after the group’s final date of the tour with Aerosmith
. This, coupled with disappointing sales figures, prompted CBS to drop Starcastle from its roster.
and in early 1979 the band began touring again this time with Steve Hagler on lead vocals and without a record contract. While this line-up worked for a while, Matt remembered a vocalist he had met and became friends with a few years earlier- Ralph Goldhiem. Ralph had toured the Midwest with another CBS/Epic group called Timberline. While the Timberline sound was more similar to The Eagles and Poco
, it gave Ralph a taste of what he wanted to do. He moved to Los Angeles
temporally joining up with former Trapeze
/Deep Purple
vocalist Glenn Hughes in rehearsals for a possible album which never materialized. It was during this time Matt called Ralph about joining Starcastle as vocalist.
With Ralph on board in July of 1979 the new Starcastle took shape. The material became more hard edged, while still retaining the trademark Starcastle sound. Needing a change of surroundings Starcastle moved from Champaign to Atlanta, Georgia
. A spec deal was signed with producer Jeff Glixman
in Atlanta who was at that time best known for his work with Kansas
. Through working with Glixman on the first demo, a management deal was signed with former Queen manager Jack Nelson. Nelson was more of a "hands off" manager, but did bring both Arista
and A&M
's John Kolander to the table for a possible deal. Nothing happened, but the band still held out hope that something would come along for the better. The band contemplated a name change at one point-even played a gig as "The Pack" at Atlanta's Agora Ballroom
, but it was still Starcastle, and it was Starcastle they came to hear.
would be produced by Jeff Glixman. Matt Stewart left for California and would later join Head East
as guitarist in the mid-80's. Gary & Ralph continued to write together, but eventually Gary returned to Champaign, disillusioned and looking for a fresh start.
In 1982, Gary moved to the San Francisco Bay Area
where he began to reinvent his own musical direction. Ultimately, this led to Gary forming a new and more modern version of Starcastle with Bruce Botts (guitar/vocals), George Harp (lead vocals) and Scott McKenzie (drums/vocals). Much new material was written and performed during this time drawing critical praise and interest from Bill Graham
. Bruce Botts left the group in 1985 and moved back to the midwest. He was replaced by Mark McGee (Vicious Rumors) This line up carried on until 1987, when Gary moved back to Champaign.
In 1997, Gary Strater and Bruce Botts rekindled their association and, operating from the midwest, began work on a new recording. Eventually members from all incarnations of the band came together to work on this project. In 2001, Gary formed Sunsinger Records and released an archive CD, Chronos I, with demos and unreleased tracks. He followed that up in 2002 with a solo release, Eleven To The Fourth Twice, an experimental album based purely on fractals and computer equations. Ex-drummer Steve Tassler would also release a solo album that same year on Sunsinger entitled Alive Beyond Recognition.
in 2003. Gary was joined onstage by all the original members for a four-song performance. This would be Gary's final performance with Starcastle, and he would succumb to his cancer later that year at the age of 51. During his chemotherapy
treatment Gary and the other members continued to work on a new record. Gary finished his parts only weeks before passing away. The album, Song of Times, was finished in late 2006 and released on the Prog Rock Records label in 2007.
|-
| width=5% | Year
| width=10% | Title
| width=50% | Notes
|-
| 1976
| Starcastle
| First studio album.
|-
| 1977
| Fountains of Light
| Considered to be the band's best offering. Reissued in 1998 by Renaissance Records, Inc.
|-
| 1977
| Citadel
| Features cover art by the famous Hildebrandt Brothers. Reissued in 1998 by Renaissance Records, Inc.
|-
| 1978
| Real To Reel
| Band's final studio offering.
|-
| 2001
| Chronos I
| Archive release featuring demos and unreleased tracks.
|-
| 2007
| Song of Times
|
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
band formed in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
in 1969.
Formation
Starcastle began life in 1969 as "St. James". Heavily influenced by the British progressive rock movement of the time, the band began writing material that would eventually appear on the first album. They also began a rigorous schedule of support gigs at clubs throughout the Midwest, honing their stage show and working in original material with covers. Despite relative success, and the release of a (now rare) single, something more was needed. Five years and a few name and line-up changes later, Starcastle was born. With tight musicianship, glorious vocal harmonies and a fleet-fingered bassist named Gary Strater, they were on their way.Starcastle and Fountains of Light
Work began on the bands first self-titled LPStarcastle (album)
-Track listing:All songs written by StarcastleSide 1# "Lady Of The Lake" - 10:26# "Elliptical Seasons" - 4:26# "Forces" - 6:24Side 2# "Stargate" - 2:54# "Sunfield" - 7:35# "To The Fire Wind" - 5:15# "Nova" - 2:35-Band:...
and it was released in early 1976. The response to the music of Starcastle was overwhelming and despite some detractors accusations that they sounded like a Yes
Yes (band)
Yes are an English rock band who achieved worldwide success with their progressive, art, and symphonic style of rock music. Regarded as one of the pioneers of the progressive genre, Yes are known for their lengthy songs, mystical lyrics, elaborate album art, and live stage sets...
clone, the album received heavy FM airplay throughout the US & Canada. The group began an even more intensive touring schedule including some of the biggest shows of their careers. The first album sold well, and Epic Records
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
sent the band to Le Studio
Le Studio
Le Studio was a recording studio located just south of the tourist town of Morin Heights, Quebec. It was the first ‘environmental’ recording studio outside a major urban center...
in Morin-Heights, Quebec with producer Roy Thomas Baker
Roy Thomas Baker
Roy Thomas Baker is a multiple award-winning Anglo-American music producer, songwriter, arranger and Recording Academy Governor, who has produced Platinum and Gold certified pop and rock records from the 1970s to the present.- Career :Baker began his career at Decca Records in England at the age...
.
Although Roy was well known for his success with Queen
Queen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
, the band was not sure if it was a good fit or not, as Roy did not understand Starcastle's vocals and other aspects of the sound. The atmosphere and surroundings of Le Studio were idyllic, but the final product, Fountains of Light
Fountains of Light
Fountains of Light is the second studio album by American progressive rock band Starcastle.-Track listing:Side 1# "Fountains" - 10:22# "Dawning Of The Day" - 3:43# "Silver Winds" - 4:54Side 2# "True To The Light" - 6:25...
(considered by many fans to be the band's best release) turned out to be something other than what the band envisioned. More touring followed this time including a number of headlining shows in small halls and universities with Journey
Journey (band)
Journey is an American rock band formed in 1973 in San Francisco by former members of Santana. The band has gone through several phases; its strongest commercial success occurred between the 1978 and 1987, after which it temporarily disbanded...
and Foreigner
Foreigner (band)
Foreigner is a British-American rock band, originally formed in 1976 by veteran English musicians Mick Jones and ex-King Crimson member Ian McDonald along with American vocalist Lou Gramm...
supporting Starcastle on some dates. Fountains of Light garnered the band critical acclaim, and while the single "Diamond Song (Deep is the Light)" failed to chart, the album sold respectably.
Citadel and Real to Reel
Once again, the label wanted more and the times were changing. Radio formats were moving away from progressive rock. No longer were programmers interested in eight minute songs, or concepts. They wanted short, concise songs that would fit on the radio and sell. Despite issues with Roy Baker's style, the label sent Starcastle to England to record their third offering, Citadel with Baker once again handling production. The pressure was on, but Starcastle kept to its progressive rock roots. After more touring, the cracks in the band were starting to show.Real to Reel
Real to Reel (Starcastle album)
Real To Reel is the fourth studio album by American progressive rock band Starcastle.-Track listing:Side 1# "Half a Mind to Leave Ya" - 4:46...
was an album the band felt should have never been released, despite some impressive material. Most of the more 'progressive' demos done for the record were rejected by CBS, and the band had stopped believing in what they were doing. The album was released and fell flat. During the subsequent tour, keyboardist Herb Schildt decided it was time to leave to pursue his passion – computers, and Terry, who had his eyes on producing, left after the group’s final date of the tour with Aerosmith
Aerosmith
Aerosmith is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many...
. This, coupled with disappointing sales figures, prompted CBS to drop Starcastle from its roster.
The new Starcastle
Undeterred, Starcastle carried on. They regrouped in Champaign, IllinoisChampaign, Illinois
Champaign is a city in Champaign County, Illinois, in the United States. The city is located south of Chicago, west of Indianapolis, Indiana, and 178 miles northeast of St. Louis, Missouri. Though surrounded by farm communities, Champaign is notable for sharing the campus of the University of...
and in early 1979 the band began touring again this time with Steve Hagler on lead vocals and without a record contract. While this line-up worked for a while, Matt remembered a vocalist he had met and became friends with a few years earlier- Ralph Goldhiem. Ralph had toured the Midwest with another CBS/Epic group called Timberline. While the Timberline sound was more similar to The Eagles and Poco
Poco
Poco is an Southern California country rock band originally formed by Richie Furay and Jim Messina following the demise of Buffalo Springfield in 1968. The title of their first album, Pickin' Up the Pieces, is a reference to the break-up of Buffalo Springfield. Highly influential and creative,...
, it gave Ralph a taste of what he wanted to do. He moved to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
temporally joining up with former Trapeze
Trapeze (band)
Trapeze were an English rock band formed in March 1969, by vocalist John Jones and guitarist/keyboardist Terry Rowley , with guitarist Mel Galley, singer/bassist Glenn Hughes, and drummer Dave Holland...
/Deep Purple
Deep Purple
Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in Hertford in 1968. Along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, they are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, although some band members believe that their music cannot be categorised as belonging to any one genre...
vocalist Glenn Hughes in rehearsals for a possible album which never materialized. It was during this time Matt called Ralph about joining Starcastle as vocalist.
With Ralph on board in July of 1979 the new Starcastle took shape. The material became more hard edged, while still retaining the trademark Starcastle sound. Needing a change of surroundings Starcastle moved from Champaign to Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
. A spec deal was signed with producer Jeff Glixman
Jeff Glixman
Jeff Glixman is an American record producer. He has produced, mixed or remastered artists such as Kansas, Gary Moore, Yngwie Malmsteen, the Georgia Satellites and Black Sabbath...
in Atlanta who was at that time best known for his work with Kansas
Kansas (band)
Kansas is an American rock band that became popular in the 1970s initially on Album-Oriented Rock charts, and later with hit singles such as "Carry On Wayward Son" and "Dust in the Wind"...
. Through working with Glixman on the first demo, a management deal was signed with former Queen manager Jack Nelson. Nelson was more of a "hands off" manager, but did bring both Arista
Arista Records
Arista was an American record label. It was a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment and operated under the RCA Music Group. The label was founded in 1974 by Clive Davis, who formerly worked for CBS Records...
and A&M
A&M Records
A&M Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that operates under the mantle of its Interscope-Geffen-A&M division.-Beginnings:...
's John Kolander to the table for a possible deal. Nothing happened, but the band still held out hope that something would come along for the better. The band contemplated a name change at one point-even played a gig as "The Pack" at Atlanta's Agora Ballroom
Agora Theatre and Ballroom
The Agora Theatre and Ballroom is a concert club located in Cleveland, Ohio. The Agora name was previously used by two other Cleveland venues in succession, the latter of which was destroyed by fire in 1984...
, but it was still Starcastle, and it was Starcastle they came to hear.
Hiatus and reformations
In 1980 both Steve Hagler and Steve Tassler left the group. Tassler's replacement on drums was Mauro Magellan. Rehearsals took place with Magellan, but he left a short time later to join The Georgia Satellites -a band whose debut albumGeorgia Satellites (album)
Georgia Satellites is the first album released by The Georgia Satellites. It contains their biggest hit, "Keep Your Hands to Yourself," and another minor hit, "Battleship Chains," written by Terry Anderson. It also contains a cover of "Every Picture Tells a Story," written by Rod Stewart and Ron Wood...
would be produced by Jeff Glixman. Matt Stewart left for California and would later join Head East
Head East
Head East is an American hard rock band originally from South Central Illinois. The band was formed by vocalist John Schlitt, guitarist Mike Somerville, keyboardist Roger Boyd, bassist Dan Birney, and drummer Steve Huston. They met and formed the band while studying at the University of Illinois,...
as guitarist in the mid-80's. Gary & Ralph continued to write together, but eventually Gary returned to Champaign, disillusioned and looking for a fresh start.
In 1982, Gary moved to the San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
where he began to reinvent his own musical direction. Ultimately, this led to Gary forming a new and more modern version of Starcastle with Bruce Botts (guitar/vocals), George Harp (lead vocals) and Scott McKenzie (drums/vocals). Much new material was written and performed during this time drawing critical praise and interest from Bill Graham
Bill Graham (promoter)
Bill Graham was an American impresario and rock concert promoter from the 1960s until his death.-Early life:...
. Bruce Botts left the group in 1985 and moved back to the midwest. He was replaced by Mark McGee (Vicious Rumors) This line up carried on until 1987, when Gary moved back to Champaign.
In 1997, Gary Strater and Bruce Botts rekindled their association and, operating from the midwest, began work on a new recording. Eventually members from all incarnations of the band came together to work on this project. In 2001, Gary formed Sunsinger Records and released an archive CD, Chronos I, with demos and unreleased tracks. He followed that up in 2002 with a solo release, Eleven To The Fourth Twice, an experimental album based purely on fractals and computer equations. Ex-drummer Steve Tassler would also release a solo album that same year on Sunsinger entitled Alive Beyond Recognition.
Reunion and future
In April 2004, a benefit show was arranged for Gary Strater, as he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancerPancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer refers to a malignant neoplasm of the pancreas. The most common type of pancreatic cancer, accounting for 95% of these tumors is adenocarcinoma, which arises within the exocrine component of the pancreas. A minority arises from the islet cells and is classified as a...
in 2003. Gary was joined onstage by all the original members for a four-song performance. This would be Gary's final performance with Starcastle, and he would succumb to his cancer later that year at the age of 51. During his chemotherapy
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is the treatment of cancer with an antineoplastic drug or with a combination of such drugs into a standardized treatment regimen....
treatment Gary and the other members continued to work on a new record. Gary finished his parts only weeks before passing away. The album, Song of Times, was finished in late 2006 and released on the Prog Rock Records label in 2007.
Former members
- Gary Strater - Bass (1969-1987, 1997-2004)
- Matt Stewart - Guitar (1969-1981, 1997-2006)
- Steve Hagler - Guitar (1969-1980, 2004)
- Steve Tassler - Drums (1969-1980, 2004)
- Terry Luttrell - Vocals (1969-1978, 2004)
- Herb Schildt- Keyboards (1969-1978, 1997-2006)
- Ralph Goldhiem - Vocals and Keyboards (1979-1981)
- Mauro Magellan - Drums (1980-1981)
- George Harp - Vocals (1982-1987)
- Scott McKenzie - Drums (1882-1987)
- Bruce Botts- Guitar (1982-1985, 1997-2006)
- Mark McGee - Guitar (1985-1987)
- Al Lewis - Vocals (2004-2006)
- Jeff Koehnke - Drums (2004-2006)
Studio Albums
{| style="border: 1px solid #a0a0aa; background-color: #f0f0ff; width: 80%; margin-left:8px;"|-
| width=5% | Year
| width=10% | Title
| width=50% | Notes
|-
| 1976
| Starcastle
Starcastle (album)
-Track listing:All songs written by StarcastleSide 1# "Lady Of The Lake" - 10:26# "Elliptical Seasons" - 4:26# "Forces" - 6:24Side 2# "Stargate" - 2:54# "Sunfield" - 7:35# "To The Fire Wind" - 5:15# "Nova" - 2:35-Band:...
| First studio album.
|-
| 1977
| Fountains of Light
Fountains of Light
Fountains of Light is the second studio album by American progressive rock band Starcastle.-Track listing:Side 1# "Fountains" - 10:22# "Dawning Of The Day" - 3:43# "Silver Winds" - 4:54Side 2# "True To The Light" - 6:25...
| Considered to be the band's best offering. Reissued in 1998 by Renaissance Records, Inc.
|-
| 1977
| Citadel
| Features cover art by the famous Hildebrandt Brothers. Reissued in 1998 by Renaissance Records, Inc.
|-
| 1978
| Real To Reel
Real to Reel (Starcastle album)
Real To Reel is the fourth studio album by American progressive rock band Starcastle.-Track listing:Side 1# "Half a Mind to Leave Ya" - 4:46...
| Band's final studio offering.
|-
| 2001
| Chronos I
| Archive release featuring demos and unreleased tracks.
|-
| 2007
| Song of Times
|